With the coronation concluded, a storm of war swept across the continent.
Tension filled the air, and each sovereign hastened home to prepare for battle. They returned flying their own banners, intent on personally leading their armies—not out of obligation, but to secure greater political and territorial gains from the conflict.
Emperor Oswald of the Pamir Empire also reluctantly departed the Xerx royal capital after pressure from his advisors became impossible to ignore.
But the decision for monarchs to march into battle wasn't taken lightly.
Setting foot upon the bloodstained soil of the battlefield meant far more than personal valor. A ruler's presence at the front lines could solidify loyalty and rally their troops in ways that mere orders from behind a desk never could.
This wasn't some border skirmish.
The war at hand threatened to topple the continental order that had endured for over a century. It signaled the collapse of a carefully maintained balance of power.
