Lord of Winter: Beginning with Daily Intelligence Chapter 734 - 409: Home Was Stolen (3)

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Previously on Lord of Winter: Beginning with Daily Intelligence...
Raymond devises a plan to replace the Second Prince's guards and cut off his funds, while grooming a successor he believes is more suitable for the throne. Meanwhile, the Second Prince Kaelin is furious to learn that the Fifth Prince Lampard has fled to the Southeast Province and allied with the heretical Church Court, declaring a new regime. Raymond dismisses this as a minor issue. However, an urgent report arrives from the North: Count Louis Calvin has defeated three Imperial legions at Gray Stone Fortress and is now marching south into Greyrock Province, a territory rich with irreplaceable resources and dangerous experiments, prompting Raymond to realize Louis's true objective.
The Gray Stone Fortress stands a considerable distance from the Imperial Capital, requiring a full seventeen days for the Gale Bird to complete the journey. This means that by the time this missive reaches the Imperial Capital, Louis's army would have been advancing through the heart of Gray Stone Province for no less than seventeen days. Remont's brow slowly knitted together, the sensation akin to being gradually pierced by an ice spike. His lips quivered almost imperceptibly, and the words that escaped were so hushed they were barely audible: "Seventeen days... He's been gone for seventeen days..." Instinctively, he commenced tactical calculations, a ingrained habit stemming from his military background and a method to anchor his burgeoning fear. Initial thoughts offered solace: his main forces were stationed in the Imperial Capital. Yet, the Gray Stone Province was vast, fortified with layered defenses, and the Knights he'd stationed at the checkpoints might not necessarily falter. Furthermore, while the fortress's fall was dire, it did not automatically signify the entire province's capitulation. No. Remont slowly shut his eyes, veins visibly throbbing on his forehead: "No. How could he dare to strike at this precise moment?" Remont's eyes widened gradually, as if the true form of his nightmare was finally coming into sharp focus. Twenty days prior, in a bid to support the Fourth Prince's coup, he had covertly relocated all primary regiments from the Gray Stone Province. This strategic movement was executed with almost fanatical secrecy; the Overseer’s Court remained ignorant, the Imperial Capital was kept in the dark, and even his most trusted confidants only possessed partial knowledge. Only a select cadre of Death Warriors, handpicked by him, and his eldest son, were privy to the complete plan. And Louis, from the remote Northern Territory, a lord ostensibly maintaining his own realm in the North... Precisely on the day Gray Stone was most vulnerable, he launched a full-scale assault. Remont's Adam's apple bobbed, cold perspiration tracing a path down his neck and dampening his inner garments. Could there be a traitor? No, that wasn't possible. Those aware of the secret maneuver were by his side, excluding only his heir... So why had Louis made his move now? The very notion sent a shiver down his spine, as if an icy grip had tightened around his throat. Louis didn't appear to be making a reckless gamble; rather, it seemed he was playing his hand while observing Remont's reactions. Then, much like a wolf finally baring its fangs, he ruthlessly sank his teeth into Remont's most vulnerable and critical point. Perhaps... it wasn't solely Louis baring his fangs at him. Consider the Southeast Province, the Fifth Prince Lampard's rebellious army, and the Calvin Clan, a nascent power bolstered by the Church Court. If the Fifth Prince and Louis were allied, merging the forces of the North and the Southeast, these two regions could coalesce into a formidable power capable of challenging the Second Prince's domain. They could strike simultaneously from different directions, consuming his power base and forging connections that served their interests. Should the Gray Stone Province fall to Louis, the Southeast rebels would find it easy to advance northward. Only a single valley separated them, paving the way for future exchanges of resources, troop movements, and even the integration of the Remont family's centuries of accumulated assets. Meanwhile, Remont himself would be utterly depleted, transitioning from the predator to prey, cornered by two opportunistic wolves. And at this very juncture, Kaelin, another significant figure within the Imperial Hall, lingered in the shadows, a subtle smirk playing on his lips. He observed Remont, the man who had once manipulated him like a puppet, suppressed him, and utilized him to advance his own agenda. Now, Remont himself was ensnared, his throat held tightly by another unseen force. In this moment, Kaelin experienced a long-absent feeling of equilibrium. He understood the repercussions he would face, and he recognized that Gray Stone's collapse would inevitably usher in further chaos within the Empire's turbulent war E™§ƒ. Yet, this did not quell the almost imperceptible, yet profoundly potent thought that arose from the depths of his being: Perhaps... this presented an opportunity to break free from Remont's control. He even felt a peculiar sense of gratitude towards the Wolf King of the Northern Territory.