Chapter 31


    Spring of the year 4424 arrived in earnest, and finally, Lansius received the summons he had been waiting for. After a three-day trip on horseback, Lansius and his escorts found themselves in a beautiful castle, grander than anything he had ever seen before. The towers were imposingly tall, the archway grand, and the gates majestic—however, since it waste, he was ushered in speedily and had little time to marvel.


    The next day, Lansius was bathed, given a fresh set of clothes, and served a small meal as he waited. He waited for hours until suddenly, guards and servants came. They escorted Lansius through a dizzying array of corridors, stairs, and hidden pathways until a maid opened a greatcquered door that led to a luxurious study chamber.


    The maid gestured for silence, while another servant gently shoved Lansius in. The door closed, and Lansius found himself before the renowned Lord Bengrieve, seneschal of Mindia.


    There was little doubt of the identity of the man now sitting calmly in hisfortable-looking padded chair, reading scrolls on his elegant, small circr table,pletely unbothered by Lansius’s entry.


    <i>The most powerful man in Mindia . . .</i>


    The chamber was upied by only him and Lansius. Remembering the maid’s gesture, Lansius could only wait anxiously for his host to address him.


    He knew his status too well to even try to cough or draw attention. To Lord Bengrieve, he was just a nuisance.


    Releasing tension from his weary legs, Lansius took in the tasteful design of the room. Absent were grandiose furniture or gaudy art pieces; instead, a single paintingplemented the clean, lily-white stered wall, and sleek marble floors added to the room’s elegance.


    Arge ss vase filled with freshly cut flowers lent a pleasant floral scent to the airy chamber, and the most striking feature was the natural light streaming in from the adjacent open garden, connected by a series ofrge folding windows. However, a towering metallic statue, the size of a giant bear and painted in a deep, glossy blue, stood as an oddity, shing with the otherwise serene surroundings.<i>Is this supposed to be artwork?</i>


    The silence was punctuated only by the asional chirping of birds outside, and despite the fully opened window to the garden, there was no chilling spring winding in.


    He couldn’t shake off the feeling that the temperature was being controlled by a mage. It was strange to think that the high nobles employed these rare, powerful individuals like glorified bodyguards and even portable air conditioners.


    <i>To use them like this when they’re needed the most in the fight at the border. Isn’t this decadence?</i>


    Lansius wanted to ask Lord Bengrieve many things, such as why he saved Stefi, why he wanted him, and whether he would release them. Unfortunately, he was merely a henchman, and it was not his ce to ask.


    The fact that Lord Bengrieve didn’t bother to dress up and remained in his ck silken robe conveyed the gulf of status between them. Although this realization made Lansius ufortable, he knew better than to let his pride get in the way of his duties.


    The sight of the recently blooming flower garden gave him some much-needed respite. The garden was highly decorated,plete with its own fish pond, working fountain, and even a mini waterfall.


    <i>Pipes and pumps, or is it magic?</i>


    “Lansius, why are you here?” the host finally spoke after throwing hisst scroll down to the table.


    It was not a casual greeting, and Lansius quickly replied, “I’m here to serve you, my lord.”


    Lord Bengrieve gazed out into his garden, his eyes seeming lost in thought as the sweet chirping of birds filled the air. After a moment of silence, “Lansius, what is thy desire?”


    “My lord, I wish to fulfill your order,” Lansius replied despite the growing tension.


    The host turned his head and gazed directly into Lansius. “Lansius,” he repeated slowly, as if savoring the name. “What is thy desire?”


    As if hypnotized by the sharp eyes, Lansius suddenly remembered a rumor that Bengrieve did not forget anything that was spoken to him. A powerful man with a perfect memory. “To save myself and the people closest to me,” he nervously admitted.


    “A selfless guardian,” the host remarked disinterestedly. “To whom have you directed this protection?”


    “To Lady Audrey, the girl you saved, and for my family in Bendia.”


    The lord’s expression was unreadable, and he turned his gaze to the garden once again. After a moment of thoughtful silence he said, “Prove your worth, and I’ll arrange for my men to escort your family out of Arvena before the war begins.”


    <i>Did I hear that correctly?</i>


    “Yes, my lord.” Lansius trembled as he bowed his head deeply. Never in his wildest dreams did he expect something like this to happen.


    In just a few words, Lord Bengrieve had gained Lansius’s allegiance.


    Lansius returned to Toruna and saw the increased military presence around the area. He knew enough to realize that war was imminent. After his meeting with Lord Bengrieve, Sir Stan and Calub entrusted Lansius with more information.


    One piece of news was Felicity’s betrothal. Calub broke the news: Felis had gotten her wish to be a noble. Lansius was utterly surprised, but ddened. In Felis he hoped to find a reliable ally, so he wrote a letter to congratte her.


    Another revtion was the campaign to the south. Instead of marching directly north to Arvena, Lord Bengrieve had unexpectedlyunched a campaign against a small barony in Londia.


    Sir Stan exined that the n was to secure Mindia’s exposed nk beforemitting to a major push against Lord Gottfried in Arvena. While the southern campaign against a small barony looked like an uneven battle, Mindia couldn’t afford a prolonged siege or to waste men and supplies. They needed a quick and decisive victory.


    The problem was the presence of a powerful viscount in Londia. Although the province was fragmented, the viscount had backed most of the baronies in the area to maintain his regime’s status quo. These small baronies acted as a buffer, separating his region from Mindia.


    For this campaign, Sir Stan would be apanied by Lansius, Audrey, and Calub. However, they would separate from Sir Stan and the main army. Mindia needed someone to lead a diversion, and that person turned out to be Lansius, along with Toruna’s ragtag band of misfits.


    Lansius suspected that he was selected because he was a foreigner, which provided a convenient scapegoat should he be captured. Initially unsure, Lansius epted the mission after Calub convinced him, citing his victory in Sabina Rustica as proof of hismanding ability. Despite having only a season to train and equip his troops in Toruna, he chose to embrace the risk. Under the guise of a raiding mission, Lansius’s small band of poorly trained troops embarked on what seemed, in all respects, to be a suicide mission.


    <i>Londia, Summer 4424.</i>


    It had been a full year since the fall of Arvena, and nine months since Lansius first set foot in Toruna. The relentless passage of time mirrored the unceasing winds that swept across the Great ins of Londia.


    The Londia province, far to the south of Mindia remained deste despite the approaching harvest season. There was no abundance of golden crops or orchards full of ripe fruits. Instead, only endless fields of yellowing steppe grasnds stretched as far as the eye could see, with little signs of life.


    Londia was sparsely popted and economically poor, with limited farnd scattered across its vastndscape. The Great ins, vast but lifeless, separated the province’s two viscounties and eight baronies into eastern and western parts.


    The western part bordered with two other provinces via a treacherous mountain range that effectively served as a natural boundary. The eastern part shared a border with Mindia, along with one of the two human Eastern Kingdoms.


    Despite being a part of the Imperium, Londia was closer to awless province. The local lords had quarreled and warred against each other for centuries, with the High Court paying minimal attention and unwilling to get involved as long as tribute was paid.


    From time immemorial, the Imperium had seen the region as unimportant. The province wasrgely infertile, and its only other feature was the border with the deadly Great Marsnd to the south. However, for the local lords, the ce was ancestral, and they would eagerly defend it with their blood.


    <i>Viscount Side</i>


    Lord Robert, the Lion of Londia, once again took to the field. A ragtag troop flying an unknown banner had raided hisnd. Despite his advanced age, his eyesight hadn’t failed him. He calmly surveyed the opponent’s formation arrayed across the open ins.


    “Our right wing and left wing are ready, my lord,” Michael reported as he gently reined in his horse. The excitement in the youngster’s voice was evident as it was his first battle as the marshal.


    The viscount didn’t share his enthusiasm and remained silent. No bite, Robert observed. He had moved both of his wings as bait, but the opponent’s formation remained unchanged.


    Robert’s passiveness unintentionally caused unease among his men.


    “My lord?” the marshal asked again after a while.


    “I heard you the first time, Michael,” Robert said to the marshal who was also his future son-inw.


    “Our men are eager to fight. Would you give us the order?” Michael feared the opponent might try to flee.


    Robert weighed his decision. Unlike Michael, who was in his prime, Robert was full of wrinkles and grayed hair. However, he had what the younger mancked: experience. Michael was like a set of armor that had never seen battle, pristine and without a scratch. Robert, on the other hand, had fought in over twenty battles.


    “Michael, retreating doesn’t necessarily mean an army is weak,” Robert warned.


    “But that’s all they’ve done since invading ournds, my lord,” Michael replied.


    Robert’s warning fell on deaf ears, but he acknowledged that Michael wasn’tpletely wrong. Ever since Robert had assembled his troops and given chase, the invaders hadn’t attempted to fight. Instead, they simply ran from every engagement. This behavior puzzled Robert and made him timid, while Michael saw it as weakness, which made him grow bolder.


    “What do the scout reports say?” Robert asked.


    “My lord,” Michael said proudly at his preparation, “I’ve sent riders in three directions. They reported no sightings, only empty ins.”


    Robert took a deep breath. It was against his guts, but he felt that his men needed the confidence of a war leader, not a superstitious old man. “Very well, since the enemy isn’t taking our bait, marshal, you may lead the center column. Keep the two cavalries to guard your nks. And I’ll hold the reserve with a hundred cavalry.”


    The trumpets and bugles rang out, signaling the march. Banners unfurled at the front of the formation, fluttering in the wind. The captains rallied their troops, and one thousand soldiers advanced in polished armor and helmets that glistened under the sunlight.


    Robert watched as the column marched past him, his highly decorated armor and fierce-looking warhorse adding to his lordly presence and inspiring his men. Yet, the armor was just for show. In reality, he was too frail to fight.


    Before the sun rose higher, the center column had sessfully rejoined with its two wings, which had earlier tried unsessfully to provoke the opponent.


    In total, there were approximately one thousand men, bolstered by two hundred cavalry, thrown against an opponent with no more than four hundred.


    Despite the three-to-one advantage, Robert felt uneasy. He wondered why the enemy had chosen to fight that day. After pondering for a while, he concluded that something unexpected must have happened, forcing the opponent to engage. “I suppose I overestimated our enemy,” he mused.


    “You’re being cautious, my lord,” a senior knight beside him responded.


    “Let’s follow our center.” Robert spurred his horse, and his entourage of knights, squires, and servants followed closely behind.