Move Out

Lucina, My mother, my sister, and I are currently enjoying our day sipping some tea and eating some snacks Richard brought to us. I just finished doing all my paperwork for today with the help of Lucina.

Ginerva demanded to have me playing with her, and seeing there is no more paperwork to do, I agreed to her demand and played with her in the garden where the flower was still blooming even though it was the beginning of winter.

I already upgraded the ward around the castle, making the castle and the area near the castle a little bit warmer than usual. The ward also makes the garden more fertile and lets the plant continue to grow.

There is also a defensive mechanism around the castle. The first one is an intent-based ward that lets me know if someone has bad intentions toward my family and me. The next one is a ward against physical projectiles and some magical spells.

I carve the rune on a tree I grow using the Green Magic. This tree will continue to absorb a little amount of mana in the air and empower the ward with it, making the ward last forever. I grow five trees to maintain the ward and also double up the effectiveness of the ward.

There is also loyalty enforcing wards, a ward that makes my subject more loyal to me. A lightning ward, a ward that lets me strike any army that comes to this city, makes it as if the Gods are annoyed at what they are doing.

The castle also has anti-theft wards. In case I'm far away from the castle, and a spy is trying to steal an important document. This also prevents anyone from stealing from the vault.

I intended to create the same ward around my land, but I cannot walk around the land like before because of my current situation with the Blackbriar family.

Anyway, it has been three days since I ordered Yuka to create as much chaos as possible. She should be returning today.

I snap from my thoughts when I see a portal appear in front of me, and coming from the portal is Yuka. When I see her, I smile a little before saying.

"Welcome back, Yuka."

"I'm back, master."

"How is your mission?"

"I failed, master."

"What? Tell me everything."

Yuka then tells me the Blackbriar family hires a magician to protect their ration and help them fight this war. Yuka successfully burns down the catapult, but she cannot do anything to their food supply and their weapon.

"I'm sorry, master."

"Don't worry. It was my order saying you should retreat when you think your presence will be noticed. You are doing great. I will cook a steak for you tonight. When will they arrive on our doorstep?"

"In three weeks the fastest or a month."

"Then we need to move our army then. We need to reinforce the gate to welcome the Blackbriar family and their ally."

As I am about to search for Richard, the said man walks toward us with a tray of snacks and tea.

"Ah! It is good you are here, Richard."

"Is there anything I can do for your, my lord?"

"Yes. I was hoping you could tell the Master of Arms to gear up the soldier. Yuka tells us that the Blackbriar family army will arrive on our doorstep in a month. Tell him to leave three hundred soldiers in here while the rest of them will go with me to the gate. We will reinforce and create a trap to welcome the enemy."

"I see. I will immediately inform the Master of Arm immediately."

"Oh! Before you go, send our fastest raven to Lord Byron and say that we will arrive in his city in a week. Also, tell him to also prepare some of his men."

"Yes."

Richard then leaves the garden after placing down the tray of snacks and tea. Yuka decides to take one of the cookies and begins to eat it. My mother, who is also listening to the conversation between Richard and me, walks toward me and says.

"Isaac…. Do you need to go to war? You could leave it to Leonardo, the master of arms, to lead the army."

I shake my head and look at my mother in the eyes before saying.

"I cannot do that, mother. While I can do what you said, I will be seen as craven by the people and the other northern noble. I cannot let that happen. I will not tarnish the name of Lionheart and the Duchamp family. If you wish for me to stay here, then I'm sorry, but I cannot do it."

My mother smiled at me. The smile is not her usual smile. It was a smile mixed with sadness, proud and motherly feeling.

"I'm not ordering you to stay. I know that you will lead the army into battle no matter the situation. You are just like your father and grandfather—a stubborn man with a heart of gold. You have my blessing to go to the battle. Remember to come back to me whole. I don't care if you lose the battle. I only want you to come back to me alive."

"I will, mother. I promise you."

"Good. It's good."

Ginerva seeing her mother cry, begins to cry as well. I take her up, and when I take her up, she begins to hug my head. I also take Lucina with me to a group hug for a minute before I release them.

"Let us go inside."

~The next day~

Currently, I'm hugging my mother. We are in front of the city gate, saying goodbye to my family. After saying goodbye, I mount my horse and order the army to move out. Leonardo, the master of arms, successfully gathers all the soldiers we have.

Three thousand men ready to go and to leave five hundred men in the city. There are also seven hundred levies we gather from the local village. We equip them with a spear and light armor made of leather.

My objective before the war is to create a fortress made of wood. We decide to fortify the gate by building a fortress to defend the gate from the Blackbriar family.

I look up to the sky and hope that this war will be over quickly. The snow has already begun to fall, and the winter will come to the north at full force.