West Lainer...
Dogula City.
Had surrendered!
The kingdom's nobles over in West Lainer had actually surrendered!
Rowan and the royal advisers, who were discussing affairs of state and military policy, were stunned by the news.
This country had been established at Atrelin's initiative, carved out of the former Lainer Kingdom as a territory governed by a Noble Council.
In a sense, it was something of a testing ground.
There was no sovereign reigning supreme there. Instead, a council formed by several noble houses ruled the country, imitating Atrelin's system to a certain extent.
Naturally, this was meant to facilitate future political influence.
Logically speaking, with so many nobles and different factions whose interests conflicted, reaching a consensus should not have been easy. Especially on a matter of life and death like this, they should have been even more likely to cling to their own positions and refuse to yield.
No one had imagined they would decide to surrender so quickly.
But soon, they realized what was going on.
"There are clever people in West Lainer, too. Those elders of the Noble Council actually came up with a way like this to break the deadlock."
"East and West Lainer share close cultural and ancestral ties. Before Atrelin forcibly divided them, they were one kingdom."
"That does make it harder to strike."
Rowan's expression darkened. This sudden surrender had truly disrupted his original plans.
He had wanted to use this opportunity to put the disloyal factions at home and abroad firmly in their place, while gathering more power into his hands.
How could he put it?
They had wrong-footed him so badly that he almost did not know what to do.
Even so, certain things still had to be done.
Rowan did not believe they genuinely wished to surrender.
If they did,