Duke Edmund sat behind his desk, reviewing a thick stack of battle reports as he listened to the Military Affairs Officer's quiet briefing.
"The operation to clear out the Snow Oath strongholds is proceeding smoothly. Five of the seven strongholds in Icenan Ridge have already been eliminated..."
He nodded slightly, unsurprised. It was only to be expected.
Eradicating the Snow Oath was a plan he had personally devised, a strategy that mobilized the entire Northern Frontier in an all-out coordinated effort.
Just a few days earlier, he had even led a force himself and killed a Snow Oath elder. The man's head still hung from the city wall.
Everything was under control.
"Those wild dogs will finally be wiped out."
Just then, a Gale Bird with bloodstained wings fluttered into the windowsill.
A heavy stench of blood accompanied the letter.
He frowned. It was a message from Snow Eagle City.
"Snow Eagle City? Didn't they already send a request for reinforcements? They said two thousand Snow Oath troops had surrounded them. Haven't I already sent support? Why are they..."
An ominous feeling stirred in Duke Edmund's chest as he unfolded the letter.
At the third line, he abruptly stood. His expression changed drastically, and the wineglass in his hand shattered.
"Snow Eagle City has fallen. Count Firth was killed in battle. The entire garrison has been wiped out..."
Duke Edmund fell silent for a moment after reading those words, then roared.
"Are you fucking kidding me?! Three thousand defenders, and they lasted only three days?!" He slammed his hand onto the desk and sprang up, seething with rage.
"Slaughtering three thousand pigs piled up there would take three days! They couldn't even hold the city?! What the hell was that old bastard Firth doing?"
The Military Affairs Officer quietly reminded