As they galloped toward the southern gate of Vilkenos, Simon and the Grand Duke processed the messenger’s news.
’The Kingdom of Kalos sent an army?’ Simon broke into a cold sweat and bit his lip. ’And of all times, it had to be when the Grand Duke’s Ancient Undead are away...!’
[There is no need to be anxious,] the Grand Duke’s voice, calm and steady, emanated from her helmet. [They will not cause trouble immediately.]
As they raced on, the sight of the advancing army came into view in the distance. A massive column of soldiers was still pouring through the wide-open city gates. The streets on either side were crowded with Northerners.
"What scraps are you crawling here to pick up?"
"Get back to the south while we’re still talking!"
The atmosphere was utterly hostile. The residents were clearly not welcoming the kingdom’s army and looked ready to start throwing stones at any moment. Warriors stood in alleyways with their weapons drawn, and archers on rooftops had arrows nocked, waiting. The air crackled with the threat of violence.
Frankly, knowing the temperament of the Northerners, a brawl should have already broken out, but they were holding back on the Grand Duke’s orders.
"Hahaha!"
At the head of the Kalos army, a man was perched atop an undead giant crab, utterly out of place in this climate. Its hollowed-out shell was lined with a carpet, upon which the purple-haired man sat, arms draped arrogantly over the sides. It was like a king’s procession. A parasol shielded him from the nonexistent sun, and he held a cocktail in one hand.
The crab’s massive pincers snapped in the air, producing a sharp, metallic clang that made some of the residents flinch and step back in intimidation.
"My, what a bloodthirsty welcoming party," he drawled, taking a long sip of his cocktail through a straw. His dark pupils scanned the crowd. "So disrespectful to the heroes who’ve come to save the North. Should I just tear them all to pieces?"
This was Kronos Stiltchen, the officially sanctioned war necromancer of the Kalos Kingdom.
"Calm yourself, Kronos."
Beside him, a man on a warhorse led the kingdom’s army with a commanding presence. He was built like a mountain, clad head to toe in extravagant, gleaming golden armor. His pitch-black skin, thick caterpillar-like eyebrows, and strong, chiseled features were striking.
"We came for peace. I will not tolerate any rash actions."
This was Romario Socon, Commander of the Northeastern Front.
The kingdom’s army, led by Commander Romario and the war necromancer Kronos, had entered the heart of the North without a fight. Just then, Kronos’s eyes narrowed.
"She’s finally here. The hero of humanity."
Black full-plate armor, a red cape bearing the symbol of the North, and a massive bow. There was no mistaking her. It was the famed Grand Duke of the North, Jin Arscalt.
Kronos licked his lips and grinned. "I’ve been dying to meet you. I’ve been a fan of yours for a long time!"
At her appearance, generals from all over the city emerged with their troops. Standard-bearers joined them, waving the banners of the North. The Grand Duke, riding alongside Simon, slowed her horse and gave the signal to halt. Commander Romario also raised a fist, bringing his army to a stop.
The two armies faced each other. Simon glanced back. The generals’ eyes were bloodshot with rage, and the other riders and warriors were ready for battle. The situation was a powder keg.
The Grand Duke and Romario urged their horses forward to meet.
"It has been a while, Grand Duke." Romario removed his helmet and gave a slight bow.
[Commander Romario.]
The Grand Duke did not remove her helmet. She lifted her chin, a menacing light glowing from within her visor. [To march an army into the North without any report or notice... Are you truly asking for death?]
"I don’t know what you’re talking about," Romario replied calmly. "It was the North that requested reinforcements, was it not? We have merely answered the call."
[Reinforcements?] The Grand Duke’s expression soured beneath her helmet. She glanced to the side and saw her steward, Godric, frantically making an ’X’ with his arms. She paused for a moment before speaking. [By reinforcements, do you mean the ones we requested two years ago?]
"Indeed. Please forgive our late arrival. Moving an army is a grave matter that requires many procedures."
"Romario!"
From the Grand Duke’s ranks, a man strode forward, erupting with volcanic fury. It was the North’s Great General, Ganiro. His face was flushed red to his neck, as if he had been mortally insulted.
"Is that detestable mouth of yours only good for spouting piss?! Every word you utter makes my stomach turn! I’ll rip out your guts and stuff them in your mouth!"
With a rasp of steel, Ganiro drew his sword. Behind Romario, Kronos let out an amused chuckle and extended a finger, a curse swirling at its tip.
[Calm yourself, Ganiro.]
The Grand Duke blocked his arm. Ganiro could not bring himself to push past her, but his rage, once unleashed, was unstoppable.
"Do you think we’re fools?! Did we only ask for reinforcements two years ago? We asked five years ago, seven years ago, and twenty years ago! You lot, who wouldn’t lift a finger when the North was in real danger, making one excuse after another—why have you suddenly crawled here in two days?!" Veins bulged on his neck. "You heard the Three Brothers are dead! You heard the North is on the verge of being pacified, and now you want to come and take a piece of the credit! Do you think I don’t see your vile scheme?!"
From all sides, the murderous glares of the Northerners fell upon them.
"Get out of the North!"
"Vile schemers!"
A torrent of boos and jeers rained down. However...
"Refrain from baseless accusations." Romario did not even blink. "This army’s expedition has been in preparation for six months. The Northern God is the enemy of the North, and the enemy of the North is the enemy of the kingdom."
He pulled on his reins, guiding his horse closer, and presented an edict to the Grand Duke.
"An edict from His Majesty the King. He is taking great interest in this expedition."
The Grand Duke examined the edict. Her face, hidden by her helmet, betrayed no emotion.
’Prepared in advance.’ It felt like a perfectly executed plan. The royals and nobles of Kalos had always been wary of the North. The Grand Duke, Jin Arscalt, was far too powerful a figure, both in military might and influence. For them, the best-case scenario was maintaining the status quo. They wanted the hero of humanity, the Commander of the 2nd Legion, to be forever bogged down in the North, shackled to the Northern God.
The worst-case scenario for the nobility was for the Northern God to die, for the North to be pacified, and for the Grand Duke to turn her attention to the central government.
But the situation had changed rapidly. The Three Brothers who supported the Northern God were dead, and now the Grand Duke was preparing for the final battle. And in this situation, the kingdom had dispatched its army.
’Their objective is still unclear.’ But their speed was unexpected. Even with the Three Brothers dead, this was too fast.
She lowered the edict and spoke. [You said you were reinforcements.]
"That is correct. We will risk our lives to aid the Northern army, exterminate the Northern God, and liberate the North."
[In that case, from this moment on, the kingdom’s army will follow my orders and my orders alone.] A light flared within her helmet. This was the North, and in the North, the Grand Duke’s command was held higher than that of the King of Kalos. [In the campaign against the Northern God, you will obey any order, no matter how harsh. Do you swear it?]
Romario nodded without a moment’s hesitation. "I, Romario Socon, swear it on my name."
[Wait here.] She turned her horse. [I will speak with my generals. Since you arrived without notice, there are no quarters to house and feed your troops. Make camp in a nearby vacant lot.]
"We will be waiting."
Immediately, the most prominent figures of the North gathered in the Grand Duke’s war room.
"Your Excellency! Why did you allow them to stay in Vilkenos?!"
"Hush! Can you not see the Grand Duke’s profound plan to lull them into a false sense of security before a night raid?"
"Regardless, we cannot allow these outsiders to remain here!"
The war room descended into chaos. The Grand Duke, pinching the bridge of her nose, was lost in thought. Simon watched her with concern.
"Your Excellency."
"I am fine." She looked up at her generals. "I ask you all."
Every mouth fell silent, all eyes on her.
"Who is our main enemy?"
"The Northern God!"
"Correct." She tapped the armrest of her chair with the tip of her gauntlet. "Many of you, swept up in emotion, want to strike them now, but those twenty thousand are merely an advance force. Even if we somehow deal with them, the kingdom’s main army will come next. We would have to face fifty thousand, then a hundred thousand."
She clasped her hands together. "This is a golden opportunity to end a feud that has lasted for centuries and destroy the Northern God. I will not allow it to be obstructed by the likes of the kingdom’s army."
"But, Your Excellency!" Great General Ganiro, who had reacted more violently than anyone to the army’s arrival, rose to his feet. "Have you forgotten? The central government has always seen us as a thorn in their side!"
The nobles of Kalos feared the Grand Duke of the North more than the Northern God, who was treated like a distant legend. Jin Arscalt was not called the hero of humanity for nothing. Her popularity among the people surpassed even the king’s, and some even argued that she should be the one on the throne. If the Northern God were to disappear, her stock would rise even higher.
"They are undoubtedly up to something! Therefore!"
"And that is why I made it clear that they would follow only our orders," the Grand Duke cut in, resting her chin on her hand. "Attacking them now is the worst possible move. We would have to face the entire kingdom before our decisive battle with the Northern God. But they, too, rushed here and failed to establish a sufficient political justification for their presence. They have no choice but to obey my command, and I will ensure their forces suffer maximum losses in the battle against the Northern God."
"What happens after we defeat the Northern God?!" another general cried out, unable to listen any longer. "We are the ones who defeated the Three Brothers and seized this opportunity! Even if we defeat the Northern God, those outsiders will demand rights to the Frost Field! We’ll have to share the glory! That count must have been the one to call them here! The thought of sharing the Frost Field is...!"
Suddenly, the Grand Duke raised a fist.
The round table split with a deafening crack. Every general immediately fell silent.
"You fools." Her eyes turned sharp as daggers. "Are you already worried about what comes after we’ve defeated the Northern God?"
The sound of nervous swallowing could be heard around the room.
"Our enemy is an undead that has plagued the North for over a thousand years. The arrival of reinforcements might actually be a good thing. Even with their help, we may still lack the strength to defeat the Northern God." She rose from her seat. "Do not think of useless things. For now, think only of how to use these reinforcements and how to defeat the Northern God. That is all."
The meeting ended in continued chaos, without a final decision. It seemed another would be held the next day.
’This is so complicated.’
Simon was walking back to his inn. ’I thought it would all be over once we defeated the Northern God and its undead, but there are too many conflicting interests.’
The Count. And now the Kingdom of Kalos. The humans right in front of him were scarier than the undead that devoured people.
He took his time, enjoying the fresh air, and finally arrived at the inn. He opened the door with a clatter, expecting to find the usual bustling crowd of dinner patrons, but the place was completely empty.
Simon turned his head. Only two men were sitting at a table, eating.
"Oh, hey! Fancy meeting you here." The man with tattoos on his neck and wrists waved cheerfully. "Name’s Kronos. I’m something of a senior to you!"
The dark-skinned man beside him looked up. "I am Commander Romario. Might we have a word?"
Simon smiled bitterly to himself. ’Why is everyone so eager to get a piece of me?’

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