CHAPTER 127: THE WINTER TRIALS 2

The participants filed into the arena’s east wing, where a massive tent had been erected overnight.

Inside, rows of chairs faced a raised platform. Commander Korvo sat behind a heavy oak desk, arms crossed, looking like he’d rather be anywhere else. Duchess Valemont stood beside him, holding a stack of papers.

"Listen up," Korvo barked. His voice carried even without any magical amplification. "This is how the Strategy portion works. You’ll approach the desk one at a time. I’ll ask you to choose a role—either a common soldier with limited information, or a commanding officer with full tactical awareness. Then I give you a scenario. You respond. I poke holes in your plan. You adapt. Simple."

Aegis nodded to herself.

[That choice itself probably affects how many points you get. The role of a simple soldier is marginally easier than that of a general.]

"How long do we have?" someone called out.

"As long as it takes for me to decide if you’re competent or not." Korvo’s scarred face twisted into a grin. "Some of you will be done in five minutes. Others might take twenty. Don’t waste my time."

Duchess Valemont stepped forward, her voice smooth and honeyed.

"Your responses will be judged on creativity, adaptability, and practical application. We’re not looking for textbook answers. We want to see how you think under pressure." She gestured to the chairs. "Now sit. We’ll call you in order."

Aegis found a seat near the back. Scarlett dropped into the chair beside her, bouncing her leg nervously. Talia sat two rows ahead, back straight and hands folded in her lap. Serilla lounged a few seats over, looking completely relaxed. Darius sat near the front, whispering to some noble Aegis didn’t recognize.

The first student was called up—a lanky boy with a nervous look. He chose soldier. Korvo rattled off a scenario about defending a bridge against superior numbers. The boy stammered through an answer about holding the choke point. Korvo demolished it in three questions, pointing out supply line issues and the inevitability of being flanked at the specific point the boy chose.

The boy slunk back to his seat, face red.

The second student did better. She chose officer and proposed a scorched-earth retreat that would force the enemy to overextend, and then she’d have another set of fighters pincer the enemies when they went too far. Korvo nodded once and she was dismissed.

More students cycled through. Some clearly did well. Some failed spectacularly. The tent filled with whispers and nervous energy.

Then Korvo called Scarlett’s name.

"Lionheart. You’re up."

Scarlett stood, rolling her shoulders. She walked to the desk with that confident swagger she always had before a fight.

"Role?" Korvo asked.

"Warrior." Scarlett grinned. "I’m not much for commanding from the back."

"Figures." Korvo leaned back in his chair. "You’re part of a ten-soldier patrol. Your squad encounters an enemy mage in a clearing—powerful, mobile, and smart. She’s already taken down three of your soldiers with precise spells before you even realized she was there. Your commanding officer orders a frontal assault. You know it won’t work. She’ll pick you all off one by one. What do you do?"

Scarlett didn’t hesitate.

"I break formation."

"Explain."

"A mage like that is too smart to fall for a direct charge. She’ll read our movements, anticipate our attacks, and counter everything we throw at her." Scarlett leaned forward. "So I make noise. I charge from the front, screaming, making myself the obvious threat. Big, dumb warrior coming straight at her."

"That’s suicide."

"Not if I’m the distraction." Scarlett’s grin came back. "While she’s focused on me—on the loud, obvious target—I’m banking on at least two or three of my squadmates being smart enough to flank her. Circle around while she’s busy with me. A mage that mobile has to focus. If I force her to commit to dealing with me, she can’t watch her sides."

Korvo’s eyes narrowed.

"What if she kills you before your squadmates move?"

"Then at least I bought them time to get in position. But if I can read her tells—how she moves before casting, where she likes to position herself—I can dodge just enough to keep her attention without getting fried." Scarlett shrugged. "It’s about making her waste time and mana on me while everyone else closes in."

"What if your squadmates don’t take the opening?"

"Then I die and they die and the mission fails. But doing nothing guarantees that outcome anyway." Scarlett’s expression hardened. "At least this way there’s a chance. You can’t beat someone faster and smarter than you by fighting their fight. You make them fight yours."

Korvo studied her for a long moment.

Then he nodded.

"Adequate. Next."

Scarlett walked back with a huge grin on her face. She dropped into her seat and threw an arm around Aegis’s shoulders.

"Nailed it."

"How the hell did you come up with that so fast?" Aegis asked.

"I imagined what I’d do if you were on the opposite side."

"What?"

"You’re a unique fighter. I wouldn’t be able to beat you with brute strength alone." Scarlett squeezed her shoulder. "So I figured, okay, how would I fight her? Distraction, misdirection, hit when she’s not looking. Same principles apply to strategy."

Aegis blinked.

"That’s actually brilliant."

"Don’t sound so surprised, asshole."

More students were called. Some impressed. Most didn’t.

Talia went next.

She chose officer without hesitation and proceeded to lay out a defensive strategy so thorough and detailed that Korvo actually asked her to repeat parts of it for the watching students. When she returned to her seat, her face was neutral, but Aegis caught the tiny satisfied smile.

[Show-off,] Aegis thought, smiling as well.

Darius went after.

He also chose officer and proposed an aggressive frontal assault backed by magical artillery. Korvo pointed out the high casualty rate. Darius countered that victory justified losses. Korvo’s expression darkened but he passed him anyway.

Serilla sauntered up when her name was called. She chose soldier and delivered her plan with such casual confidence that it sounded like she was describing a shopping trip. Korvo looked annoyed but passed her.

The twins went together—apparently they’d requested to work as a team. Korvo allowed it, probably out of curiosity. They chose warrior roles and proposed a coordinated ambush strategy that relied heavily on speed and synchronized attacks. Korvo grilled them on communication issues and backup plans. They handled it well, finishing each other’s sentences and adapting on the fly. They passed.

Then Korvo’s voice rang out.

"Starcaller. You’re up."

Aegis stood.

Her heart hammered as she walked to the desk. Every eye in the tent was on her. She could feel Talia’s gaze boring into her back. Lady Cassandra was probably watching from the stands outside through some scrying spell.

[Don’t fuck this up.]

She sat down across from Korvo.

"Role?" he asked.

"Commanding officer."

"Ambitious. Alright." Korvo pulled out a map and spread it across the desk. "You’re a general defending a fortified city. The enemy has twice your numbers and superior siege equipment. Your walls are strong but not impenetrable. You have adequate food for a month, maybe two if you ration. Magical reserves are moderate. The nearest allied reinforcements are three weeks away." He looked up. "How do you hold the city?"

Aegis studied the map.

She recognized this scenario. It was almost identical to the Siege of Ironhearth from the game—a mid-game mission that most players failed on their first attempt.

[Hm... Does the fact that I’m hearing about this situation like this mean the actual thing isn’t going to happen? Or, is this some weird foreshadowing?]

Regardless, she knew the solution.

"I wouldn’t hold the city," Aegis said.

Whispers erupted around the tent.

Korvo raised an eyebrow.

"Explain."

"Defending passively guarantees failure. Superior numbers and siege equipment mean they’ll eventually breach the walls. When that happens, urban combat favors the attacker because they can spread out and overwhelm panicked defenders room by room." Aegis leaned forward. "Instead, I’d use the fortifications to buy time while executing a controlled evacuation of non-combatants through underground tunnels or secondary gates on the far side of the city."

"That’s retreat, not defense."

"It’s preservation of assets." Aegis tapped the map. "Once civilians are clear, I’d organize my forces into mobile strike teams. Small groups that can harass supply lines before the siege happens, sabotage siege equipment at night, and assassinate enemy officers. Slowly, I would make the siege so costly and frustrating that the enemy either abandons it or commits to a rushed, brief assault."

"And if they do rush the walls?"

"Then I collapse some structures intentionally to create chokepoints. Urban rubble would be a nightmare to navigate. I’d turn their numerical advantage into a liability by forcing them to fight in narrow, crumbling streets where their formations would quickly break down." Aegis met his gaze. "Meanwhile, my strike teams continue hitting their camps and supply trains. They can’t maintain a siege if their own forces are starving and their commanders keep dying in their sleep."

Korvo leaned back, arms crossed.

"What about morale? Your own troops watching you destroy parts of the city they’re supposed to defend?"

"I’d frame it as denying the enemy easy access. Make it clear we’re not abandoning the city—we’re making it their grave." Aegis tapped the map again. "And I’d rotate the strike teams. Keep everyone engaged in active operations instead of sitting on walls waiting to die. Nothing kills morale faster than helplessness."

"What about your own supply lines? You’d be burning through resources faster with mobile operations."

"True. But the enemy’s burning through theirs faster trying to maintain a siege against ghost tactics. It becomes a war of attrition, but now it’s one where I control the tempo." Aegis allowed herself a small smile. "And when those reinforcements arrive in three weeks? The enemy is depleted, demoralized, and caught between my forces and the relief army. We crush them."

The tent had gone completely silent.

Korvo stared at her for a long moment.

Then he smiled. Actually smiled.

"That’s surprisingly ruthless from you." He waved her away. "Next."

Aegis stood and walked back to her seat on legs that felt like jelly.

Scarlett punched her arm.

"Holy shit. Where did you learn that?"

"Books."

"Bullshit. That was too specific."

Aegis just grinned.

The strategy portion continued for another hour. More students passed. More failed. By the end, roughly two-thirds of the participants remained.

Duchess Valemont stepped forward as the last student finished.

"The Strategy portion is now complete. You will see your rankings on the enchanted board. Successful participants will advance to this afternoon’s Cooperation trials." Her smile was sharp. "Those who failed may try again next year. Dismissed."

Students filed out of the tent into the bright afternoon sun. The stands were still packed, the crowd buzzing with anticipation.

A massive enchanted board floated above the arena center, names and scores shifting in glowing letters.

Aegis squinted up at it, searching for her name.

There.

Strategy Portion - Top Scores

Talia Stone - 98/100

Aegis Starcaller - 96/100

Darius Goldspire - 94/100

Kanna Greaves - 92/100

Serilla Frost - 90/100

Second place.

[Holy shit.]

Scarlett whooped and grabbed her in a headlock.

"Second place! Right behind the princess!"

"Let go—I can’t breathe—"

"You fucking did it!"

Aegis shoved her off, grinning like an idiot. She spotted Lady Cassandra in her box seat, raising her glass in silent acknowledgment.

Talia appeared beside them, face carefully neutral but eyes bright.

"Not bad, commoner."

"Not bad yourself, princess."

Their fingers brushed. Just for a moment.

The board shifted, displaying new text:

Cooperation Trials begin in one hour. Report to the western training grounds.

Aegis cracked her knuckles.

[Let’s keep this going.]