Drawing Near

Darian found it very strange, because he had never imagined that coming to a neighboring country with the intention of plotting something would result in feeling bored.

But that's just how things are, even after Baron Seras, who only talked and never negotiated, was replaced.

Darian had initially thought that Duke Theodore would replace him with someone willing to expedite the compensation process because of the trouble in the territory.

Darian even planned to settle things quickly with the most basic compensation, about ten Gold Coin, and then return to the Kingdom of Lorinvik.

But who could have imagined that Darian would encounter a beast on par with Seras this time?

They initially spent three days discussing all the terms in detail and were ready to sign the contract.

On the fourth day, when it was time to sign the contract, the other party seemed like a completely different person, saying that the previous contract was incorrect.

Darian had inquired in detail with his subordinates whether anything major had happened in Antir recently, but the answer he received was always the same: nothing.

So Darian realized something else: this time, the person who came to negotiate with him might be someone who didn't want to see a result from the negotiations.

He had no idea why Theodore's men were all so capable, yet none of them seemed to care about Theodore's best interests.

Resolving the Horn Pass issue quickly at this moment would also benefit Theodore's succession to the throne.

Darian didn't know was that the previous Seras might have been acting on personal grounds, but the current negotiator was acting on Theodore's orders.

For Theodore, given his current situation, resolving the Horn Pass matter would cost him at least a dozen Gold Coin.

But Theodore no longer needs Horn Pass; more precisely, he no longer needs the stability of Horn Pass.

Even if Darian causes a ruckus, he won't kill those lords or seize their territories; it's meaningless to Darian.

Since Darian will not kill the lord, he will not reduce his territory, nor will he affect Theodore's succession to the throne.

Theodore's previous attempt to negotiate with Darian was to get him to leave as soon as possible, since if Darian stayed in Antir, he might plunder Antir's resources.

But Theodore no longer cared; the 'bastard' in the north could attack the Royal Capital at any moment, and he couldn't stop it.

It was because, given his influence, he could no longer muster the strength to organize a force capable of stopping him; he could only pin his hopes on the final battle for the Royal Capital.

So Darian just plundered some resources, letting the other lords worry about it; Theodore wasn't going to put up with it anyway.

If Theodore can eventually emerge from the Royal Capital, then these are all minor matters; he can set things right.

If he doesn't come out by then, then all will be for naught, and none of this will have mattered.

The reason the person negotiating with Darian suddenly changed his mind was simply because he used a different, more brutal method of delaying the inevitable.

Of course, after realizing that the negotiations could not continue, Darian had no intention of continuing them, and he never went back to the negotiation site in front of Horn Pass.

He is now directing his men to infiltrate Antir's various territories and steal valuables to stem the bleeding of his operation.

"Has Theodore's side not sent anyone to kick us out yet?"

Darian asked his men, somewhat bored, that they had been roaming Antir for almost half a month now, and that they had already gotten what was easy to get. Even his men were thinking of leaving after several days of fruitless activity.

But they need a reason to leave; they can't just go back to Lorinvik without any explanation.

So, they paid for the casualties and bribed the commander inside to secure the Horn Pass, and then just let it go?

Their original plan was that when Theodore sent people over, even if they could hold out for a day, they would turn back.

However, now that the followers of the Lord of Shadows have been causing trouble in Antir for so long, no troops have come to attack them.

Even Duke Theodore's messengers did not follow knightly etiquette by notifying the enemy before the battle; they skipped even that step.

So now, although Darian has wanted to go back for a long time, seeing that there is no sign of achieving his goal, he can only be bored for the time being.

"What on earth is Theodore up to? Why is he just leaving us all here and ignoring us completely..."

Darian frowned, sighed, and began to think about what to do next.

Now, under no circumstances should we continue to hold out inside the Horn Pass; this place is now utterly meaningless.

They gained nothing here; the enemy wouldn't reward them more for holding the fortress longer, not even the nobles of Lorinvik.

If he chooses to return to Lorinvik, then he can begin to utilize domestic resources to repair the damage caused to the Shadow Cult by this operation.

And it's time to meet the Lord of Shadows...

Darian shuddered. He knew what his fate would be. While the Lord of Shadows might not necessarily praise your strengths, if you make a mistake, He will certainly point it out...

Although Darian still doesn't want to face it, he knows that some things will eventually have to be faced.

He sighed again, placed his hand on the city wall of Horn Pass, and looked in the direction of Antir. He could see the path leading into Antir territory.

"That Prince of Antir died so easily. I thought he was so powerful..."

Darian then thought of the Prince of Antir. He had originally believed that the prince was very capable and could defeat Theodore with the help of some external forces, which was why he had staked everything he had, just to get a share of the spoils.

Now that the Prince of Antir is dead, he must leave. Staying in Antir offers no opportunity to acquire its territory, so what's the point of remaining there?

Just as Darian was about to turn around and give the order, the attraction emanating from the throne made him stop again.

He gazed at the distant sky and murmured to himself:

"What's happened to Theodore this time? It seems... his succession to the throne is a bit unstable..."

A smile crept across his lips; he knew someone had rubbed salt into Theodore's wounds. Having lost a piece of territory, Theodore's expression must not be pleasant right now.

"There's someone targeting Theodore? Has one of Theodore's men rebelled?"

Darian guessed that, in any case, killing one of the lords who stood on Theodore's side at this time would mean forging a deadly enmity with Theodore himself.

"This is none of my business. Whoever it is, let them do what they want... Maybe I can persuade those nobles to come here and share some of the resources later..."

Darian shook his head. Even though something big had happened on Theodore's side, he had absolutely no intention of getting involved anymore.

After all, this territorial dispute would at most cause Theodore some minor trouble, and wouldn't affect the other's succession to the throne at all; that was Darian's original thought...

As evening approached, he had just given orders to his men to pack up their things and was preparing to chop up the six knights imprisoned in the jail.

Today, the third shock originating from the throne struck, and this time the tremor almost made him unable to look away.

As he hurriedly stopped his men from killing the six knights, he gazed at the tremors in the distant Royal Capital, a sense of unease stirring within him.

He seems to have stumbled upon another opportunity, perhaps this time to make up for his losses.

In the Royal Palace Royal Capital of Antir, Theodore trembled, feeling the vibrations emanating from beneath him.

He had already sensed that the throne beneath him was already expressing its discontent; it was almost certain that if this tremor were to occur again, he would be dethroned...

By then, he would be on the losing side. If the Royal Capital hadn't been besieged, he might have been able to get out, organize his men, and start another Antir civil war.

If he is already surrounded, then he will have no choice but to fight a life-or-death duel with that 'illegitimate son' to decide the outcome of the battle.

Theodore couldn't help but fantasize about what the future might hold, and this brought back a long-forgotten emotion—fear.

His hand unconsciously pressed against the armrest of the throne, trying to get as close to it as possible, hoping that the throne would not reject him.

But the tremors beneath him did not subside; his body could still feel that the throne might very well abandon him at this moment.

Finally, as midnight fell, the tremors on the throne ceased, which relieved him.

Theodore collapsed onto his throne, beginning to ponder his next move.

What should he do now? He has no territory left; if he loses just one more, he will be dethroned.

This was a miscalculation on his part; he hadn't expected that the 'illegitimate son' would possess such power, capable of capturing three cities in such a short time.

Now he dared not gamble on whether the enemy had the ability to conquer the next territory. He needed another month and a half, enough time for him to send ten knights to take down a town.

He naturally wouldn't take any chances about whether the opponent had the ability to win another game; it was pointless.

But what should he do? If he wants to go out and gain actual command of those knights, he must relinquish the throne here.

And relinquish the throne...

Theodore hesitated at this moment. He didn't know what to do. Reason told him that he should give up the throne now, because clinging to it would only make the situation worse.

But he truly couldn't give up; he simply didn't want to leave... He had had enough of the torment of having the throne so close yet unable to attain it... He didn't want to give up...

But that 'illegitimate child'...

In the end, Theodore did nothing.

He no longer knew what to do.