The Lord Of Blood Hill-Chapter 176: This Is As Far As I Can Help You
In the capital of the Vorry Duchy, Silver Peak City, Grand Duke Amir sits on his throne, questioning the high-ranking officials of the duchy.
"Do you mean to tell me that a mere gladiator can push me to such a point?"
Chancellor Obert responds, "Your Grace, you overestimate him! It's just that he chose the right moment. If it weren't for this critical juncture, he wouldn't even have been able to leave Peace Haven."
Minister of War Marvin agrees, "That little knight lord is a minor issue. The key now is to stop the various factions from attacking the Billie Kingdom."
Chief Inspector Gairom suggests, "Now is not the time for us to be troubled. Let's pass this thorny issue to Billie to handle. We should withdraw from the efforts to eliminate the Peace Haven rebels and let them send their troops to deal with this prickly problem."
Chancellor Obert frowns, "Henwell is not a rebel, so don't speak recklessly."
Gairom retorts coldly, "Not a rebel? The duchy is at a critical stage of transformation. First, he unilaterally initiated conflict in the southern territories, attacking the Ogiro Kingdom and provoking their invasion of our duchy.”
”Then, he incited the Phoenix family to leverage the situation for titles and lands.”
”Finally, he audaciously seized the lands of our duchy's nobility, refusing to return them to the state and claiming them for himself!”
”If such a person isn't a rebel, then what constitutes rebellion? Marching into Silver Peak City?"
Obert calmly replies, "Precisely because the duchy is at a critical juncture, he cannot be labeled a rebel, not for quite some time. He has made significant contributions—whether in covering the retreat of the young prince or repelling the Ogiro Kingdom's forces.”
”If someone like him is deemed a rebel now, what message does that send to others? What will other nobles think?”
”The duchy's transformation into a kingdom, acquiring such vast lands, has left us surrounded by enemies. We need a period of internal stability. Otherwise, the kingdom will be nothing more than a fleeting firework, and other kingdoms will seize the opportunity to carve us up!"
Grand Duke Amir waves his hand, saying, "Whether Henwell is a rebel or not, we'll discuss that later!" With this statement, he essentially affirms the chancellor's point.
Henwell is now renowned, a standout among the duchy's youth. He absolutely cannot be labeled a rebel, nor can they afford to push him into the enemy's arms.
The officials are all nursing headaches, having never imagined that Henwell would dare to mobilize Peace Haven's armies for a few corpses. Nor did they expect him to have such a large army, let alone one so formidable in battle.
It's a disastrous situation!
Even Grand Duke Amir feels a twinge of regret, thinking it might have been better to swallow his pride and negotiate for those bodies earlier. Now he is knowing how tricky this has became.
After much deliberation, the officials decide to approach the Billie Kingdom to negotiate the return of the bodies. The duchy will do its best to mediate, but if the Billie Kingdom refuses, there's nothing more Vorry Duchy can do. They certainly won't send any more troops to besiege Henwell.
In the palace of Divine Revelation City within the Billie Kingdom, King Ulysses coldly questions his officials, "Am I truly powerless against a mere knight lord, a lowly gladiator slave?"
The gathered officials exchange uneasy glances, unsure how to respond. They were on the verge of a ceasefire, so how did things reignite so suddenly? And all over a few corpses? It seems absurd!
Ulysses slams his hand on the throne. "Why is everyone silent? What should we do about this?"
Tentatively, someone suggests, "Perhaps we could return those useless bodies?"
"I'm not talking about returning those damn bodies! I'm talking about how to eliminate this impudent wretch who dares to challenge the kingdom!"
Under Ulysses' roar, everyone shrinks back, not daring to speak. His anger only grows in the silence.
Scanning the room, Ulysses fixes his gaze on a figure nearby. "Catherine! You command elite troops. What do you propose?"
Catherine responds, "Father, I am willing to go to battle and bring that little knight before you. However, my forces are insufficient. I currently have less than forty thousand troops, and Henwell's forces are exceptionally fierce. I need four more regiments from the kingdom."
Immediately, opposition arises, with officials arguing that sending the princess to subdue a mere knight is beneath her status. In truth, they are wary of Catherine's growing power.
Though Catherine commands just over thirty thousand troops, her loyal supporters contribute another twenty thousand. If she receives four more regiments, her influence could swell significantly, possibly absorbing three of them.
With nearly a hundred thousand troops under her command, the "War Princess" would be unstoppable. At that point, there wouldn't be a struggle for the throne; they might as well crown her queen directly!
Ulysses clearly doesn't want to further increase Catherine's power, so he waves his hand, saying, "There's no need for you to go to war! I'm just asking what should be done about this little knight lord."
Catherine counters, "Father, how many troops are you willing to commit for this knight?"
"Five regiments!"
Catherine shakes her head. "That's not enough! His forces are formidable. I've studied the battle s from the front lines and discussed them with my officers. If the kingdom wants to repel him, we'll need nearly ten regiments, close to a hundred thousand troops."
"To annihilate him, more than fifteen regiments are necessary! Additionally, the Kosen Kingdom on the northern front is stirring and requires more regiments stationed there. To the west, against Vorry, we need to bolster our lines with over ten regiments."
Crown Prince Felton frowns, "Are you suggesting we return the bodies?"
Second Prince Naiden glances at Catherine, "Do you mean we should bow to this gladiator lord?"
Catherine lifts her chin defiantly, "Quite the opposite! I advise father to initiate a nationwide draft. Form thirty new regiments. I am willing to lead ten newly formed regiments north to hold off Kosen's advance."
"Meanwhile, my brothers can lead forces west to drive out the Vorry Duchy. Together, we can reclaim our lost lands and people! Capitulating would be a disgrace for us. As for the knight who dares to challenge us, we must crush him completely, showing everyone that Billie is not to be trifled with!"
Oh dear, you're still angling for military command! Looking at his battle-ready daughter, Ulysses feels his anger towards Henwell diminish significantly and attempts to placate Catherine with a sheepish smile.
"Dear daughter, you're being too tense; it's not as severe as you think. What we need most now is to recuperate and reorganize, not to launch another major war. As for that little knight, he's just a pawn Vorry is using to test our reaction. We must not fall for the enemy's trap! Let's discuss this matter further."
With a look of reluctance on her face, Catherine thinks to herself: Henwell, this is as far as I can help you.
Chapter 176: This Is As Far As I Can Help You
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