Chapter 208: From Threats to Pleading

"Hill Kings... and a Legendary Dwarf Hero?"

Bellmont stared, then hurried to reassure himself.

"It doesn’t matter. I have the site and all my Domain’s bonuses."

Elara’s two Hill Kings had already activated Titan Descent. Storms carried their huge bodies into the air.

One reached out and closed his hand around a small missile. It exploded in his fist, sending a thin stream of smoke through his fingers. The laser beams striking his body left little more than black marks.

"That stings a bit."

He grumbled, then formed a Storm Hammer several meters long in front of him and pointed down.

"Go."

The hammer struck with a thunderous crash. Rubble flew skyward as a stretch of wall tens of meters long collapsed. The defensive towers and Longreach Archers along it were wiped out.

Several Storm Guardians rushed through the breach. Dozens of Eclipse Legionnaires followed them inside.

"How can they be this strong?"

Bellmont could barely believe what he was seeing.

"This site gives my walls thirty percent more durability and my defenders ten percent more attributes! I have a Grade-C Wellspring of Strength and a Rare Hero with Grade-C Command. Even Legendary troops shouldn’t be this strong!"

He knew nothing of Elara’s advantages. Her Wellspring of Strength was Grade B. Her Legendary Hero had Grade-A Command over his Dwarf troops. Add her Bronze Battle Name and their excellent equipment, and the gap between them was enormous.

Bellmont was a powerful Lord. Elara was simply far stronger.

As her troops broke into his Domain, he shouted furiously.

"I’m the greatest talent of House Bellmont! I won’t lose to you. Burn it! War Intent Enhancement!"

War Intent could also be spent on powerful temporary bonuses. He burned an unknown number of points, and a bloody glow covered every troop in his Domain.

The Swordmasters’ attacks grew sharply stronger. Their blades began leaving deep wounds even in the Hill Kings’ transformed bodies. From what Elara could see, the increase was at least forty percent.

She frowned. For a moment, she considered using War Intent herself. Then she rejected the thought.

There were many more enemies waiting. Every point she spent now would be gone.

"Press the attack. Hill Kings, draw their fire!"

Brogan crashed into the city. He endured the blades of an entire Swordmaster squad and smashed one of them into bloody pulp. With the two Hill Kings helping him, he finished the squad, though he took a number of wounds himself.

A few minutes of brutal fighting made the outcome clear.

Bellmont had retreated into his Lord’s Hall. Red-eyed with frustration, he finally gave the order.

"Withdraw! Leave the Capital map immediately!"

He pointed at Elara and screamed.

"You filthy Crown bitch! Do you know what you’ve cost me? House Vayne, is it? Just wait for my family’s revenge!"

As long as he survived, he could rebuild. His main force had suffered badly, but give him a month, and he would be ready again.

Then the system answered.

[Insufficient War Intent. Forced withdrawal unavailable.]

"I... can’t leave?"

At last, he remembered the rules he had barely glanced at.

[Lords may leave the Provincial Capital at any time while out of combat.]

[During combat, withdrawal requires War Intent and a 30-second preparation period.]

[All Lords who leave the Capital map receive White Flag status for one hour, regardless of how they leave. Lords under White Flag may not challenge other Lords.]

Dizziness swept over him. His expression changed in an instant.

"Honored Lady Vayne! I offer myself as your prisoner. Please observe the Prisoners’ Convention. House Vayne will be the most honored guest of House Bellmont from this day onward!"

Elara’s gaze remained cold.

Now he truly panicked.

"I can’t die! I have a whole life ahead of me! A squad of courtesans waiting for me! I still have to invade the Crown’s heartland and make my name!"

Threats, promises, pleading—none moved her.

A few minutes later, his Lord’s Hall collapsed with a crash, burying his desperate scream. Before he died, he managed to send one last message to the Province Channel.

[Armand Bellmont: Elara has two Hill Kings and a Legendary Dwarf Hero. They’re far stronger than you think. She isn’t weaker than Cassian! Avenge me! And whatever you do... read the rules!]

He was not entirely wrong. Elara’s present strength did match what Cassian had revealed.

A month ago.

His death shocked the Black Banner Lords. House Bellmont was powerful, and Armand himself had ranked among the strongest thousand of their millions of Lords in Tidecrown. Yet Elara had killed him so quickly.

Galen hurried to reassure them.

[Galen Tervain: Defeating him must have cost her. How much Aether can her Heroes and troops have left? We outnumber the Crown dozens of times over. We can exhaust them!]

[Galen Tervain: Bellmont died because he was careless and failed to reserve War Intent for his retreat.]

That steadied them.

Elara had indeed paid for the victory.

[You have defeated Lord Armand Bellmont. Occupation Progress +1. Relocate your Domain to this site?]

[You have priority for 10 seconds. After 10 seconds, all Lords may attempt to occupy the site.]

Bellmont’s Domain faded and disappeared, leaving a vacant site shimmering with light.

"No."

Elara contacted a War Lord from Riftward Region at once.

"Watch the countdown. Eight. Seven. Six..."

Soon, a Domain descended into the empty space. She let out a breath and called across to its owner.

"Just hold this site. Keep enough War Intent to force a retreat. If Galen or someone like him comes, make them spend some strength on the defenses, then get out."

"Understood, Lady Elara!"

She nodded and counted her losses.

The gap in strength had been large. But Bellmont had fought behind walls with the site’s defensive system, burning War Intent without restraint. Even with the Hill Kings taking the worst of the attacks, three Eclipse Legionnaires had died. Both Hill Kings were wounded.

The greatest drain, however, was Aether. Potions that restored it were precious.

She took more than a dozen bottles of Clearwake Tonic from her saved supplies and handed them to the Hill Kings to help them recover.

A few minutes later, she opened the Capital map and selected another powerful Black Banner Lord.

She was not the only one. Riftward’s strongest Lords were displaying power that left their enemies stunned.

Nessa was especially fierce. Before the contest, she had used both Legendary Destruction Knight Sigils Cassian had sent her, recruiting two squads of twelve. She had then spent the Battle Essence needed to raise the new Knights’ Levels for the fighting ahead.

With her twelve Crownward Knights, that gave her thirty-six Legendary troops. They tore through whatever stood in their way.

But there were far too many Black Banner Lords, and the Capital held ten thousand Domain sites.

After the Crown’s leading fighters destroyed several dozen powerful Lords’ Domains, their enemies learned. As soon as they saw one of those fighters arrive, they burned War Intent, spent their attacks, and withdrew from the Capital.

[Galen Tervain: That’s it! Don’t worry about White Flag or spending War Intent. We have the numbers!]

In the end, the Governorship was a war of attrition.

Sites changed hands as both sides fought on. Three hours passed, and the system finally announced the figures everyone had been waiting for.

[Current candidate Occupation Progress will now be displayed.]