"A remnant of the Uhl Dynasty?"
Engrill looked at Bujies with an expression of pure astonishment.
"Yes. That Sir Pillar is indeed a descendant of the Uhl Dynasty. If I am not mistaken, his ideal is likely the reconstruction of the Horned Culture Dynasty. Thus, it was impossible for him to join your service from the very beginning, regardless of what grand rewards you might have offered."
"That is truly..."
Engrill was momentarily speechless. He let out a long, helpless sigh, finally letting the matter go. The persona he had displayed in front of Pillar earlier had been nothing more than an act.
"And the other one?"
"I have tested him as well," Bujies replied. "His loyalty is equal to my own. He is at a level where he would gladly offer his life for the Lord of Blood."
"..." Engrill couldn't help but feel a sense of melancholy. "I didn't expect the Lord of Blood to be blessed with such luck."
The answer left Engrill feeling dejected because he knew exactly what the situation was with his own subordinates. Aside from those who had followed him through years of southern and northern campaigns, many others had gathered around him only for the sake of profit and power. Even among his "Twin Wings," Oleg's loyalty was not entirely absolute.
Yet, the two men the Lord of Blood had produced at a whim were both fanatically loyal. This stark contrast made him feel a heavy pang of resentment.
"Fortunately, I have you, Bujies."
"The King overpraises me. This is merely my duty."
"Mm... What is the situation with Koruse?"
"He is currently occupied with the attacks from the nobility and has no time for other thoughts. Besides, has the King not already arranged for Oleg to keep an eye on him? He has no way to interfere with the military forces."
"Good. With that fellow around, I wouldn't feel safe handing the Dynasty over to my children."
At the mention of this, Engrill's brow furrowed with worry.
It is often said that a tiger father does not sire a dog of a son, but unfortunately, Engrill was the textbook example of the opposite. Among his many children, almost none were competent. Paradoxically, the one with the most talent and natural gift was his eldest daughter.
Beyond her, there was only his second son. He possessed a decent talent for combat and had reached the strength of a Hero-class warrior, but it was far from enough—especially considering his lack of political acumen.
Engrill had no doubt that if he died and handed the Storm Dynasty to his second son while Koruse was still around, the boy would be stripped of his power in no time.
"There is still plenty of time, my King. There is no need for such haste," Bujies consoled him, well aware of the shortcomings of the King's offspring. "I believe that given time, the Second Prince will surely grow into his role."
"I hope so... but is there truly plenty of time?"
Engrill murmured as he turned his gaze toward the window.
The name "Golden Dynasty" had always weighed on his heart like a mountain.
Though he considered himself second to none—believing he could even match Godfrey, the First Elden Lord, and break the sharp spears of the Golden Dynasty in battle—what about the others?
Under the iron hooves of the Golden Dynasty, how many within the Storm Dynasty could actually withstand their onslaught?
Engrill lacked confidence. The Storm Dynasty had long been plagued by deep-seated issues. Even though he had "awakened" in recent years and initiated drastic reforms, the accumulated problems could not be solved overnight. He had merely treated the surface wounds; the underlying disease remained.
Perhaps... this coming war with the Golden Dynasty was also an opportunity for the Storm Dynasty.
If they won, the Storm Dynasty would be reborn, built anew from the ashes, and a powerful kingdom would once again stand tall upon the Lands Between.
And if they failed... then the Storm Dynasty would be swept into the dustbin of history, just like the dynasties before it, gradually forgotten by the world.
"Bujies."
"I am here."
"Let us tear our Dynasty down and build it anew. This war against the Erdtree... failure is not an option!"
Hearing Engrill's words, Bujies looked up sharply. Seeing those eyes as sharp and piercing as a hawk's, he knew that the Storm King he once served—the one who conquered the four corners of the world—had truly returned.
*** "My Lord, what brings you to my domain?"
Niebla asked curiously as he poured a glass of red wine for Mohg.
"Well... the negotiations with the Storm Dynasty and the matters in Caelid are mostly settled. Since I was passing through Limgrave, I thought I'd drop by your territory. After all, I am still not very experienced in the construction and management of the strongholds in Caelid."
Mohg swirled the wine in his glass as he explained.
"I see... Is there anything specific my Lord wishes to know?"
"The things I wanted to know, I have already learned. One only needs to look at the facilities in your territory and the state of your people to see what you have done and how well you have done it."
Mohg took a sip of the wine. "The primary reason I came here was to investigate something else."
"Oh?" Niebla looked at Mohg, confused.
"How long Engrill can hold out in this campaign."
"This..." Niebla was momentarily stunned. He hadn't considered the question—or rather, subconsciously, he didn't want to consider it. He did not wish to see the Storm Dynasty fall to the Golden Order.
"The outcome of this campaign is certain; it must end with the defeat of the Storm Dynasty. You know their situation better than anyone. In your opinion, how long can they last?"
Niebla frowned deeply, seriously contemplating the question for the first time. He began to compare the power gap between the two dynasties.
Queen Marika of the Golden Dynasty would likely not take the field herself, as she represented the power of a God. But even excluding her...
"War Lord" Godfrey, "The Golden" Godwyn, "The Red-Haired" Radagon, "Ancient Dragon Knight" Kristoff, "The Unyielding Light" Vengir, "Will of the Two Fingers" Carlo, "The Shadow Beast" Maliketh, "The Impaler" Messmer, "Sacred Spear" Godrol, and many others.
When he thought about it, the Demigod-level combat power possessed by the Golden Dynasty was terrifying.
And the Storm Dynasty? The "Twin Wings" could reach the level of Demigods through the Storm King's descent ritual. Beyond them were the two Princes and the four Dukes.
Even including Bujies, who could return to his prime, they only had about ten Demigod-level combatants. Contrast that with the Golden Dynasty, which, including the Demigods of the Golden Lineage, numbered well over a dozen, supplemented by countless Hero-class warriors and the most elite troops in the Lands Between...
The Storm Dynasty's chances of winning were appallingly low.
Not to mention the Crucible Knights under Godfrey; a few of their strongest working together could challenge an ordinary Demigod.
The more Niebla thought, the more ominous it felt.
"It seems you have no confidence either," Mohg remarked. "However, I think we can trust in the resilience of the Storm Dynasty. That towering fortress of theirs won't be easily shaken. With our assistance, there shouldn't be any major issues for the time being."
"I believe the Storm Dynasty can stall them for at least ten years," Niebla said.
"Hmm... Actually, you could be bolder. Why not double that time?"
Niebla's eyes widened as he looked at Mohg in disbelief.
"Because the Golden Dynasty cannot afford to go all-out just to eliminate the Storm Dynasty. Many of their elites must guard the Capital, and others will be unable to act for various reasons. Take Radagon, for instance."
Niebla had a moment of realization. Indeed, Radagon was now the King Consort of Caria. Although he was part of the Golden Dynasty, any move he made would require the consent of the Carians. After all... he was the one who had married into their family.
But more than that, Mohg was concerned about the upcoming birth of the three Carian siblings.
He was deeply intertwined with two of them.
Radahn went without saying—everyone knew that story. But as for Ranni... she was his wife in his past life. In this life, however... he was determined to intervene.
If he couldn't change his mother's machinations, his elder brother Godwyn was destined for death. Therefore, he could not allow Ranni to interfere.
The "First of the Dead" under the era of the Erdtree was not just a simple death; it was more likely a transformation into a new God representing Death itself.
Ranni's existence had halted that process. If Ranni wanted to use this opportunity to escape the control of the Two Fingers, he would step in to stop her.
There were many opportunities to escape the Two Fingers, but the chance for his brother to truly become a God while retaining his consciousness might only happen this once. He would not let Ranni strike that blow.
He didn't want his brother to become that "Prince of Death" monstrosity—soul dead while the body refused to perish, instead proliferating endlessly due to its immense power.
If his brother's consciousness still existed within that body, Mohg couldn't imagine how horrific that would be. It would be the ultimate torture of this world.
"Of course, I mean from the time the Golden Dynasty conquers the Mountaintops of the Giants to the time they engage the Storm Dynasty, and finally to the Storm Dynasty's collapse. There are many stages in between, and it will take a very long time," Mohg added, rubbing his wrist.
"Is that so..."
Niebla lowered his head to ponder Mohg's words. As Mohg said, the Golden Dynasty's expedition to the Mountaintops to attack the Fire Giants would not be without cost. In fact, the losses would be immense. Huge numbers of common soldiers and mid-level officers would be lost; that was predictable.
As for whether there would be losses among the high-end Demigods and Hero-class warriors... their intelligence network couldn't yet reach the Golden Dynasty's troops deep in the mountains.
But there would certainly be losses; it was only a matter of how many.
Those warriors would then need to wait for the "Return to the Erdtree" to recover, and the time required for that varied depending on their strength.
For the Golden Dynasty to return to its peak, it would undoubtedly take more time. These were all growth periods the Storm Dynasty could utilize to seek allies.
Niebla looked at Mohg. "My Lord, why are you suddenly asking me this?"
"Correct. I want you to tell Engrill all your thoughts on this matter. Raise your standing in his eyes. Even if his advisors have already analyzed these things, knowing is one thing; acting is another."
"I understand, but isn't this a bit..."
Niebla hesitated. Though he was loyal to Mohg now, performing this kind of "spy" task to gain trust felt a bit...
Mohg sensed his unease and continued.
"Don't overthink it. I only want you to help the Storm Dynasty hold out a little longer. Use your voice to tell the Storm King where potential allies might be. By raising your status, when the Storm Dynasty eventually falls, you can gather more subordinates under you. As for harming the Storm King..."
"You can rest easy. I have no such intentions for now. He is currently the Blood Dynasty's most steadfast and powerful ally."
"No, my Lord. If you truly wished to harm the Storm King, I would do it. It's just... I fear that afterward, I would follow him to the grave," Niebla said firmly, looking Mohg in the eye.
Mohg couldn't help but chuckle.
"I trust your loyalty. But likewise, I am telling the truth. I have no ill will toward the Storm King. He is a warrior worthy of respect, and a warrior deserves a fitting stage for his final act. That stage should never be one of petty schemes."
Mohg rubbed his palms together.
These words seemed directed at himself as well. Regarding Godwyn, he would not allow his elder brother to fade away silently because of Ranni's plot.
He believed that a living First Prince of the Golden Dynasty, or a conscious, newly-born God of Death, would bring a different kind of change to the Lands Between.
He wondered... if Godwyn appeared as a God of Death, would he become the Death God of the Lands Between, or a Death God under the rule of the Erdtree?
If you asked Mohg if he had other plans for the Erdtree... it was to dye it in his own colors. To turn it into the colors of Blood and the Crucible. That was the original faith of the Lands Between.
As for the Greater Will... the Greater Will had never truly cast its gaze upon this land. It had always been the Mother of Fingers stirring up trouble. Once he killed that "Elden Beast," he would seize the Elden Ring, and the future of the Lands Between would be his to decide!
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