After racing across the Northern Frontier for more than ten days, the Dawn Guard finally reached the outskirts of Ugalamar. Looking at the winding, rugged mountain range in the distance, Aurelion reined in his White Scale Horse and came to a stop.
"Stop. We'll make camp here for today."
Following Aurelion's order, the accompanying Dawn Guard swiftly dismounted and began setting up the camp in an orderly manner. Aurelion, meanwhile, lightly tapped his White Scale Horse and continued forward at an unhurried pace.
Looking at the chaotic tracks on the ground, he asked the attendant who had followed him over,
"Is Baiman City's sentinel still following us?"
"Yes, my lord. Shall we drive him away?"
Aurelion jumped down from his horse and walked over to sit on a nearby rock.
"No need. He's had it rough too. Once dinner is ready, send him a portion."
"Yes, my lord."
Seeing Aurelion wave his hand, the attendant withdrew.
Elsewhere, Baiman City.
"Kevin! Kevin!"
Seeing Count Havent spacing out during the meeting, Count Mori waved a hand in front of him.
Regaining his senses, Count Havent turned to look at him.
"What is it, Hadawei?"
Looking at his friend, who had often been distracted ever since Havent left, Count Mori rubbed his forehead helplessly.
"Kevin, are you thinking about little Havent again? Don't worry. He'll be fine. He's a smart boy."
Hearing Count Mori's reassurance, Count Havent nodded, then turned to look at the map hanging on the wall.
"The messenger should be nearing the Imperial Capital by now. Hadawei, I hope your judgment was right."
By then, the noble lords in the meeting room had already received their assignments and departed, leaving only the two counts who currently bore the greatest responsibility in the Northern Frontier.
Radiating exhaustion, Count Mori took small sips of mead. Under the glow of the magic crystal lamp, the top of his already thinning head looked even balder.
"Levin sent word asking us to dispatch reinforcements. An unidentified force outside the town has been harassing them relentlessly. More than half of his eight hundred Golden Bear Cavalry have been lost. If reinforcements do not arrive soon, he can only abandon that batch of equipment and flee for his life.
"Additionally, according to the sentinels' reports, the Dawn Guard has reached the outskirts of Ugalamar and is still advancing slowly.
"Marquis Charlton also sent word. Scout cavalry discovered a large number of orc Wolf Tribe roaming riders one hundred kilometers from the Armor Defense Line. The Mountain Third Heavy Swordsmen cannot set out at present. For now, only the White Lion Second Legion can return to help us deal with the problems within our territory."
Count Havent remained silent as he listened to his old friend, but the misshapen silver goblet in his hand showed that this powerful count was far from calm.
"Send the White Lion Second Legion directly to Falling Leaf Town to reinforce Count Levin. We cannot afford to lose that batch of equipment, no matter what."
At this point, Count Havent visibly paused. After gathering his thoughts for a long while, he continued,
"After the purge and reconnaissance conducted by the teams we sent out, there are currently seven territories containing more than thirty thousand ghouls each. If we consolidate our existing forces and put in the effort, we should be able to clear them out in a little over two months.
"And...
"And I think the Northern Frontier needs to break some of its rules. I intend to have Solis contact the Platinum Tower. We will accept the Mage Association's presence here."
Count Mori was somewhat surprised by his friend's words. He set down his goblet and asked doubtfully,
"Are you sure, Kevin? Solis is a good man, but that group of mages is hardly made up of good people. They spend all day tinkering with strange things. The territory will never know peace."
Count Havent seemed to recall something and smiled.
"Actually, it's not so bad. According to Havent, mages merely make a few more mistakes while exploring the world. Aside from digging up corpses, sewing together the bodies of different magical beasts, frequently blowing up houses, and costing a bit too much money...
"Uh... in short, we need fresh blood. We need the ability to resist the erosion of outside forces, and mages are an excellent choice. As long as we can cooperate efficiently, it will greatly help reverse the situation in the Northern Frontier."
Count Mori looked at his eloquently speaking old friend and said with a smile,
"Kevin, it seems the Hailan Family truly has produced an outstanding heir. Little Havent's understanding of the situation and his political instincts are incredibly sharp. Speaking of which, are you really not considering letting your son spend some time with my daughter?"
This time, Count Havent did not evade his friend's question.
"You know as well as I do that it's impossible, Hadawei. His Majesty needs a united Northern Frontier that obeys him, not a unified Northern Frontier. Otherwise, it would not be the Church that worries His Majesty, but us."
After hearing his old friend's words, Count Mori let out a long sigh. Clearly, Count Havent was right.
Dawn Guard Camp.
After dinner, Aurelion was kneeling on a cushion in meditation when a voice requesting an audience sounded outside the tent.
"My lord, a message has arrived from Saint Helerid. It requires your review."
Aurelion slowly opened his eyes, and a gleam flashed through his amber gaze.
"Come in."
By the time Vandersa, clad in Sade mithril armor, lifted the tent flap and entered, Aurelion had already returned to his seat of honor.
"My lord, this was delivered from Saint Helerid by a Flying Eagle Holy Knight of the Light Sentinel. He is still waiting outside."
Hearing Vandersa's words, Aurelion raised his slender brows.
"Give me the letter."
Vandersa respectfully handed the letter over with both hands, then took several steps back and stood straight as he awaited orders.
Aurelion accepted the letter. Its surface bore a sun with a human face that occupied the entire envelope. As holy light rose from Aurelion's hand, the human-faced sun seemed to melt away and vanished from the envelope.
For Aurelion's Eyes Only May the Eternal Sun shine upon you forever. Amanata shall guide your path forward~ Regarding the news from the Northern Frontier, Kanla has already submitted a detailed report... ... —Ursanus Corona
Vandersa saw his commander's expression turn grim after reading the letter and cautiously asked,
"My lord? What is it?"
White flames rose from Aurelion's hand, and the letter instantly turned to ash within them.
"Pass down the order. Tomorrow, the Dawn Guard will advance at full speed and intercept the Church of Death in Ugalamar's mountains."
"Yes, my lord. Have we decided to wipe out these heretics? Shall I arrange for the holy ritual to be performed in advance?"
After destroying the letter, Aurelion rested his chin on his hands atop the table and fell into thought. After a moment, he slowly said,
"No. Prepare only for interception. Our objective is to drive the Church of Death back within the Northern Frontier."
With that, he took out a scroll under Vandersa's astonished gaze, quickly wrote several words, then bit open his index finger and pressed it onto the scroll.
"Have the Flying Eagle Holy Knight take it back."
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