Chapter 992 The Outbreak of War (1)

Aldric saw a soldier running toward him with a worried expression.

"What's the matter?"

The soldier gasped for breath before straightening up and saying frantically, "General, I bring news from the front lines. Here's the letter!"

He handed the letter to Aldric.

Aldric placed his meat on the plate, then took the letter and opened it.

As he read the letter, his expression darkened.

"Very well, Corvin! Very well!"

He clenched the letter tightly in his fist.

"You want to challenge me? I'll accept!"

He tossed the crumpled letter aside, finished his meat, and stood up.

"Drian, rally the entire army. We're attacking tonight!"

Drian was taken aback.

"B-But—"

"No 'buts'! Corvin is planning to attack Kalbar, a city about five kilometers from here. We can't let that happen," Aldric cut in coldly.

Corvin was the leader of the rebellion spreading across the five towns. Aldric didn't know how the man had managed to convince so many soldiers to join him.

But that didn't matter. He had to stop Corvin before his forces could attack Kalbar, which served as the gateway to the southern interior.

…

"Captain, we'll be arriving at the city of Kalbar shortly."

A soldier reported to the burly man on horseback ahead of him.

The man smiled with satisfaction.

"Excellent! Kalbar is the main route to the southern interior. We must take it as soon as possible, before Duke Malvain's forces launch an attack."

The soldiers behind him grinned widely and spurred their horses onward.

Fifteen minutes later, they finally reached a high hill. From their vantage point, they could see a towering fortress nearly twenty meters high.

"Kalbar…"

The burly man couldn't hold back his laughter.

"Come on, let's conquer that city!"

"All right!"

…

"Thank you… Thank you for coming, Prince Aldric!"

An elderly man burst into tears when he saw Aldric arrive.

The man was Baron Rowan, head of the Rowan family. His family had guarded the city of Kalbar for hundreds of years.

Aldric helped him straighten up.

"You're welcome, Baron Rowan. But now's not the time for that. Please tell me everything about Kalbar's layout. I want to position my soldiers so Corvin's forces can't break through the city's defenses."

"Very well! Please follow me."

Baron Rowan led Aldric and Drian into his mansion.

Once they reached the living room, he invited them to sit down. The maids served them tea and cookies before excusing themselves.

"Arkal, please bring me the map of Kalbar," he ordered.

Arkal, the stern-faced head butler, nodded and left.

Shortly afterward, he returned with a scroll and handed it to Baron Rowan.

"Here is the map, Prince Aldric. Please take a look," he said politely.

Aldric took the scroll and unfolded it.

Since the table was covered with tea and snacks, Baron Rowan ordered Arkal to clear everything away.

Aldric spread the map across the table and studied it carefully.

"Kalbar's layout isn't particularly complicated," Baron Rowan said grimly. "However, we lack natural defenses like forests. That means the enemy can attack us from multiple directions."

The city of Kalbar stood in an open area. There were no forests, mountains, or hills within a two-kilometer radius, leaving it quite vulnerable.

Aldric rubbed his chin as he studied every part of the city on the map

"Which side has the weakest defenses?" he asked.

Baron Rowan frowned, but before he could answer, Arkal spoke first.

"The eastern side, Your Highness."

"The eastern side, huh? Do you know why?"

"The eastern side is a slum where the poor live. We've stationed very few guards there, and the wall bordering the settlement has already begun to crack. It's highly likely that the enemy will attack that area."

Baron Rowan felt deeply embarrassed by Arkal's answer.

Poverty and social inequality were serious problems, but he had never really cared about them. In his view, the poor simply didn't need help.

However, with Aldric's arrival and Arkal's blunt revelation, he feared that Aldric might strip him of his baronial title.

Fortunately, his fears proved unfounded. Aldric seemed unconcerned about the matter.

"I understand. How many troops do you have?"

Arkal paused for a moment before answering, "Ten thousand active-duty soldiers and three thousand reservists."

Aldric nodded in satisfaction.

"That's more than enough."

He stood up and said firmly, "Baron Rowan, I'm going to borrow all your troops. I hope you don't mind."

Baron Rowan quickly rose to his feet and gripped Aldric's hand tightly.

"No, I don't mind at all! On the contrary, I'm grateful to you!"

Aldric simply nodded. After exchanging a few more words, he and Drian turned and walked away.

As soon as they left, the panic on Baron Rowan's face vanished. He looked like a completely different person.

"Arkal," he called coldly. "What did you mean just now?"

Arkal looked at him calmly.

"I'm sorry, my lord. I don't understand what you mean."

Baron Rowan's expression darkened as he snapped, "I'm talking about the issue of poverty! Why did you bring it up so openly in front of Prince Aldric!?"

The maids standing nearby quickly bowed their heads.

Arkal remained calm as he replied, "I was simply telling the truth. Was I wrong?"

Baron Rowan's breathing quickened.

"Are you playing dumb!?"

He grabbed Arkal by the collar and pulled him close.

"If Prince Aldric finds out what I've done, I'm finished!" he growled.

Arkal's face remained as expressionless as ever.

"I'm sorry, my lord, but that wasn't my intention. Please don't misunderstand," he replied indifferently.

"You… you…"

Baron Rowan was furious and wanted to say something, but no words came to him.

In the end, he shoved Arkal away and turned to leave.

Arkal straightened his collar and left as well.

The maids breathed a sigh of relief. They had truly feared that a more serious argument would break out between the two.

"Hey, do you know why Baron Rowan always seems annoyed with Head Butler Arkal?" one maid asked cautiously.

"Huh? Don't you know what happened between them?"

The senior maid was surprised by her ignorance.

The young maid shook her head embarrassedly.

"Sorry, I've only been working here for five days. I really don't know."

The senior maid let out a quiet sigh.

"I see. I'll tell you," she said in a low voice. "Head Butler Arkal is Baron Rowan's illegitimate son."

The young maid froze.

"H-His illegitimate son!?"

"Shh! Keep your voice down! Do you want us to get fired?"

Startled, the young maid quickly covered her mouth.

"S-Sorry," she said frantically.

The senior maid shook her head.

"Head Butler Arkal was banished by the baron to the eastern side of the city, where the poor lived. The baron hoped he would die there, but that never happened. Arkal survived thanks to two kind people who saved him. He later returned to reclaim his rightful place, but things didn't go as he'd hoped."

She smiled bitterly.

"Baron Rowan hated him intensely. Besides, the title of heir had already been given to his legitimate son, Young Master Keneth. So, Head Butler Arkal could only remain here as the head butler."

Hearing this, the young maid's expression turned sad.

"How pitiful…"