There were still two years and seven months left before that road would be infested by the beasts. That's the amount of time it would take for them to reproduce so much that the forest wouldn't be able to support them.
"Stop thinking. It's not like what you think. It's not like that little bit of a problem would require my appearance."
After interrupting Julian, Damien took out a letter from underneath his black coat and unfolded it.
The stamp of the Constantine Family could be found on its back, making it an official letter.
Only Julian's father, his eldest brother, and their closest advisors had the authority to send it out to others.
Damien placed it on the table, "This was sent to me not too long ago. In it, it says that Count Constantine is requesting for all the feudal lords of the nearby counties to come to his aid. It's suspected that the undefeated swarm will launch an attack on the County and the town and villages under it sometime soon."
In the Empire, the Forbidden Capital was surrounded by four Duchies.
These duchies controlled the four regions, namely the Western, Eastern, Northern, and Southern Regions.
There were many Counties, towns, and villages in these regions.
The latter two were supervised by Feudal Lords or distant cousins of high nobility and backed by the Counties.
One such village was found on the summer lands.
Damien was under the direct rule of Count Badulf as he was the Feudal Lord ruling a village that was backed by Baldwin County.
The Fierce Sword Count shared a good relationship with Count Constantine.
To not ruin the diplomatic relations between the two Counties, Damien had to accept this order, even though he wasn't directly under Count Constantine.
The empire also had several marquises.
The land they ruled was called March.
The northern frontier, which was the border between the Empire and the Uncharted Lands, was an example of it. It was ruled by the Marquis of Winter.
"But how can that happen?" Julian said, "We hadn't even had any skirmishes in the past 15 years. Both sides had been living in their piece of land peacefully. And I don't remember us doing anything to attract their ire. Why is the situation suddenly taking a turn for the worse?"
Damien explained, "That Lord of the West has never liked the Constantines. Their enmity goes way back, and the hatred between them is mutual. It was beaten black and blue and taken as a prisoner of war the last time it tried to invade the County. It was freed because the king of the beast intervened, and the Glorious Sun handed down a decree telling us to forgive it just this once. Everyone thought that it was only a matter of time before the dirty mutt came to bite them again. But to our surprise, since then, it has shown us a better attitude. It didn't even bark at us. However, it was all on the surface."
Damien continued, "Behind our back, it has been slowly growing its power and cultivating its forces to one day seek revenge on the Constantines.
"And now it can't wait any longer. It's going to wage war on the County. The recent migration of the beasts is a telltale sign of it." Damien explained to them.
'So he doesn't know.' After hearing him out, Roy realized that Damien didn't know what he was planning to do tonight. That made things easier for him.
Anyway, it was exactly as Damien concluded.
The various tribes of the swarm didn't want to be a part of the upcoming battle.
But the crazy mutt was intent on forcing them to become cannon fodders, and they didn't have any power to oppose him.
Thus, they have left their homeland and migrated to the realms of other Lords of the West.
"No one deserves to participate in a war on an empty stomach."
Damien smiled at them
"I fed you because you can't escape it either. It's too late to take the other path to the capital. The only way you will reach it in time to participate in the awakening ceremony is through the teleportation portal that connects Constantine County to the Capital. And during the battle, the Count will only activate it to receive aid from the imperial family."
They found his words quite unpleasant to hear.
Julian felt worried for his father. Although he was cold towards him and didn't support his passion, he had paid for his tuition and also clothed and fed him for 15 years.
"What if it doesn't start by the time we reach it?" Roy questioned Damien.
"Then it's your luck." Damien answered, "The Count won't enforce the wartime rule, and you will be able to use the teleportation portal to get to the Forbidden Capital safely. But I advise you to give up on that thought." Damien's finger moved past the maids and Julian and stopped on Roy as he said, "While they can sit back and relax, it's inevitable for you to to not be mixed up in it unless you don't want to participate in the ceremony this year."
The very next moment, he saw Roy looking at him in a weird way.
"How are you so certain?" Roy was unable to understand why Damien was so confident about it.
"The Water Celestial has divined this," Damien answered him.
Hearing his words, the Female Siren stood up in shock.
"Father is here?"
Damien nodded at her, "He is."
"Can I see him?"
"He is not accepting any visitors for the time being."
He coldly refused her.
As a result, her bright expression fell, and she felt saddened.
She had been meaning to see her birth father for hundreds of years.
But although they were now in the same place, he didn't even bother coming to her, and he was also stopping her from coming to see him.
What kind of father is that?!
