Exiled Prince: I'm the Unexpected Extra in the Novel-Chapter 102: Evershade [4] A Vow for the North

If a bomb had fallen into the room, its effect would not have been this great.

Marquis Aldren’s eyes widened with panic and pure fear the moment he heard the name. His color faded to ash in that instant. He slammed his hands onto the dining table and sprang from his seat as if his chair had caught fire.

"WHAT?!"

Even Marchioness Calyra, that delicate and sorrowful woman, covered her mouth in horror at the name she heard.

No one could blame them for this reaction. Neither Eric nor Rose. Because the people Cassian was trying to fight were not ordinary bandits or a rebellious lord.

Obsidian Dawn.

That cursed cult that had brought disaster to the North lands with their thousands of years of history, rooted like poisonous vines all over the world, bringing only chaos, destruction, and calamity wherever they went.

As if turning the North into ruins was not enough, they had launched a treacherous and devastating attack on the Inferna Duchy.

Although their attack seemed to have failed, the impact, fear, and destruction they left behind were permanent. Even the Empire feared them.

"You." The Marquis’s voice was trembling, but this time not from anger, but from terror. "Have you lost your mind, boy? Do you plan to declare war on them?"

"No," said Cassian calmly. "The war has already started. I just plan to finish it."

"You are clearly not sane!" shouted the Marquis. "You do not know what you are saying! That cult, they are shadows! They are death! What you want could cause the death of us all! They are not to be trifled with!"

Cassian stood up as well. Although he was shorter than the Marquis, the aura he radiated filled the entire room at that moment.

"Yes, perhaps you are right," said Cassian, his voice like ice.

"Perhaps it will cause our deaths. But consider this, Marquis Aldren. Your Marquisate is geographically part of the North already. You are on the Demon border."

Cassian began to walk slowly around the table.

"The Frosthelm Duchy is the heart of the North. It is currently under siege by Obsidian Dawn. If Frosthelm falls completely, what do you think will happen? Will Obsidian Dawn say, ’Ah, this is enough for us, let us stop’? Do you think they will stop?"

He looked into the Marquis’s eyes.

"No. They will not stop. What they will do, the limit of their hunger is never certain. When Frosthelm falls, they will find themselves a new, fresh, powerful target. A strategic target with resources, with an army."

Cassian raised his index finger and pointed it unhesitatingly at the Marquis’s chest.

"Who is the second greatest power source in the North, Marquis Aldren?"

The Marquis remained silent, his breathing accelerated.

"Let me guess," said Cassian with a ruthless smile. "It is you."

"Even if I cure your son," whispered Cassian, delivering the final blow. "When Obsidian Dawn knocks on your door, when they hang that cured boy’s head on the castle walls, you will not even have time to regret not making this bargain."

The room was buried in a deathly silence. Only the sound of the fork Cordelia made while eating the dessert on her plate could be heard.

As Marquis Aldren wiped his sweating forehead, he understood that this young man before him was not actually offering them a choice, but merely slapping the inevitable in their faces.

Marquis Aldren sat back in his chair, his anger and denial from a moment ago replaced by a deep acceptance.

The burden on his shoulders had become heavy, as if the fatigue of years had suddenly settled upon him.

He rubbed his forehead, took a deep breath, and fixed his gaze once again on this mysterious young man in the black suit.

The boy opposite him looked at him with a maturity contrasting his age and a dangerous calmness.

"Very well..." said the Marquis, his voice now calmer but still tense.

"Let us say you are right. Let us say Obsidian Dawn will not stop after Frosthelm falls and will turn their barrels on us. So, do you have a plan? Or do you plan to just dive right into the middle of the war with this makeshift army you have gathered, to commit suicide?"

Cassian turned the goblet in front of him slightly. Without averting his eyes from the Marquis, he answered honestly.

"I intend to make the detailed and precise battle plan after all allies have gathered and I have seen the full capacity of the power we hold. For now, our strategy is based on gathering power and establishing a defense line."

The Marquis frowned. "All allies? Who exactly is on our side besides us?"

"Mooncrest and Amberfield," said Cassian, as relaxed as if he were talking about the weather.

"I have met with the lords of both regions and already secured the agreement. Unlike you, they were not late to understand that the fate of the North is their own fate, and they volunteered willingly to fight and send their armies."

A slight look of surprise appeared on the Marquis’s face. Mooncrest and Amberfield were strategically important regions. He wondered how this young man convinced those stubborn lords, but he did not ask.

"After receiving your support as well," continued Cassian, "we will combine our armies and move them to a strategic point in the North. Then, we plan to issue an official proclamation across the Empire. A ’War of Liberation’ against the oppression of Obsidian Dawn under the banners of Veythral, Evershade, and other allies. Thousands of mercenaries, adventurers, and volunteers seeking gold, fame, or just revenge will join this war."

The Marquis fell into thought with the air of a commander. He drummed his fingers on the table. He raised his head as if he had found an obvious, even fatal flaw in the plan.

"Doing this." said the Marquis, his voice warning. "Is it not too risky, young man? Opening your gates to everyone... What if spies of Obsidian Dawn infiltrate among those ’volunteers’ disguised as mercenaries? What if they sow seeds of discord within the army, commit sabotage? What will you do then? We would collapse from within."

A slight, confident smile appeared on Cassian’s lips.

"You need not worry about that matter, Marquis Aldren. I have a very special acquaintance who is more skilled than anyone in the world at reading people’s souls, sensing their intentions, and revealing their lies."

The Marquis looked suspiciously. "A mage? I do not trust mind readers."

"No," said Cassian. "Much more. Right, Nivelle?"

Upon Cassian’s call, a beam of emerald green light emanating from his chest pierced the dimness of the room. The light concentrated on the table, right next to Cassian’s shoulder, and began to take shape.

From within the light emerged a figure, about 15cm tall, delicate yet filling the room with her presence. Her transparent green wings allowed her to remain suspended in the air. Her long green hair shone with its own light, she had a pair of antlers similar to a deer’s on her head, and the dress she wore, which looked as if it were woven from leaves, reflected nature itself. But the most striking feature was the wisdom on that tiny face.

"A Fairy?!" Marquis Aldren asked with astonishment and admiration, as if seeing one for the first time in his life.

In this era, Fairies were one of the rarest races in the world. After the betrayal of the Elves and the great wars, their lineage was almost extinct, and they had completely hidden from humans.

The probability of a human encountering a fairy in their lifetime was almost zero.

Especially judging by this aura of pure nature she radiated, she was no ordinary fairy.

Cassian corrected the Marquis’s astonishment.

"A Primal Fairy," he said, emphasizing it. "And she is my little sister."

Nivelle floated to the Marquis’s eye level, put her small hands on her waist, and gave him a serious look, like a queen looking at her subjects. "Hello, Marquis. My brother is right. No one with bad intentions can escape my eyes."

Marquis Aldren looked at Cassian, then at this legendary being suspended in the air. He took a deep sigh. It seemed there would be no end to surprises tonight.

"You..." he said, shaking his head. "What are you, truly?"

Cassian leaned back. "As I said, Marquis Aldren. I am many things."

Accepting this answer, the Marquis returned the subject to strategy.

He had started to believe that the person before him was no ordinary individual, perhaps even a messenger of the gods.

"Very well," said the Marquis. "When do you plan to move? And most importantly, what does the Duchess of the North, Cecilia Frosthelm, say about this? Have you contacted her?"

Cassian’s face became serious. The cheerful atmosphere at the table suddenly dissipated.

"Well... Actually," said Cassian, lowering his voice. "We have given absolutely no information to Cecilia Frosthelm regarding this matter. We are keeping everything secret, even from her."

The Marquis raised his eyebrows. "You are going to save her lands and you did not inform her? This is madness."

"It is a necessity," said Cassian. "Frosthelm is about to fall, Marquis. The Duchess’s palace, her generals, those closest to her... She is surrounded by traitors. Obsidian Dawn has infiltrated right into the palace. If we inform the Duchess, this information will instantly go to the enemy’s ears and they will ambush us before we even reach the border."

Cassian leaned towards the table. "If not for the Mystic Beast of the North, Cryomara, Cecilia would have fallen victim to an assassination long ago just like her parents, and the North would have fallen completely. We must enter there like a ghost army."

Marquis Aldren understood the military and strategic intent behind this thought very well.

He even appreciated it deep down. This boy was not only powerful but also a ruthless realist who knew how to manage a war.

"You have made a wise decision," said the Marquis, nodding his head in approval.

"Trust is the most expensive and dangerous luxury in war."

Marquis Aldren slowly stood up from his chair. That heavy armor filling the room clanked.

He walked around the table with heavy steps towards Cassian.

The expression on his face was no longer skeptical or disdainful. It was determined, respectful, and serious, befitting an ally.

"As you said," said the Marquis, standing in front of Cassian.

"If I abandon you in this war today, if I close my doors... We will be the next target. And against them, we will have no chance. After all, we do not have a Mystic Beast protecting us."

He fixed his eyes on Cassian’s eyes.

"You have a good plan. You are intelligent, brave, and powerful. To refuse to be an ally with someone like you would be nothing but stupidity. As for you saving my son... even if I paid my debt to you with my blood, it would remain insufficient."

The Marquis extended his calloused and strong hand towards Cassian.

"The Evershade Marquisate and the Stormvale dynasty would be proud to stand by your side in this approaching war."

Cassian stood up as well. That slightly mocking smile on his face was erased, replaced by deep seriousness. He grasped the Marquis’s hand and shook it with genuine respect.

"Thank you, Marquis Aldren. You will not regret this."

With this handshake, the tension in the room gave way to relief and hope.

Marchioness Calyra clasped her hands on her chest, silently giving thanks. Tears were streaming from her eyes, but this time from happiness. Her son would be saved.

Rose watched Cassian with her arms crossed over her chest, a slight, proud smile on her lips. Although she sometimes found him annoying, she could not deny that he was talented.

Eric straightened inside his armor, standing at attention with the honor of witnessing this historic moment.

As for Cordelia, she was just popping the last crumb on her plate into her mouth while looking at Cassian. She did not care about politics or war. If Cassian was happy, she was happy too. But deep down, she looked carefully at this man shaking Cassian’s hand, weighing whether he was a threat.

The agreement was now complete. The alliance that would change the fate of the North had been established in the castle of Evershade.

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