Chapter 985 — Controlled Reaction
Blade of Dawn · Page 1 of 4
Hearing Luo Yan's answer, Pei Yi sank into thought. It seemed a long while before he raised his head and saw the Typhon ruler standing there with a calm like still water, seeming more tranquil than at any other time.
Yet beneath that calm exterior Pei Yi sensed a power poised to strike—a power that had been gathering for many years, one many had assumed had faded with the passage of time. But at this moment Pei Yi suddenly realized that it was still there, never diminished in the slightest.
Luo Yan Augustus, cautious strategist and astonishing gambler alike—his nerve was as great as ever.
"This could become a reckless gamble," Pei Yi could not help saying, not to dissuade him but simply to voice his view. "Your Majesty, once the balance is lost, we and the entire Empire will be beyond saving."
"We are already on the road beyond saving—not because we seek a reckless gamble, but because every chance of survival lies within this gamble," Luo Yan suddenly smiled faintly. "This is a crisis destined to come, and since it has already happened, we should find a way to turn it into an opportunity."
"...Then I will do all I can," Pei Yi lowered his head after a moment's silence. "Also to make amends and wash away my shame this time."
"You know none of this is your fault... but that is indeed something you would say now."
Just then, a knock came from not far away, interrupting Luo Yan and Pei Yi's conversation.
Luo Yan looked toward the door: "Come in."
The door of the magic laboratory opened, and Windsor Mabel, president of the Royal Mages' Association, appeared in the doorway with a dignified air. She seemed taken aback upon seeing Grand Duke Pei Yi speaking with Luo Yan, then nodded to him and quickly came before Luo Yan. Her expression was hesitant, as if she had something to say but scruples about saying it.
Looking at the legendary mage's expression, Luo Yan seemed to have guessed what she wanted to say. He first glanced at Duke Pei Yi beside him, then turned his gaze back and gave Windsor Mabel a slight nod: "Say what you have to say."
Windsor Mabel instinctively glanced at Duke Pei Yi. After a brief hesitation, she finally spoke: "Your Majesty, the message tower has just received word. Winterwolf Fortress... has fallen."
Pei Yi's breathing abruptly missed a beat. The old duke's body swayed almost imperceptibly; his fingers clenched and then released, and at last he could not help speaking: "Then An Luo..."
"General An Luo is not dead," Windsor Mabel said quickly, but her expression only grew stranger and more hesitant than before. "She... she has been captured by the Cecil."
Duke Pei Yi seemed to relax slightly, but his expression soon turned quite complicated: "Was it... a capture after a misstep?"
"No, she surrendered—she surrendered with the entire Winterwolf Knights, the Black Banner Mage Corps, and a great many surviving regular troops," Windsor Mabel gritted her teeth and said in one breath. "The news came from the mage outpost in the Winterfort region. The Cecil have not sealed off the information. The sword-and-plow banner now flies over Winterwolf Fortress, and Cecil Empire troops are continually building fortifications around it."
"Sur..." Duke Pei Yi's eyes suddenly widened, as if this had struck him harder than the news of Winterwolf Fortress's fall. The old man's face was strange and twisted, as though he had heard the most inconceivable thing in the world. "Surrendered?! And with two legions and countless regular troops? She surrendered the entire Winterwolf Fortress defense line?!"
The old wolf's voice finally rose gradually—an emotional surge that came only after decades of conviction had been dealt a head-on blow. His face flushed red, and his expression showed neither clearly anger nor sorrow, as if the joy from moments before had not yet dispersed before being overwhelmed by a wholly opposite emotion.