Chapter 30 : Chapter 30
Chapter 30. Terrible News, Massive Troop Movements to the Northern Frontier
The news that the king had suffered catastrophic losses in the Northern Frontier was jointly suppressed by the major dukes and the royal family. Anyone with insight could tell that the situation in the north was dire, but no one dared to speak recklessly.
Inside the palace, the atmosphere was so oppressive it felt as though a storm were about to break.
After listening to Tos’s report, William suddenly stood up from his chair. His fingers turned pale from the force of his grip.
“What did you say?”
“Father’s legions… completely wiped out? Even legendary powerhouses were lost? That’s impossible!”
He strode to the map and jabbed his finger hard at the Northern Frontier.
“According to the previous intelligence, more than a dozen legendary powerhouses accompanied him. The three great dukes were there as well, along with two hundred thousand elite troops.”
“What kind of power could annihilate two hundred thousand soldiers without a single one escaping? Even legends could not stop it?”
Tos stood to the side with a grave expression, hesitating.
“Your Highness… there have been rumors circulating in the underground black market.”
“They say an ancient Secret Realm appeared in the Northern Frontier. His Majesty’s Royal Expedition may have been related to that.”
“And…”
He paused briefly.
“The three great dukes have already begun mobilizing all legions and Knight Orders within their territories. The Second Monster Legion in the Royal Capital also departed overnight for the Northern Frontier.”
William’s breathing suddenly halted.
A Secret Realm?
Mobilizing every available force?
This was absolutely no minor conflict.
If his father and the three great dukes were willing to mobilize so many troops and pay such a terrible price, then whatever lay within that Secret Realm was likely far more dangerous—and far more tempting—than anyone had imagined.
“Let’s go.”
He turned and walked out quickly.
“Your Highness, where are you going?” Tos hurried after him.
“To see my mother.”
William’s voice carried unwavering determination.
“She must know something. The royal family and the ducal families may be working together to block the news, but such a huge event cannot remain hidden for long.”
“I need to know what really happened in the Northern Frontier.”
Tos watched his back and sighed inwardly.
This Fourth Prince always seemed to reveal a sharpness and sense of responsibility far beyond his age.
The storm in the Northern Frontier had already formed, and with this step, His Highness would likely be drawn into it as well.
When William followed the maid into Vivian’s Residence, he saw Marquis Peter standing up to leave.
The old marquis glanced at him with a complicated expression. After a hurried bow, he quickly departed, his robe brushing the doorway as a breeze followed him out.
“Come sit.”
Vivian gestured for him to sit beside her on a cushioned couch. Her tone was calm, though the exhaustion in her eyes could not be hidden.
William had barely sat down before speaking anxiously.
“Mother, about the Northern Frontier—”
“Do not concern yourself with that matter.”
Vivian interrupted him immediately, her fingers gently rubbing the rim of her teacup.
“The ancestors inside the Secret Realm have already intervened. It is not something we need to worry about.”
“You should focus on recruiting people and managing your Knight Order.”
“The ancestors?” William frowned. “You mean the legendary powerhouses of the royal family who live in seclusion?”
He had always wondered why the legendary powerhouses staying in the palace were not members of the royal family, yet the royal family still managed to maintain authority over them.
Now he finally understood.
The royal family’s true legendary powerhouses had long been cultivating within the royal Secret Realm.
Vivian nodded and lowered her voice further.
“They do not stay in the palace. They spend most of their time in seclusion inside the royal Secret Realm.”
“With the situation in the north worsening, His Majesty has already requested their assistance.”
William nodded slowly after hearing this.
This was indeed not something he could interfere with.
There was no need to overestimate himself.
After bowing to his mother, he turned and left the Residence.
Over the following half month, news from the Northern Frontier became increasingly scarce, as if it were cut off by an invisible barrier.
But the mobilization across the kingdom never stopped.
Legions and Knight Orders from various territories continuously marched through the city gates toward the north.
The sounds of clashing armor and pounding hooves echoed day and night, and the air carried the tension of an approaching storm.
William suppressed the anxiety in his heart and devoted all his energy to managing the manor.
Within those fifteen days, he recruited more than eight hundred additional commoner youths.
Each of them possessed at least Golden Aptitude, and among them were even more than a dozen with Sky Aptitude.
The manor gradually became lively.
William personally signed contracts with each of the new recruits and distributed cultivation resources without hesitation.
Breathing techniques, meditation manuals, magic potions, Dou Qi scrolls…
The supplies in the storage house dwindled at a visible rate.
Tos watched with aching heart, but William did not care at all.
“Resources exist to be used where they matter most.”
“The stronger they become, the greater my confidence will be.”
Even the first group of nine people who had been arranged in the Western Side Hall had all broken through to the Bronze Rank with the help of abundant resources.
Their auras were now several times steadier than before.
Only ten days remained until the Knight Ceremony.
Yet the nobles of the Royal Capital no longer showed the same anticipation as in previous years.
Normally, the king would personally attend the ceremony and confer titles upon the newly appointed knights.
But this year…
Everyone understood without saying it.
Kroll II might not be able to return from the Northern Frontier.
William stood on the high platform of the manor, watching the training crowd in the distance with a slight frown.
The Knight Ceremony was one of the kingdom’s most important rituals.
If the king were absent, it would inevitably shake people’s confidence.
More importantly, William had a faint sense that the stalemate in the Northern Frontier was far more difficult than anyone imagined.
Otherwise, his father would never miss the ceremony.
“Tos,” he said, turning around, “continue investigating. See whether more reinforcements are still being sent north.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Days passed one after another.
The reports Tos brought back each day were nearly identical.
Reinforcements continued to pour into the Northern Frontier.
Heavy cavalry legions from the southern territories had already crossed the Three Waters River, while the Gale Eagle Riders from the western lands were rushing there day and night.
Such massive troop movements were no longer a secret.
Among the nobles, conversations over tea always appeared to revolve around the Knight Ceremony.
But beneath the surface, every discussion inevitably returned to the Northern Frontier.
The rumored Secret Realm had become like a magnet, drawing everyone’s attention.
“Have you heard? The third son of Count Merik secretly tried to head north with his private troops, but he was detained by patrol forces.”
“Hah, why the rush? His Majesty has not even given permission yet.”
“But it’s a Secret Realm! Even if it only contains basic herbs, the space of the Secret Realm itself could support a family for three generations.”
These discussions reached William through various channels.
He merely sneered.
The greed of the nobles had never been hidden.
What they desired was not the chance to fight for the kingdom, but the inheritance and wealth that might exist within the Secret Realm.
Inside the manor’s Study, William spread out a map of the Northern Frontier.
His finger traced the faint red mark labeled “Secret Realm Entrance.”
His father’s refusal to grant the nobles permission was certainly not because he was unwilling to share.
More likely, the situation in the north had already deteriorated to the point where outsiders could not be allowed to interfere.
Perhaps the Secret Realm had already been seized by enemies.
Or perhaps the dangers inside were far beyond anyone’s expectations.
“Your Highness.”
Tos entered quietly and handed him a confidential report.
“This just arrived. Several earls from the eastern territories jointly submitted a memorial. They are willing to donate half of their territorial income if they can send their family members to participate in the Northern Frontier war.”
William glanced at the report and tossed it onto the table.
“What did Father say?”
Tos lowered his voice.
“His Majesty’s reply contained only six words.”
“Remain disciplined. Await orders.”
“Remain disciplined?”
William tapped the table with his finger.
“That means the waters in the Northern Frontier are deeper than we imagined.”
Even his father had to suppress the nobles’ ambitions.
That meant the Secret Realm likely contained not only wealth—but dangers powerful enough to shake the very foundation of the kingdom.