Chapter 27: The Time of War's Arrival

  Having obtained the desired status, I smoothly became a noble and then took a group of people back to my mansion in Hyde City. Although the capital is prosperous, as a small viscount, I will face many nobles who are far superior to me in status. I don't want to fawn on everyone I meet, so it's better to go back to my pre-arranged paradise and be the lord of my manor.

  As for Rifelman, he has plunged headlong into the aristocratic circle of the royal capital, attending a banquet one day and a dinner party the next, busy to the point of being carefree. Even when we were about to leave, he merely hastily bid us farewell before hurrying off to attend a banquet hosted by the Twitz family, as if he had completely forgotten his past grudges against them. I once again despise this power-hungry guy.

  It's okay, Freya insisted on taking her daughter and me back to Hyde City together. Although Lievman begged her to go with him to the banquet so that his beautiful wife could show off in front of the nobles, she had lost confidence in the nobles due to being pestered by Baron Peter and resolutely refused. To be honest, there was another reason why she didn't want to stay behind - she couldn't bear to part with me anymore. My hypnosis had an increasingly strong effect on her, and now her heart belonged only to me.

  Helpless, Lifman had to go alone into the noble circle of Arunisi, but with his years of eloquence in the business world, I believe he will definitely be able to develop there, as for later, it's not something that we who have already left the capital can clearly see.

  We left Hyde City just three months ago, and now standing in front of the site where the villa was built on what used to be a wasteland three months ago, I could hardly believe my eyes.

  The high wall has surrounded the entire area, and from the wall to the inside is a long bluestone road paved with flat and solid stones. On both sides of the road, many tall evergreen trees have been planted, making the bluestone road look more quiet and secluded. Behind the tree clusters, the artificial hills and rivers in the garden are dotted with natural scenery.

  At the end of the road, there is a small fountain, where gurgling water constantly sprays out from the mouth of the spring. The clear and transparent pool is filled with crystal-like pebbles, making it look extremely beautiful and colorful.

  Behind the fountain is a luxurious villa that I once described to those craftsmen, with a four-story high roof covered in glazed tiles. In the faint sunlight of the approaching winter, it reflects a kaleidoscope of colors, adding a touch of exotic color to an already somewhat desolate environment.

  This house can be said to have gathered all my ideas, the grand and magnificent main hall, the private study filled with books, the exhibition room decorated with various artistic paintings and beautiful reliefs, the armory loaded with weapons, the luxurious kitchen that can accommodate ten master chefs working at the same time, the wine cellar storing fine wines, the bedrooms and guest rooms decorated with exquisite curtains, the fireplace tea house for private gatherings, the magnificent bathroom for bathing, everything I could think of is here.

  Behind the house is a large garden, although it's now late autumn and many flowers have withered, but you can still imagine that in next spring, this place will be a world full of colors. Several small pavilions are perfect places to cool off in summer, and when I'm free, I can also accompany my wife inside to admire the flowers and flirt, it's really very cozy.

  Behind the garden is a small lake that I have been asking for. Under the gentle breeze, the lake surface is shining with ripples of light. From time to time, several small fish jump out of the water, creating waves of water flowers. During leisure time, we can row a boat and enjoy the comfort. Around the lake, there are also large areas of fruit trees planted. When the fruits are ripe, we can taste the sweet fruits that we have planted ourselves.

  The servants' house is located in the corner of the manor, although it's not a good house, but for them, it's already pretty good. Compared to other noble slaves' houses, this is a mansion. If they can work well for me, I will give them even better living conditions.

  Walking around the manor, I felt proud that I could own such a luxurious residence and was amazed at the skills and speed of the Wighton craftsmen. My 300,000 gold coins were well spent.

  Winter is coming soon, the cold north wind brings a lot of ice and snow, dyeing the ground of Weiton with a layer of pure white color, even the lake water begins to freeze.

  To be honest, I really don't like this cold winter. When I used to live in the Lost Forest, it was evergreen all year round and never encountered such heavy snowstorms. The tall trees sheltered us from the cold of winter, so this is actually my first real winter. As a result, I'm holed up in the warm room and refuse to go out.

  At this time of heavy snowfall, the roads were impassable with drifts, and it was difficult for carriages to move. The only frequent visitor was Baroness Freya, the wife of Baron Lifman, who lived on the neighboring estate. Her warm body made me feel the heat even in the cold winter, so she often stayed overnight after her visit and left late the next day. Of course, my servants were under my powerful hypnosis and could not spread any rumors, telling outsiders that Freya had a lively conversation with Xylina for one night.

  My guards are intensifying their training even in winter, braving the biting cold wind and sweating outside. Their strong will is enough to make them powerful warriors. Sometimes, I also teach them some combat techniques personally, and their combat capabilities have improved very quickly, with riding, chopping, and shooting all having a certain level of mastery. To train their horsemanship, I even bought a batch of horses and armor for them, and when the time comes, as long as they put on their armor and mount their horses, they will be brave knights, and I also purchased an exceptionally sturdy horse from the horse merchant in Mosan, which can carry two or three people without any problem. It has become my exclusive mount.

  According to Freya, Lifman is also quite well-connected among the nobles in Yaruni West, and has now become the assistant of the Treasurer Frits. The two fat men with similar tastes are working together to manage the kingdom's finances. He had originally wanted to take Freya and his daughter away, but after becoming obsessed with managing the kingdom's economy, he never mentioned it again. Apparently, in his eyes, power is the most important thing, and without family by his side, he can devote himself wholeheartedly to political struggles. This is for the better, as his wife is now my mistress. If he insists on taking Freya away, I will be lonely.

  Like this, the winter of 2013 in Sheng Guang Hui passed away in my idleness.

  In the early spring of 214, the bright sunlight shone down from the clouds, melting the ice and snow on the ground. The roads began to thaw, and all sorts of news that had been blocked by the ice and snow came pouring in.

  Here is the translation:

  Firstly, some merchants who envied our previous success also hired people to go into the Labyrinth Forest to catch monsters. However, they were not as lucky as us and suffered a heavy loss when they encountered bandits and wolf packs on the Mosan Prairie. When they finally arrived at the Labyrinth Forest and entered it, they met Night Clan warriors who fought back fiercely due to their territory being invaded. In the chaos of being killed and fleeing, they lost their way without the guidance of the Night Clan people and eventually all died in the vast forest. Only a few mercenaries lagged behind the team and luckily avoided the fatal attack, then escaped back to Witon and told the waiting crowd the news. At this time, those who were blinded by huge interests finally remembered that the Labyrinth Forest was always the most dangerous forbidden area on the continent and would not be open to everyone just because of one successful exploration.

  The second news is that rumors have emerged in the neighboring country of Mosan that the current King Arstot of Mosan assassinated his father and brother to seize the throne. Some tribes whose leaders were killed in the previous coup are now uniting to resist Arstot's rule, and the army that was previously loyal to the king and crown prince is no longer obedient to Arstot. The situation in Mosan is chaotic. This is just like my previous prediction, it seems that Duke William and Duke Napier have not been idle, so next should be war.

  The third message was more serious, Prince William, the son of Kent VII, was ambushed on his way to the Western Empire of Dekuster for a marriage alliance, and none of the envoys survived. There were reports that the mastermind behind this ambush was the military of the Dekuster Empire. Heartbroken over the loss of his beloved son, Kent VII began gathering troops at the western border while calling upon all nobles to bring their private armies to join the war effort. In an instant, the situation between the two countries took a drastic turn for the worse, and the shadow of war gradually loomed over the entire continent of Tardon. This matter had probably already exceeded the expectations of Duke William and Duke Nappler; if the Dekuster Empire really went to war with the Wighton Kingdom, their plan to intervene in Mosan would have to be put on hold.

  I didn't expect that, but it was just one winter, and the world seemed to have changed overnight. It seems that the God of Peace has abandoned this continent.

  "I really hope we won't be affected by the war here", I muttered to myself while sitting on the sofa, reading the newspaper and sipping tea.

  Although some people do not like war, there are still many who look forward to its arrival, for war means honor, medals, and spoils of war. In the Kingdom of Weiton, it is stipulated that if a civilian makes a significant contribution in war, they may be ennobled, while nobles can be promoted in rank. So when I see the farmers around me waving their pitchforks and other miscellaneous items wildly, as well as the young nobles wearing the finest armor and parading their private soldiers everywhere, I am not surprised at all.

  The local official had heard of my exploits and once invited me to join his ranks, but I refused. After all, I had just enjoyed a brief life of luxury, and suddenly I was asked to shed blood on the battlefield - I wasn't that foolish.

  Moreover, I've heard that the nobles' participation in war also has some shady aspects. The sons of those high-ranking nobles can often hide at the back of the battlefield and wait for victory, after which they'll take credit for the spoils of war. Meanwhile, commoners and low-ranking nobles like myself have to rely on our own bravery in battle and hope that we're not robbed of our achievements if we want to stand out. I'm a low-ranking noble, so I don't want to go. The problem is that my subordinate, the fierce warrior Naru, heard about the upcoming war and was eager to join the fight. In the end, I had to use my authority to hold him back; otherwise, he might have actually run off to join the battle.

  In the year 214 of the Holy Light, March, Mosan finally erupted into chaos. The rebellious generals and tribal warriors formed a massive force, formally engaging in battle with the regular army controlled by Alsto. As both sides were mainly cavalry, the fighting was extremely fierce, with victories and defeats on both sides. However, the regular army's forces were ultimately greater than those of the rebels, and the situation gradually tilted in Alsto's favor. The rebel army suffered several consecutive defeats, their controlled areas being gradually nibbled away by the regular army, until they were pushed to the western border of Mosan near the Dekster Empire.

  Just when the outside world thought that the Mosan resistance army would be defeated, the situation changed. In a valley near the border of the Dekuster Empire, the remnants of the resistance army and the regular army engaged in a decisive battle, and the regular army, which had been blinded by victory, pressed forward in an attempt to wipe out the resistance army at one stroke.

  In the heat of battle, a large number of troops suddenly appeared in the rear of the regular army, and it turned out that Dexter's army launched a surprise attack on Mosan's regular army. Under the circumstances of being attacked from behind, the regular army was completely defeated, and it is said that the blood of the fallen soldiers dyed the battlefield red.

  The unannounced war of the Dexter Empire suddenly put Mosan in a precarious situation. Under the fierce attack of the strongest empire on this continent, Mosan's land fell heavily, and the regular army had to retreat to the capital city of Saint Mohan with all its might, facing off against the Dexter army across the Yarati River.

  Alyna was extremely worried about her father's and the tribe's safety, I had to go comfort her often. In my opinion, that old man who dared to betray his long-time friend, the king, without hesitation shouldn't die so easily.