Next Morning, a carriage was waiting in front of Adrian's House. Adrian and His mother entered the carriage, leaving for the Count's mansion.
After 3-4 hours...
The carriage reached the Count's mansion where the Count was personally waiting for Adrian.
"Sir Adrian, Welcome!" Count greeted Adrian before turning towards his mother "And this beautiful lady must be your mother! If I didn't know it beforehand, I would've taken her as your elder sister, hahaha" Count Nadino complemented cheerfully.
"No lord, You must be exaggerating, I am not that beautiful" Freya (Adrian's mother) politely replied, with a gentle smile covering her face.
"No no, I am not exaggerating a bit. If I hadn't heard about you from Adrian, I would have surely imagined you to be a princess." Count said, trying to sound as sincere as he could.
Observing the unfolding scene, Adrian fixed a stern gaze upon the Count, disapproving of his overly familiar gestures towards his mother. With the Count's wife having passed away three years ago, Adrian found himself torn about exposing his mother to such proximity with the Count.
The Count only sought to align himself with Adrian, hoping to bask in the glow of the once-in-a-lifetime genius's success. Little did he know that showering Freya with compliments could inadvertently lead to more harm than good.
Adrian, feeling unable to endure any longer, interjected, "Alright, Sir. Could you please show us the house where we can stay?" Adrian inquired with a determined smile, adding, "My mother has just recovered from her illness today, so I would appreciate the opportunity for her to rest as much as possible."
"But how is that possible? She appears perfectly healthy and joyful," the count exclaimed, genuine shock evident on his face. All his compliments had been sincere; he had hoped to impress Adrian's mother to foster good relations with Adrian. Seeing her radiant health and beauty, he momentarily forgot his initial intentions. Learning that she had recently recovered from an illness now made him appreciate her beauty even more, realizing that she must be even more stunning in her original state.
"Yes, my lord, I was astonished at how swiftly I regained my health. Upon consuming the remedy that Adrian concocted from various medicinal plants, I found myself fully recovered by morning," Freya conveyed, expressing her understanding and sympathy towards the count.
Adrian gathered all the necessary ingredients for the medicine on his way home last night, as Demios had recalled the recipe and remembered that the plants contained Yang energy, which Freya had taken.
" Sir Count, If you are done talking, can we go and see the house now?" Adrian requested politely, a forced smile hanging on his face.
"A-alright, Follow me" Count replied, taking them to their destination.
"This is your house from now on, Adrian" Count announced before turning towards Freya "Milady, Do you like the house?" Count inquired, with a gentle smile.
Freya was taken aback by the grandeur of the house. "Th-this... Isn't this a mansion instead of a house, Adrian?" she questioned, surprised by its massive size. The intricate design and impeccable finishing were evident, and maids stood ready to welcome them inside.
As soon as Adrian's mouth opened to speak, the count responded promptly, as if he had anticipated the question. "Certainly, it's absolutely fine. A lady of your beauty residing in this mansion is not only fitting but delightful. You might even consider a more spacious residence, and if you wish, I can make arrangements for that immediately," the count suggested, accompanied by a warm and cheerful smile.
"Does this Count want to die?" Adrian thought before answering "No, it's alright Sir. This is more than enough. Now, can we leave? so that we can focus on a more serious issue!" Adrian requested.
"Oh yes, let's leave!" The count answered, turning serious.
Adrian left with the count after saying his farewell to his mother.
Count Nadino's Meeting room---
All the nobles under Nadino County's jurisdiction, along with Count Nadino's officials and trusted aides, gathered around a round table. Tauras and Valark were seated next to Count Nadino, with Adrian positioned in the second-left seat, eagerly listening to the strategies being devised.
"Sir, our chances of prevailing in this territorial war are minimal. Many nobles are supporting Count Philip to secure a share of Antinia's profits. They've covertly sent nearly half of their elites to join Count Philip's forces while concealing their true allegiance. The information from our spy has been verified through multiple sources," an official reported with a solemn expression.
"Their two vice-captains are both 4-star aura knights, with the captain holding a 5-star rank. Count Philip's army significantly outnumbers ours. Even if we commit our entire force to the war, it would only amount to 1000 troops, with just 500 being aura users. These include [300] 1-star knights, [150] 2-stars, [50] 3-stars, including the vice-captain, and our captain, a 4-star knight," another official detailed their army composition.
"Their forces outnumber ours by five times. They currently have 3000 troops, with 250 of them being 3-star aura knights. The remaining numbers consist of [1000] 1-stars, [600] 2-stars, and the rest are non-aura users," a noble seated next to Adrian added, wearing an expression that suggested a sense of defeat.
*Sigh* "This is all due to those self-serving nobles and The North Nobles Federation. Despite their outward righteousness, they are merely greedy wolves seeking to snatch a piece of meat wherever they can," the count lamented, shaking his head before continuing. "Due to the support of those individuals, no noble is willing to aid us. Attempts to hire mercenaries and Aura users have all been futile."
"Sir, it appears our only recourse is to leverage the Antinia castle's defensive capabilities. We stand little chance of victory if we engage them directly," Tauras suggested.
"Yes, it seems that's our only option for now," the Count agreed before announcing, "We shall prepare for the war scheduled for tomorrow. You may proceed with the necessary arrangements."
"Was that it? That's your grand plan for the war?" Adrian shouted in his mind. "Well, I shouldn't interfere right now and observe how things unfold tomorrow."
The entire assembly vacated the meeting room, wearing solemn expressions as they prepared for the impending war. The day swiftly unfolded as everyone diligently readied themselves for the impending conflict.
By the next morning, all troops had taken their positions at Antinia Castle. Adrian stood atop the castle walls, overseeing the distribution of troops. Non-aura users were assigned to operate Ballista and providing arrows to the archers, with some aura-users strategically interspersed among them.
Castle walls saw the placement of most 2-stars, along with elite 1-stars, tasked with preventing enemies from scaling the walls. Positioned strategically, 3-star aura knights assumed the roles of unit commanders, handling challenging situations beyond the capacity of 2-star knights. Meanwhile, most 1-stars held positions behind the gate, prepared to defend in case of a breach by the enemy.
As the time for the commencement of the impending war drew near, the reverberating sound of approaching enemy footsteps grew more pronounced. After a brief period, the adversaries began emerging within our line of sight, their sheer numbers proving overwhelming. They came to a halt just beyond the castle walls, engaging in the preparation of their tents.
"They number around 3,500," Adrian estimated, casting his gaze over the enemy forces.
Amidst the bustling activity, the ominous sound of rolling wheels resonated through the air. A colossal artillery piece was being laboriously maneuvered by hundreds of enemy troops.
"W-What? Why is that thing here?" Tauras exclaimed in a panicked tone.
The Count's eyes widened in a mixture of shock and terror as he observed the artillery being brought into close proximity.
"This war! it seems we have lost it!" The Count muttered, succumbing to a profound sense of hopelessness.