After her initial shock subsided, Ivana urged Tang Feiliu to leave. Regaining her composure, Tang Feiliu asked earnestly, "First, tell me honestly—is Edward in danger this time?"
Ivans paused before replying, "I don't know the details clearly, but His Majesty once told me they've been preparing for this battle for a long time."
Tang Feiliu felt slightly reassured. After a moment's thought, he pressed on, "...Then do you think the Imperial City truly faces the risk of being breached? Is it more dangerous than Black Swan City?"
Black Swan currently held many of Edward's strategic deployments, and the main battlefront wasn't even there—it was undoubtedly safer. Yet upon careful consideration, the Imperial City was the last bastion of territory. The true main battlefront certainly wouldn't be there either, though it was likely slightly more perilous than Black Swan.
After listening to Ivans' explanation, Tang Feiliu said earnestly, "Then I won't leave. If Edward wants to fight this battle against the Templars, I can't stop him. But I need to stay behind. I want to help him."
"...Your presence here will only worry His Grace the Duke," Ivanis patiently urged, clearly disapproving of Tang Feiliu's resolve. Yet Tang Feiliu remained steadfast. "I intend to make him worry. I will stay here. If he fails, the enemy will march unopposed... Only then will he learn to protect himself."
Edward wasn't one to protect himself in battle—his wounds bore witness to that. And in this era, it was entirely different from Asia. In Asia, commanding generals wouldn't be the first to charge forward. But in Edward's worldview, nobles were always the vanguard in war—the pathfinders. It was a divine honor and a sacred duty.
Tang Feiliu found it difficult to alter these beliefs, but he wanted to stay—to remain as close to Edward as possible and support him.
Ivans remained silent for a long time before suddenly saying, "You will be in danger."
"Yes, but isn't danger a daily occurrence for anyone who lives?" Tang Feiliu realized this and smiled, patting Ivans on the shoulder. "Would you like something to eat? I'll be heading over to my brother's place shortly..."
Alexander's hospital would undoubtedly serve a greater purpose in the war. The question was how vastly different warfare in this age of mechanized combat differed from what Tang Feiliu knew.
But since leaving was impossible, Tang Feiliu certainly didn't want to just stand by and watch. He gathered his thoughts and planned to visit his brother after eating.
Edward had departed in such haste, and Tang Feiliu had no idea what lay ahead. If his health weren't so poor, he would have desperately wanted to follow. But he quickly quashed that immature impulse, instead racking his brain for something meaningful to do.
After failing to dissuade Tang Feiliu, Ivans remained silent. Never one for eloquent speech, Tang Feiliu feared Edward might have instructed him to bring Tang back to Black Swan at all costs. Thus, he stayed close to Alexander for days, dreading waking up to find himself en route to Black Swan.
Yet even as the first batch of alcohol was secured and transported to the military assembly camp, Ivan remained utterly still.
Tang Feiliu gradually relaxed. By then, the first harvest of the expanded crops had begun, and news of the astonishing bounty spread across the nation. Casualties were also emerging on the main battlefield for the first time. Reports indicated the first ambush had occurred amid the stalemate and standoff. Clutching Edward’s letter assuring his safety, Tang Feiliu read it over and over before his mind finally settled.
Those living in peaceful times could never fathom such pressure. Even a loved one's business trip was cause for worry—the thought of them far from home, facing every inconvenience, wondering if they'd encountered accidents or injustices? If they'd crossed paths with ill-intentioned people?
Much less when it's a battlefield where lives are on the line.
At first, things were manageable, with both sides evenly matched. But after the Temple failed to break through with its rapid assault, it began issuing the Divine Revelation, demanding that every believer in the Heavenly God stand up and fight for the Heavenly God!
This revelation spread like wildfire, as if winged, across the entire land. Even within Natria, small-scale uprisings began to emerge.
Among the faithful were many nobles. Led by Duke Machi, a faction of aristocrats stepped forward to strongly support the Temple, even instructing their knights to assassinate followers of Her Majesty Josephine. Even Marquis Raven, who had always stayed out of politics, was shaken by these events.
Laven had been close to Edward, and his mother was a confidante of Her Majesty Josephine. Consequently, he had contributed a substantial sum to fund the war effort early on. Unexpectedly, this nearly cost him his life. Enraged, he slammed his fist on the table and resolutely joined the hawkish faction. From then on, he became even more active, though the assassination attempts against him multiplied.
Even before this, Edward's residence in the Imperial City had been placed under full security alert. Not only were newcomers barred from entering the duke's mansion, but even servants below the rank of senior staff were no longer permitted to attend to Tang Feiliu.
Moreover, upon learning that Tang Feiliu had not returned to the Black Swan, Edward flew into a rage for the first time. The letter he wrote back was filled with such force it seemed to pierce the paper. Yet, like the English language system, the Natt language had its own way of expressing anger. Edward would never use overly harsh or vulgar language in his letters to Tang Feiliu. Instead, the entire letter was filled with phrases like "disobedient," "playing clever tricks," and "causing me worry..." actually touched Tang Feiliu more deeply than any letter before.
After reading it, Tang Feiliu wrote a lengthy reply detailing his many activities. He enclosed a lock of golden hair—bound with a red ribbon, thick and long like fingers, as if a strand of sunlight had been cut and frozen.
He didn't write any sentimental words, merely describing his recent daily life. He devoted three pages to explaining the use of alcohol to Edward, listing examples for every type of injury, along with the applications and methods for the newly developed cotton bandages, and how to combine them...
"Don't skimp—I've sent plenty." At the very end, Tang Feiliu repeated this instruction over and over.
Once the ink dried, Ivans sealed the letter, melted wax over it, and stamped it with a thud. The seal bore a small serpent entwined with thorns. Ivans murmured softly, "The letter will depart tomorrow with the supplies."
"Mhm." Tang Feiliu nodded but didn't move. Instead, he picked up his goose-feather pen and began writing again.
Ivans knew it was something new, something the army could use—whether methods to increase crop yields, medical knowledge, crop rotation techniques, ideas for weapon forging, ribbon production, or surgical development... Whatever might prove useful to the Duke of Edward in the midst of war, Lord Lance would meticulously record it all. Then, without delay the next day, he would set out to find everyone involved, urging them to gather and seek out these very things.
Meanwhile, knowing Tang Feiliu hadn't returned to Black Swan, Duke Edward also wrote Ivaness a letter, harshly berating him for not forcibly taking Tang Feiliu away. Tang Feiliu had seen that letter too. He smiled slightly and said to Ivaness, "Thanks for taking the heat for the scolding, but I'm truly grateful you didn't follow Edward's orders."
"I am your personal valet, not His Grace the Duke's servant," Evans replied, shrugging dismissively before setting the letter aside.
Ivanes had uttered those words long ago, but at the time, they seemed merely a casual remark. Now, however, Tang Feiliu felt their weight. He smiled and remarked, "Edward must be furious..."
"He certainly is. But I have my own path to follow." Ivan whispered. When no reply came for a long while, he looked up to find Lord Lance had already fallen asleep, exhausted.
He was curled up on the sofa, the dark circles beneath his pale skin starkly visible.
Ivans watched him for a long time until a senior butler passed by, startling him back to reality. He bent down, lifted Tang Feiliu, and carried him toward the bedroom.
Tang Feiliu hurried along, discussing hospital matters with her brother. Dr. Charlemagne had always held a keen interest in surgery. Even when Tang Feiliu had been leisurely in the past, Dr. Charlemagne had greatly benefited. Now that Tang Feiliu was pressed for time, he disregarded Dr. Charlemagne's comprehension speed, pouring out everything in his mind at once. This instantly ignited Dr. Charlemagne's passion, and he began studying Tang Feiliu's methods tirelessly, day and night.
Meanwhile, within the imperial city, duels and bloody incidents grew increasingly frequent, even including assassinations of nobles. The Imperial First Hospital received countless casualties requiring emergency hemostasis. Dr. Charlemagne and his disciples worked nonstop, quickly discovering the superiority of Tang Feiliu's methods. This revelation delighted Her Majesty Josephine, who immediately approved the establishment of local pharmaceutical factories. Raw materials were aggressively procured, and production of war supplies began in full swing.
Not only that, after days of maneuvering, Her Majesty Josephine had the infamous Duke of March executed for treason. Following the duke's death, his son stepped forward to claim his position. However, with Her Majesty's backing, the son of one of the duke's mistresses came forward to expose the illegitimacy of the duke's legitimate heir. Regardless of public perception, this illegitimate son ultimately succeeded to the March of March title. From a country-born bastard, he ascended to become a great noble—albeit one without property or fiefdom, yet still astonishing enough to shock the realm.
Moreover, assassinations targeting both factions grew increasingly frequent. Alexander forbade Tang Feiliu from leaving the estate. With centuries of control over the Temple, its loyalists were numerous. Her Majesty Josephine ruled with an iron fist, executing many opponents. Some nobles fled into exile, while lesser nobles either remained silent or met their end alongside the fallen. In short, though the atmosphere grew tense, the situation stabilized thanks to the summer's bountiful harvest.
Unfortunately, their allies were not so fortunate. Before they could react, some were betrayed outright by powerful nobles or ambitious schemers. After being killed, their positions were seized, and the alliance instantly weakened.
Author's Note:
Thanks to 19394168 for throwing 1 landmine Donation time: 2018-03-04 17:51:13
Tangyuan Nuonuo threw 1 landmine Time: 2018-03-04 17:52:24
Things have been hectic lately, so I might need to double up on updates. I'll do my best to write more!