General Bock and Viscount Aqid stare blankly as the military doctor who had long since been prepared rushes up and treats Prince Sundike's wound.
Prince Sundike is drenched in sweat, but he still forces out a smile. "Gentlen, look how badly I am wounded."
"Because of Lumir's rude behavior, I nearly died. They are deliberately preventing us from suppressing the rebels."
"This is a provocation against the kingdom. For all the deaths and injuries caused by the rebels over the years, we must eliminate the bandit leader."
"In addition, as you have seen, I am now seriously wounded. I cannot endure the jolting of travel and need to rest for a few days. Withdrawing at this point is no longer realistic."
The tent falls into a deathly silence. Finally, Aqid sighs.
"Your Highness, why go to such lengths? This does you no good."
Sundike says, "After the Blue Warhamr Legion was destroyed and the Gloomwood Knights were badly damaged, our plan to attack Peace Haven failed."
"Leaving aside those two elite ace forces, in the Mudfield Battle we also lost the strength of two legions. If counted separately, four legions have temporarily withdrawn from the fighting."
"In other words, in the short term, it will be difficult for us to gather more than a hundred thousand troops to attack Peace Haven."
"Even if we transfer more elites to the northwest front, how many elites are we prepared to sacrifice?"
"Peace Haven has already shown its fangs. If we want to kill that fierce beast, can we bear the price?"
"We have spent so much manpower and resources on this war, yet in the end we have gained nothing. What will dostic public opinion look like?"
"How will my father explain this to everyone?"
"So we must obtain enough benefits, benefits that can make up for our losses."
"Peace Haven is a fierce beast covered in thorns. The cost and reward do not match. In that case, we must find other prey."
"And Lumir has always been our prey. We simply lacked the opportunity before. Now, the opportunity has co."
"Whether what I am doing is worth it for is not important. As long as it is worth it for the kingdom, that is enough."
Aqid shakes his head. "Your Highness, it is not as simple as you think. The Ika Kingdom will not agree to us doing this."
Prince Sundike says in a low voice, "This is our expansion. We do not need their agreent."
"Besides, do you truly think Ika will let this opportunity go?"
"They also suffered a setback at Peace Haven. If we withdraw the troops from the northwest front, Peace Haven will be able to transfer several elite legions back toward Ika."
"At that ti, how much of a price will Ika be prepared to pay to destroy Peace Haven?"
"They have lost quite a bit as well. What King Baleqi of Ika needs now is a great achievent, not a head-on fight to the death against Henwell."
"Tell , after we attack into Lumir, what will Ika's reaction be? Will they fight Peace Haven to the death?"
"Or will they also seize this opportunity, extend their reach into Lumir, and grab even greater benefits?"
General Bock says, "Your Highness, will Diversion Bay agree to us acting so rashly? I fear that afterward, in order to end the war, we will be pushed out as sacrifices."
Sundike smiles. "General, I understand my father. I also understand the powerful people in Diversion Bay even better."
"They have always wanted to attack into Lumir, but they never had the opportunity."
"Now, while Lumir's internal military strength is empty, we have entered first. This also gives them sufficient reason to continue expanding the results."
"Afterward, our punishnt will be one that is raised high and set down gently."
"The only thing the two of you need to consider is whether you are willing to suffer a little grievance for the kingdom."
After a long while, Aqid looks at Sundike's abdon and sighs. "Sigh. Your Highness has gone this far. I am no coward either."
"I will send a ssage to Diversion Bay at once: the Sixth Prince was pursuing rebels and mistakenly entered Lumir, where he was intercepted by the other side."
"Out of regard for the cooperative relationship between the two countries, His Highness personally took the risk and went forward alone to negotiate."
"But the other side refused to listen to any explanation. They acted brazenly, severely wounded the Sixth Prince, and at the sa ti gathered a large army, attempting to surround and kill us."
"They are preparing to create a fait accompli and fra the remnants of the rebels for it."
"The enemy is strong and nurous, and His Highness is seriously wounded. Our forces can only temporarily defend in place."
"Most urgent. Please have His Majesty send troops to rescue us imdiately."
Sundike, whose wound has just been bandaged, pushes away the doctor beside him, rises, and salutes Aqid. "Thank you, Viscount, for everything you have done for the kingdom."
Aqid hurries forward to support him. "Your Highness, it was my poor judgnt before. I failed to see that Your Highness had such courage and will."
Sundike says, "Only after this, I fear Your Excellency the Viscount will lose power in Diversion Bay. From now on, you will be suspected of being one of my followers."
After saying this, Sundike says loudly, "Gentlen, since matters have reached this point, are you willing to work with to make the kingdom stronger?"
Faced with Sundike's recruitnt, the two do not answer imdiately. After exchanging a glance, their gazes finally fall on Sundike.
Now, the bandage around Prince Sundike's waist and abdon has once again been soaked with blood because of his earlier movent.
But Sundike still forces himself to stand straight. He is drenched in sweat, yet he smiles as he looks at them.
In the end, the two draw their longswords, kneel on the ground, and declare their loyalty to Sundike.
An incident of this level is worth activating extraordinary communication.
Very soon, the higher-ups of both countries receive the news.
Lumir is first shocked, then imdiately realizes that things are turning bad. On one hand, they send envoys to contact this neighboring army that has entered their territory.
On the other hand, they imdiately gather various legions and send them toward Ironwood Fort.
After Ogiro's king receives the news, he first publicly scolds the Sixth Prince and the others in court for acting recklessly.
Then he says he will send an envoy group to explain the matter to Lumir.
But at the sa ti, several of the kingdom's legions receive orders to move imdiately toward Lumir.
Although every powerful noble in court says Sundike and the others have gone too far, no matter how much they use angry expressions to cover it, they cannot suppress the smiles in their eyes.
As for the king himself, his expression is even stranger. On one hand, he has to scold them in anger. On the other hand, the corners of his mouth keep lifting.
At the sa ti, among the troops originally stationed on the northwest defense line and preparing to fight Peace Haven, three legions withdraw from the line and move southwest.
With only four legions remaining on the southwest defense line, the line imdiately contracts and shifts from an offensive posture to a defensive one.
Peace Haven advances accordingly and occupies part of Ogiro's territory.
In reality, of the four regular legions deployed here, three have already quietly moved to the western defense line.
The Ika Kingdom imdiately notices Peace Haven's reinforcent of this defense line. Prince Kullen knows the plan has already begun.
After a long sigh, Kullen orders all legions to reorganize and prepare for war.
And so, the situation of this war shifts dramatically. In just three short months, everyone's focus moves from Peace Haven to Lumir.
In Lumir's Tatan City, Second Prince Obilian rubs his forehead, pain written across his face.
The next day, he puts on military dress and leads his legion directly toward the war zone, ignoring the warning from the duchy's inspector.
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