Blackwater City

Fortunately, the return journey went smoothly. Although they encountered several units of Northern Frontier Allied Army Light Cavalry, none were large. They merely followed for a while before leaving.

Victor led the troops back to camp. The sun was about to set, and the stifling air gradually turned cool, easing the mood of the entire force.

After returning to camp, Victor instructed Santos and Knight Jack to arrange the defeated soldiers, while he himself went to Vice Legion Commander Ronald to report the situation.

Ronald was not in his command tent. His attendant told Victor, "After receiving the important intelligence you sent, Lord Ronald took the intelligence and the men to see Legion Commander William. They have already headed for the main command tent of the central army on the right wing."

"Thank you. I'll visit again after my lord returns." After leaving, Victor headed to the Third Regiment to report to his father.

This time, things went smoothly. Baron Wembley was handling official affairs in his command tent.

"Regiment Commander Wembley, Victor, acting squadron commander of the Third Squadron, Light Cavalry Battalion, Third Legion, reporting to you."

The Baron raised an eyebrow.

"Very polite, but remember to knock first next time."

The Baron continued, "How was it? You weren't hurt, were you?"

"Everything went smoothly. There was no fighting either," Victor replied.

"So Grand Duke Jola truly died in battle, and it was Count Colt's men who did it." The Baron had already learned the intelligence and sighed.

"It seems that even if Marquis Mora becomes Grand Duke this time, he won't have any peace. Count Colt directly crushed three legions directly subordinate to the Duchy. There are only four Duchy's Direct Legions left in total, and all of them are battered remnants that have seen battle. The Duchy's Direct Legion has been reduced to only half its former strength." Baron Wembley shook his head with a bitter smile.

"Victor, do you know? Besides your group, we sent several units to gather up the surviving soldiers from our side. We gained a great deal of intelligence. Take a look first." As he spoke, the Baron handed Victor a sheet of paper.

The paper was not thick, but it was fine and tough. It was made from a mutated papyrus plant and produced by the East Sea Alliance. Several great nobles, including Marquis Papyrus, jointly controlled its production and sold it throughout the continent. It was an excellent material for nobles to write official documents on.

Victor was deeply shocked as he read its contents.

"The mid- and high-ranking officers of the three directly subordinate legions were selectively beheaded. Although the soldiers and junior officers were not hunted down, their entire command structures have completely vanished. On the other hand, the high-ranking officers of that Central Allied Army legion were mostly captured, while the lesser nobles largely survived. No, a few did die in battle, such as Baron Vise Rose. He has no heir, so his line may well die out and lose its title."

Victor pondered as he read.

"Count Colt wants to win over the nobles and eliminate the Duchy's control. What is he trying to do? Does he want to become Grand Duke? Iron Birch Territory may be powerful, but it is still not strong enough to face the entire Duchy."

The lack of intelligence made it difficult for Victor to analyze any further.

He looked up at the Baron. "What does Count Colt want? He has gone to such lengths to destroy the Duchy's directly subordinate military forces, yet spared the nobles of the Central Allied Army."

"It's normal that you don't know. Over the years, Count Colt has repeatedly proposed to the Grand Duke and the Noble Council that the northern development rights be opened up, allowing nobles to develop territories in the north and respond to barbarian invasions. He claimed that the barbarians across the entire Northern Wasteland had united and could invade the civilized world at any time. His applications were rejected several times. I also thought these were merely excuses for Count Colt to expand his military strength, but now it seems they may well have been true. Count Colt is under enormous pressure, which is why he directly intervened in the civil war," the Baron said.

"You mean the barbarians of the entire Northern Wasteland have united, and Count Colt cannot hold them off, so he intends to ask the other nobles within the Duchy to contribute?" Victor found it strange.

The entire Northern Wasteland stretched from the Sunset Mountains in the west to the Endless Sea in the east, spanning the continent. It covered at least seventeen or eighteen million square kilometers, dozens of times the size of Vera Duchy. If the barbarians within it truly united, even the entire Duchy could not withstand an army of over a million barbarian cavalry.

"When the sky falls, the tall ones hold it up. The borders where the Fas Kingdom and the Raine Kingdom meet the grasslands are far longer than ours," the Baron said.

The Raine Kingdom was the hegemon of the continent's central region. It covered nearly four million square kilometers and had a population of more than eighty million. It had eleven provinces, each governed by the strongest noble in that province or a noble appointed by the king. The royal army alone had thirty legions, and with the private forces of the nobles included, its total strength exceeded 1.5 million. Vera Duchy was only equivalent to one of its provinces.

The Fas Kingdom was likewise a great power in the west of the continent. It covered more than two million square kilometers and had a population approaching fifty million. Backed against the Sunset Mountains, it could only expand south, north, and east, which led to constant friction with the Raine Kingdom. If the Raine Kingdom had not been surrounded by enemies on all sides, it would have broken the Fas Kingdom's legs long ago.

"In that case, even if only one-tenth of the Barbarian Allied Forces came, the Northern Three Commanderies would not be able to withstand them. They would need the full support of the Duchy," Victor said, finally understanding.

"Exactly. That should be Count Colt's purpose in joining this battle. The Grand Duke has always harbored doubts about the northern nobles expanding their borders and has refused to yield easily. Weakening the Duchy's directly subordinate forces this time is meant to reduce the Grand Duke's influence," the Baron replied.

That was only natural. Vera's foundations were hardly clean. Vera itself had originally broken away from the northern nobles of the East Sea Alliance. Back then, it relied on the East Sea Alliance's manpower and resources to seize land from the Northern Barbarians, build up its strength, and successfully declare independence in one stroke. Naturally, it feared others following its example.

Because of these historical reasons, Vera Duchy and the East Sea Alliance had always remained hostile. The nobles of the Southern Commanderies should have had the deepest reserves. If they had fully supported Marquis Mora, they could have fielded not just three legions, but six. Most of their troops were likely still stationed in the south, confronting the East Sea Alliance.

Speaking of which, Vera Duchy had not had it easy either. From the beginning of its independence, it had faced troubles both within and without. To the west stood the massive Raine Kingdom, to the south was its hereditary enemy, the East Sea Alliance, and to the north it directly faced the grassland barbarians.

Victor's thoughts gradually began to wander.

Then the Baron's words interrupted him. "I intend to have you return to the territory first. This war probably won't be fought after all. Take the wounded soldiers back early to rest and recover. This time, although our Eastern Allied Army suffered relatively light losses, we may have to bleed more elsewhere. Marquis Mora—hm, he will soon be the Grand Duke—will certainly compensate for his losses through other means. As long as he agrees to open the development rights, Count Colt will likely support him and work with him to pressure us."

"When you return, contact those two related families of ours and give them advance notice. When the time comes, you can band together and weather the difficult times," the Baron instructed.

"I understand, Father," Victor replied.

The Golden Sunflower Family had several branch families. Two of them also held baronial titles: Silver Sunflower Barony and Oil Sunflower Barony. This time, they had only sent troops; their lords had not come personally.

Those two were considered moderately powerful among baronies. They could not compare with an exceptional barony like Golden Sunflower, but there was strength in numbers when they stood together.

Intermarriage had always been common among nobles, and their relationships were tangled and intertwined. Even the smallest independent noble held a seat and voting rights in the council, making them natural targets for great nobles to win over or suppress.

Early the next morning, Victor bade farewell to Viscount Ronald. Viscount Ronald readily agreed, likely because the matter had already been discussed beforehand.

Victor then took Santos and his other directly subordinate men, planning to travel east by ship along the Blackwater River.

There was a small incident. Knight Jack asked to follow Victor. Jack was young, unmarried, and had no family. Returning to his territory would only mean facing the loss of its title and lands, so he might as well seek another path. After a day of contact, he believed Victor had a promising future and made his request to serve him.

Santos also believed that Knight Jack was capable, of sound character, and an outstanding knight.

Victor directly accepted Jack's request and took him in as a retainer. Since Jack was originally a knight but Victor was not yet a lord, Victor first appointed Jack deputy captain of a Light Cavalry squad, while promoting Santos to captain. Victor might soon take over the territory's affairs and become too busy to personally lead troops, so it was better to entrust them directly to reliable subordinates.

The troop transport ship sailed eastward and, after more than a day of travel, smoothly arrived at its destination: Blackwater City, the county seat of central York County.

Blackwater City was the most important inland river port in the entire Blackwater River basin of the Duchy. Its transportation was convenient, it gathered vast populations and resources, and its commerce flourished.

Victor immediately decided to rest there for a while and purchase some supplies.

After arranging for Santos and the others to camp outside the city, he took Jack and several guards into Blackwater City, with Jack acting as a guide as half a local himself.