Edenia Situation

When Duke Grenhall's request arrived, Count Terulina didn't immediately comply. He asked for one day to consider the matter.

"At that time, I advised my father to reject the request, at least temporarily, because I sensed something unusual."

Innis's reservations weren't solely due to the capture of the two demons. 

He was also wary because he suspected that Duke Grenhall might be a demon in disguise. 

However, Innis didn't disclose the demon incident to his father; he simply suggested caution in accepting the request.

Fortunately, Count Turelina followed Innis's advice. He declined Duke Grenhall's request, and the next day, the Count and his family returned to their own region.

Only a few days later, news of the Blackwinter War began to spread. 

This surprising revelation shocked the entire populace of Westya because the rumors of Abyss activity turned out to be true.

In response to the news, the rulers of the border cities began to reinforce their defenses, including Ethyria and Duke Grenhall, who once again requested Count Terulina to send troops to the eastern region.

However, Innis once again urged his father not to comply with the request. 

He argued that Edenia was also a border city, albeit one bordering a mountain range beyond which lay the Death Valley. Innis convinced his father that they needed to remain cautious.

Although he made these arguments, Innis was primarily motivated by his suspicions of Duke Grenhall. 

What surprised him the most when news of the Blackwinter emerged was. the first thing that came to his mind—the conversation of the four individuals in the palace garden.

Innis knew that his sense of foreboding was not unfounded. There was something peculiar happening in Westya at that time. 

Therefore, since the end of the Blackwinter War, Innis began training himself once more, preparing for any threat that might come to Edenia.

While he trained, he also instructed his subordinates to monitor the movements of individuals in the capital and Ethyria.

Then came the Mandora Tragedy.

A significant event occurred suddenly, heightening Innis's anxiety. And at one point, a subordinate of Duke Grenhall named Gyo visited the Terulina residence in Edenia.

His purpose remained the same—to request Count Terulina to send his troops due to the increasing Abyss activities. 

Gyo even assured them that almost all the nobles in Westya had already sent their forces.

Count Terulina was the last among the elite nobles to resist. This situation weighed heavily on Innis's father.

"So, did you finally send your troops?" Kirana asked.

Innis shook his head. "No. Isabelle came. She stormed into our residence forcibly and reminded Father and Gyo about the ancient agreement of the Terulina Family."

"Isabelle?"

"Hahaha, yes. Your subordinate barged into our home and ordered Gyo to leave, shouting that the North can only be commanded by a King alone! Not by a Duke, let alone a servant like Gyo."

Isabelle caused quite a scene, but fortunately, her commotion prompted Rene Turelina to recall the ancient agreement that had always been the foundation of the Turelina Family. 

According to this agreement, the Terulina Family served as the Guardians of the North and could only be commanded by the King of Westya.

Given the circumstances, Count Turelina immediately declined Gyo's request and asked him to leave. 

He explained that he was merely carrying out his duties as a member of the Terulina family. If Gyo wanted the troops, Duke Grenhall would need to obtain a letter of approval from the current King of Westya.

Gyo departed from Edenia, but Innis sensed a lingering sense of dread emanating from the servant as he left.

"After Gyo's departure, we had a discussion with Isabelle to understand the meaning behind her actions," Innis continued.

The result of their conversation revealed that Lady Ethel had instructed C-Owl to monitor every movement in Westya. 

They were particularly focused on the northern region under the Terulina's influence and the western region where Ethel's power was stronger than that of the ruling nobles of Almarin. 

Suspicious activities were also noted among the nobles and their military forces in the eastern, southern, and central areas, including the capital.

The exact purpose of these movements remained unclear, but it was evident that the south and east were amassing significant military strength or recruiting new troops. 

The eastern regions borrowed military power from other territories, while the southern regions gathered immigrants from outside Westya.

Kirana furrowed her brow. "Hmm, I wasn't aware of this. What about Rostgard?"

"...? Why wouldn't you know? Isn't C-Owl under your mother?"

"Our communication has been severed for a while. No Sonic Bird can enter Death Valley. Receiving and sending messages is impossible, even when conveyed through individuals."

"Ah, the Lumiere conflict," Innis nodded in understanding. 

The territorial disputes had severed the land route from the north to the west of Kastia. That was why Cien had constructed tunnels to maintain the route to the west as well as maintain communication.

"You might get more detailed information from your subordinates in C-Owl later. To put it simply, the one in power in Rostgard right now is not His Majesty the King but the Prime Minister."

"What do you mean?"

"As I mentioned earlier, the Prime Minister currently holds power. His Majesty has been ill for nearly three months. The First Prince has disappeared without a trace, the Second Prince is imprisoned on charges of murdering the King's second wife, and the Third Prince, the son of that second wife, has shut himself in his house since his mother's death.

"There are rumors that the mental state of the Third Prince is not stable at the moment. As for the rest, the First Princess is in isolation on the magic tower for attempting to assassinate the Headmaster of Rostgard School. Meanwhile, the Second Princess is only seven years old."

Kirana fell silent, absorbing all of this information. 

She had not expected so much to have transpired since her departure before the Blackwinter War. 

As far as Kirana could recall, at that time, the King of Westya and his family had appeared as peaceful as ever. But in just a few months, everything had changed drastically.

"Wait, what about the Queen?"

"The Queen, or the King's First Wife, has distanced herself from current politics. She is rarely seen, but Isabelle said that the Queen is secretly trying to find the First Prince and hidden enemies within Westya."

"This is worse than I thought."

Innis gave a slight smile. "That's why I said Westya is falling. Most of the leaders in Westya are no longer human."

"Do you believe they are demons? Including the Prime Minister?"

"Hmm, not literally demons. I mean they're not like a human anymore, like they've discarded their humanity. If you go to Rostgard, I'm sure you'll understand what I mean. The atmosphere there is really strange."

Kirana felt that her mission in Westya might be more challenging than she had anticipated. 

Her father had assigned her the task of going to Rostgard to retrieve Legia's parents and discuss establishing a relationship with the Westya Royal Family for Arcadia. 

In addition, Kirana had to send a message to Almarin, instructing Arl to carry out a mission in the Wind Temple in that city.

After leaving the capital, Kirana would need to go to Ethyria to persuade Duke Grenhall to avoid further warfare. 

Whether she succeeded or not, the next destination would be the south. 

Lilinette would have to confront her own family, the Millards. 

Only after that would Kirana head to Yutopia to deliver the antidote and assist the people of Mandora in evacuating to the fabled kingdom.

However, considering the recent situation she had just learned about—concerning the central, eastern, and southern regions, all of which were their destinations—Kirana felt like they were walking into the lion's den.

'This is going to be tough.' 

Kirana thought, then heard Innis' voice again.

"Hey, Kirana..."

"Hm?"

"Can I ask for a favor? I think my father will do the same."

"What kind of favor?"

Innis then explained that if the situation didn't improve, he anticipated an attack on Edenia, whether from within the kingdom or from external forces (Abyss).

Innis could make such statements because he had been closely observing the cities bordering Edenia in the south, which had started gathering troops, with forces coming from both Ethyria and Rostgard.

"It can't be, a civil war?" Kirana questioned.

"I don't want to jump to conclusions, but it does look that way. Do you know what happened after Gyo returned empty-handed?" Innis smirked, "Thousands—no, millions of troops invaded Farnodt. That Duke Grenhall used the military forces of other territories to invade an enemy's territory, meanwhile the Ethyria's forces itself... are at our borders!"

Hearing this, Kirana's expression darkened. Ethyria's troops. She instantly recalled some members of her group.

Kirana then turned to Innis, "So the help you're requesting is an evacuation route?"

"Yes, exactly. Honestly, I was shocked when I heard about you guys building the tunnel. But I have to admit, I'm very grateful that you've created a new way out in this dire situation."

Of course, Innis and the Turelina Family wouldn't just hand over Edenia. If a civil war was indeed about to erupt, they would evacuate the residents to Arcadia before the conflict started. 

Innis's father, Rene Turelina, shared the same thoughts and was currently discussing the situation with Luis.

Similar to Kirana, Luis felt anger when he heard that Ethyria's troops were gathering in the border of Edenia. 

He didn't expect the situation to escalate to this extent. Kirana and Luis returned from the dinner with cold expressions, which made the soldiers and servants around them uneasy.

Isabelle and Lilinette approached them. Lilinette had already heard about the current situation in Edenia from Isabelle.

"Young Miss, it seems you have learned about it earlier than Count Turelina. Forgive this humble servant for not reporting it earlier," Isabelle said with a bow.

"That's alright. I know you just wanted to let me rest without too many worries," Kirana replied.

Kirana then turned to Luis and Lilinette, "It looks like we need to change our plans."