*** Northern Front – The Frozen Fields of Ilden ***

A week had passed over Thirell, the two sides continuing their restless preparation for the upcoming invasion.

Marquis Raven's army numbered up to the tens of thousands, his formation filling the horizon as he joined with the rest of his fellow rulers within his alliance.

The former losses of his resources from Elberich's invasion, now fully recovered, as reinforcements have arrived.

Count Besmund and Baron Ilmund.

The remaining two of the Holy Allied Territories, the three great powers of the center, together they could even rival a duke in terms of power, and that's without the church's backing.

But if you include the church, then they have enough power to even give Archduke Augustus a slight problem.

"Winter... I could already smell it coming,"

Count Besmund eerily uttered, looking at the sky, the sun's rays were completely covered by the dark clouds that loomed over the entire duchy.

A mini snowstorm had already formed, but despite that, their men's morale was at an all-time high, their belief in their just and holy cause enough for them to ignore the major disadvantages they were about to face.

And Justinian will make that ignorance pay dearly.

*** Snowkeep - Wall Battlements ***

The entire walls were now lined with cannons and trebuchets, each of the resources needed for them coming from unknown sources.

Justinian's sources.

He had racked up so much prestige to the point that he doesn't even need to worry about when and how to spend it anymore; he just can.

And right now, he has spent it all on defenses, enough to turn a recovering fortress capital like Snowkeep into an impenetrable technological superpower in the kingdom.

"They're coming..."

Fenrix muttered, meditating on the walls as he focused on his gift, possessing a frost wolf in the distant, gaining intel in real time of the enemy's advance.

It seemed like their entire force was hell bent on destroying the Capital, with only a few sent to take care of Justinian's vassals.

"Lord Bjorn and Elberich are likely to be fine..."

Beside him were Justinian, Cassia, Lucan, and the rest of the captains, each one listening closely to Fenrix as he relayed information.

"Do we have news of Augustus and Julius?" Justinian asked, his cloak billowing in the wind as he wore his ebony steel plate.

"Yes, apparently, they'll be combining their forces; they want to retaliate," Oren answered.

"They plan a counter-invasion?" Lucan looked in surprise.

"Let them... it seems they've got a grudge against our foe." Justinian laughed.

'Since everyone already knows I'm an 'Arcanist', that means I have full permission to go all out.'

[Prestige Shop]

[False Divine]

Steel Legion: 1000 Prestige

Elite Legion: 3000 Prestige

Talented Masses: 5000 Prestige

[Prestige: 15,890]

The moment Justinian made the purchase, every single soldier in his entire capital had changed, their casual chainmail and gambesons replaced with full steel plate, their skills enhancing a thousandfold instantly.

It was the same miracle Justinian used for his nightraid, but now... in a scope far bigger.

As for his most expensive purchase, it was just a nice bonus, something he could use in the future.

"Let's see how those arrogant bastards deal with real divinity!"

Justinian yelled out, raising his sword high as he motivated his entire capital, both soldiers and citizens alike, shouting in earnest as they waited for the upcoming battle.

Meanwhile, a small minority of the capital stayed silent, a group of people staying in the churches, watched over by priests; they were a small faction that detested Justinian's open defiance against the church and the holy alliance.

*** Snowkeep Outskirts ***

"Is that...?"

Baron Ilmund's face paled in fear and shock as he saw Snowkeep's wall in the distance.

"W-what in the gods' name is that?"

The entire battlements had been covered with trebuchets and cannons, the sheer amount of them costing hundreds of thousands of gold, and the construction time alone was also a terrifying number.

Yet... they had it all, they had everything in such a short amount of time... it was unexplainable.

"Calm down... it must have been that Archduke, only that could explain this."

"Even so, how can we even hope to breach that?"

Count Besmund asked, his hands trembling and face smiling, forcing himself as his thoughts alone made him want to puke.

They didn't expect to meet such defenses in a recovering duchy, and even worse... that wasn't the information they got from the two priests who had turnedcoat.

"Explain this!"

Marquis Raven yelled at the two crimson-robed priests beside them.

Father Verdant and Regulus, both looking just as perplexed as the three rulers they had sided with.

"My lordships! I don't know..."

"This is impossible! We've checked the records, there was no way that Duke had enough resources for something such as this..."

The answers of the two priests had completely shaken the three rulers, who were all contemplating what to do.

They still had the upper hand; they knew that, but the implication was terrifying. If another ruler had already reinforced Snowkeep, then where were they? hiding within the city itself?

Or lurking in the forests just by the edges of the land?

"Enough! I refuse to believe that Archduke had already sent reinforcements... this is only supplies, the archduke had only sent supplies!"

Marquis Raven yelled out, trying to come up with an explanation, because if he didn't, his entire army's morale would crumble without a doubt.

"Y-you're right, Raven... haha... behind those impressive defenses are nothing more than unskilled brutes."

Besmund laughed anxiously.

"R-right... there is no other explanation." Ilmund reluctantly agreed.

"Then let's waste no more time! Fire the trebuchets!"

*** Snowkeep - Wall Battlements ***

"It seems our show of force hasn't deterred them at all..."

Fenrix muttered, stopping his meditation as he stood up, brushing the frost off his cloak as he looked beyond, the fierce blizzard growing even stronger the more time passed.

"They're preparing their siege engines," Fenrix added.

"What's your command, my duke?" Lucan asked.

"We strike first," Justinian said, raising his hand. "Bombard them. Don't give them the chance to breathe."

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