Chapter 64 Under the Winter Sun

  The Aslex family wins big.

  The Scarlet Flame Legion was annihilated, with only over a hundred people escaping the battlefield. The head of the Sess family, Ferdinand Sess, Grand Duke, was furious and ordered the first heir in line, Fenrir, to reflect on his actions while stripping the General of the Scarlet Fox of all power and placing him under house arrest.

  When this uneven war of nobles ended with an even more uneven result, the entire Principality of Bellmard was shaken.

  But it was just a small earl, with only 3,000 horses, who defeated the combined forces of the Joseph family and the Red Flame Legion? That was a large army of over 13,000 people, with at least 10,000 of them being the most elite troops recognized by the country.

  But the Astaires family did not just defeat it, but annihilated it completely.

  Not only did it annihilate them, but also swallowed up an entire earldom in passing!

  What an achievement! This is simply a miracle!

  The big and small aristocrats who claimed to be extremely deep in the city, sat still with a straight face even when the mountain collapsed in front of them. Whether it was the Queen's faction who were gloating over the disaster or the Senatorial faction whose minds were unstable, the masters all sent out scouts to gather information about the war situation through various channels.

  The capital of the Principality of Bellmare, Hertomare, suddenly became bustling and yet flowed with undercurrents.

  At this moment, the nobles' congress was convened urgently.

  The initiator was naturally Iron Blood Duke, Heidrich Hamilton.

  The issue is quite simple - the Seth family's outrageous invasion of the Aslex family, while interfering with the internal affairs of the Joseph family, completely violates the honor and chivalry of the nobility and must be severely punished.

  At the height of the fierce battle, no one intervened, not even Iron Duke Dreschner, who had been keeping an eye on Midias Elthkron and even sent his own granddaughter to the battlefield.

  As soon as the result is out, it will be a case of "walls collapsing and everyone pushing" and "trees falling and monkeys scattering".

  It looks foolish and hypocritical, but this is the rule of the game for the nobles.

  Before the curtain falls, no one will intervene. Not to mention adding fuel to the fire, even adding flowers to the brocade behavior will not happen, because once involved, it means thorough involvement. Just like the Joseph family, foolishly serving as cannon fodder for the Seth family, the final result was to lead to Midy's large-scale attack, opening up the battlefield and ultimately losing all territory.

  And now, when all results are settled, is the moment when aristocratic politics can exert its greatest influence.

  Four words: win or lose.

  Now that the "king" and the "bandit" have been identified, the next step is to take advantage of the momentum, make a concerted effort, and turn the victory in war into tangible gains.

  This matter, although not very familiar to Earl Ingman Aschereks, was still clear about the key points. Moreover, Duke Ironblood had finally made a statement at this moment, so both parties immediately reached an agreement and there was a proposal for this emergency convening of the noble council.

  The Iron Duke stood on the side of the judges, denouncing the Seth and Joseph families for violating the noble honor. Meanwhile, Earl Ingman made a lengthy speech, vividly describing the destruction of the territory, the torture suffered by the people, and the brutality and cruelty of the Scarlet Flame Legion.

  But behind the hours-long tirade, there are actually only two things that want to be expressed.

  First, compensate for the money.

  Secondly, ceding territory.

  The Sess family, of course, cannot easily compromise, but the golden branch army of 15,000 people placed by the Hamilton family on the border between the two territories is not a decoration. After losing the Scarlet Flame Legion, there were many loopholes in the territorial defense of the Sess family, and it was clear that they could not withstand the great pressure from their old opponents.

  It's not impossible to turn the tables, and the foundation of the Seth family is still very thick. Losing one Flame Legion doesn't represent anything. The foundation of a great noble house cannot be shaken by one or two failures. Or rather, it is precisely because they can withstand failure that they are called noble houses, rather than fleeting phenomena like flashes in the pan.

  However, in being caught off guard and at a disadvantage, rejecting the Iron Duke's proposal would be equivalent to dissolving the noble assembly.

  That would mean a complete confrontation between the Queen's party and the parliamentary party, meaning the start of civil war in the Principality of Bellmare.

  Now that the Scarlet Flame Legion has been lost and the first in line to inherit has been beaten like a dog, engaging in civil war would be extremely disadvantageous for the Saiyas family.

  They need more time to eliminate the losses of this great defeat, need to comfort the demoralized army, and need a buffer period to recover from the current unbalanced situation.

  After two days of various verbal sparring matches, the Seth family finally yielded.

  Agreed to pay compensation for the losses of the Asleks family in the war.

  Cede two mines and five surrounding towns as atonement for unilaterally initiating this war.

  As for Joseph's family.

  There is no Joseph family anymore.

  It wasn't that Middy's heart was cruel, but rather the other party's luck was really not good. Quinlan Joseph disappeared in Fiona's crazy bombing during the Battle of Yorkshire. And Earl Joseph, whose soul had long been extracted, his physical condition worsened day by day, and after the end of the war, shortly after the Battle of Elven Town, this shell without a soul finally collapsed.

  Thus, the territory of the Joseph family was naturally incorporated under the surname of Asareiks.

  Annihilate three times as many strong enemies as our own side, gain the friendship of the Elf tribe, and double the territory.

  It can be said that it was a glorious victory beyond compare.

  But Earl Ingman remained expressionless, whether facing the resentful and jealous glances of the noble members of the opposition party or the enthusiastic flattery and praise of the royalist nobles, as well as various attempts to curry favor with him, he showed an extremely polite attitude, neither arrogant nor humble, neither complacent nor servile.

  Just like that ordinary Earl Ingemann who never gets any attention and quietly casts his vote at the noble assembly.

  Just do it.

  Because Ingemann was well aware that low-key would be the best way to help his son.

  Let this father who can't go on the battlefield himself stay here and guard that deserved benefit for him!

  While Earl Ingram calmly responded to the eager attention, the Iron Blood Duke was also bustling with people.

  More people lamented the calm and calculated maneuvering of the Hamilton family than the earl who had not personally participated in the war.

  From start to finish, they didn't make a move, not even a show of support, and yet they sent just one so-called "personal action, unrelated to the family" first heir over and directly won, and even brought the originally senatorial Asters family into the queen's faction.

  What kind of means! Not just deep and cunning!

  It is natural to make such a judgment, which is closely related to Fiona Hamilton's activity on the battlefield. The aristocrats who have been around for 70 or 80 years seem to think that "personal behavior" is just an excuse.

  The Iron Duke accepted all the praise without batting an eyelid, but also wisely left no handle for criticism.

  Others think the Hamilton family is mysterious and unpredictable, which is good, why bother to uncover it? With a little ambiguous language guidance, more benefits can be brought, a more stable position, and greater pressure on enemies. Why not?

  However, Iron Duke naturally also knew very well that Feena's battle was indeed a "personal action". And being able to win this war completely relied on Midia's own strength, and had nothing to do with the Hamilton family.

  That scoundrel who dared to reject me in person, the little rascal who ran off with my beloved granddaughter, what kind of target will he have next?

  The Iron Duke made a silent conjecture in his heart.

  He didn't think that Midei would be content with being a queen's pawn, being ordered around.

  But Medy did not expect that he had already been remembered by the Iron Blood Duke. At this moment, he was in a small town hundreds of kilometers away from the noisy capital.

  Qiu ancient city is neither a resource-rich town nor a strategic military location. Its only distinctive feature is probably the two words "mountain city".

  Many buildings in the city are built on the mountain, with clear layers and a very obvious height difference, looking like a beautiful landscape screen, very pleasing to the eye. And the roads that wind up the mountain also appear scattered and harmonious, with a strong sense of rhythm.

  On the highest hill in the city, there is a delicate but old villa, said to be haunted, and has been vacant for many years.

  But a week ago, an unknown billionaire bought that villa along with the entire hill.

  This wealthy man had a deed signed by the Asuleaks family, complete with all formalities and no loopholes. The lord of the ancient city naturally received him with caution. However, he probably didn't know that in fact, the real buyer of this villa was the master of this territory, Midy Asuleaks.

  Perhaps the autumn ancient city was not anything, but if you add Alice's forest and the newly incorporated Earl territory of the Joseph family, you will find that the autumn ancient city is located in a central position on the new map.

  Not only is it the center of the land, but also the center of the magical pulse.

  Gather countless tiny surges of magical energy into streams, then gather countless streams into a surging river, and finally, the ocean formed by these rivers is under the ancient city, under this hill, and under this villa.

  The entire territory is a magnificent magic array, and the eye of this magic array is right here.

  From now on, no matter where the wind blows or the grass moves, Mide and others can perceive it in the first time, and the defensive power of the territory will also be greatly enhanced. Of course, this villa located on the ocean of magic has also become the most suitable environment for adventurers to live in the entire Bellmarl Principality.

  The large family's stronghold in those demonic veins is nothing compared to the villa of "Infinite Magic".

  For Feina, a super-class job changer who can level up through magic tempering, this villa is simply a leveling paradise. She can level up while sitting, lying down, eating and drinking!

  So when Mide suggested that the three of them move into this villa, the most delighted was naturally the Queen of Magic Bullets.

  The quiet environment of the mountain city, the sparse population and the beautiful scenery, obviously also suited the taste of the Fog Witch, which could be seen from her frequent walks.

  As for Mide, as long as the two girls are happy, he is the happiest.

  At this moment, it's just afternoon, after a week of busy work, the abandoned villa was finally cleaned up by the young men and women with their own hands, and countless mechanisms and defenses were set up. Now, they can finally take a good rest and enjoy the results.

  The afternoon sunlight pours through the glass windows of the sunroom, overflowing with a warm golden light.

  Fina was the first to enter the sunroom and immediately rushed to the best position. The petite figure of the red-haired girl quickly occupied an entire large sofa.

  "It's so warm and cozy......" The Queen of Bullet Hell let out a satisfied sigh, curled up like a cat, closed her eyes, and had happiness written all over her face.

  Outside the window, a silver dress is wrapped in white.

  A few days ago, the last snow of winter fell, and now the entire mountain is covered in a vast expanse of white. However, amidst the snowy landscape, there are also dots of new greenery. Wild grasses and vines, withstanding the cold of winter, stubbornly poke their heads out of the earth, as if proclaiming to people that spring is about to arrive.

  Alice sat on a bench at the side, gazing out at the vibrant scene, her eyes gradually softening.

  But Mide's gaze remained on the backs of the two girls, his eyes filled with endless thoughts and longing.

  "Hey, how about something to drink?" Fina's cheerful voice rang out, with a hint of unhidden coquetry. "Hey, Middy, make me a cup of Southern Red Tea, okay?"

  "No problem." Midei smiled slightly and replied softly.

  "Ston Red Tea." Alice added in a timely manner.

  "Whatever you like," Middy said, suddenly remembering something and looking at the black-haired girl, "How about some music?"

  Alice, who seemed to have no enthusiasm, coldly stared at Midy, but although she looked unwilling, Alice still got up and took out the large violin from the piano cabinet that she had brought from the Witch's Mansion.

  Then, low and mellow notes flowed out from her fingertips.

  Listening to the cello's melodious and pleasant melody, breathing in the hot air rising from the boiling red tea, looking at Fiona squinting her eyes like a cat in the sunlight, Alice on the long chair unknowingly immersed in the music. In an instant, Midi suddenly felt that there were many words she wanted to pour out of her heart.

  In his previous life, he deeply loved them and owed them countless debts.

  In this life, he made a grand vow after his rebirth and has been working hard ever since. He has been outmaneuvering others on the chessboard of nobility, leading by example on the smoky battlefield, integrating forces, building an army, expanding territory, increasing power, and so on and so forth...

  Has your wish come true? Of course not yet.

  Gran's fire will eventually come, the ambition of the Delos Empire will be revealed, countless crises are waiting for Mide to overcome on the road ahead, and countless challenges are waiting for Mide to conquer in his fate.

  But at least for now, Midee really hopes that time can stand still, even if only for a short while.

  After all, what Middy truly wanted was just such a quiet afternoon.

  It's just such an idle and carefree daily life.

  Then, with them, share this winter day's warm sunshine.

  The First Volume of Arad's Sword: Three People Travel

  To be continued