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The Barbarians Cometh

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The rainy season was over and the winter's wheat harvest was underway in the 4th month. The entire Northlands was becoming very lively.

Just as Lorist was about to depart from Firmrock Castle to check on the other parts of the dominion, Sylvia and her escort set out for The Northlands from Crouchtiger Castle. She had been given the heavy burden of being an envoy to House Norton.

As the barbarian invasion was impending, Lorist had the house's forces be on standby even though it was harvest season. In the fields, the harvesters had a sickle in one hand and a weapon in the other. Halfway through the harvests, however, word came from Twinmount Town that the barbarians had finished their preparations. According to the plan, the town's residents would be evacuated orderly. They would leave traces of panicked escape, though, to mislead their attackers.

On the 21st day of the 4th month, the barbarian army conquered Twinmount Town. Great volumes of fine wine and other daily necessities intentionally left in town made the barbarian soldiers incredibly excited about their victory. They believed the might of their combined force was enough to sweep the whole Northlands. Every warrior scrambled to be made part of the vanguard in fear of losing out on the chance to raid for spoils.

Lorist arrived at Hidebull Citadel on the 23rd day of the month. This was where the wall was and it would be among the first places to come under attack. He had to be present to make sure it remained safe. At noon, however, he received an urgent message from the acting commander of Jaeger, Waxima. House Fisablen's Princess Sylvia had come as an envoy to discuss the ransoming of his prisoners and matters relating to trade.

After receiving the news, he was both elated and troubled. He was glad that the old fox had finally acknowledged his loss. However, he was troubled that the envoy was Sylvia. He couldn't receive her even if he wanted; he was just too occupied. After some consideration, he sent the messenger back to Firmrock have Charade receive her for him and have her stay there for the time being. He would only return after the current situation was dealt with.

Frankly speaking, the part that troubled him the most was that he didn't know how he should face the princess. He was aware that he had completely flipped out against her grandfather when he led his forces to exterminate Iblia and a number of House Fisablen's legions. He had inflicted a lot of damage on her house. He had suppressed their rise to power and was one of their archenemies.

Because of that, he was incredibly troubled by the fact that the princess who loved him so dearly, to the point she would marry no one else, was a member of the house he had just ruined. As Kenmays had said jokingly, Iblia's extermination was in part the four houses venting on Lorist's behalf for Duke Fisablen's refusal to accept his proposal. At the moment, word among the folk was that House Norton's leader, Duke Norton, had rained fire and fury on Iblia and focused their attacks on House Fisablen because of this. Sylvia's name was no different from other bad omens now.

He sighed lightly.

I guess I can only wait until the war is over. I'll make it up to the girl afterwards. I really made her suffer this time, especially with what this has done to her reputation...

Actually, even Duke Fisablen knew that even if he'd agreed to let Sylvia go through with the marriage, war would've been inevitable. House Fisablen's dominance conflicted with House Norton's interests, only one could emerge victorious.

"Your Grace, they're here."

Lorist gazed into the distance. He just barely make out clusters of black dots among the trees. The clusters coagulated into a larger mass as a wave rushed at the wall, swallowing the land as it went. Using the telescope, he could see the different beast-leather armor they wore. Some of them even fought with their chest exposed. Their faces were painted with ghastly and eerie tattoos, wielding bronze axes and weapons of crude design as they ran maniacally at the walls.

At four in the afternoon of the 23rd day of the 4th month, the barbarian vanguard launched the first wave of attacks on the defensive wall between the citadels at Hidebull Mound and Tortoise Hill. However, these barbarians had never seen such a tall defensive wall before and they couldn't help but stop in their tracks when they encountered the ditch. They stared at the three-to-four-meter-deep ditch laden with spiky wooden stakes in a stupor before the carroballistae on the walls took their lives with ease.

The first wave's vanguard soon turned tail and ran. They left about 500 corpses behind. Around five or six in the evening, the vanguard launched another attack. They were probing the wall's defenses. This time around, they used wooden shields tied together with vines as walking planks to cross the moat. Even so, the carroballistae mowed their ranks down just as easily. Nearly a thousand fearless barbarians died unceremoniously. The crudely made shields were ripped to pieces. Those not killed outright had no choice but to run away again.

"Haha, this is far too easy. It felt like we were shooting turkeys. How relaxing."

The carroballistae operators seemed rather excited. The enemy on the other side of the ditch were nothing but target practice. Some would rather die than retreat. The braver ones were frequently skewered by ballistae bolts.

The wall between Hidebull Mound and Tortoise Hill stretched for 36 kilometers. It was eight meters high but only six wide. The wall was also separated by battlements every five to six kilometers where the soldiers could rest or stand guard. When the fight began, the battlements could be left in charge of a company. In front of the wall, a moat five meters wide and three to four meters deep was also dug, creating a chasm in the flat ground.

"I'm bored..." yawned Lorist.

The invasion didn't put even the slightest pressure on his forces. Their threat was far inferior to even that of the four duchies and Duke Fisablen's allied army half a year ago. Only local defense brigade soldiers who hadn't seen combat would be excited about fighting them. However, it was not often that the local defense brigades who only trained all day got to see blood. He decided he wouldn't give any commands during the battles to assess the command abilities of the two brigades' leaders. The only reason he stayed was so the soldiers would feel at peace, and to act as a contingency against any enemies of the blademaster level. There should at least be a few in a 100-thousand-strong army. They were Lorist's actual targets.

The enemy vanguard finally learned their lesson after their second failure. They knew they couldn't scale the walls on their own, so for the next two days, they patiently waited in the forests for the rest of their forces to arrive.

The rest of the army arrived two days later. Lorist learned the intel they received was accurate. There were at least 100 thousand men. Even though they lacked supplies and didn't set up a campsite, their bonfires looked like a field of stars in the middle of the forest. The forest seemed littered with little embers.

Many of the soldiers in the local defense brigades had never actually seen such a large army before. The elation they felt at their victory two days earlier washed away completely. They began to talk in silent hushes; they doubted whether they could actually defend against so many barbarians. They put aside their lack of confidence and anxiety during the battle the following day, though. All they had to do, after all, was load the machinery, fire, rinse and repeat. They forgot everything else and followed the instructions of their superiors like mannequins.

"Fire!"

The order sent a volley of arrows at the barbarians' ranks. They rained down and cleared out an area on the other side of the ditch, making countless barbarians clutch the parts where they were hit and scream in agony. It didn't last long, though; more barbarians replaced them soon enough. Those injured lightly were quickly taken back while those beyond salvation were given a quick send off, back to the embrace of the mountain gods, as they sang their songs of war.

The ditch was soon filled with corpses, branches, mud, stones, and other miscellaneous materials. Countless barbarians swarmed towards the wall, unhindered by the now-filled moat. They soon found themselves in another awkward position, though: the ladders they brought were far from tall enough. In a fit of rage, some tossed their weapons up at the walls, inflicting some light injuries on the defenders.

Some witter barbarians lash some of the ladders together, but they were soon spotted and shot. Whenever similar attempts were spotted, they would be promptly stopped. None of the attempts succeeded. Instead, the barbarians soon began to connect the ladders further away from the walls. Though they finally had their ladders, they were shot before they made it up to the walls. The sword-and-shield soldiers, bored to death, finally had a chance to act. They tossed rocks, fuel jars, and torches down the walls. The smell of burnt flesh soon filled the air. Some vomited from the disgusting smell.

The barbarians' ferocious attack lasted from morning to after noon. The only time a dangerous situation almost came into being was right before they retreated. The enemy had gathered a group of braves to attack the walls all at once. They were surrounded and slaughtered by a group of Ragebear Knights before Lorist could react. As the knights slaughtered the braves one after another, it was as if all the barbarians felt themselves punched in the gut. They let out cry after cry of grief and began to hesitate.

Soon, the retreat was blown. The horn resounded across the plain. Lorist watched them retreat, leaving their comrades' corpses all over the battlefield. There were so many they were several layers thick in some places. They barely left any room for people to move around. Seeing this, he took benevolent action. He had the ranged units hold fire to the enemy could retreat unharassed. There were an estimated 20 thousand corpses beneath the walls. The battle taught the barbarians a huge lesson. They lost nearly half of the 50 thousand that had participated in that assault. He believed they would not attempt to take the wall again.

After Lorist gave his order, the area around the wall quieted down. But the silence didn't last long. Cheers soon exploded all along the wall.

"We won! We defeated them! We held the wall!"

Many exhausted ballistae operators collapsed right away. Many had fired non-stop for the whole battle like autonomous machines. Only after receiving the order to stop did they realize how fatigued they were. They were so worn they didn't feel like moving, even their voices were sore. The only thing they could do was tear up joyously.

Opposed to the optimism on the walls, pained and grief-stricken cries wafted over from the forest on the wind. They grew ever louder until it sounded like a chorus. It seemed all the more ghastly and sorrowful when night fell.

Lorist looked at the forest in the distance before gazing at the corpses littering the battlefield. He shook his head.

"Maybe the barbarians will know this defensive wall of ours as the wailing wall in the future," he sighed at the commander of Ragebear Knights, "They will remember this staggering loss of life. I don't feel a thing for them, though. If the wall were breached, it'd be our people crying."

After the failed assaults, the enemy army stopped bothering with it. Over the next four days, they only sent several parties to collect the dead's heads. They also took the ballistae bolts. No one dared approach the not or the wall, though. In the end, Lorist ordered two regiments of pikemen and sword-and-shield infantry to move the corpses in the ditch and at the base of the wall to the barbarian corpse collectors under the longbowmen and ballistae's protection.

After another six uneventful days, Lorist was woken by Terman, who was running and screaming as he approached Lorist's bedroom.

"Your Grace! Your Grace! They're on the move! They split up!"

Defeating the Barbarians

"Their movements are still within our expectations. A few days ago, Fiercetiger Loze sent a messenger to report that a number of scouts showed up in the area of the Black Forest near Firmrock Castle and Hidebull Fort. Apart from breaking through in that part of the forest, there's no way they can enter our dominion. Even though they number 100 thousand, they're not worth any concern to be honest. Fighting them feels like bullying little children... Victory won't even be sweet!" complained Lorist as he washed his face.

"Well," mused Terman, scratching his head.

Lorist was right. Apart from numbers and dumb courage, the barbarians were inferior to the household's men in almost every way. During the assaults over the last couple of days, Terman got the feeling the barbarians posed even less of a threat than the magic beast wave had in its heyday. He also felt the wall was far too long. Only two brigades, approximately six thousand people, manned them. Strictly speaking, that was an incredibly weak force. Should the barbarians split up into thousand-man units and spread their attack out along the full 35-kilometers of the wall, they wouldn't have had such a hard time trying to breach it. However, simple-minded as they were, they used units of ten thousand instead to attack five different spots which weren't spread out either. They were really stupid beyond belief.

The two brigades hurriedly brought their longbows and carroballistae to the attacked areas. They just needed a thousand men to deal with the assaults. They used their ranged weapons' firepower to start a massacre, inflicting huge casualties on the attackers. One time, Terman and a number of other knights even felt a little pity for them.

Lorist took him to a battlement on the wall and observed for a good while with his telescope.

"When did the barbarians split up?"

Terman gave it some thought.

"It should've been around five this morning, at dawn. The soldiers on duty noticed some movement among the enemy's ranks. They believed they were trying to attack, so they reported it to me. I headed up the wall and realized the barbarians in the camp had decreased when day broke. I walked along the walls but I could only see half as many as before."

"Alright," Lorist said as he tossed his telescope to a nearby guard, "Let's wait until the night and see. If the barbarian army truly split up, there won't be that many bonfires tonight. We'll wait for the rest of the day. If the number of bonfires is really fewer, we can confirm they've split up. I will lead Ragebear Knights to Tortoise Hill Fort and launch an attack there. We'll take a detour around Azure River to launch an attack from the rear and put an end to this."

The barbarians left behind didn't know about intrigue or misdirection. They lit only a fourth of the bonfires compared to the previous evening when night fell. Everyone was now certain in their victory the moment they saw this. The next day, Lorist took a regiment and launched an attack from Tortoise Hill Fort at the rear of the barbarian army, accompanied Ragebear Knights.

The surprise attack went without trouble. None of them expected the enemy to emerge from the safety of their walls and attack them. The ten-odd chieftains all thought the walls' defenders were the entire enemy force, given how they only dared to retaliate from the walls' safety.

Even though they weren't well-informed, the chieftains knew they couldn't rely on their advantage in numbers. The brave barbarian warriors' blood shouldn't be casually spilled. Instead, they bribed the traveling flatlander merchants to guide them and soon found another route leading into the dominion. The only trouble was that it passed through the Black Forest for five kilometers.

While there were still about 50 thousand barbarian warriors left at their campsite, most of those that had set out were the young and brave. The ones that remained were either elderly or female non-combatants or the lightly injured who were saved from the walls just a few days earlier. The campsite didn't even have proper defenses. There wasn't a single fence or moat in sight. Only the injured got to sleep in simple tents made from beastskins, the rest camped in the open near their bonfires all over the forest regardless of sex or age.

When the six thousand heavily armored Ragebear Knights rode into the camp with their magnificent and armored steeds, the enemy crumbled completely. None could defend against the metal monsters. While some brave warriors sacrificed themselves to protect the others, and were trampled to minced meat, quite a number lost control of their bowels completely and cried out in agony, slumped on the ground.

The local defense soldiers launched their attack from the other side, having already made their preparations, and quickly captured a large number of barbarians. But Lorist was disappointed that he couldn't find even a single chieftain, nor was he able to kill any blademaster-level warriors. It wasn't that they weren't present. Instead, they escaped the moment they saw Ragebear Knights approach and abandoned the rest of their tribesmen.

He wasn't satisfied, even after a sweep of the entire battlefield, and led Ragebear Knights to attack Twinmount Town. Again, the completely unprepared enemy were completely defeated. This time around, Lorist finally saw blood. As they were fighting in a town, the knights only took care of sealing off the exits while Lorist brought a thousand guards with him inside. They quickly chased the barbarians out of the houses and made obedient captives of them.

Though Twinmount Town was supposed to be the barbarians' supply center, Lorist didn't get much, mostly some herbs and miscellaneous produce from the mountain range, most of the latter was kudzu roots. They were probably the emergency rations. Usually, each warrior would carry seven days' worth of food with him into battle. If he ran out, he would forage for food wherever he was. Unless the situation was dire, the tribes didn't need to supply their warriors with food or weapons. Apart from medicines, the barbarians got everything through pillaging. It was a sign of incompetence, a blotch on his reputation and character, for a barbarian to be unable to forage for his own food.

That was why the ones defending Twinmount Town were mostly slaves, punished barbarian warriors, or barbarians too young or old to be of much use in battle, Under Lorist's savage assault, the thousand crumbled with a touch. They didn't manage to cause Lorist many casualties before they were taken captive.

"Retreat and bring the captives and spoils along. We will return to Hidebull Fort. We'll have to rush to Fiercetiger Loze to exterminate the enemy that split off," ordered Lorist.

Along the path connecting Firmrock and Maplewoods was a lake formed from an underground fountain. The lake was deep, but rather small, and its water was incredibly refreshing. Many passers-by favored it as a resting spot. This part of Black Forest was also where Lorist met the group of mountain barbarian cavalrymen when he first got back to the dominion.

The warriors that split off finally passed through the forest after four days of travel and appeared near the lake. It was soon surrounded as one barbarian after another emerged from the trees. It was only to be expected, they were tired and thirsty after four days' travel. The most crucial part was that that part of the forest was drier than the rest. There were no streams or springs nearby. They were only able to get a little water by digging deep in the mud or biting into bitter leaves. Now that such an alluring lake was right in front of them the moment they emerged from the forest, they jumped with joy.

Even though there were about 30 thousand or cavalry among the troupe of 70 thousand, they traveled at the rear with the chieftains and the other warriors of high status. The cavalry had to dismount and lead their horses through the forest and could only mount again after they were near the forest's edge.

After the chieftains and high-status barbarians exited the forest, warriors that had earlier stepped aside to make a path for them. The moment he drank some of the refreshing lake water, the commander of the army, chief of the Habibaba and the Jambassen, nodded with satisfaction.

"This is very refreshing water. But the lake's quite small. Will it be enough for everyone?"

A person dressed like a merchant replied respectfully, "Revered and undefeated Great Jambassen, I've traveled this route many times and I know this lake well. Don't worry about whether there'll be enough water. There's a fountain beneath the lake and the water level will be retained no matter how much you drink. I even dare to swear on my life."

"Hahaha," the Great Jambassen said with a hearty laugh, "You're a pretty decent fellow for bringing us through such a nice route. Um, what are you called again? Whatever, it's not like I can easily remember the names of you flatlanders. Don't worry, I'll reward you with gold for leading the way. So, is this the core of the Norton dominion?"

"Revered and strong Great Jambassen, thank you so much for your generosity. Your humble and loyal servant pays his respects. That is right, this is the center of the Norton dominion. To the south is Firmrock Castle, to the north is Poplar Town and Maplewoods, to the west is a settlement called Felicitas with seven towns and hundreds of villages. Apart from Firmrock Castle, the other places are rather weakly defended. House Norton's forces are mostly gathered at Winston and Southern to fight against another duke, the very duke that had your fellow tribesmen from the grasslands pay a visit to you. That's why the soldiers defending those towns and villages will not be able to handle your brave warriors. They are weak and helpless maidens lying on the ground, waiting for you to conquer."

The merchant named Benlaihez bowed respectfully. He was a merchant captured by the Habibaba during the previous year's summer whilst traveling. Given the choice between the bloody axe and gold, he picked the latter and agreed to guide them. As he had stayed in the mountains for quite a while, he wasn't aware of the current situation of the house, nor of Lorist and his forces' return.

The merchant's words made the rest of the barbarians laugh. The Great Jambassen, in particular, laughed so hard he couldn't catch his breath.

"You... Ben-whatsyourface... You really have a way with words... Like helpless maidens... Hahaha. I like these words. But as it's already evening, the sky should be darkening soon. My warriors have traveled for a good couple of days. Let's rest here for now. We'll eat well, refresh ourselves and rest. Tomorrow, the helpless maidens will be ours to conquer. Ahahaha..."

The Great Jambassen's words prompted a round of applause. Soon, the bonfires were lit and the barbarians brought out the dried food they carried with them and began to dine and enjoy the delicious lakewater.

All of a sudden, an ear-piercing horn sounded. Loud drumming echoed in from all directions. The warriors all stood up, dazed, and watched as the faintly visible black banner with a golden tiger with two wings entered their sights.

The merchant jumped with shock.

"Impossible! Why is Tigersoar here?! No, it's an ambush! Run!" yelled he.

"Run?!" mused the Great Jambassen as he clutched the merchant's clothes, "You led us into this trap! You ought to die!"

He killed the merchant with a stab of his sword before he roared.

"What are you panicking for?! Everyone, get together and get ready to attack! Don't forget! We are 70 thousand!"

Tigersoar didn't give them much time to prepare, however. The carroballistae launched began firing. Bolts rained down on their ranks. Men fell in droves. While the barbarians did indeed have 70 thousand, 70 thousand warriors who weren't able to approach their enemy were nothing but targets. Soon, they began retreating slowly. The carroballistae division pressed its assault. Under Dulles's command, the carroballistae fired two bolts for every two paces they moved forward, maintaining a constant wave of pressure on the barbarian army. When the four thousand plus barbarian cavalry were dead, the army collapsed completely. They all turned and ran, wanting to leave the storm as behind them as possible.

But when the forest entered their sights, they soon realized there were three rows of metal-armored mounted monstrosities.

"Attack!" bellowed Terman.

The horn was blown and Dulles ordered his men to stop firing and stand by. At that moment, Loze came from the left and Pajik from the right. Each led about six thousand metal-armored spear cavalry. They charged into the mess' flanks.

Lorist drew his sword and pointed it at the chieftains and high-status warriors wearing exquisite feather headgear and roared.

"There they are! Kill them all!"

Gold Mine Obtained

"We Nortons know a sickness of the heart only gold can cure." ~ Charade

Enjoy the second release of the week!

"The spoils this time around are pretty decent," said Lorist, filled with satisfaction.

His current location was the hilly part of Black Forest at the old mine. They were in the secret gold storehouse of the barbarian tribe Walizinge. The guards, led by Els and Reidy, had broken into their campsite at dawn. The tribe was now just one of the many casualties. The tribe did have two strong ceremonial warriors, but Lorist was quick to kill them.

The little cave now in front of them was stuffed with crudely made golden wares of varying sizes and odd shapes. Under the torch's illumination, they gleamed temptingly. An approximate count placed the content of the cave's worth at around two million gold Fordes.

"Why would the mountain barbarians use gold to make these weird little things?" Lorist wondered as he picked up a crude heavy great-axe fashioned of pure gold and waved it around, "This doesn't seem too practical."

"Your Grace, according to the old barbarian slave, these golden wares were made with great care and scrutiny to be used as sacrifices to the mountain deity, Kubawesson," explained Howard swiftly.

From the perspective of the mountain barbarians, gold was the most useless resource. They couldn't eat it or use it to make good weapons. It didn't help that they traded using mainly barter either. It was said that, in the distant past, the barbarians valued gold no more than a simple rock. However, when they realized that gold could be used to trade for incredibly practical goods from flatlander merchants, its demand spiked. Soon, they replaced good weapons, which used to be regarded as the most important resource, as sacrifices for the mountain deity.

Since the discovery of the gold mine in the hills, the Walizinge tribe had become one of the richest tribes. They traded gold with the other tribes to gain slaves, food, and livestock and enjoyed a decent life. It was reflected in the golden decorations hung around their grass huts. They could even hire two strong ceremonial warriors to keep other tribes from having designs on their territory.

It had now all fallen to the Nortons. Perhaps, the years of living in peace and luxury let the tribe lose their fighting spirit. The chieftain's instinct to preserve his life took over the moment the two warriors fell and he hurriedly surrendered.

"Not only did we not suffer any losses, we also managed to earn quite a bit. I'm sure Spiel will be glad. Oh, also, when will Grandmaster Sid arrive?" asked Lorist.

Grandmaster Sid was going to estimate the amount of gold available in the mines. Only after finding out whether it could be profitable to mine it would the house decide on investing funds into the facilities here. If it was already mostly dried up, then the house would leave with what they had. In a few more years when another tribe mines the rest of the gold, the house would attack them instead and make off with some pocket change or collect some tribute.

"There's no way he'd arrive this quickly, Your Grace. We took this place just this morning. It hasn't even been half a day since we sent the messenger. Each trip takes at least five days. Also, the path through the forest isn't easy to tread. Els already gathered some of the barbarian captives to build a road through the forest," complained Howard.

He had slipped and fallen a number of times because they were rushing to launch the surprise attack.

"Oh, apologies. I'm just far too happy. I forgot," Lorist consoled with a shrug as he tossed the golden axe back into the pile before turning to leave, "Alright, let's go. Seal the door and have Spiel make an inventory when he arrives. Just tell me the worth of it all in gold Fordes."

Usually, there would be people on hand to make an inventory. However, Spiel had to deal with stashes worth more than a million gold Fordes personally. As the house's chief financial supervisor, he rushed to the area after hearing about the gold mine's capture and the golden wares they'd obtained despite how tiring or arduous the journey was. He arrived on the third day.

"Your Grace, I've made an inventory of the golden wares. They are worth 2.32 million gold Fordes in total," reported Spiel, a little crestfallen. Had the household forces arrived a few years earlier, there would've been a few times more gold. According to the slaves' testimonies, during the Kubawesson festival last year, the Walazinge tribe fashioned countless golden wares to trade. At the same time, they made a 1.3-meter-tall golden statue of the deity as a tribute to the holy site on Smormilgen Mountain. Near a thousand cows were used to transport it.

"What a waste. They actually used gold to make such a statue and even used the cows they traded for with gold to transport them. They even had to generously feed the thousands of barbarian warriors escorting the statue and used the remaining cows as a blood sacrifice for the festival. They squandered everything so easily!" exclaimed Spiel hatefully.

Lorist didn't take Spiel's words seriously. Had he really attacked the Walazinge tribe back then, it would've been a disaster. Taking the statue made as a tribute to their gods was shaking a huge hornet's nest. He'd have made an enemy of every barbarian in the Magic Dragon Mountains. They would all hate House Norton for stealing their holy statue. While the household forces could easily take care of 100 thousand barbarians, it couldn't deal with a million at once. Even if they obtained gold worth tens of millions, it wouldn't have been worth it.

"Also, Spiel, make sure to give ten percent of our spoils, 230 thousand, to Mayor Doboff. It's the bonus I promised him," instructed Lorist.

Spiel hesitated for a moment.

"Your Grace, isn't it a little too much? Actually, the mayor would be satisfied even if we gave him ten or 20 thousand. It's not like he knows how much we got anyway..."

Lorist smiled and shook his head.

"Just do as I say. A man cannot stand without his word. While you can hide the truth from people, you can never deceive the eyes of the gods. While ten percent of the spoils is definitely a lot, it's nowhere near worth tarnishing the house's name. Trust is the foundation, and we must definitely stick to our word. If we cheat the mayor for just this much today, would we cut the pension of our brave warriors tomorrow? Doing something like this will shake the house's foundation to the core, do you understand, Spiel?"

"It is my mistake, Your Grace," confessed Spiel, lowering his head.

"I'm not blaming you. You are my chief financial supervisor. You are an earnest man. I trust your ethics and character. You only did what you did out of consideration of the house's interests, not your own. After all, House Norton is rising rapidly and we've spent quite a bit these past years. It's only natural you, as the financial supervisor, would seek to balance our spending. I admire your attitude when it comes to furthering the house's interests. However, some things cannot be dealt with based solely on consideration for our finances. We would quickly be blind to the better, yet distant future by the allure of short-term profit. Do you understand?"

He was finally trying to address Spiel's increasingly miserly attitude.

"I understand, Your Grace. I promise not a single copper less will be paid when we hand this bonus to Mayor Doboff."

"Very well. I leave this to you. Also, tell Mayor Doboff that, since the mountain barbarians suffered heavy losses, he can expect a good period of peace. The house has decided to take in Twinmount Town officially. He has done well as the town's mayor for these ten years, so ask him if he would stay on as mayor or join the house's administration. Our sphere of influence is expanding quickly and we really need officials like him. His talent shouldn't be wasted in a single frontier town. Please pass my thoughts on and tell him that those who serve the house loyally will be rewarded."

"Understood, Your Grace. I will pass on your evaluation and your expectations word for word. I believe he'll make the most sensible choice."

Grandmaster Sid arrived, disciples in tow, two days later.

Without even bothering to rest, he had his disciples conduct a detailed survey of the area and the mine itself. He also entered the mine personally to check on the gold veins' distribution. After three days of hard work, Lorist received the report.

"Congratulations, Your Grace. The mine is still rich. We've determined that less than a tenth of the ore has been harvested. Our observations and the slaves' testimonies confirm the mine's previous owners used one of the most primitive mining methods of which we know. They only got 500 thousand gold Fordes' ore in a year.

"If we invest heavily in the mines and uses the latest mining and refining techniques, we can produce 1.5 to 2 million gold Fordes every year for the next century. This is definitely something worthy of a huge celebration!" reported Sid excitedly.

Ever since he was made viscount and given his own demesne in Delamock, he was proud of his identity a Norton noble.

He was genuinely happy for the house for obtaining such a rich gold mine. If the house had funds, Lorist could give him more support to invent even more unimaginable inventions. Currently, he only received 100 thousand gold Fordes' funding annually like Professor Balbo's gunpower laboratory. They were sourced secretly and not reported publicly. While he did enjoy the benefits as they were now, he was worried the house would one day be forced to cut his budget because of financial concerns. It would severely impact his goal of raising his rank to the next level through his experimental contributions.

"Thank you, Grandmaster Sid. You have truly brought me very good news," thanked Lorist with a beaming smile.

A gold mine producing up to two million gold Fordes for a whole century was truly incredible. Even Spiel, who was just standing nearby, couldn't keep his mouth shut.

I really didn't think this unnamed place in the Black Forest would have such a large gold vein. Even the golden creeks House Fisablen spent lots of effort to conquer doesn't generate more than a million gold Fordes a year. Now House Norton has its own gold mine, not the least bit inferior to the golden creeks, how can we not be jumping with joy?!

"This place shall henceforth be known as Golden Ridge. What do you think?"

He was so happy he couldn't help but name the place immediately.

Nobody had any objections.

Out of excitement, Spiel added, "Your Grace's naming sense is sound. This is indeed a ridgy area full of gold. However, I believe we should concern ourselves with setting up some defensive arrangements so the house can conquer the mines for good and keep it from falling back into the barbarians' hands."

Spiel's timely reply had Lorist call for a meeting immediately to discuss their plans to build a citadel at the ridge for the protection of the mine.

"We'll give up on the other smaller hills. Build a fort to protect the mines and outfit it with a complete loadout. We'll call it Fort Goldridge. Additionally, we will build another long wall from Hidebull Fort to here around the hills to the left of Firmrock Castle. This way, we can split this part of the dominion off from Magic Dragon Mountains completely. We won't have to worry about any invasions again.

"We shall also build a highway through Black Forest to connect to the lake. We shall build a town there to provide support and supplies for Fort Goldridge. As it is also situated within Black Forest, we will have to clear the surrounding land, everything within half a kilometer regardless of whether it encompasses the wall or the other forts will be cleared. The barbarians must have no cover for any future attacks.

"This will be a huge project, but the house has to do this no matter whether we're at war or not, regardless of the manpower and funds required. Building the wall and Fort Goldridge is of utmost importance. Els, Reidy, you two will take command of the guards and 7th and 18th local and defend this place. Be incredibly alert and ensure the laborers' safety. Deal with any incident as you see fit. Understood?"

"Understood, Your Grace," said Els and Reidy in unison as they stood up.

"But, Your Grace, won't you have no one by your side if the guard squads stay here?" asked Reidy.

"Don't worry, I need just 500 men."

"Grandmaster Sid and Supervisor Spiel, I need you two to stay here for a while. Grandmaster, I will trouble you with setting up updated mining and refining facilities. Spiel, you will draft the budget and allocate the supplies the fort and wall's construction. Make sure to monitor the mining strictly as well. I hope everything will proceed even as we work on the construction instead of beginning after everything is complete."

"Very well. Your Grace. We will start the upgrade work as soon as possible," replied Sid loudly.

"Understood. Your Grace, I'll make sure the mining process is monitored strictly," said Spiel as he stood straight up.

Insomnia

"There is no pain equal to that which two lovers can inflict upon one another. This should be made clear to all who contemplate such a union. The avoidance of this pain is the beginning of wisdom, for it is strong enough to contaminate the rest of our lives." ~ Princess Fisablen Sylvia

So sorry for the late release! There was a scheduling error and I only noticed it in the next day. This will be the week's third release.

After delegating the construction and mining projects at Goldridge, Lorist brought Howard and five hundred other guards to Firmrock. He thought about how Sylvia was waiting for him there and felt hesitation overwhelm. But, no matter what, he wasn't going to run away. There were some things that had to be settled. He understood the girl in love with him was the one most hurt by his conflict with House Fisablen.

They traveled without rest and arrived at Firmrock at midnight the next evening. It was already rather late and most of the inhabitants had already fallen asleep. After entering the gate, Lorist dismounted and instructed his guards to rest, refusing their offers of further escort. He and Howard take their mounts along the quiet path to the center of the castle.

The streets and alleys in the castle-town were illuminated by silver moonlight. Under its gentle embrace, the cool night breeze blew refreshingly.

Lorist stretched and relaxed his body, fatigued by two days of non-stop riding.

"Time really flies. Come to think of it, you're getting married next year," he said eyeing Howard, "I remember how small you were when I first saw you. Now you've grown into a magnificent young man. Oh, Howard, didn't your father-in-law write your father and I letters to prepare for your marriage? You said you would think about it back then. Have you come to a decision?"

Howard didn't respond. He just kept moving forward with his warhorse.

"Eh? Howard, weren't the two of you getting along well? You're always glued to her when she comes over. What's going on now? Having a spat?"

Howard looked straight at Lorist.

"Teacher, I want to put the marriage off for two years..."

"Oh? What's going on?"

"I've asked senior apprentice brother about this and he said I'm already at the two-star silver rank and can start learning the Dan Ocean Ki-refining Technique. You promised to teach me two years ago, but it slipped your mind when the war started. Brother Reidy said he could teach me, so I want to learn it first before marrying. He said that, given that I'm smarter than him, I could establish my foundation in two years of focused training."

Lorist only just recalled that he'd forgotten his promise.

"I'm sorry, Howard. I was far too busy and forgot about it. Since the household won't be caught up in anything for now, I'll teach you. As for your father-in-law and your father, I'll personally write them a letter to delay the marriage. I'm sure it won't be too much trouble."

"But Teacher, if I start training, I'll have to train in seclusion. Then, there'd be nobody to serve by your side," hesitated Howard.

"There's no need to worry about that," Lorist smiled, "Oceanic Legion's commander, wrote me a letter just last month to remind me of my promise. Howard, do you still remember your junior apprentice brother? Sunbaud silly firstborn? What's his name again?"

"Jinolio."

"Darn it. When I said I wanted to take him as my disciple, Senbaud seemed to be in so much pain, as if he'd ate a pile of fly-infested shit, cause he thought I was taking his son as a hostage to ensure his loyalty. But now, he's anything but reluctant. It's almost like he wants to dump his son on me. Last month, he wrote me a letter saying his son's now 16 and has awakened his battleforce. He asked me when he should send him over to be my attendant so I can start training him. Sol, I said I wanted to take him as disciple back then to erase some of his doubts. I didn't think he'd actually take it seriously."

"Hehe."

He was aware of the matter as well. Senbaud was originally a pirate who'd been subdued and forced to serve House Norton after his attempt to raid Lorist's ship. But later, his forced service turned into willing service. It didn't take long for him to become loyal to the house either. It was simple; the more Lorist showed the true extent of his abilities, the more Senbaud respected and admired him.

"Teacher, that junior is far from silly. He's just a little bigger than most his age. It's not like you didn't read the letters he sends us. He has an incredible way with words," argued Howard.

"Tch. Come on, they were written by his mother. Didn't you see how neat and elegant the handwriting was? Men often write with large and sharp strokes, which usually result in messy writing that almost pierces through the parchment. Your father's handwriting is rooted to the parchment, and Loze's seems like it carries a hint of killing intent. Handwriting is a good reflection of a person. Do you think such a huge kid can have that kind of nice and tidy handwriting? It's just as ridiculous as a brute doing embroidery."

Howard had to admit that Lorist made quite some sense. What in the world did Senbaud's huge son eat for him to grow to two meters tall at the tender age of 16? Given his build, it's no wonder Lorist calls him 'silly brute'. However, he liked his junior quite a bit. Perhaps it was because of Senbaud's amazing skills in setting people up with each other. Apart from bringing his son along to the dominion for the annual reports, he also had him write to Howard in the name of being his junior to ask about things he should pay attention to about battleforce awakening. In time, Howard grew to like his straightforward, if huge, junior.

"Fine. Write a letter to the silly brute and have him come over. Since you aren't going to start your training immediately, give him a few pointers and evaluate his personality. Even though I also instructed Tarkel to pay attention to it and he hasn't reported anything bad about him, we only know about the surface. You should be able to get a better understanding of him after you spend some time together. If he's untrustworthy, I'll only have him as a disciple in name and won't treat him like you or Reidy."

"As you wish. I'll write him a letter and have the guards bring him here tomorrow."

The two walked in silence for a while before Howard spoke again.

"Your Grace, are you afraid of meeting Princess Sylvia?"

Now they weren't conversing as teacher and disciple, Howard changed his tone.

"I'm not. Why would I be?"

Howard stared at him suspiciously.

"Why would I lie to you?" Lorist continued, a little embarrassed and mad. I only wanted to take a slow walk because of how nice the moonlight is. It helps me relax after riding for two whole days. Also, given that it's already midnight, riding into the castle will wake everyone. Incredibly inconsiderate, isn't it?"

"Fine, fine," smiled Howard.

"Hmph."

Lorist continued his walk discontentedly. No matter how long the walk took, arriving at the destination was inevitable. The path to the keep wasn't that long either.

After the guard brigade left with Lorist, the police brigade took over defending the keep. They were mostly retired soldiers who couldn't give up on military life completely. They all knew Lorist rather well. The moment the squad saw the two approach, they hurriedly greeted them and took care of their mounts.

"Don't bother, there's no need to open the main gates and wake everyone. We'll enter from the side. Have the servants boil some water, make us food and send it up to my study. We'll be there. Leave any and all reports to tomorrow," ordered Lorist as they got closer.

The guards' leader saluted and rushed off to carry out his orders. The two that brought the hot water, however, were two female servants. Lorist looked at them oddly. He usually had male servants on duty at night. Why would these two be on duty this time?

"Princess Sylvia is having trouble sleeping, Your Grace. We're on duty in turns at night to take care of her needs," explained one.

"Oh? Sylvia's losing sleep?"

"Yes, Your Grace."

"On which is she now?"

"The east wing's third, where she used to stay, Your Grace."

Lorist hurriedly washed and changed into some comfortable clothes. By then, the two maidservants had already brought two large plates of food over. After biting off a piece of honeyed bread, Lorist asked, "Um, how has the princess's appetite been in the past two days?"

"Your Grace, she's only eating very little. She said that she doesn't have any appetite and only has a bowl of soup every meal," replied the maidservant.

Lorist couldn't sit still. He turned to Howard.

"Get some rest after you're done eating. I'll go see the princess."

The keep was built against the mountains, split into four sections. The front was the main work area where Lorist's study, the guest hall, meeting hall, and the various departments of the house were situated. The rear wing was Lorist's personal area where his concubines lived. The west and east wings housed the main guest accommodations.

The two differed from one another slightly. The east wing faced had a beautiful view of the castle. Guests of high status tended to reside there. So far, apart from Princess Sylvia and the second highness, the others who lived there had some form of relationship with the house's three allies.

Sylvia was currently staying in a room on the wing's third floor. Lorist had had the room sealed after the princess moved in. It was now her personal quarters and wasn't used for any other guests.

Lorist stepped lightly. A reclining chair on the balcony greeted him as he entered the room. A person dressed in a snow-white linen gown lay on it, bathing in the moonlight as she hummed to the night breeze.

Lorist slowly approached.

"Didn't I say I don't want to eat or drink anything? Well… It's not your fault... I'll tell your manager about this tomorrow," said she clearly when she noticed Lorist's footsteps

"It's me, Sylvia..."

Lorist realized how hard it was for him to speak out. His voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz, almost entirely inaudible. The princess, however, sunken into the depth of the recliner snapped up like she was struck by lightning.

"Is it you, Locke?" her voice shaked.

"Yes..."

His voice was slightly louder this time. He took a few steps into the moon's embrace.

"Locke!"

Sylvia leaped into his arms and hugged him with all her might as tears streamed down her face.

"I missed you so much..."

"What's wrong, Sylvia? Why have you lost so much weight?"

She was only half the size he remembered. Her face had thinned, but her two big emerald eyes were still just as alluring as he remembered. He hurt when he hugged her. She must've suffered a lot to thin this much.

"Nothing's wrong... I just couldn't sleep or eat."

Sylvia cried in her lover's embrace. Her eyes fountained rivers down her face and neck.

"Locke, Grandfather doesn't want me anymore... I can't go back to the house either... He said I shouldn't think of going back after coming here... Will you still have me?"

The usual proud and unapproachable princess was gone. Sylvia cried like a child who'd lost her way home, like a dog waving its tail desperately to please its master.

"Of course I will. Idiot, why wouldn't I?"

Lorist's heart spasmed as he stroked her hair gently and hugged her thin frame.

"My little fool, no matter what happens, I'll always be here for you. I'll stay by your side until our hair snows. I vow it."

Sylvia couldn't hear him. Her emotions flowed out of her like her tears, and drew her consciousness with it. She collapsed in his embrace and fell into a deep sleep. Her face, however, glowed lightly with a serene smile. Her petite hands tugged on the corners of his clothes, refusing to let go.

Her cries startled the two servants. When they entered the room, Lorist hushed them quickly and help him guide the princess to her bed. He pulled the blanket over her gently and turned to leave, but her hands, as thin and petite as they were, clamped on his clothes. They held on tighter than a magic beast's claws.

"Fine, I'll stay."

Lorist smiled bitterly and asked the maidservants to get him a chair. He would spend the night by her side.

"Well, can you tell me about why she can't go home? Speak softly. Don't wake her."

Having nothing better to do, he decided to ask the maidservants about the situation. As Sylvia's personal servants, they also suffered quite a bit. They told Lorist about how the princess was treated by her house and how the duke only allowed her and them to take their clothes when they left. Even the princess's guard was disbanded and absorbed into other units.

Lorist nodded. He understood Duke Fisablen's intentions in sending Sylvia here. He admired how ruthless and straightforward the old fox was.

Poor Sylvia, she doesn't know the grandfather that spoiled her so much has placed her on the table as a bargaining chip.

She wasn't sent here as an envoy, but instead, as a token of apology. He wanted the four houses to spare House Fisablen and not force them into oblivion. Lorist made a silent decision the moment he saw Sylvia's thin, sleeping face.

Untitled

"What a cruel thing war is. It drives families together and lovers apart." ~ Tarkel

Princess Sylvia slept for almost five hours. When she saw Lorist seated beside the bed, she smiled happily. Lorist had the maidservants prepare a luxurious breakfast. He even fed the princess two small bowls of wheat porridge himself. He refused to let her off the hook until she finished another two pieces of bread and some milk.

As he stroked her long, platinum-blonde hair like he would a spoiled little girl, he said, "I want to feed you until you're nice and chubby like a little piggy. I won't let you stay this thin. Look at your hands... I can even see your veins. They're practically skin and bones. Sylvia, do you know how much it hurts to see you like this?"

Sylvia buried her head in his chest shyly. She hammered his chest at the mention of feeding her like a pet pig. Though, she did so with a delightful, satisfied smile.

Lorist was could only leave after having lunch with her and promising to join her for dinner. Even though Sylvia was acting incredibly clingy, she was still aware of his status House Norton's head and as Duke of The Northlands, titles that came with their share of duties. She had no choice but to watch him leave eventually, however unwilling she was.

It's always the hardest to be expected by a beauty.

Lorist sighed deeply. He turned back and smiled at Sylvia, waving at him from a balcony on the third floor, before he left in large strides.

Her situation is indeed rather troubling, thought he furrow-browed, She's naive, but no fool. She's surprisingly sharp...

From what the two maidservants had said the day before, Lorist surmised the princess probably realized the intention behind the duke sending her to The Northlands. She thought she had already been abandoned, falling from her position as a treasured princess to a token of apology. After the four houses attacked Iblia and fought House Fisablen, Sylvia had received lots of scorn and criticism from her house. Everyone saw her as a bringer of misfortune and the war's cause. According to the maidservants, all Sylvia could do was stay home as much as possible and avoid interacting with others. It didn't stop the rumors from reaching her, though. She cooped her up in her tower and spent her days there, hoping desperately the nightmare would soon pass.

If Sylvia's godmother, Xanthi, had been there, she would've had a much better time. It was too bad the blademaster had dug her own grave and pursued Reidy. In the end, the teacher came out to stand for the disciple. Given that Reidy was his eldest disciple, he didn't plan on reasoning with Xanthi. No matter who Reidy had killed, they deserved it. He set out to save Reidy himself and left her under the second highness' supervision. It had been a year since then already, and it had caused Sylvia to lose her strongest supporter, as well as the shoulder she leaned on.

The Fisablens were a large house. While Duke Fisablen was its head, he didn't have a say in every single thing. There were still a few elders that just wouldn't die, and a huge bunch of relatives. If the house had been in the inner parts of the empire, they would've split off and formed branch families long ago. But given that they were on the grasslands and faced the constant threat of the barbarians, strife and division would most certainly send the house down the road of demise. Its members had no choice but to huddle together for warmth. They had secured their land and legacy through unity. But it also resulted in problems, particularly the many malaligned goals of the house's many members. Some were loyal and willing to serve the house with all they had, others would take advantage of it when the opportunity arose.

In times of peace and prosperity, the members would get along just fine and share the fruits of their success. Anyone bearing the Fisablen name would be served delicious meat, or if not, some soup. But the house was now in a pretty dire predicament, with First Frontier exterminated, Third Frontier captured, and Fifth Frontier disbanded, and the reserve legion ruined. The four houses had stripped the elegant clothes off the former empire's most powerful faction and even dragged them across the ground. Be it the surface or the interior, those watching properly knew House Fisablen had utterly lost.

Even with Duke Fisablen's non-stop encouragement and his recruitment of the grassland barbarians to reform the reserve legion, the house's members had begun to hold varying opinions. On the great northeastern plains, barbarian cavalrymen were common as clouds. Rider or mount, as long as one was willing to pay the right price, they would charge to the frontlines for your sake. But the problem was that, while recruiting them was easy, feeding a force of 20 to 30 thousand was rather difficult.

In the past, when the salt merchant committee was trading daily necessities in large quantities, the house just had to sell the goods to the barbarians and profit. They were even able to use the supplies to hold tight control over the tribes and use them to conquer the golden creeks, causing the area rich with gold to fall to them. This spurred on rapid provincial development and caused the house's fame to rise even more. Those were the good old days.

All of the momentum the house had come to an end when they asked the four central duchies for reinforcements to eliminate Melein. On the surface, it seemed they'd obtained large numbers of young laborers by exterminating the duchy, given that they'd moved up to 300 thousand to their domain and had increased their might. At the same time, they established a trade route to the four duchies. As the house had been quite well-off financially, they formed two more frontier legions. The household's might and impressive military had given the duke with the ambition to take control Iblia's affairs.

"You were so blinded by your ambitions that you couldn't see the way forward clearly!"

One of the elders had criticized the duke thusly. The one who'd said it was the duke's uncle. The old man was a lustful alcoholic. Though he was almost a century old, he still hadn't passed on and met the Wargod. He continued to cause trouble for the duke instead. He even had seven children and held quite a bit of power. Woryo, Third Frontier's logistics officer, was his most pathetic son, and his youngest.

"Your carelessness and your pride made you ignorant to the fact that the four houses are guarded against us. When they eliminated Madras, you should've already been on alert. That way, our house's forces wouldn't have suffered such heavy losses!" the uncle had rebuked during a household meeting after the fact, bringing the duke much trouble.

He'd completely forgot that he'd been the most steadfast supporter of the duke's plan to conquer the northeast, busying himself with allocating his descendants to preferable positions.

"Why didn't you agree to the marriage to House Norton's head? Letting Sylvia marry the Duke wouldn't have been humiliating at all. He was already profiting greatly from his agreement to the first two conditions. You just had to ask him to chase his concubines and illegitimate children away! That's no doubt what made him see us as an enemy. Face... I wonder how much is our 'face' worth. Since when was Sylvia so high up she couldn't tolerate a few concubines?"

Had it not been for the duke's status as one of the strongest fighters in the house, being a rank 3 blademaster, the others might've ousted him already. After all, the duke's failures cost them a little too much. Many lost a close relative or two, especially those who'd placed them in profitable positions. None had expected it to end up a suicidal affair. They didn't hesitate to voice their malcontent at all.

Given that even the duke was forced into such a tough position, what happened to Sylvia was to be expected. Her father was the eldest son of the duke who had unfortunately perished in battle with the grassland barbarians. Sylvia had yet to be born. As her mother had heard the news of her husband's death right before her birth, she passed on right after making the delivery. The orphaned Sylvia was left to the duke's lover, Blademaster Xanthi, to raise, so she didn't have any close ties to many in the house.

Sylvia only reentered the duke's sights when she grew up and showed talent in battleforce training. She was one of the very few who showed such characteristics. Back then, the second prince, Iblia, came to Eastwild personally to ask the duke's support to found his kingdom. At that time, he entitled Sylvia with the title of princess and increased her status among her peers. Coupled with the intentional effort on the duke's part to make her into the house's face through the formation of her own personal guard, her status was unmatched and she came to be known as the most beautiful pearl of the kingdom.

With the aloof Xanthi's protection and the duke's deep care, Sylvia's life was simple and joyful. The dark side of the house had never been shown to her. That was why Lorist found her naive and filled with optimism and hope for the world. She was a cute and pure girl like an elf worth protecting. However, back then, Lorist wasn't in the mood for a romance and busied himself with the house's affairs. What he didn't expect was that his casual tone and the unique tales of being exiled by the house when he furthered his studies, as well as his loss of contact, left a huge impression on her.

As the godmother who'd raised her single-handedly, Xanthi was quick to realize Sylvia's fondness for Lorist. She herself was completely uninterested in him. In her eyes, he was an average-looking, good for nothing low-ranked and cowardly noble ten years older than Sylvia that only knew how to hide within his dominion despite having such an impressive military. He also trained in the weird and uncommon fighting techniques of the eastern martial monks.

Naturally, she would never acknowledge she was biased against Lorist because she was dissatisfied with losing a match to him. She believed he'd used her unfamiliarity with his fighting technique to catch her off guard. He even stopped fighting when he had the advantage and collapsed from fatigue the moment he stepped out of the duke's manor.

Despite her objections, though, Sylvia's interest in Lorist only grew. Following their subsequent interactions, her interest changed into admiration. Xanthi, seeing that the situation was turning grim, forced Sylvia to train in seclusion for four years in a hurry and hoped the passing of time would calm her mind and dull her love until it disappeared. She didn't expect that after four years, while Sylvia had managed to break through from the one-star gold rank to the two-star gold rank, her love had turned into a deep longing. The moment she heard Duke Fisablen was going to organize a knighthood competition, she hurried to The Northlands and expressed her desire to have Lorist participate.

What followed would become the two most painful and impactful experiences she had. First came the death of the 'little brother' and heir of Iblia she had raised. The little prince that was the result of a drug-induced copulation between the second prince and the queen orchestrated by the duke had died from a prenatal heart disease. The queen and the duke's coldness towards the matter caused Sylvia much grief. She ignored the duke's orders and returned to the dominion to attend the funeral for which not many others cared.

She then went to The Northlands to calm her mind. Lorist told her the second piece of bad news there: the three conditions the Duke had brought up. While he had agreed to the first two, he couldn't agree to the third because he was not a heartless person. The duke refused his proposal for a union with the house as a result. While the princess was disappointed, she didn't really take it to heart. She believed her grandfather was just worried she would have to suffer jealousy from the concubines after marrying Lorist. She believed that after returning to the dominion, she could convince her grandfather to agree to the marriage.

Sylvia spent her time traveling around The Northlands in peace. That was the happiest time of her life. Lorist accepted her feelings and accompanied her on the trip. He even brought her to Silowas, allowing her to experience a kind of beauty non-existent in the grasslands for the first time. Had it not been for Xanthi's watchful eye, she might've been so deeply submerged in the river of love she would've gone to Lorist's bed willingly.

However, what awaited her when she returned was the duke's rage. He had given her a curfew to prevent her from stepping out of Crouchtiger Castle. She begged her loving grandfather to agree to the marriage. She explained she didn't mind Lorist having a few concubines, but the duke told her it wasn't her decision to make, and that Lorist's refusal to agree to that condition was a slight on the house's reputation. Marrying Sylvia under these circumstances would damage the house's reputation.

She never imagined her loving grandfather would give her such an answer. Was the reputation of the house more important than her happiness? No matter how she cried and begged, the duke's answer to that question was the same: 'Yes'. As a result, he started a hunger strike. But thanks to Xanthi's consolation, she was saved in the end. That was also the driving factor behind Xanthi's rampant pursuit of Reidy. She had intended to offend House Norton intentionally and make the two houses enemies so Sylvia would completely give up on the notion of marrying Lorist.

In the end, Xanthi's wish was granted. While she didn't manage to make it back and ended up the second highness's prisoner, House Norton did end up becoming House Fisablen's enemy. Lorist led the four houses to crushed House Fisablen's frontier legions and the four central duchies' reinforcements.

Then came the blame of the members of the house on Sylvia. The matter of her failed attempt to marry Lorist had been made known throughout the house. It was inevitable that she would be criticized. What she didn't think was that her grandfather would actually present her to Lorist to make peace.

Marrying Lorist and being given as a gift were two different things. Marriage represented the union of the two houses and was a celebratory affair. However, giving her to Lorist was treating her like a female slave that could be beaten or scolded however her master liked. Her life would depend on his whims.

She never imagined this kind of ending for her. She thought about her cousin, Cacanne's, insult.

"What's so great about you?You just have a blademaster guarding you. Now the blademaster was captured by your lover and sent to the imperial capital's prison, you deserve what you get. So what if you got the gold rank after a few years of training? You're close to 28 and still single! You want to get married? Dream on, you harbinger of misfortune!"

Caccane was six years Sylvia's junior. Her paramour was one of the household knights serving First Frontier. Sylvia's own maidservant had seen the knight climb the walls into Cacanne's chambers in the middle of the night. Now that First Frontier was no more, it wasn't known whether the knight still lived. So, she directed her angst at Sylvia.

While Sylvia could pretend to not hear the curses house's members flung her way, Duke Fisablen's mission to head to The Northlands as an envoy was the biggest mental blow she could suffer. On the surface, she was there to provide a peace offering. Only, she was the offering she was presenting. Even though she could finally stay with Lorist, it was in the most humiliating fashion possible. She was filled with despair and completely isolated. The only reason she didn't crumble completely was her yearning to reunite with Lorist.

The moment she met him, she was elated. Hearing the sweet whispers of her lover finally made all the emotional tension that had built up inside her and which'd made her suffer insomnia go away. She fell asleep immediately and, by the time she woke up, Lorist felt a little off with how clingy she was being. The slight hint of despair that hid behind her two loving eyes made him feel even sourer.

He knew letting the naive, fairy-like girl stay with him like this wasn't the way to go. He wondered if he would regret the decision he was about to make.

Decision

"The real act of marriage takes place in the heart, not in the ballroom, church, or synagogue. It is a choice you make." ~ Norton Lorist

"Your Grace, this won't do. You can't do this. I strongly object to this decision of yours!" said Charade with a jump.

He had come over to bring a stack of documents to be signed. After putting down the documents, he reached for a bottle of fruit wine from the rack. He heard Lorist talk about the decision he made right after he sat down and instantly voiced his objections.

Lorist had said he wanted to get married to Princess Sylvia and wanted Charade to start preparing a grand wedding ceremony to take place in half a year. He believed the time would allow Sylvia to recover from her mental scars as well as her malnourishment. He didn't think the moment he revealed his intention, he would receive an instant objection.

"Why? Weren't you guys in agreement about this before?" asked Lorist a little angrily.

"Your Grace, it was a matter of timing. Right now, House Fisablen is our enemy. While I believe Princess Sylvia's qualities more than qualify her to be your wife and the house's matron, given that she bears the Fisablen name, I cannot allow it."

Lorist shook his head.

"This is a personal matter. I won't take anyone but her as my wife. Whether you agree to this or not. This is none of your concern. I've made my decision. Just do as I say."

"No!" Charade said desperately, "A duke has no personal matters! Your Grace, you don't just represent yourself. You are the face of the house and the representative of our 1.6 million subjects as well as our loyal household knights! You must consider the house's reputation!"

"Hehe, is that so? Why didn't I know I represented so many things? Did anyone ask me whether I was willing to represent them?" Lorist said without holding back, "You're telling me I have to go through you lot to even pick a wife? So if you're against it, I can't be with the woman I love? What do you treat me as? A mannequin you can push around? Must I do everything according to your will?"

"Well..." Charade realized he had used the wrong choice of words. "Your Grace, you know that I didn't mean it that way. Nobody dares to treat you like a mannequin. You are truly the Duke of The Northlands and this is a fact that everyone recognizes. What I'm against is only your decision to take Princess Sylvia as your main wife. Before, we were more than happy to accept her because House Fisablen wasn't an enemy. Your marriage to Princess Sylvia would also gain us a strong ally.

"But now, not only is House Fisablen our enemy, they also suffered such a huge loss at our hands and no doubt consider us their archenemy. Most importantly, they've already been defeated and forced to stay in their dominion. Our generals are currently mocking them and no longer take them seriously. We're still in preparation to take revenge against them for Jaeger's loss in Wild Husbandry. Do you think it's appropriate to marry Princess Sylvia now?

"Think about the rumors about the reason of the war being Duke Fisablen's refusal to allow you to marry Sylvia, and Duke Kenmays's joke about how our three allied houses are joining in on a battle to secure you a wife. If you take Princess Sylvia as your wife now, you will only be validating the rumors. What would the family members of the sacrificed soldiers think? Would they get the impression that their loved ones died because of your marriage issues?

"Also, how should our soldiers face House Fisablen in the future after Princess Sylvia becomes the house's matron? Do we treat them as in-laws? If House Fisablen launches another invasion, I suspect our men wouldn't know whether to retaliate or not. Your Grace, if you make this decision lightly, you'll cause lots of chaos in the house. Most of us will not support you in this decision."

"Nobody would be as stupid as you say and not resist when an enemy is right in front of them," Lorist said disheartedly, "So what if I marry Sylvia? It's not like House Fisablen will stop being our enemy."

Despite his continued counters, Charade had made a few good points he hadn't considered yet. As the head of the most powerful house in The Northlands, he would have to think this through properly. However, his decision was already made and he would not change it. He would definitely give Sylvia, who loved him so much, a reliable place to which to belong.

"Here's something you don't know about. On the surface, the duke sent Sylvia as an envoy, but she told me she no longer has to return to the dominion. Didn't you notice she didn't bring any guards? Only two of her personal maids came along. Also, the one in charge of the talks is someone else. Do you understand? The old guy is insulting our love. I have to give Sylvia a proper resolution and take her as my wife," insisted Lorist.

"Sol, this old man is far too cruel."

Charade finally realized why Lorist was so set on marrying Sylvia. He recalled that when he was a child, the store near his house had gotten some new wooden dolls. One of them was a colorful clown with a long nose. It was incredibly beautiful and rather expensive. As he'd wanted the toy a lot, he begged his father to buy it. But his father said he could only get it through his own efforts, so he let Charade take care of some chores in exchange for pocket money.

Charade, who wasn't even ten years old at the time, worked hard to earn the money copper by copper. The days passed one after another, and by the time he finally saved up enough, he learned the shop's owner was organizing a stock-clearance. According to the owner, he was going to go back to his hometown and would no longer run the shop.

Seeing Charade come over, he said with a smile, "You still want to buy that doll? Since it's no longer worth anything, I'll give it to you as a parting gift."

The experience left the deepest impression on him. Seeing the thing he pined for day and night just abandoned by someone else, he looked at the pouch of coins he had saved up after working hard for three months, and looked back at the toy the shop owner had tossed to him. It made Charade feel incredibly vexed, and he left the toy in a corner of the house when he got back. He never played with it.

Lorist's current situation was similar. Perhaps, it was even worse. Duke Fisablen was practically giving Sylvia away as a gift to express his willingness to submit. 'Here you go. Didn't you start the war for her in the first place? We'll give her to you now that we've lost hopes that you'll spare the house.' Either Duke Fisablen didn't really consider the emotions of the two involved, or he was intentionally mocking their relationship. 'Didn't you guys want to be together? Alright, you don't even need to ask to marry her or spend so much money on this anymore. I'll just give her to you. Do with her what you want. You're satisfied now, right?'

"...You two can be together. We'll host a wedding ceremony in a few years, once the matter subsides, but please don't invite too many people. We have to keep the effects of this as small as possible. Is this alright? In fact, you can make Princess Sylvia the house matron right now if you want. She'll only not be one in name for the time being," suggested Charade after some thought.

It was the best solution he had for now.

"No," Lorist refused right away, "I can't let Sylvia live with me just like that. How different would that be from making her my concubine? I know you're taking the house into consideration, but Baron Charade, did you consider how the princess would feel? It's already bad enough her house abandoned her. If I treat her this way, she would really become a gift House Fisablen tossed our way. I want her to have a grand wedding.

"It will give a huge face slap to that old man at the same time. Did he think I would treat Sylvia like a female slave? I will publicly make Sylvia my bride and the house matron. She'll be Duchess of The Northlands. I'll have everyone feel envious of her and let House Fisablen regret their decision. I trust Sylvia will be quick to forget the Fisablen name after marrying me and take on the Norton name proudly."

"B-but Your Grace, we have to answer the men..."

"No worries. This will be easy. I will express my gratitude to them for their courage, for making House Fisablen submit and send Princess Sylvia. We two lovers were finally united thanks to the great contributions of our troops."

In essence, Lorist was trying to affirm the rumors that he had exterminated Iblia for Princess Sylvia, taking on the active stance instead of remaining passive. That way, not only would he be able to pin the war between the two houses on a juicy legend, the gossip lovers would surely spread it around as a tale of war for the sake of love.

"Our men will be proud. When they are old, they will be able to boast to their descendants how they fought for the sake of the Duke of The Northlands's marriage and crushed House Fisablen so badly they had no choice but to hand over the princess. They brought the tragic lovers together. This way, House Fisablen will be painted the villains. Hahaha, this idea sounds rather decent!

"Also, our house has conquered the Goldridge mine and obtained more than two million gold Fordes. We should use some of it to make commemorative badges with Sylvia and my name on them and the saying 'Love Persists till the End'. We'll distribute them to everyone who participated in the war, including our allies. Everyone who took part will get one. I believe nobody will complain about fighting for the sake of my wife after receiving these," said Lorist with both his legs against his desk gleefully, greatly satisfied with the excuse with which he had come up.

"Your Grace, isn't this a little too shameless..." Charade was both humored and troubled at the same time.

"Don't sweat the small details," replied Lorist lazily before he leaned back and started napping.

It was only to be expected since he hadn't slept when he was accompanying Sylvia throughout the night.

"Baron Charade, I'll leave the preparations. Give me a budget and the rough timeline. We still have half a year, so set it at around the 11th month. Don't forget the guest list. I want a grand ceremony, understood? If there isn't anything else, you may leave. I'll get some shut-eye."

"Hey, not so fast. I came here for official business, you know. These documents need your signature urgently. You've wasted enough of Howard's time on your wedding. Howard, splash some cold water on His Grace. Howard, Howard! Where's he?"

Charade called out few times, but nobody answered him.

"Stop calling him. He's not here. He should be on his way to Northsea to pick up his junior," Lorist said after recalling his conversation with Howard the previous night, "Also, I wasn't joking with you about the wedding. I'm serious."

"Understood. I'll make sure everything's in order. Don't worry. Just sign these first. Stretch your face a bit while I get someone to bring you a basin of water," said Charade before he left the room.

He returned a moment later with a basin.

"What's the matter? You mentioned Howard going to Northsea to pick up his junior?"

"Did you forget I told Senbaud I'd take his son as my disciple? Now he's 16 and has awakened his battleforce, Senbaud wrote me a letter to remind me of the promise. I had Howard go to Northsea to pick him up. He'll serve as my attendant in the future. I'll see whether he's worth training or not," said Lorist.

He submerged his whole face in the basin to wash his fatigue away.

"I did hear you mention it once. Isn't his son the silly brute that follows him around all the time?" Charade had gotten the same impression of Jinolio because Senbaud always brought his son along to the dominion when he made reports on Oceanic Legion.

"That's the one," Lorist affirmed as he picked up the stack of documents, "What's with all this? What's so urgent about it?"

"It's regarding the local defense legion's reorganization and expansion. The expenditure and rationing all require your signature before they can be arranged. Also, you have to appoint the four other legion commanders to the new legions."

Local Defense would be reformed into four new legions. Each would be comprised of four divisions, subdivided into four brigades. Each legion numbered 48 thousand, with there being at least 100 thousand captive soldiers drafted. The captives had already served a little more than two years and were the main contributors to the transportation routes and irrigation construction efforts in Delamock. They would regain their freedom at year's end. According to the traditions of the house's military, captives of war could freely join.

"How about this, call Baron Freiyar and Baron Belnick back and have them deal with reorganizing the legion. You focus on the marriage," said Lorist as he signed one document after another.

"By your will, Your Grace," said Charade with a shrug and a look of frustration.

Effect

I don't need a friend whom changes when I change and nods when I nod; my shadow does that much better... Well, I don't NEED one, but I sure want one." ~ Norton Lorist

Here's this week's first release. Enjoy! Also, support us on Patreon if you like our work and gain access to early access chapters!

Lorist had not expected that after word spread of his intention to marry Sylvia, he would receive countless letters from the household knights and officials. All of whom were against Sylvia becoming the house's matron.

As opposed to the officials who tried to come up with nuanced arguments about how that would be inappropriate, the household knights were far more forthright. Their argument was strong. They believed a woman from a defeated house wasn't fit to be House Norton's matron.

Charade predicted the situation's turnout well. Everyone opposed Lorist's decision. Hansk, governor of Silowas, was the leader of the officials who objected to the decision and most of the administrative officials agreed with him. How could Lorist take the descendant of an enemy house as his wife? It was completely different from their agreement two years earlier.

One of the people to express the strongest reaction was the chief finance supervisor, Baron Spiel. His reasons were different from the others'; he was against Lorist throwing a huge wedding ceremony. He believed the funds it would require was a huge waste. In his letter, he stated that if Lorist was marrying a princess from another nation, then a huge wedding ceremony was inevitable because it would increase the house's reputation. But Princess Sylvia's current status didn't necessitate that kind of spending. He believed a quiet ceremony would suffice.

Lorist was both glad and angry after he read Spiel's letter. He received Potterfang's letter soon afterwards. It was similar to Charade's. He was worried the soldiers would be swayed and their morale would fall. He also believed, like the other knights, that Sylvia, being a member of House Fisablen, had no right to become the duchess.

Thankfully, only six of the 16 gold-ranked knights publicly wrote him letters to object to the wedding. Josk and Yuriy had suffered a huge loss from House Fisablen's forces in Wild Husbandry, so their objection was only expected given their animosity. Loze and Dulles, commanders of Tigersoar, also expressed their objections. Loze was the representative of the knights that believed a member from a house they defeated didn't qualify to be married to him.

Dulles had only joined in the objection because of his close relations with Yuriy, hardly unexpected. Vice-Commander Belnick, stationed in Delamock with part of the defense legion, probably wrote his letter reluctantly, given his status as a knight from Maplewoods. The last one was Potterfang.

The ten other gold-ranked knights, apart from Senbaud, didn't express any opinions. As Charade knew Lorist's mind was set, he didn't bother to do much after advising him against it the first time. Terman's view was that it was a private matter, and a household knight only had to follow his orders and do his duty instead of objecting to Lorist's decision. The ex-bandit Ovidis would never dream of objecting given how enamored he was with him. He wouldn't dare risk crossing his bottom-line. Freiyar and Pajik kept their silence and didn't tell anyone what they thought no matter who asked.

The commander of the local defense legion -- stationed on Silowas -- Gold-ranked Knight Jades, and Messen, serving the legion from Firmrock, didn't dare express their opinion given their lack of understanding of the overall situation since they had only served the house for a short while since their liberation. As for Malek, he fought with Potterfang and believed his friend ought not write Lorist a letter of objection. However, he didn't express any support for the matter either. Last was Els, who merely laughed when he heard about Lorist's decision. As the leader of the guard brigade, he was the one most familiar with the relationship between Lorist and Sylvia. Given how well he understood Lorist's temperament, he didn't care much about those who opposed the decision.

The only one who wrote a congratulatory letter was Gold-ranked Knight Senbaud, commander of Oceanic Legion. He said he was glad that the two were finally able to get married. It was the first positive response he'd received, all Lorist did after reading it was snicker and call Senbaud a sneaky bastard. Even though he was also a member of the household, Oceanic Legion was a more independent entity that didn't have to care much about what the other knights thought.

House Norton had two other blademasters, one was Engelich -- stationed at Firmrock. Even though the old man was a rank 1 blademaster, he was so afraid of Lorist he acted as meekly as a mouse before a cat whenever he saw him. There was no way he'd dare object. As for Blademaster Shuss stationed on Silowas, he was preparing to break through to the second rank and couldn't be bothered to stick his nose into this matter. Even though Governor Hansk had tried to get him to co-sign the letter, he wasn't even allowed to enter his room.

Being rather furious, Lorist decided he would teach these fellows who didn't know what's good for them a lesson. He hosted a grand meeting at Firmrock and called all the knights and officials that objected to his marriage with Sylvia. During the meeting, Lorist let his rage explode as he rebuked those present about how they'd forgotten their place and criticized the head of the house for something as trivial as marriage and overstepping their bounds. During the most climactic point, he got hold of a vase and smashed it hatefully on the ground before storming out of the room.

The household knights and officials didn't imagine Lorist would react that strongly. Seeing the smashed vase and Lorist's figure leaving angrily, they all began to feel unnerved. Some more fearful ones were covered in cold sweat, while others started to reflect on whether their objection to the marriage was appropriate.

Just as the panic started to build up, the 'good cop', Charade, got on the podium. As he consoled his colleagues, he reminded them.

"House Norton is only able to achieve its current glory thanks to none other than the current duke. While His Grace is rather agreeable most of the time and respects the opinions and suggestions of all of you, as seen with how he frequently promotes those with good problem-solving abilities, that is only when it comes to public matters. It comes as no surprise that the duke, most impressive leader of House Norton, to be consumed by anger if he was criticized by his subordinates on a private matter like his marriage.

"But worry not. His Grace was only angered by the fact of the matter, not the people involved in it. The reason for His Grace's rage was because you interfered in a private matter. If you contribute well in your duties, His Grace will still reward you fairly without question. What you need to know is that the marriage between His Grace and Her Highness Princess Sylvia is already set in stone, and that your objections will not sway His Grace's dedication in the slightest. I advise you not to waste any more of your attention and energy on this matter and carry out the duties you ought to in service of the house. Naturally, if there are those who can't to accept this and decide to leave, the house will not stop you."

Naturally, no one did. Only idiots would leave at a time when House Norton was in its prime. The officials and knights only had their current positions because of Lorist's leadership. Many had only joined in the objection because they didn't want to feel left out and went with the flow. When Lorist showed his anger, they were already drowning in endless regret. Who wouldn't take the opportunity to step down after Charade's pep talk?

"Think about this. His Grace brought us to The Northlands and turned the desolate dominion into paradise. Which one of his decisions has been wrong? Ours is not to reason why, ours is but to do and die. One can only look afar from a high vantage point. Given His Grace's high position, it's only natural that he'd be able to look further than we can. His decision is not something we should question. Only time will prove this decision right or wrong."

He adjourned the meeting and went to Lorist to report the results of his consolation.

Lorist wrote a letter of explanation to Hansk that carried a hint of scolding to remind him of his position as an official and not to meddle in his private affairs. But at the same time, he praised him for his loyalty and expressed his recognition of Hansk's contribution to the house given how Silowas had entered a new age of prosperity under his management, turning into an island with filled fishing and trading activities.

Lorist's letter to Spiel contained one simple message. Either he shut up and obey his orders to serve as the chief financial supervisor or go mine for gold in Goldridge since he likes it so much.

It was said that Spiel was so mad that he couldn't even eat after receiving that letter. It was only after Sid's consolation that he came to an understanding. Since Spiel was one of the house's old officials, it wasn't that hard for Sid to convince him. He reminded Spiel how much money the bastide had when Lorist first inherited the title and how much the house had now. A simple comparison showed the immense difference which wouldn't have been possible without Lorist's efforts. And, since he practically earned all the money, he should be allowed to spend some of it, all Spiel had to do was supervise and record the spending for Lorist's reference. He had no right to tell Lorist how he should spend it.

Spiel was initially vexed and believed Lorist had wrongly blamed a loyal official like him for worrying over the house's expenses. But after Sid's explanation, he realized his shortcomings and no longer said anything.

Lorist's third letter was addressed to Loze. In it, he didn't scold or criticize him, instead, he thanked the soldiers for resisting House Fisablen and fighting to wrestle Sylvia from the duke's hands. At the same time, he wrote that he would be making commemorative gold badges to be distributed to every soldier who had participated in the war and asked Loze for his opinion.

Lorist understood Loze well. He was a freak for battle who would fight in every conflict that came his way regardless of whether it was for conquest, or, as Lorist put it, 'wife taking'. The reason Loze objected to the marriage was that he saw House Fisablen as the loser instead of being against Sylvia herself. As expected, Loze was happy to receive the letter and incredibly pleased by the notion that they'd fought for the sake of Lorist's marriage. He quickly replied that the soldiers were looking forward to receiving the medals and had already forgotten that he had objected to the marriage in the first place.

The last one Lorist wrote to was Potterfang. He didn't hold back in this one and rebuked him with two whole pages before sending it to him with a messenger eagle.

Charade laughed when he read Lorist's letters. He understood the reason he was so cordial with Hansk was that he didn't trust him that much. As for Spiel, while it was apparent that he trusted him, there was a hint of annoyance at how stingy the supervisor was being. It was also apparent that Lorist not only appreciated Loze as a general, but also understood his personality incredibly well. The letter was completely on point. As for Potterfang, it could be seen that he was the knight that Lorist trusted the most. Otherwise, he wouldn't have dared to scold him that harshly.

"Your Grace, don't forget about Josk and Yuriy."

Lorist didn't intend to write any more letters. He just nodded.

"I know. I plan to visit them personally at Jaeger's camp and give them an explanation. They only have so much animosity for House Fisablen because of the loss they suffered. I'll tell them that even after taking Sylvia as my wife, House Fisablen will still be our enemy. I trust they'll understand. As for Dulles and Belnick, they only joined in because of their positions. There's no need to write back. Let's spare them the awkwardness."

Lorist sigh after dealing with the house's opinions. Before he resumed his days of bliss with Sylvia, Freiyar and Belnick hurried to Firmrock to report. The two barons were summoned to deal with the reorganization and expansion of the local defense legion. After Charade briefed them, the two were called to attend a meeting.

"The local defense legion will be expanded into four units. I plan to have the first and third take care of The Northlands. The second and fourth will be stationed at Delamock and Winston respectively. You two will serve as the commanders for one of the legions. In which would you prefer to serve?"

"The fourth, Your Grace. Given that Pedro and Southern might come under attack in the near future and that I am already familiar with Winston, I'll stand guard there," said Freiyar first.

Belnick complained with his arms opened wide, "Freiyar, that's not fair. You chose the spot where conflict will break out again. Your Grace, which legion will defend Goldridge?"

"The first," Lorist replied, "It will also take care of Firmrock and the dominion. Goldridge will come under the first after the renovations there are complete."

"Alright, I'll take the first then. If the barbarians come, I'll get to vent as well," said Belnick.

"Then, do you guys have any commanders you could recommend to head the second and third?"

"Knight Jades is a decent candidate," offered Freiyar.

"Even though Ovidis has been serving you for so long, he's only the leader of a brigade. It's high time he's promoted," recommended Belnick.

"Then, what will we do with Silowas? We need to station a gold-ranked knight there."

After some thought, Freiyar said, "Let Pajik serve there for a few years. He's mentioned that his wife and children quite like the scenery there. He also said that his prospects for training are already limited and that he will find it hard to break through to the two-star gold rank. It's a little dangerous to have him serve in Tigersoar's vanguard."

Hmmm, makes sense.

Lorist thought of the two times Tigersoar had charged into battle as the vanguard. While Loze hadn't been injured, Pajik had gotten some light injuries a few times. His skills paled in comparison to Loze's.

"Alright then, we'll have Pajik stationed on Silowas."