Three days flew by amid tense preparations and stifled anticipation.
For the residents of Lakeside Town and the Inquisitor Knights, these three days were no different from any other.
They trained, patrolled, produced goods, and traded as usual.
Only a handful of core members knew that an elite force had already left town, while their leader, Horace Loux, had been unusually quiet these past few days, spending most of his time in the study or on the terrace atop the castle, gazing toward the academy, his thoughts unknown.
On the morning of the third day, when the first ray of dawn pierced the thin mist that habitually hung over the Liurnia Lake Region, Horace woke from a light sleep.
His dreams had been chaotic. He had dreamed of his eldest brother Godfrey roaring on the battlefield, of Marika's cold yet compassionate gaze... and of a scarlet serpent of flame.
He rubbed his brow, rose, and walked to the window.
The lake region was as peaceful as ever, its waters shimmering silver-gray.
He dressed and went out onto the terrace.
Time passed little by little, and the sun climbed higher.
As the midday sunshine began to grow somewhat scorching, a soft yet unmistakably conspicuous light suddenly appeared on the distant horizon, in the direction of the Academy of Raya Lucaria.
It was a moon-white light, cool and clear, yet carrying an indescribable majesty.
The light was not dazzling, yet it seemed able to pierce every obstacle, remaining clearly visible even in daylight.
It rose from the academy's central cluster of buildings-presumably in the direction of the Grand Library-and hovered in the air like a miniature moon.
Then came a few blue-violet flashes characteristic of Glintstone Sorcery, but those lights were scattered and struggling, soon swallowed by the moon-white radiance.
Few battle cries reached him, but Horace knew that power was changing hands.
He stood silently on the terrace, motionless as a statue.
Roughly four hours later, that first and brightest moon-white light slowly faded.
Calm returned in the direction of the academy, as though nothing had happened.
Another two hours passed before a company of knights appeared on the road leading to Lakeside Town.
It was Uriel and the hundred Inquisitor Knights he had taken with him.
They had returned.
Horace went down from the castle to meet them at the town entrance.
The company was neat and orderly, their armor gleaming as though new, with scarcely any signs of fierce fighting.
The knights looked calm, even a little bored?
"How did it go?" Horace asked Uriel as he approached.
Uriel scratched his head, his expression a little odd. "My lord, honestly... there isn't much to say. We followed Caria's main force into the academy, with those Crystalians leading the way and Queen Rennala casting sorcery herself. The academy's resistance... was much weaker than expected."
He lowered his voice. "The gate guards pulled back without putting up much of a fight. The sorcerers inside... a lot of them just stood along both sides of the corridors and watched. Some were even still discussing problems and never lifted a finger. The few who wanted to resist cast spells no stronger than Spinning Glintstone Shard. When they hit our shields and armor... honestly, they were too weak to even tickle."
A young knight beside him could not help interjecting, "Chief, the most unbelievable part was when we passed the Grand Library. We saw Master Lusat and Master Azur standing right at the entrance, looking up at the sky while arguing about something... They glanced at us, nodded, and went right back to arguing."
Horace was speechless. Although he had anticipated this, the ease of this "coup" still exceeded his imagination.
It seemed that the academy's internal attitude toward Rennala's takeover was even more "tolerant" than he had imagined.
The "inaction" of the two masters and their followers had completely dissolved the academy's core resistance.
"Any casualties?" Horace asked.
"Zero," Uriel answered firmly.
"We didn't even have anyone lightly wounded. Though one Caria Knight charged too fast, got knocked over by someone on his own side, and took a fall... but that doesn't count as a combat casualty."
Horace nodded, a weight lifting from his heart.
His foremost aim in sending these men had been to ensure their safety; providing support had come second.
Now, it seemed the result was perfect.
"Did Caria have anything to say?"
"Rennala has formally announced her takeover of the Academy of Raya Lucaria and the founding of the Kingdom of Caria, with herself as queen. The academy's existing structure will remain in place for now, but supreme decision-making authority belongs to the queen," Uriel reported.
"The queen asked us to pass on a message: she thanks Lakeside Town for its timely aid and formally invites you to the academy to attend... er, an investiture ceremony?"
"An investiture ceremony?" Horace raised an eyebrow.
"Yes. The queen said that, in recognition of your 'outstanding contributions' to the unification of Liurnia's sorcerous community, she will grant you a noble rank and a corresponding title." Uriel's expression was somewhat peculiar as well.
"You'll have to go there to find out exactly what rank."
Horace fell silent for a moment, then waved a hand. "Thank you for your efforts. Take the men to rest. As for the investiture... I'll think about it."
After the knights dispersed, Horace returned to the castle study to think alone.
Rennala had acted even faster and more decisively than he had expected.
Overnight, she had taken the academy without bloodshed and proclaimed the founding of a new kingdom.
And now she was inviting him to receive a title...
The intention could not have been clearer.
She meant to formally hitch him, and Lakeside Town, to the Kingdom of Caria's chariot.
If he accepted the noble rank and became a vassal of Caria, then both legally and nominally, Lakeside Town would no longer be an independent ally or a neutral party, but part of the Kingdom of Caria.
The Order of the Great Rune Knights under his command would also become one of the kingdom's official military forces.
Refuse? With the other side fresh from victory and riding high, rejecting this "honor" and overture would undoubtedly signal distance, or even hostility.
The newly established Kingdom of Caria needed to consolidate its authority. It would never allow an independent force with a powerful military to continue remaining outside its system.
Refusal might mean suppression, isolation, or even conflict to follow.
Accept? That would mean becoming fully embroiled in the Kingdom of Caria's political whirlpool, shouldering a vassal's obligations, and being bound by the kingdom's laws and the queen's authority.
The independence and flexibility he had worked so hard to maintain would be greatly diminished.
Horace walked over to the map, his gaze sweeping across Lakeside Town, the academy, Caria Manor, and the wider Liurnia Lake Region.
He had originally chosen to come here precisely because he knew that, before Radagon invaded with his golden army, this land would enjoy a fairly long period of peace and prosperity under Rennala's rule.
It was the ideal place he could find for his tribe to settle and grow.
After several years of development, Lakeside Town had put down roots. His tribespeople had grown accustomed to life here and established countless ties with Caria, the academy, and even Stormveil Castle to the south.
Migrate again? Quite apart from the Gate of Myriad Laws lacking sufficient energy, even if they could leave, how many would be willing to abandon the homes they had built and start over in an unknown otherworld?
The tribe's own aim was simply to find a secure place to call its own.
Tying themselves to Caria and gaining legal standing and official protection did not seem to run counter to that fundamental aim.
As for a vassal's obligations... any rights and obligations could be negotiated and defined.
The key was not whether to accept the title, but the terms of acceptance and the actual power he would gain.
After all, greater rights came with greater responsibilities.
Sellen was also a member of the Carian Royal Family and held succession rights to Caria. In Liurnia, where women held precedence, Sellen was second in line after Ranni.
Judging also by the unfamiliar way Ranni and Sellen addressed each other, Sellen must have been expelled quite early, at least when Ranni was young.
Then who was forcing the sorcery professors to have their mouths sewn shut and holding the academy's supreme power at this point?
Before you continue