Chapter 80: Dispute

Chapter 80: Chapter 80: Dispute

The border defense line.

The conflict between the Lanton Duchy and the Wata Duchy was growing more and more intense. Anyone with eyes could see that war was about to erupt.

Even now, though the Dukes on both sides had yet to declare war, the friction between them was already dangerously high.

Dawei Province, under the jurisdiction of Count Lumbar, was the province in the Lanton Duchy that bordered the Wata Duchy most extensively. Thus, once war broke out, it would bear the brunt of the impact.

Within Dawei Province were numerous territories belonging to Viscounts and Barons that shared a border with the Wata Duchy. Of these, Kuangjin City, governed by Viscount Bright, had the longest border. Barring any surprises, the area around Kuangjin City was set to become a primary battlefield once the war started. No matter which side the war favored, Viscount Bright was unlikely to see a favorable outcome.

Beyond the main frontier zones were several secondary border regions. While they wouldn’t face the most ferocious onslaughts, these territories were small and lacked substantial resources. If targeted, they could find themselves in an even more perilous situation than Kuangjin City.

Diamond Town was one of them.

When the first signs of trouble appeared along the border, the far-sighted Baron Lord, Kels, began gradually dispatching reinforcements. By now, five hundred Guards were stationed at the defense line. This was no small number, considering the total population of Diamond Town and its surrounding territories.

Just a few days ago, a skirmish involving over a hundred men erupted between the Diamond Guard Team and forces from the Wata Duchy. This amounted to more than ten percent of the border garrison. If things continued this way, a full-scale war could break out at any moment. To address the situation, Cres—the Commander of the Diamond Border Guard Team, personally appointed by Baron Kels—proposed sending reinforcements to the Lord Baron.

Cres and the five other Guard Team captains had assumed the Lord Baron would simply increase the number of men in each of their teams. They were stunned to learn that, instead, a young upstart named Vili had been appointed captain of a new Diamond Team Six and was being sent to the front with one hundred men.

The news caught several senior figures on the defense line completely off guard, filling them with deep concern.

They knew exactly what this Vili represented. He wasn’t just a new commander who would inherently dilute their authority; he was the cutting edge of a new faction, represented by Bamos, challenging the established old guard.

This infuriated everyone except for Commander Cres and Weibun, the Captain of Diamond Team Two.

「Diamond Town Border Defense Line—Command Camp」

Three men in armor sat inside a large tent, each wearing a dark expression.

A middle-aged man with a thick beard sat in a chair, his fingers drumming incessantly on the armrest. He was Ricker, the captain of Diamond Team One.

"Young Master Bamos is clearly trying to kick us old-timers out! A teenager... how can he be the same Level as us? We’ve given so much for Diamond Town to earn our positions. That little brat, Vili—who the hell does he think he is?!"

Ricker’s tone was aggressive, making no attempt to hide his anger.

"Watch your mouth."

A middle-aged man with a refined appearance frowned. He looked less like a Guard Commander and more like a Civil Servant. "Isn’t it normal for the new to replace the old? Didn’t we also take over from the men who served under the Old Baron?"

Weibun, Captain of Diamond Team Two. He had received a formal education since childhood and did not view power as particularly important.

Ricker was about to retort when the man sitting at the head of the table waved his hand, silencing him.

The man was in his fifties, his features stern and his bearing commanding. It was clear he was a man long accustomed to authority.

He was Cres, the supreme commander of the Diamond Town border defense line and Commander of the Diamond Guard Team.

"Enough. We will follow the Lord Baron’s will in all things. At this critical time, I don’t want any internal strife."

Cres glanced at Ricker, his eyes carrying a warning.

Because Vili was about to lead Diamond Team Six to the border, Cres had specifically convened a temporary meeting with the other five captains.

But only Ricker and Weibun had shown up. The other three had declined, claiming they were too pressed with border defense duties to get away.

Cres knew very well that the attitude of the other three was obvious: they did not welcome Vili and his Diamond Team Six.

Cres felt helpless, but he didn’t force them. Although he was the nominal Commander, in reality, his role was only to carry out the Baron’s orders.

Back in Diamond Town, Cres and the other captains had all been the same Level. He was only appointed Commander due to the escalating border conflict. They weren’t a professional army, so when it came to commanding the Guard Teams, Cres could only ensure the five teams put their combat Abilities to use. He had no control beyond that.

"Regardless, he’ll be here soon. Are you suggesting we refuse him? Should we just wait for the Lord Baron to hold us accountable?"

Cres shot Ricker a cold look.

Weibun also glanced at Ricker, his look full of disdain. He was the only one among them who didn’t reject Diamond Team Six.

"The Lord Baron’s will must be done. But when that little punk Vili gets here, we can’t let him be a freeloader."

Ricker’s tone suddenly shifted.

Cres didn’t respond. He knew Ricker had a hidden agenda.

"The pressure on the defense line is immense right now, especially along the northwest border, which suffers constant enemy harassment. Since Vili is an elite hand-picked by Young Master Bamos, I think it would be best if he took over the defense of the northwest border."

Ricker seemed to have prepared this speech long ago, his tone laced with sarcasm.

"You’re sending someone who’s never served on the border to handle that kind of pressure? That’s just malicious."

Weibun directly refuted him. In his view, once Vili reached the northwest border, his lack of experience would lead to heavy losses among his men, and he might even lose his own life. It wasn’t that Weibun looked down on Vili, but that border warfare relied more on experience than on any kind of talent.

Vili was just a rookie; it would be incredibly difficult for him to succeed. Ricker was setting him up.

"Cres, this isn’t just my opinion. It’s the shared opinion of myself and the other three Guard Captains. I hope you’ll consider it."

There was a coercive edge to Ricker’s tone.

"Are you threatening me?"

Cres tapped the table lightly, a flash of ice in his gaze.

While he may not have the absolute authority of a true military commander, he would not allow his authority to be openly challenged.

"I..."

Ricker clearly hadn’t expected Cres’s attitude to be so firm, and he realized he had been reckless.

"I just think..."

Ricker wanted to add more, but Cres cut him off.

"He can go to the Northwest Defense Line, but you will also have to split off half of your forces to support him there."

Cres announced his decision.