Chapter 280 - 219: Raising the Sword Against the Southern Territory (Part 2)

"My lords, you are all vassals of the Martel Family. You have sworn to fight for the Martel Family, and now, the Martel Family needs you to raise your swords against those detestable challengers."

Fulina’s gaze swept across the room, taking in the assembled nobles, great and small, as she spoke with resounding conviction.

"My Lady, you have no need to worry! When the time comes, we’ll shove our swords right up Damon Isely’s arse, then fight our way into Kolon and rescue Lady Onaya!"

A burly, elderly nobleman boomed with laughter, clearly holding Damon in no regard.

"Old Jon, I shall look forward to it." Fulina smiled, not the least bit bothered by his crude language.

To a man, the nobles present voiced their agreement, and morale was soaring.

Once they had finished pledging their loyalty, Fulina spoke again. "I wonder, my lords, how do you view this war?"

The room instantly fell so silent you could hear a pin drop. The nobles said nothing, but their eyes constantly exchanged glances.

Levi, lying low in the crowd, took the opportunity to glance around. He noticed that the two Counts, Andao and Luke, were both perfectly composed, as if completely detached from the matter at hand.

’That makes sense. Those two are staunch members of the Duke Faction. They’ll fight wherever Fulina tells them to, so there’s no need for them to worry about such questions.’

"There are no outsiders here. We may speak freely." Fulina smiled, then paused before adding, "In my view, the Southern Territory has been peaceful for too long. They will be no match for us."

Her words voiced the innermost thoughts of most people present and were met with an immediate, enthusiastic response.

"Those Southerners never should have imprisoned a child who carries the bloodline of the King of the North. They will face the wrath of a king!"

"Damon, that Golden Lion of the Prairie, has perhaps been blinded by his own arrogance."

Pride is a vice common to every noble, but those present were all powerful, high-ranking nobles. And they were certainly not clueless greenhorns.

Ever since the Lizardman revolts ended twenty years ago, the Southern Territory had been at peace. Their soldiers had likely been corrupted by a life of wealth and tranquility; it was hard to imagine they had much fighting strength left.

The Northern Territory, however, bordered the Wilderness. Bloody conflicts with the Wilderness People were as common as eating and drinking; every winter, they even faced raids as the Wilderness People came south to plunder.

Moreover, under Duke Fulina’s rule, the Northern Territory was flourishing, and its military might had grown in kind.

Perhaps the Southern Territory’s power was once no less than theirs, but as one side waned and the other waxed, everyone in the North believed that by declaring war, their enemy was simply courting death.

"While there is no denying that we all believe victory will belong to the North," Fulina paused briefly before continuing, "we do, in fact, face a difficult problem."

"That is, how to bypass the Royal Court and march on the Southern Territory."

"If we brazenly march past Gonda City, our dear King is not going to turn a blind eye."

"He’s just a fat pig who sat on the throne by the grace of Lady Luck. All he’d dare to do is send a letter of warning."

"If this lucky King can’t read the situation, the Northern Territory wouldn’t mind showing him the martial prowess of the Northern People!"

The established, high-ranking nobles mentioned King Debei with faces full of contempt and nonchalance. Only the lesser nobles stood by, not daring to speak.

After all, no matter how poor the King’s reputation, he was ultimately the ruler of the Debei Kingdom.

Only great nobles such as these would dare to speak of him so openly.

"Quiet," said Fujero from the side, his face devoid of expression.

Everyone fell silent, and Fulina used a pointer to tap a location on the map.

"Fujero and I have discussed our marching route, and we’ve determined the optimal path is to bypass Gonda, go through Mislin Land in the east, and cut diagonally toward Kolon."

Levi craned his neck to get a better look at the map. He had no idea who drew it, but it was simple and easy to understand, clearly showing the positions of the major powers within the Debei Kingdom.

Mislin Land, however, was within the Eastern Territory.

The route Fulina proposed essentially traced a large semicircle.

"My Lady, if I remember correctly, Mislin Land is the territory of the Skinning Clan, the Debei. They built a Stone Bridge there that spans the river valley and have been collecting tolls for hundreds of years."

"Will they allow us to pass?"

a noble who had clearly studied the renowned families of the land inquired.

"I hear those vile Skinners charge by the head. If our few hundred thousand soldiers pass through... oh, the toll they’d collect would be enough for them to die on a woman’s belly countless times over."

Someone told a crude joke, but no one laughed.

"I will write to their Feudal Lord and negotiate. Whether it’s with money or other means, anything within a reasonable range is acceptable. If they fail to see reason..."

Fulina trailed off, letting out a cold laugh.

Then she wouldn’t mind letting those Little Skinflints get a taste of what it feels like to be skinned alive.

She was determined to win this war between North and South. It was no longer just about rescuing her sister.

"Furthermore, according to the latest intelligence, the Lizardmen in the Southern Territory seem to be growing restless again. In order to wipe them out, Damon has already dispatched his Golden Lion Knight Order to the border."

"Reportedly, both sides have suffered losses."

’Well, now that’s truly good news.’

A look of delight appeared on Levi’s face.

It had to be said, what made the Rogue Knight Damon most famous was his Cavalry Corps, composed entirely of Magical Beasts.

His fearsome reputation was forged in battle after battle. Their combat record was dazzling; they were without a doubt one of the world’s premier cavalry corps.

’Never mind that he looked like a pathetic punk when my Lord beat him up; that was only in comparison to my Lord.’

’If they were pitted against the Thorn Corps, a clash between the two would only result in a crushing defeat for the latter.’

’Even if the enemy lost just one Knight, it would be cause for celebration in the Northern Territory.’

Levi discreetly nudged Count Andao with his elbow and whispered, "My Lord, do you think our advantage is really as great as Duke Fulina claims?"

Andao clutched his side and grimaced. After taking a moment to recover, he said, "Duke Fulina never does anything she isn’t sure of. Besides, it’s obvious that the Southern Territory’s military strength is weaker than the North’s..." He paused to glare at the Lord. "Do you have any idea how strong you are?"

"For this campaign, the Martel Family will gather four corps, nearly fifty thousand men. With the one hundred fifty thousand elite soldiers you all have provided, that makes a full two hundred thousand men. In early March, we will march out from the Northern Territory and launch our offensive. We will make them pay the price for their ignorance and recklessness!"

With every word Fulina spoke, the nobles present erupted in cheers, unable to contain their excitement.

War was one of the few opportunities to drastically increase one’s wealth. To them, war meant money as much as it meant death.

The chance to rise in rank and make a fortune had finally arrived!

The Northern People had been spoiling for a war for a long time.

"The vanguard this time will be composed of Count Andao, Baron Levi, and Count Tisi. You will attack the enemy’s main force and pull out every thorn in our side along the way."

Levi was not surprised by this in the slightest, his expression remaining perfectly calm. Inwardly, however, he was a little puzzled that Fulina would place Count Tisi, a member of the Traditionalist Faction, in the same group as them.

’Wasn’t she afraid they would disagree and end up fighting each other first?’

This southern campaign was different from any before it; one could say it was entirely for the sake of reclaiming lost land for his Feudal Lord, Liya.

The greater his contributions, the greater the rewards he would naturally receive.

For example, while the Debei Kingdom had an unwritten rule against killing nobles, on the battlefield, swords had no eyes. Who could guarantee their hand wouldn’t slip?

’If a Lord were to take the opportunity to slaughter a few extra nobles, wouldn’t their lands then become ownerless?’

’There would be no need to worry about any lingering problems, either.’

’However, once he helped Liya take the seat of the Duchess, who knew if this new Northern Duchess would immediately turn on him.’