Four Split Personalities

"Um..."

The young girl barely managed to stabilize her glasses, helplessly watching the nearly hysterical Duke of Crystal Wolf, "I want to confirm first, are you just venting, or do you really want to consult me?"

Emily leaned her head on Double Leaf, whom she had fully accepted as her best friend, and muttered, "Both, I guess."

"Well, to help you clarify your thoughts, let me ask you a few questions first."

Since it didn’t concern the Marshall Family, Double Leaf was more than happy to give advice to her caring friend, Emily: "First of all, between Rebo Bresen and Shu Bresen, whom do you favor more?"

"You mean in terms of what?"

"Succession."

"Shu."

Emily, without a second thought, named the second prince, and said listlessly, "Although Prince Rebo is the Crown Prince and seems to have a much more solid foundation than Prince Shu, I always feel that he might not be a match for the latter."

"What if we add the entire Duntis Family?"

"Eh?"

"Then add the Hussein Family too."

"Do you know something?"

Emily looked at Double Leaf thoughtfully.

"Just a little bit about certain things, nothing to do with what you’re currently facing."

Double Leaf nodded, lazily said, "Emily, you just need to answer the questions now."

Emily grunted affirmatively, then dropped her head in thought and slowly said, "Indeed, I still think Prince Shu has a better chance of winning."

"Reason?"

"Intuition."

Emily blinked, seriously saying, "Father told me that as a superior, you must trust your instincts."

Although Double Leaf did not believe this, she still nodded understandingly and continued to ask, "So, do you like the second prince?"

"I don’t know him at all! Like Dabus said, even after I inherit my family, my interactions with him would be limited to very occasional exchanges of pleasantries."

Emily pouted, looking exceptionally tired.

"Okay, I’m done asking."

Double Leaf nodded, straightened the nearby Grand Duke, and looked at her smilingly, "So what do you think?"

The latter blinked in confusion, and after a long pause, weakly asked, "Isn’t it supposed to be you giving me advice after asking all these questions?"

"Not really."

Double Leaf spread her hands innocently, "I just said I’d help you clarify your thoughts."

Emily stared at her for a long while before covering her eyes and sighing deeply, "So I really have to marry him?"

"If your intuition is not wrong, then marrying Shu Bresen would indeed greatly benefit the Crystal Wolf Family," Double Leaf explained while stuffing a piece of pastry into her mouth, her words muffled, "It was already a risk-free agreement from the start, as conventionally, even if you two fell in love, Prince Shu, being a potential heir of the Violet Family, couldn’t marry you. He’d have to choose a girl from the Duntis Family or a woman outside from the Eight Great Families. So, if he indeed manages to marry you, the situation must be strongly tipped in his favor."

Emily nodded, adding, "That means, even if I agree to it now, as long as Prince Shu can’t change the situation, it’s just a mere formality without any effect."

"Exactly."

Double Leaf snapped her fingers, smiling, "But if he really can overcome the opposition to marry you, it would prove that he indeed has the capability and status to help the Crystal Wolf Family rise to power."

Emily smiled bitterly, her eyes showing a trace of confusion, and murmured, "It does sound like a no-lose situation."

"But the problem lies in what you think,"

Double Leaf scratched his head, helplessly saying, "Although I’ve never been in love or liked anyone, as your friend, I think you should consider what ’Emily • Wolf • Christo’ is thinking besides just the ’Great Duke Crystal Wolf.’"

"Emily’s thoughts, huh..."

Emily raised her right hand and summoned a crystal ice mirror in the air. She gazed at the young woman in the mirror dressed in splendid attire, powerful yet with a bewildered expression, and murmured softly, "Emily... what thoughts could she have?"

...

The next day

Game time AM 11:09

Eastern Marshal Territory, Lord’s Allied Forces camp

"Heh, finally everyone is here..."

Motan stood with his hands behind his back on a low hill, watching a group of at least three thousand Wolf Cavalry sweeping over with billowing dust in the distance. He surveyed the orderly camp with a smile and softly muttered, "The Fire Claw Wolf Cavalry, Blood Claw Guard, Simon Family’s Night Watcher Battle Group, Crystal Wolf Family’s Crystal Cluster Army, Baroca Family’s Pan Mountain Heavy Armed Knight Group, Duntis Family’s Golden Crow Guard, Fernan Family’s Iron Gate Team, Hussein Family’s Gold Balance Guard, the Violet Family’s Purple Thorn Guard, and the Royal Guard—indeed, it is quite a spectacle."

Standing next to him, Duke Vernon Baroca wore a dark-yellow heavy cavalier armor adorned with the family Crest, two one-handed heavy hammers at his waist, and a nearly two-meter-wide broadsword on his back. He chuckled, "Although everyone has only summoned a relatively elite fraction of their strength, all these men together are more than enough to defeat several of the Marshall Family’s armies."

"Ah, I certainly believe that. By the way, has the Marshall side sent any envoys for negotiation?"

Motan tightened his cloak of cold resistance and, shrinking his neck, asked Duke Baroca.

"To my knowledge, no."

The latter slowly shook his head, gazing west towards the City of Mercury and said in a low voice, "We only sent a few scouts to deliver the final ultimatum."

Motan burst into laughter, and after a good while, he finally asked, "And then?"

"According to the thieves you suggested I send out..."

Duke Baroca glanced at Motan with an odd look and said, "At least they saw with their own eyes two people being brutally killed by a group of mysterious figures on their way to the City of Mercury, their bodies destroyed without a trace."

"Ah, the Marshall Family is indeed vile. Not killing messengers should be an unwritten rule."

Motan retorted in a light and cheerful tone.

"I highly doubt those killers belong to the Marshall Family."

Baroca smiled sardonically at Motan, then in a lowered voice, he asked, "They are, after all..."

"Just people who want to end this farce as soon as possible, after all, our time is precious."

Motan laughed happily, then turned back to look at the armies from various families, ready to dismantle the camp and line up to set off. His lips curved into an amused arc, "So let the blood that needs to be spilled, flow quickly."

Duke Vernon Baroca looked deeply at Motan, "Your Highness, what exactly do you want? What does Mr. Dabus want?"

"His Highness wants far more than you can imagine."

Motan stretched lazily, climbed onto the carriage lent to him, and as he got on the last step, he turned to Duke Baroca with a grin, "As for me... heh, I’m just investing a bit while seeking pleasure."

...

That same day, game time AM 12:45, the fully converged Lord’s Allied Forces set off, swiftly advancing towards the core of Marshal Territory, the City of Mercury. They shifted into a war formation based on the results of last night’s meeting.

Leading as the arrowhead were the Duntis Golden Crow Guard, Fire Claw Wolf Cavalry, and Fernan Iron Gate Team.

Following them was the Hussein Gold Balance Guard, then came Emperor Clive Bresin himself leading the smallest troop, the Purple Thorn Guard. The wings were composed of the highly mobile Pan Mountain Heavy Armed Knight Group and Night Watcher Battle Group. The Crystal Wolf Family’s Crystal Cluster Guard and the Blood Claw Guard covered the rear. The total strength was nearly fifty thousand, tripling the combined forces of the Marshall Family’s three elite troops. Even with the addition of two reputedly strong slave-hunting groups, the Lord’s Allied Forces had an absolute advantage.

At this moment, this army named for retribution was less than six hours away from the City of Mercury...

War was on the brink of erupting.

Chapter Five Hundred and Twenty-Eight: The End