Conquest of the Northlands

The main force of the coalition had already been annihilated, and the military strength of the northern realms was virtually exhausted. All that remained was mopping up. Noble lords across the cities fought back desperately with what few private retainers they had left. Yet before the Kingdom's onslaught, their resistance was not even worth mentioning, unable to stir the slightest ripple. Across the vast domain of the Northern United Kingdom, two colossal combined corps led by Count Ak and Count Jinya swept through the land, launching lightning offenses toward the east and west, respectively. In less than two months, amidst the roaring thunder of cannon fire, the capitals of eight principalities—including Carter, Fano, Otto, and Sweeney—fell one after another, and key military strongholds were gathered into the Kingdom's grasp. From these conquered bastions, they pushed their offensive outward in all directions. However, the Great Anzetta Waste was vast and sparsely populated, dotted with countless castles and manors belonging to knights and noble lords. Even the Kingdom's forces could not clear them all in short order. Thus, Marshal Duoluo chose to unleash the grand host of the "Starfallen," turning loose tens of thousands of them to wander the Great Anzetta Waste and wipe out the lingering remnants of the northern nobility. [Main Quest: Conquest of the Northlands] [Quest Description: The Kingdom of Cinders has wiped out the bulk of the Northlands' forces, but remnants of the northern aristocracy remain scattered across this vast expanse of wilderness.] [They continue to oppress the wretched people of Anzeta, perpetuating a corrupt rule that has lasted a thousand years. Therefore, brave warriors loyal to the Kingdom of Cinders—eradicate them completely!] [Note: Do not harm civilians!] [Quest Rewards: Substantial Gold Coins, Faction Contribution, Prestige] [Special Title: Conqueror of the Northlands] Contribution points and gold coins went without saying, but prestige was tied directly to the newly introduced nobility system. On top of that, there was an unprecedented, swagger-worthy title that would turn their display names purple—allowing them to flaunt their veteran status to greenhorns in the future. How could anyone resist such temptation? These rewards alone were already remarkably lavish. What was more, they would have the opportunity to plunder noble treasuries—a godsend of a chance to hoard gold coins. The quest description never explicitly mentioned it, but it had only said not to harm civilians. It had never forbidden looting nobles! And so, the players' passions were set ablaze. Howling all sorts of bizarre slogans, they poured into the territory of the Northlands like a swarm of locusts, kicking off a massive campaign. "To the top of the social ladder!" "Time to reap the harvest!" "Siege battle! Siege battle!" *** Principality of Otto, City of Vici. This city was one of the principality's most prominent urban centers, renowned far and wide for its exquisite, ornate textiles. Once hailed as the Cloth Capital of the Northlands, its fabrics had taken the entire north by storm. Yet after suffering from the relentless dumping of goods by the Kingdom of Cinders, the artisans within the city had gone entirely bankrupt, and Vici had fallen into a steep decline. And now, news of the coalition's destruction and the Kingdom of Cinders' impending march had spread throughout the streets, plunging the populace into panic. "Gods... I heard the City of Oksa has already fallen." "Far worse than that—even our Duke has been captured!" "Do those dragonkin monsters eat people?" "Gods above, is this the end of days?" Such hushed, anxious talk drifted through the dimly lit tavern, having already become commonplace. Many townsfolk had succumbed to despair, convinced that the Northlands was finished. They hoped that surrendering might earn them gentler treatment—or at least keep those monsters from indulging their savage instincts and launching an indiscriminate slaughter within the walls. Old White, a local craftsman, took a swig of liquor and slurred, "If you ask me, we should just throw the gates wide open!" "I heard from a friend in a caravan... The Kingdom of Cinders' army doesn't harm civilians. They only arrest the noble lords." "I-is that true?" someone asked, voice trembling. Old White leaned forward with an air of secrecy and lowered his voice. "God's honest truth." Soon, however, he sank back onto his bench like a sack of wet mud and sighed. "Pity those noble lords won't surrender. They'd rather keep the rest of us living in terror." "Wh-what are you doing?!" Suddenly, panic crept into his voice. Several soldiers barged straight into the tavern, roughly seized Old White by both arms, and dragged him toward the door. "Come with us! You're suspected of colluding with the enemy!" The tavern fell dead silent. After a long while, the barkeep gave a bitter laugh and poured crystalline liquor into the cups on the counter. "Come on, folks, best not speak of such things." "Enjoy the good wine..." "While we're still breathing." Someone raised a cup and echoed the sentiment. Evidently, the ruler of this city—Count Okot Sur—had no intention of surrendering. Even if he had harbored such thoughts before, they were utterly gone now. The bloody "public trials" had become known across the Northlands, leaving countless northern nobles plagued with unease and terror. Inside the count's manor, the lamps burned bright. With his hands clasped behind his back, Count Okot paced back and forth across the salon, his expression grim. "Any word from the scouts?" "Where are the Kingdom of Cinders' armies? How far are they from Vici?" He fired off a barrage of urgent questions. Kneeling before him in plate armor, the captain of the guard reported tremulously: "N-no, my lord. But word has it that many cities have already fallen, including the Burr Fief of your brother, Count Denzel." "My lord, the coalition is wiped out, and the Northlands is lost. Perhaps we should also..." *Smack!* Count Okot strode forward and slapped the captain across the face, roaring with flying spittle, "You think I don't know that?! Do I need you to remind me?!" "It's that damned dragon who left us no way out! Do you know how many nobles they slaughtered in Stravburg? A hundred and twenty-one! Including Grand Duke Leo's eldest son!" "They even invented these so-called 'public trials,' letting those wretched commoners decide our lives and deaths! It is a complete and utter humiliation!" Count Okot paused, grinding his teeth. "They... they intend to dig up the very roots of the northern nobility!" "Curse him! I have never seen a dragon so vile!" "Other wicked dragons at most plunder some loot and slaughter a few hundred people at random. But this beast... he actually incites commoners to murder nobles! It's unheard of! Even the demons of the Abyss aren't this wicked!" "Th-then, Lord Count, what should we do?" the guard captain asked, shivering on his knees as he clutched his burning, reddened cheek. "We hold Vici. The defenses here are decent enough, so they won't breach them right away. If the enemy truly assaults us..." "We abandon the city and retreat." Count Okot narrowed his eyes, standing stiffly with hands clasped behind his back, nearly spitting the words through his clenched teeth. "Alyosha, go pack my treasure."