A month later...
Cyrabelle had acted decisively, withdrawing her forces from Stinnard ahead of everyone else and building a new defensive line along the border of the Northern Province. The situation across the entire Number Twelve Void World grew even more unpredictable.
She had moved so quickly that, before the Revolutionary Army and the Holy Light Church lurking in the shadows could react, she had already pulled the main forces of the Royal Guard and the Anomalies Bureau out of the Royal Capital. That left the Revolutionary Army's 140,000 troops with a dilemma: occupy Stinnard, or press their advantage and pursue her north?
Before this, the Revolutionary Army's leaders and the Rune Federation's decision-makers would have chosen pursuit without hesitation. But after their crushing defeat at the Red Fortress, the loss of nearly 200,000 troops, and General Lukase's betrayal, the Revolutionary Army had been badly weakened. It was running on fumes. Without the Rune Federation constantly propping it up, such losses would have broken it long ago.
In fact, many within the Revolutionary Army and the Rune Federation's upper ranks breathed a huge sigh of relief when they learned Cyrabelle had withdrawn to the Northern Province. They opposed any pursuit north, terrified of another Red Fortress. If they lost these 140,000 troops too, they would have no chance of turning things around.
So, after occupying Stinnard, the Revolutionary Army's main force went no farther north. It sent only a small contingent to hold the border of the Northern Province.
In Stinnard, the Revolutionary Army's leaders seemed to forget the Northern Province existed. They proclaimed victory, prepared to found a nation, rewarded their supporters, and divided the spoils... The leaders who had once never stopped talking about the people's interests transformed into nobles of the New Kingdom. They became the new