Chapter 47
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Chapter 47: What to Protect
On the final Monday of December in the 984th year of the Arad Calendar, after three days of besieging Asreks Castle, the Crimson Flame Legion finally retreated in anger, fear, and helplessness. General Red Fox skillfully reorganized his rear troops into the vanguard and began marching rapidly toward Joseph family territory.
Upon reaching York County, the Crimson Flame Legion left three thousand troops stationed there to guard against potential counterattacks from the Asreks family after the siege was lifted. Even an army of ten thousand could face danger if caught between two fronts—a mistake General Red Fox, as an experienced commander, would never make.
The remaining seven thousand troops, serving as the main force, rested briefly before advancing toward Joseph Castle.
Meanwhile, Midi’s two thousand Elven reinforcements abandoned Joseph Castle immediately after the Noble Council and Queen issued the decree stripping Quinn of his noble status. Naturally, Midi wanted to avoid being surrounded by enemies. The difference between him and General Red Fox lay in the fact that Midi had captured Joseph Castle, allowing him to act more decisively.
A thousand regular soldiers and five hundred reserves from the Joseph family were disbanded on the spot and sent home. Every officer above the rank of centurion was executed without exception, effectively dismantling the Joseph family’s military structure.
All usable weapons and supplies in the castle were taken, while anything left behind was destroyed. As for Count Joseph himself, he was compelled to join the army under the pretext of "fighting alongside allies to personally punish his disloyal son."
Thus, the noble war between the Sais family and the Asreks family saw a reversal of roles.
“I have a question,” Alice spoke up unexpectedly.
“Please,” Midi replied, setting aside his work at once. Opportunities to engage the reclusive Mist Sorceress were rare, and he welcomed any chance to build rapport.
“Why didn’t the enemy keep attacking your father’s castle? The Devil’s Vine can’t last long. They could’ve waited, stuck to their original plan, taken the castle, wiped out Asreks’ three thousand five hundred soldiers, then turned on us. Wouldn’t that make more sense?” Alice fired off her questions like arrows.
Though uninterested in noble politics, Alice viewed war as a complex chessboard—a game of strategy, pieces, and endless calculations. As someone who coordinated Summoned Beasts in battle, she couldn’t help analyzing the moves. Now, perplexed, she turned to the architect of this situation for answers.
“Simple,” Midi said, tapping the map. “The Belmar Duchy isn’t just home to the Sais and Asreks. Other nobles, especially the Iron-Blooded Duke of the Hamilton family, have been watching from the shadows.”
“They didn’t help before,” Alice countered.
“Nobles only bet on winning sides. Before, we had no chance. But now?” Midi smirked. “I’ve taken Joseph Castle, allied with Count Joseph, and legally become the ruler of his territory. The longer this drags on, the more others will meddle. Offer them a slice of Joseph’s lands, and even the Iron-Blooded Duke might send troops.”
“But the Sais family leads the Senator’s faction. They could rally allies too,” Alice pressed.
“That would spark civil war. The Sais family isn’t strong enough to risk confronting the Hamiltons directly. So they’re trapped by their own rules—while I exploit them. The Crimson Flame Legion has no choice but to return and crush me at all costs.”
Alice fell silent, studying the black-haired boy. His calm demeanor amidst such pressure puzzled her. He’d saved civilians, salvaged a doomed castle, planned late into nights to protect Elven lives, and now shouldered every ounce of hatred and suspicion onto himself—all while acting like it was nothing.
*Is this his belief? To protect everyone?*
For the briefest moment, Alice felt curiosity. Why carry such burdens so calmly? Why fight for so much? Did that include Fina Hamilton?
Her gaze drifted to Fina’s empty seat. The red-haired girl had split from the main force days earlier, taking only six Nightblade Leopard Cavalry to fulfill her own mission. She’d even left Sigmund and Lilian behind to bolster Midi’s troops.
Not that Alice would’ve asked Fina about Midi even if she were here. Some questions were too irritating to voice.
But one thing was clear: they needed victory—decisive and swift—to deter the vultures circling overhead.
“What now?” Alice asked bluntly.
“I need your full power,” Midi said, discarding pretense. Their arrangement—her combat aid in exchange for studying his demon god—remained transactional. Yet he spoke plainly, laying bare their predicament.
*Troublesome…* Alice nearly sighed. Old habits died hard.
“Without you, I can’t win,” Midi added, locking eyes with her.
The black-haired girl swallowed her complaint. A faint smile flickered across her lips as she nodded. “I’ll handle things until the redhead returns.”
On the sixth day after leaving Joseph Castle—New Year’s Eve of Arad 984, the night before flames engulfed the Forest of Gran—Midi’s Elven warriors clashed with the Crimson Flame Legion in White Birch Woods.
Scouts from both sides spotted each other simultaneously. Blades hissed from sheaths; crossbows creaked taut. The skirmish that might decide Asreks’ fate, perhaps even the duchy’s future, hung on a trigger’s pull.
But before arrows could taste blood, thick fog swallowed the battlefield.
