*Whoosh!*
A horse is running fast through the land. In doing so, it passed villages and towns like a gust of wind. The galloping sounds it made are enough to attract attention from people in the surroundings and stop them from doing their work. There is a mix of wary and curiosity on their faces.
After all, horses are not cheap and those who can afford them are people of high status. They don't want to cause trouble to such people unnecessarily. Although Ryntum only has one noble now, that's not the case for another kingdom. Nobles often pass by their villages as they are located on the important route from south to north.
Upon laying their eyes on the person riding the horse, all worries seem to disappear.
pαndα`noνɐ1~сoМ On top of the horse is a man wearing a military uniform. He ignores all eyes on him and puts all his focus on the road.
The road he always used is now full of people. Like everyone, he also knows about the road project.
'These people must be from construction companies. I guess the construction has begun.' He inwardly gives a comment.
"Hyaah!"
"Neighh!"
The horse accelerates. The soldier does feel sympathy for the horse. It did not has enough rest and was pushed to its limit by him. But, no matter how fond he is of the horse, its life weighs less than the safety of this kingdom.
The next evening, he arrives at the capital. The streets are no longer packed with people.
Since it's late in the day and the sun is almost set, he changes his initial destination from the government plaza to Noble Hill. Slowly riding his horse on the main street, he made his way toward his destination.
"Halt!! Identify yourself and your affiliation." The gatekeeper stops him from proceeding to the mansion.
"I am a soldier from Baroks bringing His Majesty The King an urgent message. Here is my badge." The soldier took out a steel plate resembling a dog tag but slightly larger in size which has 'A225' on it.
"We need to confirm the number on this tag first. Please come back tomor-"
"It's okay. You can let him through. I will escort him to see the king." A sudden voice interrupts the gatekeeper from finishing his sentence.
"Lady Charlotte! But-" The gatekeepers are trying to object.
"Don't worry, I can vouch for him. I don't think he is lying."
Charlotte who just returned from work was blocked at the mansion's gate. From her carriage, she looks at the man who claims to be a soldier from head to toe.
The desperation and tiredness on his face show he is not lying. His dirty and smelly clothes prove he was on a journey to the capital with minimal rest. The tired horse adds another point to her assumption. Unless he is a good actor, it is hard to fool her.
"If you say so, Lady Charlotte. We can let him in but we still need to check his number."
The gatekeepers no longer question him since Lady Charlotte has given her permission.
"You, give me the letter. I'll ask the butler to prepare a bath and new clothes for you. Surely, you can't meet the king with your smelly uniform."
"T-Thank you for your kindness, Lady Charlotte."
While Edward is serving the guest, she moves to Riz's office with the letter.
She turned the doorknob and directly entered the office as usual.
"Milord, there is a letter for you from Baroks."
"Huh?" Riz who is busy suddenly stupefied after hearing Charlotte's words. He tries to recall any official affair related to Baroks in his head but couldn't find one.
"Here." She handed him the crumbled letter. "I bet it is something serious. The messenger who was tasked to send this took no rest to reach the capital quickly."
He quickly opens it and reads the letter. As he read the letter, the wrinkle on his face appeared to be visible. His hand subconsciously begins to massage his temple.
"What is it?" asked Charlotte. She can guess it must be a serious problem. It's not easy to give her lord a headache.
"A group of cavalry from Inver entered our territory, approached Baroks City and killed our merchant. In face of approaching danger, our garrison soldiers open fire and kill two of Inver." He explains to her in the simplest form.
"What the f*ck?! Why would they do that?" She burst out. She wears the same confused expression as him.
"I don't know. The reason is unclear."
"Did milord somehow piss them off?" Charlotte ask. Not that she is fond of talking shit about her lord but his track record is not good.
After searching his memory for a while, he answers Charlotte's question. "If cutting coal deals with them is considered one then my answer is yes."
"That's it!"
*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*
"Your Majesty, I bring the messenger from Baroks to you," said Edward.
"Let him enter."
The door was open. And what greeted the soldier was a king who is several years younger than himself.
Ignoring the sparkling eyes of his soldiers, Riz orders him to sit down across from him.
"Good job for bringing this letter to me. Now tell me everything that has transpired that day." Riz is not simply going to believe everything written in this letter alone.
"Y-Yes, Your Majesty..." The soldier begins to recall the event. It took ten minutes for him to finish narrating it. Fortunately, the story aligns and there is no deception or falsehood in the letter. At least, for now.
"Thank you, you can go now. Edward, prepare food for him."
"As you wish."
After the soldier has exited his office. Charlotte begins to ask worriedly, "How should we handle this, milord?"
Riz leaned back in his chair and sighed tiredly.
He shrugged, "What else except to fortify Baroks City and ban their merchant from stepping on Ryntum's soil? I found it hard to believe that they sent fifty soldiers to attack us. In fact, I see this action as a provocation."
"Provocation? Are they attempting to find a justified reason to attack us?"
"Probably. But as far as I know, Inver is already fighting two wars and both of them won't end soon. Being in such a situation, why the hell did they want to start their third war with us? Is it for coal? You know, Baroks is just 10 kilometres away from Filgen and Rogvor's new settlement where the coal mine is located west of Baroks. To capture that area, they need to capture Baroks first."
"They want to drag us into a war just for coal? Even though they have a lot of it inside their nation?"
Riz chuckled. 'Just for coal?' She would never ask such a foolish question if she knew what happened on Earth.
"Greed, Charlotte. Human greed has no boundaries. We will never be satisfied with our current possession and seek more. I don't say it is wrong to be greedy because such nature drives humans to work hard for a better life. However, greed needs to be controlled so that it can't blind our sight."
"Tsk, enough with your philosophy. Tell me the plan you have in your mind."
"I will send someone to negotiate with Inver about their transgression into our territory. While at it, I plan to send some field cannons to Baroks. The best way to make them listen to our word is to show off our advanced weaponry. Our kingdom has no time to be involved in a war and needs to focus on its development."
It is already way past office hours. Riz decided to discuss the details tomorrow instead since the situation is not severe by his standard.
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