chapter_0050

50 – Attack (Illustration)

50 – Attack (Illustration)

Two weeks had passed since the desert flood occurred.

A large river had formed along the road connecting Krone and Dreyhart, completely blocking human movement.

Kuuuuuuung-!

Swaaaaaaak-

“This is really a big problem.”

“Indeed, there’s no sign of it stopping at all.”

The scouts from Krone sighed as they looked at the river.

The pain of the blockade of logistics from Dreyhart was equally felt by Krone.

The spices from Dreyhart and the alcohol made from desert cacti were hot-selling items in Krone.

The scouts sighed at the inability to drink the sweet liquor that invigorated them at night.

And as they watched, Klaus’s informants sent word that the logistics had been completely cut off.

The Klaus family had completely blocked the minimum supply of grain they had been providing to Dreyhart since the desert flood occurred.

They had also sent knights under the pretext of canal construction to block any logistics from passing through other routes in their territory.

Now, the lifeline of Dreyhart was in their hands, and if two more weeks passed like this, Calix would have to bow his head to save Dreyhart just before starvation set in.

As Royce thought this, news arrived.

“A special envoy has come from Dreyhart.”

“A special envoy? What kind of special envoy?”

“It’s Noah White, the financial officer of Lord Calix and the acting lord of Dreyhart.”

“The acting lord has come in person… It seems they are starting to get hungry. Berick, handle this well.”

“Understood, Lord Royce.”

The acting lord essentially held the authority of the lord in Dreyhart.

The fact that such a person had come here in person indicated just how desperate Dreyhart had become.

Royce couldn’t hide his smile at the realization that things were going according to plan.

Berick, Royce’s steward, felt the same way.

He usually disliked showing his squinted eyes to others, so he tried to open them a little.

But now, he didn’t hide it.

He recognized that this was not a situation he needed to accommodate.

“Welcome to Klaus, Acting Lord Noah. What brings you here?”

Noah’s gaze, waiting while sipping coffee, was cold.

She quietly set down her coffee and spoke.

“I’ll be direct. I would like you to supply the grain that was contracted with the Klaus family.”

Dreyhart had ordered grain from Klaus in advance and had paid for it.

However, Klaus had been violating that agreement for several months now.

“As I mentioned last time, we are unable to supply it due to our circumstances. I apologize.”

“I have many eyes watching. Steward Berick, what do you plan to do with all that grain in the warehouse?”

“That is for other parties.”

Berick barely managed to hide the words “for your future selves.”

And he threw out a bait.

“However… if you give me 500 silver for a sack of grain… I will sell it back to Dreyhart.”

Noah was taken aback by Berick’s words.

She spoke with a furious expression that Calix had never seen before.

“Are you serious? You’re saying you want to sell a sack of grain that’s currently worth 2 silver for 500 silver?”

“The value of goods naturally changes depending on the situation. You know that well, don’t you, Acting Lord Noah?”

Noah placed a copy of the contract she had brought on the table.

And glaring at Berick, she said.

“We contracted a year ago. I need to check if that other party’s contract was made before ours.”

“That is a confidential contract of the Klaus family. I cannot share it.”

“Then that would be an illegal act under imperial commercial law. You are aware of that, right?”

“Of course, I am well aware. That’s why I will compensate you with a penalty fee.”

“You know very well that we do not need money at this time, don’t you?”

“That’s unfortunate.”

Noah felt that further conversation was unnecessary after Berick’s words.

She stated firmly.

“Steward Berick, as the representative of the great Lord of Krone, I will confirm one last time.”

Noah looked coldly at Berick.

Berick also coldly received her words.

“Dreyhart is facing a food shortage because Klaus has not supplied grain. If this continues, the suffering of the people will be akin to war. This is essentially a declaration of war from the Klaus family against us. Can I understand it that way?”

“War is too excessive a metaphor. However, I will express my condolences that such suffering could occur as a result. Acting Lord Noah.”

Berick was not at all sympathetic.

After hearing those words, Noah closed her eyes, thought for a moment, and then stood up.

“I see. I have certainly grasped the intentions of Klaus.”

She thought no further words were necessary and stood up.

And she left her final words while looking at Steward Berick.

“Please enjoy the little peace that remains…”

Noah’s white words felt like a death sentence delivered by a black reaper.

But Berick dismissed her words as mere last struggles and ignored them.

“Hey Berick, how’s it going?”

“Dreyhart is on the brink of starvation, Lord Royce.”

“Right! Exactly!! Hahaha!! The plan is working!”

Royce was delighted by Berick’s words.

If things continued like this, it wouldn’t be long before Dreyhart would kneel before him.

“What should we do now, Berick?”

“No other methods are needed. We just need to block all routes that can provide support to Dreyhart and the surrounding territories.”

Currently, all routes to Dreyhart had been blocked.

The information coming from the informants also confirmed that all blocked routes were perfectly secured.

Of course, as time passed, there could be military clashes between the starving Dreyhart and Krone, but that was fine.

In Krone’s case, movement was impossible due to the desert flood, and the warriors of Dreyhart, on the brink of starvation, could not become enemies of the Klaus Knights.

Even if they were weaker compared to Krone or Lyon, the Klaus family had three dedicated magicians.

They were confident they could win that level of battle.

Although they feared Krone’s retaliation after everything was over, they were okay with it.

The kind lord, Calix, would formally protest to them and try to resolve the issue through dialogue.

While they engaged in conversation to buy time, if they offered the gains obtained from Dreyhart to the Duke of the North, they would formally enter the Duke’s faction and receive protection, making it impossible for Krone to recklessly retaliate against them.

In this tumultuous era, only those who were kind would not survive.

“We just need to wait for victory here, Lord Royce.”

“Hahaha!!! Yes, let’s drink like we used to, Berick!”

“Sounds good, Lord Royce!”

Thus, they held a drinking party, using the knowledge that Dreyhart was starving as their excuse.

As they enjoyed the desert liquor of Dreyhart, night deepened, and at that moment, a messenger sent by Noah arrived in a forest between Dreyhart and Klaus.

As the messenger entered the forest, people began to emerge shortly after.

They were the Krone Knights.

Armed Krone knights, including ‘Ricain,’ rode at the front, followed by the warriors of Dreyhart represented by ‘Jarha.’

And the Crimson Sorcerer ‘Sharen’ and the escort knight ‘Azel’ came out, with Calix Crone leading them.

“Everyone is here, my lord.”

“Alright, let’s make the final preparations.”

I moved along with Ricain.

How could we, who should be in Krone, be here?

It was because we moved ‘people’ without moving ‘food.’

The informants of the Klaus family were focused on food.

Taking advantage of this, we kept the movement of food the same as usual and gradually moved people to Dreyhart.

In normal circumstances, Dreyhart would have detected the sudden increase in people.

But now, Dreyhart was crowded with free people sent by Klaus.

Using them, we gradually moved the Krone knights to Dreyhart, and key figures like Ricain and Sharen disguised themselves through proxies.

If Klaus had investigated carefully, they would have discovered this, but they neglected to investigate people, focusing solely on food.

As a result, all the core forces of Krone could gather here without Klaus knowing.

However, I wanted to give them one last chance.

If they provided the grain they had contracted at the last moment, I was willing to forgive them.

But they ultimately crossed the final line.

The Krone Knights and the warriors of Dreyhart gathered on the plain, and I stood before them.

“A messenger just arrived from the special envoy.”

I spoke of the messenger sent by Noah.

It contained information about how much Klaus intended to resell the grain to us.

“That wicked Lord Klaus has declared that he will starve Dreyhart to death.”

Klaus did not speak directly.

But Berick, his subordinate, had clearly conveyed that intention.

Even if it was something his subordinate thought, the responsibility of the subordinate fell on the superior.

“We gave them money. We gave them time. We gave them opportunities. Yet they betrayed all that trust.”

The more I spoke, the angrier I became.

If those bastards had mentioned a penalty fee, I wouldn’t have given them any money at all.

That was what infuriated me the most.

“Knights! Warriors!! How should we repay those traitors who have betrayed our trust!”

At my words, the knights and warriors shouted.

They cried out in unison.

“Death to the traitors!!!”

“Kill them! Kill them!! Kill them!!!”

I dislike unnecessary killing.

But I will not hesitate to fight for myself and my people.

“Indeed! Today we will show them. Krone! Dreyhart!! Us!!! We will show the entire continent what happens when they meddle with us using their ridiculous schemes!!!”

I drew my sword.

And I gave the command.

“All units, deploy to Klaus!!!”

If that Klaus bastard attacks us with ‘food’…

I will simply ‘attack’ them.

It’s time to show overwhelming power.

Sharen Lirisia

Azel Tis

A word from the author (Author’s note)

With overwhelming power!!!!!

(ꐦÒ‸Ó)