Chapter 82: Three-Front War
As darkness descended, Lodis and Harry fled through the forest, pursued by Kailun’s relentless knights.
They had lost half their men, including a significant portion of Harry’s recently assembled followers.
What tormented them most was that the knights weren’t trying to kill them. They were toying with them, picking them off whenever their pace slowed.
But they couldn’t outrun mounted knights, even with magical enhancements. Their stamina was dwindling.
Lodis estimated they would be reduced to a handful of men by the time they reached the border.
“Just hold on a little longer! The Saint’s envoy is on their way! Once we escape, we can regroup! The Saint won’t abandon this land!” Harry, carrying Paul on his back, urged them forward. Only his strength allowed him to endure this ordeal.
They had abandoned their carriages after several skirmishes.
Lodis, too weak to run, rode on the back of a knight.
He surveyed their dwindling ranks, his voice filled with desperation. “Harry, have your followers stay behind and cover our retreat! We’ll all be exhausted to death at this rate!”
“No! I can’t…” These were the fruits of years of labor. Losing them would be a devastating blow.
“We don’t have time to argue!” Lodis insisted.
“What if they decide to surround us? We need to act now! And you said the envoy is coming! Once we escape, we can sneak back in, rally the disgruntled nobles, and incite a rebellion! Once the Xiya Kingdom is in chaos, the Divine Church forces can sweep in and claim victory!”
“But we’ll lose control! All our efforts will benefit someone else!”
Lodis wasn’t concerned. As a potential heir, he would receive the Church’s support regardless of who led the invasion.
The Divine Church needed a justification for intervention. He was the perfect candidate.
Whether he would become a puppet ruler was a problem for another day.
“Would you rather see Paul die from the poison?” He pointed at Paul, who was slumped against Harry’s back.
Harry hesitated, then finally relented. “For his sake… I’ll order them to stay behind.”
“A wise choice. Let Kailun have his moment of triumph. We’ll be back.”
…
“Welcome, Viscount Laurist. What brings you to my humble abode?” Kailun greeted the Laurist couple with a warm smile.
They were Winnie’s parents, the ones who had reluctantly agreed to his “proposal,” offering their daughter as a concubine.
Now that the assassins were gone, they were free.
“We just wanted to see how Winnie is doing. If she’s settled in. If she’s happy. We thought we could offer her some… moral support.” The viscount fidgeted nervously, his hand trembling as he held his teacup.
He had heard rumors of his daughter being treated like a dog, paraded around on a leash by the little princess, her appearance suggesting she had been starved for days.
If not for his family’s precarious position, he would never have agreed to this marriage.
“Oh, you needn’t worry about her safety. I would never harm her. If you don’t believe me, Lady Laurist, you can go see for yourself. She’s probably busy practicing her dance routine.”
“Really? I can see her?” Lady Laurist’s face lit up.
She had imagined her daughter suffering unspeakable horrors. It seemed the rumors were false.
“Of course. I’ll have someone escort you.” He summoned Carol and whispered a few instructions, sending her to accompany Lady Laurist.
He told Carol to observe from a distance, but to avoid any direct interaction.
“Can I go too?” the viscount asked, his curiosity piqued.
“Unfortunately, no. She’s in a… private area. I can’t allow visitors.”
“Oh…” He took a sip of tea, disappointed.
Kailun’s willingness to let his wife visit suggested Winnie was being treated well. He felt a wave of relief.
“I have a question for you, Viscount Laurist.” Kailun glanced out the window. Night had fallen.
“Ask away, Master Kailun. I’ll answer truthfully.” He dared not treat Kailun like an ordinary boy. His recent exploits were still circulating among the nobility. Many envied his connection to Kailun.
But only he knew the truth. They weren’t true relatives.
Kailun’s actions were barely a step above forced abduction.
“If I were to increase your taxes, would you agree?” He leaned forward, studying his expression and his eyes.
“I am at your and Princess Vivian’s command, of course.” His face fell.
“What if I increased them by twenty percent?”
“That… I’m still at your command.” He maintained a submissive posture.
The current tax rate for nobles was twenty percent, a reasonable amount. But an additional twenty percent would be unacceptable to most.
“And what if I also demanded that you lower the taxes you collect from your commoners?”
This request was a clear overstep of boundaries.
Less than a third of the Xiya Kingdom was directly controlled by the Royal Family. The rest belonged to various nobles.
Taxes within their territories were determined by the lords themselves. Even the king couldn’t interfere.
Kailun’s demands would significantly reduce his income.
“That would be… difficult.”
Kailun didn’t respond. He simply stared at him, his expression unreadable.
“I… I’ll comply.” His resolve crumbled.
He might be sitting upright, but Kailun sensed his submission.
As expected of a man who would sacrifice his own daughter for self-preservation. He shouldn’t have expected any better from a noble.
“A wise choice. I hope you’ll be the first to voice your support when I present this proposal to the other nobles.”
“Crash!” He dropped his teacup, his hand trembling.
“You’re joking, right?” He was on the verge of tears.
If Kailun made such a demand, he would be siding against the entire nobility. They would tear him apart.
“Do I look like I’m joking?” His smile didn’t waver.
He had to break the nobility’s power. Otherwise, the Xiya Kingdom would remain divided.
“Can I… think about it?”
“Of course. I’ll prepare a nice, dark room for you to contemplate your options.”
“If I agree, can you guarantee my survival?”
“Not entirely.” He shook his head. Then, seeing the despair in his eyes, he added, “But if you’re willing to participate in a little… performance, I’ll do my best to keep you alive.”
“A performance? For whom?”
“Your daughter, Winnie.”
“…”
…
Viscount Laurist was even more spineless than he had anticipated. If all the nobles were like him, his task would be much easier.
Lady Laurist, reassured that her daughter was indeed practicing her dancing, left the manor with her dejected husband.
After dealing with a few minor matters, Kailun joined the others for dinner.
Ella raised a concern. The mines he had marked on the map were indeed rich in resources, but they lacked the manpower to extract and transport them.
She urged him to recruit more workers. Otherwise, they would soon face a financial crisis.
Despite the contributions from Hilna and Lodis, he still needed more funds.
“We’ll recruit domestically for now. In a few days, I’ll acquire a batch of… free labor.”
“Free labor? How many?” she asked, intrigued.
“Tens of thousands. Perhaps hundreds of thousands.”
Ella: “？？?”
Was he planning to enslave an entire nation?
“Vivian, you can begin your dog training program. I’ll give you the key to your sister’s room. And if you have any… interesting ideas, invite me to observe. I’m always eager to learn.” He tossed her a key.
“I will. And I’ll definitely invite you. My sister wouldn’t feel properly humiliated without an audience.” She grinned mischievously.
She planned to go shopping with him tomorrow to purchase some… tools. Candles were too cliché. She wanted something more creative.
She silently prayed for her sister.
“Carol, how’s your training progressing?” He patted Carol’s head.
“It’s going well,” she replied, leaning into his touch.
“Just ‘well’? She’s already a second-tier mage! I can’t teach her anything anymore!” Anna interjected, her voice tinged with envy.
She had witnessed Carol, a complete novice, surpass years of her own training in just a few days. It was a humbling experience.
“As expected of my little maid.” He ruffled Carol’s hair, pleased.
The legendary final boss. She had already achieved fame while Paul was still playing hero in the Xiya Kingdom. He couldn’t imagine how Paul could possibly defeat the infamous World-Ending Witch.
Perhaps with the Divine Church’s help?
“Since Anna can’t teach you anymore, I’ll take over. I’m still proficient in magic up to the seventh tier.” He pinched Carol’s cheek. She was becoming more beautiful each day. Perhaps she would soon rival Afra and the others.
“Okay!” She beamed, her heart fluttering.
“What about me? You promised to teach me about governance!” Phils protested.
“I’ll get to you eventually.”
“Fine. I’m going to stop drinking your milk.”
“…”
Silence descended upon the room. All eyes were on him.
Isabella, sensing the tension, excused herself. She wanted no part in this family drama.
This could have easily escalated into a heated confrontation.
But Kailun simply glared at Phils and then stood up, his voice calm. “Afra, bring Anna and Ella to my room. It’s getting late. We need to rest.”
He left, his words hanging in the air, leaving the girls speechless.
“Can I… skip it?” Ella asked, wanting to disappear.
“I’m going. You two can do as you please.” Afra’s voice was cold, but her cheeks were flushed.
She hurried away, eager to escape their curious gazes.
“I’m going too, Auntie. Think about it.” Anna followed, keeping half a step behind her.
Vivian smiled at Ella. “I wouldn’t mind training another dog.”
“You’re all devils! I see through you! This place is a nightmare!” Ella, overwhelmed, chased after them.
She would simply close her eyes and pretend to be asleep.
She caught up to them just as they entered Kailun’s room.
“Come to the bathroom and help me bathe. No towels. Use your bodies.”
Ella: “…”
She sensed danger and retreated behind Anna, her eyes darting around, seeking an escape route.
“You’re not leaving.” Afra, sensing her intentions, grabbed her hand.
She was the weakest of the three. Without assistance, she wouldn’t last long.
She couldn’t satisfy him alone. Reinforcements were necessary.
No one could fight a three-front war. Not even Kailun.
“Hurry up! Let’s try to get some sleep before sunrise.” His voice echoed from the bathroom.
“Does that sound like something a human would say?” Ella wailed.
Despite her protests, Anna and Afra dragged her into the bathroom.
And then she became the main “towel,” her body used to cleanse his every inch.
Her beautiful face, her ample bosom, her long, slender legs… all put to good use. He even rewarded her with an extra half hour for her efforts.
[Ella appreciates your reward. Favorability +15. Current favorability: -50.]
[Anna approves of your reward. Favorability +5. Current favorability: 75.]
[Your total attribute points have increased slightly due to Ella’s talent.]
Afra’s favorability was already maxed out, but she had learned something new: he could handle a three-front war.
With her in the middle, Anna and Ella on either side, his hands could also play a role.
Perhaps it was due to his increased Agility, but the battle ended quickly. He released them around 3:00 am.
He pulled Afra on top of him, her soft body a comforting weight, and then, with Anna and Ella nestled in his arms, he drifted off to sleep.
He woke as the sun rose, his heart reluctantly leaving Afra’s embrace.
She looked exhausted. He couldn’t bring himself to torment her further.
So he shifted his attention to Ella, his heart finding a new home. A touch of Agility, a dash of Strength… and then the symphony began.
Ella: “？？?”
She wanted to ask him if he was a dog. She had only slept for three hours!
She worked for him during the day, endured his relentless “affection” at night… He was a monster!
[Ella admits it was somewhat pleasurable. Favorability +10. Current favorability: -40.]
…
At 8:00 am, Carol’s knock on the door interrupted his activities. After a quick shower and a change of clothes, he learned that the Madden and Kaz Kings had responded.
They had agreed to his terms, offering thirty thousand gold coins each for his assistance.
He refused, raising his price to fifty thousand.
They had lost several cities and key border fortresses in a single night. If they delayed any longer, the Rose Queen would soon be at their gates.
An hour later, both kings, as if they had coordinated their response, agreed to his new terms.
He finalized the contracts, outlining the payment details and the route for transporting the gold.
As they breathed a sigh of relief, he contacted the Rose Queen, instructing her to prepare fifty magic cannons for delivery to the Eternal Fortress.
One million gold coins for fifty cannons. It was practically a steal. He could easily resell them to other kingdoms at double the price.
But he wouldn’t do that. These cannons were a gift for the Divine Church.
And his demand had not only depleted her stockpiles, but also forced her to withdraw cannons from the front lines.
She had decided it was better to sacrifice some firepower for a large sum of money than to fight a three-front war.
With those funds, she could acquire more weapons and recruit more mercenaries. If she could quickly conquer the other two kingdoms, she wouldn’t be at a loss.
The only thing that bothered her was having to collect the money herself from Kailun’s designated route. It felt like she was robbing herself to pay him.
[You’ve disgusted the Rose Queen once again. She wants to stomp on your face with her high heels. Favorability -10. Current favorability: -60.]
“How terrifying.” He feigned fear and then contacted the Grand Duke, instructing him to prepare for the arrival of the cannons and to arrange for their transportation to the other side of the Xiya Kingdom.
He also informed him about the staged war with the Rose Kingdom, his message met with a long silence.
“I’m starting to question your parentage.”
“？？?”
He reread the message, confused. Had his father misunderstood something?
He shook his head and, with Carol in tow, returned to the courtyard. The morning was already half gone. Except for Afra and the three new knights, who were still asleep, the other girls were already awake.
Vivian had wanted to go shopping with him, but seeing him teaching Carol magic, she decided to observe.
Isabella soon joined them.
Half an hour later, Anna also joined the audience.
[Isabella is impressed by your teaching methods. Favorability +5.]
[Vivian no longer believes you’re a poor student. Favorability +5.]
[Anna’s favorability has increased.]
[Carol’s favorability has increased.]
He seemed to have discovered a new way to raise their favorability.
…
Eve and the other two knights were practicing their swordsmanship in the training grounds. They were having a disagreement about Kailun’s… reinterpretation of knightly virtues.
“Eve, I think you’re mistaken. Kailun isn’t a bad person,” Kirin said.
“Yeah, he’s been so kind to us. He even spent a fortune training us. Some might even think he’s planning to keep us as his mistresses,” Charlene added.
“Listen carefully. Our master, Kailun, is a devil. We are his servants. If he commits a crime, we clean up the mess. If he orders a massacre, we are his executioners. Understand?”
“No.” X2
Eve sighed. “Never mind. I can’t explain. I’ll take you to see him later. He’ll show you the true meaning of knighthood.”
“When?”
“Tonight.”
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