"You should've seen the looks on those Ratfolk faces. They must hate me..."
In the freshly cleaned Lord's Manor, Annan sat in the study and recounted the battle to defend it to Olmedo. His smile gradually faded. "I think I may have caused trouble?"
Annan's smile appeared on Olmedo's face instead. "Oh, they definitely hate you."
"I should've said I was Gema Diatra..." Annan regretted.
"Leave him out of it..." Olmedo said. "The Royal Capital has heard you. Now we can watch how the Kingdom responds... Annan, watch out for attacks from Ratfolk holding a grudge against you."
Annan had said, "I'm the Ratfolk's nemesis," but what he was thinking was that a ten-meter wall was still too low. Twenty meters, thirty meters—better yet, raise the whole place into a floating island!
Star-Moon Bay's treasury had previously hovered around ten thousand Gold Coins. With the coastal ports fallen, selling goods to the south had become difficult, and supporting nearly five thousand workers now cost about seven hundred Gold Coins a month.
An ordinary noble lord would never tolerate a territory that steadily drained his wealth. Annan's thought was: We can hold out until next Deepwinter!
As for a small City-States with a population of nearly ten thousand building absurdly high walls over ten meters tall... other lords would call it wasteful, while the common people would want to be part of it.
Mr. Swaro had left without recharging the Talisman. He said they could discuss that after Annan went to comfort his daughter.
So Annan had no choice but to make a trip to Breeze City first.
Before the Ratfolk had time to react.
Before setting out, Annan also discussed with Ingrid whether their visit to the Royal Capital counted as a "defensive battle." Should they award Medals for it?