As the grand duke and the King of Cassian made their entrance into the grand throne hall, a sense of reverence filled the air. Adam Jas, the admiral, who had been patiently waiting, imdiately knelt before the royal siblings, his voice echoing with respect.
"Greetings to the Sun of Cassian and His Highness the Grand Duke of Gerhard!" he greeted.
King Kyden, acknowledging his salutation, nodded his head and issued a command with authority.
"Rise," he ordered.
Adam promptly rose to his feet, wasting no ti delivering his report. The admiral began to recount the details of his findings.
"Our territory of the Agathe Islands has been breached, Your Majesty," Adam declared, his tone weighted with concern. "That is why I had the alarm bell rung upon my arrival."
King Kyden’s expression turned serious as he requested, "Tell us everything, admiral. Spare no details."
"It relates to the pirates that we pursued on the order of His Highness, the Grand Duke. We managed to track the pirates’ balinger and chased them," he began, focusing on their attempt to capture the pirates who had brazenly attacked Kyren and his knights during their voyage to Gantz.
Kyren’s eyes squinted as he processed Adam’s report.
"Did you manage to apprehend any of them?" he inquired.
Adam’s expression turned grave as he shook his head in response.
"We were on the verge of capturing them when we realised it wasn’t just a single vessel. There are multiple ships involved. As we chased them, we noticed that they sailed to Agathe Islands, and there were many other vessels docked at the small port, out of the ordinary," he explained. "Turned out, it was not just pirates we were dealing with, but a significant army, ten tis the size of our forces. They have set up a stronghold at the islands, using them as both a training centre and a settlent."
The king’s eyebrows furrowed in disbelief.
"A huge army? This is grave news indeed," he remarked, his tone laced with concern. "Did you conduct further investigations?" King Kyden asked.
Adam nodded, his expression reflecting the gravity of the situation.
"Yes, Your Majesty. We dispatched a small team disguised as locals to gather more information. That’s why it took a longer ti for us to return to Port Braska. From the findings, it appears that not only have the residents of the islands been attacked, but those who resisted have been captured and enslaved by this enemy army. The enemies have raided their resources, leaving the villagers in a state of distress and servitude."
"The Agathe Islands are divided between two kingdoms. Our kingdom holds the larger island, while the smaller one belongs to Galicia," Kyren said with certainty. "Considering this, it seems unlikely that the army responsible for the attacks is from Galicia. They wouldn’t turn against their people."
Adam nodded in agreent, affirming Kyren’s deduction.
"Indeed, Your Highness. It was well-known that the King of Galicia previously paid substantial compensation to Cassian for the smaller island possession, as most of it falls within their waters. The remaining territory belongs to us, and this arrangent was made to protect the Galician island residents. Attacking their own people simply doesn’t make sense."
"Yes, I rember it well," the king reminisced. "Both the grand duke and I attended the agreent signing ceremony. Despite our kingdom’s strained relationship with Galicia due to their lord’s betrayal of the Ro’an empire, their request to avoid war ca long after those unfortunate events. Upholding the last empress’s request for diplomacy, we agreed to engage in talks with them, and the resolutions that satisfied both sides were achieved."
The king’s words carried a sense of honour and a commitnt to upholding the values of peace. Despite the complexities and past grievances, he recognised the importance of open dialogue and finding common ground to prevent further conflict.
Curiosity sparked in the grand duke’s eyes as he continued the conversation.
"Do you have any suspicions regarding the culprits behind these attacks?" he inquired.
Adam nodded and reached into his pocket, carefully producing a small, dark-maroon pennon. It was adorned with the emblem of a wolf, a well-known symbol associated with the Bargesian royal family.
Kyren’s brows furrowed as he examined the pennon, contemplating its significance.
"The Bargesians," he repeated, his tone filled with a mixture of apprehension and determination. "What leads you to believe they are responsible?"
Adam’s gaze t Kyren’s, a flicker of unease crossing his features.
"We found this emblem within their ranks, suggesting a connection to them. However, there is sothing else that troubles ," he admitted.
Intrigued, King Kyden urged Adam to share his concerns, "What is it?"
"We also discovered they possessed dical kits," said the admiral.
"What about it? Isn’t it common for any army to have dical kits or healers of their own?" asked the king.
"It appeared as if it was provided to each of them, indicating a level of organisation and preparation beyond what is typically expected," Adam explained.
Kyren’s expression shifted.
"While it is true that army often carry dical kits or have healers, the fact that every soldier has one raises questions about the scale and coordination of their operations," he acknowledged.
"Indeed, the advanced content of the dical kit raises further questions," the admiral responded. "The inclusion of the latest drugs and ergency tools suggests a level of sophistication that is typically associated with Ardel, known for its modern dication and equipnt. The kingdom may be sohow involved, either directly or indirectly, in collaboration with the Barges."
"That is indeed peculiar," King Kyden remarked. "We had just received an ambassador delegation from Ardel, who sought an alliance with us. They inford about the ongoing disputes with the Bargesians over their southern borders and the attacks they have faced from the Barbarians of the south."
Kyren’s eyes narrowed.
"Your Majesty, I strongly believe Ardel is concealing sothing from us," he interjected firmly. "Given the circumstances and the evidence we have, I urge you to reconsider allying with them."
Kyren knew that revealing the full extent of his knowledge, particularly the coup d’état orchestrated by Kaizer Ronan and the collaboration between the new king of Ardel and Brone, the leader of the Bargesian rcenaries, could shock and complicate things. Therefore, he needed to find a way to prevent the alliance without exposing these sensitive details.
Curiosity laced the king’s voice as he inquired, "Why do you suspect Ardel?"
Kyren hesitated for a mont, carefully choosing his words. "As Admiral Jas ntioned, providing such advanced dical kits to a large army would require substantial funding and resources. Ardel, with its reputation for modern dical resources, seems a likely supplier," he explained. "Considering our evidence, it raises concerns about their true intentions and the possibility of their involvent in these attacks."
"We do not have clear evidence of Ardel’s involvent in forming this unknown army. However, we must remain open to the possibility," said King Kyden carefully, weighing all concerns.
"Then, what do we do?" with eager anticipation, Adam inquired about King Kyden’s decision, prompting the king to turn to his brother for guidance.
"Before I make any decisions, I believe it is crucial to hear the suggestion of the grand duke," the king stated, emphasising the importance of Kyren’s valuable insights.
The grand duke carefully considered his response, knowing the king’s preference for an evidence-based approach to decision-making.
"I would recomnd postponing the planned student exchange program with Engarth and withholding any enforcent support in Ardel’s dispute with the Bargesians until it is proven that they are not directly involved," he advised.
King Kyden nodded, acknowledging the validity of his brother’s suggestion.
"That is a prudent opinion," he affird. "Our primary concern is to protect our kingdom’s interests and security within any alliance. If we determine that the dical kit provisions indeed co directly from Ardel’s governnt, we will take decisive action and wage war against them, as they had betrayed us. If, however, the provisions co from private suppliers, we will request an imdiate halt to these businesses from Ardel. We shall withhold any support to the kingdom until all dical resources to the army are severed."
The king’s decision was resolute, reflecting his unwavering commitnt to safeguarding his kingdom’s interests. It underscored the importance of gathering irrefutable evidence before making any definitive judgnts or commitnts.
"As of now, we must act swiftly to subdue this army and gather irrefutable evidence of Ardel’s involvent," King Kyden declared.
"How many enemy soldiers are estimated on the islands currently?" asked Kyren.
"Approximately two thousand, Your Highness," responded the admiral.
"That is a considerable force to gain control of a territory," the king observed.
"Yes, Your Majesty. Given that my fleets consisted of only around two hundred crews, I decided to withhold the attack and return to gather more resources, both in terms of forces and supplies. One of my fleets is still near the islands, monitoring the situation. Right now, the enemy remains unaware of our presence. I plan to depart again the day after tomorrow. Therefore, I seek your permission to gather an army of five thousand."
King Kyden nodded thoughtfully.
"You have my permission," he granted.
"I can gather the Knights of Gerhard, but since you are departing in two days, it would take approximately four to five days for them to arrive from the duchy to Gantz," said the grand duke.
"There’s no need for that, Your Highness," interjected Adam. "The Knights of Neblim are readily available in the city, as well as the royal knights. They will be sufficient for the required forces. However, there is one thing I require from you," he said with determination.
"What is it? I will provide everything you need to defeat our enemy," Kyren assured him.
"Since we will be entering the small island of Agathe, I need a political representative present. The agreent made between Cassian and Galicia was directly under the previous king’s authority, so either you or His Majesty need to be present," explained Adam.
"I shall go," Kyren decided without hesitation.
"Are you sure? You still have a duel to finish," the king reminded him.
"Yes, but this is a matter of our kingdom’s security. I cannot relinquish this responsibility," the grand duke asserted.
"Excuse , but what duel are you referring to?" Adam inquired.
"A derian Prince has arrived, claiming my wife," Kyren revealed.
"A derian? They haven’t been here since Cassian was established! Why would he attempt such a thing?" Adam questioned, surprised.
"Because he was engaged to my wife before I married her. It’s a complicated situation, and my duel with him hasn’t been finished, but I aim to resolve it as soon as possible. However, the invasion of the Agathe Islands is now a priority. Within these two days, we must focus on our preparations and discuss our strategies to defeat the enemy," Kyren explained.
"Yes, that is the most important task at hand. I shall inform Prince Kiev that the duel will continue after your return," King Kyden assured him.
"If that is agreed upon, let us comnce the preparations," the grand duke declared, determined to prioritise the safety and security of their kingdom.
With the king’s authorisation, the formation of the Cassian army swiftly comnced as the kingdom prepared to confront the invading forces and safeguard their lands.
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