Exiled Prince: I'm the Unexpected Extra in the Novel-Chapter 168: The Approaching Darkness and the Holy Feast

The War for The North [55]

Chapter 168: The Approaching Darkness and the Holy Feast

Cryomara slowly placed the glass of iced coffee in her hand onto the table. The thud made when the base of the glass touched the marble was the only thing breaking the silence. Squinting her blue eyes, she looked at Cassian.

"We are listening to you, little lizard," she said. "Tell us."

Cassian took a deep breath. He wandered his gaze over the anxious faces around him.

"I do not know if I need to say this," Cassian said, his voice clear and sharp. "But if we leave this castle, if we step outside the walls, our defeat is certain."

"I have fought Obsidian Dawn before," he continued. "I know their tactics, their fighting styles. They emerge from strange portals every time."

"I do not know if they will use this on ordinary armies, but if you split the army and scatter across Frosthelm, it is certain you will be hunted down one by one."

He turned his eyes to Cryomara.

"However, as long as Cryomara is with us, as long as we are within the borders of this castle, we will hold the defensive advantage."

General Hareth nodded in agreement. "Defensive warfare... It is what Northerners know best."

"There is a second thing. General Hareth likely already knows this, but I will say it anyway because most of the lords are unaware of the enemy’s nature."

"The enemies possess strange and cursed techniques. Forbidden techniques that serve to incredibly increase their power by sacrificing their own life energy and souls... When they enter that form, even if you cut off their arms or shatter their legs, they will continue to come at you."

"They are not soldiers, they are fanatical monsters. That is why your job will be quite difficult. I do not expect a normal battle; they will likely use their cursed forms in this war as well."

The lords’ faces turned as white as sheets. Enemies fighting like the undead... This was enough to ruin morale. But Cassian was not finished yet. He had saved the real bombshell for last.

"And thirdly..."

Cassian paused. What he was about to say would upset the balance in the room.

"Elves and Vampires will also join this war."

A silence much deeper and more terrifying than before fell upon the room. The lords looked at each other, unable to believe their ears.

"Where did this come from?!" shouted Rowan, the Count of Amberfield, spilling his wine onto the table. "Elves and Vampires? They have been enemies for centuries! And they do not interfere in human wars! Why would they ally with the Obsidian Dawn?"

"I cannot say why," Cassian said, his voice ice cold. He could not explain the apocalyptic dreams Zevstyle had shown him. "But I am sure they will participate."

"If this is true..." said Marquis Aldren, his face falling. "I do not think our army will be sufficient. The magic of Elves and the regeneration of Vampires... If the cult’s power is added to this, even the walls cannot protect us."

"Our only advantage," Cassian said, gesturing to the woman beside him with his head, "is that we have Cryomara."

Count Rowan of Amberfield shook off his surprise and asked:

"What about the witches? I heard you came here with over a hundred witches. Rumors say they are all powerful mages. Will you not include them in the war? With such a power gap, we need every single mage."

Cassian looked sharply at the Count. The red glint in his eyes was threatening.

"They are just a group of little girls!" Cassian hissed. His voice was not open to argument. "Traumatized, scared, and displaced children. I will not include them in the war! They are not warriors, they are refugees."

"Then how do you plan to close the numerical gap?" Rowan insisted. "If what you say is true, the enemy could be double, maybe triple our size."

Marquis Aldren intervened, his voice anxious. "It is not just numbers either... The enemy has at least 3 Demigods. We do not have a single Demigod in our hands. What will we do if there are entities at the Demigod level among the Elves and Vampires too? Cryomara cannot catch up to all of them alone."

Eyes turned to Cassian.

"Apart from Cryomara and you," said the Marquis, "we do not have anyone here who can fight on par with a Demigod or stall them. A Demigod is another dimension."

Cassian waved his hand in the air, trying to disperse the tension.

"I know, I know. You do not need to get so tense. I know how to do math too."

"Unless we see the enemy’s army clearly, we cannot think about how the war will develop for certain. Producing fear based on assumptions gains us nothing. Instead, focus on strengthening the defense. Repair the walls, check the stocks, raise the soldiers’ morale."

He narrowed his eyes.

"Whether the enemy is many or few changes nothing. We have nowhere to run. In any condition, we will fight for our lives until the last drop of our blood. We have no other choice."

The Lord of Amberfield downed the last of the wine in his goblet, realizing there was nothing else to do even though he was not satisfied with the answer. He said nothing.

Count Kevin of Mooncrest leaned forward slightly.

"Then..." he said, his voice sounding a bit weary. "What was the point of us holding a meeting? We are still in an uncertain situation. We just learned that the enemy has gotten even stronger."

It was Marquis Aldren who gave the answer.

"The information we have is quite sufficient, Lord Kevin," he said with an authoritative voice.

"We know who the enemy is and what they are coming with. And most importantly, we have a plan: Defense. For now, we must hope Cassian successfully clears the plague from the people and restores our army to its full strength. That is the biggest trump card in our hands."

Cryomara stood up with a bored expression. The skirts of her dress rippled.

"Anyway," she said, acting as if yawning. "Enough of this tension and politics. Talking about war has made me hungry. Let us move to dinner."

With Cryomara’s signal, everyone in the meeting hall packed up. The guards opened the doors, and the lords left the hall one by one with dark scenarios of the approaching war in their minds.

After a while, everyone had gathered again around the long and laden table in the dining hall.

However, a heavy silence had taken the place of the heated discussions in the meeting.

Everyone was thoughtful throughout the meal. Not much was heard other than the sounds of cutlery.

Most of the lords were already visualizing losses in their heads, thinking of burning cities and dying soldiers. They did not have much appetite left. They looked at the delicious food before them without touching it.

On the other hand, sitting between Fredrinn and Liora at one end of the table, Cassian formed a complete contrast.

He was eating everything on his plate with a great appetite, even a bit barbarically. As if there were no tomorrow, as if he were not the one who had just spoken of the approaching apocalypse.

As Cryomara brought her wine glass to her lips, she asked him, laughing at his state.

"Your appetite seems quite good today, little lizard," she said in a mocking tone. "You seem to feel no guilt at all, even though you dragged everyone here to fight and brought them nose to nose with death."

Ignoring etiquette rules, Cassian grabbed the rib meat with his hand and took a huge bite. Sauce smeared on the corner of his mouth. He spoke while chewing.

"Are you seriously asking?" he said after swallowing what was in his mouth. "Do you know what I ate for lunch? Just onions! Damned boiled onions! And bread as hard as a rock on the side."

He waved his fork in the air.

"On the other hand, you... You eat your hot meals in luxury in the castle! Being a noble is truly a great injustice! You feasting here while I freeze out there... Where is the justice in that?" 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

Cryomara smiled implyingly, narrowing her eyes. Her gaze shifted to Cecilia, who was sitting right across from Cassian and playing with her food.

"You could be a noble too," said Cryomara, her voice like velvet. "You could even be a Duke. Of course... you know what you have to do in return."

The atmosphere at the table changed instantly. The target of this implication was clear.

Cassian looked up at that moment and locked eyes with Cecilia. The girl’s blue eyes shone with expectation and embarrassment. Cassian immediately averted his eyes and buried himself in his plate.

But Cecilia continued to look at him persistently. There was a silent question, an invitation in her gaze.

Enjoying this shy atmosphere, Cryomara turned her face to the sullen lords.

She wanted to stir the pot a bit more and understand why the lords trusted this boy so much.

"By the way, I have always wondered," Cryomara said, raising her voice. "Even though Frosthelm’s situation has been deplorable for a long time, none of you lifted a finger. You watched for years."

She wandered her eyes over the lords.

"What did this little lizard... do to you stubborn, selfish, and cowardly men that you came here voluntarily with your armies? What makes him so special?"

There was a short silence at the table. The first person to speak was Marquis Aldren, with his usual upright stance.

"He saved my son’s life," Aldren said, his voice clear and proud. "He gave us what was called impossible. That is why I owe him not just an army, but a life."

When it was the turn of Rowan, the Lord of Amberfield, the man stroked his beard and spoke in a sheepish tone.

"Our lands..." Rowan said. "We were struggling with drought and inefficiency for a long time. Most of it was useless for agriculture, we couldn’t even look after our animals... Famine was at the door."

He looked at Cassian with admiration.

"Somehow... Cassian could control nature. He just put his hand on the soil and... dried rivers flowed, dead lands turned green. It is fair to say he turned our region into a paradise. He gave us hope not just in war, but in life."

Cryomara was surprised by what she heard. She gave Cassian a mocking yet appreciative look and giggled.

"Wow," she said. "It is nice to know you are good for something other than bringing destruction. After the war ends... you will use these abilities here too. You will be quite busy restoring the lands to their former state, just so you know."

Cassian shrugged, swallowing his last morsel.

"As long as you pay the fee," he said with a commercial attitude. "I can consider it. I do not work for free."

"Fee?" Cryomara laughed. "I am already going to give you my most precious one. What more do you want?"

Those at the table, especially the lords, did not quite understand what she meant by the "most precious one." Treasure? Land?

But Cassian and Cecilia understood very well. Cassian shot sharp looks at Cryomara to shut her up, while Cecilia turned bright red.

Finally, when it was Lord Kevin of Mooncrest’s turn, everyone turned to him curiously. Why had he come?

Kevin took a sip of his wine and said clearly with a mysterious smile:

"It is a secret."

Those at the table did not ask much because it was a secret and they knew Kevin’s reticent attitude. Or Cryomara did not insist because she knew she could learn it from Cassian when he was alone, perhaps with a little force.

After dinner, with the effect of fatigue and wine, the lords asked for permission one by one and dispersed to their rooms. The hall began to empty.

After Fredrinn got up, just as Cassian made a move to leave, Cryomara’s voice stopped him.

"Little lizard," said Cryomara. "Stay a bit longer. We are not done with you."

Cassian stopped with a huff and turned around.

"What is it now?" he said with exasperation. "Are you going to make me wash the dishes?"

Cryomara gestured to her side with her head.

"My little butterfly wants to talk to you."

Cecilia was standing beside Cryomara, hands clasped in front of her, cheeks blushing. The authoritative Duchess from a moment ago was gone, replaced by a shy young girl.

Cassian had difficulty understanding this girl. While she succeeded in acting like a mature, cold, and powerful leader when people, lords, and soldiers were around; the moment they were left alone or were with Cryomara, she turned into a small, defenseless child. This contrast was both annoying and... strangely attractive.

"Fine," said Cassian, surrendering. "Do not take too much of my time. Tomorrow is the big day, I need to rest for the purification process."

Cryomara stood up. She smoothed her dress.

"Then I will leave you alone for a bit," she said. "Young people have things to talk about."

Walking towards the door, she stopped as she passed Cassian. She leaned in, got close enough for her lips to touch Cassian’s ear, and whispered.

"If you do anything to upset her..."

Cassian rolled his eyes.

"Yes, yes, I know," he said in a whisper. "You will castrate me. I have memorized it by now."

Cryomara giggled, pinched Cassian’s cheek lightly, and walked out, leaving them alone in the large, dim hall. When the door closed, only the sound of the fireplace, Cassian, and Cecilia remained inside.