City of Desire: Chapter 1020 Conquering Almin (Patreon)

Proorfread by Thomas F

Marchioness Arenthal

“Almin,” I said as the city came into view.

It stood like a lotus rising from a vast lake, the only structure amid the endless wasteland surrounding it.

Its walls were tall and reddish-brown, well-maintained, with wards shimmering across their surface. A waste of energy, in my opinion. If they intended to threaten me, they would have to do far more than display a few glowing wards.

“They are prepared for us,” said Kadira, casting a spell that immediately brought up a screen showing a wall.

I could see soldiers at every turn, armed to the teeth. Ready to take us on. Many had impassive expressions on their faces, but most showed clear fear.

The screen flickered a little; they were trying to stop the spell. I couldn’t help but laugh at their efforts.

There is a Lv. 40 there, but he is not strong enough to stop her spell. Her lips curved, and another screen appeared above the first, showing an eagle's-eye view of the city.

“The defenses are good; might give us some trouble.” Uncle said, and I nodded.

“Now that we have reached the city? Will you tell us the plan, Marchioness?” asked Vark, and I smiled. “What's the hurry, Captain? You will know when it’s time.”

He said nothing and turned back to the screen, while I activated my skill and let out a whistle.

It was so unladylike that it surprised many of the nobles and officers, but my men who had been with me for years grinned.

A little over a minute later, something came fast. The mages turned, as did the archers, but didn’t attack. I felt a little relieved to see that everybody was following orders.

The army isn’t a single cohesive one. It is made of different groups and didn’t have the discipline that an army trained and fought for a longer period has.

A few seconds later, she stopped.

A beautiful girl of orange and white, looking regal as always, but also very cute. Wearing a beautiful red necklace.

Arasanil Wolf.

I had found her as a cub in the extreme magic region of Falva. Since then, she has been with me.

She doesn’t let me ride her unless it’s for war, and I have fought every battle with her by my side. I want to fight Silver; I heard his horse is quite good.

“Armor up.”

Soon, her necklace shone; a moment later, beautiful red-and-black armor wove around her. Bellidor’s Armor, an artifact of my house.

It’s a rare monster artifact.

Armor covered her, and I leaped off my beast before gliding on her.

She growled.

“Don’t worry, it will not take long,” I said as I petted her, and she growled more, but she didn’t move my hand away. She loves pets, but acts like she didn’t.

I rode forward with her, my army following behind.

A little over half an hour later, there was only a mile between us and the city, and they had already prepared a welcoming surprise.

“My dear friend, would you?” I asked Kadira, and she grinned. The next moment, her staff lit up, and blasts erupted around the city as the mines exploded.

“What were those idiots thinking? There is a bloody Great Mage of Fire Element with us,” Virk grinned.

A few seconds later, I rode ahead. The dust was still thickly covering the field, but it didn’t matter. My skill would protect them.

…

Vurin Summerfield

‘Urin, convince her at any cost. If we are going to lose it, we might as well get something back!’ said August from the other side.

What happened to him? I couldn’t help but question.

My cousin had once been an intelligent man—ambitious, certainly, but tempered by reason. Now, he had become a senile old fool who had convinced himself that his own delusions were reality.

He was surrounded by his incapable son and a flock of sycophants, each too eager to flatter him to speak the truth.

There was only one intelligent man among them, but his voice was being drowned out. He and I tried, but he is not willing to listen to us.

We should have abandoned the city. Taking everything we could, but now it’s too late.

“Of course, my lord,” I replied.

He cut the call, and I looked at the dust surrounding the city from the battlement. She, with her army, had entered the dust, and we couldn’t see them.

Our skills could not pierce them, and spells were being repelled. We were completely blind.

For all I know, they might be charging toward us.

“Can you do anything to remove the dust?” I asked my mage, my most trusted friend. “That Great Mage has total domination; she is repelling every type of spell we are casting.” He replied with frustration.

This is the biggest reason I wanted to abandon the city. Not to mention, I am the only Lv. 40 here.

On her side, there are four, including her. I know my abilities, and I could at most fight with a mercenary; the other three are out of my league.

I was lost in thought when the dust finally began to settle. Through the thinning haze, the army emerged—vast ranks of soldiers standing in perfect formation, alert and ready.

At their head was a woman, riding an armored wolf.

It’s a terrifying scene.

I shuddered at the sight of it, but was also relieved to see that they had not attacked immediately. That would have been a disaster that neither August nor I wanted to see.

“Call her,” I ordered.

I have tried hundreds of times, but she declined. I hope she will accept it this time.

“She is demanding a face-to-face meeting,” he said, turning to me. “I would advise against it. If she has you in custody, it won’t take long for the city to fall.” I laughed on hearing that.

“As if the result would change if I remained here,” I replied without a hint of mirth.

“Inform Count Summerfield of the offer and prepare the tent.”

A minute later, the small gate opened, and the people stepped out and started building the tent in the middle. As for my cousin, there was no reply, which is not an agreement, but if this goes wrong, it will all flip out.

Well, everything has already gone down the drain; this little much isn’t going to fuck things up any further.

“Are you sure?” asked Alv as we reached the small gate. “What is more security going to do? Even if I bring a hundred people, if she wants to harm me, she could.”

With that, I stepped out of the small gate and walked toward the tent with Alv.

I reached the tent, and she was there, sitting on the chair, with her Great Mage standing behind her.

“Marchioness,” I greeted.

“Lord Summerfield,” she replied with a nod. I smiled and sat in front of her.

“Count Summerfield will hand over the city to you, as long as you pay the right price for it,” I stated, and she laughed as if I had told some joke.

I have, but I said that because that’s what he wants. The meeting was being transmitted directly.

They didn’t stop the spell; they want him to hear that.

She quieted down a few seconds later and looked at me, her eyes becoming completely serious.

“Here is what we are going to do, Lord Summerfield. I want the city, and I want you all to surrender, every single one of you.” She said.

I sighed internally, not surprised at all. I mean, what else would he have expected?

I sometimes really wonder how he had become so senile that he can’t even see things clearly. Did he really expect her to pay for it when there is a huge army behind her?

He should have just abandoned it.

I suggested it; it was the most painful thing. I love this city; abandoning it was the last thing I wanted to do, but there is no other choice.

“Don’t worry, I will treat you all well and release you all as soon as you pay the ransom, Count Summerfield,” she added, looking at Alv’s staff directly.

‘This bitch!’

A furious curse rang out in my mind.

‘Urin, tell the bitch. If she dares to attack, I will destroy everything; she won’t have much city to rule by the time she gets it!’ he threatened. That’s not how you negotiate when you have a weak hand.

Still, I have to repeat it to her, and I opened my mouth for it, when she laughed once more, before turning back to the staff.

“Do it, but let me tell you, it won’t take me long to take the city; yes, there will be damage, not as much as you are expecting.”

“Hell, there won’t be much of a battle.”

“Your men could see what they are up against. Let me assure you, they will surrender before the first siege spell even touches the city,” she replied.

She heard him. That Great Mage hacked into the spell, which is not easy, even for a Great Mage.

As for her words, they are true.

It won’t take her long to capture the city; that Great Mage would blast open the wall, and after that, there won’t be much resistance.

As for surrendering, I won’t wait for my men. I am going to do that myself.

I don’t want needless death of my men when the result is going to be the same. I had warned him about it, but he didn’t listen.

“You should really think about it, Count Summerfield, because once I get your men, I won’t release them even if you are willing to pay the ransom.”

“You see, Count Viremont is coming, and you have a good army in Deerpond, but that will not be enough against him.”

“It will only take him a few hours at most to conquer Deerpond with the army and powerhouses he is bringing. You might have a better chance of defending if you had all your army and powerhouses together.”

“And then without territories, there will be nothing left of House Summerfield.”

“It will become another noble House without territory, and eventually, it will fade into obscurity.” She stated it with such casual certainty.

That was precisely why I hated the bastard. Because of his stupidity, our House might disappear from the world entirely. Ours was one of the oldest Houses in the Empire, older even than the Empire itself.

“So, the choice is yours,” she continued, leaning back in her chair with a smile. “Save one city, and your House survives. Or lose two, and your House disappears.”

I smiled at her in return, though there was no mirth in mine. Only the grim realization of just how much trouble we were in—and that, regardless of which choice we made, we would pay a price.

Truthfully, we had been doomed to danger from the moment the two monsters decided to invade the region.

No, that’s not right; there were a few decisions he could have taken that would have put him in a much better position, but that bastard didn’t take them.

Now, because of it, the survival of the entire house is in question.