City of Desire: Chapter 1060 Advice (Patreon)

Proofread by Thomas F

Marchioness Arenthel

“Your chef is really good, Marchioness; I wish I could take him with me,” said Baron Hillmor, taking a bite of his food.

I have invited the nobles and Lv. 40+ mercenaries to breakfast before they leave. I have even invited Rutto, but that man had declined. However, he will join me for lunch.

“You can always stay here, my lord, and I promise, my chef will feed you morning, afternoon, and evening,” I replied with a small smile.

The chef is an old friend, one of the first people who had joined me when I became an independent mercenary. Since then, he had never left my side.

We talked as we ate breakfast; I watched each of them.

Even those two mercenaries who did not come to the party last night, came today. The rogue remained absent, but that’s no surprise. She doesn’t want her identity known.

I know who it is, Silver had told me, and I have to say I am surprised.

She was supposed to be Lv. 30 and had been posing as one, but the way she had fought in the battle. I understood she had been at Lv. 40 and at least for quite a while.

My eyes moved toward those two nobles and Vark. I wonder what decision they have made, whatever it is; it’s going to have an effect.

I am accommodating everyone; I let the army rest and heal. I let Silver’s man meet the nobles, and I did the same with Grimvale’s; he had sent his people too.

The only one who seemed to be in a bad mood was General Gaiden. He barely talked, making hidden glares at Valebrook, Fairwyn, and Vark, as well as the two mercenaries.

Soon, breakfast ended, and they moved to leave.

“I hope you will have a safe journey to your destinations,” I said to them, and they thanked me and left.

Half an hour later, I watched the gate open, and they rode out as Uncle bid them farewell.

“What do you think will happen?” asked Kadira, seeing them leave. “I don't know, but whatever they do, they cannot finish Silver,” I replied.

If they ally with Grimvale, they might capture every city of Silver’s domain, but Greltheaven would still be a challenge.

That city is dangerous. It is Silver’s seat and the place from which most of his power stems.

He had promised to forgive those who attacked him before, but if they allied with Grimvale and attacked him again, he promised to use every resource he had to kill them on the battlefield or even outside of it.

It is what made many nobles hesitate. Some conferred with me, but I remained neutral.

Told them to do what they thought best for them.

Soon, they marched out, and the army divided into two groups. The bigger group moved toward Bilgas, while a smaller group of ninety thousand men moved east toward Grimvale's lands.

The rest were a little unsure about joining Grimvale, but they were leaning toward joining him. They planned to make that decision after reaching Bilgas.

“Silver had revealed all his cards; there is no way he could mount a surprise as he did in Panar and, to some extent, Norke,” Kadira said. I smiled at hearing that.

“Not all his cards. I have a feeling that he is hiding a few more,” I replied. She seemed surprised.

“Intelligence?” She asked.

“Just a feeling.”

“Still, even with all those cards, he would fight a losing battle. If all of them joined against him,” to that I nodded.

Silver had made everyone envious and made them feel threatened about their own survival. It didn’t matter that he had never initiated any offensive against them.

His growth alone is truly scary. Even I sometimes wonder whether to ally with him.

Staying on the sidelines wouldn't be beneficial once one side wins.

I am not going to commit. I want to stay neutral; thus, this region offers a unique advantage as long as I have enough power.

Yes, if any side wins, it would be troublesome for me, but I am not threatened. There is also the massive threat of the undead; they are my shield. They will need me to go against them, and that will be my leverage.

Though I hope it doesn’t happen. The current status quo is most beneficial for me.

As here, both sides want me.

I pushed my thoughts away and looked at the armies leaving. It is all too peaceful. Though I don’t think it will be for long; soon something will happen, and I have a feeling that it’s going to be big.

…

Marquess Grimvale

‘Yes, I tried again, but Valebrook, Fairwyn, and Vark want more time to think about it, while the other three are hesitant, even more so after that threat from Silver about the bounty!’ Gaiden said.

“Convince them, General!”

“Make them understand what I am offering them is already huge; they will not get it anywhere else.

Valebrook wants the city, which is laughable. I might have accepted if she had been as powerful as Viremont, bringing allies and a large army, but not with her current strength and army size.

She is now coming down from that ask. Fairwyn had upped his demand in the morning, clearly indicating he had leveled up.

As for Vark, he is staying silent, despite me offering a fortune for his services.

The three mercenaries are being hesitant despite us getting assent from their master. Silver had threatened to put a massive emotional essence bounty on them.

It is truly humongous, and given the current scarcity of it, many people would take it.

Such a threat wouldn’t have worked normally, but he also threatened to kill them personally if they joined the battle, and they have seen his power and are very hesitant to go against him.

‘I am trying my hardest, and I believe I could convince the three, but it will take some time.’ Hearing that, I sighed.

I would have liked the entire army to come to me directly, but only about a third is coming, with only one newly advanced Lv. 40 mercenary, while the rest of the mercenaries and nobles are below Lv. 40.

“Time we do not have. We do not know what Silver might do, or who he might recruit. So, we have to strike while the iron is hot.”

‘I understand, my lord, and I will try to convince them as soon as I can,’ he replied.

A minute later, the call ended, and I turned to Dasir.

“Unless we have most of Viremont’s powerhouses and the army, Summerfield and Zanav are unwilling to move,” he stated. I smiled; I was not worried about them because I knew they would join as long as Viremont’s army joined me.

What other options did they have?

One has half his army captive by Silver, and the other fears being attacked if Silver survives, and they also hate each other.

They were more inclined to sit and watch with Viremont. Especially Summerfield, but Silver’s victory and the capture of his men had changed things for him.

“Our priority should be Viremont’s army. Especially the powerhouses,” I stated.

If we get powerhouses alone, without the army, it will be fine, because we have enough numbers. What we need is powerhouses of Lv. 40 and those below.

“It is fine that Silver won; it is one of the things we had expected, but the way he did it…”

‘It has made things trickier. Making the powerhouses hesitant, not only with Viremont’s army but also those from outside, who were on the edge of joining with us.”

Not everything happens according to plans; I never thought I would lose my original territory, but it had happened. That didn’t stop me from gaining another one.

There is always a way to achieve one’s goal; one just needs to find it.

“Convince them. This is the best opportunity we have gotten, and I will not lose it,” I ordered. Silver’s rise had made me fearful about my future.

I could defeat him now, but it would be difficult in a few years. I would not give him that time.

A few minutes later, I left my office and went to the roof to stretch my legs. I miss the green hills around my old castle; I could see small groups of them there, but it’s not the same.

It had been over two years since I came here, but even now I still didn't get used to the bleak scenery.

I don't think I would ever, but it didn’t matter because this wasteland could give me what I needed the most: power, and more than I ever had.

The only thing I have to do to obtain it is defeat Silver and conquer Greltheaven.

I stayed on the roof until my skill nudged me, and I walked out of it. A minute later, I entered the parlor, where a lone woman was waiting for me.

She stood up as I stepped inside the room.

“Marquess Grimvale,” she greeted. Her face was unreadable, but I saw a faint amount of nervousness in it.

She is scared.

“I hope your journey has been well, Countess?’ I asked. She had gone to Wildhelm to negotiate the deal with Haldeaven, which my people had mediated.

“Safe enough that I decided to leave early,” she replied.

She had gone to Namdar first, on personal business, before going to Wildhelm and then coming here. She is a daring woman; few would dare to travel through the region at this time, even with my protection.

“I am glad, with you present; things will go much smoother.”

I was against her going to Namdar at this time, but she has been insistent. She has now returned; Now I did not have to worry about any delay from her army.

She runs a tight ship. If she wasn’t ruling her own city, I would have paid her handsomely to work for me.

I respect her intelligence enough that I take her suggestions on many important matters.

“Speaking of which, I have been contacted by Silver, and he said in no uncertain terms that he will aid my enemies and even take action himself if he saw the chance, if you attack,” she said, her real emotion flickering through her eyes for a moment.

She is very scared.

Her enemies are powerful, and they have formidable backing. It’s why I wasn’t able to completely ward them off her; they made an assassination attempt, even here.

I made them pay for it, but it shows the bounds of their hatred for her and the cost they are willing to pay.

If Silver aided them, things could become troublesome.

“I will not lie; it is indeed worrying, but trust me, I will protect you. Once we defeat Silver, we will be powerful enough that even your enemies will think a hundred times before taking any action.” It’s not an empty boast.

Once I have Greltheaven, my strength will skyrocket in all aspects, including the one that has been on its edge for years.

I am confident that defeating Silver will make me cross the great chasm.

“Before the defeat of Viremont, I agreed with fighting Silver, but now, I would advise you to be cautious. Don’t underestimate him; think about every decision before making it,” she advised.

I did not get angry.

I had no desire to underestimate Silver. Viremont had paid the price for that; I would not do the same.