Arrival, You Really Are Overthinking It

Reid Yale's worries weren't unfounded. When Prince Nolan looked troubled, it meant Night City had the upper hand, and Nolan had no way to deal with them, no strategy in mind. But if Nolan was in a great mood, then disaster was sure to strike his opponents—in this case, Reid himself.

After the New Year, both sides fought several skirmishes. Although Prince Nolan didn't gain much, Reid Yale didn't profit either. Most importantly, he was finding it harder and harder to beat Prince Nolan.

With every clash, Reid felt Prince Nolan was harder to deal with than before, and Night City's casualties kept mounting. If things kept going like this, even the most clueless could see that Night City would be finished sooner or later.

How could a small city like Night City possibly outlast the deep pockets of Eastlyn?

"Could it be that Prince Nolan has figured out a formation to counter our war carriages? If so, we're in real danger." Reid's wariness toward Prince Nolan shot from ten out of ten to a hundred and twenty thousand.

Damien of Southlyn glanced at Reid, making no effort to hide his contempt: "What are you afraid of? Against absolute strength, Prince Nolan's attack formations are useless."

"Prince Nolan isn't just anyone. After these clashes, you've seen it yourself—he keeps refining his battle plans, and it's getting harder for us to respond." After all the ups and downs, Reid had grown a lot; at least he wasn't as reckless as before.

"If Prince Nolan improves his attack formations, we'll just switch to a new defensive one. I want to see how long he can keep this up against me in Night City." Damien of Southlyn wasn't listening to Reid at all, nor did he take him seriously.

Once in Night City, Damien of Southlyn didn't have to pretend anymore. Now, he was practically half a City Lord here—his word carried more weight than even Reid's.

It wasn't that Reid Yale was incompetent—the problem was that all the top martial experts and weapon-makers in Night City were loyal to Damien. On top of that, after returning with Old Gray, Damien had brought a huge shipment of grain, which was a lifeline for Night City. Without it, Night City wouldn't have lasted much longer.

For the soldiers, fighting a war at least meant being fed. Reid couldn't feed them, but Damien of Southlyn could, so of course they valued Damien more.

With grain in hand, a powerful fist, and a City Lord who doesn't fight back, how could Damien not end up in charge?

There can't be two suns in the sky, or two masters in one house. Yet now Night City had both Damien and Reid as rulers. If Reid wanted to keep his rights and dignity as City Lord, he'd have to fight Damien for power; otherwise, he'd soon have the title but no real authority.

But at the same time, if Reid started a fight with Damien now, the only one who'd benefit would be Prince Nolan.

"Husband, my cousin has grand ambitions. A small city like Night City can't hold him for long, so you don't need to worry—he'd never take your city from you." Wendy Summers heard Reid's complaints and comforted him while helping him undress.

"Of course I know that, but your cousin just meddles too much. If this keeps up, I'll have no authority as City Lord." Reid was frustrated. Even though Night City depended on Damien, he still hated admitting his own weakness.

Wendy Summers was sharp. The moment Reid frowned, she knew exactly what he was thinking. As a properly trained Su family daughter, she understood perfectly how to comfort a man who refused to admit his own failings.

With gentle words and careful flattery, Wendy subtly brought up Night City's situation and the pros and cons of this war, making Reid believe Damien was really helping him—helping him beat Prince Nolan back.

"Husband, you're the City Lord. All you need to do is focus on the big picture; you don't have to lead the troops yourself. Night City's internal affairs are a mess—your priority should be fixing them. If the city isn't stable and supplies are short, how can we keep fighting a war?"

As she spoke, Wendy watched Reid closely. Seeing he didn't object, she went on: "Husband, you and my cousin are both rare talents. Truth is, you're better at being City Lord—at commanding and giving orders. My cousin is different; in Southlyn, he was raised to be a general, and when it comes to leading troops, no one can match him. Even Prince Nolan has suffered several defeats at his hands. If you two join forces, Prince Nolan won't stand a chance."

"When it comes to leading troops, I really can't compare to your cousin." Reid couldn't deny it. "But military command is the foundation of the Night Clan's rule—it's always been held by the City Lord. If I lose that, Night City might not even be ours anymore."

Wendy burst out laughing and playfully thumped Reid's chest. "Husband, you really overthink things! Of course the military should stay in our hands. My cousin's loyal, but we still need to be careful. Just treat him like any other general. If he wins battles, it's your wisdom for choosing the right people. If he loses, that's on him—not you."

Women of the Su family all had the talent to become legendary beauties blamed for ruining kingdoms. With just a few sweet words and clever logic, Wendy left Reid so dizzy that by the next day, he agreed to hand the army over to Damien's command.

Prince Nolan got the news early in the morning. His tapping hand paused on the desk, and his eyes flicked upward, landing on General Warren Yu.

General Warren Yu let out a silent sigh, lowering his head and saying nothing. But his hand, hanging at his side, clenched into a fist. If Reid had been there, Warren would have punched him for sure.

Useless. Absolutely no help at all!

Back when Damien arrived in Night City, Prince Nolan had gathered everyone to discuss strategy. General Warren Yu insisted it was an opportunity—two tigers can't share one mountain. With Damien back, he was sure there'd be a power struggle with Reid, and all they had to do was wait for Night City to tear itself apart.

Prince Nolan scoffed at Warren's theory. "Are you sure those two in Night City are both tigers?"

No one knew if he meant Damien was stronger than a tiger, or that Reid wasn't even a tiger at all. Either way, nobody dared ask. Only now, with the latest news from Night City, did everyone understand what Prince Nolan meant.

Reid might be a tiger, but Damien was a fox—the kind that could sell out the tiger. Reid was no match for Damien, especially with Wendy Summers on Damien's side.

Power in Night City fell into new hands, and there was no infighting like Warren had predicted. He was deeply frustrated. But there was one bit of good news: Serena Phoenixfield and Simon Sun would arrive tomorrow.

With Serena here, things would finally look up for them...

Prince Nolan: You really do overthink things!