This was his base. Once a siege began, the danger level would skyrocket. Before an army of tens of thousands, Supernatural Beings below the Fourth Tier simply could not hold the line, let alone when the strongest person on his side, "Lin Qi," had only recently reached the Second Tier.
Besides, the siege and the ritual should have been connected.
"Shally" needed sacrifices to change classes, but the prerequisite was that the city gates could not fall. Judging by Berman City's garrison, their chances of holding back Kainter Kingdom's army were slim.
Besides, in the game's plot, Bill had never intended to stop them in the first place. He was the reason the city fell, forcing the protagonist's group to step in and turn the situation around.
Sacrifice one Jonathan in exchange for a precious thirty minutes, then counterattack and blast through the main storyline?
Ryan would have to be out of his mind to do that.
If the city really fell, anything could happen. A game could be restarted, but life did not come with a second chance.
So he decisively took out his mirror and contacted Grand Duke Magana.
As long as the Iron Blood Legion had their backs, even if Kainter Kingdom attacked Berman City, the final outcome would still be secure.
"...You mean Kainter sending troops? Yes, I know." Magana had thought Ryan was contacting her to thank her for sending people over. She had not expected him to bring this up.
"Grand Duke, don't you plan to send troops?"
"I don't." Magana said, "I considered it before, but now, I want to see whether the Second Prince is the one pushing all this from behind the scenes, and what exactly he wants to do. Don't worry. If Berman City truly can't hold out, I'll have Gruk and the others escort you away."
Grand Duke, you're surprisingly nice.
Still, Magana truly had not sent troops in the game. Otherwise, how would the protagonist's group have had any role to play?
But he could not understand it. This was clearly a good opportunity.
"But Grand Duke, following the other side's pace is a major taboo." Ryan frowned. "Rather than being forced into a passive position later, why not strike first? Send troops under the pretext of defending against Kainter Kingdom's army and swiftly occupy the southern Empire. Then I can coordinate from within and without to take Caslathdi. With the Princess Royal here, no one can accuse you of rebellion."
"Take it a step further: with this place as a foothold, plus the territory you already possess, you can advance to attack or retreat to defend. At the very least, you'll be in an invincible position."
"Hmm... You do have a point."
Magana crossed her arms, her small nose wrinkling slightly as she turned to look to the side.
"Creed, what do you think?"
Not far away, Creed, wrapped tightly from head to toe, shook his head at her.
"Grand Duke, the Empire's situation isn't chaotic enough. If the Iron Blood Legion acts, it will give the Old Emperor an excuse."
"That's exactly it. Ryan, you heard him. Everyone in the Empire is wary of me now. The Old Emperor would love nothing more than to drag me down to hell with him and create opportunities for his children."
Though the Iron Blood Legion was formidable, it was not enough to support her bid for the throne.
"My view is exactly the opposite." Ryan shook his head. "It's precisely because the Empire isn't chaotic enough that the Old Emperor won't act rashly. With the Iron Blood Legion's reputation, which legion in the Empire is confident it can defeat you, Grand Duke? None! And you have a just cause. As long as you can move your troops here, you won't even need to fight. Those lords will offer you their loyalty on their own. This is a perfect opportunity to grow stronger."
"Then you can casually find an excuse, say the army is staying here to prevent another invasion by Kainter Kingdom. Even if the Old Emperor is furious, he won't dare do anything to you. Once fighting begins, both sides will suffer, and the Empire can't withstand that kind of turmoil."
Honestly, Ryan hoped Grand Duke Magana would come.
Rather than leaving himself wedged between three factions, he might as well commit to one path and let Magana take this place.
At least the Grand Duke had truly treated him well. This would count as repaying her kindness.
In any case, he would not reveal his identity. When the time came, he would still be a member of the Burning Covenant, still a law-abiding citizen of the Empire.
And Caslathdi would be forced to leave under pressure. As for Bill, he would be hauled off and sacrificed, leaving the Second Prince to go home and play in the mud.
Grand Duke, I have a plan that will let me sleep easy from now on!
"That's true. If we can take Caslathdi as well, what great undertaking could possibly fail?" Magana's eyes lit up, and she found Ryan's words increasingly reasonable.
"Grand Duke," Creed said softly, "you must not. If the Second Prince, or even others, have contingencies in place, this move will make you the target of all."
Damn it!
Ryan could hear Creed's words. The target of all? Come on, he was fighting for the throne, not playing house. If he did not fight for it, was he supposed to hand it over to someone else?
He could not help cursing inwardly. This guy had obstructed them again and again. Was he an idiot or a mole?!
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