Chapter 877: Act 55 – The Preparations of the Embassy
The First Holy War commonly refers to the battle of the Saints that occurred a thousand years ago, where four Saints led the Ironborn against the cruel rule of the Dark Dragon, a glorious and sacred war praised in countless ballads.
The Second Holy War began in the late chaotic years, a holy war initiated by the Fanzan people, Crusians, and Wind Elves to expand the vast wilderness and Black Forest between the three kingdoms. It was the era of the Pioneer Knights, and the magnificent, elegiac songs of the wilderness continued until after the establishment of Erluin. Following that, the maps of the three great empires were essentially formed, with only the narrow Dark Forest remaining as a buffer zone between the nations. This war was similarly grand, lasting nearly two centuries, thus solidifying the name of the Holy War.
The Third Holy War commenced in the Year of Glory and lasted nearly half a century—only to be proven neither glorious nor honorable, especially during the November Wars of the last seven years, where bloodshed became the sole memory of the conflict. The war began due to the emergence of the Hazel people and the magical technology they brought. The introduction of this new technology led all nations into the most prosperous era; however, the hazards brought by population growth gradually surfaced. As people began to surge toward the borders, the empires had no choice but to cast their sights on the remaining uncharted territories.
Starting from the Year of Glory, the three great empires marched together towards the borders of the four wildernesses in accordance with the sacred covenant, beginning the war south of the Altania Mountains. However, this ultimately morphed into a horrifying mistake. Throughout the war, tensions over land division, mutual distrust amongst the royal families, and increasing clashes with the doctrines of the temple, compounded by the lurking influence and seduction of the Everything Returns Society, erupted in conflict. In the year 320 of the First Era—the Year of Decline—the Crusian region’s Lewoz local army suddenly attacked the Wind Elves’ flank, who were allies. This conflict was ostensibly a retaliation for an earlier clash, yet it bore the unmistakable shadow of the Everything Returns Society’s actions.
In response, the human troops of the Wind Elves retaliated, further intensifying the conflict as humans and Wind Elves fought each other in a slender battlefield. The infiltration of the Everything Returns Society into the high-ranking aristocracy of the ordered society played a crucial role during this battle, but when most nobles finally realized the consequences, it was already too late to remedy the situation.
This, in fact, reflected the human heart from a certain perspective. Scholar Ron Samilian from Rune Castle wrote in his works, “People tend to attribute blame to some form of evil force without reflecting on their own faults. In fact, history has long proven that such forces merely acted to spur things along, serving only to further expose the ugliness of human nature.” This statement depicted the state of the war at that time. After June, the Fanzan people brazenly joined the war, and soon the Lions of Toquinin, along with various duchies and kingdoms, were drawn into the whirlpool of conflict. War dragged all participants into an endless battle fueled by hatred, greed, or other motives until they exhausted each other completely.
After the war, the Crusians occupied the entirety of the Four Wildernesses and a small part of the Clover Plains, including large territories that originally belonged to the Wind Elves. The Fanzan people were the biggest winners, benefiting from both parties. The Lions satisfied their needs for vengeance, while many duchies were enslaved during the conflict—either due to the greed of imperial nobles or the necessities of the war process. On the surface, it appeared that the Second Holy War ended around the time of the Beastmen, but in fact, the seeds of deeper hatred had already been sown. The final trust between the empires vanished, friction at the borders escalated, and nearly everyone understood that these three beasts had merely lost strength and needed a brief respite, each one longing to leap up and bite the other immediately.
The Crusians needed to make some form of reparation for the blood shed by the nobles in the November Wars of the last seven years. Although they benefited in the war, the pain outweighed the gain, causing the entire noble class to become uneasy and too fiery, further compelling them to seek to escape from that dishonorable war, applying punishment against the Fanzan people and the Wind Elves. This atmosphere intensified the exploitation of the smaller nations by the Crusians and provided a broader market for the infiltration of the Everything Returns Society. However, for the Wind Elves, the hatred was equally deep-seated; whether toward the Fanzan people or the Crusians, they had lost territory during the war and naturally sought to reclaim it. The only ones hoping to maintain the results from the previous war were the Fanzan, who, due to the ongoing provocations at the borders from the Crusians and the Wind Elves, gradually began to grow impatient.
The Fourth Holy War—or rather the Third, due to the infamous influence of the Third Holy War—saw many in the world increasingly unwilling to connect the ensuing holy wars with the saints’ war, especially among scholars. Many of them did not view the Saints’ War as a similar type of territorial expansion warfare, but instead regarded it separately and set it aside from history. Thus, the pain resulting from the Second War was destined to erupt in the Third War, something anticipated by every nation; however, when it actually began, it occurred far earlier than anyone had expected.
At the end of July, the Dead Frost Forest erupted in a massive explosion.
On the same day, regions such as Toquinin, Wolers, and Ockins faced bombardment from the Judgment of the Fourteen Rings, leading to countless casualties as three cities were turned to ashes.
In the following two months, the Gold-maned Lions began to gather a large army, shifting their focus from the southern Gray Mountains and the Yanira region, crossing the Holy White Plains, and starting their advance towards Cruz. At the onset of the Frostfall Month, the Lions departed from the warm plains and arrived at the Great Lion Fortress. News of the war spread throughout the entire Cruz Empire within half a month. Meanwhile, during the same month, the Wind Elves’ vengeful army set out from the ruins of Ockins, launching surprise attacks on the Crusian Crimson Legion on the Clover Plains. The Wind Elves quickly reclaimed several towns and fortresses on the Clover Plains, finding themselves in a standoff with the Crusians at the borders of the Four Wildernesses.
As for the Fanzan people, although they appeared not to take action, their forces had already begun to assemble from White City and Greyus.
When Constance and High Priest Varla summoned the ambassadors and nobles under the jurisdiction of the Temple of Fire to Rusta, Brendel understood that the second chapter of the game—an era of war and chaos—had arrived ahead of schedule.
In the shortest time, Her Highness the Princess determined the candidates for the embassy.
First and foremost, the head of the embassy was naturally Brendel. Although there were many opposing voices within the royal faction, Grifian suppressed all dissent. She clearly understood Brendel’s true purpose on this journey and supported the Earl in doing so. The dissenters within the royal faction largely believed this was a kind of indulgence of immaturity and impulsiveness, but she did not see it that way. Brendel’s statement, “This is the spirit and pride of a nation,” ultimately moved her. The kingdom indeed needed some pride of its own, and Grifian understood that such a banner would gain her some true supporters, rather than those timid and fearful nobles.
They had long parted ways with Ampere Seale; the Princess harbored no illusions about it.
If the nobles of a kingdom did not stand with her, then at the very least, she needed to stand with its people. Brendel’s words, as if lighting a beacon in the darkness for her, provided clarity.
Next, regarding the royal selection, this Princess stubbornly chose Haruz—a decision that left Brendel somewhat astonished. He was well aware of the rules among the nobles of Vaunte, and thus understood the reason for the Princess’s choice—because Haruz was the future of Erluin, and the Crusians could not detain him within the Empire for any purpose; otherwise, the Silver Queen would not only offend all her vassal states but risk earning a very bad reputation among the imperial nobles.
However, this choice still entailed some risks. Long journeys were inherently filled with uncertainties, as evidenced by Prince Rainwright, who was currently in hiding in Toniger. But Grifian was resolute, willing to let her beloved younger brother take risks in order to protect Brendel, the head of the embassy, for she understood what Brendel meant for Erluin at this moment. If he perished in Cruz, her future with Haruz would also be bleak. She knew what she was about to do, and in her view, it was time for Haruz, as the future king of Erluin, to take responsibility for the kingdom’s future.
These are her exact words to her only brother: “Haruz, your experience on this mission with your teacher may very well become the most valuable treasure of your life; Haruz, perhaps this is the last time I tell you that you must stand strong alone because you are the king of Erluin.”
The young prince had no objections; he was merely frightened by his sister’s severity, nearly on the verge of tears, but after being fiercely glared at by Princess Grifian, he swallowed the tears and honestly nodded.
Brendel returned to Toniger, filled with a sense of gratitude towards Her Highness the Princess, and began selecting his “servants and deputies” to accompany him. He clearly understood that this so-called embassy was merely a facade; everyone around him was well aware of what he truly intended to do. Therefore, this so-called embassy required not a ceremonial officer brimming with noble etiquette, but a force capable of turning Cruz upside down.
This “army” was not large in number, and he already had suitable candidates in mind.
“Since nearly all the funding within our territory has been poured into preparing for war—mainly the recruitment and training of the White Lion Guard, forging weapons and armor, paying for magic crystals, daily maintenance, acquiring rare materials, and so on—essentially, the construction within the Black Forest has now come to a complete halt. This situation can last about three to four months, at most six months, before it begins to shake our previous achievements.”
The coach jolted, shadows from the forest passed by the window, creating mottled patterns on Brendel’s black suit as his face was illuminated and concealed by the interplay of light and shadow. He rested his chin on his hand, listening to Merchant Miss read the report unusually for him—something that Little Romain considered incredibly tedious, as evidenced by her furrowed brows. As a part of her interest in business, she did not mind reading through mountains of accounts and similar documents, but to read them all aloud and turn them into an audiobook made her feel a tad parched.
But that was exactly what Brendel wanted her to do. She convinced herself this would only last for about five minutes and a bit over ten seconds, but then quickly found a new excuse—Brendel always enjoyed seeing her in a bind, which made her very unhappy. Realizing this, Romain raised her feather-like brows and quickly recited, “The White Lion Guard suffered nearly a hundred casualties in the previous war, babbling…”
Brendel’s eyes widened as he stared at her. “Wait, what did you just say in the second half? I didn’t catch that at all.”
“The second half was just like that, wasn’t it? It was only because I read too quickly that you didn’t hear it clearly, but I’ve already finished.” Merchant Miss began her usual antics.
“You’re being cheeky. Didn’t we agree that you would read the report to me this afternoon? I need to understand what has happened in the territory during this time.” Brendel replied irritably.
“But I’ve finished! As my aunt taught me—’the witch’s swift reading method.’ You didn’t hear it clearly means you’re not a witch, so it has nothing to do with Romain,” she retorted, swiftly shoving a pile of reports into the hands of Flour. “But you can let Flour help read it for you; she won’t use the ‘witch’s swift reading method,’ so you don’t have to worry about not hearing it clearly.”
Brendel was sure that her so-called “witch’s swift reading method” must have sprung out from some unknown corner of her little mind; however, Merchant Miss’s imagination was too rich to the point where the same name could have differing meanings. He rolled his eyes, too lazy to expose it, knowing that Merchant Miss would ultimately be able to justify herself—this was part of Romain’s skill, something that others could not easily mimic.
He glanced at Flour, who was sitting opposite the two of them and completely ignoring the antics of her lord and Romain. She silently organized her manuscript, continuing to read, “The losses of the White Lion Guard have been replenished by new soldiers drawn from the Toniger and Mintai regional garrison. Additionally, five hundred more have been added; in total, there are now one thousand five hundred. However, these new soldiers are still training in Toniger and Rendener and are not fit for use in the short term.”
“Karglis is doing well,” Brendel commended.
The scenery beyond the carriage window had turned into tranquil forests. This was already the second day since returning to Toniger. He stretched, realizing that he felt more relaxed after returning to his territory. Although his home at Bruglas was very warm, he still felt awkward around his father—after all, this was the territory he had built from scratch. Initially, he wanted his parents to move to Toniger, but Old Scott stubbornly refused, while his mother Windsor seemed somewhat tempted but ultimately did not follow through. Fortunately, Bud agreed to send someone to look after his family; with the protection of Highland Knights, there was no need to worry about potential retribution from Madara.
As for the Princess, she ultimately could not depart successfully; Grifian had to arrange for him to be the head of the embassy to Cruz and thus needed to personally come to Toniger to review the team he had assembled for the journey to the Empire—just in case this Earl truly brought an army to Cruz. Of course, this was merely a superficial pretext; the Princess privately traveling to a vassal’s territory somewhat breached protocol and would have an adverse effect on her reputation. However, it was well-known that Toniger and Rendener were adjacent to Vlada, so her insistence on detouring from Toniger was not entirely unreasonable.
Brendel understood that Her Highness’s visit to the Cold Fir Territory this time would likely not be a short affair. His departure from Erluin to Cruz posed an unstable factor for the internal situation of the kingdom. At least on the surface, in the eyes of the world, Her Highness still stood behind the people of Toniger. If he, this Toniger Earl, were to be absent from the kingdom for a while, she would likely face the risk of being once again overshadowed by the royal faction.
Her visit to his territory was not only to assess the rear but also to publicly demonstrate the close relationship between herself and him, the Toniger Earl. Brendel had initially thought that the Princess came to bid farewell, but after Antinna’s reminder, he understood.
In fact, Toniger’s relationship with the royal family was mutually dependent. During his absence from the kingdom, his territory especially needed royal endorsement; this related to the legitimacy of his territory and the avoidance of exploitation by the royal faction.
Thus, upon realizing the Princess’s considerations, he tacitly began to cooperate.
On the first day of Princess Grifian’s arrival in Toniger, she bestowed upon him the title of Count Rendener—this was, in fact, a compensatory title, as Toniger had never been a count’s territory. Initially, Brendel had little ambition regarding Rendener. In his original plan, it would have been best if Rendener and Anlek were integrated into the royal territory, further strengthening central power, which could set a precedent for other areas. Furthermore, Anlek provided the kingdom with the second-best source of soldiers—Highlanders (Erluin’s main troop sources come from the Gray Mountain area)—while Rendener was the most prosperous territory in the South except for Ampere Seale. With these two territories, the royal family could assert significant influence in Erluin.
As for himself, the Toniger Earl was merely a facade. The land opened up by the Loop of Trade Winds already equated to almost half the size of the Southlands. When it fully developed, creating another Erluin would be no challenge; the key lay in the enticing mineral wealth and resources contained within, rendering him uninterested in managing other territories.
However, Princess Grifian stamped out this notion with a single remark. She sternly informed him that conferring titles was not just a reward; it was also an acknowledgment. Given his current status and relationship with her, if he did not receive the title of Count Rendener today, it might easily raise suspicions from the outside world, leading to instability within the kingdom. Not only would this fail to enhance the royal family’s authority, but it would also diminish the prestige of the Corvado family and shake the legitimacy of Toniger. After hearing this, Brendel realized his earlier thoughts were overly naive, and he had to yield to reason.
Upon receiving the title of Count Rendener, he nominally gained a part of the command over the Southern Army, and this expansion was indeed being conducted under this pretext.
Princess Grifian acted as though she did not see this, not mentioning the issue of the former Southern Army currently resting in the Ampere Seale area. Brendel seemed to pretend to forget about this as well. The two maintained a tacit understanding to perform this act, while outsiders only saw two young people who had yet to grasp the operation of the kingdom’s local powers, including the royal faction. Very few reminded them of this point, seemingly watching with a sense of amusement for them to make mistakes. But many within Toniger understood that their lord was evidently acting under some directive, preparing to fundamentally address the local aristocracy in the South—the chaotic situation of the military powers restraining and undermining each other.
However, this plan had just begun, and Brendel had to set it aside, leaving it to Karglis or the Princess, due to the major troubles presented by the Crusians. He interrupted the sister among the Wild Elves before him, directly skipping this part, and asked, “Regarding the preparations for war, the stockpiling of supplies can be slightly slowed down. If we truly go to war with the Crusians, it can’t just be a matter for Toniger alone; Her Highness will find a way to assist. The focal point for supplies and funding should be on Valhalla. Flour, if I need to mobilize all the Valkyries, how long can the territory sustain it?”
“If we slow down other aspects and maintain the supply from the magical crystal mine in the Black Forest, sustaining it for a year should be no problem, my lord,” the elf girl replied without changing her expression.
“And if we want to keep up the construction in the Black Forest?”
“Three months to half a year.”
Brendel nodded, “What about the materials we’ve acquired?”
“Currently, we only have the wings of the Phoenix and Singing Silver, both in very limited quantities. As for other materials your lordship desires, we have no leads at present,” Flour responded as she looked at him.
……
(PS:) I’ve been finding it somewhat challenging to write these recent chapters. Given the lengthy plot timeline, the postings have been delayed, so please forgive me, and considering the effort put into these days, I ask for your monthly support.
