188 Travel (1/2)

The way down to the Chattering Forests from Riviera truly made it evident how isolated Riviera was from most of civilization. The west of Riviera lay frontier villages, and to its south and east, closer to the heart of the continent and the capitol, were still villages, albeit larger and more developed.

Still, it was a far cry from what Li had read about the rest of the duchy. Riviera lay far west to the duchy, but as one reached nearer to the center or towards the rest of the cardinal cities, villages became rarer, with smaller clusters of walled cities instead being the most common population centers.

Understandably so, considering the fact that walled cities were the best defense against monsters. It was only because Riviera was so remote and, more importantly, had lower leveled monsters compared to the rest of the duchy that villages were still common. Factors that also made it the retirement and investment center that it was.

Though, as Li thought about it, Riviera was becoming lot less of a peaceful little haven.

”A question, if I may,” said Launcelot from the opposite seat of the carriage. Beside him were his three teammates, though the carriage was large enough that they had more than enough breathing room.

All of them were geared and equipped for battle, for the Chattering Forests were far more formidable than the Winterwoods.

”Hm?” responded Li.

”What are you intending to do in the forests? I do not cast doubt upon you, I am merely curious.”

”I am attuned with the Winterwoods,” said Li. ”But not limited to them. I can link myself to others. From your experiences, it is evident that the darkbeasts are spawning from within the forests, meaning that the forest itself possesses a link to the energies that form them.

I intend to tap into them and, if possible, bend it to my will. With that, I can find a way to not only erase but cure the rot.”

”I see,” said Launcelot. He looked concerned. ”May my gods and yours grant you great fortune and blessing for success, for I deeply fear what should arise elsewise. With the five banners of Soleil about to be called once more, I can only shudder to what the rot may wreak upon them.”

”I understand what you mean,” said Li.

When Li first met Launcelot and his party early in the morning, right as the sun was rising, the nobleman had broken the news to Li that in each of the three other cardinal cities of Soleil, there had been attempted attacks.

When Li killed Zerzal, herald of gluttony, all of the demon's other bodies had died, and so his attempted attacks on the other cities were halted. Were Li not to have done so, then surely each of the cities would have fallen by now, infested by the eldritch rot.

The current situation was that the duchy had managed to prevent the rot from spreading and identified it as demonic.

The duchess had invoked the Council of Five, a national emergency council comprising of the duchess and all four lords of the cardinal cities, in order to draw the armies of each territory and send them west to Riviera, where the demons were most likely to strike as they had done so every single time they had attempted invasions.

But were the five armies of Soleil to gather westward, then it would only create a massive body of flesh to corrupt – this was Launcelot's evident worry.

”But I also do not think the duchess is stupid enough to not have thought about this,” said Li. ”I doubt she will send a mass of men here knowing they are susceptible to turning against each other.”

”And yet, should she not send these forces, then Riviera itself cannot be defended,” said Launcelot. ”The Lakely Walls can withstand a demonic siege for as long as the mana of the lake remains strong. It has been decades since the last invasion, and the lake has replenished itself, but even then, without mass reinforcements, it is only a temporary barrier staving away inevitable destruction for one week, at the most.”

”You have a point,” said Li. ”And if the duchess knows that the enemy is capable of launching stealth attacks to the capitol, then no doubt she will spread her forces to protect herself and territories more strategically precious than Riviera.”