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Chapter 126: The Calamity of the South (1)

“Haha! You should have seen the prince’s face. I’ve never felt so satisfied in my life. No, wait, this is the second time!”

“What do you mean? It’s either the first time or the second. How can it be both?” Dushala, leaning against the wall of the wheelhouse, chuckled at Suan Hazer’s words.

“Of course. No matter what, the first time I felt like this was when I met the Master.”

“Hmm?”

Suan spoke cheerfully, recalling the events in Piasta.

"You know, apart from the noble bastards, I’m probably the only person on the continent who has met both the first and second princes of the empire."

"Really? I’m surprised you have a connection with the second prince as well... What’s your impression of meeting both of them?"

At Dushala’s question, Suan laughed even more joyfully than he had when recounting the events at Fonein.

“As someone who isn’t a noble, I’ve had private meetings with both princes. But Master is the only one who has ever managed to give both of them the middle finger.”

"Huh?"

Dushala looked at Suan with a puzzled expression, not following.

“It’s crazy. The first prince, maybe, but even the second prince? What on earth has our master been doing out there?”

"Hehehe."

They had established the Free City, a place where the oppressed could live, but Tatur’s reputation wasn’t very good. It was perhaps the only city on the continent that openly defied kings and nobles.

However, it was seen more as a lawless city rather than a haven of freedom, and even those who fled there often felt more fear than relief.

But everything had changed since Karyl had arrived.

Maybe...

She started to think that they might actually get to look down on those ridiculous nobles. It felt like the gears were finally turning. They felt more and more confident that they could eventually openly mock those who established rules and classes, not with lawlessness, but in the name of freedom.

Suan turned the helm with all his strength.

"Impressions of the princes? Who cares about that? We serve someone far greater than them,” he said.

Dushala nodded in agreement.

"That’s true..."

She took out some ointment and applied it to the wound on her neck.

“It’s ridiculous that he’s ordered us to lure the army of seventy thousand troops by ourselves. I thought we’d die getting out of there.”

“Heh, that’s because you said those things to Prince Luon’s face. It was satisfying, though.”

Aidan, who had come with Dushala as her attendant, had docked the boat near the banks of Fonein and was waiting. After confirming the commotion inside the tent, he had navigated the boat to rescue Dushala.

“Yeah. You were amazing too, saying those things right in front of the prince. You know you were one step away from losing your head, right?” Suan agreed with Aidan.

Having witnessed the scene beside her, Suan had immediately carried her and escaped from Prince Luon’s army.

"Well... I thought it was a rare chance to say such things. He was so arrogant during the entire journey down the road. And those filthy looks... You wouldn’t understand. Anyway, Aidan, you should’ve seen the look on his face."

Dushala shook her head, recalling the way Prince Luon had looked at her.

"But thanks to you, we’ve managed to get Luon to believe us. I see why the Master chose you for the job." Aidan chuckled.

"Maybe he thought we’d be the ones most likely to survive even after doing something like that. That’s our master."

He gestured toward Suan and Dushala.

"Two administrators from Tatur, after all."

"True. If you hadn’t taken care of the sentries near the river in advance, we wouldn’t have escaped so easily."

Suan pointed to the soldiers who were lying on the ground.

The sentries along the river had collapsed as if they had fallen asleep, not a single wound on any of them. They hadn’t even realized what had killed them.

After returning from the Church, Karyl had strengthened his techniques, including the Shadow Step, while Dushala executed Plan B. Although he had abandoned the Eastern Lands, he knew his magical talent was the only way to grow stronger, especially after feeling the difference in power from Mikhail.

Sometimes, I forget even when he’s right next to me. He’s grown stronger since coming from the south, Suan thought to himself, running his hand along his neck. If Aidan were to erase his presence completely, would he be able to detect him?

"That’s nothing."

Contrary to Dushala\'s concerns, Suan shrugged lightly as he spoke.

“I’ll increase the speed. We might not have enough time to reach the strait,” said Suan, gripping the helm firmly to shake off unnecessary thoughts.

His priority was to carry out Karyl’s last command.

"What’s that?"

Dushala pointed to the rope coiled around Suan’s wrist as the boat cut through the water.

"This? Master entrusted it to me. It’s for emergencies. He said I’d know when to use it," Suan explained.

"Hmm..."

"First, we need to head to the strait and wait. Honestly, I’m not sure either. Master said only someone familiar with the Fonein could use it."

Dushala looked at the rough cord with interest.

"He told me to throw this where the river meets the strait. Something interesting is bound to happen."

Dushala nodded slightly at his words. She had no doubts about this, as their master never gave them meaningless instructions.

Clink—

The emblem of the Horned King, wrapped around Suan’s arm, clinked as though it chuckled.

***

"That\'s nonsense!!!"

Crack–!!

Luon slammed his fist onto the wooden table with all his might, causing splinters to break off and scatter. Despite the prince\'s murderous glare, the envoy maintained his composure, showing no sign of fear.

"I\'m sorry, Your Highness. We have not received any reports from the royal palace. We are currently investigating the situation, but as of now, the general has not granted permission to open the gates," said the knight in a low voice, clad in a rough but solid full plate armor.

Is he really a knight led by the Shield of Istan? Even though it\'s a small country, he exudes quite an impressive aura, Azif thought, realizing that breaking through the Twin Armor by force would not be easy.

"As you know, next to the Lord Tower is the Turtle Castle. It\'s difficult to open the gates so easily when the castles of other kingdoms are in close proximity."

"The Tevanel Kingdom has agreed to cooperate. They said they would open the gates as soon as the Lord Tower gives permission!" Luon retorted.

"The general has conveyed the following message. ‘Although the Three Kingdoms maintain an alliance, the Twin Armor was the most fiercely contested area just a few years ago. Even with the consent of another country, we cannot open the gates without the king\'s decree’" the envoy reported.

These damned old fools... They’ve conspired to humiliate me. Luon was seething.

If both castles had refused entry, he could have considered attacking the Twin Armor, even if it was the worst possible move. However, with one castle allowing him entry, launching an attack would only invite criticism from the other kingdoms.

"So the problem lies solely with you," said Luon before forcefully drawing his sword.

"..."

However, the envoy didn’t even flinch as Luon aimed his sword at his neck.

"Your Highness," Azif called out softly, trying to calm him down. Given that they were the ones making a request for entry, killing the envoy or starting a war would only make things worse for them.

"Are your kingdom\'s magical devices just for show? If you need the king\'s permission, you should contact him immediately. We\'ve already wasted two days. As I said, we need to go south."

"There is already a designated route to the south as per the treaty."

"If that narrow path could accommodate this many troops, we wouldn\'t be going through this trouble! You know our army can’t pass through there!”

"I apologize, but with all due respect, if you had taken the main road through the Northern Plains instead of the Twin Armor, it would have been much easier," the envoy suggested.

Gritting his teeth, Luon remained silent, knowing the envoy was right. But his pride as a prince of the empire would not allow him to admit that he had been deceived.

"We chose the Twin Armor route because it is the fastest way to the south," he finally said, though it was more for preserving his dignity. He slowly traced the envoy’s neck with his sword before pointing it outside the tent.

"Though the Fonein River marks the border, that land over there is practically imperial territory."

Small houses and unharvested fields stretched out beyond the river.

"Tell this to the general. It doesn\'t matter if he keeps the gates shut tight. Let\'s see if he can still keep them closed after watching those lives being taken."

For the first time, the envoy\'s eyes wavered. Luon was serious.

It was too late to turn the troops around. He had wanted to catch those who had tricked him right then and there, but they had already escaped. He had sent pursuit teams, but he didn\'t have much hope.

Those people had provided fake identities, and they had escaped right under the noses of his massive army. The chances of catching them were slim.

Tearing them apart limb by limb wouldn’t be enough, but they can be dealt with later. This issue is more urgent right now.

Though it was a blatant threat, he couldn\'t afford to delay any longer. Turning the troops to head to the Northern Plains as the envoy had suggested was not an option.

Olivurn and Kromen might have already reached the south.

Luon was anxious. He was undoubtedly intelligent, but when it came to Olivurn, he couldn\'t bear the thought of losing to him, which sometimes made him act rashly

"Your Highness," Azif called out, concerned that Luon\'s impatience might lead to him beheading the envoy.

Sching—

But contrary to Azif\'s worries, Luon\'s voice softened, and his gaze grew steady.

"I have no intention of starting a war with your kingdom, and I don’t want unnecessary bloodshed. I\'ll give you one day. What I want is to speak directly with the king of Istan through the magic communication device."

"..."

Azif breathed a sigh of relief as Luon sheathed his sword.

"But think carefully. I came here representing the Empire. Ignoring me is the same as ignoring the Empire. The lives of thousands of your people depend on your decision."

Azif felt a chill run down his spine at Luon\'s demeanor.

Maybe this isn\'t entirely a bad situation. It might be an opportunity for His Highness to grow.

Luon was believed to have inherited the emperor’s blood the most. His occasional impulsiveness might be due to his youth. If he could overcome this flaw, the nobles expected he could expand the empire far beyond what the Conqueror Emperor Titan Shutean had achieved.

"The decisions you make today will determine the fate of those lives and whether they spark another conflict."

Azif was convinced of Luon\'s potential.

He is truly the prince who deserves to be the Emperor of the Empire.

In a continent where strength was the ultimate currency, Luon seemed to be the one who could uphold the Empire\'s prestige. The people saw Olivurn as a king of the people, and Kromen as weak, but only Luon had the strength to embody the Empire\'s will.

"...I will convey your message," the envoy said, bowing deeply before retreating.

***

Neigh...!!

Karyl pulled on Cargon\'s reins and looked down from the hill.

"Hmm... This is very good," he remarked.

A satisfied smile spread across his face as he watched Luon moving far better than he had expected.

"Contrary to our concerns, it seems a war hasn\'t broken out," Beikan observed.

“Right. If he has any brains, he won’t waste his forces attacking the Twin Armor head-on. He’ll likely resort to capturing hostages. He knows that will shake Marze more than a direct assault,” explained Karyl as he pointed to the villages on either side of Luon’s base.

The key issue is who he\'ll target for this leverage. Will he present these hostages directly to Marze or will he seek a direct audience with the king of Istan?

Karyl didn\'t have many memories of Luon from his previous life. By the time he had been summoned to the imperial palace by the Oracle, Olivurn had already ascended the throne.

I only remember watching him die miserably.

In those final moments before the guillotine fell, the rage in his eyes was so fierce that even Karyl, a stranger in that land, could see him only as a beast.

Like Titan Shutean, he also has a monster in his heart. How much he has grown will determine the outcome of this battle, Karyl thought to himself as he looked down at Luon’s camp from the hill.

"I was worried that the Twin Armor might open their gates before we arrived, but just as we expected, the Shield of Istan is holding strong even against the imperial army," Beikan said with a faint smile.

"True. But I was actually confident that they wouldn’t open the gates before we arrived,” Karyl said.

"Why is that?"

"The reason is simple. Baron Beryl is in the Istan Kingdom. Following the Mana Mine incident, his position has become significantly influential. He most likely advised the king the second he received confirmation that the imperial army was marching toward the Twin Armor.

-Your Majesty, we cannot allow others to find out about the Mana Mine incident. As it happens, the imperial army is heading towards the Twin Armor. Sir Marze would not easily attack, even against the Imperial army.

-Then... what should we do?

-Sir Marze\'s temperament is well known throughout the continent. Deny the entry request for now. Over time, the empire will certainly open up negotiations. It won\'t be too late to consider it then.

Although the Mana Mine incident had happened a while back, Beryl’s words still carried weight. As a strategist who had led every battle he had participated in to victory, from the Battle of Melbrun to the Defense of the principality, his counsel was more significant than the Mana Mine incident. Moreover, the fearful ministers eventually followed Baron Beryl’s advice.

For me, it’s just a matter of buying time.

Before Luon could pass through the Three Kingdoms, it was crucial for Karyl to have time to subjugate the dungeon. This moment was pivotal.

Soon, the dungeon will open here.

On one side was Luon\'s army, and on the other, the forces of Marze and Aben stood facing each other. In between were thousands of villagers, and overlooking them all was Karyl himself.

When else would three different forces converge like this? This perfect scenario was the result of Prince Luon\'s personality, Marze\'s thoughts, the incompetence of the king from the small kingdom, and the nobles Karyl had managed to recruit.

Karyl smiled, admiring the ideal picture he had painted.

Rumble...

At that moment, the sky darkened as if a storm was about to start.

It has begun.

When Karyl looked at Beikan and Kinu standing on either side of him, they nodded, understanding what the strange phenomenon meant.

“What’s your plan? We have, at most, a thousand soldiers. But one side has seventy thousand, and the other fifty thousand,” Viola questioned.

She knew that Karyl’s Free Army was elite, but the difference in numbers was too big. She was curious about his plan. How could he manage with less than a tenth of the opposing forces?

However, Karyl remained silent, just smiling faintly at her words. He continued to gaze at the waters of the Fonein flowing behind Luon’s base.