Translator: Cinder Translations
...
The news of the Southern Rebellion being quelled quickly spread throughout the kingdom of Aldor. The government publicly announced a great victory, while the rebels, Giles and Vibern, conveniently remained silent.
On the surface, it seemed that the Kingdom of Aldor had returned to its previous calm, with the Rodney dynasty's rule still as solid as a mountain. However, some with ulterior motives had discovered that, although the royal family had achieved victory in name, they had suffered significant losses behind the scenes.
His Majesty the King's government began to shift its focus to dealing with the goblin infestation along the West Coast—an aftermath of pirate invasions. The news of Aldor's internal turmoil ending also spread further, reaching other parts of the continent.
In the capital of the Horns Bay Alliance, Niceport, unlike the northern Aldor, snow had begun to fall. Here, the sky drizzled with light rain.
A carriage slowly traveled along a small road in the forest outside Niceport. Two years prior, this forest had seen a gathering of wild wolves attacking humans, leaving travelers on edge. Later, the city hall organized the city guard and adventurers for a large-scale cleanup of the suburbs, restoring normal traffic.
After a distance from Niceport, the carriage turned into a side road and stopped in front of a secluded manor.
The carriage door opened, and Edward stepped onto the blue stone bricks at the entrance of the manor.
"This damned weather! It's been raining for days!"
He complained while looking at the gloomy sky, pulling his hood tighter to shield himself, then approached the main door and knocked firmly.
"Who is it?" A small window in the door opened, revealing a pair of vigilant eyes.
Edward remained silent and simply handed over a wooden sign. After a moment, the manor door opened.
He wrapped his cloak tighter around himself and walked along a gravel path through the courtyard into the manor's residence.
After handing his cloak to the waiting servant and tidying his hair, he entered the game room on the second floor.
There were already two people waiting inside: one was a young mage named Nathan, idly fiddling with a deck of cards, and the other was a woman in casual clothes, standing by the window and gazing at the pouring rain outside.
Edward first nodded slightly at Nathan, who didn't lift his head but nodded in response, continuing to shuffle the cards.
Edward didn't mind; having known this young man for a while, he understood his temperament. Moreover, there was another presence in the room closely related to Nathan.
Edward turned to the woman by the window and bowed politely—though she couldn't see him do so.
"Milady, we've received confirmed news from Scott—Aldor's civil war has ended."
"Civil war?"
The woman turned around, revealing a beautiful face. Although she appeared young, there was a hint of weariness in her expression, a maturity that set her apart from other young women.
"Yes, civil war. Giles and Vibern have once again pledged loyalty to the royal family," Edward explained.
"Haha!" Nathan, still fiddling with his cards, scoffed, "So, Scott and his crew wasted their efforts?"
"No!" Edward shook his head. "While the royal family of Aldor won in appearance, they lost in substance—families in the South and East that were once loyal to the king have been uprooted by Giles and Vibern. Those two regions have essentially severed ties with the royal family."
"From this perspective, our plan has been 90% successful."
"In terms of actual effect, it's 100%. After all this commotion, the Aldor Kingdom can no longer interfere in external affairs."
Nathan tossed aside the cards and stroked his chin, saying, "Hmph, the Aldor royal family should be grateful. They actually stand to lose much more. If Master Bennett's plan in the Northwest Bay had succeeded, it wouldn't just be the southern and eastern territories breaking away from royal control."
"That would have been too much force!"
A woman by the window suddenly interjected.
"Uh... Mom!"
"Yes, my lady!"
Nathan and Edward ceased their discussion.
The woman spoke in a tone that carried a hint of warning: "Remember, our goal is not to create chaos. Now that Aldor has lost its power, just the right amount of pressure will suffice."
Edward lowered his head, appearing to accept her words. Even if he disagreed internally, he didn't dare show it on his face; after all, she was one of the top ten members of the Arcane Order.
After he led the invasion of Aldor's western port, this lady had sternly warned him not to confront Aldor's military forces directly—particularly the royal fleet from the Northwest Bay that had been sent after the western fleet was annihilated. Instead, he could only harass them with small forces.
The reason was to avoid exerting too much force. However, based on the current results, her stance at that time was indeed correct.
Had they attacked too fiercely at the kingdom's rear, what if Giles had captured the Crystal Glare? The Arcane Order's aim was never to support Giles in unifying Aldor; instead, it was to create a divided Aldor, preventing various powers from working together.
Nathan grinned: "Giles might be resentful for the insufficient support we provided. His dream from the start was to wear the crown, not just to carve out a piece of land."
The woman scoffed: "If he's to blame, let it be for his own lack of ability. A crown gained through the strength of others is heavy to wear, even if he manages to don it."
Then she added, "Alright, let's refrain from interfering in Aldor's matters in the future, especially in the Northwest... well, let's leave it at that."
A glimmer of excitement crossed Nathan's face: "Haha, a new play is about to begin."
The woman sighed: "How did I end up with a son who loves to stir up trouble?"
Nathan walked to the window, gazing at the hazy forest in the distance. "Nesta has already surrendered, and Aldor is preoccupied with its own troubles. Next, we just need to tie down the Church's forces in the Horn Bay, and then the prince's grand plan can truly be set in motion."
Edward stood behind him, his eyes shining with anticipation for the future: "Then we can walk openly among the world."
The three fell silent for a moment, and the woman suddenly asked, "Have we made contact with that group of escapees?"
Nathan replied, "We have, but many of them seem to be hesitating."
A look of nostalgia crossed the woman's face. "Leaving the place where you've lived for so long is indeed a difficult choice."
Nathan dismissed it disdainfully: "A bunch of shortsighted people."
His mother shot him a glare: "Don't mock our fellow countrymen. And we... bear responsibility for putting them in such a dangerous situation."
Nathan fell silent, and after a long pause, muttered softly, "All for the greater cause, necessary sacrifices... they must be made."
His mother shook her head and turned back to the window.
"Let's try to bring them over to our side..."
The rain outside began to pour heavily.
(End of the Chapter)
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