Chapter 119: Strength to Match the Victory

At the King’s Frontier Legion headquarters, one of the generals could wait no longer.

"Why hasn’t the report arrived?"

He stood abruptly.

"I’m going to Intelligence myself."

Before he reached the door, an intelligence officer hurried inside.

"Report! The Shattered Marches election has concluded. Our side has taken command. However—"

Cheers drowned him out.

Even the oldest generals were smiling. A few of the younger ones raised their fists in triumph.

Only Edric Hale noticed the officer still trying to speak.

"However, what? Tell us what happened."

The officer swallowed his frustration.

"The winner was not Darian Frost. It was Cassian Vale."

He continued with the report. The smiles slowly gave way to looks of disbelief.

"He took first, left second to Darian, and put three other friendly Regions in the top ten?" Hale said. "What kind of monster is this boy?"

He could find no better word for it.

Then he turned to an old colleague.

"Weren’t you using him as an example for the new recruits?"

The other general’s expression changed. He rose at once.

"Excuse me for a moment."

——

In the homeworld, Aveline stared at the report.

How had he done it?

"Even an Epic warship couldn’t collect a million Ballots. Has he developed his own high-Quality ship? Or found a Wild Dockyard?"

When the first shock passed, it left her with a headache.

"He needs to keep a lower profile."

After today, even more powerful people would be watching Cassian. She found that prospect far less comforting than his young allies did.

Aveline used her Steward’s Observer Passage to enter Elara’s Domain.

She still had no idea how far the news had reached.

——

In the Third Realm, the towers of Highcrest rose into the clouds.

The palace at the heart of House Frost’s ancestral estate stretched beyond sight. Powerful soldiers patrolled the air above it, their watch unbroken by day or night. Thousands of years of accumulated Fortune, held steady by the ancient Fortune artifact known as the Nine Cauldrons, had expanded Highcrest’s interior into a vast territory. The family’s influence reached much farther still.

Its master was in a foul mood.

"All that experience behind them, and they still lost to a boy?"

Lord Edran Frost stood with his hands behind his back. His voice made the air in the hall seem to tighten. Before him, the House’s steward kept his head bowed.

Edran was Darian’s father. That particular relationship had been kept far quieter than the young Lord’s family name.

"A commonborn Lord dares to make a fool of your son," the steward said. "More than once, at that. Give the word, my lord, and we can have Cassian brought here to answer for it."

Edran gave a cold snort.

"And then? Kill a talent like that?"

The steward lowered his head further.

"Or would you prefer to announce to everyone that Darian is my son?"

"My lord sees farther than I do. I spoke without thinking."

He was quite willing to sound foolish if it made his master’s judgment shine. A man in his position knew the value of a little flattery.

A full minute passed before Edran spoke again.

"The Contest of Champions should be approaching for the newcomers."

His displeasure had not vanished. Cassian was talented, certainly, but that did not make it any more pleasant to see Darian lose the seat.

"He likes money, doesn’t he? Have someone contact him in secret. Offer to buy the Shattered Marches command for Darian."

"At once, my lord."

The steward withdrew.

After he had gone, Edran’s figure dissolved into light.

Only a spiritual avatar had been standing in the hall.

——

"The Shattered Marches are too dangerous!"

A Black Banner Warden’s shout rang across his Domain.

"Get every unit ready. We relocate in one minute!"

He was one of the five Wardens who had not attended the Sorns’ banquet. He disliked social gatherings. For once, that had saved his life.

One of his warriors hurried forward.

"Lord, your Hero is still out at sea. Baal can’t get back in time."

"Then we leave him!"

The warrior stared at him.

A minute later, a golden pillar rose into the sky.

One of the Marches’ hundred leading Wardens abandoned the regional position he had spent a month building and fled.

Across Black Banner’s Regions, other Lords were doing the same.

——

Cassian let out a slow breath.

Power surged through his body, far beyond anything he had felt when he sat down to train.

"Less than a month."

He smiled. All the strength he had built, the flood of Ranking rewards, and the Life Essence he had just consumed had carried him through the next barrier.

[Warbody Foundation I → Warbody Foundation II]

[Stage Breakthrough: Physique +900 | Spirit +300]

[Level: 7 | Aptitude: A]

The earlier gains had already been tremendous. Now another wave of strength had poured into him on top of them. His whole body felt charged with power, and he could barely believe how different he was from the man who had sat down a short while ago.

He was still only Level 7.

Cassian grinned and threw a light punch.

He used no skill and made no effort to put his weight behind it.

The air boomed. Wind tore across several dozen square meters in front of him, lifting sand and scattering loose stones. An ordinary monster caught there would have been crushed.

Veyra, who had been watching over his training, stared.

"Cassian... how did your Physique increase so much?"

He glanced at her.

"Time to settle a few old scores."

Whatever she thought he meant, it brought a flush to her face.

After getting used to his new strength, Cassian opened the announcements he had set aside.

[The Commander of the Shattered Marches has been elected. Access to the Province Channel has been granted.]

[Commanders and Marches Officers may speak without restriction. Regional Wardens and Regional Officers may send ten messages per person per day. Ordinary Lords may not post.]

Without strength, a Lord did not get much of a voice.

Equal treatment had never been one of the Realm’s promises. Cassian thought the rule was fair enough.

He opened the new Province Channel.

"Seven Marches have already chosen their Commanders?"

The election required a hundred Wardens to reach Rank VII. Even if none of the six earlier territories had an exceptional Lord, each had to be strong as a whole to reach that threshold so quickly.

What surprised him more was that one of the other Commanders belonged to their side.

Messages were pouring through the Channel. Cassian filtered them to show only the Commanders’ posts.

[Lydia Venn: Greetings to our friends from the Crown’s side. I’m the Commander of Evenfall. Commander Cassian, are you here? I’d like to speak when you have time.]

Evenfall?