Knights and Magic Wand
Chapter 467 - 467 218 War of the Living_2

467: Chapter 218 War of the Living_2 467: Chapter 218 War of the Living_2 Yet Lydwen was far from courteous, directly ordering the new king of Kantadar to personally come out of the city for an alliance meeting.

Watching the old Palace Minister leave in anger, Lydwen stroked his beard without any sense of urgency.

The other party yielding the mountain pass showed great sincerity, but if they expected him and Duke Ablo’s forces to fight a bloody battle to preserve the crown on his head, the price was still far from enough.

He had no intention of allowing his army’s and the Orland people’s blood to be used in some ploy by this wet-behind-the-ears brat.

With time and bargaining chips on Orland’s side, he believed the young king would once again submit to the cruel reality before Duke Ablo’s forces arrived.

Still waiting for Prince Caso’s arrival, on the following day, Lydwen was surprised to hear that the Thorny Flower Earl and Count Rahman, along with many lords, had come to the military camp seeking an audience.

He was somewhat astonished; he had just dispatched the Flying Pegasus messengers to issue the call to muster the army—how could these subjects have arrived faster than the flying steeds?

Unless they were already on the way before the messengers set out.

Eriv was an important force safeguarding the safety of the southern army’s eastern flank, and Count Rahman ought to be expanding to the west with the forces of the West Territory as well.

Lydwen frowned, raising his hand to summon the subjects, hoping that there were no changes in the rear situation at this time…

…

In the southwest of the Ustato Territory.

Having just captured another King’s Domain stronghold staunchly loyal to Aviout, the duke-led army seemed, from the map, to be a stone’s throw away from the Capital.

But within his tent, Duke Ablo’s face showed not a hint of joy.

“You witnessed it with your own eyes?” he pressed the spy for confirmation, his tone harsh.

“It’s the black dragon emblem of Orland, unmistakable,” the spy replied in a lowered voice: “Nearly twenty thousand Northern troops have entered the King’s Domain; some have seen the Flying Dragons, likely signifying the King of Orland himself has taken to the field.”

Duke Ablo, who felt he was but one step away from the throne, cursed angrily through clenched teeth upon hearing this: “Caso, that little bastard!”

He was well aware that he could not breach the strong passes even with a large army beside him and had to detour to take on the King’s Domain directly; the only possibility for those twenty thousand Orland people to appear outside the Royal City was one.

“…

Betraying his country to the enemy, colluding with the Orland people, my brother should have strangled this bastard in his crib!

Once I break into the Royal City, I will personally dismember him!”

Listening to the duke’s resentment, the Southern Mountain Lords and military commanders at his feet all fell silent, glancing at each other, with murmurs creeping into someone’s mind…

It’s as if you would spare Prince Caso’s life if you originally took the Royal City, they thought.

Although everyone knew that King Aviout and many nobles were not killed by the Duke himself, it didn’t make much of a difference; marching on the Capital was essentially the same as regicide and usurping power—Duke Ablo and Prince Caso had long been in a life-or-death struggle.

However, turning a blind eye to the Urians’ massacre of the King’s Domain, allowing them to freely plunder to supply the army funds, was not so different from colluding with the Orland people to let them into the passes.

“My lord, shall we continue the attack?” one of the commanders inquired.

Duke Ablo slowly reined in his rage and closed his eyes to ponder.

With such an unexpected turn of events, of course, speed is of the essence for the army.

But he knew his own situation.

Though he returned with an eastern conquest army of a hundred thousand, in actuality, starting with the initial twelve thousand troops before the war with Seryan, more than thirty thousand Kantadar and Urian soldiers had already fallen before the walls of Rolannar City.

Then, that cursed city ate up nearly another thirty thousand of Kantadar’s elite troops in some bizarre domain, leaving no trace, their fate unknown.

He hastily pulled back the sixty thousand remaining troops to the kingdom; en route, nearly ten thousand troops from various lords defected due to lack of allegiance, dispersing back to their homes.

The current fifty thousand troops included nearly twenty thousand unruly Urian Cavalry without their chieftains.

Were it not for the promise of riches by looting the affluent Ustato Kingdom as compensation, these Urians would have long since run back to the steppes to seize power.

The forces that truly remained obedient and under his control were actually just the thirty thousand troops by his side.

And clearly, his forces were now battle-weary, while the Orland people and that wretch Caso were at ease, waiting for the opportune moment.

Thirty thousand against twenty thousand—such numbers provided no absolute superiority in strength.

And if Caso really let the Orland people into the city to defend it, facing a fortified city his chances of victory would be even slimmer, needing the Urian’s assistance for sure.

But it still wasn’t enough…

With the Orland people already within the King’s Domain, there was no telling how many more troops might follow.

After a long deliberation, he spat out resentfully: “…Wait a few more days.

Send word to urge those Urians following from behind to catch up quickly!

Tell them if I fall, they’ll have to give back everything they’ve looted; Caso won’t let them go.”

After dismissing the military council, Duke Ablo immediately ordered his attendants to bring paper and pen, and he began to craft a sealed letter himself.

One was addressed to the leader of the western nobility, Count Felcon.

The letter bitterly detailed the treachery of the usurper Caso and his collusion with the Orland Army; he promised substantial tracts of land to the Felcon Family.

Regrettably, he now had to speak nicely to the western nobility who had yet to take sides, holding his nose to do so.

Duke Ablo believed that once the Felcon Family learned of Caso’s collusion with the northern wolves, they would no longer stand idly by.

Hearing of the southward advance of the Orland people seizing much of the northwest’s wealth, maritime and land trade would inevitably be affected, and the Felcon Family could no longer tolerate the ruler of Kantadar being under Orland’s control.

With that in mind, Duke Ablo felt somewhat relieved in his heart.