Chapter 886: 886
This was why fighting the Björn’s was a dual nightmare. It was a desperate internal struggle to keep one’s own mind intact, while simultaneously fighting an external enemy who had willingly surrendered to that bloodlust. The warriors of Björn embraced their raw battle instincts completely, doing everything in their power to drag their opponents down into the very same madness.
The Silver Kingdom’s response to this psychological warfare was the deployment of the chariots and their alchemical escorts. Safe within the runic hulls, the priests of Mahu channeled their hard-won understanding of the moon goddess. Together, they manifested a spectral phantom of the moon, which hovered serenely above each carriage.
This phantom moon released a constant, pale light, a protective shroud that enveloped the Silver Kingdom’s soldiers. The gentle radiance acted as a cognitive shield, purifying the air and guarding the soldiers’ minds from the encroaching corruption of the red mist.
This delicate ballance was the only thing keeping the war in its current, grueling stalemate. The people of Björn had ruthlessly targeted these chariots from the moment they debuted on the battlefield, but they had yet to breach the perimeter. The runic defenses and the unique, cold nature of the alchemical sentries proved too resilient.
These alchemical creations were constructs, golems possessing only a limited, functional intelligence. Lacking both flesh and a mortal mind, they were entirely immune to Björn’s corrupting gift and gaze. Because they had no sanity to lose, they remained perfectly rational and unyielding, effectively repelling every frantic surge the Björn warriors made toward the carriages.
Yet, this temporary deadlock brought no comfort to the generals and leaders of the Silver Kingdom. They knew this advantage was a ticking clock. While the horde currently attacking the wall was somewhat organized, it was clear that the true leadership of Björn had not yet taken direct command of the front.
Yuki was a brilliant, dangerous Queen. There were dozens of ways a mind like hers could dismantle the chariot defense once she turned her full attention to it. Realizing that their window of opportunity was shrinking, the Silver Kingdom’s high command began deploying heavy waves of reinforcement troops. They needed to secure the border wall immediately, push the vanguard further into enemy territory, and aggressively seize high-ground positions to dictate the movement of the Björn’s army before Yuki could make her move.
In the background of these movements, Ragnar was focused on a different kind of warfare, diplomacy and bloodlines. He was aggressively pushing to secure a marriage alliance between his son and Princess Lunara.
A tense, dangerous stalemate had formed between his own kingdom and the domain of Björn, neither side could gain the upper hand. Ragnar knew that bringing a powerful third party into the fold was the only way to break the deadlock and tip the balance of power decisively in his favor.
Meanwhile, further across the snow-covered plains of the northern continent, lay the territory of the Werewolf Goldings Kingdom.
When news of Björn’s sudden, violent offensive against the Silver Kingdom reached the frostbitten realm, Wulv believed he had found the perfect opening. To him, this geopolitical chaos was an opportunity to save his sister from a political marriage she surely didn’t want. He had already devised half a dozen schemes to stall the wedding proposals, disrupt the negotiations, and ultimately bring the entire arrangement to a definitive end.
However, when Wulv eagerly presented his strategic plans to his sister, he was met not with relief, but with sharp resistance. She wasn’t delighted by his schemes, instead she was deeply anxious. Her immediate priority was to establish contact with Leiko to uncover the true motive behind the sudden military invasion. She possessed a fierce, stubborn belief that she could still influence Leiko, or at least talk enough sense into him to understand what was truly driving this madness.
It was only after Wulv laid bare the grim reality of the situation, detailing the sheer scale of the slaughter and the relentless ferocity of the Björn’s sudden offensive that the truth finally sank in. She stared at the maps, realizing that this was no mere border skirmish. This war was unstoppable, it was a conflict that had to happen.
Yet, her brother didn’t care about the inevitability of the war. What infuriated Wulv was that, even with this horrific knowledge laid before her, she still insisted on proceeding with the wedding.
In her own unyielding words, this marriage must go through.
She claimed she wasn’t acting out of submissive duty, but out of a desperate, calculated gamble. She truly believed she could use her position to influence the Silver Kingdom through Magnus, maneuvering behind the scenes to force a diplomatic opening. If she could manipulate the levers of power from within the Silver court, she might establish a line of communication between the two warring kingdoms, turning a war of extermination into a negotiated peace.
As for the bloodthirsty horde of Björn, she was no fool. She understood that a people driven by divine bloodlust could not be reasoned with through words alone. The only things capable of halting their advance were of her own people and an overwhelming, insurmountable advantage on the side of the Silver Kingdom. By ensuring the marriage alliance went through, she would personally deliver that exact advantage, forcing the Björn to think first before swinging again.
Hearing his sister speak with such conviction, Wulv felt a strange shift within himself. The burning anger he had harbored moments before simply evaporated, replaced by a quiet realization. He didn’t argue. He merely gave her a long, unreadable look, and from that moment on, withdrew his gaze from her entirely. He was done trying to save someone who had already chosen her own path.
Consequently, when word reached him a few days later that a paragon was marching toward their kingdom and that Magnus was journeying right alongside him, Wulv wasn’t surprised. He saw right through Ragnar’s play, understanding the heavy hand of political pressure being guided toward their gates. Yet, keeping true to his silent vow, he made no further move to interfere, nor did he try to sway his sister’s mind again. He let the pieces fall where they may.
A week after both high-profile guests arrived at the frostbitten court, Wulv decided it was time to bring the shadows into the light. He no longer kept the impending union a secret among the nobility. Instead, he broadcasted the news far and wide across the snow plains, ensuring every citizen knew that their beloved princess had chosen her match.
The announcement sent a shockwave through the Werewolf Goldings Kingdom, a human prince from the Silver Kingdom, a man named Magnus, was to be her husband.
The reaction among the wolflings was deeply fractured. A wave of mixed emotions swept through the territory. Many celebrated the strategic alliance, seeing the practical benefits of joining forces with the Silver Kingdom during such volatile times. However, an equal number harbored bitter resentment. For centuries, their bloodlines and mating traditions had been fiercely guarded, now, the princess herself was abruptly shattering those ancient customs for the sake of a human.
Even though Wulv himself had already shattered tradition by taking a mate from another godling race, the Apelings. Yet, the kingdom had accepted his union because the Apelings were fellow godlings, boasting an equal status and a divine heritage that matched their own. Magnus and the princess were a completely different matter. To the proud wolflings, Magnus was nothing more than a pure mortal, a fragile being devoid of divine blood, making the match feel like a profound degradation of their royal line.
But Wulv’s surprises for the kingdom and for the arriving wedding party were far from over.
Shortly after the announcement, Wulv enacted a sudden, sweeping conscription law. He presented the draft to his people not as a military mandate, but as an act of brotherly devotion. He publicly declared that while his sister was pleased with her upcoming marriage, she would inevitably deeply miss her homeland, her customs, and her people. She was journeying into a realm ruled entirely by mortals, where she would be isolated and alone among strangers.
Therefore, Wulv was calling upon the bravest souls in the kingdom to step forward.
He tasked these drafted warriors and citizens to journey alongside the princess to her new home. They would form her personal, unyielding enclave within the Silver Kingdom, a true piece of the frostbitten north that she could govern, care for, and rely upon, ensuring she would never be defenseless or truly alone in the mortal world.
Wulv also framed this draft as a grander, long-term vision for their race. He made it known that this was a rare opportunity to bridge the gap between their people and the humans of the southern continent, allowing for a deeper mutual understanding. For the younger or more restless generations, it was a chance to leave the isolation of the frostbitten plains, venture into a changing world, and forge their own destinies as independent individuals.
