Chapter 880: Volume 27 Sudden Outburst - 19 Must Counterattack
A caravan of horses raced toward the castle, kicking up clouds of yellow dust like locusts sweeping through an autumn field. The soldiers atop the castle had heightened their vigilance. Although the group of knights was not large, the current regional situations were unstable, and no one desired chaos at such a time.
The middle-aged man grimaced as he reigned in his horse and shook the yellow dust from his cloak. He looked up at the castle, which was now drawing near. It seemed that the soldiers of the Mechelen Fortress had not received any notice. Nissa had been quite cautious in this aspect, but it now seemed unnecessary to continue with the subterfuge. Facing pressures from the beastmen in the west and north, and now with that usurper in the south sharpening his blades, it was unclear what that man was scheming. If the Ferdinand and Heine families united, the only outcome would be to vanish from the history of the kingdom’s noble lords like Philip did.
The middle-aged man did not delay much. He quickly passed through the grand gates of Mechelen Fortress. St. Nicholas, Mechelen, and Hasselt—three major fortresses, along with the Gratz Great Fortress, were the most important fortresses in the north of the Kingdom. Now, St. Nicholas and Gratz Fortress had become the beastmen’s playgrounds like the rest of the northern territories. Only Mechelen, under the control of the Ferdinand family, and Hasselt Fortress, under the control of the Heine family, were still hanging on. But under the pressure from both sides, how much longer could they endure this painful and stifling situation?
The spacious and bright Grand Hall did nothing to brighten the middle-aged man’s stern face, making the master realize that he likely brought more distressing news.
"Ebson, you’re in such a rush to meet—has something happened?" Although he knew it couldn’t be good news, Nissa Ferdinand still felt a twinge of anxiety. It must be a significant matter to make a leader of the Heine family come here in such haste.
"Nissa, do you think I’d come here if there were nothing?"
The relationship with the Ferdinand family head—who had some sort of tacit understanding with the beastmen—was something Ebson Heine found slightly distasteful. If it hadn’t been for this man’s misleading persuasion, making him believe a potential move against the Ferdinand and Heine families by the Kingdom, he would not have tacitly permitted the secret dealings of the Ferdinand family with the beastmen. Of course, the shadow of the Church of Light’s influence played a part, but if it had been unpermitted, Nissa would never dare play with fire with the beastmen. But now, it was all too late for regrets.
Seeing the other’s grim mood, Nissa felt even more tense. Recently, rumors had been rampant in his territory, particularly the ones about the beastman army likely advancing from the east. It disturbed him so much that the nobles gathered every few days to conspire, making him, a noble lord, very uneasy. Relying solely on a verbal agreement to restrain the beastmen was exceedingly fragile. Initially, giving up the St. Nicholas Fortress under the condition of not disturbing Leman Province had been agreed upon. Yet now, Leman Province had become the beastmen Cow Tribe’s finest grazing land. If the words of those damned beastmen could be trusted, then there would be no justice in the world.
"Tell me, what unpleasant news do you have?" Nissa sighed numbly, hoping it wasn’t about the beastmen. He couldn’t handle the pressure anymore.