Brintanh, the Main Fortress war room.
In the fireplace, fine green pinewood charcoal crackled, radiating a comforting warmth that bathed the entire room in an amber glow.
Exquisite silver platters covered the long table. Golden-brown foie gras sizzled with fat, thin slices of smoked salmon gleamed enticingly, and cream soup garnished with truffles gave off a rich aroma. Several bottles of aged red wine from Silver Bay Province had already been opened, filling the air with their mellow fragrance.
This was the standard fare for a winter noble banquet in the Haiti Duchy.
Unlike the suffocating tension of previous prebattle meetings, the room now buzzed with a relaxed, lively atmosphere. The clear clink of cutlery against porcelain sounded constantly, but it did nothing to distract anyone from the enormous sand table in the center of the long table.
Their eyes brimmed with fighting spirit.
Made of wood and plaster, the sand table was vast, encompassing more than half the Haiti Duchy, from the war-torn Coastal Province eastward to Northern Foothills Province, where the "Phony War" continued.
The red flags representing the Royalist Faction's armies had surged forward like a tide. Not only had they secured the rear, they now covered the southern plains of Northern Foothills Province.
"This wine's good! Worthy of those two iron hulks we captured!"
Ola held a roast leg of lamb, grease covering the dwarf's mouth, yet still found time to raise a glass and shout.
"I say those Imperial Faction fools are a bunch of idiots!" the dwarf spat through a mouthful of food. "Without those toys they borrowed from the Empire, I doubt they'd have even reached Brintanh!"
"Lord Ola is right!" A commander of the Royal Capital Cavalry Regiment immediately raised his glass in agreement. His face was flushed, and he was clearly