Chapter 158: Kanan Tyrell

Within the camp of the Ross Empire forces, deep in the rear, a domed tent was filled with high-ranking military officers. Seated at the head of the assembly was, naturally, the brightest protagonist of this military campaign: the Fourth Prince, Canantir!

The name Canan had been given to him by his mother, whose maternal clan possessed a deeply religious heritage. Members of this family were traditionally named after figures from the primordial sacred texts. Whenever daughters of this lineage married into the imperial family, the resulting princes were typically groomed for paths of scholarship or spiritual devotion. No one had anticipated, however, that this time they would produce a military genius.

Starting two years ago, Canan had gradually revealed his extraordinary tactical brilliance. Moreover, from unknown sources, he had gathered a cohort of exceptional and eccentric talents, while the knights under his command were without exception fiercely brave and far superior to their peers. Over the past year, he had faintly begun to overshadow the First Prince, earning the qualifications of a presumptive heir to the throne.

Particularly during this recent military campaign, when he first proposed reclaiming the six northern cities for Ross, he had been met with widespread mockery from the nobility, who viewed him as an arrogant, reckless youth lacking self-awareness.

The Emperor himself had harshly rejected his absurd notion three times in a row, yet this prince seemed persistently undeterred, bringing up the proposal anew at regular intervals. The ministers grew increasingly amused, treating it as a joke. Had it been any other lackluster son, the Emperor would not have deigned to pay him the slightest heed; but precisely because this child had indeed performed admirably, the Emperor, after much deliberation, decided to throw him a few opportunities to make him realize that many things in life were not as simple as he imagined.

Naturally, he was not sent to attack the six northern cities. Instead, the Emperor chose several of the tougher, unconquered smaller neighboring states as targets, tossing them his way to bring him down to earth.

Politicians backing the other princes seized the opportunity to suppress the newly rising prince through every form of rhetoric, for his current momentum was indeed formidable. To their astonishment, however, this Fourth Prince turned out to be a damnably good military commander. From the very first objective assigned by the Emperor, he secured consecutive victories without a single defeat, leaving the politicians in the rear without the slightest grounds to deny him!

Even the Emperor was shaken by the boy's talent. For a novice leading troops into battle for the first time to achieve such results—taking on missions that many veteran generals of the Empire would not dare to touch—could he truly be a military prodigy?

Clutching this thought, the Emperor took a slightly bolder gamble, arranging a field battle with a defending general of the six northern cities named Poger, with the tribute allegiance of a small neighboring agricultural nation as the stake.

Wagered battles of this kind occurred every year, but the Ross Empire more often lost than won. The people of the Bayla Court excelled in cavalry archery, and their peerless cavalry was unmatched in open-field combat, leaving the Ross Empire to meet defeat in most such duels.

"Most" naturally did not mean all; occasional victories were still scored, depending largely on the opponent. This individual named Poger, however, was a formidable adversary. He was one of the veteran generals who had accompanied the Court's Prince in conquering the six northern cities, and one of the very few surviving officers stationed there.

Few had high expectations for this battle. The Emperor himself had even attended in person to watch. Yet that engagement left an unforgettable impression on everyone present. The Court's cavalry guards, previously victorious in a hundred battles, proved utterly helpless against the newly formed Black Feather Guards of the Fourth Prince. Having lived through numerous military campaigns, the Emperor naturally understood the formidable combat power of the Court knights.

Therefore, when the two sides clashed and his own forces completely annihilated the enemy in a single charge, the Emperor thought he was dreaming! Including the ministers and nobles who had come to observe the battle, everyone wore an expression of sheer disbelief. Even Poger himself failed to react as his proudest elite cavalry squad was wiped out in a single sweep!

Following this battle, the Emperor finally entertained hopes regarding the Fourth Prince's proposal to reclaim the six northern cities. After all, that past defeat had been a shameful chapter during his own reign; if he could recapture them while still on the throne, it would undoubtedly wash away his humiliation!

For a millennium, the two nations had stood in opposition. Although victories and defeats were shared, never—not once—had the Ross Empire actively seized an inch of territory from the Court. For a thousand years, the Ross Empire had remained on the defensive, and half of the agricultural lands currently held by the Court had been gradually usurped from Ross over the centuries.

If he won this time, he would achieve a glory unmatched by any past sovereign. Though won by his son, while he sat upon the throne, would that glory not belong to him?

At this thought, a surge of heat flared in the Emperor's heart. Coincidentally, intelligence reports arrived stating that the Bayla Court was torn by internal strife, plunging into a war of succession—truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! The reigning monarch of Ross, possessing no small share of ambition, instantly resolved to declare war on the Bayla Court!

Despite the declaration, the Emperor remained cautious, mobilizing nearby nobles to reinforce regional defenses while directing the offensive primarily under the Fourth Prince, supplemented by regional noble reinforcements.

The surrounding nobles belonged to various factions; how could they sincerely support this newly risen prince? Constrained by the Emperor's commands, they offered meager logistical support, but when it came to troop contributions, they offered endless excuses. Were they joking? A noble's warriors were the foundation of their territory; if they sent them off to war and they were wiped out, what would become of them?

Yet none of them expected that this prince would defy all convention. From the moment he reached the front lines, he captured a city nearly every three days, conquering five cities in the blink of an eye. Such a military record was utterly unprecedented in the entire history of the Ross Empire!

Though the battle reports had only just reached the interior of the Empire, the neighboring nobles who received word rushed over at the earliest opportunity under the guise of assisting in the campaign, their true purpose being to freeload off the military merits.

Consequently, the regional nobles currently gathered in the tent appeared somewhat awkward. Having initially refused to participate in the offensive and rushing in only when the fighting was nearly finished to claim credit, their behavior was indeed difficult to justify.

The Fourth Prince gazed warmly at those around him, smiling as he asked, "Do you gentlemen have any suggestions regarding tomorrow's siege?"

A chieftain seated at the head of the left side, evidently belonging to the Fourth Prince's own faction, was the first to leap up and speak in a muffled voice: "Your Highness, the elite enemy cavalry was completely wiped out in a single stroke today. Given the selfish nature of those opposing nobles, they will certainly not risk their own warriors in a desperate defense. Most of them will preserve their strength in hopes of breaking through and escaping later! By tomorrow, the defensive resistance on the city walls will undoubtedly have dwindled to almost nothing." A ferocious grin spread across his face. "In my view, a direct assault is all we need!"

The expressions of the surrounding nobles darkened. Although this fellow was speaking of the enemy nobles, the mocking tone was unmistakably clear, directed somewhat at them.

On the right side, an elderly yet ruddy-faced veteran knight fell silent for a moment before speaking: "The enemy has lost their courage and is merely waging a numb, hopeless resistance. If Your Highness declares that the city may surrender, that prisoners will be spared, and that the populace will not be massacred, I believe there is an exceptionally high probability we can take this city without shedding blood."

"On what grounds?" the burly man on the left rudely interrupted him. "The soldiers have been attacking the city continuously for days, suffering heavy losses. Now that victory is finally within our grasp, you say we shouldn't kill just because you suggest it? Did those northern court bastards hesitate when they slaughtered our Empire's people?"

The man on the right was clearly a representative of the regional nobles. Since they had previously abstained from the siege and had now rushed here to harvest military merits, they could hardly remain idle for the final battle; they had to contribute something. In other words, high-casualty operations like sieges would fall entirely upon them. Therefore, taking the city bloodlessly was naturally the best outcome for them.

The old general frowned and glared at the towering knightly brute, saying, "Do not forget, Her Royal Highness the Princess is still inside the city. If we act thusly, we will at least owe her an explanation!"

"An explanation?" The prince, who had remained silent until now, suddenly laughed. "This is war. She is of royal blood and ought to stand on our side. What explanation do we owe her?"

"This—" The surrounding men wore grim expressions.

"Let it be so." The prince raised a hand to cut off whatever the old man was about to add, stood up, and instructed the burly man on his left: "Rudao, pass down the order: tomorrow at dawn, slaughter cattle to reward all soldiers. Assemble for the siege after breakfast. Once the city walls fall—" He paused, a jarring, cold smile appearing on his delicate features: "—slaughter the city."

"Understood, Your Highness!" Bloodthirsty glints flashed in the eyes of the officers from the prince's faction. They struck their chests, bowed, and executed a precise military salute. The sudden eruption of aura startled the noble faction on the right.

"Slaughter the city?" the elderly man on the right exclaimed in shock. "But if we do that, who can guarantee the safety of Her Highness the Princess? What if those soldiers—"

"They won't!" the Fourth Prince sneered. "The princess is inside the lord's manor. The soldiers know where the boundaries lie; nothing will happen!"

Know where the boundaries lie, my ass! The corners of everyone's mouths twitched. Once the killing frenzy took hold of the men, who would know any boundaries? Were you fucking kidding them?

The nobles on the right now stared pale-faced at the young Fourth Prince, a chill rising deep within their hearts: "Who would have thought this prince, despite his youth, not only possesses extraordinary military talent but also a merciless heart!"