"Who's there?"
Taylor reacted fastest, instantly blocking the carriage door.
On the other side of the carriage, W licked her lips, one hand already sliding into her coat, her fingertips touching a round, hard object.
She loved these kinds of unplanned "surprises."
Beside her, Hoederer frowned, observing the outside through a crack in the window.
A tall, slender old man in a scholar's robe stood not far away.
His hair was graying and his face was wizened, but the eyes sunken in their sockets seemed to see right through a person's heart.
"In Trullinczentyr, not many people would dare speak to an Elector in that tone," Gertrude said calmly.
She didn't recognize the man, but his attire and his unfathomable aura indicated he was no ordinary person.
Lacey opened his eyes, his gaze passing over Taylor to land on the old man.
I don't know him.
But he didn't sense any killing intent from the man.
"How may I help you, sir?" Lacey asked.
The old man ignored Lacey. His gaze swept over the people at the carriage door before finally landing on Hoederer and W, his eyes twitching slightly.
"Oh?"
"Sarkaz? Are you lot from Kazdel?"
Hoederer and W were both taken aback.
The man's tone was very familiar.
Hoederer then studied the man closely—the lingering fluctuations of Originium Arts, that ancient and powerful aura...
His heart sank.
"You are..."
"It seems you young ones haven't completely forgotten about us old bones," the old man grinned.
"I am Flemont."
Flemont!
Master of the Sarkaz Lich King's Court!
What was he doing here?
It wasn't just Hoederer; even Lacey was stunned for a moment.
As a Sarkaz who had lived for over three hundred years, he certainly knew of the Lich King's Court; he never expected its master to appear in Trullinczentyr.
W's hand, which had been about to pull out a bomb, froze mid-air. The fanatical smile on her face stiffened.
No matter how lawless she was, she knew that the man before her was one of the top figures in Sarkaz history you absolutely did not provoke.
In Kazdel, crossing the Master of the Court had even more severe consequences than crossing the two Highnesses.
Although Taylor and Gertrude didn't understand the weight of the name, they sensed the gravity of the situation from the drastic change in Hoederer's and W's expressions.
Taylor tightened his grip on his weapon. He didn't care who the man was; any threat to Lacey had to be eliminated.
Flemont seemed quite pleased with Hoederer's shock. He eagerly started to step forward, looking like he had a bellyful of questions about Kazdel.
But Lacey's voice cut in at the right moment: "This is not the place to talk."
He signaled for Taylor to relax, then stepped down from the carriage and stood calmly before Flemont. "Lord Flemont, I've long heard of you."
"If you don't mind, we'd like to find a more suitable place to speak."
Only then did Flemont turn his attention back to the young man.
He looked Lacey up and down, nodding in approval. "You've got guts."
"You're right. It's not proper to stand here talking in the middle of the street."
"Come with me. My place is nearby, and there are some things I'd like to ask you."
With that, he turned on his heel and sauntered off toward a quiet alley.
Hoederer and W exchanged a glance, both seeing the gravity in the other's eyes.
They looked to Lacey, awaiting his decision.
"Let's go," Lacey said without the slightest hesitation.
The group followed Flemont through several alleyways, arriving at an unremarkable two-story building.
It was far from the main road and seemed exceptionally quiet.
Pushing the door open, they were met with the scent of old books.
The living room had been converted into a massive study. Bookshelves reached the ceiling, crammed with all sorts of heavy tomes. Many of the covers were worn, clearly having been read countless times.
"Sit wherever."
Flemont pointed to a few armchairs that looked even older than he did, then walked over to a tea set and began to leisurely boil water.
Lacey calmly took a seat in one of the chairs while the others stood behind him.
Flemont, however, chose not to address Lacey first. Instead, he pushed the brewed tea in front of Hoederer and said, "Tell me, how is Kazdel doing these days?"
Hoederer held the steaming cup, the warmth seeping into his palms slightly easing his tension.
Facing the legendary Master of the Lich King's Court, he dared not hide anything and gave a concise summary of Kazdel's current situation.
"Lord Theresis has officially established the Military Commission, unifying the vast majority of Kazdel's armed forces."
"Meanwhile, Her Highness Theresia has founded Babel, aiming to unite all Sarkaz and... to find a new path by joining with the other races of Terra."
"Kazdel is rebuilding, but the road ahead remains uncertain."
Flemont listened quietly, the ghostly blue fire in his eyes flickering, betraying no emotion.
He didn't comment on whether Theresis or Theresia was right or wrong. He simply lifted his own teacup, gently blew on the steam, and turned his gaze to Lacey, who had been silent the entire time.
"Young man, I've read that book you wrote."
"Many of your ideas are quite insightful. It's clear you truly want to get this broken ship of Leithanien sailing again."
Gertrude's heart skipped a beat. Had the book's influence spread so far that even a reclusive old monster like this had a copy?
Lacey nodded slightly but didn't speak, waiting for the man to continue.
As expected, Flemont changed the subject. "But, I've noticed you seem to be particularly fixated on the idea of waging war."
"Whether it's the emphasis on the military at the end of your book or the methods you used to take Wasser Fief, they all reek of gunpowder."
"Young man, I must remind you, war is a Pandora's box."
"Once opened, it will only drag Leithanien, and indeed this whole land, into an endless mire."
His words carried a weariness and disgust born from experiencing too many wars.
W, however, crossed her arms and watched Lacey with great interest, eager to hear how her miracle-working employer would answer this sharp question.
In her view, war was just a part of daily life for the Sarkaz; there was nothing good or bad about it.
Lacey could see Flemont's aversion to war, but he didn't try to placate him by painting a rosy picture.
"Sir, you're right. War is hell."
"But have you ever considered that sometimes, we are not the ones who choose whether or not to push open the door to hell?"
He paused, gathering his thoughts. "For Terra as it is today, war is not a choice, but an inevitability."
Flemont raised an eyebrow, gesturing for him to continue.
Lacey held up one finger. "First, within Leithanien itself."
"The humiliating end to the War of the Four Emperors has suppressed the nation's morale to a breaking point."
"The people need a victory, a resounding victory, to wash away the shame and vent their fury."
"If this sentiment isn't channeled outward, it will simply explode inward, blowing the entire country to smithereens."
"Neither I nor the Twin Empresses can suppress it. We can only guide it."
Lacey held up a second finger. "Second, Ursus."
"That vast empire's internal conflicts are just as numerous as ours, if not more so."
"The Ursus Emperor's rule is faltering, and the conflict between the nobility and the common folk is growing sharper."
"For them, launching a foreign war is the cheapest and most effective means of diverting domestic conflict and uniting their people."
"And who will their blades fall upon? Kazimierz? Higashi? Yan?"
Lacey's third finger went up. "Finally, Victoria."
"A nation with a vacant throne, where the various dukes command their own armies and are united in name only."
"A country like that needs only a single spark to start a wildfire, and that fire will inevitably spread across the entire continent."
Lacey lowered his hand and leaned forward slightly, looking directly into Flemont's eyes. "So, you see, sir, the clouds of war are already gathering over Terra."
"Everything I am doing is not about choosing war, but about preparing for a war that cannot be avoided."
His words were logical and methodical, dissecting the grand geopolitical situation of the entire continent with striking clarity.
Gertrude's eyes shone with wonder. She had always thought Lacey's strengths were in swaying the hearts of the people and devising specific tactics; she never realized his insight into international politics was so profound.
Hoederer listened silently nearby, his heart in turmoil.
He had spent his entire life in war and exile, yet he had never viewed the root of war from such a high vantage point as Lacey did.
He was suddenly beginning to understand how this young man had risen from a nobody to an Elector in such a short time.
Flemont was silent for a long time, and the study once again fell quiet.
He seemed to be digesting Lacey's words.
After a long while, he finally spoke, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, but instead asking a seemingly unrelated question:
"Then, what do you think of the Witch King, of Herzog's rule?"
________________________________________
Get rewarded for helping with our community goals!
🎯 Reward for all: +1 bonus chapter at 50 Powerstones.
🚀 Tier Reward: Help us reach 20 members for +5 chapters on all stories!
👻 Join the crew by searching Ms. Medusa on (P). You know the spot! 😉