TL: Etude
News of the suppression of the southern rebellion spread rapidly throughout the Kingdom of Ordo. The official announcent by the governnt hailed it as a great victory, and Jars and Viburen, the rebelling parties, cooperated by remaining silent.
On the surface, it seed like the Kingdom of Ordo had returned to its forr tranquility, and the Rodney dynasty’s rule remained as solid as ever. However, certain individuals with ulterior motives discovered that, although the monarchy had ostensibly triumphed, it had suffered significant losses in the shadows.
His Majesty’s governnt began shifting its focus to deal with the influx of goblins on the western coast – a problem left in the wake of pirate invasions. And as news of the end of the internal conflict spread, so did word of Ordo’s troubles, reaching other parts of the continent.
In the capital of the Horn Bay Alliance, Fort Ness, unlike the snow beginning to blanket the north where Ordo lay, the sky here was drizzling gently.
A carriage slowly made its way along a forest path on the outskirts of Fort Ness. Two years prior, this forest had been the site of an incident of wolves attacking humans, inciting widespread fear among travelers. It wasn’t until the city hall organized a sweep by the city guards and adventurers that the roads returned to normal.
Having covered a considerable distance from Fort Ness, the carriage turned into a side road and stopped in front of a secluded estate.
The carriage door opened, and Edward stepped out onto the cobblestone pavent at the entrance of the estate.
“Damned weather! It’s been raining for days,” he complained, adjusting his cloak’s hood against the drizzle before approaching the estate’s main entrance and knocking forcefully.
“Who’s there?” A small window on the door opened, revealing a pair of cautious eyes.
Without a word, Edward handed over a wooden token. Monts later, the doors swung open.
Wrapping his cloak tightly around him, he followed a stone path into the courtyard and entered the mansion.
Handing his cloak to the servant who greeted him, Edward straightened his hair and moved upstairs to the card room, where two people were already waiting. One was a young mage nad Nathan, idly fiddling with a deck of cards. A woman in casual attire stood by the window, staring out at the incessant rainfall.
Edward gave Nathan a slight nod, which the young man acknowledged with a cursory nod of his head, continuing to play with the cards. Edward wasn’t offended; he was well acquainted with the young man’s disposition and knew that another with a significant tie to Nathan was also present.
With restrained formality, Edward greeted the woman at the window—a greeting her position demanded, even though she didn’t see it.
“My lady, Scott has sent confird news—Ordo’s civil war has ended.”
“Civil war?”
The woman turned, her beautiful face tinged with traces of worldly experience that lent her a mature charm not found in younger won.
“Yes, civil war. Jars and Viburen have resubmitted to the royal household.”
Edward explained.
“Haha!” Nathan, who had been playing with the cards, scoffed. “Does this an Scott and his bunch have wasted their effort?”
“No!” Edward shook his head. “The royal household may have won the battle for face, but they’ve lost substance—the south and east regions, previously loyal to the king, have been uprooted by Jars and Viburen, and are effectively out of the monarchy’s control.”
“Our plan has succeeded by ninety percent, it seems.”
“In terms of actual effect, one hundred percent. After such turmoil, Ordo no longer has the strength to ddle in external affairs.”
Nathan put down his cards and stroked his chin. “Heh, the Ordo royal family should be grateful; they could have lost much more. If Master Barnett’s plan in the northwest bay had been successful, it wouldn’t just be the south and east that slipped from royal control.”
“That would have been overreaching!”
The woman by the window suddenly cut in.
“Uh… Mom!”
“Yes, my lady!”
The conversation between Nathan and Edward ceased.
The woman spoke with a hint of reprimand, “Rember, our objective is not to create chaos. Ordo has lost its strength, and that is enough for now.”
Edward bowed his head in acquiescence, hiding any disagreent well—after all, the woman was one of the top mbers of the Arcane Society’s elite council. ȑαΝՕ𝐁Ę𝐬
After he orchestrated the invasion of Ordo’s Port West, he was strictly warned by her not to engage with Ordo’s military forces—primarily the loyalist fleet that ca from the northwest bay, after the Port West fleet was defeated—except in small harassing actions.
The reason was exactly what had just been stated: to avoid overreaching. But looking at the current outcos, it was clear that her stance at that ti had been correct.
Had they harried the kingdom too much from the rear, what would have happened if Jars had advanced to Crystal Shine Fortress? The Arcane Society’s goal was never to prop up Jars as ruler of Ordo, but rather to create a fragnted Ordo, ensuring no unification of forces.
“Now Jars is probably cursing us for not giving enough support,” Nathan said with a grin. “His initial dream was to wear the crown, not rely to rule a split territory.”
The woman scoffed dismissively, “Let him bla his own incompetence. A crown gained through others’ power is always a heavy one to wear.”
She then said, “Alright, from now on, we should abstain from ddling in Ordo’s affairs, especially in the northwest… Well, let’s leave it at that.”
A hint of excitent appeared on Nathan’s face. “Haha, the new drama is about to begin.”
The woman sighed, “I don’t know how I ever gave birth to a son so fond of causing trouble.”
Nathan moved to the window, peering out into the misty forest beyond. “Nesta has submitted, Ordo is preoccupied with itself, and next, we’ll contain the Church’s influence in Horn Bay. Then the prince’s master plan can be truly set in motion.”
Standing behind him, Edward’s eyes glowed with anticipation, “Then we can walk openly among the people.”
After a silent mont, the woman asked, “Have we made contact with those escapees?”
Nathan replied, “We have, though many seem hesitant.”
The woman’s expression softened with mory. “Leaving a place where one has lived for so long is indeed a difficult choice.”
Nathan scoffed, “Short-sighted, all of them.”
His mother shot him a stern glance, “Do not mock our kin. Moreover, given the dangerous situation we’ve placed them in… we are responsible.”
Nathan fell silent and after a while muttered softly, “All for the greater cause… such sacrifices are necessary.”
His mother shook her head, turning back to the window.
“Let’s do our best to welco them to our side…”
Outside, the rain began to pour more heartily.
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