Chapter 123 - EPISODE 123 – RESOLUTION (3) (1/2)

Night arrived.

The eastern forces and the Jackdaws who hurriedly moved in the daytime settled down in different places at night.

The Jackdaws built their camp on the Snow Breeze Plain.

After the unit that left late joined them, they built a fence, set up camps, and tightened the security.

The eastern forces returned to their camps.

The western forces had already been defeated, but their tension did not completely disappear.

Because the other was present.

Because they were wary of each other.

For the Jackdaws, they were in enemy territory.

For the eastern forces, the Jackdaws were their long-time enemies.

Water and oil.

Two groups that couldn’t be mixed together.

It was impossible to conciliate the two groups with just one fight when they had fought countless times before.

“But they can’t keep fighting.”

Jude nodded at Cordelia’s words.

“Yes, it’s better if they part ways without a fight for this time at least. For both sides.”

The two were talking inside the eastern forces’ camp, and not the Jackdaws’ camp.

They did that for political reasons, but to put it bluntly, it was as follows.

Jude and Cordelia were from the north.

So when the northerners arrived, they should move their lodgings to the northerner’s camp.

After all, the two were undeniably northerners.

But the fight with the western forces had left the eastern forces greatly exhausted.

So if Jude and Cordelia were on the northern army’s camp, what would happen if the northern army attacked at night?

Would they be able to stop it?

In other words, such a situation would instigate fear, tension, and so on.

On the other hand, if Jude and Cordelia stayed in the eastern forces’ camp, the following psychological effects would happen.

Jude and Cordelia were also the guardians of the wild lands.

If the two were on this side, the northern army would not be able to easily attack.

The two were children of highly respectable families in the north.

In a way – no, frankly speaking, they were viewed as hostages, but that was unavoidable.

It was unavoidable if one thought about the relationship between the north and the wild lands.

Returning to the northern army’s camp would naturally irritate the eastern forces, while staying in the eastern forces’ camp would irritate the Jackdaws, but things were different if one took a step back.

‘The eastern forces can’t attack the Jackdaws.’

They incurred a lot of damage so it wouldn’t happen.

Moreover, those who were gathered here today were not the elite troops of the east.

This was the result of recruiting as many people as possible who could fight in order to increase their numbers.

Would they take another risk in this situation?

At a time when a lot of people had already died, and countless homes had been destroyed?

‘There are the wild gods too.’

They were gods one way or another.

Furthermore, the representative of the wild gods, Great Storm, was a wise being.

The representative of the humans, Red Gale, was also the same, and Great Storm and Red Gale had always been opposing any fights against the north.

In short, it meant that the eastern forces attacking the Jackdaws first was highly unlikely.

‘But the Jackdaws’ situation is different.’

The eastern forces had more troops, but this was natural for the Jackdaws.

In the numerous battles the two sides had fought in the past, the number of Jackdaws had never been greater than the barbarians of the wild lands.

And the Jackdaws could see.

The eastern forces were now weak.

So if they trample them here now, if they stab them in the back now…

It would be possible to destroy the wild lands.

It would be possible to eliminate their troubles, the long-time enemy of the north.

It was such a big temptation.

In addition, unlike the eastern forces where the command was divided, only one person had the command of the Jackdaws.

Count Hræsvelgr.

If he decided, the Jackdaws would attack the eastern forces even if Count Chase opposed it.

‘So we have to stay here.’

To reduce the possibility of a fight even by a little.

“Haa, it’s complicated. We just held hands and fought together, so it would be nice if we could all be friends~”

Cordelia said as her shoulders slumped in her seeming depression, and Jude gave her some warm tea to comfort her.

“It’s all right. Even if it’s impossible to become friends…they won’t be enemies at least.”

“That would be nice.”

Cordelia deeply sighed again and accepted the teacup from Jude, and he smiled again.

In fact, Jude had one more evil purpose on why they stayed in the eastern forces’ camp.

‘Because we’ll be in separate tents if we returned.’

They wouldn’t let them share the same tent even if the two were engaged.

Of course, they weren’t doing anything suspicious when they shared the same tent, but Jude still wanted to be with Cordelia if possible.

‘Hmm…I’m somehow desperate and troubled too.’

How did something like this happen to me?

While Jude was worrying by himself, Cordelia widely opened her eyes.

“Wow, this is delicious…?”

Because the tea tasted good.

Her sad feelings seemed to have been relieved somehow.

“You should drink too. It’s really delicious. It feels like my stamina will increase.”

“Yes, I know that even though I’m not sure what you meant by increasing stamina.”

Jude responded with a smile and slowly drank his tea as he looked away.

‘They should be done soon.’

The meeting between the Jackdaws and the eastern forces.

The representatives of both sides were having a meeting in a kind of neutral zone located between the camps of the Jackdaws and the eastern forces, which were far from the tent of Jude and Cordelia.

The representatives of the Jackdaws were Count Hræsvelgr and Count Chase, while the eastern forces’ representatives were Great Storm and Red Gale.

‘I hope it ends well.’

He had a rough idea on what they were talking about.

It would be the withdrawal of the Jackdaws and a non-aggression pact with the eastern forces.

Neither side wanted to fight, so it should be amicably resolved.

“But Jude.”

“Yes?”

When he turned his head to her sweet-sounding call, Cordelia who had been sitting while covered in a blanket raised her chin that was in between her knees and said.

“Because the wild lands episode is over…we’ll be heading to the royal capital now, right?”

“I suppose so.”

The Sälen Kingdom, one of the two great powers of the continent, would be facing its destruction through three events.

The first of these was the invasion of the northern barbarians, and the second was the ‘Night of Massacre.’

‘An unprecedented situation in which the royal family of the Sälen Kingdom was virtually annihilated.’

With the north becoming a wasteland and the royal family disappearing, the Sälen Kingdom was on its path to destruction even if they were a powerful kingdom.

“If we can stop the events that will happen until the Night of Massacre…it will really improve the situation. We’ll be able to overcome all the 7 major calamities.”

By the time the 7 major calamities began in the game, the Sälen Kingdom was already on the verge of destruction so it couldn’t help in stopping the calamities.

But if it survived and preserved its national power that was on par with the empire, they would be a great help in preventing the 7 major calamities.

“Heh, I’m excited.”

“In saving people?”

“Huh? Yes. There’s that too… But the royal capital is fun.”

Cordelia replied with quivering lips as if she was a little embarrassed.

And Jude nodded too.

“You’re right. The royal capital episode was fun.”

Although the north was in chaos, it was not completely destroyed when the royal capital episode was still in progress.

So until the royal capital episode ended, the Sälen Kingdom would remain standing.

There were many big and small events in the royal capital where lots of people gathered, and among those events, there were a few that stimulated the girl’s heart of Cordelia.

‘The flow of events would clearly be different.’

Because they would be going to fancy events like balls, and not just be fighting.

‘Yes, the ball. The 300th anniversary of the country’s founding.’

Jude very much looked forward to the ball that would be really grand.

It would be a place where he could show off the beauty of Cordelia not only to the Sälen Kingdom, but also to the foreign figures who would be gathered.

“Ahem, ahem, that would be nice.”

Cordelia frowned when Jude smiled like a fool.

“What is it, what are you thinking? You have a creepy smile.”

“No, it’s not. It’s nothing. Would you like more tea?”

“Yes, give me more.”

“Here it is, Madam.”

Jude poured tea into Cordelia’s teacup and resumed talking again.

“Anyway, there will be a lot of encounters if we go to the royal capital. Several new playable characters will be making their appearance.”

“That’s right, that’s right. Princess Daphne and Prince Dion.”

Cordelia’s cheeks flushed as she gazed into the distance and imagined it.

“Do you like Daphne and Dion?”

“Yes, because he’s attractive. Dion is handsome. Dion is really handsome. He’s cool. I like his personality.”

As Cordelia giggled and spoke, it was the opposite for Jude as his face hardened.

“Jude?”

“No, umm. Right. Attractive. Handsome.”

Dion. He kept that name in his mind. Dion.

Jude’s expression coldly sank, and Cordelia blinked her eyes and tilted her head, wondering if her senses had become dull at a time like this.

And it was at that moment.

“Can I come in?”

At the question that came from outside the tent, Jude and Cordelia looked at each other and nodded.