The midday sun shone through the stained-glass windows of the Duchy of Roland Palace, casting dappled light on the luxurious carpet. A faint scent of mint filled the palace, helping to dispel the midday heat.
Grand Prince Karim Ben Hassan, the ruler of the principality, sat on his gilded throne, his face showing a slightly melancholy and thoughtful expression.
At that moment, the soft clanging of armor came from outside the hall, and two armored guards escorted an envoy in a long robe into the hall.
Grand Prince Hassan immediately sat up straight, his face adopting a serious expression.
The envoy walked to the center of the hall, bowed slightly, and spoke with the arrogance characteristic of Aldor nobles: "Grand Duke Karim, I am Ben Elliot, sent on a mission by Sir Colin, Lord of the Sentinel Legion."
The Grand Duke waved to the side: "Honorable envoy, you must be tired from your journey. Please have a seat!"
After the Aldor envoy expressed his gratitude, he sat down, and a court attendant immediately served him a cup of tea with a rich aroma.
After a few polite exchanges between the host and guests, the Aldor envoy quickly got down to business.
"Your Majesty, I have come here to remind you of a matter of great importance concerning human dignity. Your country, as a city-state primarily inhabited by humans, has submitted to the barbaric beastmen of the grasslands. Is this not a disgrace to all of humanity?"
"Our nation hopes that His Majesty the Grand Duke can reclaim the honor of being human and fight alongside the Aldor against the orcs!"
As soon as Elliot finished speaking, the ministers of the duchy who had come to accompany and entertain him immediately stirred up a commotion. Some of them showed displeasure, but Grand Duke Karim raised his hand to signal them to be quiet.
The Grand Duke slowly rose, his eyes filled with the weariness characteristic of desert dwellers: " Emissary of Elliot, I understand the'shame' you speak of. But have you seen the iron hooves of the orcish army? That autumn, Great Chieftain Abar's vanguard trampled the eastern Harlan Oasis in just three days, its walls crumbling like children's toys under the catapults. We, the Duchy of Roland, are surrounded by desert, our food depends on oasis irrigation, our army numbers no more than five thousand, and we lack even decent siege weapons. How dare such a small nation confront the orcs with tens of thousands of cavalry?"
He took two steps forward, his gaze falling on Elliot, a hint of weight creeping into his voice: "You may have forgotten, but it was only thirty years ago, when I was just a child. Back then, we and a dozen or so oasis city-states were close vassals of Aldor. We paid Aldor annual tribute of gold dust and spices in exchange for the protection of the Kingdom Army. My grandfather even addressed His Majesty Rodney XVI as brothers. But then you withdrew your troops stationed in the desert, and the orcish armies came to plunder us time and again. We wrote you countless letters pleading for help, but received no reply."
Grand Duke Karim's words carried a clear accusation: "Later, even the Gabella people infiltrated under the guise of protection. We did resist; ten years ago, my father united three city-states to form an army, but without Aldor's support, the allied forces were completely annihilated by the Orc Cavalry's attack. Now you come to persuade us to break away from the orcs and pledge our loyalty to Aldor. The people of the duchy are indeed afraid; they only want to protect this small homeland and do not want to pay the price of blood for loyalty to anyone again."
Elliot frowned slightly. "Your Majesty, I understand your concerns, but you may not be aware of the latest developments. The orc army that invaded Aldor's northern border has been completely defeated by us."
He gestured with his hand and said confidently, "In Aldor... " With the combined forces of the Sentinel Legion and the Northwest Legion, Abar suffered unprecedented losses and slunk back to the plains with its tail between its legs. Marquis Glaeman —you should have heard of this rising star of the kingdom, right? He's currently leading a large army across the Rocky Mountains, about to penetrate deep into the plains, while Abar's Royal Tent is retreating, and many small tribes in the western plains have begun to break away from his control. The orcs of today are no longer the invincible army you once thought; they can barely protect themselves, how could they possibly care about the oases in the desert?
Upon hearing this, the ministers in the hall began to whisper among themselves again, and many of them showed a hint of wavering in their eyes. After all, the orcs' years of oppression had already made them suffer terribly.
But Grand Duke Karim's expression did not soften in the slightest, and he sighed softly.
" Mr. Elliot," the Grand Duke's voice was filled with deep concern, "I know all that you've said. Last winter, caravans passing through our country were all saying that Aldor's army had acquired fire-breathing weapons and was extremely powerful. But don't forget, Abar has led the steppe orcs for twenty years. This isn't the first time he's faced a desperate situation, but he has also turned defeat into victory time and time again."
The Grand Duke's gaze swept over the ministers in the hall, finally settling on Elliot. His tone was full of helplessness: "The grasslands are the orcs' home ground. They know every pasture and every river. Even if Marquis Glaeman has the upper hand now, who can guarantee that Abar won't turn the tide again? The Duchy of Roland is just one oasis. If we break away from the orcs now and pledge our loyalty to Aldor, what if the orcs return one day? Given Abar's ruthless nature, will he let us go? In that case, we will have to face the orcs' wrath alone, and the entire duchy will be completely destroyed, leaving not a single green leaf behind."
These words instantly silenced the hall, and the wavering on the ministers' faces gradually disappeared, replaced by deep worry.
Elliot was silent for a moment, and when he spoke again, his previously calm tone suddenly became serious, as if the air in the hall had frozen.
He looked directly at Grand Duke Karim and said in an unquestionable manner, "Your Majesty, since you have such concerns, I will speak frankly about the other purpose of my visit—this is not my personal opinion, but a clear instruction from Crystal Radiance Royal Capital."
"Do you think Aldor only sent Marquis Glaeman's army to attack the heart of the steppe?"
His voice echoed in the empty hall, each word clearly reaching everyone's ears: " The Sentinel Legion has completed its assembly. Once the Northwest Legion has established a foothold on the plains, we will immediately head east. At that time, the two legions will form a pincer movement, leaving the plains orcs attacked from both sides."
Elliot's gaze swept over the ministers in the hall, whose expressions varied, and he continued, "Are you worried that the orcs will return? Are you worried that the Aldor army will be unable to protect the city-states? These worries are unnecessary— the Sentinel Legion's eastward route will 'pass through' the oasis and re-establish defenses there."
"That's right, Aldor's army will soon return here, to provide refuge to all the desert city-states as it did thirty years ago."