After the rainy season of the third month, two Shiksan folk arrived from the region. They wore the same uniform as Thundercrash and were stationed in a camp that had been prepared beforehand.
The area around the camp was heavily guarded. Locals and merchants were strictly forbidden from approaching. It was announced to the public that they were the reserve division of the overseas autonomous military zone. The reason they came to North Bay was that the autonomous military zone was going to hold a grand military exercise on the Great Plains of Canas …
It couldn't be helped. The royal capital was very concerned about Claude's whereabouts and the mobilization of the region's troops.
Even though Claude had told Blancarte in Whitestag that his return was to reorganize Thundercrash and attack Shiks along the way, the royal capital was still skeptical.
Perhaps due to the provocation from the region, King Fredri announced that the ministry of the army would be forming two standing corps in the near future.
Colonel Borkal arrived at Northbay with the two Shiksan folk. He kept a low profile and didn't wear his uniform. Instead, he looked like a merchant hitching a ride on a boat.
He had been carrying out Operation Wildfire on the west coast of Nubissia, but due to the increased surveillance and control of the colonies and natives, he hadn't made much progress in his communications with the natives. He had no choice but to stop what he was doing and report for duty when he received Claude's orders.
Three days later, Colonel Borkal and three of his men disguised themselves as merchants from the duchy of Leioro in the south and boarded a merchant ship to Shiks before heading to Bleyotte.
The trade route to Bleyotte had long been cut off due to the bandits at the border between Mambamark and Nasri. Small merchants like them were the bandits' favorite targets.
For safety's sake, they could only take the sea route through Shiks.
Another twenty days passed. At the end of the fourth month, Colonel Borkal sent his first report. He had contacted King Avitelli I of Bleyotte and was now a merchant that the king trusted a lot in the royal court.
According to the report, the bandits active at the border of Mambamark and Nasri were Shiksan's backers, the Restoration Army of Nasri and Canas.
"You can invite the Red Dragon Duke and the Griffin Marquis."
Claude tossed Borkal's report on the table in front of Skri, who picked it up and read it. He smiled. "If they find out that the purpose of your banquet is to declare war on Mambamark, I wonder if they'll regret coming to our banquet."
The Red Dragon Duke referred to the former marshal of the kingdom, the true ruler of the Red Dragon Army, and the father-in-law of Stellin XI who died in the mutiny, Duke Erivenson Siegfeld.
As for the Gryphon Marquis, he was the former commander of the Gryphon Legion, Marquis Julius Hoh Hadro.
Both of them were representatives of the old noble families of the kingdom.
After His Majesty issued the decree, they reached an agreement with Frederick the First. They withdrew their forces from the kingdom's army, accepted compensation, and returned to their fief.
"Duke Siegfeld's forces control almost all of Grasolm, while Marquis Hadro isn't any weaker. His forces control more than half of Welinkede.
However, these two prefectures were connected to the border prefecture of Bismonk, which was currently in a state of chaos due to the bandits from the Mambamark Kingdom. The people of Bismonk had no way of making a living.
What's interesting is that Duke Siegfeld and Marquis Hadro both wanted to control the land trade route to the Mambach Kingdom, so they placed their vassal nobles in this county. However, they suffered heavy losses because of these bandits. Not only did they lose the trade route, they couldn't even protect their vassal nobles. People from both sides were killed and looted … "
The information was gathered by Skri. "Duke Siegfeld has set up a garrison stationed in Bismonk, while Marquis Gryphon has set up two garrison camps in his vassal fief. However, they've adopted a defensive strategy and set up defensive positions to prevent the bandits from getting close to the towns they're guarding.
"It's said that the bandits, the restoration army of Nasri and Canas, number five to six thousand men. They've adopted small skirmishes to keep Duke Siegfeld and Marquis Gryphon's garrison in a passive position.
Once, the Red Dragon Duke had set up a trap and wiped out some bandits. However, when he chased after the fleeing bandits, he was intercepted by the Mambamark Kingdom's garrison at the border. He could only watch as the bandits disappeared into the forest at the border …
That's why my proposal to start a war with the Mambamark Kingdom is highly likely to gain the approval of these two nobles. After all, they don't need to be our cannon fodder and vanguard. All they need to do is organize their troops and follow behind our Thundercrash army to ensure the safety of our supply routes.
Even their losses can be compensated by Mambamark. All we want is money, but they want everything. Manpower, resources, livestock, they can all be used to strengthen their fief. "
Skri asked solemnly, "Even though Mambamark is a small kingdom, it still has three standing corps. Are you sure Thundercrash alone can defeat one of them?"
Claude smiled. "I'm quite confident. Even though Thundercrash has been restructured to be a small folk, it now has four folk. That's more than half of what it used to have with two folk.
Even if it's one against two, we can crush them. Mambamark's three standing corps aren't well-equipped and weak. They won't be a match for us at all.
The only thing I have to worry about is whether the royal capital will retaliate if we declare war on Mambamark. That's why I asked you to invite Duke Reddragon and Marquis Griffon.
"I heard they've already reported to the royal capital, but the royal court only sent a group of envoys to Mambamark to protest. They didn't come to any agreement. They even said that small skirmishes should be dealt with by the nobles themselves. If it's not a large-scale invasion, there's no need for the kingdom to mobilize.
"That's why I believe we can come to an agreement with Duke Reddragon and Marquis Griffon. If they want to expand, they can only do so in Mambamark.
I don't ask much of them. I want them to form an alliance of nobles that will follow behind Thundercrash and ensure the safety of our supply routes. They can do whatever they want.
I'm sure they'll agree to that. They'll also deal with the pressure from the royal capital. We're only hired by them to wipe out the bandits. "
On the 7th of May, 604 of the Sacred Light Calendar, General Skri held a banquet for his 50th birthday and invited many nobles to attend.
Duke Reddragon and Marquis Griffon also came to Northbay for the banquet. After the banquet, they had a secret meeting with Claude, Skri and Eiblont that lasted through the night.
On the 21st of May, in Bismonk in the Nasrian region, a group of bandits under the banner of the Canasian Restoration Army had just ransacked a village when they were ambushed by the local garrison of Bismonk.
Outnumbered, the bandits had no choice but to abandon their captives and fight as they retreated towards the forest at the border of Mambamark.
The local garrison chased them relentlessly, only to be intercepted by Mambamark's border guards at the border.
Usually, such a situation would end with both sides exchanging a few words before the local garrison of Bismonk left helplessly.
But this time, both sides were especially angry. An armed conflict broke out, and both sides used guns, resulting in several casualties.
The next day, Duke Reddragon announced that Mambamark was behind the bandits that attacked Bismonk. He wanted to form an alliance of nobles to declare war on Mambamark.
Marquis Griffon also expressed his support for the alliance.
On the 23rd of May, the king of Mambamark, Mambamark VI, announced that he would accept the alliance's challenge. If they dared to attack Mambamark, they would suffer a humiliating defeat.
The three standing corps of the kingdom were already preparing their troops and guarding the border. They were confident that they could defeat the enemy.
At the same time, Mambamark VI announced that he would send an envoy to the royal capital to explain to Fredrey I that they had nothing to do with the bandits and had no intention of becoming enemies with Aueras.
In the eyes of the king and ministers of Mambamark, Duke Reddragon's declaration of a noble alliance to declare war on them was nothing more than empty words. Even if they did, they wouldn't have the strength to launch an attack on Aueras. The fiercer they spoke, the louder they shouted. It was only to give themselves a way out.
So, they accepted Duke Reddragon's so-called declaration of war and immediately sent an envoy to the royal capital to meet with Fredrey I, explaining that they had nothing to do with the bandits and the tyranny of the Nasrian nobles, hoping that Fredrey I would restrain them.
As long as Aueras didn't declare war, Mambamark didn't care about the alliance.
But the Mambamark Kingdom's king and ministers didn't expect this. Before the envoy left, news of the nobles' allied army's invasion came from the border.
One of Mambamark's standing corps stationed at the border didn't even last half a day before they were annihilated in their barracks.
The enemy only rested for a night and the next morning, they marched towards Mambamark's capital, Sograthan.
On the 30th of the 5th month, Mambamark's field corps, Romak's musketeers, fought against the alliance for a whole day and were completely wiped out.
Only then did the panicking king and ministers realize that the so-called alliance wasn't the noble alliance that Duke Reddragon had claimed, but the famous Thundercrash of Aueras's autonomous region.
At this time, the Thundercrash Army was less than a day's journey away from Sograsson Royal City …
On the 2nd of the 6th month, Thundercrash besieged Sograthan. Mambamark VI sent an envoy to condemn the autonomous region's undeclared war against Mambamark and demanded that they leave the kingdom immediately.
The answer the envoy received was that Thundercrash was now a member of the noble coalition army. Duke Red Dragon had hired Thundercrash to join the noble coalition army, and Mambamark had accepted the declaration of war from the commander of the noble coalition army, Duke Red Dragon. Therefore, it was reasonable for Thundercrash to appear under Sograsson City …
Moreover, the autonomous region was neutral in the war declared by the Mambamark Kingdom and the allied nobles. They had no intention of opposing the Mambamark Kingdom.
However, Thundercrash had accepted the alliance's employment, so they had to play their part and hoped that Mambamark VI could forgive them.
As a reminder, Thundercrash would attack the city in an hour. They hoped that His Majesty would surrender as soon as possible so that they wouldn't hurt the alliance.
When the envoy returned, he reported Thundercrash's reply to Mambamark VI and the ministers. Mambamark VI almost coughed up blood on the spot. The ministers were enraged and declared that they would fight Thundercrash to the death with the city's defenses.
On the other hand, some clear-headed ministers believed that it was best to surrender as soon as possible. Neither the alliance nor Thundercrash would harm them. They could wait until they reached the Aueran court to reason things out. If Fredrey the First cared about his reputation, he wouldn't destroy Mambamark.
After all, the two kingdoms had no enmity with each other nor did they have any territorial disputes.
Everyone knew the real cause of the incident. It was all Mamba VI's fault for being blinded by greed. He shouldn't have allowed Nasri and Canas' Restoration Army to operate on the border for the Shiksan riches, resulting in this disaster.
When Thundercrash's nearly a hundred cannons fired nearly a thousand explosive shells at Sograsson's city walls, a white flag was raised on top of the city walls. The city gates opened, and the Mambamark Kingdom surrendered to Thundercrash, a mercenary force of the nobles' coalition army.
Just as the minister expected, the Thundercrash corps did not make things difficult for Mambamark VI and his ministers. They allowed them to bring their families and belongings with them. They sent them to the nearly one hundred carriages to the capital and even sent a battalion of light cavalry to escort them to the capital.
In less than half a month, news of a kingdom's fall shocked the entire continent.
Even the imperial capital thought it was a joke when they heard that the alliance had defeated Mambamark.
Only when Duke Reddragon's handwritten report was sent to the imperial court did Fredrey and Blancarte find out that it was all Thundercrash's doing.
However, none of the so-called Restoration Army from Nasri and Canas managed to escape. They were trapped in their camps and wiped out in one fell swoop. More than half of them died and the rest surrendered as captives.
The captives gave detailed confessions that it was indeed Shiks behind the scenes. They gifted Mambamark VI a large amount of jewels and gold to get him to allow the so-called Restoration Army to operate in their lands and specifically target Nasri nobles. He even gave them protection.
The main reason they were able to take down a kingdom so quickly was because Mambamark wasn't that big. There were only nine prefectures in the country.
After being caught off guard by Thundercrash, not only did Romak's musketeers fail to stop Thundercrash's advance, they were completely wiped out. All that was left in the capital was the royal guard. They were weak and didn't have the time or ability to resist Thundercrash's ambush.
When a white flag was raised above Sugerasen, Mambamark VI and his ministers were captured and sent to the imperial capital. The remaining prefectures of Mambamark couldn't withstand Thundercrash's sweep at all. All the garrisons, nobles and officials were swept clean. What followed was organized robbery.
After Thundercrash left with their loot, Duke Reddragon and Marquis Gryphon's noble army arrived. They wanted craftsmen and young laborers, as well as production tools and livestock. Almost all of Mambamark's prefectures were emptied out.
Even if Mambamark didn't fall, the king and ministers would only be greeted by an empty state when they returned.
Even though Mambamark hadn't been at war for nearly a hundred years, their loot didn't even amount to seven million crowns. It was a small kingdom with little wealth.
It seemed that he had to place his hopes on Shiks. He believed that they wouldn't disappoint him.
The neighboring kingdom of Bleyotte was already preparing for war. King Avitelli I kept sending envoys to the Shiksan capital, Saint Cyprian, to request Majid III to provide them with weapons and supplies so that Bleyotte could defend against Thundercrash's undeclared war.
As a vassal of Shiks, Bleyotte's offer delighted Majid III. Avitelli I wrote to him that the fall of Mambamark showed how powerful Thundercrash was in Aueras.
However, Mambamark was located on flat plains and the enemy's undeclared war had caught them off guard. That was why they were in danger of being wiped out.
Bleyotte, on the other hand, was a mountainous kingdom. They could use the terrain to their advantage to set up a perfect defensive line to ensure that the enemy would be badly battered.
As a vassal of Shiks, as long as they had enough weapons and supplies, Bleyotte's four standing corps would ensure that the enemy wouldn't be able to get past their natural defenses.
So, Majid III decided to provide Bleyotte with a large amount of military support and sent a group of officers and technicians to Bleyotte to help them set up their defensive line and supervise them.
In his letter, he assured Avitelli I that if war broke out, Shiks would be able to send reinforcements to Bleyotte to help them defend against the Aueran invasion.