Chapter 892: Act 68 – The Moment of the Holy War I
The autumn scenery of Anzeruta is incredibly beautiful. The forests nestled between the mountains blend into a mottled rust red, like vibrant colors flowing on an oil canvas, depicting the region’s long misty valleys and the scattered basin plains amidst the rolling hills. However, in the deep winter, the scene transforms dramatically; the trees shed their leaves, revealing the sheer cliffs and steep precipices, covered in white snow, majestic and imposing, as if guarding the valley basins like giants. The delicate warmth of autumn instantly shifts into the rugged vigor and grandeur of winter.
The changing of the seasons is precisely what makes this area the most captivating in nature. In times of peace, adventurers from all over the world come here to explore. But at this moment, the Lionman army is drawing closer, and Saint Ausoor’s wind spirits are locked in fierce battles with the imperial legions in the northern frontier—this enchanting land is rarely quiet.
Brendel, wrapped in a thick fur coat, stomped his feet in the snow under the pine trees, his gaze surveying the westward plain, which might be better described as a basin, scattered amidst the undulating hills. The farther west he looked, the shorter and flatter the hills became, gradually evolving into an endless flat plain, and further westward the mountains rose again, forming the distant silhouette of the Broken Sword Mountains.
“Let them reflect on their own in their castle,” Brendel replied, looking down at the valley. He was responding to Miss Oni’s earlier query on how to deal with the Crusian nobility he had captured. The Duchess stood at a distance in the forest, seemingly cautious as if closing the gap would somehow entangle her in trouble in the future. He did not care about this, and continued, “Earl Orkans and Earl Ji’en don’t seem willing to pay us the ransom, which means they’re preparing for revenge.”
The Duchess stood there with a reluctant expression. She had initially thought this was just a normal embassy, but it had turned into a resistance and now resembles something akin to brigands—a ransom for the hostages of noble wars; how inventive of that Lord Earl.
Yet she could not say no; what could she do? She was already on this rogue’s ship, bound to this damned embassy. Even if she wanted to deny everything and claim it was all Brendel’s doing, that would have to wait until she met Queen Cruz or returned to Erluin. For now, she could hardly abandon the party to run back to Erluin or simply surrender herself to the Crusian nobles, though there were moments when she truly considered it. However, after thinking about the consequences of such actions, she gritted her teeth and endured.
“Lord Earl…” The Duchess took a deep breath and finally asked, “I would like to inquire about your ultimate goal. You have breached an imperial stronghold, humiliated the local nobility of Anzeruta, and defeated the Crusian knights. Fine, those can be seen as lessons for the arrogance of the Lozellian legion; as an embassy representing Erluin, we indeed have the right to do so. The latter was because they attacked us first, and we merely retaliated. But why are you doing this now? Why are you demanding ransom from the Crusians?”
“Precisely, and so what?” Brendel retorted.
Miss Oni felt nearly faint. Generally, Erluin nobles would do everything possible to appear obedient in the face of Crusian nobility, yet this Lord Earl seemed to slap them in the face, seemingly intent on making the Crusian Empire lose face. However, though Erluin nobles could afford to lose face, the Empire could not. The Empire has many vassal states and countless eyes watching its every move; how could it allow a small nation like Erluin to ride on its back? The rulers of the Empire, at least, had some intellect and should realize this.
This was the part she had always found most perplexing: what benefit did this Lord Earl derive from his actions? Was it to build his reputation? Well, he was indeed quite famous now, so famous that from southern Erluin to the Crusian capital, almost no one was unaware of this Lord Earl. In much of the Empire, and throughout the kingdom, all the nobles, especially since winter began and outdoor activities decreased, must be discussing this Lord Earl’s glorious deeds every day.
However, this kind of fame likely brought no advantages, as she understood that even within the embassy, there were those betting on when this Lord Earl would face misfortune.
Of course, Brendel’s misfortune had nothing to do with her; she need not worry about it, but what troubled this Duchess was that they were in the same boat. If this Lord Earl capsized, she would inevitably drown too.
Thinking of this, she glared at Brendel, whose indifferent expression nearly made her grind her teeth—did this idiot even realize what he was doing?
The more she pondered, the angrier she became, thinking that what had started as a perfectly fine embassy had been completely ruined by this young and arrogant fool. She had approached this embassy with the mindset of tourism, only for it to escalate into a war. An enraged woman is a terrifying thing, and at this moment, the elegant and poised Duchess finally lost her rationality and decided to confront Brendel directly. In a tone she had never used in her life, she shouted, “Lord Earl, I know you will be immensely powerful in Erluin today or in the future, and to you, the daughter of a mere Duchess is inconsequential. However, I must remind you that there are many people within this embassy—your students, the future king of the kingdom, your subordinates, and many innocent people. We do not wish to face destruction due to your recklessness. Can you understand my words?”
Brendel turned to look at the Duchess, at this moment thinking it was remarkable that she had endured so long, unlike Afram, who would have already hidden in his coach, ignoring the world like an ostrich. He finally replied, “You overstate matters, Miss Oni. I never intended to harm anyone.”
“I don’t want to hear your fine-sounding words, Lord Earl; I’ve had enough! You say you have restraint; then please tell me why you captured those nobles and the young people from the Orkans and Ji’en families but won’t let them go. Instead, you seek ransom from others in their families?” the Duchess snapped.
Hearing this question, Brendel stiffened his face. “Miss Oni, although I accept your opinions, I must inform you that these people are currently my captives. As for why they have become my captives, it is because they voluntarily provoked us, not the other way around. They want to vent their frustrations over the failure at the Black Sword Bastion, and logically, the party at fault for the conflict at the Black Sword Bastion is the Empire, not us. Therefore, since they initially intended to bully the weak, they should also be mentally prepared for the consequences.”
He brushed the snowflakes off his fur collar; in truth, with his capabilities, he no longer needed such thick clothing, but he merely didn’t want to appear too out of the ordinary. Moreover, people are naturally prone to comfort, and if he could be warmer, he wouldn’t need to make himself look like a hermit. “As for your point on my demanding ransom for hostages, isn’t that only natural? Does it mean that historically, noble ransom payments between Erluin and the Crusians have become so noble it requires no payment?”
“You are arguing fallaciously,” now fully letting go of her equivocation, the Duchess directly responded. “Lord Earl, you and I both know that they are Crusians, and the disputes between Crusians, between Erluin people, and between Erluin and Crusian people differ. Nominally, under the Temple of Fire, the kingdom and imperial subjects are born equal, but in reality, that is just empty talk. Everyone knows the Empire can disregard the kingdom’s face, but the kingdom cannot afford to disregard the Empire’s face. If you seek instant gratification today, what will we do when the Empire seizes an opportunity to retaliate tomorrow?”
“I don’t believe you don’t understand these principles, Lord Earl. You needn’t pretend to be foolish. Outsiders call you a madman and have labeled you the ‘Mad Earl.’ They refer to you as the ‘Door Kicking Sword Saint,’ but we insiders see clearly; you understand more than anyone else, and your subordinates comprise capable people. Even if you can’t recognize this, I’m sure they will remind you. Your subordinate, the wizard named Charles, and the elven knight, our keen-headed friends, allow you to do as you please. This suggests you already have a clear purpose behind everything you are doing.”
Miss Oni replied coldly, “But this purpose, apart from you and your people, keeps the rest of us in the dark. You say you fight for the kingdom’s honor, but you treat us all like fools.”
Having reached this point, Brendel understood that this Duchess had indeed come to confront him today.
He nodded and said, “Alright, you are right. Everything I do indeed has a different purpose.”
Miss Oni looked at him with a gaze that seemed to say, “You’d better clarify everything with me; otherwise, I’m done here—if there’s a way to avoid losing aside from tying or winning, it is to overturn the table.”
“However, Miss Oni, you’ve misunderstood one thing.” Brendel shook his head again.
Miss Oni looked at him skeptically, as if questioning what this Lord Earl was trying to pull off again.
Brendel glanced back toward the valley before speaking. “The strength and weakness of Erluin are irrelevant to you, but it is crucial to me. You might find it unbelievable, but my intention to teach the Lozellians a lesson at the Black Sword Bastion was indeed for a justified reason. As for why I am doing these things afterward, it is precisely to prevent the Empire from being able to retaliate against us.” He paused, as if waiting for the Duchess to digest his words, then continued, “Do you think we would just stop? Do you think that once we hand back the hostages, the imperial nobles will let us leave Russuff unscathed?”
“Then I can only say you are overthinking things. Miss Oni, you are smart, but your understanding of the Empire often relies on others’ opinions. I have told you before, the Empire isn’t as formidable as you think. But if today we were to send those people back safely, would it not imply that they can provoke us without consequence?” Brendel shook his head. “That is impossible; I need them to understand that for every provocation, they will feel pain until they can no longer afford the cost.”
The Duchess listened to this and felt that this Lord Earl was hopelessly stubborn. Unable to contain herself, she coldly asked, “Alright, perhaps what you say has merit, but have you considered that things may escalate? Do you know who stands behind the Orkans and Ji’en families? It is Duke Parut; the Parut family is currently among the most powerful nobles in the Empire. If they step forward to deal with you, Lord Earl, can you still boldly claim that they will feel pain?”
Indeed, there was such a possibility. Though Brendel was confident, he wasn’t arrogant enough to claim he could challenge such a colossal entity as the Parut family.
But things would not develop to that point.
He shook his head again. “Don’t worry, Miss Oni; matters will not reach that extent.”
“On what basis do you say that?” the Duchess retorted, annoyed. “Based on your so-called intuition?”
“You don’t believe me?” Brendel raised an eyebrow. “Then how about a bet?”
“A bet?!” Miss Oni said in irritation.
“Help me persuade those Crusian nobles to make them believe I will follow through on my word. If they cannot present the ransom, I will take them to Rustra to meet Her Majesty and reason with her,” Brendel replied.
The Duchess looked at him in astonishment. “You want to escalate things further? Are you crazy?”
“I’m not crazy; you’ve mentioned it before, I understand,” Brendel turned to look at the daughter of the Vieiro Duke, challenging her, “What’s wrong? Don’t dare to take this bet?”
“Of course, I am not afraid!” Miss Oni gritted her teeth, answering sullenly. “But you’ve only stated half of it. If I accomplish this, then what about you?”
Brendel answered, “If you succeed, I assure you that this matter will have no impact on me, on you, or on the entire embassy and kingdom. On the contrary, this mission will achieve unprecedented success, and you will gain the recognition you desire, ensuring your father won’t hastily marry you off to some unknown provincial noble. There may even be a renowned scholar or master who will notice your talents and take you on as a student, allowing you to fulfill your wishes.”
This statement clearly shocked the Duchess; she stared at Brendel in disbelief. “You… how do you know this? Did you use some kind of wicked magic on me?”
“Not at all,” Brendel chuckled teasingly, “I bought your maid.”
“Immensely shameless!” the Duchess finally couldn’t help but curse.
Brendel secretly smiled, thinking he had certainly not taken the time to buy a maid, but had simply learned about this young lady’s affairs occasionally. Previously, she was just a bland NPC in his previous life; his knowledge about her was quite limited, merely used casually, but he didn’t expect this to actually frighten her. He chuckled and continued, “So, now this is beneficial for both you and me. If you turn back now, whether heading to Cruz or returning to Erluin, you cannot escape the blame; the accusations of offending both the Empire and the Temple of Fire will fall on you. But if in the future, I achieve some merit, you will not get a single share because of today’s hesitation.”
Miss Oni shot him a glance, responding through gritted teeth, “What merit could a person like you possibly achieve? What a misfortune for the kingdom. But since I agreed to bet with you, I will naturally do it.”
She paused, suddenly feeling doubtful. “You are saying all this not out of a sudden awakening of conscience. But on the other hand, it seems there are better people around you to accomplish this. Why must it be me? That wizard named Charles and that elven lady—aren’t they better candidates?”
Brendel couldn’t help but feel somewhat awkward, thinking it strange that he seemed so untrustworthy that she would even question this.
After a moment, he replied, “Precisely because Charles and the others are loyal to me, they are not suitable for this task.”
“Why?” the Duchess asked in confusion. “What do you want me to do exactly?”
“Forget I explained this to you. I want you to persuade those Crusian nobles while simultaneously pretending to let one or two of them go, ensuring that they at least believe you and I are not in cahoots. Yes, just as you are thinking now: you just need to tell them that this is all my madness and that the rest of the embassy were also held captive by me. Just relay it to them, then let them go to report back,” Brendel looked at Miss Oni, who was staring at him in disbelief, unable to resist shaking his head. “There’s no need to look at me like that; I know that’s exactly what you’re thinking.”
“You do have self-awareness,” the Duchess replied through clenched teeth. “But I still don’t quite understand your purpose in doing this. Wasn’t your aim to stop the Crusians from seeking trouble with us? But it seems from your behavior, you are afraid that your trouble is not large enough?”
Brendel raised a finger and shook it at her.
“Because if you want to strike the snake, you must strike to kill it. It’s that simple.”
