The Second Lionheart Alliance

The Bosque Duchy, Strasbourg, Lion Hall.

The Northern Nobles gathered once again, and they were arranged on either side of the luxurious long table according to their titles and the size of their power.

Seated at the head of the table was none other than the initiator of this meeting, the honorary monarch of the Northern United Kingdom, and the current head of the Bosk Family —Grand Duke Leo Bosk.

However, the atmosphere at the scene was quite solemn, because this was not a relaxed and joyful banquet with singing and dancing, but a meeting concerning the fate of the the North and even the entire Anzeta, which was even more important than the "Lionheart Alliance" forty years ago.

Finally, Grand Duke Leo Leo's deep, resonant voice broke the silence.

"Everyone, since no one is willing to speak, then I will speak frankly."

"The North is now at a critical juncture of life and death; the thousand-year-old tradition of us Scania People may be severed here. And the culprit behind all this is that greedy Red Dragon and his evil kingdom!"

Grand Duke Leo's words were resounding, like a hammer blow, striking everyone's hearts.

Immediately, the hall erupted in commotion. The nobles wore a variety of expressions, and whispers even broke out.

In fact, most of the nobles had guessed why Grand Duke Leo had invited them here, but they did not expect the Grand Duke's tone to be so intense, as if he were willing to gamble everything he had, or even start a large-scale war.

"Lord Leo, you've gone a bit too far."

"Yes."

"That Red Dragon hasn't caused any trouble for five years. We can continue to appease it and strive for even longer peace."

"Now may not be the best time."

"The Embers of the Burned Kingdom is too powerful and wealthy; we probably need to be more prepared."

After a brief discussion, some dissuasive voices also emerged.

Grand Duke Leo slowly stood up, his meaningful gaze sweeping over the faces of every noble present. His thick, grayish-white beard made him look like a shrewd and experienced old lion, giving everyone present a strong sense of oppression.

Only after the hall fell silent again did he speak, word by word:

"I know that some of you have taken the dirty Gold Coin of the Embers of the Burned Kingdom and shamelessly become their agents for exploiting the Scania People, or even willingly become the dogs of that Red Dragon."

Grand Duke Leo paused deliberately, his sharp gaze refocusing, sweeping over the group like a sword.

Immediately, some of the nobles present almost stopped breathing, and sweat seeped from their foreheads.

Grand Duke Leo gave a signal, and the fully armed soldiers, who were already prepared, swarmed forward and restrained several unsuspecting nobles.

"Wait, don't touch me! I'm Earl!"

"Your Excellency, it wasn't me!"

"We have not cooperated with the Embers of the Burned Kingdom!"

"That's blatant slander! You've believed someone else's lies!"

"It wasn't just us, the Arles Family did it too! They must be the ones trying to smear me!"

The nobles cried out, begged for mercy, and even tried to implicate other families.

But at Grand Duke Leo's signal, the soldiers covered their mouths with cloth and ruthlessly led the panicked nobles out of the hall.

"Snap!"

Soon, the sound of a blade hitting the ground on the guillotine could be heard from outside the hall.

In fact, these nobles did not have the most contact with the Embers of the Burned Kingdom, and their titles were not very high. The highest-ranking among them was a count from the Earl of Fano Duchy.

Grand Duke Leo's thinking was very clear. In the words of the Embers of the Burned Kingdom, this was called "killing the chicken to scare the monkey," in order to make the other Northern Nobles fearful and no longer cooperate with the Embers of the Burned Kingdom.

At the same time, almost every duchy put forward several scapegoats, pinning all the blame for colluding with the Embers of the Burned Kingdom on them, so that the families with bad records could save face. He had already spoken with several of the most powerful dukes in advance, and they had tacitly approved of this punishment.

This was not only Grand Duke Leo's personal decision, but also the result of a power struggle among several factions.

The hall fell silent; it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Grand Duke Leo stood there, his presence imposing and dignified, a result of the lives lost, which even made some representatives of minor nobles tremble.

They then remembered that this duke, known as the "Northern Lion," had single-handedly subdued the various duchies, restoring the long-dormant Bosque Duchy to its former status as the leader of the the North. Although Grand Duke Leo had been lying low for many years, his past glories were not undeserved; he was a true and powerful ruler.

"As the monarch of the Northern United Kingdom, I feel extremely sorry for them, but I have no choice but to eradicate these pests."

"I hope you can learn from this."

He then changed the subject, continuing, "Perhaps others have made similar mistakes, but with a formidable enemy at hand, I can temporarily forgive your transgressions. You may have been tempted by small favors and forgotten the enormous risks involved. But please remember, this is not some nobleman, but a greedy and brutal Red Dragon!"

"Does anyone here still remember the Rackman Dynasty?"

"Whatever they have done, the Rackman Dynasty is an important member of the Northern Nobles. Their ancestors made great contributions to the Northern United Kingdom hundreds of years ago. Therefore, the Rackman Dynasty is born with a noble status. This is an undeniable fact and one that we all agree on."

"But where are they now? They were wiped out by that Red Dragon!"

"The Embers of the Burned Kingdom, I wouldn't even call it a country, because it's more like a damned 'monster.' That 'monster' is filled with a terrifying, bloody ideology that will bring the most harsh order to the world."

"It doesn't care about your noble blood or legitimate birth; it only cares about becoming stronger. For this, it can slaughter nobles at will, let serfs trample on our heads, and even turn us all into nutrients for its growth. That will be the nightmare of all the Northern Nobles!"

"Over the past few years, no one has been as consistently opposed to the Embers of the Burned Kingdom as I have. Ignoring difficulties and dangers will not solve the problem; standing idly by will not solve the problem; Appeasement Policy will not help. What is needed now is to make arrangements to solve the problem. The longer it is delayed, the more difficult it will become, and the greater the danger the Embers of the Burned Kingdom will pose to us."

"Please remember, do not let short-term gains blind you, or the fate of the Rackman Dynasty will be your future! The thousand-year rule of the Northern Nobles will be completely ended!"

As the impassioned speech drew to a close, Grand Duke Leo was nearly exhausted; every strand of his beard and every hair on his head was trembling.

Inside the magnificent Lion Hall, whether compelled by the situation or moved by his words, the applause from the nobles was thunderous and prolonged, much like the scene at the "Lionheart Alliance" nearly forty years ago.