“They want to coerce her?”
The treachery and vileness in the hearts of nobles no longer surprised Asher because…
They had made him evolve in the past as well.
But his fury at this moment knew no bounds.
Mary was his only remaining blood. The last Ashbourne, aside from himself.
How dare they treat her like an object?!
“They believe you are dead,” Aquila murmured.
“Oh. They must know that I’m not.”
Everyone furrowed their brows when Asher said that. They all understood what he meant—spies had infiltrated the domain.
And it wasn’t a surprise. With nearly a population of half a million people in the county, it gave nobles countless opportunities to sneak in their spies to scout information about him.
His return had never been a secret.
“It’s a good thing that they know,” Asher said. “I’ll root them out in due time. But for now, we must prepare to face Count William.”
“With the walls on our side,” a general stated, “he’s bound to—!”
“Attrition is disadvantageous, General Alec. If we want to prove our overwhelming strength, we must face Count William in a field battle.”
Alec’s eyes widened.
“But my lord! Count William commands the Wildlands barbarians—men known to ride horses from a young age. There is no cavalry that can match those horsemen.”
Lambert sighed. “Our cavalry might stand a chance if our numbers were bigger. But right now, I only have 5000 men.”
“All diamond-ranked?” Asher asked. Your next chapter awaits on My Virtual Library Empire
“No, my lord. 2000 fully trained cavaliers and 3000 squires. The squires are gold-ranked.”
Asher’s expression didn’t waver. “Ready them. General Alec, how many can you send to battle?”
“10,000 Aegis soldiers will be able to march into the field, Your Lordship. But I’m afraid even the Aegis soldiers will have a tough time against the horsemen of the Wildlands. Their heavy weaponry is unlike the sword wielded by high-plain noble armies. They are heavier and deal greater damage.”
Although Alec spoke rationally, Asher could see the fire burning in his eyes. His general sought to use this as an opportunity to test his troops against one of the most feared infantry killers on the continent.
History was filled with records where the wild barbarian horsemen fought against noble armies, and in every instance, infantry forces always suffered disastrous blows. Even cavalry units, despite their endured crippling blows. But for the infantry, the foot soldiers, it was always a massacre.
In all, facing the wild barbarian horsemen would be the greatest challenge any Aegis knight had ever faced.
But… if they could triumph over it, the troop’s fame would spread across the northern parts of the continent—perhaps even beyond.
“Prepare them,” Asher commanded. “If we do not crush Count William’s forces, we shall suffer the consequences.”
“My Lord…” Nero rose to his feet. Asher looked at the soon-to-be twelve-year-old boy who already resembled a young man about to leave his teenage years.
“…If the nobles are aware of your return, doesn’t that mean Archduke Nubis will soon know of it?”
Asher wrapped his hands around the armrest of his throne and rose to his feet. “I eagerly await his response. What about you?”
Nero smiled. He recalled the pain-filled training he had gone through these past four months with the name of the Archduke branded into his heart.
What were all these scars on his arms for? What was the suffering for?
“It will be a pleasure to see what it shall be.”
Asher smiled.
“Baron Flameheart, I would like you to head to Winter stronghold and purchase 5,000 war mounts called Arkon. Take 1,000 volunteers with you and hand them over to the man who asks.”
Claude bowed in acknowledgement.
“Baroness, three strongholds from the depths will send envoys to you. Treat them well and establish favourable trade relations. I am entrusting this with you.”
“I shall not disappoint you, Your Lordship.” Katarina bowed.
Finally, Asher turned to the blacksmith and master architect seated at the far end of the rectangular table.
“Mr. White, your contribution and efforts have been invaluable to this county.”
Ark White stood.
“Name whatever you desire and it shall be done.”
Ark White took a deep breath. “I want Silverleaf to be upgraded. The town lacks many amenities, yet it continues to grow. Also, the town guards are too few to handle the expansion. If this is left unchecked, I’m afraid —!”
“Consider all granted.”
[Ding! Do you wish to upgrade Silverleaf Bastide from a Tier two town to a Tier three town? Yes or No?]
‘Yes.’
Ark White blinked. “Additionally, the Blacksmith Association which was formed a month ago needs funding. With our current numbers and machinery, we are unable to handle the country’s needs efficiently.”
“Speak with my regent. He’ll make sure all that you need concerning funding is settled. Anything more?”
Ark White hesitated, momentarily dumbfounded.
“We shall end this meeting here for now,” Asher declared. “Commander Aquila, Eritrea—you will both march to the Great Dividing Wall. Only commander Adam shall remain in Ashkelon to prepare his troops.”
“Prepare?” Adam raised an eyebrow.
“Yes. You shall lead an army and march into the depths two months from now to face a great army of beastmen. Our allies in the depths are counting on us and I believe this is an opportunity to spread the name of your House in the history of the inhabitants of the depths.”
“It shall be my pleasure.” Adam slammed his fist against his chest.
After Asher left, some lingered to chat while some left as quickly.
In the hallway, Asher glanced at Kelvin. “You look young.”
“Tch.” The half-butler adjusted his monocle.
Asher chuckled.
“Do you think it’s the right decision to go right into war the moment you return? Nobles might see you as a bloodthirsty man.”
“As long as I can secure the Dukedom of Mormonts as an ally before Archduke Nubis makes his move, it will be worth it. With the Duke as an ally, we can fortify our walls against the battle that is to come.”
“Battles?”
Asher glanced at Kelvin from the corner of his left eye. “The world is about to be plunged into chaos. This peace we seem to have is very fragile, it will shatter even before you blink.”
“If so, we need to build an army stronger than what we have now—to survive.”
“Indeed,” Asher replied. “An army that consists of more than just human knights.”
A vision flashed in his mind—an army led by him, not just of men, but of many races, standing united under his command!