Chapter 340 - 338: The King’s Response Strategy

Chapter 340: Chapter 338: The King’s Response Strategy

In the magnificent Cyan Snake Fortress, King Eric received a letter from Lloyd.

"This Viscount Ugo..."

He simply couldn’t understand why the viscount would resort to such extreme measures right from the outset.

He handed the letter to Sigmund. "What do you make of this?"

The Crown Prince quickly skimmed it. After a moment of contemplation, he smiled and said, "It seems this war is unavoidable. Viscount Ugo’s actions were far too aggressive."

He then looked at Eric. "However, Father, this seems to be to our advantage."

The Royal Family’s control over Grant Province was relatively limited. This was especially true last year during the push to bring in the Holy Radiance Court, an issue on which the Calvin Clan and the Kennedy Clan stood united.

But now the two clans had fallen out, even going so far as to take up arms. Regardless of the final outcome, both sides would suffer a loss of strength.

This was extremely beneficial to the Royal Family.

Eric nodded. All he had to do now was watch the war play out.

It would be best if the two sides reached a stalemate. If Viscount Ugo couldn’t withstand the Kennedy Clan’s assault, Eric would step in just as Fire Source Castle was about to fall and mediate a truce.

"The Calvin Clan is closely connected with many of the nobles in Lapland Province. His three daughters will likely send aid once they learn of the situation. If any ships come down from Three Realms Lake, turn a blind eye and let them pass."

"Also, arrange for some men to covertly hire mercenaries. Have them enter Fire Source Territory and assist Fire Source Castle."

Sigmund’s eyes lit up, and he smiled. "Are you trying to trap them in a prolonged quagmire of hostility?"

Eric nodded.

Although this course of action would make outsiders believe the Pruck Kingdom had fallen into civil war and been greatly weakened.

However, the kingdom in the most precarious position on the Shadow Mist Continent right now was the Akutas Kingdom, which was facing an encirclement by four other nations.

Therefore, no matter how fiercely the Silent Shore and Fire Source Territory fought, no outside power would seize the opportunity to attack the Pruck Kingdom.

Sigmund hesitated for a moment before asking, "Then, should Emily’s wedding be postponed?"

"Of course not!"

The King said, "If the fighting is still ongoing, I will use my authority to force them into a temporary truce."

He then asked, "Is there any recent intelligence from Orisien? When are the people from the Holy Radiance Court expected to arrive?"

"I was just about to report on that!"

The Crown Prince’s expression turned serious. "They set off from the Fidun Kingdom for Needleleaf Forest over a month ago. I estimate they will reach Orisien’s territory very soon."

"The one coming this time is one of the Holy Radiance Court’s Punishment Judges. He’s extremely powerful, and it’s said he may very well be in the Extraordinary Realm!"

Eric’s brow furrowed slightly.

He knew a little about the Extraordinary Realm. It was said that this realm, just like the realms of power that came before it, was also divided into three levels.

The first was Ascension Level. At this level, a Warrior’s Fighting Qi undergoes an ascension, granting them the "Power of Life." Not only would their physical strength become immense, but they could also use the Power of Life to heal others.

The second was Flying Level. As the name suggests, warriors at this level could break free from the bonds of the earth and fly through the air like birds.

The third was the Extreme Realm, a level that was merely theoretical; for now, no one had heard of anyone ever reaching it.

In fact, across all three continents, not only was the Extreme Realm unheard of, but even Flying Level warriors were exceedingly rare.

Therefore, the Punishment Judge mentioned by Sigmund was most likely an Ascension Level warrior.

’A warrior of this level won’t be easy to control.’

This was precisely why Eric was frowning. After all, overwhelming numbers had limited effectiveness against a Scorching Sun Level expert, let alone someone at the Ascension Level.

However, the Pruck Clan needed to bring in powerful allies right now, and Duke Kelvin alone was not enough.

"Have Orisien’s people contact Viscount Ugo. See if he is willing to allow the Holy Radiance Court to enter Fire Source Territory."

Sigmund’s eyes lit up. "This could be an excellent opportunity!"

Eric hummed in agreement, then waved his hand. "You may go. I must also write a personal letter to both parties, telling them that peace is hard-won and they must not come to blows."

As a king, he still had to perform the duty of mediation.

Since the Kennedy Clan was in the right on this matter, Eric would propose that both sides sit down to negotiate. He would suggest the Calvin Clan compensate the Kennedy Clan for their losses and that the assassin be put on trial.

Within the next few days, other nobles within the Kingdom also learned of this news.

Some chose to watch from the sidelines, some fanned the flames, some tried to mediate the fight, and others saw an opportunity to get rich by providing supplies.

Aside from that, just as Eric had predicted, several warships crossed Three Realms Lake and sailed down the Michaelson River.

This was a support fleet from Viscount Ugo’s sons-in-law. It had departed from Lintao Port with Marquis Sean’s permission, heading straight for Fire Source Port.

「Black Forest Island.」

When the letter from Count Kais arrived, it was given to Ralph to read.

After learning what had happened to Natalia, Ralph felt like his head was about to explode.

He hurriedly notified Julian and summoned Raymond, Simone, Lune, and the others.

The group gathered in Forest Castle to confer, but they remained at a complete loss.

Natalia’s status was, of course, important; she was the future lady of Black Forest Island.

Her near-assassination was as much a provocation against Duane as it was an attack on her.

Naturally, Black Forest Island had to make him pay the price.

The problem was, their Lord was not in his territory, and they had no way to contact him.

"What do we do?" Ralph asked several times, the letter clutched in his hand.

Lune offered no opinion. As a new follower, his status was low despite being the strongest among them.

Furthermore, when Duane left, he had put Raymond in charge of Black Forest Island’s defense.

Simone said, "If the Lord were here, he would surely commit our forces."

General Affairs Consultant Julian shook his head. "Committing our forces to battle is a major decision. The Lord did not grant us that authority when he left."

Duane could never have expected something like this to happen. He had never intended for Black Forest Island’s soldiers to go to war at sea so soon.

In truth, how many Guards did he even have under his command?

His Guards and Militia combined numbered just six hundred men, and they were scattered across three different locations.

Even if he were to lend support, he would have only taken a small squad, not mobilized his forces on a large scale.

Raymond knew everyone was waiting for him to state his position.

Although he agreed with Simone’s perspective, what Julian said was also true.

"The Lord has been away from Black Forest Island for a long time now. I expect he will return before long. We should wait for his return before deciding whether to commit our forces."

He said thoughtfully, "However, there are two things we can do beforehand. First, we write a letter to Silver Jade Territory and inform them of the situation. If the Lord has gone there, he’ll get the news."

Ralph nodded. "I’ll write to Owington right away."

Raymond continued, "The Lord will very likely lead the attack himself, so we must make all necessary preparations for battle before he returns."

"Food, weapons, Spell Scrolls, Bows and Arrows, ships, and so on—all of these can be prepared in advance."

As a former Captain in the Third Legion, Raymond was well-versed in such preparations.

Simone, Lune, and the others nodded in silent agreement. This was indeed a suitable way to handle the situation.

Meanwhile, Duane was still on his way back.