After I died, my personal maid rebelled.

"The plan failed."

Having received the order to retreat immediately, Isolde, who was quietly observing Luna and the others in the dense forest, pinched his earlobe and a relieved smile appeared on his face.

She roughly deduced the Great Sage's purpose—to use Paul to recreate the Blood-Clad Saintess's physical body, but what emerged from it was just an ordinary little person.

Who said that love is the only magic that can transcend time and space? How boring. To judge whether a living being possesses intelligence, one should mainly look at whether it has abstract thinking.

Love, as an abstract emotion, cannot be as steadfast as matter.

"Lucas, if I were to die one day, would you try to bring me back to life?"

"What do you mean?"

Lucas, who was holding an umbrella for the two of them, looked puzzled. Could it be that there was another mission to die next?

If even Isolde couldn't guarantee his escape unscathed, how could he possibly survive?

Isolde simply smiled and beckoned Lucas to leave together.

Although curious about how the girl had captured the Paladin Commander's heart, Isolde could no longer linger.

Once it's confirmed that the heart is functioning properly, everything that happens afterward is no longer her concern.

"Where are we going this time?" Lucas followed closely behind her. In the long, dark night, Isolde always managed to find a smooth path.

"Let's go to the seaside to make a deal; our guests are waiting for us there."

Undercurrents are brewing in the east, and the continuous rainy weather has kept people from seeing a ray of sunshine for nearly half a month.

Under the eternal night, Garwin, having received orders from the young lady, immediately prepared his army. The 1st Regiment of the 3rd Division, along with three militia regiments responsible for logistics, and 20,000 conscripted laborers, carrying a large amount of supplies, embarked on their journey in a grand procession.

Long before the young lady arrived in the Eastern Territory, Garwin had already begun preparing supplies, because his territory was close to the eastern agricultural region of the Northern Territory, so the Third Division could easily obtain logistical supplies.

Meanwhile, Garwin, stationed in the Eastern Territory, was not idle on a daily basis. He basically settled down and cultivated land wherever he fought, making him a standard operating machine.

Now that the young lady is about to target the Eastern Territory, with nearly 50,000 Northern troops gathering, Garwin understands that he must shoulder the heavy responsibility of logistics and ensure that the army's lifeline is not compromised.

In the rain, it was impossible to tell whether it was day or night, as the elite veterans of the 1st Regiment of the 3rd Division knocked heavily on the city gate.

A three-ton wooden stake, covered in iron, was suspended from the siege engine. Every shout from the soldiers unleashed a terrifying impact.

The city gates creaked under the weight of the burden, and the greater the difficulties they faced, the more their discipline was tested.

The panic among the nobles' private soldiers within the city was ultimately broken by the composure of the three divisions. The main beam of the gate was smashed away, and the moment the city gate collapsed, the iron cavalry swarmed and trampled the long street, leaving blood flowing throughout the entire city.

The repression of the past few days has suddenly ignited a riot in the city. The divided populace and private soldiers began to fight each other, and the three sides were locked in a chaotic battle. The cries and wails could not escape the darkness of the night.

The entire city seemed detached from society; it was a lonely castle on the sea, burning itself out in the wind and rain.

The head of the local lord had been shattered into pieces long before Garwin entered the castle; some kind of mixture clung to the carpet, and a nauseating stench lingered like a ghost.

"madness."

Garwin offered a detached assessment: although he appeared to be an honest, unassuming farmer, he actually possessed a profound understanding of human nature.

In this unique environment, the castle was brightly lit inside. Even if the Third Division hadn't come, the castle's flames would have eventually attracted countless moths drawn to the fire.

Garwin ordered his soldiers to wipe out the remaining forces and emptied the treasury. He even took the burning candles, instructing his soldiers to blow them out so they could be reused...

Every little bit saved counts; the young lady can't afford to run out of supplies.

Of the three directions of attack, Garwin faced the least pressure, since he only needed to pacify the northern part of the Eastern Territory and then provide a safe logistical base for the rest of the troops.

Although the young lady did not make any special statement, Garwin now had to start studying the cultivation of food. The messenger scout told him about the darkness and cold of the central district, a warning bell of the coming apocalypse.

Currently, among all human kingdoms, perhaps only the Eastern Territory and the Southern Territory can maintain a stable food production.

There are still many problems to deal with, and attacking these cities has become the easiest part.

After all, so-called aristocratic rule is fragile. When survival itself becomes a problem, certain high-ranking individuals will become the source of suffering in the eyes of the people, and must be punished.

See? Crises always reveal the true nature of the world.

Just as Garwin was methodically sweeping through the northern part of the Eastern Territory, the dark clouds that had persisted for nearly twenty days dissipated, and the long-awaited sunshine shone on the streets. People cheered and jumped for joy, as if they had overcome some incredible difficulty.

Inside the castle, Garwin, who was still coordinating land resources, also received an urgent letter from the Duke.

He almost immediately stood up from his chair, his hands trembling as he opened the envelope.

It might sound a bit unpleasant to say, but the young lady really did act recklessly this time, or rather, it was that damned Kate who instigated her to act recklessly again.

How could a force of 50,000 elite troops act without reporting to His Highness the Duke?

Compared to the quick-thinking Kate, the hardworking Garwin had loyalty ingrained in his very bones.

He would obey the Duke's every order without complaint, and even if he was ignored, he would do his best to do his job well and not cause the Duke any trouble.

If it weren't for the young lady's personal order, Garwin would have been so anxious to recall his Second and Third Regiments when he learned that the Second Division and the Knights Division had suddenly turned eastward. He didn't want to get involved in this situation where "a general in the field may disobey orders."

Having calmed himself down, Garwin picked up the letter and carefully read every word the Duke had written.

In the letter, the Duke seemed to have anticipated the Second Division's unauthorized actions, ordering Garwin to recall his two regiments and directly declare war on the Eastern Territories to seize their lands.

In addition, Duke Oswald also requested that Garwin thoroughly investigate the various resource-producing areas in the Eastern Territory and the Central District, especially resources such as coal and copper.

Soon, the Duke's specially dispatched construction team will arrive in the Eastern Territory to begin large-scale construction. He has ordered Garwin to prepare a resource list as soon as possible to facilitate overall planning.

A huge weight was lifted from his heart. Garwin was truly terrified that the Duke's order would be—"Bring Kate here."

Garwin occasionally reminisces about his time in the city of Kumbhle, when everyone gathered around the Duke to listen to his vision of a bright future, and the entire Northern Army was as harmonious as one big family.

He didn't want to one day encounter the cold, ruthless nature of politics, even if that person was Kate.

Gazing at the sunlight outside the window and the cheers of the people on the street, Garwin waited until his officers arrived before turning around and issuing orders.

"The regiment is divided into three battalions, each commanding a militia regiment in combat. I will only give you fifteen days. After fifteen days, I need you to offer the entire northern land of the Eastern Territory to His Excellency the Duke."