In the early morning, still shrouded in a thin mist, Bima woke up earlier than the other trainees. His heart raced, not from fear, but from the excitement bubbling inside him. Today marked the beginning of his first war. He stepped out of his tent, inhaled the cool morning air, and began warming up in the open field, still empty. For two full hours, he trained alone; practicing stances, strikes, and agility, as if preparing to face an unseen enemy.
As the sun started to rise, thousands of soldiers gathered in front of the main gate of the capital city of Korasium. They consisted of 40,000 senior soldiers and 10,000 training soldiers, all forming a long, orderly, and imposing line. In the training line, Bima stood alongside his three friends—Togar, who was strong and muscular, Rano, who was quick, and Gito, who was quiet but sharp-eyed. Their line was led by General Yuvan, one of King Leinhart's trusted generals.
Soon after, King Leinhart appeared from the main gates of the palace, wearing his royal robes and accompanied by advisors and royal guards. He ascended to a small stage that had been prepared and delivered an inspiring speech that stirred the hearts of all the soldiers.
"Soldiers of Korasium! Today, you are not only raising your weapons for this land but for the honor, the family, and the future of peaceful Sulland!"
The speech was followed by cheers from the senior soldiers, who shouted war cries. Bima and his friends were startled and shivered, but they too shouted, their spirits ignited by the same fire. After the king returned to the palace, General Yuvan gave the order: the march to the camp location began.
The soldiers moved like an iron river, following the main roads, crossing small forests, and climbing hilly terrains. The journey took five days. During the journey, the trainees learned much from the senior soldiers—about discipline, survival techniques in foreign terrain, and the importance of keeping spirits high amid exhaustion.
However, unbeknownst to them, inside the capital of Korasium, a spy from the Kingdom of Livasol had witnessed all of these preparations. Disguised as a spice merchant, with a small cart that always parked near the main market, the spy quickly left Korasium through a secret route after the last of the soldiers had departed and sent the information to the Livasol command.
The information was immediately sent to Livasol's command center. In the capital, military advisors gathered with General Salvius, the kingdom's chief strategist. He stood in a quiet meeting room, a large map of Sulland spread out before him, detailing the movements of Korasium's forces.
"The Korasians are showing their fangs," murmured Salvius as he moved wooden pieces across the map.
"Should we intervene?" asked one of the advisors.
Salvius stared sharply at him. "Not yet. But we'll make sure that when two lions fight, the wolves will benefit."
He slowly turned his back to the window where the evening light streamed in.
"Prepare the northern and western supply routes. Ensure that both supplies and intelligence... reach the right hands. We don't need to swing our swords to win the war."
The faces of the advisors nodded slowly. They knew: when Salvius started positioning his pieces, every move could alter the course of history in Sulland.
Meanwhile, the Korasium camp began to take shape, and military activities were underway. Far to the north, on the eastern frontier, a large fortress stood firmly atop a rocky cliff. This fortress, known as the Velganis Fortress, was part of the Kingdom of Livasol, located in a high and hard-to-reach area that provided a wide view to the south—the direction from which Korasium's forces would approach.
Inside the fortress, the atmosphere was different than usual. There was no panic or chaos, only order and discipline. Armed forces were practicing formations, and in the barracks, weapons and supplies were being checked while officers moved about with serious expressions.
In the main hall of the fortress, General Salvius stood facing a large wall filled with maps, reports, and strategic calculations. He wore a light silver-gray battle robe, the symbol of Livasol, and his left hand held a scroll of reports from the Korasium spy.
"One of the Korasians' movements has been noted," Salvius murmured without looking away from the map.
"One of our scouts reports about their movements. Should we take action?" asked one of his officers.
Salvius slowly turned toward the officers. "Not yet. Let them build their camp first. Once they are settled, we will make our move."
He paused for a moment, then added, "Prepare your forces, have everything in place. But remember: sometimes the quietest moves are the deadliest."
With that, he walked out of the room, his mind already planning the next move, understanding that the most dangerous wars were often the ones fought in silence and shadow.
The soldiers in Korasium's camp, oblivious to the looming threat from the north, continued with their preparations. As the days passed, both sides were making their final moves, and in Sulland, the storm of war was starting to take shape.