Opening a fantasy anime world with the style of Mount & Blade

Page 59

After Verna was dressed, Liu Tianyu casually put on his clothes and then walked out of the church through the small door with Verna.

Chapter 82 The Shadow of War

"Ah! My dear vassals, welcome! I apologize, as your host, for being late. I'll punish myself with a cup of wine first!"

After the sky was dyed the color of maple leaves by the setting sun, Liu Tianyu, led by Lucy, slowly returned to the Lord's Hall.

There, Eleanor, Akavi, and Yak were already seated in their guest seats.

"My benevolent lord, we all acknowledge your busy schedule, as Stormlands urgently needs your help right now. However, I must advise you to take good care of your health!"

Elaine sat in her seat, waved her hand, but her words were somewhat meaningful, especially as her eyes kept scanning Liu Tianyu's lower body.

"Cough-cough-"

Liu Tianyu was extremely embarrassed when Eleanor noticed something, and could only cough a couple of times to cover up his embarrassment.

"Your Excellency, perhaps Stormlands should have a lady!"

Compared to Elaine's teasing, Akavi spoke with a serious expression.

Liu Tianyu couldn't help but cover his head and say:

"Oh, we'll talk about that later. Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. Alright, Lucy, let's begin the banquet!"

Lucy chuckled softly, saying nothing more. After all, she knew how to treat Liu Tianyu in any situation.

Now, in the Lord's Hall, everyone is either Liu Tianyu's vassals or his soldiers and servants, so naturally there must be a distinction between the noble and the lowly.

Soon, at Lucy's command, one steaming dish after another was served on Liu Tianyu's and his vassals' table.

Herb-roasted chicken, premium smoked fish, stewed beef, dried meat broth, fruit salad, white bread, camel milk—each dish is a delicacy rarely seen on the tables of ordinary people, especially camel milk, which few in the entire kingdom can produce.

Of course, Liu Tianyu's table was served with camel milk, while the vassals' tables were served with wine and milk wine.

"Come on, Elaine, Akavi, Yak, I'd like to raise a toast to you!"

After all the dishes were served, Liu Tianyu picked up the camel milk, stood up, and shouted to them.

Seeing that their lords had all stood up, Eleanor, Akavi, and Ark naturally raised their glasses and stood up as well.

"My merciful sir, may you enjoy good health and long life, and be renowned far and wide."

"Your Excellency, may you always be healthy and happy!"

May you achieve anything!

They raised their glasses and offered their own unique toasts to Liu Tianyu before downing their drinks in one gulp.

Liu Tianyu shrugged and drank the camel milk in his hand in one gulp. The taste of camel milk was richer and more flavorful than that of cow milk. It was so refreshing!

“My merciful lord, your sudden summons to a banquet cannot be a simple affair, can it? There must be something you need us for.”

After downing the wine in his glass, Eleanor asked with a smile.

Upon hearing Eleanor's question, Liu Tianyu laughed, took out a letter from his inventory, and handed it to Eleanor, asking him to read it aloud.

Elaine took the envelope, looking puzzled, but still opened it and read aloud:

"Greetings, sir. It is as if we are meeting in person upon reading this letter. There are signs of a large-scale mobilization in Axel City recently, and there are signs that the city's defenses are under martial law. I fear that the Earl of Axel is preparing to launch a war."

The surrounding territories are all vassals of the Earl of Axel, and no wrongdoings have been reported from them, so the Earl of Axel has no reason to harm them.

If they were to act rashly, they would undoubtedly be labeled as tyrannical, causing alarm among their vassals.

So who exactly is the target of this war? I hope you take care, sir!

Why is there no signature on this letter? And it doesn't say who it's addressed to, but the most important thing is the military mobilization in Axel, could it be...?

Eleanor looked at the letter in front of him and fell into deep thought.

Eleanor, Akavi, and Yak all turned their gazes toward Liu Tianyu, intending to hear what Feng Jun had to say.

"This letter was sent to me by my mole in Axel. The source is absolutely reliable. It doesn't mention the sender or sign it in order to hide itself."

Clearly, that old dog, Count Axel, has quite an appetite! He's already begun military mobilizations, and it's quite easy to figure out who he's targeting.

He had planted many of his spies in Stormlands, and he must have known that Stormlands was not what it used to be. Not only had the goblins, who were a man-made scourge, disappeared from the Stormlands, but the Storm Scourge had also vanished because the Sword Maiden had defeated the Lava Dragon, the culprit behind the Storm Scourge.

Furthermore, with the ever-growing population of Stormwind Territory, this old codger, still with a heart full of youthful vigor, has clearly set his sights on my Stormwind Territory!

Liu Tianyu tore off a chicken leg from the table and slowly chewed it while explaining.

"That's right. The changes in Storm Territory now are absolutely dramatic compared to last year."

If Stormhold were still the same as it was before, perhaps Count Axel would restrain his ambition and abide by the gentleman's agreement with you.

But now, he not only wants to monopolize the credit for annihilating the Storm Steppe goblins, but also wants to get rid of you and bring Storm Steppe under his rule.

After all, he was the one who paid for the adventurers to exterminate the goblins in the Stormy Plains. It was conservatively estimated that it cost him around 2200 Supreme Gold Coins, which was definitely not a small amount for him. He was certainly eager to recoup his costs.

"But, Your Excellency, the Earl of Axel has neither a pretext for war against us, nor does he dare to risk war against you, given that your lord is the king?"

After hearing Liu Tianyu's explanation, Akavi remained silent for a while before revealing his full analysis.

"Hehe, Uncle Akavi, your analysis makes a lot of sense, but there are two points you haven't seen clearly. First, if there's no pretext for war, then create one!"

The Second King is indeed my lord, but his influence in the capital is negligible in Storm Steppes. It's even uncertain whether the king remembers me as his vassal.

Even if we take a step back and assume the king still remembers me as a vassal, Count Axel can simply spare my life and then find an opportunity to have me killed suddenly.

Finally, he'll stand up and wail a couple more times for me, and then we'll hold a grand funeral to maintain the dignity of the nobility. The living are always more important than the dead!

Liu Tianyu initially remained noncommittal about Akavi's analysis, but then completely supplemented it.

"A common man is innocent, but he is guilty of possessing a treasure. After the natural disasters and man-made calamities are gone, the Stormy Grassland will surely become a fertile land with abundant water and grass."

My policy toward Stormwind has always been one of laissez-faire, which will surely attract many bankrupt free citizens and refugee serfs to Stormwind.

At that time, Stormlands will inevitably grow and develop, and has the potential to become a city.

Faced with such immense wealth within reach, unless Count Axel is my father, he would never sit idly by and watch me grow stronger. In the face of human nature, there is only self-interest; everything else is meaningless!

Therefore, my sudden summons to you, and my order for you to bring your troops, is to prepare for war. This will be a life-or-death battle for Stormwind Territory.

Victory would be a cause for celebration, and I could even turn the tables and teach that old Count Axel what it means to be a snake swallowing an elephant!

As for failure, hmph, there is no option of failure! Come, fill your cups, drink this toast to victory!

As Liu Tianyu spoke, the corners of his mouth turned up even more, and he raised the camel milk towards the three of them again.

[Ding! The quest "Stepping Stone" has been issued. Count Axel will personally launch a surprise attack against you. Annihilate the invading enemy and thwart his plot. Quest completion reward: One Hero Summoning Card for Light and Darkness.]

[Ding! Quest "The Road to Conquest" issued. I will not attack unless attacked. Count Axel covets Stormwind Territory, and you covet Axel City as well. Conquer Axel City by any means necessary. Quest completion reward: Guaranteed one Honor Lottery draw.]

[Ding! The quest "I desperately want to improve" has been issued. Raise your rank to Earl. Quest completion rewards: Unlock the mod cheat shop, open the mod reputation shop, and unlock the mod honor lottery.]

Right after Liu Tianyu made those bold remarks, three new tasks suddenly appeared in the system's long-absent task list, prompting Liu Tianyu to gulp down the camel milk in his cup and then excitedly smash the cup on the ground.

Chapter 83 Count Axel's Scheme

"Father, the troops have assembled in the square and are waiting for your inspection."

"Father, I don't understand. Stormwind Territory is both backward and poor, and Stormwind Plains is notoriously rotten land. Why would you risk such a terrible invasion?"

Inside the castle hall of Axel, a richly dressed middle-aged man bowed to Count Axel, who was sitting by the fireplace, fully clad in mithril armor.

"Hmph, Streetlight, you're still the same. You only care about immediate gains and don't take a long-term view. Do you think Stormhold is still the same Stormhold?"

Count Axel, who was meditating with his eyes closed, was quite displeased upon hearing the words of his eldest son and heir.

"..."

The streetlight sensed its father's dissatisfaction, so it lowered its head, its face full of respect, ready to listen to its father's explanation.

Count Axel glanced at the streetlamp. His eldest son was short-sighted, focused only on immediate gains. This wouldn't be a problem if he were a commoner.

But once he inherits his title, the future of Axel City will truly be uncertain.

But this kid has always been cautious in his actions, and given the kingdom's primogeniture system, he couldn't just deprive the street lamp of its right to inherit the throne without a reason.

Now, all I can do is take it one step at a time while I'm still here.

"Storm Territory is not what it used to be. According to my informant, the goblins on the Storm Plains have almost disappeared thanks to the cooperation of the adventurers and the Storm Viscount."

Then, the culprit that caused the storm calamity in the Storm Plains, the Lava Dragon, has also been eliminated by the Sword Maiden. Its head is still hanging in the Lord's Hall of Stormlands as a trophy.

Do I need to explain what this means? After the natural disasters and man-made calamities were eliminated, the Stormy Grassland has transformed from a notorious wasteland into a lush and fertile land.

Its future potential is definitely not small; with its vast arable land and natural pastures, it could very well become the next Axel!

Count Axel seemed quite excited; in fact, when he first heard the news, he was so shocked that he couldn't speak.

Originally, he just wanted to take all of Liu Tianyu's credit for wiping out the goblins of the Stormy Grassland, so that he could rise to a higher level.

But now that the natural and man-made disasters have subsided, the development of Storm Territory is just around the corner, and he has discovered that there may be a win-win solution!

Swallowing Storm Territory and the merit of wiping out the goblins of Storm Plains means he won twice!

Not only could they move up their rank, but they could also gain a piece of the future city of Axel. In that case, they would not hesitate to launch a surprise attack!

Anyway, he's already an old man, so reputation isn't that important anymore.

"I see, Father. I understand what you mean. However, there's one thing I don't understand. You said the Lava Dragon was slain by the Sword Saintess..."

Could this mean that Viscount Storm and the Sword Maiden have a close relationship?

"We might be able to find an excuse to get away with it from His Majesty the King, but if we anger the Sword Saintess, we'll be angering the Church of the Supreme God!"

After hearing Count Axel's explanation, the streetlamp suddenly understood, but then raised another question.

Count Axel chuckled softly upon hearing this, and stood up from the expensive sofa, saying:

"How could I possibly wage war against Storm Leader if I weren't absolutely certain?"

The informant had already investigated and found that after the Sword Maiden dealt with the Lava Dragon, she left Stormlands immediately and there has been no further news of her. She must have returned to Water City.

Although I don't know what methods Viscount Storm used to persuade the Sword Saintess, it's clear that the two are not closely related, which is why I felt comfortable taking action.

Alright, have you asked all your questions? Come on, let's go review the troops together. It's been a long time since I've personally been on the battlefield; I was worried my sword might have rusted.

“Father, how could your sword possibly rust? An ordinary iron sword might rust after ten or twenty years, but your mithril sword will remain as sharp as if it were newly honed even after a thousand or ten thousand years!”

The streetlamp immediately offered its flattery respectfully, which pleased Count Axel, but he said nothing more, turned and left the room, heading towards the square.

The troops here had already assembled, with a full four hundred well-equipped soldiers gathered in the square.

The first row consists of 40 heavily armed cavalrymen, already mounted on horseback. Not only are the men themselves fully armed, but their warhorses are also clad in plate armor. They are responsible for the frontal charge and breaking through enemy lines.

The second and third ranks consisted of 80 Kingdom cavalrymen, whose equipment was somewhat less than that of the Kingdom's armored cavalry, and who were responsible for flanking maneuvers.

Looking further back, the fourth row consisted of 44 veteran archers from the kingdom, clad in chainmail, helmets, and leather gloves. They carried longbows taller than themselves on their backs, quivers of barbed arrows at their waists, and handguarded swords.

Compared to the Kingdom's Death Knights and the Kingdom's Armored Cavalry, this thing is as ordinary as it gets.

The fifth row behind them consisted of 56 royal archers. Compared to the veteran royal archers who wore chainmail, these guys were wearing thin leather armor, and their bows were short bows, with the most ordinary arrows.

Compared to the archers' meager appearance, the 42 Royal Halberd Guards in the sixth rank were almost blindingly bright in the sunlight.

Wearing helmets that conceal their faces, half-body plate armor, greaves, and arm guards, and wielding a 2-meter-long halberd, they looked quite imposing. However, they might be more suited to serving as an honor guard than a fighting force.

The seventh row consisted of 48 regular soldiers from the kingdom.

The eighth row was another highlight: 36 Kingdom's Death Knights, clad in full plate armor that completely enveloped them like human canisters. They wielded 1.6m steel greatswords and had 0.9m steel battle swords hanging at their waists, exuding a chilling aura.

The last row consisted of 54 kingdom swordsmen.

Although at first glance it seems similar to the Kingdom's troop type tree under Liu Tianyu's command, the difference is actually quite large, namely that the equipment of Count Axel's troops is not uniform.

For example, some of the most elite Kingdom armored cavalry wear chainmail instead of plate armor.

Not all of the Kingdom's Death Knights are fully plated; some only wear half-plate armor.

This is actually quite normal. After all, once Liu Tianyu's soldiers reach the required experience level, they can be upgraded by spending some dinars, allowing the system to provide them with equipment and infuse them with combat experience.

Others obviously couldn't do that; they had to honestly spend money to build equipment for the soldiers, letting them fight their way up from the battlefield step by step.

Others need several years or even more than a decade to go from being a free citizen of the kingdom to becoming a cataphract, and the cost of that alone is astronomical.

However, Liu Tianyu's troops only needed to survive a few bloody battles to accumulate experience points, and then spend some dinars to level up.

It can only be said that having a system means you can do whatever you want! This also means that if Liu Tianyu wants to maintain a large army, what he needs most is to fight to sustain the war and constantly expand his territory.

After all, other armies can pay their salaries monthly or even annually, but his army's salaries have to be paid weekly! That's where the lion's share is!