City of Desire [Kingdom Building]

Proofread by Thomas F

Harrison Dane

“What did Marquise say?” I asked as Vesbeil finished his call with Grimvale.

Until a few hours ago, I was talking to him as an equal, but now, I have become a subordinate.

I couldn’t even talk to him directly. He is not receiving my calls and is already treating me like a subordinate, which is what I have become.

It feels degrading, humiliating. It fills me with such rage that I want to scream. I didn’t; I managed to control the urge.

I have fallen low. My fortress is gone, and most of my men abandoned me, but this is not the end. I have to bear it, and I will get the chance to rise again.

I got it when the undead attacked, and I am confident that I will get it again.

“He wants us to attack,” he replied sombrely, and a grin couldn’t help but appear on my face. I wanted to do that, since the bastard snatched my men.

It is why I had been calling Grimvale. To convince him to attack the army following behind us.

“We are going to attack, and Knight Martas and Lockridge will join us,” he explained.

“Seventy-five thousand against twenty-five thousand, it wouldn’t take us even an hour to crush them,” I replied, a smile spreading from my face.

He didn’t smile; his expression became even more serious.

“It won’t be easy, I am sure. That army from the city will join, including those three Lv. 4o’s,” he replied, but the smile on my face didn’t lessen.

“Still, our chances of winning are good with nearly double their number,” I replied.

I could understand his reservation. I know, the army from the city will join. Even if twenty thousand joined, it would only be forty-five thousand men against our eighty.

The greatest threat isn’t the number of the army, but the powerhouses.

Each one of them is strong and has proved their mettle against the undead, who had come at them in much larger numbers.

If that was not enough, the earlier battle. A general fought against Lockridge without losing.

Not everyone can go against the ruling classes.

It is a pretty daring risk that Grimvale is taking by ordering us to fight. I didn’t think he would, but he wants the whole barony, and this gamble could give him that.

We didn’t stop immediately; we kept moving for another half hour. During that time, they moved into their positions.

Finally, we stopped, and the army came to a halt.

We rode toward the back, which is now the front. “They are close,” informed the mage.

“Knight Martan is coming with Baron Lockridge and his army, while the army of around twenty thousand from the city is right behind them.

It took a few minutes, but Knight arrived with Lockridge and his army.

“General Vesbeil,” greeted Lockridge and turned to me, with deep anger. “Commander Dane,” he said, and I was surprised that he even greeted me, despite the intense dislike.

“Baron Lockridge,” I replied

The army had quickly merged and moved into the formation. We are going to be attacked from the front and the back by two armies.

It took a while, but finally, they arrived. It is hard to see their numbers due to the forest, but I could feel it through my skill.

I noticed the movement from the army, and a short man came riding up. He looked nothing like what he could turn into in a moment.

“General Stone,” said Vesbeil. “General Vesbeil,” replied the giant-blood, his eyes not leaving Vesbeil.

“General Stone, you are outnumbered, two to one. You should surrender; it will save a lot of lives,” said Vesbeil, and the man laughed, with him, half of the men in the armies from both sides, like he had said something funny.

“Two to one, these are the best odds we have ever fought. Usually, we fight with a difference of ten to one,” Stone he replied.

“In the last battle, it was even bigger; not even ten percent of that force survived,” he added with barely concealed threat.

I could see some officers around me shuddering. Mages, tightening their grip on their staffs, some got so scared that they cast defensive spells and skills around them.

I could sense hundreds of sensory skills and spells activating behind me. To sense the alchfire orbs that might come down suddenly.

Every officer worth their salt would have read the report of that battle.

When I heard the news for the first time, I didn’t dare to believe it. It is too shocking, despite Silver doing it before, but this time, the scale was too massive.

It had wiped away a great horde within seconds.

“This is not Greltheaven,” stated Vesbeil. It is widely believed that it is a city-type skill that could only be used in or around the city.

“Come at us. If you wish to fight us, General, but be ready to suffer the same fate as those who faced us before,” said Stone with his voice booming across the battlefield.

“So be it,” replied General Vesbeil and opened his mouth to order an attack, when suddenly the expression on his face changed.

At the same time, a change appeared on the face of Stone as well. Looking at their expressions, it seemed to be positive news for him, but not so much for us.

“What happened?” I asked immediately.

…

Leila Silver

“Roar!”

The monster roared and began to retreat, with it the entire horde.

“They are retreating,” I said breathlessly, as there is barely any energy left in my body. It is burned and bloodied on every inch.

It was the most challenging battle of my life; we fought like we had never done before.

We wanted to finish the battle quickly. So, we could return to protect our territories, which are under a grave threat.

We finished the battle quickly, despite facing a massive horde.

“Baron,” I suddenly shouted, and appeared beside the man as he collapsed. If not for August supporting him in time, he would have fallen on the ground.

“I am fine, just tired,” he said as I reached him. The man is even more injured than I am.

“Healer,” I said, and took out the last bottle of emotion essence potion I had.

Remus had completely cut off our access to them after we didn’t aid him against the undead. I had a good number of them, but I distributed them among my officers.

“Don’t waste it on me; even if I drink. I won’t be in fighting condition at least for a few days,” he replied, but I didn’t listen and put a few drops into his mouth.

What he said might be true, but his condition is bad. He took a massive risk in battle.

If not for that, we wouldn’t have been able to make them retreat so fast.

“Baron Harrods, all you alright?” asked Ignatius as he appeared beside us from the fortress. “I am, Lord Blackwell, thank you for asking,” the old man replied weakly.

He looked at him with concern before looking at me, his hand taking mine for a second, before releasing.

“You are injured, Baroness,” he said, looking at my injuries with concern and a little guilt.

He feels guilty after every battle, as in almost all battles. He is the least injured. This is the first battle where I saw so many injuries on him.

Knowing how important it is for us to finish the battle quickly, he also took the risks.

“I drank the potion,” I replied with a smile. I could feel the concern easing a little on his beautiful face.

“That’s not enough. You should still get checked by the healer and have first aid,” he said with a voice full of concern. “I will,” I replied.

The healers are busy with others, as are all the other medical personnel. I may be injured, but I do not need immediate medical attention.

I looked and saw that the army is already divided. Those with minimal injuries and those in fighting shape walk to one side, while others remain on the other side.

Before the horde arrived, I had ordered them to fight defensively, not get too injured.

Focusing more on the leader in this battle than on the common monsters. Usually, both things are essential; the leader would retreat if they feel monsters are suffering too many casualties.

I needed them in the best shape possible, as it wouldn’t be only a battle they fight.

I gave a few more orders before connecting again with Alaric. I have been in constant contact with him, even during the battle.

I shouldn’t have been, but I needed to know everything that had been happening there.

“How are things?” I asked him. ‘Tense,’ he replied.

‘If the news of you finishing the battle had come even a minute late. I would have been fighting to the death right now,’ he said with a laugh.

He is trying to be funny, but I could hear the tension in his voice.

He had sent me the visuals, and I could see two armies locked in a stand-off. That could be triggered at any moment.

Our side is a little short on numbers but has powerhouses. It is the only thing that kept me calm during the battle.

I have studied the way Greltheaven fights, and they have a style.

They quickly kill the powerhouses, causing armies to collapse. It is every general’s dream, but it is an extremely risky strategy.

Though Greltheaven has become quite good at it.

It is one of the reasons for the stand-off. If Grimvale had been sure of his chances, he wouldn’t have stopped his army, even after hearing the news of the battle here.

‘I am glad you are ok,’ I replied. He is a good friend, and we have been through many things; I wouldn’t want to lose him.

I was about to ask him something, my ring shone.

‘I will talk to you later,’ I said to him, and connected to the spell reaching me.

‘When are you leaving?’ Remus’s voice rang in my mind. It is filled with authority. My voice had also gained weight since I had become Baroness, but it didn’t have the same weight as his, despite his voice sounding young.

“In half an hour,” I replied. It is the quickest I could leave.

‘Leave in fifteen minutes,’ he ordered. ‘Heal your men on the way, I need you moving as soon as possible,’ he added. I felt irritated by his orders.

I don’t like it, but I will have to get used to it.

‘Has Grimvale agreed to negotiations?’ I asked. ‘No, but he is responsive. We need to put a little pressure on him,’ he replied.

Fighting would be bad for us, Remus, as well as Grimvale. He is not without enemies.

If he sensed, he wouldn’t get a complete victory. He will negotiate, and we need to encourage him to do so. Too many lives have already been lost, and I would hate to see more bloodshed.

‘Ok,’ I replied finally.

‘Good, I will keep you updated on progress,’ he said before the spell cut off.

He sounded tired, and he is; I am sure, he hadn’t slept as well. The night had been busy, with a bloody game of chess, as one tried to outdo the other.

We have become little pieces in the battle between Grimvale and Remus.

The match is yet to end, and the sooner it does, the better; otherwise, the price would be too high for anyone to bear.

Too excited to wait? Jump 50+ chapters ahead on Patreon and read what others haven’t even reached!