Chapter 281: Revisiting the Situation Back Then

Having everyone hooked, Henwell continues with Fred’s story.

At that time, the eldest princess was about to be sent as an envoy to the Duchy of Lumir, and Fred, as a low-ranking officer, had nothing to do with her.

Later, the second War of the Six Kings breaks out. Lumir struggles to withstand attacks from both Vorry and Ogiro.

Part of Ika’s army is deployed into Lumir territory to share the defense burden.

Because Ika pulls troops from the south, its southeastern defenses become vulnerable.

A triple alliance led by the Duchy of Vorry storms into Ika’s southeast, pushing northward and nearly tearing apart the entire region.

Ika can no longer afford to support Lumir and recalls large numbers of troops to counterattack.

Lumir falls into a perilous situation, facing fierce attacks from both sea and land by Vorry and Ogiro.

At that time, Baron Jansen leads five thousand elite troops from the Phoenix family, breaking through Lumir’s defenses and invading their territory.

Ika plans to have the kingdom’s 55th Legion, assigned to protect the eldest princess, withdraw back to Ika to join the counterattack.

But with Ogiro’s forces already at the city gates, the young eldest princess can’t bear to abandon her maternal family.

So, she carries a royal decree from Baleqi and tries to persuade the 55th Legion’s commander to stay and defend her maternal relatives.

Faced with her pleas, the commander agrees.

That night, however, orders come to assassinate the eldest princess and all members of her maternal family.

Hearing this, everyone can’t stay silent and erupts in outrage.

Waintu looks confused. “Lord Henwell, this can’t be right! Even if they refused the princess’s request, they wouldn’t kill her, would they?”

Orak sighs. “Sigh… When Ika recalled its troops, it broke the alliance first, which was already bad. But if the eldest princess died, it opens up many interpretations.”

”For example, Ogiro and Vorry attack fiercely, forcing a retreat to protect the princess, but she still dies in the chaos. Whether to save face or to stir up resistance in Ika, her death would be ‘meaningful.’ ”

”After all, she had no strong family backing, and the old king didn’t care for her much.”

Orak pauses, then adds, “Also, rumors say the Sanchez family guarding Ika’s Eastern Territory had some involvement. At that time, Baleqi’s second wife’s health declined drastically. Many say it was because the ‘Disaster Princess’ came back.”

Waintu is deeply shocked but still scorns, “What a bunch of cowards! They sacrifice an innocent woman just to achieve their own goals!”

Henwell gently rubs his palm. “Exactly! Back then, some people thought just like you.”

Everyone catches on, this is where the story finally connects to Fred.

When Fred hears the news, he immediately leads his personal guards, risking everything to find the eldest princess and warn her of the danger.

Whether the rumors that Fred was captivated by her beauty, or that he saw a shortcut to promotion, or that he genuinely had a strong sense of justice—whatever the reason, on that night seventeen years ago, Fred indeed helps the eldest princess quietly escape the 55th Legion’s encirclement.

Then, the princess spread word that the 55th Legion commander planed to kill her.

Soon, the entire Duchy of Lumir is in an uproar, demanding an explanation from Ika.

As a result, the 55th Legion can neither withdraw nor harm the princess’s maternal family.

But that doesn’t mean the princess is safe.

Whether it’s to silence her or to rid the curse Baleqi’s second wife fears, no one intends to let her live.

The official story is that Fred, driven by lust, abducted the princess, planning to hand her over to the allied forces in exchange for wealth and status.

Though Baleqi vehemently denies this public narrative, it changes nothing.

At this moment, after five years as a puppet king, the forty-seven-year-old Baleqi dons armor, mounts his warhorse, and leads his few trusted men to the front lines.

The Ika leadership doesn’t care if Baleqi lives or dies.

Some even think the king’s death would boost morale.

On the front, Baleqi leads from the front, greatly inspiring the kingdom’s soldiers.

He starts promoting brave soldiers and officers in battle.

Though a puppet king, he’s still king.

He can’t appoint legion commanders, but promoting centurions and centurions is no problem.

No legion commander would really challenge a king’s face, even if he’s just a puppet.

Six months later, Baleqi, who has gained immense prestige within the army, begins planning a massive counterattack.

During the Battle of Kuka City, he uses himself as bait to lure the main forces of the allied central front into the trap.

He assembles a mixed legion made up of the mid- and low-ranking officers he personally promoted and sends them lightly equipped toward Fire Eyes City.

Henwell only learns much later why the once-dominant allied forces suffered a crushing defeat here.

The troops defending Fire Eyes City were handpicked by Baleqi himself, and he personally saw them off.

Thanks to Baleqi’s encouragement, Kuka City holds firm.

The elite unit in Fire Eyes City withstands pressure from two elite legions and maintains high morale.

Baleqi’s strategic plan shatters the allied central front.

After the battle, Baleqi’s reputation soars among the central front troops. It’s marking his first step toward reclaiming power.

Back during the defense of Six Bay Mountain, if Henwell and Fabio had arrived just a few days later, they might have witnessed this legendary king in action.

But if that had happened, Henwell and the others probably wouldn’t have been able to leave.

While Baleqi is on his rise, Fred is hiding in the Duchy of Lumir with a few dozen personal guards, evading multiple sieges and assassination attempts.

After two weeks, all of Fred’s men are dead, but he still fights his way out multiple times with the eldest princess.

At this, Orak interrupts, “Actually, my father took part in the chase for Fred back then! By that time, Fred had become a Battle Knight. The eldest princess was extremely valuable, especially to Baleqi. So under the Grand Duke Amir’s orders, my father and several experts formed a pursuit team aiming to capture the princess alive.”

Waintu quickly asks, “Did the Duke face off against Fred?”

Orak smiles and nods, “They did. But things got complicated, and they couldn’t capture Fred quickly. Then professionals from Ika and Lumir arrived. After a chaotic fight, we found Fred had escaped with the princess. There was no point risking more lives.”

”After that, my father never joined the pursuit again. The central front was collapsing, and the Phoenix family’s thousands of troops were crucial. They still needed my father to lead them!”