Starlight Calendar, Year 1250.
Early Winter Lyre Month.
Not long after the New Year, Shining City accused Kei Arnester, lord of Blackstone City, of colluding with the Starfire Cult and demanded that he come alone to Shining City to confess and accept punishment. When Kei Arnester refused, they brazenly sent troops to attack Blackstone City.
Clank! Clank!
The sound of metal armor plates grinding against one another rang out.
Kei led his men onto the city walls, took the Brass Telescope from Brad, and looked into the distance.
Under the cover of night, the entire plain beyond the city was dotted with the light of countless campfires.
Shadows moved around the fires, while dense clusters of tents stretched far across the plain.
"Owen has gone all out this time. Not only has he deployed his own troops, but the forces of those three traitors—Devon, Zolv, and Norwood—have moved out as well. On top of that, they recruited over a thousand mercenaries!"
Brad watched the distant army, his expression grim.
Owen's faction alone had nearly four thousand troops. With the mercenaries added in, their numbers had surpassed five thousand—more than four times Blackstone City's forces. This would not be an easy war.
"The mercenaries are nothing to worry about. They're undisciplined rabble. They can be of some use in a head-on battle on the plains, but in a siege, they'll only hold the others back."
Kei lowered the Brass Telescope as he spoke, though his brow was slightly furrowed. Clearly, he was not as calm as he sounded.
He had long known that after the assassination failed, Owen would most likely stop holding back and openly send troops against Blackstone City. Yet now that it had truly happened, Kei still felt an immense pressure settle over him.
Especially when he looked