Before anyone knew it, spring had given way to autumn, and another year had passed.
In Lainer World, the great Western Crusade was in full swing.
Just as expected, the Kingdom's armies were invincible, and everyone in their path submitted.
The nobles of the West Lainer Kingdom were ready to give up and surrender completely, but Rowan adopted a ruthless policy of refusing their surrender, slaughtering any nobles who might threaten his rule.
Naturally, this provoked discontent on many sides. Even in Atrelin, voices of criticism and harsh condemnation abounded.
But Rowan paid them no heed. With a father at the level of a Legendary Mage backing him and the solid foundation his queen mother had laid, he had held supreme power and unrivaled prestige from the moment he took the throne. The soldiers and civilians under him were also enthusiastic about gaining fiefs through territorial expansion.
It was the perfect chance to force the enemy kingdom's nobles to relinquish all their interests and place them in his hands.
Only then did everyone suddenly realize that Rowan was serious.
He was trying to sweep away every obstacle through brutal means.
To prevent those nobles from fleeing to other worlds to live in exile, then producing descendants who would cause endless trouble later, he had even deliberately sealed the Teleportation Magic Arrays connecting Lainer World to the outside.
He intended to pull off a Catching Turtles in a Jar.
This finally forced all his enemies to face reality and unite against him.
But such an alliance could not be formed overnight. They also lacked magic power at the middle and higher tiers, leaving them to suffer one defeat after another whenever they fought.
Had it not been for Rowan's strategy of "taking the war slowly" to resolve internal conflicts through the