The Situation

Thus, the twenty Lionheart Knight sent by the Bosque Duchy were all wiped out, and Freed, one of the seven knight commanders, even became a traitor and a Black Lion Knight of the Red Dragon.

The fate of the hundred-plus Double Headed Eagle Warriors sent by the Norton Duchy was even more tragic— Keosius didn't even bother to take action himself. He simply issued a faction mission and dispatched a few Red Scale Conqueror, who annihilated these so-called "elite" warriors, most of whom weren't even considered professionals, and let the frenzied Wyvern burn them to ashes without mercy.

Keosius lay sprawled in the hall, looking at the map of Anzeta before him, especially at the small country adjacent to the Embers of the Burned Kingdom.

Before the vast territory of the Embers of the Burned Kingdom, which combines the Storm Highlands and the former Lakman Duchy, far exceeding the vastness of most duchies in the the North, the Norton Duchy is like a worm that can be crushed at any moment.

Darena stood to one side; this graceful Pureblood Snake People was dressed in formal attire and always wore a bright smile.

"The Bosque Duchy is one thing, but the Norton Duchy..."

"Where do they get the audacity to provoke me again and again?"

Keosius's tone was tinged with doubt.

Darena thought to herself, "You've already forced the Norton Duchy to relinquish their so-called 'international trusteeship,' of course they'll fight to the death." But she still maintained a professional smile and carefully explained:

"The Norton Duchy is small in territory and weak in strength. In fact, it is more like a vassal state of the Bosque Duchy. It is even jokingly referred to by other Northern Nobles as the ' Norton Marquisate ' or the 'barbarian tribe'."

"They are not the Scania People to whom the Northern Nobles belong, but the native inhabitants of the north, also known as the Val Barbarians. Seven hundred years ago, after the Grand Duke of Bosque Duchy," Lionheart King "Aubreyke conquered this place, he established a state here for the convenience of administration and changed the clan name of the tribal chiefs to Norton."

"However, over the past four hundred years, with the conscious assimilation of the Scania People, the language and customs of the Norton Duchy have become almost indistinguishable from those of the the North countries, and even the surname Norton has long been accepted by the Northern Nobles."

Keosius suddenly realized.

"Turns out it was a good dog kept by the Bosque Duchy."

Darena immediately praised, "Your Keosius Your Highness, your summary is truly insightful and easy to understand."

"So, what do you intend to do with the Bosque Duchy and the Norton Duchy?"

Although Darena is temporarily in charge of the Embers of the Burned Kingdom's diplomatic affairs, the overall direction is still up to the Red Dragon to decide. She is very clear about this, and she will not risk her future or even her life for temporary power.

Keosius tried hard to recall his memories of his past life.

The Principality of Bosque Duchy is too large, covering tens of thousands of square kilometers and containing twenty-eight cities. The current Embers of the Burned Kingdom is already struggling to govern the former Lakman Duchy, and has not yet fully digested its legacy. It is not yet capable of ruling such a vast territory.

Moreover, the Holy Fadlan Empire still has a few years of resurgence after this great rebellion. If it were to formally declare war on the Bosque Duchy at this time, it would inevitably trigger a full-scale war in the entire Anzeta, which would inevitably lead to the Holy Fadlan sending legendary-level forces to intervene.

Meanwhile, Keosius now has only a few thousand players under his command, and these Internal Beta testers will temporarily disappear during the four years in between.

Keosius envisioned unifying the the North five years from now.

Yes, five years from now.

At that time, the Great Collapse of the Holy Fadlan began, and the various southern factions were vying for the vast remains of the empire, leaving them no time to look north. Keosius's strength was expected to rise to the legendary rank, providing him with ample hard power. Furthermore, with 30,000 official players flooding into Erezege, he was confident he could recruit at least 10,000 of them to serve him.

After numerous discussions within the Embers of the Burned Kingdom, the plan is nearing perfection.

At that time, favorable timing, geographical advantages, and harmonious relationships were all taken into account.

Keosius will declare war on the Duchy of Bosk and other the North Bosque Duchy, aiming to unify the entire the North with overwhelming force, become the overlord of Anzeta, and bring all players of the [Northern Lands Feng Yun] version under his rule.

Immediately afterwards, the Embers of the Burned Kingdom, or rather the Empire, could march south and participate in the Clash of Kings as a disruptor, becoming the most greedy vulture to carve up the remains of the Holy Fadlan Empire.

This is his plan against the Bosque Duchy.

As for the Norton Duchy? They are weak, bordering the Embers of the Burned Kingdom, and are also a vassal of the Bosque Duchy. They can be used by the Embers of the Burned Kingdom to make an example of them, deter the other the North countries, and gain stable development space.

At the same time, this level of localized warfare can also serve as a warning to the Bosque Duchy, reminding them to reduce their underhanded tactics.

With that in mind, Keosius said decisively, "Annex them as quickly as possible, leaving no time for the the North nations to react."

"I'm going to kill the Norton Duchy, that 'chicken,' to show those attention-seeking monkeys what's what."

Upon hearing this, Darena's face was filled with excitement.

Although she didn't know the story of "killing the chicken to scare the monkey," she easily understood the meaning behind Keosius's words.

What a wonderful feeling, deciding the fate of other nations. Those human lords who used to have to fawn over her now only deserve to kneel at her feet and beg for mercy.

"Yes, Master."

"I will make them understand the consequences of provoking you."

Darena knelt on the ground, her eyes filled with an expectant smile, and licked her slightly dry lips with her forked tongue.

Several months have passed since the conquest of the Lakman Duchy, and the Embers of the Burned Kingdom is now barely able to function normally, but the Dragon Vein Families have been suppressing their desires for a long time.

Although their lives became much more affluent after plundering the wealth of the nobility, these inherently wicked individuals still preferred the baptism of blood and fire to a stable and prosperous life.

For this country ruled by the Red Dragon, war was not a burden, but rather an outlet for venting frustration.

The Bosque Duchy, Strasbourg.

As the capital of Bosque and the nominal capital of the entire the North, it is always bustling and lively.

In the city center, in Aubreyke Square, named in honor of the first Grand Duke Bosk, a diverse group of people gathered, including merchants, singers, Bard, and noblemen.

Suddenly, a commotion arose from the crowd.

One after another, Wyvern soared through the sky, high enough that arrows could not reach them, and leaflets from the Embers of the Burned Kingdom rained down from the sky. People had become somewhat accustomed to this, and some were even delivered to Grand Duke Leo's mansion by fast horses.

But this time the content wasn't the usual dry propaganda; it was a battle report.

It was astonishing and sparked much discussion.

"Someone actually went to assassinate that Red Dragon?"

"Gods, these were truly a group of righteous and courageous people. It's a pity they failed. I should use them as the model to create a deeply moving long poem."

"My God, all twenty of our Lionheart Knight have been wiped out!"

"Is this going to start a war?"

"I don't want to fight those monsters."

The people in the square showed great concern for the incident, whether they were surprised, regretful, or worried.