Watching Fiona silence a group of nobles until they were speechless, Nancy finally understood. This woman did not swear fealty to anyone. She was neither a steadfast royalist nor a supporter of the aristocracy.
She was loyal to the Empire itself. She only wanted the power and the platform to realize her own ambitions!
Compared to the candidate pushed forward by the royal family, Fiona was more iron-blooded and tough, daring to go head-to-head with the nobles. However, she was not someone the royal family could easily manipulate either.
Nancy exchanged looks with the little Empress Teresa and Aetia.
To be honest, the greatest role of these two Saints was to gather votes for Teresa. Nancy already had a massive following in the Imperial Capital, and her status as a Saint significantly boosted her popularity. Aetia did the same, using her formidable martial strength as a bargaining chip, stating she could protect certain nobles and intervene if they fell into danger.
If it finally came down to a vote, they would pour all their resources into Teresa, covering her in support.
The four Grand Dukes also knew that Melon had no advantage over Fiona. Even with their backing, they would not necessarily gain the upper hand. The four Grand Dukes had bullied quite a few nobles; if it went to a vote, those neutral nobles who didn’t want to see the Grand Dukes grow too powerful would likely cast their votes for Fiona.
If they continued to firmly support Melon and lost, they stood a high chance of losing the prestige they had established over a long time in the council.
Ultimately, in the political games of the following days, this woman carved a bloody path through the nobility and sat herself in the position of Prime Minister!
***
Meanwhile, Harold began to suffer the counter-attack from Inan. They had no idea why that bastard Inan became more energetic the more he fought. He clearly should have run out of money and rations, yet he always managed to produce a new batch of supplies.
Harold did not know that to provide those supplies, most of the people in Lawson Territory had been starving for days. Everyone was gaunt and thin, waiting for the news of their Lord’s victory. If they went hungry much longer, they would surely be the first to rebel and overthrow Inan’s dictatorship and regime!
As the war progressed to this point, Inan’s will to fight grew stronger.
The nobles, however, did not want to fight anymore. There was no benefit to dragging this out; in the end, only that old bastard Will would profit. He stood by coldly, watching the surrounding nobles engage in internal strife, depleting their strength step by step.
Inan opened the city gates and began a proactive offensive. He divided his heavy warriors into ten-man squads. Harold simply didn’t have enough poison to target them all. The light shield warriors and archers followed close behind.
Aside from the soldiers of the Violet Watch Legion, there was a massive crowd of cannon fodder charging at the front. Although these soldiers were poorly equipped, they surged forward bravely under Inan’s encouragement.
“To become freemen! To marry several wives! To become landowners! Charge!”
Inan’s inflammatory words acted like a shot of adrenaline to these cannon-fodder soldiers. Their eyes flickered with burning desire, and they shouted as they charged toward Harold’s allied forces, showing no fear of the rain of blades and arrows ahead.
Under such circumstances, the nobles retreated step by step, forced to take their respective armies back to defend their own territories.
Inan pressed on. He could not retreat. If he dared to return with his army now, those civilians and soldiers who had been stripped of everything would definitely tear him to pieces!
Mounted on his warhorse, Inan watched the retreating noble alliance with no mercy in his heart. He led his forces to their first destination: a Viscount’s territory.
He directly ordered his soldiers to shoot a series of letters into the city. The content of the letters was brutal: “Tell your Lord that I am giving him 10 minutes. The first and only thing he needs to do right now is open the city gates and lead my horse into the city. One step late, and I will slaughter every person in this city!”
When the defenders on the walls saw the contents of the letters, they were instantly thrown into a panic, looking at one another, not knowing what to do.
Soon, the Viscount received the letter. After reading it, his face turned as pale as paper.
“This… this is madness!” he cried out in terror, his legs turning weak as he nearly collapsed.
While he hesitated, the time passed.
Inan immediately commanded his army to besiege the city. With a single order, the war horns sounded.
This territory experienced the same tragedy that Ed Territory had suffered. The sounds of killing and pleas for mercy filled the land. Inan’s soldiers had been bullied for days; at this moment, they each transformed into devils. The horror of human nature was displayed to its fullest.
In this war, no one was innocent. No one wanted to become a soul beneath the slaughtering blade, but they could not hide. The soldiers killed everyone they saw; regardless of who it was, they were merely stepping stones for military merit. These lives became the foundation for their path to power.
The neighboring territories all panicked. If they did not surrender, the entire territory would be washed in blood!
The atrocities committed by Inan’s army spread rapidly, and panic moved like a plague. Three noble territories had already been lost to this demon. The words spoken from his warm mouth felt like hailstones striking everyone’s hearts.
***
A few days later, Nancy returned to the North. When she learned that Inan had become so frenzied, she could not help but be enraged!
Under such cruel circumstances, Marquis Will had to step forward. He never expected that bastard Inan to actually defeat the group of nobles, much less commit such barbaric acts.
He organized a banquet and invited all the surrounding nobles to attend—including Nancy and Inan.
At the banquet, the atmosphere was heavy and oppressive. The candlelight flickered, reflecting the worried faces of the nobles. However, thinking of Marquis Will being present, they began to feel at ease.
‘The war is finally going to end…’
That was what most of the people present thought. They began to feel lucky that their territories were relatively far from Inan’s land. They toasted and drank, as if celebrating something happy.
Nancy arrived at the banquet a step ahead of Inan. She also planned to persuade that bastard Inan; such atrocities did not align with her original intention for coming to the North.
Nancy and Will shared a few polite words. This was the first time the two had formally met. Seeing that there was no friction between them, the nobles celebrated even more freely. After all, Nancy’s attitude represented Inan’s attitude. She was Inan’s master; surely he wouldn’t disobey her?
The moment Inan stepped into the banquet hall, the noisy atmosphere instantly froze. Everyone’s gaze focused on him. He was dressed as usual, in black noble attire embroidered with gold, a sword hanging at his waist.
Seeing Inan arrive, Marquis Will gently rubbed his signet ring. “Viscount Inan, everyone is gathered here today to seek a path of peaceful resolution. Let past disputes remain in the past. Shall we work together for the future of the North?”
Inan saw that Nancy remained silent, and a flash of surprise crossed his eyes.
He then picked up a red wine glass and smashed it on the ground. “A truce? Impossible! I’m telling you all, now that this war has started, it must continue. Unless, of course, the two of you intend to kill me!”
Nancy prepared to speak. The Empire had already begun preparing to regulate internal strife, and she had to warn Inan, but he didn’t give her the chance to talk.
“You can’t persuade me; it’s useless. This isn’t up to me alone. This is the will of the 100,000 citizens in my territory. If they knew I agreed to a truce, they would be the first to send me to the guillotine!”
“Over 100,000 people have been barely surviving until now by relying on the glimmer of hope for victory. Marquis Will, you think a few casual words from you can end this war!?”