After a relatively minor incident, Yan Xing bid farewell to Grey Mouse and left Li Jiya’s tavern, then continued discreetly to the Lord’s Mansion.
Outside the towering gates of the Lord’s Mansion, the number of sentinels on duty was noticeably reduced.
Upon seeing Yan Xing reveal his identity, the guard officer imdiately welcod him inside.
"Lord Yan Xing... Lord Earl instructed us to take you to him imdiately as soon as you arrived."
Yan Xing followed the guard officer inside and asked, "Why are there so few guards here? Even if the front lines are short on troops, it shouldn’t co to drafting you, the Theodore Family’s personal soldiers, right?"
The guard officer, aware of Yan Xing’s standing in Count Theodore’s esteem, answered respectfully, "My lord... Miss Hibel went to Storm City, and Lord Earl has dispatched half of the family’s personal troops to accompany her."
Hibel went to Storm City?
Yan Xing couldn’t understand why Count Theodore, who usually kept Hibel close by, fearing any mishap might befall her, would willingly let her go to Storm City. However, Yan Xing didn’t press the guard officer further about the Earl’s private affairs, since he would learn everything upon eting Count Theodore.
Soon, in the lord’s study, Yan Xing t the old Earl. Having not seen him for two months, Yan Xing could tell that Count Theodore had visibly aged a great deal. His complexion was pallid, his eyes were bloodshot, and his beard and hair were disheveled. Clearly, he hadn’t had a proper rest in a long ti.
Spread out on the table in the middle of the study was a carved wooden map, with pieces representing different military units placed upon it. Count Theodore stood beside the map, observing the situation in the Wildwind Highlands. He occasionally moved the pieces on the map, seemingly unaware of Yan Xing’s entry. Butler Atreli stood beside Count Theodore, holding a tray with pieces used for military wargaming. Upon noticing Yan Xing’s arrival, Atreli whispered a reminder in Count Theodore’s ear.
Hearing of Yan Xing’s arrival, Count Theodore imdiately looked up, his expression visibly relaxing.
"I’ve sent people to the Eternal Domain multiple tis, but I was told you had gone deep into the Thunderous Swamp. Have you completed your affairs?"
Yan Xing approached the map, glanced at the situation displayed, and answered Count Theodore, "It’s all taken care of. I heard so news concerning Nuta City, so I imdiately entered the city in secret. On my way to the Lord’s Mansion, I observed so things that make think the situation here is more severe than I had imagined. Moreover, I just found out Miss Hibel has gone to Storm City."
At the ntion of Storm City, Count Theodore’s gaze shifted to the city depicted at the southern end of the wooden map. Storm City guarded the vital passage connecting the Wildwind Highlands to the heartland of the duchy. It connected to Nuta City in the northeast. To the north and northwest lay a network of military forts and fortresses. Storm City was the human hub on the Wildwind Highlands.
Now, to the northwest, only three military forts, distributed in a fan shape, stood between the Orc main force and Storm City. If the Orcs broke through this final barrier, they could reach the gates of Storm City. Should that happen, Storm City’s role as a central hub would be significantly weakened, thereby affecting troop deploynt across the entire battlefield.
The human Wildwind Highlands Legion was fighting on two fronts, forcing Marquis Anderson to adopt a difficult strategy: yielding in one aspect while remaining rigid in another. This involved concentrating elite and heavy troops to block the Elves advancing from the south, thereby protecting Nuta City, a critical rear staging area. Consequently, fewer forces were available to deal with the Orcs, forcing a strategy of ceding territory to defend key fortress cities.
Count Theodore said, "We misjudged the strength of the Orc and Elf forces. They learned from us, using God-given gold coins to build roads, forcefully constructing routes from the Wildwind Highlands to their own territories. The transportation of materials and personnel for the Orcs and Elves is now much more efficient than before. We missed the best opportunity to drive the Orcs and Elves off the Wildwind Highlands, leaving us in a very precarious position."
The steep escarpnts on all sides of the Wildwind Highlands had previously made it very difficult for humans, Orcs, and Elves to resupply their forces there. Human labor couldn’t carve out roads. This was where the advantage of God-given gold coins—their ability to directly create structures—beca evident. Marquis Anderson had used a massive amount of God-given gold coins to construct a passage from the Wildwind Highlands directly to the human heartland. This provided more convenient logistics than the Orcs and Elves possessed, giving humans the upper hand on the highlands.
However, Marquis Anderson had never obtained official enfeoffnt from Duke Silvermane regarding sovereignty over the Wildwind Highlands. He could only allow the situation to fester to maintain his own importance. As a result, although the Orcs and Elves were sowhat impoverished, they could not afford to lose a strategic stronghold so vital to their survival—not even if it ant bankrupting themselves. Thus, both Orcs and Elves tightened their belts, saved up God-given gold coins, and then built roads connecting their holands to the Wildwind Highlands. This ultimately led to their joint attack on the humans.
Marquis Anderson had underestimated the strength of the Orcs and Elves, and the war proved to be even more difficult and brutal than he had anticipated. The war against the Elves allowed for no retreat. Taking even a single step back could allow the Elves to break through to Nuta City. If that happened, the Wildwind Highlands Legion would lose its logistical support, resulting in a complete defeat. Therefore, on the northern front, Marquis Anderson had to draw troops from all available areas to hold the line. Against the Orcs, they had no choice but to retreat repeatedly, until there was no more ground to give. The western front was left with few soldiers to defend its strongholds.
Marquis Anderson also knew that a prolonged defense would inevitably lead to loss; an offensive capability to counterattack was essential. Hibel was a Champion Knight. Even if she wasn’t sent into battle, her re presence on the front lines could deter the enemy and boost the morale of their own troops. During the war, Marquis Anderson had repeatedly requested Hibel’s transfer to Storm City, but Count Theodore had refused each ti. Eventually, Anderson had no choice but to issue a formal military order deploying Hibel. During warti, Count Theodore dared not defy a military order and had to allow Hibel to go to the front.
Count Theodore pointed to the map, explaining the current state of the conflict on the Wildwind Highlands to Yan Xing. His words reflected no optimism for how the war might conclude or its aftermath. Midway through his explanation, he couldn’t help but lant, "Our internal strife is simply too severe. We could have easily taken control of the Wildwind Highlands, but now... Even the support from our own duchy to the Wildwind Highlands is limited to supplies, not soldiers."
Upon hearing this, Yan Xing couldn’t help but ask, "Doesn’t the duchy realize how risky this is?"
Count Theodore replied, "The duchy clearly aims to use this war to weaken the Wildwind Highlands Legion... and, in turn, diminish Marquis Anderson’s power. Because the Marquis has staked everything on the Wildwind Highlands Legion. Faced with the Orc and Elf offensive, we have no choice but to fight desperately. When the Marquis can no longer hold on, Duke Silvermane can appoint a new commander with reinforcents to take over the Wildwind Highlands Legion. Do you rember Lady Karol?"
Yan Xing nodded. "I rember. Lady Karol, as the Duke’s envoy, bought a set of Ice Jade Porcelain dinnerware from . Didn’t she leave with it?"
Count Theodore said, "She has returned. She’s now in Nuta City, monitoring the war on the Wildwind Highlands for the Silver Mane Duke."
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