CHAPTER 320: FIRST STEP TOWARDS FUTURE WAR

On June 20, 1731, on the eve of the holiday at the Elizabeth Academy of Magic, compared to the imperial capital, which could still maintain a superficial calm, the border regions were filled with tension. Even a bird flying overhead could be shot down by magic released from an unknown source.

One of the four great dukes of the Valeria Empire, Charles Lester, stood in the dark black stone castle, gazing at the desolate plains to the northwest, his resolute eyes tinged with unease.

Unlike the other three dukes, Charles carried a trace of royal blood, or rather, his entire family had deep ties with the imperial family of the Valeria Empire, their status even surpassing some of the distant branches of the royal lineage.

Because of this, as an important military force guarding the imperial family, the Lester family was granted a particularly unique fiefdom at the founding of the empire. Unlike the Velmont family, which possessed fertile ports, Duke Charles’s territory was located in the northern part of the empire, forming a ring that encircled the empire’s border.

This grant served two purposes: to defend against foreign invasions and protect the homeland, and because of its geographical location, not too far from the capital, it could always be called upon to safeguard the imperial authority, ensuring the supreme and unshakable power of the throne.

In other words, Charles’s army was the second line of defense for the imperial authority, second only to the imperial guards, and the most crucial defensive force for the entire empire.

"Lord Charles, the magic magical devices agreed upon the other day have arrived at the fortress. Would you like to inspect it personally?"

Hearing the report from his attendant, the man with sharp eyebrows and starry eyes turned around. His robust figure was barely concealed by the black casual attire he wore, and just standing there, he exuded an aura of solemnity.

"Hmm."

Charles answered succinctly, his hand casually resting on the sword at his side.

"Very well, Lord Charles."

Having received the order, the attendant turned and left. Charles glanced at the wilderness behind him and slowly descended the stairs.

According to reports from scouts, some of the lords of the Kingdom of Velvys were beginning to express dissatisfaction with the grain taxes they had to pay to the king, demanding a reduction in the annual payment ratio. Meanwhile, the tenant farmers at the bottom were facing the dual dilemma of increased grain taxes and rising land rental prices.

Additionally, there were many unusual activities from the Holy Light Church. The original Holy Light Church preached that God loves all people, regardless of whether they believe in Him or not, and that God would impartially bring them warmth and light. To some extent, this doctrine was related to the emperor of the Valeria Empire’s ability to easily remove the church’s influence back in the day.

Now, Charles had heard that the Holy Light Church had a new interpretation of the doctrine, believing that people should also respond to God’s gaze rather than merely enjoy the blessings ’He’ bestows. Under this premise, the small number of non-believers within the Kingdom of Velvys were gradually being converted into believers, and some of the pope’s followers believed it was their duty to spread the doctrine to the human empire in the southeast, urging them to also worship the supreme God of Light.

This undoubtedly released an extremely dangerous signal. Emperor Hibbort could not allow another faith that threatened imperial rule to spread unchecked within the country. Once the Holy Light Church attempted to propagate its doctrine on the soil of the Valeria Empire, conflict between the empire and the Kingdom of Velvys would be inevitable.

Passing through the long corridor and entering the front-line fortress used for troop deployment, Charles felt the cold wind brushing against his stubble, his steel-like facial features unchanged.

He didn’t understand politics much, but he knew history well. When a country’s internal conflicts reached a peak, they would either explode on the spot, leading to a change in leadership, or be directed outward, finding a suitable external enemy as an outlet for public sentiment.

With the Loren Empire, a former behemoth that included two great nations, as a benchmark, the relationship between the Valeria Empire and the Kingdom of Velvys could hardly be considered good. Both sides sought to seize land when the other was weak, preferably completely annexing the other’s territory, to recreate the glory of the Loring Empire era.

War was imminent, and Charles even suspected that the next second he breathed, a messenger might come forward to report that the Kingdom of Velvys was launching a fierce attack on the border.

What an infuriating atmosphere.

Seeing several carriages parked at the entrance, Charles briefly instructed them not to leave yet, to wait until the inventory was completed before making arrangements, and then entered the military warehouse where the magic magical devices were stored.

This batch of magical devices included portable water crystals for supplying drinking water to soldiers during war, earth attribute crystals arranged in specific patterns for building temporary shelters, and a small number of ice crystals for preserving food.

Charles quickly read through the list, instructing his subordinates to count the items one by one, while he himself extended his spiritual energy outward to spot-check the quality of some of the magic magical devices.

The most advanced magical devices in the country were prioritized for the military, followed by the major nobles. This was a national policy that Hibbort had steadfastly implemented. This emperor, who ruled with an iron fist in his youth, only trusted his army and superior martial power; everything else was secondary.

Of course, besides prioritizing the supply of magic magical devices, Hibbort had done many other things. For instance, Duke Charles had recruited many standing armies within his territory, which significantly reduced the number of farmers. To feed the army, Hibbort reduced the grain taxes Charles had to pay annually, the final amount being a mere fraction compared to the other three lords.

Moreover, due to the tense situation in recent years, Charles had abandoned the military farms that could potentially weaken the army’s combat effectiveness, instead rigorously training his soldiers daily to prepare for the impending war. With the loss of support from the military farms, the grain shortage in the territory increased further, forcing Hibbort to allocate a portion of the surplus grain from the national treasury each month to supplement the military supplies.

This was both support and a restraint. Although the Lester family had deep ties with the imperial family, who could guarantee that both sides would always stand on the same line and share the same interests?

Appropriately imposing shackles helped reduce suspicion, which was good for both sides. This was something Hibbort and Charles had tacitly agreed upon.

After counting the magical devices listed on the paper, Charles nodded, then walked to the center of the warehouse, finding the batch of magic weapons that were not on the list but he was aware of.

Opening a wooden box filled with straw, beneath the black cloth, a number of magic weapons resembling fire pokers lay quietly inside, alongside the fire attribute crystals that accompanied them, sealed in opaque metal cases.

The flamethrowers Countess Charlotte had mentioned earlier, which, when used skillfully, could elevate the destructive power of a Peak Knight.

These were still in the trial phase, and this batch was for his men to test. If there were no issues, they could consider mass production.

Rubbing the cold metal barrel of the flamethrower, Charles felt the magical patterns on it according to the manual. After about thirty minutes, he successfully completed the soul engraving on the fifteen flamethrowers in his hand. Just as he was about to distribute them to his personal guards, a messenger came to report.

"Lord Charles, there’s an urgent situation."

"A group of soldiers suspected to be from the Kingdom of Velvys has attacked a village..."

............

A week later, in the Capital City of the Valeria Empire, Astrid, who had just finished her bath, sat at her desk, looking at the intelligence report organized and handed to her by the head maid, her moist lips slightly pursed.

A week ago, a heinous bloodshed occurred at the border between the Valeria Empire and the Kingdom of Velvys. A group of bandits who had drifted over attacked a village on the empire’s border, resulting in several deaths and more than a dozen injuries.

However, the above account was the official version that had circulated. According to the intelligence gathered by the head maid, the leader of these bandits possessed the strength of a mid-level knight.

Judging from their methods, their purpose in ransacking the village did not seem to be merely for wealth, but more like intentionally harassing the military and probing the defenses.

In the end, Duke Charles eradicated these thugs with a swift and decisive strike, turning their corpses into ice sculptures and placing them at the edge of the border between the two countries, as a warning to other troublemakers.

As for how the Kingdom of Velvys was held accountable and the specifics of the negotiations, due to the remote location, Elise’s intelligence network could not extend that far or gather detailed information. Thus, Astrid was unclear on how the matter was ultimately resolved.

Of course, regardless of the outcome, the tension at the empire’s border had definitely escalated to another level. Before the official outbreak of war, various rumors circulated within the military, and the atmosphere was tense, with both sides testing each other’s discipline and morale.

"Now it’s just a matter of who loses their patience first..."

Astrid tilted her head, propping her cheek with one hand, her gaze lingering on the yellowed parchment.

This conflict was indeed recorded in the original novel, but it was merely a side note that had no impact on the destined female protagonist at the time.

Her fingers lightly tapped on the desk, the rhythmic sound guiding her thoughts.

At this point, anyone with some information channels should not think that this war could be avoided, especially since Charles had recently met with Hibbort and subsequently secured a large supply of grain, and the investment in magic energy weapons was steadily increasing.

Hibbort reluctant to initiate war, probably fearing that the conflict would drag on. If it reached a stalemate, with his health failing, and he were to pass away prematurely, it would be a fatal blow to the entire nation.

This could also explain why Hibbort did not directly choose the eldest prince as the crown prince. Although appointing the eldest could fundamentally resolve the issue of succession, at such a critical moment, a weak emperor could not support the entire country. Lucas’s abilities clearly did not meet Hibbort’s expectations, while Alistair’s ruthlessness had influenced his decision to some extent.

Thinking about it carefully, if she were in Hibbort’s position, with her life nearing its end, one son short-sighted and leaving loopholes in everything he did, and the other son cruel and tyrannical yet constantly yielding to the major nobles, she would probably feel caught between a rock and a hard place.

From another perspective, the Blonde tyrant Amalia, who eventually ascended the throne in the original story, actually met her father’s expectations quite well in the short term. She incited national sentiment internally, promoting militaristic ideologies, and struck hard externally, launching large-scale invasions. Apart from her political skills being slightly lacking due to long-term confinement, she did everything else quite well. It was hard to imagine that Amalia was just an eighteen-year-old girl when she ascended the throne.

Of course, this "quite well" was only in terms of imperial power and some nobles. For the toiling masses within the country, Amalia’s militaristic invasions drastically reduced the farming population. The logic of using war to sustain war fundamentally left hidden dangers. Once the momentum at the front line faltered and the people realized the truth behind the war, the accumulated hidden mines would cause the entire empire to collapse overnight.

As she pondered, the room door opened, and Elise and Astrid turned their heads at the same time. Standing at the door was a black-haired girl in a plain white nightgown, holding an orange cat in her arms.

Auri meowed softly, jumping out of Amalia’s arms and darting to her usual resting spot. Amalia glanced at the orange cat, paying it no further mind, and gently walked over to Astrid.

Seeing the fourth princess approach, Elise tactfully exited the room, leaving only the two sisters and a cat in the spacious bedroom.

"Are you reading something, sister?" Amalia asked.

Astrid nodded, putting down the paper in her hand.

"Yes, but I’ve finished now."

What a coincidence, just as she thought of Amalia, she appeared.

Looking at the cold and proud girl who had not yet assumed her tyrant form, Astrid reached out and pulled Amalia into her embrace. The latter gently swung her jade-like legs, her sandals falling onto the carpet, and she sat on Astrid’s lap.

"Aren’t you resting yet, sister? You have a long journey tomorrow."

Earlier, she had agreed with Lyra to visit her home during the summer vacation, and tomorrow was the departure date.

Hearing this, Astrid nodded slightly, her voice gentle.

"I’ll go to sleep soon."

To care for the growing body of a child, since she started sleeping with Amalia, Astrid’s schedule had also been forced to become healthier, with nearly ten hours of sleep each day.

"Good~"

Satisfied with the answer, Amalia rested her head on Astrid’s shoulder, her soft lips gently brushing against the woman’s neck, whether it was an unconscious touch or a consciously prolonged and tender kiss.

After holding her sister for a while, Astrid took Amalia into the bed, exchanged a goodnight kiss, and both drifted off to sleep.

At the same time, Lyra, who was only a wall away from them, tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep.

At this moment, she finally belatedly remembered something, something she had subconsciously ignored all along.

Previously, to avoid worrying her parents, in her letters to her family, she had repeatedly referred to the third princess Astrid as Miss Astrid. But when writing back, except for the time she was studying at the Elizabeth Academy of Magic and had written her door number, she had always given the address as capital, Astrid Calliste’s palace.

Someone who could live in the imperial palace could not possibly be an ordinary young lady.