Chapter 107
Gather all your strength! Its an all-out war!
As Prince Romaine exited the council room, his declaration solidified the grim expressions of the nobles trailing behind him. The looming possibility they had feared was now a reality, leaving them with no choice but to tense up.
Among them, Roger Bifrosts face was the most hardened. Damn it all! He couldnt claim to have been completely unprepared for such a scenario. While hoping the conflict might end in a proxy war or a duel, the outcome had, unfortunately, escalated to full-scale war. No, lets face reality. Whether its a duel or anything else, as long as the princes are alive, there will be no submission. I wouldnt yield either. War was inevitable.
The real issue was the suddenness of the event, leaving no time to prepare his domain. Macline. Those lucky bastards But he couldnt oppose the Second Prince, or more precisely, Duke Yordan Valtermime, who observed the assembly with a sharp gaze.
Suppressing his boiling anger and mixed emotions, Roger waited for the Second Princes lengthy speech to conclude. After the nobles dispersed and the Prince returned to his palace, Roger sought out Duke Yordan Valtermime separately.
What do you wish to discuss?
My apologies for disturbing your rest, Your Grace, but theres something I must convey.
Get to the point.
The grey-haired giants tone was cold, but Roger knew it wasnt due to displeasure. The nickname Blazing Sword indicated his martial prowess, but his true nature was of utmost coldness. My calculations must be precise.
Swallowing hard, Roger began, As you might be aware, my domain was already in a war before this. A ruthless family greedily occupied one of my castles without permission
Im aware. And?
I should be mobilizing troops in accordance with the Princes will, but doing so would lose the chance to punish those scoundrels. Please grant me a little time.
Time? Hmm. You ask for time when an immediate full-scale war with the First Princes faction is possible?
A wrong answer could spell disaster. Roger looked into the indifferent black eyes and quickly responded, It wont take long. Just ten days
Inefficient.
Pardon?
The most efficient course would be to pull those scoundrels, the Maclines, into our faction. Theres no need for you and them to exhaust each other when their forces can strengthen our cause.
Your Grace, but
I even sent Luther for that, but someone was busy spreading rumors, making them seem inedible.
That Thats
Rogers face froze under the dukes icy gaze.
One should take their share, but causing harm to the faction for personal gain is unacceptable. What should I do with you, Roger?
Ashen-faced, Roger knelt. Please forgive me, Your Grace! Blinded by personal greed, Ive done the unthinkable!
Youre quick to grasp situations. But sometimes, greed blinds you.
Duke Yordan Valtermime continued with a frosty look, Everyone was caught off guard by the kings death, but the situation post-death was enough to understand why Juan and I tried to win over those trivial figures. Were they that significant to you?
I am without excuse.
You are a vital force in our faction, far more valuable than those trivial ones. But even they have their uses, especially now when the enemy feels equally strong.
Roger remained silent, his head bowed. A wrong facial expression could be irreversible, so he chose to hide his face.
Just curb your greed for now. Luckily, they havent sided with the enemy yet. Just leave them be for a while. After we win this war, Ill wrap them up nicely and present them to you. Understand?
I am sorry.
Good. Now, go and summon your elite forces. We need to look beyond those scoundrels to a bigger future.
Yes.
Roger left, having achieved nothing he intended and even failing to break even. But he couldnt help feeling relieved. If it werent for the critical need for every bit of power at such a time, he wouldnt have gotten off so easily.
Yet, why did the image of that smug, smiling figure alone in the council room keep haunting him? Understanding the need to wait for the future, Roger Bifrost still struggled mightily to suppress the rising anger within him.
Huh. What is this
Indeed, the Golem Tower is remarkable.
Padric could only gape in amazement, unable to find words, while Logan whistled brightly in awe. The sight before them was unavoidable. Even including the two weeks of travel to and from the capital, and the ten days spent there, they were only away from Tomodo Castle for barely a month. Yet, now the castle walls stood 5 meters taller and more majestic than before, encircling the entire area.
Its the lord and his son!
Open the gates!
The heavy gates lowered over the now deeper and sturdier moat amidst the loud clanking of chains.
Perfectindeed.
Yes, certainly beyond expectations.
The father and son entered the castle with uplifted spirits. The troops, having shed their previous exhausted appearance, greeted them with confident smiles.
Bifrost could attack again, but weve thoroughly reinforced the defenses. Are you pleased?
Of course, Heinkel. Well done.
It was more the magicians of the Golem Tower who did the hard work. Ah, they did use quite a lot of magic stones though
Thats to be expected. Everyone worked hard.
Still, it might be a shock
Heinkel muttered, watching the delighted faces of the MacLaine father and son. After their departure, Clayton had driven his disciples relentlessly, resulting in a significant consumption of magic stones. The cost would likely far exceed their expectations, making it hard for him to wholly rejoice.
And his prediction hit the mark. The father and sons faces twitched at the mention of the spent budget. However, this concern was quickly overshadowed by a magical communication from the Valtermime Dukes House.
Valtermime Duke?!
Why from there?
Im not sure. Anyway, an emissary from there insists on speaking with you.
The father and son had no choice but to rush to the communication room.
[I respect your wish to remain neutral. However, if you break this promise and continue provocations, youll be severely punished. This is the Dukes will. Do you understand, Baron?]
Of course. I shall keep Your Graces will close to my heart.
[Good. I hope you maintain this attitude.]
The magical communication abruptly ended without even a formal goodbye.
Such arrogance from a mere representative. Tsk.
Well, its from the Valtermime Duke. Anyway, with this development, we can worry less. We dont need to rely on our master now.
If Bifrost isnt attacking us, hell be gathering forces to head to the capital. This gives us some breathing room, but the situation is worrying.
We cant change what has happened. For now, we should focus on what we can do.
Yes, thats right.
Padric absentmindedly nodded, still unaware of the extent of his sons what we can do.
The internal war that erupted following the murder at Grand Noblesse and the death of scribe Larry Clet began escalating into direct conflicts within a week. It all started in the northern part of the Kings Direct Dominion, in the territory of Count Tritan, part of the Second Princes faction. While sending troops in response to the Second Princes summons, they unexpectedly clashed with the forces of Count Zahid, loyal to the First Prince.
This unexpected battle between the two counts disrupted all the war plans made by the central leadership. As the war was for the succession and the throne, the primary targets were the princes and dukes, not territorial occupation. The strategists, planning on assassinations and quick clashes in the central front, were thrown off by this unforeseen battle in the north, eventually leading to a long frontline cutting across the kingdom.
With the war dragging on, the leaders of both factions started to squeeze the last resources from their domains. Bifrost, too, had no choice but to deploy most of his forces to the central front, leaving only minimal troops at home.
Your Grace, arent we withdrawing too many troops from the main castle?
Lentor is left behind; hes a high-ranking knight, enough for maintaining order.
But what if the Maclines
Unless theyve lost their minds, they wont ignore Duke Yordans warning.
But in case of an emergency, Lentors tactics compared to his strength
Its fine. The reason why Yordan, that cold man, is called Blazing Sword is known to most of the kingdom. Unless theyre suicidal, they wont defy him. Unless theyve lost their minds
Roger Bifrost muttered repeatedly, unless theyve lost their minds, reassuring himself. His fear of Yordans temperament was the reason he had mobilized most of his forces. But despite his words, a cold unease lingered in Rogers heart, a nagging sense of dread tied to the unpredictable Maclines.
Unless theyve truly lost their minds.
We must seize this opportunity to capture Bifrost!
Logan declared in a meeting with his vassals, sparking an uproar.
Didnt we receive a warning from the Valtermime Duke? Are you suggesting we ignore a warning from the Duke, from a superhuman?
Yes.
Dwayne was stunned into silence by the short, decisive response.
Bifrost cant respond now. He cant withdraw his forces from the central front in this situation.
But ignoring the warning could be seen as challenging the Second Prince. They might accept some losses to warn other neutral forces
No. We started this war even before the internal conflict. Its a personal vendetta against a family, not a challenge to the Second Prince. Theyre not foolish enough to misinterpret and suffer losses for it.
Logan smiled at Heinkels accurate deduction, but the atmosphere was tense. The vassals looked to Padric, hoping he would dissuade his son, but he, lost in thought since before the meeting, finally sighed and spoke.
Yes. Even if everything you said is correct, Duke Yordan Valtermime is a man who will demand accountability later. Have you considered that?
No, I havent.
What? Have you forgotten our previous mistake already? Please, consider everything this time!
There wont be a need for Duke Yordan Valtermime to hold us accountable.
The absolute certainty in Logans voice left everyone speechless, and soon the Macline forces began to mobilize again.
Follow current novℯls on f(r)eewebnov𝒆l