Chapter 409: 409 - What difference does that make? "Where is Nirm? He took my men and promised me victory, but I see no victory beneath my feet." Lord Belgrath’s voice echoed, low, hoarse, and angry. He sat on his throne inside the most powerful fortress in the far north, guarded by more than twenty thousand soldiers. Its pure white walls stretched for dozens of kilometers, protecting the only valley that gave the Green Skins unrestricted access to the kingdom of Valemont. He did not plan to attack the royal capital yet, not without a complete and absolute guarantee of victory. He would not bet everything on them being able to break through the walls quickly. He wanted to be prepared for both a quick battle and a slow and drawn-out war. "He is dead, my lord. Nirm was able to break through the walls, but at the last moment, a young talent seems to have appeared and defeated him, using a strange energy to almost completely exterminate his army..." "Hm..." Belgrath’s fingers struck the armrest of his throne with a loud crack, his teeth clenching in a deep frown. "And?" Belgrath spoke, making the messenger below him tremble. "David Valemont also seems to have awakened and is regenerating at a frightening speed. In just a few months, he should reach full strength. The young man who defeated Nirm has been declared prince, given full control of the royal armies, and his marriage to Isabel has been set for shortly after the end of the civil war." The messenger trembled again, lowering his head and waiting for an explosion of rage. But all he heard was an angry grunt. Belgrath stood up, walking across the dark throne room, all its windows sealed with concrete. He still had the ancient texts, scrolls that spoke of when his family was the true ruler of this land, of when that throne room, before it was sealed, was the heart of power in the region. He had already broken down the gates leading to it, but it was still far from being a place where one could be crowned king. "David is recovering and has found a powerful specialist to marry that damn brat... what difference does that make?" Belgrath laughed, opening the main gates and watching the army approaching on the horizon, coming from a land that was said to be forbidden by many there. More than fifty thousand green-skinned, red-eyed monsters marched. The shortest was over two meters tall, with protruding teeth and primitive armors. They all marched toward him, led by a figure whose power was so profound that Belgrath himself could barely sense it. Belgrath swallowed hard and, with a smooth movement, jumped onto the walls of his fortress. He calmed his men and smiled at the leader of that monstrous army. If he led such powerful soldiers, what opponent could defeat him? Even all of David’s armies would be like wheat, ready to be harvested by Belgrath’s forces. The Orc Lord stopped in front of the great gates. He looked up arrogantly and contemptuously at the human before flashing a smile full of rotten teeth. The creature was also excited about this alliance. *** Unaware of what was happening on the other side of the kingdom, David began to organize his domains. He purged corrupt nobles, punished those who fled, and even gave a list of names to his son-in-law, Qingyi. Since the king himself did not have complete power, he could only rely on the young man to do the dirty work. Fortunately, despite Sofia’s disapproval of David’s actions, Qingyi himself didn’t care much. In the end, the young man was testing the power of the warriors on the western continent and, as a bonus, was helping his wife’s family by exterminating corrupt pigs. "Y-Your Highness, please! Hear me out! I didn’t run away, I just—" Before the corrupt nobleman could even finish his sentence, his head flew into the sky. "What a disappointment..." Qingyi grunted, watching his men storm the mansion. Honestly, those nobles were quite lucky. Their families were spared, and only a portion of their wealth was confiscated, with all assets outside the capital remaining completely untouched. He didn’t know if, on the eastern continent, the monarchs would be so merciful. "Your Highness." A voice echoed from behind Qingyi, who turned around to see a figure approaching. It was an ordinary-looking woman clad in steel armor, her face carrying a hint of discontent as she knelt down. She was the knight responsible for protecting Isabel. The princess’s escape with Qingyi had really brought her a lot of headaches and countless sleepless nights. Now that Qingyi was a prince, the woman couldn’t even show her discontent. Not that she had the courage to do so before, considering the boy’s current power alone. She wasn’t crazy and didn’t want to try her luck with such a powerful expert. "Speak." Qingyi turned his face coldly. The knight immediately replied, "We have finished cleaning up Lord Luck’s residence and seizing his wealth. We just need to decide what to do with his family now." "Release them. The mansion will be taken as property of the royal family, but they can return to the lands under their family’s control." "Yes, my prince." The knight bowed her head before standing up, giving orders to her men. Qingyi just sighed and, with a gentle push, flew into the skies, quickly reaching the royal palace. It was technically illegal to fly over the capital without permission, but who in their right mind would try to force Qingyi to obey those laws? He landed in the large central courtyard of the palace, surrounded by a beautiful and luxurious garden where Isabel and Sofia were sitting. The two had spent a lot of time together since they had met again, talking about everything that had happened since they had parted. They even took the time to cook together. Sofia certainly did not expect Isabel, of all people, to teach her how to cook. Not that the queen was a woman who depended solely on servants for this task; often, she personally prepared David’s meals. "Husband!" Isabel stood up, her enormous breasts bouncing as she threw herself into Qingyi’s arms, her face lit up with an excited look.