Bastion spent the next week sorting through paperwork and fulfilling his duties as duke. He reviewed budgets, penned replies, and sent them off.
As the manager overseeing villages, towns, cities, nobles, farmlands, mining operations, dungeons, and the army, Bastion favored policies that improved the people's comfort rather than simply preserving the status quo. He wanted the people to feel secure and satisfied with his appointment, avoiding any unrest. Although this approach would slow down debt repayment, it was a minor concern and didn't matter much in the grand scheme.
Elyra took charge of both the castle and the centuries-old spy network Sibelle had maintained. This gave her direct access to unfiltered information about the territory's actual operations. With this insight, Bastion could ensure his policies led to real positive change rather than merely enriching those in power.
Seraphina selected a large, unused room in the castle, of which there were many, and began setting up her workshop. She planned to train her skills, create products to sell, and practice her magic there. Though she was a powerful Rank 1, she still wasn't strong enough to destroy the castle's walls, given the materials used in its construction.
Lilia, on the other hand, immersed herself in the castle's library, leaving only when it was time for dinner. She discovered many magic books that Bastion had never been allowed to access while growing up, giving her plenty to study. Only after finishing those would she visit the Mages' Guild to continue expanding her knowledge.
The day's quiet routine broke with the arrival of an unexpected visitor. Alexander Diamondhart, Bastion's only full-blooded brother, had finally come, likely to discuss increasing the army's budget.
Bastion was in his study, finishing reports on the army's statistics, when the double doors burst open. A tall figure clad in heavy knight's armor strode in with an air of authority.
At first, Bastion thought it was his father striding confidently into his study. But on closer inspection, he saw this man carried an air of overconfidence, like someone who had never been told no. He entered with the absolute certainty that he would get what he wanted, one way or another.
"Bastion! It's good to finally meet you. Father never allowed me to visit when you were younger. I'm Alexander, your brother," he said quickly. "Anyway, I've noticed you've been raising pay for the lower workers. You might be a bit confused about how things work in the dukedom. I'm here to give you some advice on how to be a better duke. What do you say?"
"Oh? Do tell," Bastion replied, humoring him. "What ideas does the knight commander have about how a duke should run his dukedom?"
Alexander smiled with satisfaction. "I'm glad you're willing to take advice from your betters. You need to improve the army's budget. With how rowdy the forest has been lately, we could really use more supplies. Most importantly, you should start cutting funds to the nobles who don't pull their weight. Just toss them a small favor, and they'll line up to support you gladly."
Alexander then began a condescending rant about life in the army and how difficult they had it at the fortress while Bastion half listened.
He had read reports about the poor conditions at the fortress, but he knew it was due to mismanagement. Most of the funds meant for armor and supplies were being funneled into his brother's pockets. Meanwhile, his brother spent most of his time training, leaving the management to his harem who struggled to oversee operations.
This had only started when their father left for Aurenthal a month ago. Before then, his brother had been an excellent commander, regularly raiding the Great Forest and bringing in a heavy income, though he had been pocketing a small share, something their father chose to ignore.
"Brother," Bastion said, cutting Alexander off before he could continue recounting his glorious battles. "If you want a bigger budget for the army, why not schedule more incursions into the forest to hunt creatures?"
"It's been too dangerous to enter lately given how chaotic it has been. You don't know how dangerous the forest really is," Alexander said while starting another rant.
"Why don't you take me to the forest then so I can see for myself?" Bastion said cutting Alexander off again who was starting to get impatient.
"I don't think—"
"It'll be fine. Come, let's have a quick inspection."
As Bastion was walking past, Alexander stopped him in his tracks with a single hand. He had been a Rank 1 for a long time now so it was clear he was far stronger than Bastion who was easily held in place.
"Listen when I'm talking," Alexander said, finally dropping his polite mask and preparing to continue. However, Bastion interrupted him again.
"Or what?"
Alexander finally realized his brother couldn't be pushed around. A more physical lesson was required to show his young immature brother the pecking order.
Both knights stood locked in a tense stare, their mana crackling visibly between them like a brewing storm.
Suddenly, their shadows shifted and stretched. Two wolfkin emerged, poised to provide support. One was Elyra, standing behind Bastion, while the other was a slightly shorter woman with cropped hair framing a determined face, standing behind Alexander.
Bastion knew he was in for a losing battle, but he had his cannon to rely on, with the strong possibility of ending his brother's life, a result he did not want. Unfortunately, muscle heads always required a show of force to be convinced, and his brother was no different.
His biggest problem, however, was his brother's shadow. He could guarantee a hit on a Rank 1 Diamond Knight, but he couldn't, for the life of him, hit a shadow. He had trained with Elyra enough to know it was a futile effort.
Worse still, his brother's shadow was likely to win against Elyra, who had only recently become Rank 1. There was a strong possibility that his brother's shadow was at least five times stronger than Elyra, given the shadow wolfkin's impressive physical talents.
"How about a duel?" Alexander proposed. "Whoever wins gets to order the other around, bound by a magic contract, of course."
"I refuse," Bastion replied immediately. "I would not be able to hold back and might accidentally kill you. I would win nothing but the title of kinslayer."
"You're that confident? Or just that arrogant?" Alexander taunted, his words met with a sneer before he shifted tactics. "How about a duel between our shadows? Yours is already Rank 1, so it would be an even match."
Bastion was about to refuse when he received Elyra's intent to fight. She wanted to prove her master's superiority by winning this challenge despite the disadvantage.
Suddenly, a falcon materialized on Alexander's shoulder, carrying a message on its talon. He took a moment to read it, knowing such messages would only be sent if the fortress was about to be overrun.
"The fortress is currently under siege by a stampede," Alexander stated.
"Perfect," Bastion said. "Whoever kills the most creatures in this battle wins, and the loser must listen to the other without complaint. As for who will judge, let it be our conscience. We'll add the terms of the agreement to the contract."
"Fine. But potions will not be allowed. I've heard about your alchemist wife, and I will not allow an unfair advantage."
"What about the duration and the restrictions on the commands?"
"A duration of a century, and commands that knowingly lead to death will not be allowed."
"Fine by me."
Bastion wrote up a contract on the spot before both parties signed it.
In the meantime, Elyra went to retrieve Lilia and Seraphina at Bastion's orders. A stampede was the perfect way to gain free experience, after all.
They rode their diamond steeds at full speed, heading east toward the fortress, and arrived an hour later.
The fortress stood firm between two mountain ranges that stretched endlessly from north to south. Its strong walls ran along the mountains, linking the ranges to form a barrier. This formidable defense blocked the path leading further west from the Great Forest.
Now, the fortress was under heavy attack by a stampede. To be more accurate, they were being overrun, as plenty of Rank 1 and Rank 2 creatures had managed to jump over the wall and slip past the army's deterrence.
Bastion and Alexander hurried to the east wall, their eyes widening at the scene before them.
A frantic stampede of hundreds of thousands of creatures surged forward, their wild cries filling the air as they slammed headfirst into the fortress walls. The impact sent cracks spiderwebbing across the stone, threatening to give way under the relentless assault.
Along the battlements, knights fought desperately to hold their ground, forming a fragile barrier to stop any creatures attempting to leap over. Despite their valiant efforts, the defenders were clearly being bypassed, overwhelmed by the sheer volume and ferocity of the stampede.
This was clearly more significant than anything reported in the past century, as even Alexander was beginning to panic at the sheer number of enemies.
Bastion's eyes narrowed. Something in the forest had driven the beasts into this frenzy, and it had to be far stronger than anything currently battering the fortress walls.
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