Deal

While Richard was off fighting Solam, Alice had shown results as well. She had found an opening in the enemy defences that allowed her to sneak through and capture an earl, and after obtaining a handsome ransom and killing quite a few enemies she managed to get away. Her army of 30,000 had faced 70,000 men, but only lost 4,000 compared to 13,000. Her battles had managed to lock up most of Duke Jasper’s forces, ensuring that Richard wasn’t flanked from all sides.

The Church’s envoy caught up right around the time Richard reached the border of the Sacred Tree Empire and the Sacred Alliance. This envoy was a powerful archbishop only a small way off from...