There's Us
Cien instructed Mia to gather the Division Heads in the hall that evening.
Although he personally didn't want to get involved in Kastia's affairs, as a leader, his desires had to be set aside if they clashed with his responsibilities.
Cien had founded Arcadia to protect his family and those who were displaced from other kingdoms.
If the upcoming conflict had the potential to become a threat, he had no choice but to consider ways to prevent that possibility from becoming a reality.
That night, when all the Division Heads, along with Ethel and Mia, had gathered, Cien allowed Mia to explain the letter from the Holy Kingdom of Divinia.
Before Mia could delve into their previous assumptions, she first asked the Division Heads for their opinions on the letter and the Kings' Conference.
They, the Division Heads, were already aware of Cien's suspicions regarding Divinia. Therefore, they also shared similar assumptions to Mia's.
The meeting of the Kings might be an opportunity to eliminate all the Kings and their strongest knights, resolving everything so that either Abyss or Divinia could easily take control of the other kingdoms.
Cien had to admit that he agreed with this assessment. However, he also added the situation in which the Abyssian forces might attack the kingdoms while the Kings' Conference was in session.
"Hmm, the likelihood is quite high. All the kingdoms will be weakened when that meeting takes place," Luis mumbled, stroking his short beard in thought.
"Your Majesty," Balmut raised his hand, looking hesitant, "Even though we know this could happen, should we do something about it? We don't have the manpower or resources to thwart their plans."
Cien nodded, "You're absolutely right. I wholeheartedly agree with you. That's why I wanted to ask you all if we should do something. For example, inform the other kingdoms in Kastia."
"I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but Arcadia still doesn't have a name that would make our warnings heard by other kingdoms. Perhaps only Huntara would believe us, but the rest might consider us a villain who is plotting against Divinia," Findorr, the Head of Arcadia's Administrative Division, explained.
What Findorr said was true. Currently, only Huntara recognized Arcadia as a kingdom.
To other kingdoms, Arcadia might still be seen as a newcomer lacking in decorum. Sending warnings to them could be viewed as suspicious and provocative.
It wouldn't be surprising if Arcadia ended up being perceived as a troublemaker and faced hostility from other kingdoms.
'Well, I don't really care if those kingdoms hate us.'
Cien thought, then turned his attention to a slender hand that had been raised.
The youngest Division Head in Arcadia had just raised her hand, capturing everyone's attention.
They had rarely heard the girl speak during major meetings. With a soft tone, Lilinette Millard spoke in the silent atmosphere.
"Two targets."
"Two?" Cien asked.
Lilinette nodded, "Mandora. Farnodt. Abyss to Mandora. Westya to Huntara."
"!"
Upon hearing Lilinette's words, Cien immediately realized that it wasn't just Abyss who could take advantage of this situation.
Other kingdoms, especially Westya, particularly Ethyria, where Duke Grenhall resided, could seize this opportunity to invade all of Farnodt.
Currently, both kingdoms were locked in a standoff because they couldn't attack each other due to the presence of Champions guarding their respective borders. But during the upcoming conference, whether it was the Champion from Huntara or Westya, they would accompany their kings to Divinia. This would be the perfect time for Duke Grenhall to launch an attack.
Cien remembered the mutated servant from Divinia. Without a force equal to a Champion, it would be challenging to stop him.
"What Lady Lilinette said is true. We may not be able to warn other kingdoms, but we can send a message to Huntara. If Huntara's territory in Farnodt falls into the hands of Westya, it could pose a threat to Arcadia," Findorr nodded in agreement with Lilinette's opinion.
Cien felt the same way. He had just acquired a new neighbor he could potentially befriend. If the new neighbor was driven away, Cien felt that he might encounter many problems.
Sending a message was a possibility. However, could Huntara withstand Ethyria?
The first battlefield for them would be Lumiere, a region not covered by the alliance agreement with Arcadia. Cien couldn't intervene in that battle.
Cien then turned to Luis, seeing the old man's grim expression. They were discussing Luis' own son as an enemy.
"Luis, I believe this will be difficult for you."
"It's alright, Your Majesty. I only regret this situation because of my negligence in the past. If only I had known there were spies from Abyss and Divinia in our territory, this wouldn't have happened. Allowing Terrion to be lured into the enemy's invitation... I am truly ashamed of myself."
"Luis..."
Luis met Cien's sympathetic gaze. The old man smiled faintly, trying to reassure Cien not to be overly anxious about him.
Luis then took a deep breath and continued, "Regarding the potential battle in Lumiere that might occur later, in my current view, both sides have a balanced strength. The chance doesn't just favor Westya; Huntara can also reclaim the land currently occupied by Westya. However, all of this can change if a third party gets involved."
"Abyss..." Mia whispered.
Luis nodded in agreement, "If Your Majesty's assumption is correct, that Abyss and Divinia are conspiring, it wouldn't be strange for Abyss to indirectly aid Westya. For example, launching an attack from behind. Westya in Lumiere and Abyss in Marina. No matter how quickly reinforcements arrive, facing two forces directly can quickly lead to Huntara's defeat."
"Caught in a pincer, huh... didn't Abyss do something similar when invading Farnodt last time?"
Sienna, the Head of Logistics Division, realized that the situation could be reminiscent of Farnodt's fall.
Luis nodded in confirmation.
"History might repeat itself," Mia murmured.
"Not necessarily," Lilinette spoke up again.
Everyone fell silent once again, looking at Lilinette.
"Northern Farnodt. Marina. There's us."
Lilinette's confident statement was met with a small chuckle from those in the room.
"You're right, as per our agreement with the Third Princess of Huntara, we have some responsibility to protect Marina," Ethel agreed.
"Ah, youth. So full of confidence," Luis remarked.
"So, what are we going to do, Your Majesty?" Mia asked.
"You know, I'm getting tired of hearing that question from you."
"Hehehe."
"Sigh... I don't like this. But we have a treaty, and I think there are expectations I need to fulfill."
Cien closed his eyes, piecing together all the information and opinions he had received.
After a moment, when he opened his eyes, he saw everyone in the room looking at him with determination.
"Here's the plan..."
***
Several weeks after Cien explained his plan.
In front of a tunnel entrance, Cien, Mia, Cedric, and a few others stood, observing the tunnel that had been dug through to the other side, although it still looked rough due to the absence of decorations.
"Whoa, you really pulled it off, Cedric."
"Hahaha, it's all thanks to the hard work of our workers."
Cien and Cedric glanced at the exhausted workers, especially the magicians from the the Law and Defense Division. Their faces looked as pale as the undead.
"Are they okay?"
Sienna, who was also present, seemed concerned about the workers and magicians.
"They're fine. They're just out of mana," Mia replied as she entered the tunnel, running her hand along the smooth surface. "Oh, nice~"
"Only at the beginning, Prime Minister. About a quarter of the way in, the work gets rougher. We prioritized time," Cedric explained.
"Is it still safe to pass through?"
Cedric nodded. "Safety is still our top priority. So, no need to worry."
Cien also entered the tunnel. The light source came from Mana Lamps hanging on both sides of the tunnel.
The width of the tunnel was enough for two horse-drawn carriages to pass through, allowing it to serve as a two-way road simultaneously.
The reason for the accelerated construction of this tunnel was Cien's order. To fulfill Cien's plan that he had revealed at the previous meeting, this tunnel played a crucial role.
That's why Cedric, the workers, and the magicians worked for twenty-four hours straight to ensure the tunnel connected to Westya.
"Good..." Cien examined the interior of the tunnel and then glanced at Sienna behind him. "Sienna, are the preparations complete?"
"From the Logistics Division and the Social Division, we're ready anytime. But, we haven't heard from Princess Kirana yet."
"Ah, she's ready. Sienna... Westya and Mandora. I entrust them to all of you."
"Understood, Your Majesty. We won't let you down."
.
.
In the middle of a forest in Death Valley, a place where monsters with power levels exceeding Rank 8 roamed, there stood a woman with white hair and emerald eyes, facing two large ape-like monsters in front of her.
Both monsters appeared heavily wounded, covered in numerous slash marks on their bodies.
The woman, Kirana, swung her ice-element rapier once again, unleashing a flying sword attack that froze everything in its path for dozens of meters.
Kirana let out a gentle sigh as she sheathed her rapier, Moonice. She then looked at the two giant apes, now turned into ice statues.
As Kirana approached the ice statues, her father's voice suddenly echoed in her mind. She paused for a moment before responding.
"Hm, Kiran will be home soon."
After replying, her father's voice disappeared, bidding her to take care.
"Sigh... is it time already? Can't Kastia have peace for just one year?"
Kirana murmured to herself as she left the two ice statues she had just created.
She walked away from the frozen area she had created and headed towards a small grassy field in the midst of Death Valley, a rare sight in such a cursed place.
As she arrived there, Kirana spotted a young girl sitting peacefully in the middle of the field, deep in meditation. Despite the dozens of dead monsters surrounding her, the girl remained undisturbed.
Seeing this sight initially surprised Kirana, then impressed her, and now it had become a familiar scene.
She approached the girl who was meditating in the small savanna.
"Lily, it's time."