Translator: Cinder Translations
...
On August 18 of the Saint's Calendar, after a period of rest, the Alden army resumed their march and crossed the border of the Duke's direct territory once again on the 20th, heading straight for Sente.
On the 19th, Maltz Kent gathered another army to intercept the Alden forces but suffered another defeat. From that point on, the road to Sente was clear.
The news that the usurper had no more soldiers to call upon quickly spread throughout the Northwest Bay. Other lords in the allied forces resumed their attacks, bypassing the Biddeburg and leaving only a small number of troops to guard the defenders inside.
In late August, the three neutral earldoms and other independent lords announced their support for the allied forces and joined in denouncing the usurper Maltz Kent for his illegitimate rise to power.
Many lords who had previously aligned with Maltz Kent changed sides and declared their surrender to the allied forces. Those who had not formally surrendered secretly sent envoys to negotiate, with Paul Grayman being the most sought-after for his significant contributions to the war effort.
On the evening of August 25, the Duke's residence received news that the Alden army was less than 20 miles from Sente. If nothing unusual happened, they would reach Sente the next day.
At this time, Sente City—the largest city in the Northwest Bay—was in turmoil, and the hearts of its people were in disarray. The Duke's residence at the city's center was particularly grim and desolate.
Where once the residence had been bustling with visitors from all over, now it stood deserted.
Even more frightening, there had been frequent disappearances and deaths within the residence recently. The bodies that were found were all shriveled and bloodless, leading to widespread rumors and growing exaggerations in the city.
Maltz Kent, busy with the overwhelming war situation, had apparently neglected to manage these incidents, allowing the rumors to spread unchecked. The servants in the Duke's residence lived in constant fear but dared not flee privately. Until the enemy occupied Sente, the Duke remained the supreme authority there, and there was still a loyal group of family knights.
The impending siege and the mysterious terror had left the city's residents deeply anxious.
At noon on the 26th, the Alden army arrived outside Sente. With reinforcements, their numbers approached 6,000, sealing off the city's three gates. After a brief rest following lunch, they began bombarding the city at 2 p.m.
The artillerymen, bare-chested and sweating profusely, fired cannonballs one after another. To escape the summer heat, shade shelters were set up over each cannon position. However, even so, the artillery positions felt like furnaces, with the cannon barrels becoming so hot that they needed to be cooled with water.
The artillery bombardment was merely a diversion. For a fortress like Sente, conventional siege methods were inefficient and would certainly result in high casualties. Paul's plan was to dig tunnels to approach the city walls, carve out large holes, place explosives inside, and then blow the walls down.
So, large numbers of soldiers began digging underground, inching their way toward the city walls of Sente.
...
Maltz Kent sat alone in the empty hall of the Duke's residence.
He was reminiscing about every event since the start of Barnett's plan, with scenes flashing through his mind.
Half a year ago, in this very hall, the lords of the Northwest Bay had gathered to celebrate Duke Fraule's birthday. It was on that day that the old Duke had announced his selection of Maltz as his heir. Maltz still vividly remembered the shock, fear, and resentment in the eyes of the Duke's brother, Viscount Henry.
Perhaps it was around that time that a conspiracy against him had begun to brew.
Pryce Parker, Paul Grayman, Morley Melken... every single one of them, these rats and maggots, must have been watching him with jealousy and twisted eyes from the corners of the hall.
Ah, if only he had thrown these people directly into prison at that time, maybe there wouldn't have been so many problems later, and certainly not the current situation.
Speaking of prisons, the escape tunnel of the Fraule family turned out to have an entrance in the Duke's prison. Since that fool Henry escaped, he had sent people to almost tear apart the walls and floor of the dungeon, finally discovering the hidden tunnel. Damn it, why hadn't he thought of this possibility before?
However, even without Henry Fraule, Parker and Grayman would have found another reason to rise against him; these small-minded people would never let him sit comfortably on the Duke's throne.
Hmph, you won't let me be at ease and even killed my son; I won't let you have it easy either.
Maltz Kent, plotting the plans he had already set, thought that, yes, he had failed in direct confrontation, but the real drama was just beginning. He would become a nightmare, an enduring terror for his opponents.
"Heh heh, the Duke is so leisurely and comfortable..."
While he was lost in thought, a slightly mocking voice echoed in the hall.
Maltz sprang to his feet. With his heightened sensitivity, he hadn't noticed anyone entering the hall.
A figure in a black cloak appeared at the door, slowly removing his hood to reveal a young face. He was a handsome youth, with an earring on his right ear, but his slightly frivolous gaze was quite off-putting.
Wearing a black cloak in the middle of summer—was he ill?
Clearly, this was not an ordinary person. He walked slowly to the front of the main seat, separating him from Maltz by only a low table.
Maltz thought for a moment and tentatively asked, "Are you... from the Arcane Order?"
The youth nodded with a smile.
"Where is Master Bennet?"
The youth shook his head. "That esteemed person is elusive; we don't know his whereabouts."
"Has Andy returned? Did he send you to help me?" Before the other could answer, Maltz shouted angrily, "Why did you come so late? It's already too late now."
The youth shrugged. "Help? Duke, you might have misunderstood something. Sorry, I don't want to waste time on useless talk, but some unpleasant things will happen next."
"Hahaha!" Maltz laughed hysterically, "So, I'm no longer of any use to you, and you're here to eliminate me to cover up your existence? Fine, I have accounts to settle with you too."
Maltz suddenly sprang up, his right hand clawing towards the youth with a speed too fast to be seen.
However, just as his fingertips were about to touch the youth's face, his entire body suddenly froze. Maltz remained in the attacking posture as if instantly frozen.
The youth took a step back, unfazed, and said mockingly, "Duke, you're only partially correct. The more important reason is—"
His eyes turned cold, and his tone became grim as he said, "You dared to threaten a mage, even if he's just an apprentice."
Threaten? Maltz recalled the scene where he had forced Andy to seek help from the Arcane Order.
The youth placed his hand on Maltz's shoulder and gently pressed downward. The Duke, unable to maintain his balance, fell heavily onto the desk, where a candle holder's sharp point pierced through his heart and emerged from his back.
The Duke's rigid body did not even struggle, gradually losing its breath.
The youth's face returned to a smile as he put on his hood and turned to leave the hall.
An hour later, several servants carrying food arrived at the hall's door, discovering that the guards stationed there were sound asleep, and quickly woke them up.
The guards were deeply ashamed, as they were the Duke's elite and had collectively made such a basic error.
Perhaps it was due to their recent exhaustion.
The first servant entered the hall and was horrified to see the scene inside, causing him to drop the food in shock.
Minutes later, news of the Duke's unfortunate and accidental death spread throughout the residence.
(End of the Chapter)
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