Veridia was designed as a series of concentric circles that actually reflected the social status and function of its people, starting from the center and moving outward. At the very heart of the city stood the Auric Spire. It served as the seat of power for the Thrones and for Veridia itself. Around it lay the ornate Gold Wall. The area inside the Gold Wall was considered the Core region; it housed only the most essential military barracks, grand temples, Restoration Wings, gardens, and orchards. This compact structure kept the administrative center small, secure, and tightly controlled.
Immediately surrounding this core was the Inner Ring, which sat between the Gold Wall and the outermost White Wall. This area was the economic heart of the city, packed with bustling marketplaces, guild offices, merchant houses, government offices, taverns, and the vast estates of the nobility. While the noble compounds took up a significant amount of space, they were home to a relatively small number of people; the majority of this district was dedicated to the homes and workplaces of merchants, bureaucrats, and other officials who kept the city running.
Along the western edge of the city, right on the coast of the Jade Sea, was the Dock Area. This district was intensely crowded and moved at a much faster pace, as it was the hub for the sailors, shipwrights, and traders who maintained Veridia's connection to the outside world. Outside the boundary of the White Wall laid the vast expanse of the Outer Wilds. This was the largest section of the city-state, covering the northern river, eastern plains, and southern barrens. It was primarily an agricultural and frontier zone where the vast majority of the population lived in small, hard-working farming communities that provided the food and raw materials necessary for the city's survival. Together, these layers created a self-sufficient world where the wealth of the center was supported by the labor of the surrounding lands.
Around 70,000 people lived in the Core and Inner Ring areas, while the Dock area housed another 20,000. Outside the White Wall- in the North, South, and East- lived 1,60,000 more.
Against Lorian's earnest wish, evacuating this entire population and placing them inside the Gold Wall was completely impossible. Thus, the plan to evacuate those outside the White Wall was abandoned. Lorian instead gave the Black Riders special assignments- they were divided into two groups to protect the villages in the North and South, alongside the local militia. Their duty was to protect every villager in case any pirates attempted an attack. Although this was not efficient or to Lorian's satisfaction, it was all he could afford at that point, as the pirates attacking the outskirts was less likely than them focusing on the Inner Ring, or the Auric Spire, to be specific.
It was decided that the 90,000 people inside the White Wall would be evacuated into the Gold Wall. However, it was still going to be a logistical nightmare. Crowding that many people into the Core- where all the important buildings, offices, and the Auric Spire itself were located- posed a massive strategic risk. Any riot among the refugees could destroy the Veridian forces from within before they could even face the pirates. But it was a risk Lorian had to take.
The operation was named 'Operation Golden Retreat'. All the evacuees were divided into three segments based on priority. The first phase included the nobles and government officials, who were the first to be escorted to the Gold Wall gates to ensure administrative continuity. They would be followed by the merchant guilds and tavern owners, who would bring critical records and essential supplies. Last would be the general public of the Inner Ring and the Docks.
It was decided that the whole process would take eight hours.
The first hour was going to be the most volatile- the time between the alarm ringing in the Auric Spire and the populace realizing this was a serious, life-or-death situation. 2,000 Veridian Guards would spread across the Inner Ring and establish funnel barriers at the gates to prevent the flow of 90,000 people from crushing itself.
The next five hours would be the peak evacuation phase. For the nobles, their households, merchants, and officials, - the movement would be relatively organized as they carried their most essential goods toward the Gold Wall. However, the real bottleneck would be the 20,000 dock workers and transient traders; evacuating them would be the biggest challenge, where the Veridian Guards would face the most congestion.
The final two to three hours would be spent by the Veridian Guards sweeping the streets, clearing out stragglers, and forcing the gates shut. If the gates weren't sealed by the eight-hour mark, the security of the Gold Wall would be compromised. Any civilians left outside at this point were essentially on their own- such was the command.
The personal guards of the noble houses would stay inside the Gold Wall. Gravil would take their command, maintaining law and order in the highly congested Core Region while ensuring the security of the nobles- their original employers. The order was issued, and the Navy was intimated. Vespera Thal replied that she could hold the line for one more day, but the order was clear- they had to keep the pirates at bay for eight hours and retreat as soon as the evacuation was completed.
The next eight hours were suffocatingly long. Gravil and Rylan- the father-son duo made arrangements to accommodate the throngs of people in the tiny space. Meanwhile, Lorian was busy with Lucien and his officers- the Throne Guard and Valorian Guard, to finalize the plan for when the pirates made their landing.
Veridia's army had around 5,000 Veridian Guards and 350 Elite Throne Guards. They might not be as strong or powerful as Aethelgard's Ironclad Legion or the Valorian Guards, but they had the best armor and weapons money could buy. They were facing 21,000 pirates. Four-to-one odds, Lorian thought; not overwhelming, but certainly not easy.
They kept discussing strategy after strategy. Lorian's task was to identify every possibility of things going wrong, finding loopholes in their strategy- and Lucien and his officers' duty was to find ways to address those situations. Lorian was not going to leave any stone unturned.
Eight hours passed. Lorian came outside. He could not recognize the Auric Spire anymore; it was packed to the brim. Lorian thanked God that in this world there was no concept of bombs or automatic guns, or there could have been a massacre right now in the plaza.
Lorian had visited his mother before the battle began. She smiled and wished him luck, but Lorian noticed a strange darkness in her eyes- as if she were hurt or disappointed in him. Was it because I opened the Auric Spire to everyone? Lorian wondered, but he did not press. It was not the right time for this discussion.
While the Valorian Guards and Throne Guards were evacuating the people, Vespera had just finished destroying almost all of the thirty-eight remaining pirate ships. Only one carrack escaped while the Veridian Navy was busy fighting the rest. But the cost was severe; among the twelve carracks, only seven remained. The Veridian Navy cheered with joy and excitement. They had driven off the enemies. Their cheering and shouting could be heard by the Throne Guards and Veridian Guards near the docks. Did we win? Do we no longer need to evacuate? the thought raced through their minds.
But suddenly, the cheers and shouts from the Veridian ships shattered. A few Throne Guards rushed to check what had happened. Vespera and the rest of the sailors were looking at the far-off sea, stupefied. They could see what the Veridian Guards could not yet see from the shore: the far sea line was covered with a dark shape. Like a dark cloud of doom, a massive armada was approaching; it would reach the coast in around one hour with the favorable wind. Vespera gulped. She knew she could not win against them with just seven carracks.