City of Desire: Chapter 1035 Action and Reaction II (Patreon)

Proofread by Thomas F

Marquess Grimvale

“Do you think he will actually do it?” asked Talmire as I cut the call. I could see he was worried, but there was also excitement and trepidation in his eyes.

What is happening is wild.

We never thought Silver would make a move like this, but he did, and now we have to change our plans accordingly.

“That man will. He knows he will never get such a chance again. Especially after our ironclad reassurances,” he smiled, but I could see the reservation in his eyes.

“He will be the great patsy to test Greltheaven, but what would happen if he somehow conquered it?” he asked.

“That would be at best an outside chance,” I replied with a hopeful grin.

I also have complete confidence in taking it out of his hands, rather than Silver’s.

That young bastard had sent his army toward Norke, keeping only ten thousand there. This shows his confidence and taunts all who want Greltheaven.

I want to march with my army there, but I didn’t forget what happened to the undead.

I am prepared for that, but I would not take the risk, especially now. It’s a good thing the other patsy is ready, and I will see what Summerfield does.

The moment I feel I could deal with what he has, I will march with all my army.

Not just my core army, but the armies of my allies and the one I had kept in Nakar. Nothing is more important than Greltheaven, not even Nakar.

“What about Nakar?” he asked.

“We will first see how Summerfield’s attack on Greltheaven goes.”

Silver has gathered quite a lot of powerhouses in Nakar. Even with a larger army, victory isn’t guaranteed there.

There are three level 40s in there as far as I know—the Baron, the mercenary, and the most dangerous, that Great Mage.

He might be hiding more.

So, I need to be careful, but as I had said, my target is Greltheaven. Once I get it, conquering the entire region wouldn’t be a problem.

This all makes victory difficult. If things don’t work out, I might suffer defeat; that’s why I have to be cautious.

“Anything?” I asked, turning to Dasir. He is leading negotiations with Zanav; I want him to join me against Silver, and I am willing to give him everything that Viremont had not.

“Not yet,” he replied.

We agree on most things, but what's making him hesitate is the undead. If there is not enough force to defend the city, the undead could take it.

That is not something he wishes to see.

…

Count Summerfield

A smile appeared on my face as I received the final assurance that I would not be attacked.

Undead were the first to offer it, before it was Grimvale, Zanav, and Arenthal. This is not a simple agreement these bastards could break, but an iron-clad assurance.

If they break it, there will be consequences.

“We should not do it; they are using us to test the defenses of Greltheaven. It will be us paying the price, while they will reap the benefits.”

I didn’t even enjoy the moment for even a second before my bloody cousin spoke to soil it.

“I agree with Lord Vurin, my lord. We should not take this risk,” added Silva, my former top general, whom I had replaced with Ronda yesterday.

“Do you think I don’t understand that those bastards are using us?” I asked back.

Do these people think I'm an idiot? I understand all the risks and the consequences. I had thought deeply about it before making the decision.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I would be a fool not to use it. Besides, we have prepared against the Alchfire Orbs. In our tests, Xardal’s skill proved useful against it.”

It is a risk without a doubt, but Greltheaven, it is worth it. Once I get my hands on it, no one will be my match.

I have already received promises from powerhouses in the empire. As long as I capture Greltheaven, they will ally with me. Then, even if Grimvale comes with all his army, it would be futile.

“Xardal is good, but a single defense isn’t enough. It is too big a risk, cousin.”

“If we really want to attack Greltheaven, then we should do it by allying with others. It is the safest option,” said Vurin, making me glare at my bastard cousin.

If I did that, I would do all the hard work, and others would take the prize.

No one in the region will share Greltheaven. All the bastards want it for themselves. I will not have that.

“Enough! I have made the decision,” I said. He and Silva opened their mouths, but closed them, feeling my glare.

“Ronda, prepare to march against Greltheaven,” I said, and I could see the man was surprised. He did not expect it, which made me happy.

These bastards always think they are smarter than me. I could see the look in their eyes; they are not as good at hiding it as they think.

“My lord, I believe I would be best suited to defend Deerpond.”

“General Silva and others are more than sufficient to lead the offensive,” I wanted to glare at the bastard.

The bastard grandiosely said that when I made him top General, he would follow my every order without hesitation, but now that bastard has got the position, he is acting like a coward.

“You will lead it! So, go prepare,” I said. I could see the struggle behind his eyes before he nodded.

He is right; Silva is more capable, but that’s why I need him with me. There is no one better than him to defend my city; he knows Deerpond and my forces better than anyone here.

“Vurin, you will join Ronda in the attack. There is no need to spill blood if it could be achieved diplomatically,” I ordered.

My cousin may be despicable, but he is eloquent and also a Lv. 40 powerhouse. He also has one of House Summerfield's inheritance skills; it’s an excellent skill.

“As you command, my lord,” he accepted without hesitation, which was surprising to me.

Well, nobody said House Summerfield is cowardly. A Summerfield will be needed there. I may not like him, but I have no doubt about his loyalty to the house.

I trust him far more than Ronda and others.

…

Remus Silver

“Hundred thousand, that’s better than last time,” I said as I looked at the map, showing Summerfield’s army moving toward Greltheaven, led once more by General Ronda.

There is also Vurin Summerfield. I never met him, but I heard he is a sensible man, far better than his cousin.

Though I am most curious about the Nezarian, he hired him because of his special skills. There is little information about him, and what I found out is that his employment with Summerfield is not simple.

Someone had pulled the strings in the dark; someone who is hiding their tracks very well.

“I still believe it’s not wise to send the army to Norke, leaving only ten thousand to protect all of Greltheaven, no matter how confident you are in dealing with them,” said Leila.

She has made her displeasure known a couple of times in the past hour.

I didn’t like it as well, but I have no choice. I have to show them that even with barely any men, I could defend Greltheaven. So, they should forget ever trying to conquer it.

It’s a massive risk I am taking.

There might be a powerhouse hiding in the army or an artifact that could deal with the ability of Velvet Garden, but I have to take the risk, or I will continue to be attacked.

A few minutes passed, and I called a few people in Greltheaven and Stone.

I also called Carla; she had met Artur Salazar and would meet Helena Salazar. Though the time is not confirmed, they only said, Grand Mage will summon Carla when she has time.

Thankfully, Robin’s meeting in the merchant state was fixed.

These two meetings will be very important. If they work as we intended, they will help us tremendously.

“The undead ships have reached the coast outside the city.” Zela brought me back to reality. I straightened up while Leila adjusted the map. Soon, Gailhorn appeared, and the sea along with ships.

She adjusted the map based on the information we had received.

“We have started shooting the cannons and ballistas; the undead responded with their own attack.” She informed.

So, no call for surrender.

Well, Trask didn’t give them any chance. He had already informed me he would begin the attack the moment they entered the range.

That’s an excellent strategy, since they have come to attack and we have no desire to surrender.

Minutes passed, and the exchange continued.

“The undead are beginning to come out of the sea,” I sighed, hearing that. Undead had a distinct advantage here; unlike people, they didn’t need to come really close to the coast.

They disembarked their forces at sea.

In the attack on Namdar Islands, the undead had traveled through the seabed to attack Namdar. The attack was successful; it caused little material damage, but it dealt a heavy psychological blow.

It told the emperor that the undead kingdom could attack the empire if they wished and to back off from doing anything big against them.

It had made both the emperor and Salazar angry, but they heeded that warning and softened their response.

“Did they bring out any powerhouses yet?” I asked after a few minutes, and Zela shook her head.

“This time, they are taking it slow. Every other time, they brought pillars and powerhouses along with undead, but this time, they are not doing it,” said General Javier.

“They learned a lesson.”

An hour passed, and still no sign of powerhouses. I didn’t stay in the office and went to bed. Viremont will be attacking soon, and I need to be rested.

Sleeping is the last thing I want to do with enemies besieging me, but I need to. Viremont is a powerful enemy, and I would need every bit of advantage against him.

Thankfully, with Caena’s charm, I won’t need to rest for long, but I need to rest.