Work Prophet
Chapter 736 - 62: The Meeting

Chapter 736: Chapter 62: The Meeting

Sir Halvin’s head began to ache as soon as he heard that Ireya wanted to meet with the Alliance Commander.

This time, it was the lords of the West who were at fault first; under the pressure of the Wing Tribe, they had no choice but to declare war on the Arias family, and Sir Halvin felt he had no face to meet with the Lady.

He would have preferred that everyone said nothing and simply started fighting upon meeting.

However, according to the traditions of the West, it was customary for the commanders of both sides to meet before the commencement of hostilities, usually as a final effort.

To see if a consensus could be reached and to avoid bloodshed through negotiation.

However, this war was not instigated by Sir Halvin, and he did not have the power to end it.

Thus, even if there were negotiations, there would be nothing to discuss.

Nevertheless, adhering to noble etiquette, Sir Halvin ultimately agreed to Ireya’s request to meet.

The two chose a small hillside as the location for their meeting, not far from the Alliance Army’s encampment. The hilltop offered a wide view, with almost no cover nearby, naturally eliminating the possibility of an ambush.

Just below the hillside was a woods, clearly, Ireya was also wary of the White Dragon. Should the dragon show up, the Lady could spot it immediately and then duck into the forest to hide.

All things considered, it was a meeting place that satisfied both parties.

As per tradition, for this meeting, Sir Halvin and Ireya each brought three attendants.

The Alliance Commander could see the fluttering Rabbit flag atop the hill from a distance, and he glanced back at his own empty rear, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

Because this time the lords of the West had united, but they were not fighting for the Figrola family.

The Wing Tribe differed from the natives of the Bratis Continent; they used a kind of ancient tribal organizational structure. Although there were families within the tribe, they were not overly prominent, nor did they have specific flags or family crests.

As for the Polas family, which Halvin belonged to, it was a minor noble house, and he did not wish to fly his own family’s flag, as it would seem as if the warfare involved the Polas family against the Arias family.

In the end, the Alliance Commander could only pretend to have forgotten about this and just come over.

Upon ascending the hill, he saw the Lady already waiting there.

The strong wind made the girl’s cloak flutter and sound fiercely.

Fortunately, the black-clothed figure was not by her side, which somewhat relieved Sir Halvin.

After all, as a noble of the West, he had heard too many legendary tales about the Double Rest Sect and its Prophet.

Sir Halvin even worried that this meeting might be one he would go to but never return from, but he thought there would be no reason for Ireya to harm him, although he was now the Alliance Commander, his absence would hardly affect the upcoming warfare.

Thinking this, Sir Halvin was unsure whether to feel relieved or resigned.

Sir Halvin stopped about ten paces in front of the Lady.

He was not a particularly tall man, but he certainly wasn’t short, especially when compared to a woman.

However, because his warhorse was almost half a size smaller than the girl’s, he appeared to be half a head shorter than her from across the way.

At that moment, Sir Halvin remembered that the exceedingly majestic warhorse beneath the Lady was a gift from the former Emperor Edward II.

However, Edward II was poisoned to death just a few days later, and the murderer had yet to be found. It looked like the Vespasian family was finished, and now it was the Arias family’s turn — such is the unpredictable nature of life.

Sir Halvin had intended to introduce himself first, but Ireya had already taken the initiative to speak, "Sir Halvin."

Sir Halvin was taken aback; he hadn’t expected the person opposite him to be able to call out his name.

In the Western Territory, the Polas family was just a minor one, and when he first became the Alliance Commander, many nobles didn’t even know his name or had heard of his surname.

Moreover, after his appointment, he had promptly organized his troops and rushed off to Green Field; logically, the news shouldn’t have reached this place yet.

Noticing what he was thinking, Ireya added, "It seems you do not understand the extent of my master’s power; the Prophet has already known everything since Saturday."

"Is that so, then does it know that a great calamity is upon the Arias family?" Sir Halvin retorted.

The Lady remained calm, glancing toward the camp not far away, "Just with you and the thirty thousand men down that hillside?"

"My forces are several times yours."

"War is not only about numbers of troops," said a person beside the young girl.

"You are..."

Sir Halvin had noticed the attendant following behind the Lady early on; the man was poised and distinguished, his back ramrod straight even on horseback, and the calluses on his hands suggested he was a master swordsman.

Sir Halvin had heard of a young knight named Thomas, an exceptional martial artist, beside the young girl, but the age seemed a bit off, for the man before him was clearly older, and his eyes were filled with the depth of experience.

Such eyes often belonged to those who had gone through major life changes.

"I am Duren, Sir Irelia’s military advisor," the man replied.

"Duren, that name sounds familiar," Sir Halvin frowned, "which family are you from?"

"Betak."

"The Betak? The Betak family that has produced four Imperial Forest Guard Captains?"

Sir Halvin was startled, "Wait, you just said your name is Duren, aren’t you the late Emperor’s... This can’t be possible, you were supposed to have died in the Royal Capital!"

After Li Yu had saved Duren, the plan was for him to live under an assumed name so as not to bring trouble to his family.

However, now that Gars was dead, nobody would pursue the past grievances with Duren.

After much contemplation, Duren had decided to revert to his original name and family name.

"I told you, you know nothing of my master’s power," Miss Rabbit said unhurriedly.

This time, Sir Halvin couldn’t refute that statement; although he was somewhat skilled in leading troops, which is why he had won out over others to become the commander of this Alliance army.

However, the man standing before him was a former Imperial Forest Guard Captain, one who had commanded all the Imperial Guards, charged with the Emperor’s safety, and was one of the Empire’s most famous generals.

Having him as Ireya’s strategist meant that she would almost certainly not make a mistake, and the upcoming battle would likely be even tougher to fight.

Of course, there was also a possibility that the man before him was not Duren, just a bluff Ireya had put up to intimidate him, to render him indecisive when commanding his forces.

Sir Halvin knew this wasn’t the time for suspicions, so he stopped pondering the true identity of Duren and instead said.

"Lady Ireya, you didn’t invite me here just to showcase the Prophet’s divine power, did you?"

Before the Lady could speak, he continued, "If you wish to discuss a truce with me, then I would advise you not to waste your breath, as you must also be well aware that this war was not instigated by us."