Chapter 51 Envoy from the South
When Anne entered, Rolf was momentarily dazed. Seeing the black dress she wore, he suddenly remembered that Anne had lost her parents and brother, and now she was the only one left in the Virlet family.
"Anne Virlet greets Your Majesty."
Rolf saw her standing neither humbly nor arrogantly, and his voice softened considerably. "Are you here to see Queen Mother Smith? She's been thinking about you lately, but knowing you just returned to your estate with many things to handle, she couldn't bear to summon you."
Anne pressed her lips together. Queen Mother Smith and her mother had been close friends, and she had watched Anne grow up. If it weren't for more urgent matters that needed immediate attention, Anne would have loved to visit her.
Thinking of this, Anne shook her head. "No, Your Majesty. I'm not here to visit Queen Mother Smith. I have an important matter that requires your help."
"An important matter - is it about Holden and Candy?" Rolf seemed rather displeased. "They already made such a scene at the wedding, why can't you see past this?"
Anne was stunned. She'd been so busy with the Virlet family affairs these past days that she had no time to hear what Holden and the others had done. But from His Majesty's tone, they had already married and done something foolish.
"No, Your Majesty."
She quickly took out the letter sent by the knight order. "I came to see you because the estate received a letter from the eastern battlefield."
Since it concerned the battlefield, Conor quickly took the letter from Anne and hurried back to Rolf's side. "Your Majesty."
"Communication from the battlefield has been cut off, so they probably don't know yet that Mother..." Anne paused, her eyes reddening slightly. "That's why the letter came directly to me. That's how I learned my grandfather was seriously injured and is still unconscious."
"But that's not all. Zotfort people have appeared near Warlinekza. Though they're still wearing Viller Empire clothing, Zotfort people are tall and easily distinguished from people of the Soth Empire and Viller Empire. Your Majesty, they must have formed an alliance and plan to invade Warlinekza together!"
Rolf's fingertips rubbed the seal at the signature. It was indeed the emblem of the knight order led by Duke Daniel. This letter should be genuine, but...
He frowned. "Even if a few Zotfort people appeared, how can you be sure this is an alliance between nations rather than a connection between small factions?"
The southern expedition army had just finished fighting Zotfort and returned to the capital, securing the territories around the border. As the defeated party, how could Zotfort have enough military strength and ability to persuade the Viller Empire?
Moreover, Zotfort and the Viller Empire weren't on friendly terms. Apart from trade merchants, they had no other connections, let alone such an important military alliance.
"Your Majesty, do you remember the disaster that struck the Virlet family a year ago?"
Anne took a deep breath, trying hard to hold back her tears. "Your Majesty sent people to investigate and found it was done by Zotfort infiltrators in the Soth Empire. But they traveled from Zotfort to Virlet estate, passing countless prosperous towns and noble territories, without leaving any trace."
Rolf nodded. "I remember. I found it strange at the time too. Normally, given Zotfort people's tall build, even if they secretly entered the Virlet family territory by water or through the countryside, someone should have noticed. But strangely, no one had seen them before this incident."
Anne nodded. "Indeed strange, but Your Majesty, what if we think about it differently?"
She turned to look at Conor. "Lord Conor, could you give me a map?"
Conor glanced at Rolf, then turned to take a rolled map from a nearby bookshelf and spread it on the king's desk. Anne stepped closer, nodded gratefully at Conor, then pointed to the border between the Soth Empire and Viller Empire on the map. "The current eastern battlefield is at Warlinekza, the territory the Viller Empire has always wanted to take from our country."
"Your Majesty, the Virlet territory is in eastern Soth Empire. The Viller Empire is closer to it than Zotfort. If Zotfort infiltrated through Viller Empire, they could arrive faster and avoid detection."
A flash of approval crossed Rolf's eyes. "You make a good point, but the Soth Empire's borders have always been guarded by soldiers, and I've never received news of any attacks. As for Warlinekza, the defenses there are stronger than other places, so how could they let Zotfort people in?"
Anne suddenly smiled, her lips curving slightly. "Naturally, but Your Majesty, you've forgotten - there's one place where the guard is very lax, even barely manned."
Her finger lightly tapped the mountain range on the map. "I heard from my father that this mountain range is almost all dangerous peaks, with many wild beasts roaming about - very dangerous. People don't normally go there, so they often neglect the guard situation, forgetting that on the other side of this mountain range is the Viller Empire."
"And precisely because no one appears here, after leaving the mountain forest area there's a stretch of wasteland, and finally when reaching the Virlet family territory, they only need to bypass a few unremarkable villages and towns."
Rolf nodded. "That does make sense."
"But you've overlooked one important fact - although the southern war has paused and the expedition army has returned, leaving that area to the regular border forces, Zotfort is still launching attacks. Even the battle report from two days ago mentioned this. If they're planning to..."
"Wait."
The young king suddenly realized something was wrong, his expression changing dramatically.
Anne's expression remained unchanged as she spoke calmly. "Yes, the southern expedition army has already returned, so why haven't the local garrison requested help from the knight order when Zotfort attacks?"
"After all, they couldn't hold out before."
"So how many Zotfort soldiers are actually attacking them now?"
Before Rolf could continue thinking, the guard knight outside hurried in again.
"Your Majesty! An urgent military report has arrived from the southern garrison!"
"Quick! Have them bring it in!"
The guard knight quickly went out to bring someone in. Soon, a knight in silver-white armor strode in and knelt on one knee.
"Your Majesty the King! Our scouts infiltrated near the Zotfort camp and discovered only a few hundred people remain guarding their camp. We captured one for questioning and learned they've formed an alliance with the Viller Empire. Their main force has all bypassed the Soth Empire and is heading to the eastern battlefield. Once they join forces, they'll launch an attack on Warlinekza!"
"Your Majesty, please give the order to send reinforcements to the eastern battlefield immediately, or it will be too late!"