Chapter 53. Short and Intense Decisive Battle (2)

"Have they arrived already?"

Barrelmunt Dukedom.

The plains near the Duke's Castle.

Duke Barrelmunt, the Commander-in-Chief of the hastily assembled Nobility alliance army, clicked his tongue as he watched the approaching Central Army.

Several days had passed since he received the tragic news of the Loengram Family and began his frantic preparations. Now, the day to assess the fruits of his labor had finally come, and he couldn’t help but feel a surge of frustration.

"Carolus, that damned bastard… All this trouble because of him...."

The army under his command numbered a staggering 46,000. Even for a powerful ducal house, it was a scale difficult to assemble and maintain alone.

Thus, he had to seek assistance from the surrounding territories, but the process was far from easy. How would the greedy Nobility react to a sudden demand for massive aid?

Naturally, they were far from readily cooperative, instead haggling relentlessly. They extracted all sorts of special interests in exchange for sending troops and supplies.

'It cost me almost three years' worth of budget, just in monetary terms.'...