Somewhere in the Muivell Kingdom, a couple got a report of interesting news that had been spreading wildly in the kingdom.
"Hmm? Are you telling the truth?" The guy asked with a grim tone while the woman covered her mouth in complete shock. They were clearly shaken by the news.
"Yes, Sir. That's the rumor. And I believe Harley was the one spreading that rumor… and Harley wouldn't do something like that unless…" The one who reported to them didn't finish his words, but it was clear what the continuation was.
The guy closed his eyes for a moment before waving his hand. "Alright, thank you."
"Congratulations, Master, Madam. The young master has finally got someone." He smiled before turning around, leaving the couple alone.
The couple was dumbstruck, having a hard time believing the news. But if that was the truth, it completely blew their minds.
"Dear… Noel…" The woman's voice was shaken and tears couldn't help but flow out of her eyes.
"Y-yeah." The guy nodded his head. "I have never thought that it would end up like this."
Yes, this couple was none other than Noel's parents, Luke Ardagan and Leysha Ezenholm.
After getting that confirmation, Leysha turned around as if she was trying to leave. "I am going!"
"Wait! Do you know what will happen if we leave right now?" Luke gritted his teeth. He was as eager as Leysha, but he had to restrain himself.
"Are you saying I should continue to hide here when it's a big day for my son? I have been following you this whole time, agreeing to all those arrangements because I know that it's the best for Noel. But—" Leysha abruptly stopped when Luke looked at her with a sorrowful face.
He also wanted to go out, but the implications he brought might affect Noel directly. That was why he couldn't move. There was only one word coming out of his mouth. "Please."
Leysha clenched her fists. If she were any stronger physically, her palms might have bled from her nails. She said, "Is this also your plan?"
"No. While it's true that I've got an inspiration from the ancestor, I have never done anything that will alter the course of his life." Luke shook his head. "In fact, I originally thought that he would never have one in his life due to what happened… Or he might just choose one random woman just to push away anyone. Having Anna, especially with that nasty personality, is beyond my imagination."
Leysha frowned. "I heard that in the court, she was the one who suggested a dangerous place for Noel's territory."
"No. If they worked together, it meant that she had changed. That place must have been important and will become even more prosperous in the future." Luke shook his head before asking, "Have we made any contact with Kevin?"
"No. But the Royal Family seems to be unable to send forth all their Arbiters."
"The Sword Arbiter?"
"Included."
"That means Kevin is stalling that old man." Luke looked at the map on the table. "The Royal Family and the Supreme Devil Organization are going to move."
"I'm more concerned about the Third Prince. He has been extremely mysterious in the past two years." Leysha asked, "Should we send reinforcement? It doesn't need to be soldiers. We can send some money to help him."
"No. We can't help him directly or our movement will be known." Luke shook his head while pointing at the northern part of the Loustein. "If I'm not wrong, this place has had a high activity recently, right?"
"The northern part of his territory? But this is already outside the border. If we're going to help him, we should go to the territory!"
Luke ignored her words and continued with his explanation. "If I know my son very well, there should be a reinforcement stationed here. And due to its position… it must be from the Greenwood Kingdom."
"Greenwood Kingdom? My father?" Leysha seemed to be a bit startled.
"Most likely or we might still underestimate the scale. Either way, if we're going to send help, we'll give it to them."
"W-what? Why? You would rather help strangers than your own son?" Leysha protested.
"You have known me for so long, but can't you understand that I'm always acting for him?" Luke sighed.
"The pillars…" Leysha fell silent for a moment. As he said, there were ten pillars in the Ardagan Family, but out of ten, five had either followed them, defected, or completely disappeared.
However, Luke had actually prepared the remaining five for Noel. For example, Dimitri was the head butler, who also took care of the family problems. Douglas and Balott were perfect pillars for Noel if he wanted to build his new territory. Food supply would be a problem, so he left Jasmine. And finally, he asked Charlotte to take care of all the internal problems Noel would face.
These five pillars were the main strength for building a territory. But to his surprise, Howard and Harley ended up in the equation.
He brought the captain of the family's army, but the captain actually left behind the vice captain in charge of training, believing it would help Noel in the future. The same applied to Harley. He was the assistant of the information pillar, but he, by no means, was weaker than the head. Their way of gathering information was simply different.
It could be said that Noel received seven out of ten pillars. Of course, they were shocked to find Noel managed to invite a Master Blacksmith, teach runes, and even had a second princess of the Greenwood Kingdom as his student.
But this was also Noel taking his step to create his own pillars.
After understanding the situation, Leysha calmed down a bit. "So, is there a particular reason for you sending the reinforcement to these guys? They won't be able to enter the country, you know."
"Yes. If they enter the kingdom, the royal family could use it as an excuse." Luke pointed at Lounstein. "But if you look at the map, there is only one place to attack him."
"Hmm?" Leysha seemed to notice something from the map. "The east side is the Greenwood Kingdom's territory, which means if they attack through this area, they will face the Greenwood Kingdom's wrath. And there is also a mountain… instead of pouring a lot of money to defend it, he can actually use the natural terrain as a fortress."
"Indeed." Luke nodded in agreement. "On the opposite side is a river. While the demons have to cross it first to attack the territory, the river can become a weapon as well. In other words, there are only two ways to attack the city."
"The north and the south. However, the Supreme Devil Organization couldn't come from the South while bringing a lot of demons since the other nobles would be forced to raise their army. The royal family would just shoot themselves in the foot if they ordered them not to do anything. In other words, the only way for the organization to attack him will probably…" Leysha pointed at the north where the Greenwood Kingdom's soldiers were stationed.
It was finally clear why Luke wanted to send reinforcement to the Greenwood Kingdom's forces instead. They would be the main wall that stopped the demons from the north, which would reduce their number before reaching Noel's city.
"Yes. Only elites from the organization and royal family can actually strike him from the south."
Leysha fell silent, understanding the whole picture. It wasn't that Luke didn't want to help Noel directly, he simply couldn't. While his option was limited, he still chose the option where he could maximize his help.
There was still a gap that the enemies could exploit, but ultimately, their number would be reduced greatly before arriving at Noel's territory.
"Alright. I'll remain here." Leysha sighed. "Still, if she is going to be my daughter-in-law, I have to give her something, right?"
"I guess I can't keep you here." Luke scratched the back of his head. "But you can't release your Spiritual Energy no matter what."
"I know." Leysha nodded enthusiastically. She seemed to be eager to come out.
But before she could reach the door, Luke added, "Also… since it has been a while, I think you won't be able to go out anytime soon in the future. Hence, I think it's the best time to warn him about that."
"That?" Leysha seemed shocked, causing her to subconsciously utter, "Demon King Resurrection."
Luke took out a book and showed it to her. "According to the ancestor, the Ardagan Family is the mortal enemy of the demons. When I think about it, there is only one thing that has never changed in the Ardagan Family."
"Are you saying it's the sword?"
"Yes. The fact that the slumbering sword has awakened means that the mortal enemy has returned. There is also an increase in the activity of the demons. And I don't know if the Supreme Devil Organization, the Third Prince, or the Royal Family would take advantage of this. The longer he takes to get stronger, the more dangerous the situation will be… that includes the girl. Warn them about it."
"Should I inform my father about this as well? He will surely help us."
"No. We can't help directly to avoid suspicion. If you want to do it, it's better to spread the runes." Luke's face turned grim. "Three years… No, two years or even faster… We don't have a lot of time left."
"Alright." Leysha nodded with a serious expression.
