Translator: Cinder Translations
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Although Giles was furious, he remained cautious when considering how to confront the kingdom's army.
Years ago, Giles' forces had fought fiercely against the kingdom's army on the plains of Fueral, but neither side was able to gain the upper hand.
The royal family was forced to acknowledge Giles' semi-independent status, and his grand plan to march north, take Crystal Glare, and seize the throne of Aldor fell apart.
For some time after that, Giles held a dismissive attitude toward Crystal Glare. He firmly believed that if the damned mages had not suddenly withdrawn their support, he could have become the new king of Aldor. This was also why he later established his own force of spellcasters.
With the help of defected mages, Giles successfully expanded his undead army. While his forces grew stronger, changes were also occurring in Crystal Glare. The newly ascended Rodney XVIII, seeking to weaken the influence of the previous king—his uncle—arranged for Catherine to be married off to the Northwest Bay.
This caused turmoil among the Royal Capital Knights, the kingdom's core military force, as they were under Catherine's command.
Giles saw an opportunity. If he launched an invasion at that moment, he believed he could defeat the royal forces, which had been thrown into disarray by the power transition.
Unexpectedly, the orcs arrived. Like a whirlwind, these prairie barbarians stormed into the northeastern territories of Aldor, leaving countless towns trampled under their iron hooves.
Faced with this situation, Giles altered his plan.
Perhaps he could ascend to Crystal Glare's throne in a different way?
He imagined waiting for the orcs to push further south before leading his army northward in a glorious campaign, driving out the barbarians from Aldor's lands.
The orc army was powerful, but Giles had confidence in his own troops. He also believed that the northern lords would provide both material and moral support—after all, they were all humans, all Aldorians.
At that time, he could cleanse himself of the reputation of a rebel and become a hero who defended Aldor. Then, he could rightfully overthrow the current royal family and place the crown upon his own head.
But things did not go as planned. In the Battle of Usola Plains, the royal forces and the northern lords' coalition army secured victory, halting the orc invasion.
The orcs remained entrenched in northeastern Aldor. However, when an external threat is significant but not overwhelming enough to destroy one's side immediately, internal factions tend to unite. From then on, local lords who had been drifting away from the royal family suddenly began to rally behind it again.
Especially after a now-famous quote from the Battle of Usola spread throughout the land:
"Aldor expects everyone to fulfill their duty!"
Hearing these words made Giles sick to his stomach.
The one who said them was none other than Paul Grayman.
"Tch, what a pretentious act!" Giles scoffed.
Although he refused to admit it, he harbored deep jealousy toward Paul Grayman.
Giles had risked his life in rebellion, fought countless battles, and only then won his freedom from the royal family's control. Meanwhile, this guy had simply done business and achieved the same.
Damn it! If I hadn't been at the forefront, drawing all the kingdom's ire, your Northwest Bay would have long been seized by the royal government as their treasury!
And yet, he was rewarded with the first marquis title in a century. He even married Catherine, a beauty beyond compare.
That brat! If the royal family hadn't treated me as their greatest enemy, would they have put so much effort into winning you over?
That guy even had the audacity to refuse Giles' offer of an alliance—how arrogant!
Regardless, the kingdom's military showed resilience against the orcs. After careful evaluation, Giles realized he needed to expand his army further before launching another invasion of Crystal Glare.
However, his previous expansions had already drained his finances. At that moment, the Horn Bay Church approached him, offering to hire his troops for a southern campaign.
It was a chance to earn money while training his soldiers—Giles agreed without hesitation.
Then, Collins secretly contacted him, suggesting they raid Paul Grayman's leased territories in Horn Bay. Given his hatred for Paul Grayman, Giles was more than happy to oblige.
But things took an unexpected turn—his army was defeated at Lion's Port.
Giles, who had always been confident in his undead army, was utterly humiliated.
Refusing to accept the loss, he sent more troops south, only to suffer another crushing defeat outside Collins City.
This war was a harsh wake-up call for Giles.
The discipline and combat effectiveness displayed by the Alden soldiers astonished him.
What shocked him the most was how Paul Grayman, whose territory lay in Aldor's far northwest, had managed to deploy such a large force thousands of miles away—via sea routes, no less.
Giles, still stuck in the old ways of thinking, had failed to grasp the extent of Northwest Bay's naval development.
The defeat at Horn Bay shook his confidence. When news arrived that the king had appointed Paul Grayman to help establish a modernized military, Giles sensed an unprecedented threat.
It was rumored that the kingdom had solved its financial constraints through a system called military bonds. If money was no longer an issue, the royal army's endurance in prolonged conflicts would greatly increase.
Giles ordered his spies in Crystal Glare to closely monitor the new army's developments. When he learned that Paul Grayman was equipping them with powerful firearms, even his undead troops no longer seemed as fearsome.
Though his undead soldiers had been significantly enhanced through alchemical potions, they were still made of flesh and blood. No matter how much they were strengthened, they could not withstand a barrage of bullets and cannon fire.
Giles repeatedly sent envoys to Northwest Bay in hopes of mending relations, but every attempt was met with outright rejection. He knew that his attack on Lion's Port had deeply enraged Paul Grayman, making reconciliation impossible.
Desperate, he sought alliances with the Arcane Order and the Church. However, both factions were preoccupied with plotting war against each other and had no interest in aiding him.
The only glimmer of hope came from his eastern neighbor—the Vibern family, rulers of Paradise Basin. They agreed to send reinforcements.
During the last war, Vibern had sided with Giles against the royal family, and their relationship remained close.
It was clear: if Giles fell, Vibern would be next.
In City of Five Goats, Giles gathered his vassals and informed them that the royal army would soon march south again.
A wave of fervor swept through the hall as the lords all volunteered for battle.
"If we could drive the northerners back once, we can do it again!"
Morale was high!
Inspired by his vassals' enthusiasm, Giles regained his confidence. His old ambition—to overthrow Aldor—burned anew.
He issued a bold command:
"Return to your lands and muster every available force. We will assemble at Fueral!"
(End of the Chapter)
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