Northern Frontier Predicament

"My lord, if it hadn't been for that noble brat just now, we would have..."

"Enough."

Walking at the front, Aurelion looked at the busy citizens in the city and nodded in satisfaction.

The evening breeze brushed past Aurelion's monk's robe embroidered with golden divine patterns. Breathing in the faint scent of smoke in the air, he was in an exceptionally pleasant mood.

"It was never going to be that easy. Temporary gains and losses don't matter, but..."

Thinking back to that scene in the meeting room, Aurelion smiled.

"What an interesting child."

"My lord, what did you say?"

"Nothing. Has Dugu returned?"

"Not yet, my lord."

On the other side, after listening to Count Mori's explanation, Havent's brows had knotted together, and he could not help sucking in air through his teeth.

"So there really are people in our Northern Frontier working with an evil religion?"

"Yes and no~"

Hearing Count Mori's ambiguous answer, Havent's mind stalled for a moment.

"Hm? You can answer something like that this way?"

"Hahahahahaha, child, you still have much to learn.

Well, my daughter Vian is fourteen this year and as beautiful as her mother. You two should become friends.

Then I'll teach you this lesson."

Looking at the improper old Count Mori, Havent nearly rolled his eyes into the back of his head. He had never even seen the man's wife. Who would believe he had a beautiful daughter?

"Ahem, hm-hm~"

Seeing his old friend tease his son, Count Havent could not hold back any longer.

"Judging from the conclusion, just as you said, for the Death Cult to raise an army of over ten thousand ghouls in only a few days is far too terrifying."

"So what?"

Havent asked in confusion.

"You participated in the battle too. You should have experienced it—among those ghouls, some were exceptionally powerful."

Seeing Havent nod, Count Havent continued.

"That is where the problem lies. Of those ten thousand-plus people, roughly two-thirds had been ordinary people, while the remaining third had mostly been low- to mid-rank professionals.

When we cleared the battlefield, we discovered that many of the ghouls had been deceased knights and professionals from certain Northern Frontier nobles' territories.

Besides being buried by their families, many dead soldiers and knights were laid to rest in warriors' cemeteries within their own territories. To keep them from being targeted by evil cults and necromancers like these,

such places were normally kept secret and guarded by soldiers. We have already sent people to investigate which cemeteries have fallen."

Listening to his father's explanation, Havent sensed something suspicious as well, but he quickly reacted.

"Couldn't the Church of Death have found those places themselves?"

"Mm~ Little Havent, they couldn't!"

Havent looked at Count Mori in confusion, waiting for his explanation.

"That outcome would be even more frightening. According to the battlefield cleanup records, soldiers from seven or eight families could be identified. There were crests on their armor and markings on their weapons, and some ghouls even still wore the identification tags they had carried in life around their necks.

The territories of those seven or eight families are spread very far apart. If the Church of Death had found the soldiers' graves in those territories themselves, it would have taken at least two or three months.

For us to have found no trace of the Church of Death over such a long period would be even more terrifying—and even more suspicious."

For a moment, Havent was utterly speechless.

"So?"

"What?"

Count Mori had not heard what Havent said and asked him to repeat it.

"So, can I understand it this way?

Either one of our Northern Frontier nobles has joined an evil cult and caused us massive damage.

Or a whole bunch of our nobles are secretly up to something, trying to stir trouble.

Is that right...?"

At this point, only the two counts and Havent remained in the meeting room. Hearing Havent pinpoint the situation so precisely, Count Mori nodded approvingly.

"Then which outcome do you lean toward, Lord Mori?"

"Mm~ Little one. I have to say, you are smarter than I expected. Based on my understanding of the lords, great and small, across the Northern Frontier...

Mm... the first possibility you mentioned is probably somewhat more likely."

"Probably?"

Hearing Count Mori's answer, Havent could not help crying out.

"So we've shit our pants, and we still don't know whether it's solid or diarrhea?"

"Ahem, ahem~"

Hearing his son's crude analogy, Count Havent hurriedly coughed to interrupt him.

"Havent! Watch how you speak to Count Mori!"

Count Mori waved a hand to indicate that it was fine, then raised his wineglass toward Havent.

"Hehehehe~ Little Havent, that is a vivid analogy. But the situation is indeed like that. We can only wait for the scouts to return before seeing what exactly has happened."

"Then what about that group? Didn't the Church of Death flee toward Ugalamar with the remaining ghouls? How are they going to pursue them and wipe them out?"

Count Mori did not answer Havent directly, instead asking a question of his own.

"Little Havent, do you know Imperial history?"

Havent nodded, then shook his head.

"I've read some of it. I have a general idea of the events recorded in some books."

"Then what did you see in it?"

"The Empire has a lot going on and is pretty good at fighting wars. Does that count?"

The moment Count Mori heard Havent's answer, he burst into hearty laughter. Count Havent also laughed at his son's words.

Havent watched the two of them laugh endlessly, feeling somewhat baffled. What was so funny about that?

"You are right, Little Havent. That is indeed the case. In nearly a thousand years of Imperial history, the years without war probably add up to only a few decades.

We are always starting all kinds of wars, or being forced to deal with invasions from other nations and tribes.

Do you know why?"

Havent shook his head. He had never considered such questions. He had read those books when he was younger, and once he got older, he had lost interest in reading.

"As a noble, you should still read more books. You cannot be like your father..."

Under Count Havent's murderous glare, Count Mori hurriedly stopped and changed his wording.

"It is simple. If they have something we want, we find a way to take it. That can involve force or schemes.

Likewise, if we have something they want, they will also do everything they can to seize it.

People and people, nations and nations, nobles and churches—it is all the same."

Count Mori calmly finished his answer, and for a moment the meeting room was exceptionally quiet.

"So, Aurelion has his eye on something we possess?"

"Not Aurelion—the Church, child."

There was too much information, and Havent could not digest it all at once.

"So what does the Church want from us?"

Count Mori looked through the window at the sky, now completely dark, sighed, and said in a muffled voice,

"Our people~"