volume 2 - Chapter 133 (2/2)

In accordance to Brendel’s knowledge of the month’s end, the upper echelons of Aouine were starting to act behind the shadows.

Oberg’s first son, Hammil, would receive support from Queen Anna’s faction.

Anna, sister of Duke Seifer, was a representative of the Seifer dynasty. The members who supported the Corvado royal family were against her from the start, but it was to no avail. She even committed adultery with Marquis Kluge, and they worked together to imprison the king and left behind a disastrous and splintered the court.

(TL: Kluge is the guy who advised the king back then, and he was most likely the culprit who told the king to invite Madara’s invasion. Benninger, dude from the previous chapter, is the son of Duke Seifer, but he’s on the princess side because he likes her.)

In the beginning of the eleventh month, Hammil announced himself as king and attemped to seize the throne. This formally raised the curtains on the internal strife within the royal faction. Princess Gryphine with her strong personality naturally would not accept this silently, and denounced Hammil from within her territory to the n.o.bles and knights of the whole kingdom, accusing him to be an usurper of the throne. The people who supported her were fierce opposers of the queen and backers of the Elven races.

In the middle of the elventh month, duke Arreck formally announced his support for the First-prince Hammil, and the various regions either took their independence or placed their support to either side. The civil war of Aouine started from that moment. From that period onwards, the civil war lasted for two years and completely shook the foundation of the kingdom. It had a brief moment where it resurged, but it had spilled too much blood for it to regain its former past.

Aouine’s demise was hastened because of this incident.

No one was able to notice what Incirsta did precisely because of the civil war. However, not noticing the Madara’s presence did not mean that the influence was not there. Many cities and villages were completely empty and void of life, and there was a bleak feeling when Brendel and the others pa.s.sed through the place.

As they reached further into Trentheim’s region, that sight gradually changed. They finally discovered some presense of human life near the core city of Trentheim, Firburh. The lord of Trentheim’s region was the third son of Duke Randner, Baron Graudin.

Brendel was not very familiar with him, but the majority of the n.o.bles were arrogant and selfish. A lord was even worse, because they were merciless and cruel, heaping misery upon the citizens in their territory.

When Brendel and the others entered Firbugh, they quickly realized this fact, and their small expectations were lowered once again:

In front of them were the impoverished citizens of the city, their clothes tattered and torn, while their gaunt, pallid faces with sunken eyes showed how they had no hope for their future. The refugees were even more wretched as though the air of death was about them, reduced to nothing more than bones and their cracked lips, indicating how hungry and thirsty they were.

The path to the city was dirty and foul smelling, as though excrement from livestock was everywhere in the dry air. The n.o.bles from Bruglas seemed kind compared to this place, simply because the citizens of that place were still able to survive despite their commoner status.

This dest.i.tute land seemed to give birth to people filled with avarice. The poorer the land, the greedier they seemed to be. Brendel understood it was not because the n.o.bles in Grinoires were kinder, it was simply because the lands of Trentheim were not bountiful, and their lives were in near shambles.

Amandina widened her eyes in shock and covered her lips in disbelief.

“My lord, the land you are inheriting…… is this place?” Her tone was filled with disappointment.

She thought she was leaving the highlands for a richer place in Trentheim. The area was supposed to face the sea in the east, and it should be a place of wealth because it was easier to trade. It might not compare to Ampere Seale, but at least it should be on the same standard as Bruglas.

She did not expect this land to be in such a terrible state.

Brendel glanced back at her.

After discovering that he intended for the veteran mercenaries to protect her and the Grey Wolves Mercenaries, she had adopted a business-like att.i.tude ever since they left Chablis. She would ignore him every time and only spoke when she was spoken to. Even after he explained that they were similar to heroic spirits like Medissa and brought them back, she did not relent on her att.i.tude.

Brendel scratched his head at this situation and grumbled to himself about how a retainer should act in his mind, but he did not use his position to remind her on their status.

“Are you finally willing to talk to me?” He asked.

<script>