On the shipâs deck, Nolan, Cassiopeia, Draco, and Sharon sat on chairs, eating the food on the round table in front of them.
Sharon took a bite of a chicken thigh, chewed, and asked curiously, "Cassiopeia, itâs been a day since the armies of the enemy kingdoms attacked the Kingdom of Kaldarion. Why havenât we heard anything yet? Could Glarvic and his kingdom withstand their onslaught?"
Cassiopeia gulped down a glass of water and shook her head.
"No, they shouldnât be able to. After all, the two attacking kingdoms, Baldrum and Korovtar, are very powerful. No matter how strong Kaldarionâs military is, itâs impossible for them to win."
She had investigated the strength of both kingdoms and was certain they were no ordinary powers.
In terms of territory and overall strength, they were comparable to Kaldarionâno, even slightly stronger.
Therefore, it was impossible for Glarvic to withstand their attack alone unless he sought help from other kingdoms.
But was that possible? Of course it was.
Baldrum and Korovtar attacked the Kingdom of Kaldarion because of a rare mineral called Netherium.
Whether he liked it or not, Glarvic would have to share the mineral with other kingdoms if he wanted them to help him face the attacks from Baldrum and Korovtar.
And that was the problemâno one knew what percentage they would demand.
It could be twenty percent, or even fifty.
If the Kingdom of Kaldarion refused, it wasnât impossible that the kingdoms he had previously invited to cooperate against Baldrum and Korovtar would turn around and join them in attacking Kaldarion instead.
It could be said that Glarvicâs position was truly stuck.
Cassiopeia turned to Nolan, her eyes filled with admiration.
It had to be admitted that everything was going according to Nolanâs plan. Her admiration for him rose several points.
Sensing her gaze, Nolan felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.
"So thatâs how it is... I understand." Sharon gave a small nod, and a faint smile spread across her lips. "In that case, will Glarvic ask for our help?"
Cassiopeia was about to answer when Nolan interrupted her.
"No, he wonât. It wasnât long ago that he expelled us from the palace. Since he also knows we havenât left, that only boosts his confidence. Itâs fineâjust wait until he begs us. It will happen sooner or later."
He wanted to see how long Glarvic could hold out against the onslaught of the two kingdoms.
Even if Glarvic asked another kingdom for help, there was no guarantee they would agree.
On the contrary, their greed for Netherium minerals might push them to unite with Baldrum and Korovtar instead.
Nolan raised his head and looked at the sky, a playful smile on his face.
âThe game will be over soon. Iâm sure of it...â
...
"Your Majesty, the northern border wall has been attacked by the Baldrum Kingdomâs army! The estimated number of fallen soldiers has reached two thousand!"
"Your Majesty, the city of Turuv has been taken by the enemy! About four thousand civilians have been slaughtered!"
"Your Majestyâ"
Cries rang out from all sides. Glarvic, seated on the throne, felt his head spinning, as if it were about to explode.
Bang!
He slammed his fist against the armrest of the throne, instantly silencing the ministers mid-report.
They stared at Glarvic, his face flushed red, as if he were barely containing the rage burning inside him.
Leina, standing beside him, sighed softly and said, "That will be all. You may leave for now. As for the matters youâve reported, I will discuss them with His Majesty later."
The ministers swallowed hard, not daring to argue, and filed out of the throne room one by one.
Glarvic let out a long sigh and shook his head.
"Iâm sorry, Leinaâand thank you for your help."
Whenever he lost control, Leina would step in and calm him down.
It could be said that she was his tranquilizer, always needing to be by his side.
Leina smiled and said, "Itâs all right, Your Majesty. I understand how you feel. By the way, what are your orders for handling this situation?"
Glarvic was silent for a moment before replying, "For now, send more troops to reinforce the border. As for the city of Turuv, which has been taken, I want the generals and heavy troops sent to annihilate the enemy forces. Show them no mercy."
His face burned with anger and hatred. He could not allow them to act freely in his territory, much less kill civilians.
Leina bowed and immediately left to carry out his orders.
Once alone, Glarvic closed his eyes and muttered coldly,
âItâs all Nolan Lorianâs fault! Iâm certain of it.â
No one knew about the Netherium mineral issue except him and the people he broughtâSharon, Cassiopeia, and Draco.
He was absolutely convinced that Nolan was behind everything.
What he didnât realize was that his plan was doomed to fail.
The Kingdom of Kaldarion would surviveâand even defeat the armies of Baldrum and Korovtar.
***
Three days passed in the blink of an eye, filled with relentless events.
The Baldrum and Korovtar armies launched wave after wave of attacks, putting the Kaldarion Kingdom under extreme pressure.
Even though Glarvic had ordered Leina to deploy numerous troops, the situation remained dire.
After all, Kaldarion was standing alone, while Baldrum and Korovtar fought together.
Glarvic had considered asking neighboring kingdoms for help but quickly dismissed the idea.
It was too difficult for him to share his kingdomâs wealth just to gain assistance.
Not to mention, any negotiations would surely be even more chaoticâperhaps far worse than what Nolan had proposed.
The news of the attacks by these kingdoms was impossible to keep from the public.
Many were frightened, but just as many were angry. They were deeply dissatisfied with Glarvicâs slow, sluggish response.
The White Dragon problem remained unresolved, and crises were erupting everywhere.
Now, with the kingdoms attacking the border, the peopleâs pent-up anger erupted like an atomic bomb.
Protests broke out across the land, and the chaos was becoming increasingly uncontrollable.
Inside the royal palace hall, Glarvic stared at Sylvia with a weary, troubled expression.
"Tower Master, when will you take action? The situation is completely out of control," he said.
Sylvia should have acted two days ago, but the White Dragon had hidden itself and raised a protective barrier around its nest.
No matter how hard Sylvia tried, the barrier could not be destroyed.
It wasnât that Sylvia was weakâthe dragon raceâs power was simply far superior, even at the same level.
"Donât worry. That barrier will be destroyed today. I guarantee it," Sylvia said firmly.
Glarvic exhaled in relief and smiled softly.
"I trust you."