Translator: Cinder Translations
...
Director Anderson and the two chemists bade farewell.
Mariana said worriedly, "Paul, I hope you can stay calm. The birth of one or two new technologies won't change much. The power you can wield is simply too small."
Paul retorted, "Oh, so it's still too little. As long as the accumulation of quantity reaches a certain level, it will bring about a qualitative change."
Unable to convince her son, Mariana felt very conflicted.
She stared at Paul, her tone a bit stiff, "Alright, then you can test your abilities in this orc crisis. As your mother, I only have one request—don't put yourself in danger."
"I've always valued my own life!" Paul replied with a smile.
Mariana fell silent for a moment. "In that case, tomorrow... no, the day after tomorrow, your brother and I will be leaving."
Her voice was tinged with sadness.
"So soon..." Paul was somewhat shocked.
"We have very important matters to attend to."
"Alright, you're always welcome here."
In a sense, they were now in an antagonistic position, and the atmosphere between them felt a bit awkward.
However, Paul had no time to focus on family matters. He needed to devote his energy to the orcs.
As for Mariana, beyond worrying about her son's safety, deep down she didn't completely oppose his choices.
In fact, she felt a little proud of the courage and determination Paul had shown.
After all, the orc invasion of Aldor was not part of the Arcane Order's plan.
This was a transaction meant to stop the kingdom's southward expansion from continuing to threaten the northern territories of Gabella—of course, for the time being. No one would naively believe that the orcs would not be tempted by the rich territories so close at hand. The empire had to use this time to recover from the chaos of the imperial succession.
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A message from the northwest bay shocked the court of Aldor.
The orcs were preparing to attack the northeastern region of the kingdom!
As soon as the king opened the letter, his hand trembled slightly.
Rodney XVIII held the thin letter, the contents written personally by his prospective brother-in-law, Paul Grayman. It was no joke, and its accuracy was beyond question.
It seemed like the roof had leaked just when it was raining. The traitorous southern ministers were eyeing the kingdom, and now the orcs were coming from the north.
The kingdom's high officials were quickly summoned to the palace.
"This is impossible!" said the king's brother, Yuriko. "The orcs can only enter the kingdom by attacking the Watcher's Fortress, and the Watcher's Fortress is impregnable!"
"There is no such thing as an impregnable fortress!" The Prime Minister, Rupert, said grimly. "Moreover, in the northern mountain ranges..."
"Are you talking about those stubborn dwarfs? They could never cooperate with the orcs! Besides, we have fortresses specifically designed to watch over them in the northeast corridor."
As senior officials of the kingdom's government, many were familiar with the ethnic groups hidden in the northern mountains.
"Lord Grayman said he got this information from merchants. Can we trust this source?"
"I believe it's reliable. Merchants are often the most sensitive to such matters!"
The officials discussed among themselves.
The king's father, Prince Jasim, suddenly spoke up: "In any case, we cannot afford to be careless."
He stood and bowed slightly to his son. "Your Majesty, I suggest sending an experienced general to garrison the northeast corridor, consolidate the military resources there, and prepare for the orc threat."
Rodney XVIII rubbed his chin. "I agree. Who do you think should be sent?"
Prince Jasim took the opportunity to suggest, "If we must send someone, let it be Catherine. Her royal status will effectively control the unruly military commanders."
Prime Minister Rupert shook his head. "I oppose this. Princess Catherine has just gotten engaged..."
Prince Jasim looked toward his niece. "Catherine, what do you think?"
As soon as the question was asked, everyone turned to Catherine.
Since her engagement to Lord Grayman, the princess had rarely spoken her mind.
She slowly stood up. "In the face of national danger, my personal life doesn't matter. If His Majesty assigns me to defend against the orcs, I am willing to accept this task."
Everyone waited for the king to make his decision.
Rodney XVIII thought for a long time before slowly saying, "In that case, I will send Catherine to garrison the northeast corridor."
Prince Jasim nodded in satisfaction, but his son immediately added, "She should take her subordinates with her."
The prince's face showed surprise. "Her subordinates?"
Not just him, but everyone was taken aback.
Even Catherine had thought she would go alone.
"Yes," the king confirmed with a nod. "I've always heard that the orcs' cavalry is very powerful. I think we should have an elite mounted force to counterbalance them, and Catherine's knight brigade is the best choice."
Rupert's furrowed brow relaxed, while Prince Jasim's face showed a hint of displeasure, though it quickly returned to its usual calm.
"But... but," Yuriko said, looking somewhat flustered, "That's the most elite force in Crystal Glare! If they leave, what if Giles in the south suddenly makes a move?"
His father had promised that after Catherine's departure, he would take command of the army.
Rodney XVIII, full of confidence, said, "Don't worry. We'll soon have a powerful army to guard Crystal Glare."
The king raised the letter written by Lord Grayman once more.
"In addition to the warning about the orc invasion, my dear brother-in-law also brought me some good news. The first batch of military notes has been successfully printed and shipped. They're currently heading south along the kingdom's west coast, and they should reach Crystal Glare in less than a month."
"With the military notes, we can recruit soldiers in large numbers and build a powerful army."
Hearing this good news, the cloud that had hung over everyone's hearts for a long time finally lifted.
For a long time, the lack of military funding had been a chronic problem for the kingdom's government, until Lord Grayman proposed his idea of "military notes."
At first, everyone thought it was a ridiculous idea, but after Lord Grayman explained his complex theory in the royal meeting, they unexpectedly found it somewhat feasible.
Since the finances were already in a dire state, why not give it a try?
"I'm planning to raise an army of 50,000 men, a standing army that can be called to fight at any time!" Rodney XVIII declared enthusiastically to the ministers.
"Of course, for now, we'll start with a half-formed army—just like Lord Grayman's army!"
(End of the Chapter)
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