124 Incoming

"Those are the parts needed to build the Greenhouse."

It has been a week since the royalty of the Lazuli kingdom came to my city, and right now, it is their time to go back home. Right now, I'm in the Black Sea Watch to see the Lazuli royal family off.

I already sent the food I promised ahead, and they already arrived in the city and ready to be sent off. Right now, I only give them wheat and rice. I also teach them how to cook rice because the western and northern continents did not have rice.

I got those from the Eastern Continent.

Anyway, I walk toward one of the engineers we sent to the Lazuli kingdom, look at the royal family and say.

"These are the already built parts to make the greenhouse. You can show the engineer where you want to place the greenhouse, and they will build it for you. You can plan on any plant inside the greenhouse in any season."

"I see. I know you already hear this too many times, but I thank you. We really thank you."

"Think nothing of it."

Johannes and I shake hands before seeing him and his group walk inside the ship. I wave my hand toward Raina and Johannes. I continue to wave my hand until I see the ship start to sail away from the port.

~A few months later~

"Come in"

I look away from my paperwork and see Richard walk inside the room with a stack of paper. I sigh in defeat when I see that stack of paper. Lucky for me, I have helped with today's paperwork. I look to the side and see Eli and Lucina helping me with the paperwork.

"This is the last stack of paperwork, my lord."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Thank god."

"However, there is something you need to know, my lord."

"Yes?"

"My shadow is bringing bad news."

"Oh?"

I put down my quill and look at Richard with a serious expression. Eli and Lucina also have the same expression.

"Duke Frederick will be sent a group of an army to raid the village and city in your territory, my lord."

"What? Is he declaring war against us?"

"No. He did not have the intention to declare war against us, my lord. He did not have enough resources to do that."

"Then why?"

"They are not an 'army' per se."

"What?"

"Duke Frederick sent that army as a bandit. They did not have the same armor and weapon as a regular army, but they still have armor and weapon of a lower grade. Their mission is to steal as many golds, weapons, and foods as they can before bringing it back to the Duke territory."

That damned old bastard. Does he really not have any honor? He talks big about how his family is the most honorable family in the kingdom. I guess it is true that humans will become animals when they are starving.

"How many of them?"

"My shadow reporting there will be around two thousand so-called bandits attacking the Lionheart Duchy at the same time."

"They will attack the city in the southern border at the same time?"

"Yes. They will divide their group into four groups. Each group has five hundred members. My shadow also informs me that they will be equipped with horses, bows, and arrows. There is also news that there is an engineer among them. However, this information is not confirmed yet."

"Meaning that they are not like your usual bandit. They can do a siege if they want to."

"That is right. However, I don't think they will not do that, my lord. I don't think they will do siege. I don't think they are that stupid."

I shake my head at what Richard says before saying.

"Like I said in the past, Richard. Never underestimate human stupidity. Especially humans that are starving. While I don't want to admit it out loud, even the people in the north become a bandit when we are still starving."

That is the dark age of the north. The time where people are starving. Where the lord begging to the southern lord for food. The time we endure the humiliation to get the food. Even with all that humiliation, we did not get the food for free, but rather we pay it at a lower price than usual.

"I'm sorry."

"There is nothing to be sorry about. Right now, I was hoping you could focus on gathering information about the movement of the Duke Frederick group of bandits. I will send a raven to the other lord informing this movement."

"Understood."

"I also want you to make sure our movement did not get noticed by the enemy."

"Yes, my lord."

"Good. If there is nothing else, you are dismissed."

"Then, excuse me."

Richard bowed a little to us and walked away from the room. When Richard is gone, Lucina begins to speak.

"Isaac, will you be the one leading the defense against the fake bandits?"

I shake my head and say.

"No, I will not. I will let the Dark Elves be the ones dealing with those fake bandits. It is their duty, after all. However, that does not mean we will not do anything. I will send a group of soldiers to be stationed inside the city."

"How many?"

"Five hundred men will be deployed. They will be split into two groups. Two hundred and fifty men for each city that should be enough to help the Dark Elves fighting the fake bandits."

"Very well."

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|3rd POV|

Conall Chaecaryn, the Dark Elves chief. The leader of all Dark Elves lived in the Lionheart Duchy. He is the only living elder among the Dark Elves.

"Chief! A raven has arrived from Sea Dragon City! It is from Lord Lionheart!"

Conall looks at the young man in front of him and says.

"Really? Then, can I have the letter?"

"Of course!"

Conall takes the letter from the young elves and begins to read it. Conall began to frown as he read it, and the more he read it, the bigger his frown became.

"Chief?"

"Aidan, please be a dear and call the hunter captain."

"All of them?"

"All of them. This is an emergency."

~30 minutes later~

"Thank you for coming here, but we are in an emergency situation."

"What kind of emergency, elder?"

Conall looks at the elves to his right. This man is Alboran, the leader of the hunter. The hunter is the name of the special force of the Dark Elves. They consist of hundreds of Dark Elves that are proficient in Archery, Swordsmanship, and Magic.

They are the masters of stealth and ambushes.

"Lord Isaac informs us there will be an attack happening. The one that will be attacking is the Duke Frederick army disguised as a bandit."

The people inside the room begin to explode. People talk to each other, some of them shouting in rage. Conall takes a deep breath and shouts.

"Shut up!"

Conall nods his head when the other starts to shut their mouth.

"Yes, Duke Frederick is a cunt for using this time of tactic to get some foods and golds. He thinks that just because the city just finished renovated, we are weak. He thinks just because he once owns this and that he knows the inside out of the land. He is overconfident because he thinks that his title makes him do anything. He thinks that he can do anything to this land, the land that he has abandoned because this land did not have anything."

Conall's smiles begin to grow and grow until it reaches his ear.

"Let us show him how wrong he is. Let us show those bastards a living nightmare!"

After Conall finished his speech, the other elves inside the room began to smile as well. The same smile Conall has on his face. The smile of a predator seeing their prey.

"For the glory of Lionheart!"

"For the glory of Lionheart!"