Chapter 178

Chapter 178. A Choice and Twin Attendants

Storm City, the central lord’s hall.

Iman’s massive body sank deep into an extravagant, ornate throne, his rough fingers holding a somewhat wrinkled piece of parchment.

At that moment, by the flickering firelight from the hearth, he was carefully reading the dense handwriting upon it.

Below the throne, the two young Cintran messengers who had escaped back from Dragonbreath Plain were embellishing their harrowing experience.

“Lord Iman!” one of the boys said, his voice trembling with lingering fear.

“The two of us brothers risked our lives to escape from those brutal Western Frontier men! Their guards were so strict, we almost...”

The other boy immediately took over, his tone full of grievance.

“That is right, my lord! No matter how they beat us or interrogated us, we did not say a word!

“We kept Lord Greenwood’s orders firmly in mind. We had to deliver the message to you! You must believe us!”

Iman frowned at the noise they were making and let out a low growl without even raising his head.

“So noisy. Shut your mouths and stop shouting.”

The two boys immediately closed their mouths like frightened quails.

They merely looked timidly up at the giant on the throne with those unusually innocent and handsome eyes.

Iman’s attention returned to the letter.

Through the two boys’ earlier report and his current reading, the contents of the letter clearly appeared in his mind.

A force of nearly three thousand men, claiming to be formed from multiple united Federation remnants,

had successfully used a diversionary strategy to pass through Kigaka Gorge, where Marquess Claire of the Western Frontier had deployed heavy defenses.

However, at the edge of Dragonbreath Plain, they had unexpectedly discovered a Western Frontier army of roughly similar size.

To avoid unnecessary losses from a direct clash, and to smoothly enter Storm City, this final fortress,

they requested that General Iman dispatch reinforcements, coordinate with them from inside and outside, crush the Western Frontier army blocking their path, and receive them into the city.

In return, this force and the surviving Federation forces they represented would jointly honor Iman as the new Alliance Lord of the Federation and obey his unified command.

After finishing the letter, Iman handed it to the middle-aged man who had been standing quietly beside the throne, whose bearing seemed utterly out of place among the other burly Hofgard men.

This was his military adviser, Byrne.

Only then did Iman turn his gaze back toward the two boys below, his tone stern.

“You said you were captured? Then how did you escape? Are you certain the message was not exposed?”

That was the question he cared about most.

“My lord!” the boy who had spoken earlier immediately swore, “We are willing to swear upon the honor of House Greenwood that the message was absolutely not exposed!

“At the time... at the time, there was a white-haired noble who almost found the message tube we had hidden.

“In desperation, I... I punched him to draw his attention.”

Fear and lingering horror appeared on his face.

“Then he flew into a rage and ordered us executed at once.

“Fortunately, the Western Frontier soldier carrying out the execution in the forest looked down on us because we were only children. He was careless, and that was how we found a chance to break free and escape!”

Standing on Iman’s other side, the tower-like burly man Hammer grinned when he heard this, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth.

“Heh-heh, Lord Iman, I’ve heard of those twin attendants raised by the nobles of Cintra too.

“They say every one of them is sharp as a fox, good at hiding and escaping. What they’re saying is probably true.”

He licked his thick lips, his greedy gaze sweeping over the two boys’ handsome faces with undisguised malice.

“Cough, cough. My lord, I have also heard that these little fellows are... useful in certain private ways.

“Since the message has already been delivered, could you reward these two little things to me to deal with?”

The two boys’ faces instantly turned deathly pale, and their bodies trembled slightly. One of them forced himself to speak.

“My... my lord, please forgive us! We brothers have sworn a sacred oath. Our bodies and hearts may serve only Lord Greenwood.”

The other hurriedly echoed him. “Yes, my lord! Please understand!

“And... and our force can also strengthen Storm City. This is a matter that benefits both sides...”

Seeing that they actually dared refuse, the flesh on Hammer’s face twitched, and anger appeared on his face.

He strode forward and lifted them off the ground one in each hand as easily as catching chicks, then snarled viciously.

“Hm? Little brats, understand whose territory this is! Right now, you are the ones begging us!”

“Hmph! What worthless Baron Greenwood? I’ll enjoy what he sent in his place!”

The boys, lifted into the air, struggled desperately, but it was like ants trying to shake a tree.

Seated on the throne, Iman watched the scene with great interest, as though he were watching an amusing farce.

Only when Hammer truly grew angry did he finally speak lazily.

“Enough, Hammer.”

His voice was not loud, but it carried unquestionable authority. “They are messengers sent by an ally, after all, and they are still boys.

“Does Storm City lack women? Getting angry at two children—what kind of behavior is that?”

After saying this, he casually picked up a metal goblet beside the throne and tossed it with a clang against Hammer’s hard horned helmet.

Hammer winced in pain, released his grip in grievance, straightened his knocked-askew helmet, and muttered as he stepped aside.

“Yes, my lord...”

The two boys landed on the ground, still shaken with terror. They hurriedly kowtowed to Iman again and again, their voices full of gratitude.

“Thank you, my lord! Thank you for your mercy!”

Iman waved a hand, his gaze sweeping over the two boys.

“Mm. Stay. Tonight... I will invite you to dinner. I will entertain you properly.”

“Yes... yes, my lord.”

The two boys looked at each other, lowered their heads, and answered in voices as faint as mosquitoes.

By then, the military adviser Byrne had also finished reading the letter.

He handed the letter down to Hammer, then looked toward Iman and analyzed in a steady tone.

“General Iman, judging from the description in the letter and the statements of these two messengers, this matter... does indeed have room for action.”

He walked to a crude map of the Western Frontier hanging nearby and pointed to the location of Dragonbreath Plain.

“At present, the various Federation forces gathered in Storm City, together with our own Hofgard warriors, number only around five thousand in total.

“As for that claim from Lucius La Roche that he commands a hundred-thousand-strong army, even if it is exaggerated, there is no doubt that his total strength is several times ours.

“If we can receive this fresh force of three thousand into the city, not only will our defensive strength immediately increase,

“but if they fail to take the city after a long siege, it will greatly damage the morale of the Western Frontier army and give them plenty of headaches when they attack.”

Iman nodded, his thick fingers tapping against the armrest of the throne with dull thuds.

“My thoughts are about the same as yours. But, Sessen, the most deadly problem right now is still grain.”

Irritation appeared on his face. “Can we afford to feed three thousand extra mouths?”

Sessen fell silent for a moment, and hesitation surfaced on his face as well. He said in a low voice, “My lord, I have carefully calculated the warehouse stores.

“With our current rationing standard, the grain we have now may... last a little over a month.

“I have already secretly sent out several groups of skilled men familiar with desert terrain to try to cross the dangerous Great Set Desert and return to Hofgard for aid.

“But... so far, not a single group has sent back any news.”

He raised his head and looked at Iman gravely.

“General, forgive me for speaking plainly. If we do not have this possible reinforcement outside the city,

“then with only our current five thousand men, facing the full assault the Western Frontier is about to launch, I fear... it will be very difficult for us to hold out until Hofgard reinforcements arrive.

“The Western Frontier army’s morale is now soaring, and they are eager for revenge. Please... consider this carefully.”

At one side, Hammer had long since been unable to restrain himself. Hearing this, he suddenly slapped his breastplate, producing a loud clang, and roared.

“My lord! What is there to consider? Give the order!

“I will take men out of the city right now and slaughter every last one of those Western Frontier bastards on Dragonbreath Plain! Then I will bring our allies in!”

Iman felt a powerful wave of irritation and headache.

If he sent troops, the risk would be enormous, and the pressure on grain would increase sharply. If he did not send troops, he would be watching possible allies be annihilated, and their hope of holding the city would be slim.

He looked at the aggressive Hammer, then at the grave-faced Sessen, and finally swept his gaze over the two Cintran boys below, who had lowered their heads and looked incomparably obedient.

In the end, he abruptly rose from the throne, his massive body bringing with it a wave of pressure.

“You two,” he said to Sessen and Hammer.

“Discuss this immediately. If we send troops to receive them, decide how many men we must dispatch and who will lead them. Once you have a result, report back to me.”

He waved a hand, looking somewhat impatient. “As quickly as possible!”

After saying this, he paid no more attention to the two men. He strode down from the throne, beckoned to the two Cintran boys, and squeezed out a smile that could hardly be called kind.

“You two, come with me.”

The two boys looked at each other and carefully asked, “My lord... are we going to... eat dinner?”

Iman laughed loudly, his laughter echoing through the empty hall.

“Yes, of course we are going to eat. I, Iman, keep my word. I will certainly entertain you properly.”

Deep in his eyes, a hunter-like gleam flashed as he looked over his prey.

Hammer watched Iman lead the two boys into the inner courtyard and inwardly grumbled that General Iman was hardly being fair.

So he had spoken up to protect them because he meant to keep them for himself?

Hammer scratched his horned helmet and asked Sessen in a muffled voice, “Military Adviser, then we...”

Sessen sighed helplessly and reached out to twist Hammer’s enormous horned helmet, forcing him to face him.

“Enough. Stop staring. They are only two little brats. Since the general told us to discuss it, let us begin.

“Think carefully. How many men should we send out so that we can receive those people without trapping ourselves outside as well...”