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Chapter: 83

Three days had passed since I brought 2,000 additional soldiers from Misa and Yeoan Fortresses.

Fatigue was heavy, but thanks to the increased number of troops, we were able to secure time for everyone to rest in shifts.

The wounded received treatment and had time to recover, and during the day, we focused on repairing the fortress walls.

The people were still anxious. We tried to increase patrols to help them feel safe, but it didn\'t seem to be of much help.

I suspected they would remain uneasy until news of victory spread.

Still, there was good news.

"A letter has arrived from His Majesty the King."

A letter had finally arrived from the capital.

It was a letter we had been waiting for, but receiving it only amplified the tension. It was because we didn\'t know its contents.

As soon as I received the letter, I went to the Lord of Wolhan\'s reception hall and tore open the envelope. My hands were trembling from the anticipation.

"There\'s no need for me to read it alone, so you can read it first."

They say it\'s better to face the inevitable sooner rather than later, but not in this case.

I wanted to delay it, even for a moment. It seemed the Wolhan Fortress Lord felt the same.

"It is proper for Your Highness to read it first."

Damn it. In the end, I read it first.

And it was bad news.

‘Praying for the peace of Wolhan Fortress, and commending your tireless efforts thus far.

I have always had faith in the courage and wisdom of the Lord of Wolhan Fortress, who fights resolutely amidst the difficult circumstances of the Northern Region, and I am certain that the war situation will improve.

I declare that no troops from the capital will be dispatched for this war. Therefore, Prince Ikwon must gather troops from each fortress and village in the Northern Region and resolve this perilous crisis on his own.

Bear in mind that the safety of the Northern Region rests in your hands, and mobilize all resources to repel the enemy invasion.

Furthermore, Prince Ikwon is forbidden from returning to the capital under any circumstances until the war is over, and you must keep this in mind.

Returning to the capital before seeing the end of the war will not be permitted, and the Wolhan Fortress Lord, as the shield of the Northern Region and the reliable protector of the capital, must remember that it is the king\'s will for you to remain at your post until this crisis is resolved.

I hope that Prince Ikwon will demonstrate courage and wisdom in this war, restore peace to the Northern Region, and take the lead in firmly safeguarding the safety of our nation.

In accordance with the royal decree, I urge you to join forces with the soldiers of the Northern Region, fight together, and devote all your efforts to protecting the nation\'s territory and its people.

I anticipate that Prince Ikwon will display heroic deeds in assisting the Lord of Wolhan Fortress, and I eagerly await the day when you return with news of victory.’

After reading it, my jaw dropped.

"Uh..."

I was literally speechless.

With a dumbfounded expression, I reread the letter for a long time. I read it again and again, and again.

Even though it was a short letter with only a few lines, it took quite a while to read it repeatedly.

The Wolhan Fortress Lord, who had been waiting for a long time, asked impatiently, "May I read it now?"

I nodded blankly.

Flutter-

Even after handing over the letter, I remained dazed, staring into space.

They say that when something is very absurd, you don\'t even get angry.

It seemed to be true.

My mind went blank, and I couldn\'t think of anything.

So.

So...

Was this really happening...?

"...Since His Majesty awaits news of victory, we have no choice but to do our best."

The Wolhan Fortress Lord said in a disheartened voice. He had seemed so strong, but to hear him speak in a voice like that...

That wasn\'t important right now...

I was also disheartened. No reinforcements. No reinforcements, how was this possible?

"Uwaaaaaaaaaaagh!"

We had to win this war, but we wouldn\'t receive any help. There were no troops to send, so we were left to fight on our own.

But winning meant completely eradicating the monstrous beasts. It meant extermination. This couldn\'t end with just defending the fortress.

"Uwaaaaaaaaaaagh!"

My head felt hot.

–Does this feel familiar?

I thought I heard the voice of our Fortress Lord as a hallucination.

Yes, this had happened before in Blood Cloud Fortress. When the Huawei army invaded Blood Cloud Fortress, our Fortress Lord had also written to the capital.

And received a handful of soldiers as reinforcements.

I think Yoo Geung was there at that time. Was that right?

Back then, I thought it was ridiculous, but now it seemed like they had been generous.

Well, Blood Cloud Fortress and Wolhan Fortress were on different scales... I tried to rationalize it, but the complete lack of support was hard to swallow.

Even if I were to be incredibly generous and assume that they believed we had enough troops, which we didn\'t, shouldn\'t they at least provide some financial support? If not money, then rice? Weapons? What were we supposed to do, fight a war with our bare hands?

Even shouting didn\'t relieve my frustration. Offering my condolences to the Wolhan Fortress Lord, who had to endure my outburst, I slumped back in my chair.

"He must have gone senile."

At my disrespectful remark, the Wolhan Fortress Lord cleared his throat, pretending not to have heard.

He remained indifferent. Did he expect this? Considering it was my father\'s fault, it felt awkward to ask if he was calm because he had expected it.

"It must be. He\'s senile. All that\'s left for him is to soil the walls. The court ladies and eunuchs will have a hard time."

I never treated him like a father, but if this was how he was going to act, I would have to give him a taste of filial piety.

"Ahem."

The Wolhan Fortress Lord cleared his throat again. Was this a silent agreement? Since he didn\'t tell me to stop, it seemed like it.

I could see the open window beyond the Lord of Wolhan\'s shoulder. Outside the window was the fortress wall.

The scenery beyond the wall still looked peaceful. Just like when I first arrived here.

But beyond that lurked the monstrous beasts, ready to attack again at any moment.

If things went wrong, Wolhan Fortress could become my grave.

"...Fortress Lord."

"Yes, Your Highness."

I sat up straight again.

Despite my outburst, the Fortress Lord remained unfazed. Was he getting used to me now?

"I\'m sorry, but I have things to do."

The Wolhan Fortress Lord paused for a moment before replying, "Could you be more specific about what you mean?"

"Well, this and that."

Perhaps thinking it was nonsense, the Fortress Lord simply nodded slightly instead of answering.

"What I mean is, I can\'t die here."

The letter said not to return unless we won. But those words didn\'t apply only to me.

"I can\'t let the lives entrusted to me be lost here either. I have to win. You understand that defending Wolhan Fortress isn\'t the only merit I need to return to the capital, right?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

I spoke indirectly, but King Bonhyeon\'s true intention was for me to conquer the forbidden zone that he couldn\'t set foot in. The fact that he specifically mentioned "news of victory" indicated that.

Until that was accomplished, the military officers who followed me were also trapped here in Wolhan Fortress.

What had they done wrong? They were just following orders, and now they were practically exiled.

They must feel wronged.

I couldn\'t face them.

"The only fortunate thing is that we have permission to summon troops from the entire Northern Region...This is so embarrassing."

"I will issue the summons immediately."

"Please do."

If we gathered troops from the entire Northern Region, we could assemble tens of thousands of soldiers.

If possible, it would be better to push into the forbidden zone. With that many troops, we wouldn\'t have to remain solely on the defensive.

I finished the conversation and left the reception hall.

However, my heart didn’t feel any lighter. The people I owed a debt to were elsewhere.

When I arrived at the lodging quarters, everyone was already gathered.

They must be curious. They all already knew that a letter had finally arrived from the capital.

It hadn\'t just been a day or two since they arrived here, and some of them had families. They must be longing to return to the capital.

I entered the meeting room where they were gathered.

Eighteen military officers simultaneously looked at me.

What should I say? I pondered for a moment, then met each of their eyes one by one.

Whether they were truly on my side or not, we now had no choice but to walk the same path.

At least while we were here, we were in this together.

Victory, or my death.

Otherwise, they wouldn\'t be able to return to the capital.

"...His Majesty has said,"

As I began to speak, I thought I heard the sound of them gulping. I wasn\'t sure if it was my imagination, but it was clear that they were as tense as I had been before opening the letter.

"That there will be no support for the battle at Wolhan Fortress. The Wolhan Fortress Lord has been granted the authority to issue a summons to the Northern Region, and I..."

I swallowed a sigh.

"Unless I return with news of victory, I won\'t be able to leave this place."

I gauged their reactions after delivering the news. However, they didn\'t show much of a response.

It seemed they had already anticipated this much. Still, some of them lowered their heads in disappointment.

I took a deep breath and continued.

"As long as I live, it will be difficult for you to leave the Northern Region either."

If it were just me, I could pretend to be dead and return to the capital if the situation worsened. I didn\'t necessarily need my status as a prince.

Actually, I didn\'t really want to return to the capital. If things got that bad, I would probably go to Blood Cloud Fortress.

But these people were different. They had built lives, formed connections, and cherished those things.

They weren\'t like me, an orphaned swordsman who could leave without a second thought...

"I can only apologize."

I meant it sincerely.

As soon as I finished speaking, those who had lowered their heads suddenly looked up at me. The others also stared at me with wide eyes.

"Please retract your words."

"How can you say such a thing? We will win."

"Indeed. It will just take time."

"It will take time, but we will return."

They spoke one by one, and I couldn\'t tell if their words were sincere or empty.

They had no reason to follow me.

I was called a scoundrel, and the right to inherit the throne was closer to my younger brother...

Impulsively, I asked, "Do you believe in me?"

As if it were obvious, they replied, "Of course we do, Your Highness."

"We will definitely return. Do not worry."