Chapter 543: The Scramble for Van

While Riz kept the smartphone locked away, the paintings were not.

He gathered them carefully, stacking them into a neat bundle. He wants to pass it to the researchers at the university, so they have something to work with.

He believed these people would be interested in the advanced civilisation of the past.

They were a peculiar, relentless kind of individuals who easily became obsessed and would walk barefoot across burning coals just to investigate it.

Riz knew them well. This discovery would hit them like lightning.

These paintings will be an excellent bait to drive them to venture into the north, thus increasing the appeal of that land and contributing to its development.

While crop cultivation is almost out of question, the island has more than just that. Lumber, wild game, and minerals are all waiting to be explored.

Riz handed it off to a staff member with a simple instruction, "Deliver this to the university’s Department of History. Tell them it is urgent."

The staff bowed and left.

....

News of Ryntum’s decisive victory did not simply ripple through the kingdom. It burst outward, carried along every trade road, every diplomatic channel, every merchant caravan that crossed borders.

And with each retelling, the weight behind the news grew heavier.

Across foreign courts, everybody is eager to know the details. After all, Ryntum has been very active lately.

With such a strong neighbour, coupled with Ryntum’s self-declared and widely criticised "sphere of influence," the political climate across the continent tightened like a drawn bowstring.

Every neighbouring nation felt a heavy, invisible mountain pressing onto their shoulders.

More importantly than Ryntum’s victory, these nations are studying the tactics used by Van Vernau.

It is said that Van Vernau managed to mimic the Ryntum’s military tactics.

Though he ultimately failed to achieve the outcome he desired, his partial successes offered a glimmer of hope to these foreign rulers.

If an isolated noble from a declining nation like Blande could decipher and reproduce these techniques, even under pressure, then perhaps the situation was not hopeless.

Perhaps it could be learned.

Unbeknownst to Van, who was still struggling to keep his shattered forces alive, he had become the most sought-after individual.

Because everyone knew Blande’s fate.

Its defeat was all but sealed. Its lands would soon fall.

And when that collapse came, Van Vernau would have two choices: flee or die.

But the foreign rulers saw a third option. Rather than allowing a capable commander to wither away or be executed by Ryntum, it would be far wiser to invite him.

And so, letters began to be drafted. Envoys waited for the right moment. Secret offers were prepared.

Van Vernau, battered and retreating, had no idea that the continent was already competing for him.

....

Cerdeaux, Cerdeauxia.

President Walter Thompson, formerly Russell Ryntum, looked at the stack of documents on his desk.

But his eyes weren’t moving anymore. They were fixed on the war report detailing Ryntum’s victory at Ergel.

His face was grim.

No matter how many times he read these reports, the same weight settled on his chest.

On paper, he was the democratically elected leader of Cerdeauxia.

In truth, he was still the estranged brother of the king who was quickly becoming one of the most dominant forces on the continent.

As a brother, he, of course, keeps his eyes on his successful sibling.

After all, Cerdeauxia is just right next to Ryntum. If Walter didn’t learn something, wouldn’t that be him acknowledging himself as inferior to Riz?

No matter how much he hated Riz, he had to admit that his brother was strong. Too strong.

"Can we establish contact with this Van Vernau?" asked Walter to his secretary.

Before, he didn’t pay attention to the prominent figures in the north, but now, it is different.

Walter really wants to invite Van here.

A man who is about to lose everything makes him reachable.

The secretary hesitated. "It may be difficult. Blande is chaotic right now. But we can try through third-country channels or independent merchants who move between borders."

"Do it! Before someone else makes the offer first."

"Yes, sir." The secretary rushed out of the office. There was no time to waste. He needs to hurry up and contact the merchant group heading to Eppen, the last stronghold of Blande.

Every second mattered now.

Every second meant another nation might beat Cerdeauxia to the prize.

....

Sidgean, capital of the Sidgean Empire.

Far from the turmoil of Blande, the palace of the Sidgean Empire stood steady beneath the sky. Its banners depicting the imperial crest fluttered lazily in the gentle breeze.

Inside the palace’s audience hall, the emperor lounged on his elevated throne. A glass of fragrant herbal drink rested between his fingers.

The hall was quiet, save for the faint rustling of silk garments worn by his court officials.

He flipped through a stack of intelligence reports, each page summarising the latest developments on the continent.

An amused smile formed on his lips.

"Well, well, well. It looks like our neighbour is doing very well," said the emperor.

His voice echoed across the hall.

The nearest advisor asked. "Your Majesty refers to Ryntum’s successful campaign in the north?"

"Of course," The emperor continued, "What’s more interesting is that Blande’s commander, Van Vernau."

Everyone in the hall exchanges glances. They had heard about this man.

Another advisor stepped forward, "Do you consider this significant, Your Majesty?"

"Significant?" The emperor chuckled. "The man is losing a war. His country is collapsing. A desperate commander is a resource to others but not to us. I believe in our own talents."

Sidgean does not need scraps from a dying kingdom. That’s the thought of this emperor.

The advisors’ faces also brightened when they heard this remark.

"Forget whatever is happening in the east. Ryntum’s victory over Blande changes nothing for us. Our focus is the Duchy of Camble. That arrogant little duchy has defied us for far too long. We need to crush them!"