[Chapter 240] The horse moved across the vast map.

Dora unconsciously admired the way his slender, white fingers moved silently like the wind. Even a simple action, when our Highness does it, it's like a painting. She felt a sense of pride as well.

The azure horse with a sword in its hand sat in the northeast of the Duchy of Tipian, where the Duke's castle was located.

"Originally, the Imperial Family intended to cause damage to the Duchy and then blame it on us. That way, there would be problems between the two, and they would waste their energy swimming in tedious rhetoric. So, I saved them some time."

Hilbrin laughed heartily, beaming. Neris picked up the azure horse and placed it south of the Ilropium Mountains this time.

The surprise attack, which they must have carefully prepared for, failed before it could even be executed. Even Abelus would surely consider the possibility that information had leaked.

"He'll be furious if he thinks the Duke of Tipian and we are in cahoots. He'll try to show off by mobilizing all the troops he can, even if it's too much."

Abelus couldn't stand it if anyone even slightly feared him. Was that why he had a grudge against Camille?

'How dare' he, a descendant of the Imperial Family, not be revered, 'how dare' he try to use them, 'how dare' he try to make them make choices that weren't their own…

'He's not actually making any decisions himself.'

Sending troops right away because he wants to overthrow Maindelant is probably the only thing he's doing of his own will.

His blind hatred for Cledwin probably grew out of that childish personality. Cledwin wouldn't be the kind of person to pretend to be afraid of anyone.

"He's probably preparing a formal declaration of war right now. As you already know, this needs to be done properly, so I'll say it now. While everyone's attention is focused on the Duchy."

Neris's finger pointed to the Imperial Palace.

"We're going to take a step further and discuss a plan to attack the Imperial Palace. His Grace the Duke is in the middle of a military operation, so please understand that I, a non-professional, am explaining this."

The air in the meeting room instantly became tense.

Everyone present had guessed it. That this bold couple was confronting the Imperial Family.

Attacking the Imperial Army was practically crossing the line.

But since the beginning of human history, the Empire had always been the world's victor. After the Age of the Evil Dragon, no one had ever imagined that the Bisto family would disappear, let alone be directly attacked.

So, their mood was different when it came to attacking the Imperial Palace. Even the warlike Hilbrin's face stiffened slightly.

Neris looked at them. She was the only one who remained calm, even though everyone else was frozen and didn't know what to do.

As always.

When she first came to Maindelant, everyone here, with a few exceptions, welcomed her. But the welcome they showed was not born out of trust in her, but out of faith in their lord, Cledwin.

How much time had passed since then?

Now, her laughter was their laughter, and her goal was their goal. They had a deep-seated belief that she would never say anything wrong, and even if she did, they had the will to make it right and correct her.

Once again, seeing Neris's calm expression, their hearts gradually calmed down. And they felt a strange certainty that everything would eventually turn out for the best.

"There's no need to hesitate. You know, don't you? That the fact that the world was entrusted to 'Bisto' was itself a result of falsehood. Just as the moon waxes and wanes, the flower song that has been sung for so long will also come to an end."

The people of Maindelant all knew the truth about the Evil Dragon and the Three Heroes. The novel 'Betrayal' was only banned from circulation in the Imperial City, but here, it was written to completion. Her eyes sparkled intensely.

"Your lord has been preparing for this day for much longer than you think."

A long time ago, when he was a powerless student, he struggled to survive while gathering talent.

In a way, Cledwin's life was similar to Neris'.

In that it was a long journey of revenge and survival.

'To survive to take revenge on those who took away the peace he should have had in his childhood, and to survive again to take revenge on those who are trying to take away his peace now.'

Neris remembered the first time she saw the military deployment of this land after becoming the advisor of Maindelant.

The troops stationed in various places seemed to be dispersed, emphasizing the balance of power within Maindelant at first glance. However, as she moved people for relief activities, and as she learned the shape of the roads throughout this land for that purpose, she realized something.

That all the troops could be deployed to the rest of the empire within a few days if an order was given.

From the beginning, this was not just her fight.

'Then I should do what I'm good at.'

Persuading people and drawing them to her side.

So that as few people as possible would shed blood, and only the guilty would pay the price.

"I am Neris Trude, the rightful heir of the hero Elandria Gonestride, standing before you. The one who leads you is Cledwin Maindelant, the heir of the hero Palos Maindelus. Go and tell the minions of the traitor. We will now claim the rights and honor that were taken from us!"

****

"Duchy of Ricanthros, reporting personnel."

"County of Berta, reporting personnel."

The list of prominent nobles continued.

Flags fluttered under the ornate ceiling paintings. Dozens of flags, each with a shape and color befitting the history of each family. Nobility dressed in their finest attire.

It was a grand sight, but Abelus's face was twisted as he looked at them. Even as he sat quietly and watched, it was clear.

That there were too few people.

"Duke."

The Duke of Ricanthros, who had brought the most people, answered Abelus's call nervously.

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Didn't I make it clear? This is a matter of great importance for the Empire's honor, pride, and future. So, each family should send troops without fail to show respect to the Imperial Family! Didn't you hear?"

He had heard. That's why the Duke had listed all the troops he could muster from his family.

Because the ridiculous declaration to suddenly engage in a full-scale war with the north, without any preparation, the declaration of war that had just been made, didn't seem like a joke.

Even as he hastily gathered troops according to Abelus's order, wrote down the number of people, and presented it as a sign of respect for the Imperial Family, the Duke felt uneasy. Why…? Was war a game?

The Duke himself had said he would support many soldiers. He wanted his daughter to be loved a little more. Now that his family was ostracized among the nobles for concealing his daughter's birth, the only way for his family to survive was to curry favor with the Crown Prince.

But the other nobles…

'They're few in number.'

It wasn't just the number of troops the nobles had brought. The nobles themselves were few in number.

Among the grand nobles, that is, among the eight families excluding the Duke, the absence of Duke Ganiello was immediately noticeable. Duke Grunehals had no reason to be fond of Abelus, so he kept a low profile and sent only the minimum number of people. Nellusion Elandria was sitting there, but everyone knew that his family was not in a position to send many soldiers now.

So, all three ducal families were wiped out.

Would the ducal families be safe? After the death of his beloved daughter, Duke Kendal was almost a recluse. Duke Odroi disliked Abelus's actions, and the Duke of Tipian…

'A cunning fellow.'

Wasn't he the one who betrayed us? If he hadn't sided with the Duke first, how could the Maindelant army have known and taken the lead? So, the Duke of Tipian was also an enemy.

The Wells family had sent troops with sincerity, trying to curry favor with the Imperial Family, but their family was in bad shape, so they were meager. So, the only one among the grand nobles who actively stepped forward was the Duke of Ricanthros.

The nobles below them were either in a position to do so or not, but they were all passive. It was because they didn't fully understand what was happening.

They said His Highness the Crown Prince declared war on Maindelant. Why? Because the Maindelant army attacked Sir Ralph. Why was Sir Ralph suddenly attacked? He was suppressing a rebellion in the north of the Duchy of Tipian, and then the Maindelant army suddenly came down and attacked. Why was Sir Ralph suppressing the rebellion in the north of the Duchy of Tipian?

No, I know His Highness sent troops. But I still don't understand. Why did the Duke ask His Highness for reinforcements, leaving his nephew behind? They're much closer, aren't they?

The circumstances were suspicious to anyone. Moreover, rumors were spreading that "actually, the Maindelant army didn't attack Sir Ralph, but helped suppress the rebellion," which sounded more plausible to people.

Where are the nobles who like to give money and troops to the Imperial Family? Most of the nobles, judging that their subordinate was injured and Abelus was just getting angry, were maintaining the most passive attitude they could show. They were expecting his anger to end soon.

Thump. Abelus roughly threw the next noble's thick soldier list on the desk and glared.

"This is wartime. But the nobles' uncooperative attitude is disloyalty to the Empire, and disloyalty to the Empire is a refusal to acknowledge the authority of the Three Heroes, and a refusal to acknowledge the authority of the Three Heroes is treason against all mankind. Right? What do you think, Duke?"

The Duke was resentful, being scolded for being there even though he had done everything Abelus wanted. But where was anyone who could refute that logic?

After all, wasn't that the main reason why the Empire's nobles had been loyal to the Imperial Family for 600 years?

"Tsk!"

Seeing the Duke lost in thought, Abelus clicked his tongue. Unlike the clever and bold Maggie, her father was too argumentative.

'There's no other way.'

There was a plan among the ideas Megara had whispered that he had put off, fearing it would anger the nobles. It was a plan he didn't need to use if things had gone his way.

Abelus lamented his bad luck, having only his mistress to trust, and began his speech politely.

"In times of uncertainty, the Empire Vista, in honor of the Three Heroes who laid its foundation, has always had the noble ones step forward first. Since most of the graduates of this year's Noble Academy are in the Imperial City, wouldn't it be good to give them the opportunity to recreate that glory?"

It was a veiled expression, but the nobles present could anticipate what would come next. Could it be…?

"All graduates of this year's academy, excluding those from the Theology Department, will be incorporated into the Imperial Army by the Crown Prince's order. There will be no distinction between the Aine and Kartak legions, but those from the Swordsmanship and Magic Departments will serve as soldiers, and the rest will serve the Empire as administrators. Also, suspecting that spies might harbor malicious intentions towards the children of our precious citizens, the Noble Academy will be protected by the Imperial Army from next semester, and this protection will be maintained until the situation stabilizes!"

The mouths of those listening around them gaped open.

The excuse was good, but no one failed to understand that this was a threat, "Let's see if you don't send more troops even after your children are taken hostage."

"Your Highness, that is… "

Wasn't it too extreme? The Duke of Ricanthros opened his mouth to object, but Abelus suppressed him with a menacing look.

"Oh, come on! Is this a normal situation? Two grand noble families have rebelled against the Imperial Family. Yet, you're all so relaxed!"

Abelus glared at them, who were holding their breath.

He knew that this kind of toughness could anger the nobles. But wouldn't it be an opportunity to prove his ability if he won the war quickly?

What difference does it make if he uses a slightly extreme method?

"Those who strike first win! Understand? We'll have a strategy meeting in three hours. The sooner we set out, the better! Until then, have each family double-check their list of troops to be sent!"

Abelus had dreamed of this day his whole life.

An authoritative father, a viper-like sister, scheming ministers… He was looking forward to the day he could prove his worth, free from their watchful eyes, their judgment, and their criticism.

And the day he could show everyone that he was better than the monstrous Cledwin Maindelant.

Although the start wasn't perfect, the Empire hadn't accumulated all it had over the years just to be shallow enough to not be able to teach a Duchy and a Duchy their place.

At least, that's what he believed.