The Lord Of Blood Hill-Chapter 194: The War Resumes
Midsummer Festival.
Arius's wedding is grand, completed smoothly amidst everyone's blessings—or at least the ones shown publicly!
After the festivities, Arius is set to return to Yosui City with Karitan. Most of Henwell's guards escort the gifts and will remain there under Arius's command.
With Arius gone, Henwell becomes even busier, handling visits from various parties.
Henwell is now a well-known figure throughout the duchy. As the Midsummer Festival attendees disperse, Henwell's story spreads across the duchy. No one dares to underestimate him now.
With Peace Haven, Count Jansen, and Arius, Henwell can now command over a hundred thousand troops. He's nearly the most powerful force in Vorry, second only to Grand Duke Amir.
Henwell is preparing to return home when he suddenly receives orders: the Grand Duke wants him in the royal palace for a meeting the next day.
That evening, Henwell learns the reason. The Ika Kingdom is mobilizing its army, planning to seize the opportunity to attack Vorry. Though it seems like a grand war, Henwell doesn't believe the conflict will be intense.
The Ika Kingdom is merely testing the waters, as Vorry Duchy is on the brink of becoming a kingdom, facing challenging circumstances.
Vorry must bear the brunt of the Ika Kingdom's assault alone.
The Billie Kingdom won't intervene, and if Vorry Duchy falters, Billie might even want a piece of the pie!
The Kosen Kingdom, which had a temporary alliance with Vorry, is now tense again due to Vorry's later betrayal. However, Kosen is busy digesting the territory it seized from Billie, so it naturally lacks the resources to meddle in this war.
Ogiro Kingdom?
While they are indeed allies, Henwell's actions in the south have soured their relationship with Vorry. This is why Grand Duke Amir was so furious with Henwell for deploying troops without authorization. Henwell managed to offend one of the duchy's allies.
But Henwell doesn't care about that; Ogiro clearly wanted Peace Haven at the time. The duchy was considering trading Peace Haven for Ogiro's support. If Henwell hadn't boldly intervened, his territory might have been traded away as a political bargaining chip.
So, the current situation still poses significant risks for Vorry Duchy.
If they withstand the Ika Kingdom's attack, Vorry Duchy could become a kingdom. But if they falter, neighboring countries will eagerly move in to carve up the duchy.
Peaceful rise?
That's just a beautiful vision; ultimately, it comes down to strength.
Understanding the current circumstances, Henwell realizes why Grand Duke Amir has summoned him. After all, Henwell's army is one of the most capable forces in the duchy, so naturally, Amir wants to rally support.
Even if Henwell doesn't deploy troops directly, it's crucial to have him distract some of the Ika Kingdom's forces in the south.
The next day, Henwell arrives at the royal palace. He finds himself in the same grand hall he once visited, but this time, he isn't the center of attention. Instead, he stays in a corner, listening to the discussions among various parties.
In the center of the hall is a massive map, and once everyone has gathered, the duchy's Minister of Military Affairs begins to present the situation under Grand Duke Amir's guidance.
"The Ika Kingdom has mobilized two hundred thousand troops, preparing to attack from the western border, with the war expected to start in two months. The enemy will likely split into two forces: one targeting Iron Pit City, and the other advancing from the south towards Vorska City."
Vorska City, located south of Iron Pit City, falls within Count Descartes' domain. It's a key support point for the noble alliance in the west, coordinating with Count Marcus in Eastern Mist City to the east. However, Count Descartes lacks the strength of Count Marcus, commanding only ten thousand troops at best. Including surrounding noble factions, he can muster a force of thirty thousand.
Count Descartes can influence two duchy legions and one border defense legion, totaling only sixty thousand troops. Even with two additional border defense legions, the number rises to just over seventy thousand.
Despite being on the defensive, facing the formidable hundred thousand troops from the Ika Kingdom poses a significant risk.
Iron Pit City is in a slightly better position. The Iron Wall Legion has over thirty thousand regular troops, and two more legions can be mobilized. With the support of three border defense legions, the total force is seventy thousand, and their combat effectiveness is vastly superior. Stopping the Ika Kingdom's advance on this front should not be a major issue.
The Minister of Military Affairs, Marvin, continues, "Currently, the duchy can only mobilize five legions. Everyone must contribute some forces to support the western battlefield."
Count Lowel from the northern border is the first to speak up, "I can't spare any troops. I need to guard against the Kosen Kingdom to the north. We're stretched thin as it is."
Count Marcus adds, "The Luon City defenses are still under construction, and with the Ika Kingdom making a move, we need to keep a close watch on Billie to prevent any major issues."
The two most influential counts have already explained their difficulties. This isn't an excuse; they genuinely need to be cautious on these fronts.
Count Reyes from the neutral faction frowns, "I don't have many troops, but I can send a thousand to support Count Descartes."
Count Quinns from the royal faction says, "I'm too far from the western border to provide military support."
The Minister of Military Affairs turns to Orak, "What about Count Jansen? He's closest to Count Descartes."
Orak shakes his head, "My father's troops have already fought with the Ika Kingdom. They need time to recover and reorganize. Additionally, my father is near the border, facing the risk of an attack, so we can't move our forces away."
Governor Obert stands up, "Everyone, we must unite at this time. Whether the duchy can transform depends on this final test! The western front must be strengthened. No matter what, we have to hold off the Ika Kingdom's advance."
No one speaks, waiting for the Grand Duke to offer better terms.
Grand Duke Amir stands and says, "Lowel, deploy one legion to Ironwall City under Fabio's command.”
”Marcus, I understand you're far, but move slightly north from Luon City to take over part of Arius's defenses. I'll instruct Arius's troops to move north to temporarily fill the gap left by Lowel.”
”Quinns, shift south to guard against threats from Ogiro. Of the five legions we can mobilize, three will support Ironwall City, and two will support Descartes."
As the Grand Duke, Amir is still the sole leader of the duchy. As long as his demands aren't excessive, no one has grounds to object. His words weren't suggestions but orders.
After speaking, Grand Duke Amir scans the hall, ignoring the expressions of others, "Where's Henwell? Isn't Henwell here?"
"Your Grace, I'm here!" Henwell calls out from behind a pillar.
Seeing Henwell hiding, Grand Duke Amir's face darkens, "What are you doing hiding back there!"
.
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Chapter 194: The War Resumes
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