The witch thought I am a Demon God
Chapter 956 - 491: Abolition of the Treaty with the Frankish People_2

Chapter 956: Chapter 491: Abolition of the Treaty with the Frankish People_2

They, however, could not anticipate that while they were merely in the rear, merely cutting flesh, others on the front line were desperately fighting for their lives.

To prevent this situation, Ivita ordered to prioritize the conscription of soldiers from the eastern counties. Once they had cycled through the battlefield a few times, those in the eastern regions would understand how dire the situation was on the front lines.

Throughout the war, the Alsasians had indeed grown increasingly hostile towards the Frankish people, and Ivita had no choice but to harness this hatred to temporarily fend off the opposing invasion.

Ivita had just left the Hall of Discussion when he noticed something unusual at Dragon Fire Lake near the Royal Capital. He teleported there using Spatial Magic, only to find three indiscernible charred corpses by the lake.

The sky above was filled with Flying Dragon Riders who seemed like startled birds.

The Captain of the Flying Dragon Knight Group, taking the initiative, had his mount fly up to Ivita. Kneeling on one knee on the back of his dragon, he said, "Your Majesty, just as you predicted, assassins suddenly broke into Dragon Fire Lake with ill intentions, but they were turned to char by your magic."

"Another assassin, however, managed to escape."

"We were unsuccessful in our pursuit, please punish us, Your Majesty."

Ivita glanced at him. "One month’s pay docked. However, it’s commendable that you managed to protect Dragon Fire Lake, and that deserves a reward."

"I reward each of you ten gold pounds."

The Flying Dragon Knight Regiment was somewhat surprised. "Yes, Your Majesty."

Ivita knew that he must clearly allocate rewards and punishments; any bit of merit from his subordinates should be affirmed. Through a mix of grace and authority, he could win hearts and loyalty.

Excessive benevolence could breed arrogance and recklessness in the troops;

excessive punishment, on the other hand, would drain their willingness and energy.

Finding the balance in this was what truly commanded respect and obedience.

Ivita returned to the Royal Capital and kept a low profile inside his residence for the next five days, delegating all government affairs to the nobles within the Hall of Discussion unless a major military situation arose, in which case he would not be disturbed.

During this period, however, certain high-born nobles were intent on drawing Ivita to hunts, excursions, and banquets, accustomed as they were to their own circles’ norms. They assumed that Ivita, as the King, would prioritize enjoyment despite his many responsibilities.

Hunting and banquets could not be omitted after all.

Ivita could mention it jocularly, but they could not refrain from inviting the new King to participate, as there were many who awaited an audience with him.

The renowned daughters and noblewomen of the Royal Capital were all stirring, hoping that with the change of monarchs, they could rise to prominence and become the new favorites of the socialite scene.

Numerous ancient nobles and wealthy merchants also sought to forge connections with the King.

Yet Ivita showed little to no interest in such matters. Apart from the nobles and wealth merchants who sought to pledge their family fortunes to him, Ivita declined all invitations to hunts and banquets.

The front lines were still engaged in battle, yet these nobles and merchants wanted to revel in song and dance—truly problematic indeed.

Ivita discovered that Alsace lacked laws related to national warfare, covering military, economic, and daily life aspects during a war.

He immediately issued an order to restrict the size of banquets and the frequency of hunting excursions during the war period.

This decree was only a temporary measure, but as long as Ivita emphasized it over a long period, it would become a permanent law through habit.

The reason Ivita’s decrees could be implemented so smoothly was also due to the Alsasians’ hostility and fear towards the Frankish people; thus Ivita’s laws did not seem out of place at all.

...

Five days later, the frontline soldiers of Alsace were quite uncomfortable, as their nation was unstable and the enemy’s army vastly superior.

Moreover, in addition to regular military strength, the enemy had a large number of Knight Marquises and three Witch Marquises.

Whenever the Alsacian army gained a local advantage, the enemy would deploy the three Witch Marquises, casting powerful spells, either tsunamis or sea of fire, causing the hard-won advantages of the Alsasians to vanish.

If it weren’t for the presence of Dragon Fire Fortress, they would have been annihilated by the encirclement of the Frankish army long ago.

Under constant retreat, the Alsasians grew even more resentful of the Franks and began to hope for their own battle magic support.

This time, the King of the Ancient Tomb and Kulatos Pritzker, the Great Chancellor, led the main force of Alsace to retreat to the saline land of Sek County, hoping to escape through the terrain, causing many veteran soldiers to question the professionalism of their commanders, even harboring thoughts of mutiny.

In the deep of the night, the King of the Ancient Tomb ordered the army to stay on the Gobi, and many veterans had already started causing trouble, refusing to obey orders and aiming to march out of this cursed place during the night.

Meanwhile, six routes of pursuing Frankish troops approximately ten thousand men, had arrived.

They converged outside the saline land and split their forces, blocking all the exits of the saline land, seemingly intending to butcher the main force of Alsace within this barren land.

After years of installing spies and merchants undercover, the Franks had long mapped out the western terrain of Alsace, including this area of saline land.

At this moment, the Frankish commanders and three Witch Marquises were joyfully discussing inside their tent, their expressions considerably relaxed.

An old Frankish commander, Glore, said, "I did not expect the Alsacians to lose their way on their own land, trying to escape through the saline land. This is a suicidal move. We can trap them in this saline land, and we won’t have to sacrifice many noble Frankish lives for them to destroy themselves."

Another slightly younger Frankish commander said, "It must have been a mistake in their rush to retreat. I heard that their main commander this time is the dull-witted Kulatos Pritzker, the Grand Chancellor of Alsace. A member of the Pritzker family has defected to our side."

"They gave us a lot of information about this family. The family’s lands are in deficit; they are heavily corrupt, the young men in the family have no chance to advance as the older generation hoards power and resources, securing them for their immediate relatives for three generations, irrespective of whether they have the natural talent or not."

"Such a head of the family, Kulatos Pritzker, must also be incompetent, yet such a man still holds a significant position in the Hall of Discussion of the Alsace Kingdom. The Alsace Kingdom has rotted ever since it stepped away from the leadership of the Alsace Family."

"Hahaha... They think that changing their king could avoid war, like an ostrich burying its head in the sand. Do they think they can avoid war by merely holding a meeting within their country?"

The old Frankish commander nodded and said, "Exactly. Especially in the past decades, the Alsacians have neglected their military. I fear they are in danger of national extinction this time. I’ve received the order from The Emperor, His Majesty said — ’This time we seize as much land as we can, he guarantees the diplomacy and food transportation.’ I am fortunate to meet such a great monarch in my lifetime; it’s an honor for a commander like me. I will be remembered in history as a key figure in the rise of the Frankish Empire, hahaha...."

The three Witch Marquises silently listened to their conversation.

The three Witch Marquises came from different families among the new nobility of Frank. Everyone in this tent was born into Frankish nobility.

Only, they were of low nobility.

Although the current emperor has employed many heroes born in poverty, those born into noble families still hold an advantage in capabilities. These minor nobles, without powerful family backing, could be used along with outstanding commoners to suppress the primal twelve noble forces of Frank.

The three Witch Marquises also had internal conflicts; currents flowed silently between them, even considering eliminating each other to enhance their individual significance.

The three Witch Marquises thought to themselves.

’The Alsacian army does not have a Witch Marquis, while we have three here. It would be great to eliminate other Witch Marquises.’

’The Alsacian army has assembled a Knight formation specifically targeting powerful witches. Perhaps during this time in the saline land, we could trap them in the formation and make some moves to eliminate them.’

Glore suddenly remembered something that worried him a lot. "The Aries witch has not been in contact with me for a long time. I must contact her later. With her leading the charge, we can ensure that the Wizard King does not employ the Beheading Tactic on us."