On July 11, Year 1787 of the common calendar of the Galentea Continent, King Augesero I of the Andinac Kingdom assembled a million-strong army to reclaim Andevo Province, Portoorge Province, Campona Province, and the Northwest Province (i.e., the northwestern territories). His forces reached the borders of the Commercial Alliance, demanding that the Alliance return the former Krisen Empire provinces of Armenia and Malivia to the Ruhrm Duchy. He was determined to reunify the empire's territory once more and revive the Krisen Empire.
After the
On August 13, the Commercial Alliance dispatched envoys to the White Lion Legion's camp of the Andinac Kingdom, declaring that they were prepared to discuss a peace agreement to resolve the territorial disputes between the two nations with King Augesero I. Augesero I was greatly pleased. To demonstrate his sincerity for peace negotiations, he specially laid out a ten-li "Road of Peace" carpeted with white sand to welcome the arrival of the Commercial Alliance envoys.
However, Augesero I, who was wholeheartedly eager for peace talks, never imagined that the Commercial Alliance's envoy mission was merely a nominal ruse. In truth, they harbored sinister intentions and had secretly dispatched the Storm Sword Saint as part of the delegation. Their plan was to use the negotiations to abduct King Augesero I and the elite nobles of the Andinac Kingdom and bring them to
What's more, during the meeting itself, the Commercial Alliance would suddenly launch a five-pronged attack on the Andinac Kingdom's army encampments. Their goal was that, with Augesero I and the elite nobles of the Andinac Kingdom all captured by the Storm Sword Saint, they could crush the million-strong Andinac army in a single stroke by depriving it of command and the ability to respond, thereby eliminating the military threat it posed to the Commercial Alliance.
If everything had gone according to plan, the Andinac Kingdom would not have posed any threat to the Commercial Alliance for the next hundred years, and the entire kingdom's economy and commerce would have fallen under the Alliance's control. But what no one expected was that at the most critical moment, Grand Duke of the Northland, Norton
Caught off guard by the Commercial Alliance's five-pronged surprise assault and completely unprepared due to the peace negotiations, the Andinac Kingdom's million-strong army suffered devastating losses and retreated in disarray. However, the Norton Family's armed Rock Legion held firm to the forward camp positions by leveraging the terrain, inflicting tremendous casualties on the invading Commercial Alliance forces. The Alliance forces concentrated three columns totaling three hundred thousand troops in a furious assault on the Rock Legion's camp for nearly a month but were ultimately defeated and forced to withdraw. The Rock Legion became renowned across the land in a single battle.
Because the Rock Legion pinned down the bulk of the Commercial Alliance's offensive forces, King Augesero I gained the time he needed to regroup and reorganize his shattered armies. A month later, he returned with over six hundred thousand troops. Enraged by the Commercial Alliance's treachery, Augesero I publicly cut his hair to declare his resolve, swearing that he would wash away the humiliation the Alliance had inflicted upon himself and the Andinac Kingdom with blood, and that he would fight the Commercial Alliance to the bitter end. The Alliance forces refused to back down either, gathering four hundred thousand troops to wage a brutal war against him in Armenia and Malivia Provinces. Both sides scored victories and suffered defeats, locked in an unyielding stalemate.
On October 23, the Norton Family's armed Flying Tiger Legion and Hunt Cavalry Legion descended upon the battlefield like divine soldiers. They charged forward with unstoppable momentum, conquering every obstacle in their path. The Commercial Alliance forces suffered defeat after defeat, losing over a hundred thousand troops, and were powerless to withstand the Norton Family's military might. They had no choice but to withdraw from Armenia and Malivia Provinces, retreating toward the Mana Hill Plains.
During their retreat, the Commercial Alliance forces had their attention drawn by the Norton Family's armed forces and neglected Augesero I, who had been watching them like a tiger stalking its prey from the sidelines. Seizing the opportunity, Augesero I leveraged the mobile light cavalry of the Fisaabren Family's Border Patrol Legion and Reserve Legion, as well as the
After this battle, Augesero I ordered the execution of nearly a thousand captured Commercial Alliance nobles. He then marched his army to the Mana Hill Plains, opening the curtain on the bloody two-year siege and defense of that land. The Commercial Alliance, meanwhile, was dealt a devastating blow to its vitality, with internal unrest beginning to brew. Despite boasting itself as the foremost power on the Galentea Continent, it was swiftly exposed by the Andinac Kingdom as having grown militarily depleted. The six great guilds that governed the Alliance could only barely maintain their defensive line along the Mana Hill Plains, crippled by their staggering troop losses...
In the military history of the Galentea Continent, because the Commercial Alliance violated the unwritten noble custom of not launching military attacks during peace negotiations, the entire period of conflict—from King Augesero I of the Andinac Kingdom mustering a million-strong army at the Alliance border to the light cavalry night raid that routed the retreating Alliance forces—is collectively known as the War of the Broken Pact. Some war scholars have also called it the War that Betrayed Peace.
A Sword Saint—and one who was not yet forty years old at that. This was precisely what drew the most doubt and controversy.
In the records of Sword Saints on the Galentea Continent spanning nearly a thousand years, the youngest to ascend to the rank of Sword Saint was at the age of sixty-eight—already considered the most brilliantly talented individual in a millennium. He was Master Cameron, revered as the Cloud Saint over three hundred years ago. But now, Grand Duke Norton Lorist of the Northland had shattered that record, which only fueled further doubt and controversy. After all, His Highness the Grand Duke was not yet forty, and it was said that what he cultivated was not the blood-attribute combat force passed down through generations of the Norton Family, but rather the secret cultivation techniques of Eastern martial monks from the ancient magical civilization era.
Whether or not His Highness the Grand Duke cultivated orthodox combat force inheritance or the lost secret techniques of the Eastern martial monks, the undeniable fact remained that he had fought the Storm Sword Saint and severely wounded him. Although His Highness the Grand Duke was himself gravely injured, his ability to stand against the Storm Sword Saint gave the Andinac Kingdom the fighting courage and confidence to contend with the Commercial Alliance—for the Kingdom now possessed a nation-guarding Sword Saint of its own. Unfortunately, the Storm Sword Saint withdrew into seclusion in Morant City upon his return, prioritizing his recovery, so no comment from him regarding the Northland Grand Duke could be obtained.
According to Count Bolaid, the Storm Sword Saint's eldest disciple, the Storm Sword Saint confirmed that the Northland Grand Duke had indeed become a Sword Saint, and that his domain was extremely peculiar—filled with an aura of bloodshed and slaughter, like a realm of blood. It was easy to imagine that the Northland Grand Duke must be a blood-soaked villain of the most vicious sort. However, Count Bolaid went on to say that the Storm Sword Saint had struck the Northland Grand Duke's chest with his sword, and his injuries were even more severe, requiring a longer recovery time than the Storm Sword Saint himself. The Storm Sword Saint declared that once he had healed, he would seek out the Northland Grand Duke for a rematch to avenge the humiliation of his grievous wounds.
The Northland Grand Duke Norton Lorist, gravely wounded after his battle with the Storm Sword Saint, also vanished without a trace, presumably to recover from his injuries. Throughout the entire War of the Broken Pact, the Norton Family's armed forces performed with exceptional distinction. The Rock Legion held firm at the camp and turned the tide; the Flying Tiger Legion charged forward with unstoppable momentum, crushing all obstacles; and the Hunt Cavalry Legion gathered and dispersed like the wind, conquering every foe. It could be said that it was the Norton Family's three great legions that laid the foundation for the Andinac Kingdom's decisive victory over the Commercial Alliance.
After the War of the Broken Pact, rumors spread that the Commercial Alliance had assembled a fifteen-man assassination squad of Sword Saints and sent them covertly to the Northland to assassinate the gravely wounded Grand Duke Norton Lorist. The Norton Family's historical records did indeed document numerous encounters with and sightings of hostile Sword Saints during that period. However, what cast doubt on these claims was that no high-ranking Norton Family officials, Family Knights, or the Grand Duke's family members were ever attacked or harmed during that time, suggesting it was nothing more than a rumor. The most likely explanation was that after being wounded, the Northland Grand Duke had sought out a secluded place to recover and lost contact with his family, causing the Norton Family to grow anxious and fearful, ultimately triggering an internal power struggle.
The family's internal strife forced the Norton Family's three great legions, which had been campaigning on the Mana Hill Plains, to begin their march back to the Northland. Stripped of the Norton Family's three legions, the Andinac Kingdom's forces lacked the strength to press on, unable to conquer the three remaining fortress cities and Morant City that the Commercial Alliance still held on the Mana Hill Plains. Thus the bloody siege and defense of the Mana Hill Plains entered a brutal phase of attrition. Neither the Andinac Kingdom nor the Commercial Alliance could have imagined that over the next year and a half, both sides would each lose another two to three hundred thousand elite soldiers on this blood-soaked plain. It was a war with no final victor...
Excerpted from *The Rise of the Angry Bear Dynasty — Prelude: The Empire's Sorrow*, by Sir Andwerin Mesmod, Professor of Literature and History at
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"Where am I...?" Lorist finally regained consciousness, slowly uttering a complete and clear sentence. The room was pitch dark, and outside the window came the ceaseless patter of rain.
Ever since his duel with the Storm Sword Saint left him gravely wounded and unconscious, Lorist felt as though he had been trapped in an extraordinarily long dream, of which he could recall very few fragments—nothing more than drinking various bitter and astringent medicines, aching all over, sometimes feeling as though he were swaying on a stretcher or perhaps inside a carriage, his body in constant pain, sometimes burning as if scorched by flames. On the rare occasions he drifted into semi-consciousness, he had glimpsed patches of blue sky and heard the screams of battle...
"Your Highness, you're awake?" A familiar voice, suppressed yet brimming with joy, came from beside him. It sounded like Radis...
"Radis? Where are we? Why aren't we lighting candles?" Lorist asked in confusion.
"Your Highness, we're in
Kobo City? No candles for the sake of safety? Lorist drew several deep breaths. His chest still ached, but the sword that he remembered being driven through his chest was gone. He quickly recalled the entirety of his duel with the Storm Sword Saint and everything that had transpired before it.
"Give me a report. What time is it, and what's the situation?" His eyes finally adjusted to the darkness, and he could barely make out what appeared to be tall stacks of burlap sacks all around—it seemed they were inside a granary.
In the chaos, Sword Saint Xius and I killed three Sword Saints from the Commercial Alliance who had tracked us down, then seized the opportunity to snatch you from the Imperial Capital and rush toward Vandenas City with your guards.
"We had originally thought
Ledi's words contained quite a lot of information, and Lorist sat in thought for some time before he managed to sort through it all.
"After I lost consciousness, didn't His Majesty go after the Storm Sword Saint?" Lorist asked.
"He did, but just as he was closing in, the Commercial Alliance's armies came crashing in. Several White Lion Legions had already collapsed, and everyone was scrambling to flee. Genorio and I withdrew with you and the guard detachment. Later, His Majesty insisted we had to save you no matter the cost and had the wounded Sword Saint Manster escort us back to the Imperial Capital, so the capital's apothecaries could treat you. We originally wanted to put you up in the Imperial Palace, but that venomous hag of a queen from the Fissabron family claimed it would be improper and refused to let you stay. We could only place you in a Count's estate right next to the palace. As it turned out, that actually helped us dodge the Commercial Alliance's assassination attempt..." Ledi looked rather relieved as he finished.
"His Majesty didn't return to the Imperial Capital?"
"No. In this catastrophic defeat of a million-strong army, only our family's Bedrock Legion held its camp position, buying time for His Highness the
Well, the Second Prince would certainly have his hands full going forward — nobody knew how long this war against the Commercial Alliance would drag on.
"You mentioned just now that Terman and the knight order aren't in Vandenas City — they've been transferred to Muyeyuan Province. Why? What happened to the Hunter Cavalry Legion stationed there? Did something else go wrong?"
"Well, it's... it's because His Majesty led the army to attack the Commercial Alliance, leaving the knight order sitting around in Vandenas City with nothing to do. At the same time, it's said that Legion Commander Joster flew into a rage upon hearing you'd been gravely injured. He refused to obey the family's order to hold position and marched off on his own with the Hunter Cavalry Legion, while Lord Ross the Fierce Tiger took the Flying Tiger Legion to the front lines as well, both to strike at the Commercial Alliance and avenge you. With Muyeyuan Province left exposed, the family had no choice but to send Lord Terman and the knight order over to garrison it." Ledi answered with some hesitation.
"What utter nonsense!" Lorist snorted through his nose. Still, he himself was holed up in a granary at the moment, with no way to do anything about it. Joster had always been close to him alone, so upon hearing he'd been hurt, the man would naturally take action — there was no way Fatty could have stopped that. As for Ross the Fierce Tiger, the man looked down on everyone and didn't give Fatty the slightest bit of respect, obeying no one's orders but Lorist's own. If only he weren't stuck hiding in this wretched place — one word from him and those two would obediently come back to accept their punishment.
"Is there anyone else who knows I'm here?" Lorist asked.
"Your Highness, only three people know. Right now in Cobol City there's a single garrison battalion of three thousand. Besides myself, the battalion commander and his personal guard are the only ones who know. The commander is Sherikov — he came up from our guard battalion — and his personal guard is his cousin, who's responsible for bringing us our meals. But after the rainy season, it'll be time to harvest the winter wheat in Dremmk Province. Grain wagons delivering the winter wheat will start coming through then, with too many people and too many eyes. If someone were to discover you here, Your Highness, and word got out, I'm afraid it would attract the attention of assassins..."
"Let's move somewhere else. We can't go back to the Northland right now — someone is definitely watching it. When April comes, we'll disguise ourselves as grain-delivery farmers and make for Baron Dina's fief." Lorist thought it over and said.
...