Chapter 349: Chapter 235: Golden Mountain and Silver Sea (Part 1)

The more Fang Zhen thought about it, the more his analysis made sense.

In this "Demon Duke" affair, there were three Dukes. Duke Tarrenno was confirmed not to be the target. Duke Sith, on the other hand, sounded like a man who prized order. Though he had rebelled, his personal morals seemed impeccable. He even gave off an impression of being upright and old-fashioned, making it difficult to associate him with a demon.

Instead, the suspicion surrounding Duke Balenzuo skyrocketed.

Even if he wasn’t a true demon, the more one heard about the man, the more he seemed like a Nightmare Demon. All of his habits lined up.

’A Succubus... and a Nightmare Demon is an Incubus,’ he mused. ’Etymologically, both words come from Latin. The roots mean "to lie beneath" and "to lie upon," respectively, which subtly alludes to the... interactive positions between these demons and humans of the opposite sex.’

As for what kind of interaction that was, it was self-evident.

After listening to Ottis’s court gossip, Fang Zhen felt the scandal was not just explosive, but utterly outrageous. It had completely crossed the line.

Besides, something felt off about a Duke being unable to control his urges and causing such a monumental incident.

But if one considered the possibility that Balenzuo was a Nightmare Demon, then everything made perfect sense.

For that race of demons, such actions were all too normal, all too reasonable. It was perfectly in line with their nature.

If Balenzuo was truly a Nightmare Demon, then his current appearance and identity were likely a disguise. Theoretically, he wouldn’t be blood-related to the Queen. And since ordinary humans could hardly resist the allure of a Nightmare Demon, everything would fall into place.

Though it was still just speculation, Fang Zhen felt there was a strong chance he was right.

"Where is Balenzuo’s army likely to invade the Duchy?" Fang Zhen asked, his focus sharpening.

"It’s highly probable they will attack through Viscount Keton’s Territory. My Lord, please take a look at the map," Ottis said.

As he spoke, Ottis walked over to a pile of materials that had been prepared for the meeting. He retrieved an oversized, rolled-up map, returned, and unfurled the large parchment across the sandalwood table, covering its entire surface.

Fang Zhen looked and saw that the Tarrenno army’s map was far more detailed than the one from Henry’s Army. It also covered a larger area, including the border regions between the Tarrenno Duchy and the Balenzuo Duchy, as well as the border with the Sith Duchy.

On the map, Earl Henry’s Territory still had its characteristic U-shape. Below it was the territory of another Count, forming an inward-curving C-shape.

This Count’s domain, in turn, contained several Viscount’s Domains and Baron’s Domains.

"This is Viscount Keton’s Territory," Ottis said, pointing to a spot on the map.

The Viscount’s domain was located on the periphery of this Count’s territory, forming the outermost part of the C-shape.

The map displayed simple diagrams representing rivers, forests, mountains, and lakes.

Fang Zhen examined it and saw that the roads through Viscount Keton’s Territory were the most accessible. Since it also bordered the Balenzuo Duchy, it was the most likely route of attack for Balenzuo.

"My Lord, I estimate that news of you killing Duke Tarrenno in the duel will reach Duke Balenzuo’s ears within four to five days. If they move swiftly, they could be attacking Viscount Keton’s Territory two days after that."

"In other words, we must have a response ready within six to seven days."

"And there are many factors working against us," Ottis said.

"Although you control Duke Tarrenno’s core army, and you bear the name Augustus, the other nobles may not acknowledge your authority. That is the first obstacle."

"Even if they do acknowledge you, another matter must be resolved: the issue of army pay and supplies we discussed."

"To be frank, my Lord, the army’s supplies are on the verge of complete depletion."

"For the specifics, you can ask the Lord Mage," Ottis said.

Fang Zhen turned to Mansa and asked, "How many supplies does the army have left?"

Mansa sighed. "We have three days’ worth of food remaining. Nottingham City is in a bad state as well. Without resorting to plunder, we can only scrape together another three days of provisions. Taking any more would disrupt the city’s ability to function."

"We’re short on all other supplies, including medicine. We have enough horse feed for about half a month, which is a small comfort. As for pay, the soldiers are owed for a full month, and we only have enough money on hand to cover half a month’s wages."

Mansa said this with a helpless look, but there was a hint of schadenfreude in his tone.

Mansa was just a Mage, and the power to command the army now rested with Fang Zhen.

Power and responsibility are two sides of the same coin. Since Fang Zhen now commanded the army, the responsibility for procuring its pay and supplies fell squarely on his shoulders.

Mansa was eager to see what capabilities Fang Zhen truly possessed, and whether he was as wealthy as he claimed.

Fang Zhen saw right through Mansa’s intentions.

He let none of his true feelings show on his face.

In truth, Fang Zhen wasn’t angry. Mansa’s test was only human; people always judge you by your actions, not your words.

Solve the problem, and people will believe in you. Fail, and you become a clown, a laughingstock.

Nottingham City’s resources had already been squeezed dry by that spendthrift, Count Henry. The citizens were suffering, and squeezing them any further would lead to riots.

Besides, it wasn’t in Fang Zhen’s nature to exploit the common people.

Procuring supplies for the army was a genuine and difficult problem—in fact, it was the primary challenge he now faced.

The army was a powerful tool.

From the descriptions, Balenzuo didn’t seem like the type to come out for a duel. To deal with him, Fang Zhen would either have to find some high ground and snipe him with an AWP, or he’d have to use the full might of the army to crush his territory and force him out.