“Heh… I heard you were talking about me?” Tiffany pushed open the doors of the council hall, swaying her hips as she stepped into everyone’s view.
This time, she wasn’t wearing her black combat gear. Instead, she wore a fire-red gown, her crimson eyes scanning the room. Her tall figure stood against the light at the doorway, her hem fluttering slightly with the draft like a flickering flame. Her snow-white hair paired with her tanned skin added an extra layer of intimidation.
Nancy narrowed her eyes. This woman had ultimately been bought by those Grand Dukes specifically to deal with her. Even if they shared a few small secrets regarding Enan, it didn’t stop them from fighting each other.
Speaking of Enan, he had been under immense pressure for the past few days. The walls of Lawson Territory had turned into a mountain of corpses, and over half of his army was dead or wounded. The noble coalition was not faring much better.
That bastard was too good at defending! No matter how they insulted him, they couldn’t provoke Enan into leading his army out for a counter-attack. Heirrol sent wave after wave of men forward in a frenzy of human-wave tactics, but they simply could not break through those city gates.
However, Heirrol’s expression became increasingly smug because Enan was bound to lose sooner or later.
Conversely, Enan’s expression grew grimmer. The money in his hands was no longer enough to pay out death benefits and military wages, let alone purchase grain and fodder. At this moment, he sat tall in the castle’s study. For the past few days, he had been either on the battlefield or in this room, not having slept a single wink.
The magical light in the study flickered unsteadily, casting shifting shadows over his exhausted and haggard face. The desk was piled high with various documents—records of casualties, reports on grain reserves, and deployment plans for the territory’s defense. But the things causing him the biggest headache were those few ledgers.
If he couldn’t produce the money, no one would risk their lives for him. Everyone would start looking for a way out. Once that happened, it would be the start of a total collapse.
‘Am I going to lose?’
The commoners no longer wanted to participate in this fight. The casualty rate had exceeded everyone’s imagination. Out of 20,000 men, 10,000 had died. This had utterly crushed their dreams of rising through the ranks. The logistical strength of the nobles was simply not something he could compare to. It was already a miracle he had held out this long.
The shadow of failure hung over his heart like a heavy, dark cloud. By using a single Viscounty to resist the offensive of more than ten nobles, he had done enough to leave a significant mark on the history of the North.
But he didn’t want to become history.
He had tried to call for reinforcements, but those three women didn’t respond at all. He had no idea what they were up to.
Freya cooked a bowl of meat soup and pushed open the study door, slowly placing it in front of Enan.
“Dear… eat something first. You haven’t had a proper meal in a long time.” She gently massaged Enan’s temples, helping him relax.
Enan closed his eyes for a moment to rest, then slowly opened them. “Go back and get some sleep.”
Freya knew she couldn’t help with anything by staying there. She turned to leave the study, softly closing the door behind her. Her heart was currently filled with conflicting emotions. She couldn’t bring herself to hate the enemy who had killed her husband; instead, she hoped he wouldn’t lose. Aside from her body being unable to leave Enan, she also didn’t want to fall into the hands of other nobles.
Over the past few days, she had tried to contact her own family, hoping for her father’s support, only to receive a rejection. Her family was far away in the southern part of the Empire and couldn’t interfere at all.
Once Enan confirmed Freya had left, he slowly stood up and poured the soup away. Currently, he trusted no one. He only drank a bit of water and ate a piece of bread every day, and it had to be delivered personally by Luo Ling. Aside from the little fox who obeyed him 100%, Enan trusted no one.
Enan had now thought of a drastic measure to clear those bills. Otherwise, defeat was certain.
That measure was to issue War Bonds and Victory Funds.
These two things required a victory to be sold in bulk. He needed the commoners to see a glimmer of hope. However, once they were issued, it meant that this territory would fall deeper and deeper into the quagmire of war.
War Bonds were equivalent to the commoners lending money to Enan. When the bonds matured, Enan would repay the principal and interest to his subjects according to the agreed-upon rate. Victory Funds were special funds usually established during a war to support military actions to achieve victory. If they won, the investors would receive a massive payout.
But the prerequisite was that he had to win a battle first. He had to take the initiative so that those commoners would turn into gamblers and start placing their bets.
Having made up his mind, he directly wrote a secret letter to the Thief. He planned to send Ewan out to attack tonight. If there was an opportunity, the Thief was to assist him. If Ewan died, she was to become him.
He didn’t know if the Thief had that specific capability, but since she could turn into that fat pig noble, she should surely be able to turn into Ewan.
***
In the middle of the night, Ewan received his Lord’s command and came to the castle’s study.
Enan looked at Ewan standing before him. “I have decided to take the initiative tonight. You will lead the cavalry to raid the noble coalition’s camp. Upon your return, I promise you the title of Baron.”
Ewan’s expression became complicated after hearing this. This mission was a near-certain death sentence. His Lord was prepared to use his sacrifice to exchange for a single ray of hope in this war.
Ewan’s heart was a whirlpool of emotions. He looked at Enan, his lips trembling slightly as if he wanted to say something, but he eventually swallowed his words.
At this moment, Enan also knew that this commander wasn’t that easy to fool. He wasn’t blinded by the heavy rewards.
“I know this is difficult.” Enan patted Ewan’s shoulder. “At the very least, do it for your family. They shouldn’t become slaves to those nobles… I have already brought them into the castle. They are very safe.”
When Ewan heard these words, which were both seemingly warm and threatening, he knew he had no choice but to go. He took a deep breath, suppressed the emotions surging in his heart, and looked up at Enan with eyes full of complexity. He knew that this companion he had played with since childhood wouldn’t send him to his death unless there was no other choice.
“Enan, I’ll go… but remember, if I don’t come back, you have to take care of them for me.” His voice was low and raspy, each word squeezed out from between his teeth.
This time, he didn’t use the title of Lord. Instead, he used the name they had called each other when they were young. It proved he had the determination to fight to the death.
Enan helped him up. If it weren’t for being driven into a corner, he didn’t want to use Ewan’s life to trade for a small-scale victory from a sneak attack. What a pity for such a good chess piece.
“Go then…” Enan unbuckled his own sword and placed it in Ewan’s hands. “I hope it can fight alongside you in my stead.”
Ewan gently stroked the hilt. Images of playing and training with Enan in the past flashed through his mind. This sword carried their years of friendship, and now it had become a witness to this life-and-death battle.
“Rest assured, Enan. I will definitely bring it back safely.” Ewan buckled the sword to his waist, a flash of resolution in his eyes.