Chapter 226 - Volume 3
Chapter 5 – Letter (5)
Brendel got up and walked over to Sifrid. He patted her head.
“Sifrid’s is an understanding kid,” he said to the Elder Druid. “I treat her like she’s my younger sister, so I’m going to entrust her to you as per her wishes. I don’t care whether she becomes a citizen of the forest or not, but I want you to ensure her safety. The Druids are capable of doing at least that?”
“That goes without saying, Ser Brendel.” Andellu nodded.
“Thank you, brother Brendel.” Sifrid’s hands grabbed on to his sleeves as she sniffed a little.
Brendel stroked her head. The little girl was earnest and mature for her age. Brendel did not care much for the Druids’ alliance, but since they were coming on board, he was going to make full use of Valhalla’s connection to enforce the relationship.
“Amandina, please bring Sifrid out to pack the necessary things for the journey.”
“What?” Amandina was called back to reality when she was studying the Druids. She looked at Brendel in confusion, “Me?”
“Borrowing the strength of others. After the Era of Chaos, civilization hardly expanded outwards of the land guarded by Laws, other than the handful of Pioneer Knights. As a result, with the beasts’ corruption from Mana, and the limited land available, the signs of civil wars are increasing every passing day,” he said, pausing for dramatic effect: “But I have a new solution to end this problem, even if it’s just an attempt. Still, I’m quite confident of making it work. Are you interested?”
Andellu took a moment to think before he spoke again: “Please continue, Ser Brendel.”
“In order to stabilize the kingdom and revitalize it, I’ll expand my land—” Brendel said as he dripped the hot wax over a rolled up parchment.
The Druids suddenly took a deep breath as they realized he was hinting at changing the entire politics of the kingdom, and that he was not going to stop there. His ambition was far beyond ruling Trentheim.
He was going to create an empire of his own.
Andellu was immediately uneasy and stared at him with guarded eyes. He spoke in a low voice in order to prevent drawing Brendel’s ire: “Such expansions will bring along blood and wars, and this goes against our beliefs. If you wish to entice into joining you by providing us soldiers from your victory spoils that you gained from other nobles’ lands, I’m afraid you’re gravely mistaken.”
“Wars are unavoidable,” Brendel did the same for the other parchment before he extinguished the candle and took off the Ring of the Wind Empress, “and it’s going to be a last resort to protect myself. You’re mistaken by what I mean by expansion—”
“Y-you mean?” Andellu looked at him in disbelief, realizing the other possibility.
“Yes, expansion towards the Wilderness,” The ring pressed into the hot wax before it was lifted up, “I’ll carve out new territory and gain resources from there.”