The Situation

Thus, the twenty Lionheart Knights sent by the Principality of Bosque were completely wiped out, and Fried, the "Black Lion Knight"—one of the seven Knight Commanders—even turned traitor, becoming a lackey of the red dragon. Meanwhile, the hundred-plus Two-Headed Eagle Warriors sent by the Principality of Norton met an even more tragic fate. Cassius had not even deigned to act personally; he merely issued a casual faction quest, dispatched a few Redscale Conquerors, and decimated those so-called "elites," most of whom were not even classed individuals, leaving the overexcited wyverns to mercilessly scorch them into charcoal. Cassius lay sprawled across the hall, gazing at the map of Anzeta before him, his eyes lingering particularly on the tiny nation adjoining the Kingdom of Cinders. Before the expansive territory of the Kingdom of Cinders—which united Storm Heights with the lands of the former Principality of Lakeman, vastly outstripping most principalities of the Northlands—the Principality of Norton was like an insect that could be crushed at any moment. Delenna stood respectfully to the side. The curvaceous yuan-ti pureblood was dressed in formal attire, a radiant smile always adorning her face. "The Principality of Bosque is one thing, but this Principality of Norton..." "Where on earth do they get the courage to provoke me time and time again?" Cassius's tone was tinged with perplexity. Delenna thought to herself, *You forced the Principality of Norton to surrender its so-called 'international trusteeship'—of course they'd make a desperate last stand.* Yet her face maintained its professional smile as she explained with meticulous care: "The Principality of Norton has narrow borders and feeble military might. In truth, it is more like a vassal state to the Principality of Bosque, often mocked by other Northland nobles as the 'Marquisate of Norton' or a 'barbarian tribe.'" "They do not belong to the Scanian race like the Northland nobles, but are northern natives known as the Val barbarians. Seven hundred years ago, when the Grand Duke of Bosque at the time, Aubreck the 'Lionheart King,' conquered this land, he penned the surrendered tribes into this territory to establish a country for ease of governance, giving the chieftain clan the surname Norton." "Over the past four centuries, however, through conscious assimilation by the Scanians, the Principality of Norton's language and customs have become virtually indistinguishable from those of the other northern realms. Even the Norton surname was long ago accepted by Northland nobility." Cassius had an epiphany. "So they're just a pet dog kept on a leash by the Principality of Bosque." Delenna immediately chimed in with praise. "Lord Cassius, your summary is profound yet simple." "So... how do you intend to deal with the Principality of Bosque and the Principality of Norton?" Although Delenna was temporarily overseeing the foreign affairs of the Kingdom of Cinders, she knew full well that the strategic direction remained the red dragon's sole prerogative. She would never gamble with her prospects—or her life—for the sake of transient authority. Cassius cast his mind back through the memories of his past life. The scale of the Principality of Bosque was simply too vast: tens of thousands of square kilometers, twenty-eight cities. Currently, governing the former Principality of Lakeman was already stretching the Kingdom of Cinders thin; with its legacy not yet fully digested, the kingdom lacked the capacity to rule such a sprawling realm. What was more, the Holy Fadlan Empire still had several years of fleeting vitality left after this major rebellion. A formal declaration of war against the Principality of Bosque at this juncture would inevitably ignite an all-out war across Anzeta, which was bound to draw intervention from legendary-tier forces sent by Holy Fadlan. Meanwhile, the players at Cassius's command were few, barely a thousand, and these closed beta players would temporarily vanish during the four intervening years. The point in time Cassius envisioned for unifying the Northlands was five years from now. Yes, five years. By then, the Great Collapse of Holy Fadlan would begin, and the southern factions would be locked in struggle over the empire's colossal corpse, leaving them no time to look north. Cassius's own strength was expected to reach the legendary tier, securing solid hard power. Moreover, thirty thousand official players would flood into Elezerg, and he was confident he could recruit at least ten thousand of them to his service. This plan had been discussed repeatedly within the Kingdom of Cinders and had reached near perfection. By then, timing, geographical advantage, and popular support would all align. Cassius would declare war on the northern realms, including the Principality of Bosque, and crush them in a sweep to unify the entire Northlands, becoming the overlord of Anzeta and bringing all players of the Northland Winds version under his dominion. Directly afterward, the Kingdom of Cinders—or rather, the Empire—could march south to disrupt the game, entering the Clash of Kings as the greediest vulture picking at the carcass of the Holy Fadlan Empire. That was his plan for the Principality of Bosque. And the Principality of Norton? They were weak, bordered the Kingdom of Cinders, and were a vassal of Bosque. They served as the perfect tool to kill the chicken to scare the monkeys—intimidating the northern realms and carving out space for stable development. At the same time, a local war of this scale would serve as a warning to the Principality of Bosque, reminding them to rein in their covert schemes. With that in mind, Cassius said decisively, "Annex them as quickly as possible. Leave the northern realms no time to react." "I want to slaughter this chicken called Norton to show those grandstanding monkeys." Hearing this, Delenna's face flushed with excitement. Although she did not know the idiom about killing the chicken to scare the monkeys, she easily grasped the meaning behind Cassius's words. What a magnificent sensation—deciding the fate of another nation. Those human lords she had once bent over backward to flatter were now fit only to kneel at her feet, weeping and begging for mercy. "Yes, Master." "I will make sure they understand the consequences of defying you." Delenna knelt on one knee, an anticipatory smile in her eyes, and flicked her forked tongue across her slightly dry lips. Several months had passed since the conquest of the Principality of Lakeman, and the Kingdom of Cinders was now barely operating smoothly, but the dragon-blooded kin had been suppressed for too long. Although plundering the nobility's wealth had made their lives far more affluent, these vicious creatures still savored the baptism of blood and fire far more than peace and prosperity. For a nation ruled by a red dragon, war was never a burden—it was an outlet. ... Principality of Bosque, Stravburg. As the capital of Bosque and the nominal capital of the entire Northlands, it was always bustling and lively. In the center of the city, in Aubreck Square—named in honor of the first Grand Duke of Bosque—all sorts of people gathered: merchants, songstresses, bards, noble scions, and more. Suddenly, a commotion stirred among the crowd. Wyverns swept across the sky far above the reach of arrows, scattering Kingdom of Cinders leaflets down from the heavens. People had grown somewhat accustomed to this, and several were even rushed by fast horse to Grand Duke Leo's estate. This time, however, the contents were not the usual dry propaganda, but a battle report. It left the onlookers dumbfounded and abuzz with discussion. "Someone actually went to assassinate that red dragon?" "By the gods, what righteous and brave men! What a pity they failed. I ought to compose a poignant epic inspired by them." "Heavens, our Lionheart Knights were wiped out to the last man! That was twenty of them!" "Is war about to break out...?" "I don't want to fight those monsters." Across the square, people reacted with astonishment, regret, or dread, all paying keen attention to the news.