Chapter 76: The Gathering Storm

With the grand princess’ covert support secured, a great weight finally lifted from Nolan’s mind.

Hank, Rehanna, and the rest of the core members gathered in the manor’s conference room at his summons. Nolan revealed the contents of Princess Flina’s reply and displayed the iris brooch that symbolized royal recognition.

“That’s… the royal emblem!”

The moment Hank saw the brooch, his breathing quickened. As a veteran whose loyalty to the Elfin Kingdom bordered on faith, recognition from the royal family carried extraordinary significance.

“This is excellent!” Hank clenched his fist. “With this, we’re no longer rebels, but a righteous force purging traitors!”

Rehanna, Vivi, and the others were less visibly emotional, but their faces still shone with relief and excitement. Until now, although they had chosen to follow Nolan, there had always been a trace of unease. After all, they had overthrown a traditional noble and seized a city—acts that could easily be branded as rebellion. Now, with the grand princess’ letter, they possessed legitimacy and moral justification. The boost to morale was immeasurable.

Nolan watched their reactions and nodded in satisfaction. This was exactly the effect he had intended.

“The princess’ support has bought us valuable time,” he said once their excitement subsided, drawing their focus back to the matter at hand. “But we cannot afford complacency. Archduke Demont will not let this go. He may hesitate under pressure from the capital, but that hesitation won’t last long. I estimate that within a month at most, the combined forces of his vassals will be at our gates.”

The atmosphere in the room turned heavy again.

Archduke Demont was the de facto ruler of the entire province, commanding vast forces, with each of his vassals maintaining private armies of their own. By contrast, even if recruitment went perfectly, they would be fortunate to field a new army of three thousand within a month. The disparity in numbers remained immense.

“In the dungeon’s hidden chamber, I found organized units of skeleton soldiers, concealed under black cloth, numbering over a thousand,” Vivi reported. “The transport convoy we intercepted was likely using Coldsteel City as a relay point.”

“Well done, Vivi,” Nolan said approvingly. “If we make this information public, Archduke Demont’s position will become even more precarious. If he denies any connection to the Undead Empire, it means he allowed a hostile force to infiltrate his territory unchecked, a grave dereliction of duty. If he admits it, he places himself in direct opposition to the entire kingdom. Either way, he’s cornered.”

“My lord, what should we do next?” Rehanna asked, fully assuming her role as one of Nolan’s commanders.

Nolan walked to the wall, where a large map of Demont Province was displayed. Taking up a wooden pointer, he indicated the position of Coldsteel City.

“Coldsteel City is easy to defend and difficult to assault. To the north and west lie the continuous Dragonspine Mountains, with only a narrow pass leading through. To the east, the Blackwater River is too deep to ford, and the only stone bridge can be destroyed at our discretion. That leaves the southern plains as the enemy’s only viable approach for a full-scale offensive.”

He circled the wide expanse south of the city.

“This will be our main battlefield.” His gaze sharpened. “A direct clash would devolve into a meat grinder, which is not what I want. Our strategy revolves around a single principle: delay.”

“Delay?” Hank frowned slightly.

“Yes. We will make full use of the city’s strong walls and the complex terrain of the surrounding hills, establishing layered defenses and conducting successive interceptions to wear down the enemy’s strength and momentum. Every step they take must cost them blood. By the time they reach the city walls, exhausted in both manpower and morale, we will deliver a decisive blow. We must not only win this battle, but win it decisively. A resounding victory will announce our rise. It will serve not only as a deterrent to Archduke Demont, but as the foundation of our future standing.” He turned to Anna. “From today onward, all resources in the city will be centrally allocated. Calculate how long we can hold out under a complete siege.”

Anna nodded immediately. “Understood.”

Nolan then looked at Leus. “Master Leus, accelerate the development of your potions and the ‘Hurricane Enchantment’ at all costs. Within a month, I want at least five hundred sets of qualified ‘Black Armor’ equipped on our guard.”

Leus felt the weight of the demand, but more than pressure, there was excitement. He thumped his chest in assurance. “Rest assured, my lord. I won’t sleep if I have to, but I’ll get it done.”

Finally, Nolan’s gaze settled on Hank and Rehanna.

“How is recruitment progressing?”

“Thanks to your new policies, enthusiasm for enlistment is at an all-time high,” Hank replied, flipping open his notebook, a habit he had retained from his time in the Rosenberg guard. “More than three thousand have already signed up. The mobilization rate even exceeds that of the first Mandala War.”

“Excellent. Training must now enter a new phase. No more simple physical conditioning and drill formations. Starting tomorrow, take the recruits to the hills outside the city for field exercises. I want them familiar with every inch of that terrain—where to set ambushes, where to dig traps.” He continued, “Vivi, deploy your scouts immediately. I need to know the movements of every unit under Archduke Demont—numbers, assembly points, routes. Also send at least ten scouts to monitor undead activity in Veli Province.”

“Kayan, coordinate with Vivi. Prioritize eliminating any cultists or undead threats in and around the city. We don’t have additional manpower for this, so you’ll have to handle it personally.”

“Yes, my lord!” everyone responded in unison.

The tense pre-war mobilization meeting came to an end.

Each person left with clear assignments, and Coldsteel City began to move like a finely tuned war machine.

Nolan remained alone before the map, unmoving for a long while. He knew that his plan represented only the most ideal scenario. War was never fought on paper; too many variables could arise on the battlefield.

Archduke Demont, the old fox who had once stirred the entire kingdom in his previous life, would not be easy to deal with.

More troubling still was another concern weighing on Nolan’s mind: the undead forces allied with Demont.

History had already diverged, and he could not be certain how many Black Knights and corpse mages from the Shiva Empire might be hidden within Demont’s army.

To what extent would the Pale Knight, Crutel, support Archduke Demont?

That uncertainty was the true danger lurking in the shadows.