Earl Miledas

Grand Duke Peterson was in a terrible fix. The decision he had to make now concerned the very survival of the Peterson Merchant Guild. He had never imagined that he would be forced into such a corner, much less by a minor instructor from Dawnlight Academy with whom he had once dealt. That minor instructor from Dawnlight Academy had now become the Grand Duke of the Northland and a newly risen Sword Saint. Though they had once enjoyed friendly relations, Grand Duke Peterson had mostly treated him with an approachable, courteous manner while recruiting worthy people. Who could have imagined that this former academy instructor would become such a great figure that even Grand Duke Peterson had to look up to him...

He looked once more at the letter that the former Dawnlight Academy instructor had just sent him. It contained only one brief line: You're next.

Sweat trickled down Grand Duke Peterson's forehead. This was a letter from a Sword Saint, and that short sentence conveyed countless meanings. Grand Duke Peterson understood perfectly: either he would break away from the Commercial Alliance and establish an independent nation like the Chikede Merchant Guild and the Mayflower Merchant Guild, or he would soon face the blades of the Norton Family Armed Forces. Even though castles and fortresses had been built everywhere in the Peterson Merchant Guild's territory, countless trenches had been dug, and innumerable defensive positions had been prepared, Grand Duke Peterson still had no confidence. The Norton Family Armed Forces' reputation for conquering every battle and sweeping all before them had not been fabricated. Just their cannons alone were enough to leave anyone helpless and exasperated.

Grand Duke Peterson was filled with regret. If he had acted more proactively and worked harder after being released and returning last year, perhaps