Humiliation, Eastlyn Will Never Allow It

Disciplining Little Dumpling was a private matter; Serena Feng and Prince Nolan didn’t let their son distract them from state affairs. The material and military aid Eastlyn promised arrived in Prince Titus’s hands in Lyndaria at once.

Faced with this bounty, Prince Titus was momentarily speechless. After settling the people and supplies, he summoned Master Ian Reed.

"Master, what do you think Eastlyn intends?" Perhaps because their positions were so similar, Titus found it easy to speak candidly with Ian Reed.

Ian Reed gave a bitter smile. "Your Majesty is a man of great wisdom. I don’t understand it." He truly hadn’t expected Eastlyn to send such substantial aid. With these resources and manpower, if Lyndaria had several decades, it too could grow strong enough to rival Eastlyn.

Does Prince Nolan really not fear that Crown Prince Titus might become ambitious?

Ian Reed realized he truly couldn’t fathom Prince Nolan, nor could he make sense of his actions.

"If we don’t understand, then so be it. The goods have arrived, so we’ll accept them. In any case, he hasn’t asked me to offer anything in return." Titus felt a weight lift from his heart and relaxed considerably.

"Eastlyn sent over plenty of seeds. This year, we don’t have to worry about a total crop failure." Titus’s desires were always simple: as long as he remained on the throne, he wanted the people of Lyndaria to live well.

As for the future, when he no longer held power, he would let go and not interfere.

Not in the position, not responsible for the duty. Titus sought no praise—only a clear conscience.

"His Highness is right—we’ll have a bumper harvest this year." Ian Reed thought further than Titus, but no matter how much he pondered, it was pointless.

With the authority in his hands, he was no match for Eastlyn. From his very first meeting with Prince Nolan, it was fated that he could never turn back.

A good harvest in Lyndaria was certain, because Prince Nolan’s letter explicitly instructed Titus to complete the unification of Lyndaria.

While unifying Lyndaria might make it harder for Eastlyn to attack, Prince Nolan was even less willing to see half of Lyndaria fall into Northlyn’s hands. Both Prince Nolan and Titus could clearly see Northlyn’s intentions.

If Northlyn couldn’t conquer all of Lyndaria, they would swallow the half controlled by the Princess Royal. This time, she had truly invited a wolf into the house—Northlyn’s soldiers, after fighting so long in Lyndaria, would never leave for a mere reward in grain.

"Every time he makes a request, it’s impossible for me to refuse." Titus, too, did not want to see half the kingdom fall to Northlyn, so in this final battle Lyndaria would go all out, even if it meant draining national strength.

Titus summoned Holden Cui and the ministers, openly stating his intention for a decisive war against the Princess Royal, and sought their counsel.

"The war has dragged on too long. If this goes on, we’ll collapse even before the Northlyn Iron Cavalry attacks." This was the reason Titus put forward, and it was the truth.

"Even if we don’t strike first, the Princess Royal won’t let us rest. If we can’t hold out, neither can they. A decisive battle is inevitable. Rather than waiting to be beaten, let’s take the initiative and show Northlyn what Lyndaria’s soldiers are made of."

When Titus finished speaking, the hall fell silent. The ministers weighed the pros and cons. At this moment, though personal interests mattered, they made decisions mainly from a national perspective. If Lyndaria were destroyed, it wouldn’t just be the common people who suffered—their own positions as high officials would be lost first.

Whether it was Eastlyn or Northlyn, even if they reused officials from a conquered country, they would never appoint its high ministers—at most, a few minor bureaucrats handling trivial tasks.

For those who held real power, being reduced to bowing and scraping was intolerable. So, no matter what, Lyndaria could not be allowed to fall.

"I support Your Highness’s proposal, but is our army prepared?" Holden Cui was the first to step forward; as the leading clan, House Cui had to stand with Titus.

With Titus proposing a preemptive attack, and the stakes so high, House Cui had no reason to oppose.

"Eastlyn is lending us a hundred thousand troops, and three hundred thousand stone of grain." When Titus announced these numbers, several ministers’ faces darkened—they immediately asked, "Will those hundred thousand soldiers ever leave?"

They feared that once Eastlyn’s troops entered Lyndaria, they would refuse to withdraw—just like Northlyn.

Many officials privately cursed the Princess Royal’s lack of foresight—how could she agree to let Northlyn’s troops in? Didn’t she know it’s easy to invite gods but hard to send them away?

Once Northlyn’s troops occupied Lyndaria’s territory, they wouldn’t leave without sufficient spoils. The same would be true of Eastlyn.

Still, accepting Eastlyn’s troops was a last resort. The Princess Royal’s forces matched theirs, and previous campaigns against allied cities had cost them men. Without Eastlyn’s help, Titus and his ministers might already be ruling a dead kingdom.

Ultimately, it was all the Princess Royal’s fault. If she hadn’t brought in Northlyn’s army, they wouldn’t need Eastlyn’s support. But it was too late—things were set. As the weaker side, they had no choice but to accept.

"Those hundred thousand troops will ultimately garrison the border between Lyndaria and Northlyn." Titus relayed Prince Nolan’s condition.

Those hundred thousand soldiers could truly attack or defend as needed.

"Stuck in the middle? Isn’t Eastlyn afraid we’ll join forces with Northlyn and wipe out their hundred thousand in one blow?" a hot-tempered general slammed the table and roared.

Titus gave him a wry look. "If you’ve got the guts, go ahead and try."

Not to mention that an alliance between Lyndaria and Northlyn was highly unlikely—even if they tried, Eastlyn would immediately send troops against either side. A force of a hundred thousand couldn’t be wiped out so easily; any such move would leave both Lyndaria and Northlyn fighting on two fronts.

"Eastlyn is going too far!" Lyndaria’s officials protested angrily, but Holden Cui remained calm. He said mildly, "There’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world. Eastlyn’s grain isn’t falling from the sky."

Without real benefit, why would Eastlyn send grain and medicine? In wartime, these goods are priceless—even silver can’t buy them, and Lyndaria doesn’t even have silver.

Holden’s words silenced the officials. They glanced at each other, seeing anger and humiliation reflected in each other’s eyes. But what could they do besides rage?

If Lyndaria wanted to survive, it had to accept Eastlyn’s aid. Otherwise, their fate would be even worse.

"Only the strong have a voice. If we were Eastlyn, we’d do the same thing." Titus sighed, for himself and for his country.

Given time, Lyndaria could become strong. But time was exactly what they lacked—Eastlyn would never let Lyndaria grow. Southlyn was the warning right in front of them...