Chapter 114: Such Generosity

The Alliance Channel fell quiet.

Three names made the choice difficult. Darian had the backing of House Frost. Seraphine came from House Valcrest. Both families carried a reputation that ordinary Lords respected.

Cassian had no great family behind him, but his victories over the past month spoke for themselves. His Legendary force had saved hundreds of Lords from the army invading Northwatch.

Choosing one meant passing over the other two.

After a short silence, Seraphine answered.

[Seraphine Valcrest: We need to stand together. I’m withdrawing from the race for command.]

[Elara Vayne: That’s generous of you. I mean it.]

She was giving up more than the Commander’s seat. If everyone voted for a single candidate, she would lose her chance at the attributes and Fortune awarded to the top twenty as well.

Even Cassian admired that. He doubted he could be so selfless.

[Cassian Vale: Then sell your votes to Darian. With my little reserve, I won’t compete.]

In the end, most elections came down to money. Competing with a great family’s treasury was an expensive way to spend a day. Darian had plenty of public support as well; Cassian could hardly count on winning everyone over with his reputation alone.

Some friends would vote for him regardless, of course. Elara and Nessa were hardly going to change their minds over an offer of Aether. Most other Lords would want to know who was paying more.

Cassian smiled at his own Ballot record.

He already held more than a million. The result was in his hands.

After the Eclipse troops gained their flying Art, he had commissioned another Ghost Carrier through the Abyssal Dockyard. He spent ten million Aether on materials through the same Exchange route as before and paid for its ordinary upgrades. The completed Level-2 ship brought his fleet to twelve.

During those days, he had sent every flying troop ready for sea combat to the fleet. The six restored Praetorians had rested and rejoined the others, bringing all nine back together. The five Dawnwings reborn at Level 0 stayed home; they still needed to regain their strength.

Veyra remained in Forgotten Shrine, and Sigrid kept charge of the Crystal Bastion hunt. At sea, the added flying force and the Sea Beacon had doubled his hunting efficiency again.

His apparent generosity brought another round of praise.

Darian’s feelings were more complicated. With the other two stepping aside so readily, why did he suddenly feel like the selfish one?

Still, he answered frankly.

[Darian Frost: Thank you, both of you. I do want the seat. And I promise to buy every friendly Lord’s votes at the highest market price.]

An Exchange notice appeared before Cassian.

[Darian Frost has transferred Aether Crystal ×100,000,000 to you.]

Cassian stared at it.

A private message followed.

[Darian Frost: Compensation for you and Seraphine. Once I become Commander, you two can decide between yourselves who takes the civil deputy’s post and who takes the military one.]

So Darian felt awkward about accepting their support.

[Cassian Vale: I like money. I still like to earn it properly.]

Cassian sent the entire hundred million back.

Why take compensation when he could make his money through the Exchange’s betting pool? Darian was going to be furious tomorrow. If Cassian kept the money too, he might bring an army over to argue.

He opened a pool for the Marches Command Election, then posted in the public Channel.

[Cassian Vale: An occasion like this deserves a wager. I’ve opened a pool on who takes command. Place your bets through the Exchange.]

The Dawn Alliance had given the friendly Regions a candidate to rally around. With Darian paying so freely, Lords across the Marches began making the same commitment.

[Friendly Lord: Keep hunting. Every Ballot for Darian!]

[Friendly Lord: Black Banner killed my grandfather. I don’t want payment. I want them out of the Marches.]

[Friendly Lord: Take command and drive Black Banner out!]

——

On his Epic flagship, Darian still wore a puzzled expression.

"Giving up the seat is one thing. Giving back the money too? Has Cassian changed?"

The officer beside him smiled.

"Anyone who talks only about loyalty and never about the cost is asking someone else to pay it. An election burns money. He knows that."

She glanced at the messages again.

"He may prefer to give you the opportunity and leave everyone with a good impression. Still, he made the decision cleanly, and he won’t take money he feels he hasn’t earned. I respect that."

Darian felt as though he was missing something. But Cassian had sent the hundred million back. That was difficult to argue with.

"All right. Enough about him. What are our chances?"

The officer considered.

"The Marches have roughly a million Lords. Only about ten thousand can hunt at sea, and our friendly Regions account for perhaps a tenth of those."

Darian listened closely.

"But you’ve equipped Ironwake’s two hundred War Lords far better for this than ordinary Lords. With Greyfen and Riftward supporting us, we have a strong chance—as long as Black Banner stays divided."

He nodded, then looked out over the water with some regret.

"If we’d known the rules sooner, I’d have brought more flying troops. Heavy infantry can’t do much out here."

——

"Seven-Star Release. Third Star."

Seraphine pressed hard against a point on her chest.

Her muscles tightened at once. Veins rose beneath her skin, and the pressure pouring from her body multiplied.

"Ten breaths. Enough."

The wings at her back beat once. She crossed hundreds of meters of open air and drove her fist forward.

"Moonlit Dominion!"

A vast golden fist struck across the water. Within its light, mountains and rivers stretched beneath a bright moon.

The Level-49 six-armed Naga recoiled. How had a Level-30 Human suddenly become this powerful?

It hurriedly raised a magic shield.

The golden fist slammed into it.

The shield held.

Before the Naga could recover, another fist struck. Then another. Seraphine’s blows came without a pause, each driving the monster farther back.

After dozens of strikes, the Epic Naga burst into a cloud of blood.

Seraphine swept back onto the ship. She released the Third Star immediately, but a deathly gray had already spread across her face.

She raised a bottle of Life Water and drank.

Its recovery effect pulled her back from the brink. Color returned to her cheeks, and she let out a long breath.

"That felt good."

She turned the empty bottle in her hand.

"A pity I only had the one."

Then she checked the battle report and smiled.

"Four hundred and twelve Ballots. Worth it. Keep hunting—we’re getting Darian that seat."

Her guard captain looked at her with open admiration.

"Yes, my lady!"

——

Black Banner’s Lords had seen the support gathering behind Darian. Their own argument began in the public Channel, where anyone could read it.

[Black Banner Warden: They’re united behind one candidate. If we keep fighting one another for the top twenty, we’re going to hand them command.]

[Bren Orwick: Easy to say. Who here is willing to give up their attributes and Region Fortune?]

[Black Banner Warden: Let Varek Sorn coordinate our votes.]

Cassian stared at the message.

Had he put that Warden under a Mindseal and forgotten about it?

[Bren Orwick: Finally, a sensible suggestion.]

Varek waited until the others had agreed before replying.

[Varek Sorn: Since you trust me, I’ll arrange the allocation. We’ll secure command and get each of you the best Ranking result our votes can provide.]

[Varek Sorn: Wardens seeking a place in the Ranking, send me a screenshot of your Aether balance. I need to know what you can afford. Rest assured, your finances will remain confidential.]