Can't I raise myself?

This is his lair. If a siege occurs, the danger level will skyrocket. Facing thousands of troops, Transcendent below Tier 4 would be useless, let alone 'Lin Qi', the strongest on his side, who only recently reached Tier 2.

Furthermore, the siege and the ritual should be connected.

'Shari' needs a sacrifice for her job change, but the city gates must not fall. Judging by Berman City's defenses, holding off the Kingdom of Kainter's army is unlikely.

Besides, in the game's plot, Bill never intended to stop them. It was because of him that the city fell, ultimately requiring the Protagonist Group to step in and turn the tide.

Sacrifice a Jonathan for a precious thirty minutes, counterattack, and push through the main quest?

Ryan would have to be insane to do that.

If the city truly falls, anything could happen. Games can be restarted, but life cannot.

Thus, he decisively took out his Mirror to contact Magana.

As long as the Iron Blood Legion had his back, even if the Kingdom of Kainter attacked Berman City, the outcome would be secure.

"...You're talking about the Kingdom of Kainter mobilizing? Hmm, I know." Magana thought Ryan was thanking her for sending people over, not expecting him to bring this up.

"Grand Duchess, aren't you going to send troops?"

"No." Magana said, "I had plans before, but now, I want to see if the Second Prince is behind all this and what exactly he intends to do. Don't worry, if Berman City really can't hold, I'll have Gluck and the others escort you away."

Ryan thought, The Grand Duchess is surprisingly kind.

However, in the game, Magana indeed didn't send troops. Otherwise, what would the Protagonist Group have to do?

But he couldn't understand it. This was clearly a good opportunity.

"But Grand Duchess, following the opponent's rhythm is a major taboo," Ryan frowned. "Instead of being passive later, why not take the initiative? Use the excuse of defending against the Kingdom of Kainter's army to mobilize your troops and swiftly occupy the southern part of the Empire. Then, with me working from the inside, we can take Cassidie. With the Princess here, no one will call it rebellion."

"Furthermore, with this as a base, combined with your existing territory, you can advance or retreat defensively, at least remaining in an invincible position."

"Hmm... what you say has merit."

Magana crossed her arms, her small nose wrinkling. She turned to the side.

"Creed, what do you think?"

Not far away, Creed, who was heavily wrapped up, shook his head at her.

"Grand Duchess, the Empire's situation isn't chaotic enough. If the Iron Blood Legion acts, it will give the Old Emperor an excuse."

"Exactly, Ryan, you heard him. The entire Empire is wary of me now. The Old Emperor wishes he could drag me down to hell with him, creating opportunities for his children."

Although the Iron Blood Legion was not weak, it was not enough for her to seize the throne.

"My thoughts are the opposite," Ryan shook his head. "Precisely because the Empire isn't chaotic enough, the Old Emperor won't act easily. With the Iron Blood Legion's reputation, which legion in the Empire is confident they can defeat the Grand Duchess? None! Moreover, you have a righteous cause. As long as you can move your troops here, you won't even need to fight. Those lords will pledge their loyalty to you themselves. This is a great opportunity to develop and grow stronger."

"At that time, you can just find an excuse, say the army is staying to prevent further incursions from the Kingdom of Kainter. Even if the Old Emperor is angry, he won't be able to do anything to you. Once a war breaks out, it will be a mutual destruction. The Empire cannot afford such a struggle."

Honestly, Ryan hoped Grand Duke Marganna would come.

Rather than being caught between three factions, he'd rather go all the way down one path and let Grand Duke Marganna occupy this place.

At least the Grand Duke had been truly good to him, and this could be considered repaying the Grand Duke's kindness.

Anyway, he wouldn't reveal his identity. He'd still be a member of the League of Fire, and a loyal citizen of the Empire.

As for Cassidy, (she) would be forced to leave under pressure. As for Bill, (he) would be directly sacrificed to the heavens, and the Second Prince would be sent home to play in the mud.

Grand Duke, I have a plan that will allow me to live without worry from now on!

"Indeed, if we can also take down Cassidy, why worry about not achieving great things?" Grand Duke Marganna's eyes lit up, finding Ryan's words increasingly reasonable.

"Grand Duke," Creed said in a low voice, "No, if the Second Prince or others have any backup plans, this action will make you a target of public criticism."

Damn it!

Ryan could hear Creed's words. A target of public criticism? Please, you're fighting for the throne, not playing house. If you don't compete, are you going to give it to someone else?

He couldn't help but curse inwardly. Was this guy, who blocked him time and again, an idiot or a mole?!

Continuing to write 10,000 words a day, please support!!!

Chapter 53: Ryan: The Grand Duke's magnanimity is reassuring! · Blood Sacrifice Begins! [6k5]

The argument continued. Ryan couldn't convince Grand Duke Marganna to send troops in a few words. After all, Creed was nominally the Grand Duke's strategist. He had followed her for many years, fighting in numerous campaigns, and his status was clearly not comparable to Ryan's.

But Ryan couldn't shake the feeling that something was off with Creed.

War was a double-edged sword. While Grand Duke Marganna would indeed face some pressure by sending troops, the benefits were also clearly visible.

Creed only spoke of the drawbacks and not the benefits. Even if he were conservative, he shouldn't be like this.

It wasn't that Ryan was overly suspicious, seeing moles everywhere. It was precisely because of the incident with Kaisa that he felt the circle of moles was not as simple as he thought. Perhaps someone you trusted the most could be a damned mole!

Huh? Wait, am I also a mole? Never mind then.

In short, if Grand Duke Marganna didn't send troops for now, it wouldn't be so easy to fight against the Kainter Army.

He suddenly remembered Bill mentioning Cassidy's departure on the banquet day. Perhaps it was precisely because the Kingdom of Kainter's army was about to attack that he said that.

Bill certainly couldn't know Ryan's situation. He developed Ryan simply because he didn't want Cassidy to poach him, and wanted to keep all the power in Berman City in his own hands.

But, would Cassidy really leave?

The answer is no.

Ryan suddenly felt, what was he fussing about? If the sky falls, the taller ones will bear it. If it really can't be held, he'll just find another place to develop.

Cassidy would definitely have to bear it anyway; whether others would or not was unclear.

"Perhaps I can consider telling Lia about Cassola Prison."

Ryan thought again.

Lia was here for the Blood Cult anyway. This was a trump card. Her strength was at least peak Tier 3, maybe even Tier 4. Once 'Shari' completed her job change quest, Lia could be used to help them escape.

Of course, if the post-job-change 'Shari' was identified as a Blood God Chosen, she absolutely could not be seen by Lia. Otherwise, this High Priest would immediately pull out her big stick and eliminate 'Shari'.

Meanwhile.

A mountain range in the western border of the Empire.

Inside a military camp.

Magana closed her spell, her delicate brows furrowing slightly, a pensive expression on her face.

Although she hadn't agreed to send troops, Ryan's analysis did move her. If they could occupy the territory around Berman City and then unite with the western border, having these two areas to manage would be very advantageous for the upcoming situation, allowing them to attack or retreat as needed.

"Grand Duchess, sending troops is not advisable," Creed said softly. "The situation is unclear, and the Emperor sees you as a thorn in his side. Acting rashly could put us in a difficult position."

"So you think Ryan's idea is wrong?"

"Not at all. Ryan's analysis is correct. If we could really take a new territory, it would be of great significance to us. But we must also consider, what if we can't take it? The Emperor, the various princes, and those dukes and ministers are all watching you. Even if we do take it, if the Kainter Army truly keeps attacking the Empire, the Iron Blood Legion will be bogged down by them, and our advantage will instantly turn into a disadvantage."

"Hmm..."

Magana remained silent.

Creed's words made a lot of sense, but... these shouldn't be things she needed to consider.

Who was she? Magana, the Iron Blood Grand Duchess.

She lacked for nothing except enemies. Whether it was princes or the Emperor, it was under these pressures that she had grown stronger, becoming the Magana she was today.

As for the Kainter Army's attack, she cared even less about that. Who gave the Kainters the guts to dare fight her?

Rather than considering what would happen if she failed, Magana preferred to consider the benefits of success.

Creed knew her best, which was why he could formulate strategies suited to her style, helping her achieve victory after victory.

But this time, he was acting uncharacteristically.

They all say she, Magana, only knows how to fight and leaves the thinking to others, but is the Grand Duchess truly brainless?

"Creed, how many years have you been with me?" Magana suddenly asked.

Creed was silent for a moment before replying, "Three years."

"Three years, not long, not short. I never doubt the people I use, but I've always been curious about what's under that mask of yours?"

"Grand Duchess, I told you back then that my face was badly burned and unsightly. You promised me I wouldn't have to take off the mask, and only then did I follow you."

"Ah, is that so... I was just curious. It's fine if you're unwilling."

Magana waved her hand. "You can go rest. Don't worry about Berman City for now. On the other hand, these Western Barbarians are starting to make noise again. One day, I'll kill them all!"

To the west of the Augustus Empire lies a boundless wilderness. The Northwestern Border region is inhabited by countless nomadic tribes. These people live by herding livestock; they are numerous, diverse, and skilled in combat, especially archery and horsemanship, existing in tribal forms.

Due to their low level of civilization, they are called Western Barbarians by the Augustus Empire.

The relationship between the Empire and the Western Barbarians has always been poor, with war being the norm. The Western Barbarians frequently use their mobility to enter Imperial territory to burn, kill, and plunder, stealing resources and people before fleeing, which has been a great headache for the Empire.

Years ago, the Old Emperor transferred Magana to the Western Border to garrison the area, intending to use the strength of the Western Barbarians to suppress her development. He never expected Magana to become stronger with each battle. Over the years, she has fought so fiercely that the Western Barbarians have not dared to invade.

However, recently the Western Barbarians have begun to stir again. Magana's Iron Blood Legion has already engaged in several small-scale battles with the Western Barbarian Tribes. She needs to resolve the issues here quickly so she can fully participate in the struggle for the throne.

At the same time, there are some things she must clarify.

Watching Creed's retreating back, Magana let out a meaningless hum.

Over the next two days, the atmosphere in Berman City was exceptionally oppressive.

War had broken out, yet the Empire remained silent. The gates of Kosotoya were shut tight, with no intention of sending troops to intervene.

The Kainter Army had split into three battle groups. Two of them, each with two thousand men, began to raid surrounding towns and villages. The remaining six thousand, as expected, marched towards Berman City.

Armies plundering was a common occurrence on the border.

When two armies clash, most of the time it's not about occupying territory. After all, it's easier to take land than to hold it. Rather than plundering resources and then fleeing after killing people, this is what a disciplined army should do.

Thus, the towns and villages on the southern border of the Empire suffered.

They did not have the strong defenses of large cities. Most towns lacked even decent defensive equipment. The town guards numbered at most three to five hundred men, and their equipment was relatively outdated. How could they possibly be a match for these Kainter Army soldiers?

The enemy had firearms!

Meanwhile, they were still fighting with cold weapons.

They weren't Transcendent beings. Facing a barrage of gunfire with melee tactics, sir, times have truly changed.

Although the Kainter Army had a minority of Musketeers, a village or town couldn't possibly stop them. Unity was even less likely. The great nobles sought self-preservation, and could the minor nobles really risk their lives to protect their villagers?

Although there were not a few good nobles who swore to fight to the death, their fates quickly became negative examples in the eyes of other nobles.

The border was chaotic.

Berman City was the same in the past, only improving with the Empire's territorial expansion.

But with the Kainter Army pressing in, the nobles who received the news in advance had already prepared to evacuate. Those who couldn't leave their fortunes behind were recruiting Mercenaries for protection. If Berman City truly couldn't hold, they could at least escape under pressure.

Unfortunately, there were only so many Mercenaries in Berman City. With every noble recruiting, there weren't enough people to go around. In the end, even the Gangsters became sought-after, with nobles buying them over with heavy gold.

Even more absurdly, some nobles came to the Bureau of Investigation demanding people, using their noble status to ask Ryan to send people to protect them.

According to Imperial law, when a noble's life is threatened, the Bureau of Investigation has an obligation to protect their safety with all its might.

That was the principle, but they weren't threatened yet, were they?

If Ryan were to allocate all his manpower to protect the nobles in Central City, then other areas would essentially be left unattended. Therefore, Ryan had no intention of paying attention to these people—even though they loudly condemned Ryan as unfit to be the Director of the Bureau of Investigation.

Do I need your approval?

"They haven't even attacked yet, and they're already in chaos."

Ryan was speechless at the situation.

He was now looking forward to seeing what Cassidy would do.

In the game, the Protagonist Group exposed Bill's conspiracy. After defeating this main boss of Berman City, Cassidy, in the name of the Princess, led the stationed army in a Counterattack and successfully repelled the Kainter Army.

Of course, this so-called exposure had a lot to do with Bill's own idiotic provocation. If Ryan were to say it, the Protagonist Group wouldn't have stood a chance if Bill had continued to hide. But it was a shooting game, so there was no need to delve too deeply into the plot. It was like looking for sex in an adult game while searching for plot in a story-driven game.

Just as Ryan was about to call Jonathan to ask about the League of Fire's next move, Blood Robe suddenly appeared in his office.

This female assassin seemed to have used some kind of shadow stealth to avoid everyone's sight.

"Lord Ryan, Captain Gluck's side has made a discovery."