Annan was preparing for the coming war. Meanwhile, Olmedo sent invitation letters to Free City's neighbors, Grand Lord Franco and Grand Duke Girardi, summoning them to discuss the turmoil caused by the Empire's Extermination Edict.
Free City had become one of the greatest powers in western Middle Earth.
Of course, you could also say that when the tiger was away, the monkeys ruled...
In the Strategic Room, Olmedo was briefing their two neighbors on the situation in the North. Black paint on the War Map marked the Empire's forces.
They had concealed nothing, nor did they need to. For now, though, they had no information on the movements of the Ratfolk or the demons.
"We have two defense lines to the north: the Great Wall in the Montablinlock Duchy and the Great Wall at Gem Bay."
In truth, there were three—the Montablinlock Duchy itself counted as one.
"But to the west, we have only the Forest Mountains. Beyond Franco's Territory, there's no defense line to hold."
Olmedo had visited Franco's Territory. All it had to the northwest was a rammed-earth wall six or seven meters high. It was an impassable barrier to bandits, kobolds, and gnolls from the Wildlands, but to the Ratfolk... They could simply pile themselves several layers high on the other side and surge over it like a tsunami.
They weren't even confident that the ten-meter-high concrete city wall they had built for the Montablinlock Duchy could hold against the Rat Tide for long.
Grand Lord Franco stared at the War Map. "The Empire is the Ratfolk and demon alliance's greatest enemy. Would they really divert their forces toward us?"
"The main Ratfolk and demon forces won't focus on us. But given the Ratfolk's numbers, part of the Rat Tide is bound to spill this way."
Seeing