Surrounded by light infantrymen, who now spared no hesitation, the fallen guards were mercilessly hacked with axes, swiftly claiming the lives of five or six more.

The remaining members of Mibo’s guard, realizing the futility of their situation and seeing their charge knocked unconscious, descended into despair.

Recognizing the grim reality, they chose to lay down their weapons. .𝒎

Their shields, crafted from oil-soaked wood bound in cowhide, fell to the ground, symbols of their lost will to fight.

Portwan, a mayor, could have returned home since his soldiers were gone, but his city of Wislot was lost, leaving him no home to return to.

He had continued marching with Mibo’s army, hoping that his efforts might redeem his earlier failures and that Mibo, upon reclaiming Wislot, would reinstate him as mayor.

Now, in the forest ambush alongside Mibo’s bewildered forces and Ivan’s furious roars, the Mayor of Wislot seemed to have exhausted his passion in the battle outside his city.

Initially by Mibo’s side, Portwan soon sensed something amiss.

Mibo appeared unharmed but seemed to have become a man who knew only to advance, oblivious to his surroundings.

When Portwan realized that proceeding further would sever their connection with the main force, he stealthily halted.

At that moment, Portwan encountered a group of Mibo’s light infantry, among them a few burly heavy infantrymen. 𝘦.𝘤𝘰𝑚

He stopped them, urgently advising, “Listen to me, don’t go any further. Our situation is extremely dire. If you advance, you’ll be walking into certain death.”

The group, swayed by Portwan’s persuasion, hesitated, aware that desertion in the face of battle was dishonorable.

Portwan led them to a dense thicket of vines deep within the forest, then spoke earnestly,

“Listen, this is a hidden spot I discovered earlier. You are not nobles; if you go out there now, you’ll be slaughtered by Howard’s forces, with no chance of survival. If you want to live, heed my advice and wait here until the conflict ends. After the battle, we can return to the castle and claim we lost contact with the main force during the war. This way, we might yet save our lives.”

Among them, a few initially resisted, branding Portwan a coward and hurling insults at him before preparing to leave the vine-covered area.

However, before they could step out, they heard the brutal sounds of Howard’s army in action – the grating, unpleasant noise of swords cleaving into leather armor.

Their faces paled, their grips on their pikes and swords loosening.

After a moment of hesitation, they returned to the thicket, sitting down in silence.

Due to Portwan leading away a portion of Mibo’s army, Mibo’s forces suffered even quicker defeats.

The notion of a balanced engagement between the two armies was non-existent from the start.

After a brief period resembling combat, Mibo’s numbers dwindled rapidly.

As the battle drew to a close, their defeat was not just inevitable but catastrophic.

Hof led his soldiers out of the forest’s vicinity, returning with his troops to Castle Gajasu.

The few light cavalry assigned to Hof during the war also made their way to Mibo’s castle.

In the aftermath of his victory, Howard’s army began the somber task of cleaning the battlefield.

After sorting through the spoils of war, they made their way toward Castle Nok.

Portwan and his group narrowly escaped disaster.

Half a day later, as Howard’s forces neared Castle Nok, the castle’s defenders symbolically dispatched a small cavalry unit to harass them.

However, these cavalrymen halted upon encountering a person Howard had captured – Mibo, the current Earl of Nok.

Upon seeing the cavalry rein in their horses and slow to a stop, Howard wore a smile of triumph and addressed what appeared to be a nobleman leading the cavalry,

“Enough. You are Mibo’s forces, aren’t you? There’s no need to fight anymore. I have captured Mibo alive and have won this war.”

The young leader of the cavalry took a deep breath, dismounted with respect, and approached Howard to confirm the identity of the armored figure in Howard’s grasp.

Realizing the truth, a sense of resignation washed over him.

After a night’s rest, Howard entered Castle Nok early the next morning.

The castle offered no resistance.

Once inside, Howard’s army swiftly secured all key locations.

Then, adhering to noble customs, Howard declared that he had won the title of Earl of Nok following the war.

Meanwhile, Mibo and Ivan were imprisoned.

Turning to Bosiden, Howard said, “Release that former Baron Fernsouth, Blima. He no longer poses a threat to me.”

Bosiden nodded and instructed his men to carry out the order.

Howard’s army, with over a thousand men still standing, had suffered minimal losses while securing a significant victory.

After claiming the title of Earl, Howard’s first action was to send Bosiden to Duke Jiakai for a friendly meeting.

Bosiden was instructed to convey Howard’s respects to the Duke and express the hope that, as the new Earl of Nok, Howard could maintain a cordial relationship within the Duke’s domain.

Bosiden, respectful of Howard’s directive, couldn’t help but laugh as he led the diplomatic entourage away from Castle Nok.

Puzzled, a member of the delegation asked why he seemed so amused.

Bosiden replied with laughter, “Ha! Friendly relations and respects, hilarious! Tell me, if you were Duke Jiakai, wouldn’t you be terrified of an Earl who fought his way up from a knight?”

The diplomat’s brow furrowed, sensing the gravity of the situation.

But Bosiden quickly clapped him on the shoulder, adding,

“Don’t worry, don’t overthink it. I was just speaking my mind. A Duke of Jiakai’s stature and influence wouldn’t truly fear an Earl.”

“There are rules in the nobility, and the Duke wouldn’t act against Lord Howard without cause. Despite Howard’s rapid rise, he has adhered to the norms of the nobility. No one can accuse Lord Howard of any breach of conduct. Even if Duke Jiakai is uncomfortable with the situation, he’ll have to endure it.”

Meanwhile, Castle Nok was in chaos.

Although it housed a minority of Mibo’s troops who had not participated in defending the castle and had opened its gates to Howard, they were not Howard’s trusted forces.

As the capital of the Earldom of Nok, Castle Nok was more than a mere stronghold; its commercial activities thrived.

From blacksmiths and leatherworkers catering to military needs, to merchants dealing in horses, silk, and spices, the castle buzzed with business.

For Howard to effectively govern Castle Nok, a thorough reorganization was necessary.

However, another option was to grant Castle Nok as a fief.

While the Earldom of Nok was known for its namesake castle, there was no legal stipulation that the Earl must personally own it.

Howard could feasibly assign Castle Nok to another and establish the capital of his Earldom at Castle Fernsouth.

This decision was crucial, and once made, it could not be easily altered; it demanded careful consideration.

The aftermath of war brought a tangle of issues to address.

Yet, the soldiers were jubilant in their victory.

They had acquired substantial loot and wealth.

Upon entering the castle, Howard, honoring his promise, distributed a considerable amount of wealth, amounting to two gold coins each – an unimaginable sum before, all thanks to the efforts of Howard and Vettel.

The matter of the capital needed swift resolution.

Nora remained at Castle Fernsouth, as did Vettel.

The location of the capital dictated where the court would be.

Resarite, Anna, Margaret, and Alonso all took up residence in Castle Nok, unwilling to depart until the issue of the capital was settled.

This situation led to a management dilemma: which castle should be the true capital?

At the post-war banquet, Resarite, having indulged in much wine, asked Howard, “Howard, which castle do you plan to make the capital?”

Howard replied thoughtfully, “This is a significant decision. I need to carefully consider it. I know Castle Fernsouth can muster about a thousand men, but I need to find out how many troops Castle Nok can sustain at full capacity.”

Howard settled into a chair made of golden Phoebe wood, its elegance a clear testament to the rich history and luxury of Castle Nok, the long-standing seat of the Earldom.

The level of refinement befitting an Earl was evident; gone were the days of casual discussions seated on wooden chairs.

Howard appeared somewhat melancholic, momentarily unsure of his next steps.

Anna approached gracefully, dressed in a striking black and yellow studded armor for the occasion.

Her eyes, having searched for Howard, brightened upon finding him.

She walked over and said, “Lord Howard, you are an Earl now, a true personage of significance. You should be happy. Why do you seem so downcast? It’s quite odd.”

After Howard shared his thoughts, Anna laughed lightly.

At that moment, she took Howard’s hand and spoke softly, “My lord, there’s no need to worry so. You should relax now.”

Soon, Margaret, Resarite, and Kaido joined them.

Anna, holding Howard’s hand, encouraged him, “Look, my lord, all your vassals are eager for your leadership. Please don’t hold yourself back.”

.𝒎