Chapter 213: Chapter 28: The Supreme Decree of the Cardinals of the Church Court

She didn’t finish her sentence, but her meaning was clear.

This was practically asking Murphy to walk into danger, and it even carried a sense of sacrifice.

Murphy was silent for a moment.

He understood Aurora’s worries. This order had thrown all his plans into disarray.

Monte Territory had just entered a state of full wartime readiness. He was needed to oversee operations, coordinate with the Douglas Clan, and handle the potential crisis spreading from the Eastern Territory.

And now he had to drop everything and travel alone, or with a very small retinue, to an unfamiliar and perilous front line at top speed.

"Kaiden and Eleanor..." Aurora’s voice grew softer.

"They’ll stay in the castle. They’ll have you and reinforced guards." Murphy looked at her, his gaze firm. "The decree is aimed only at me. The armies of Monte Territory can still be deployed for defense according to our plans. You are to proceed as we discussed yesterday. Strengthen our coordination with the Douglas Clan, maintain stability internally, and cautiously handle the exchange of goods with the Eastern Territory. If... if any major, unmanageable incident occurs in the Northern Territory or our own lands while I’m gone, you have the authority to mobilize all resources. If necessary, you may seek refuge with Duke Douglas, or even..."

He paused, not voicing the more extreme option, but Aurora already understood.

She clenched her fists so tightly her nails dug into her palms, barely managing to keep her voice steady. "I understand. I’ll take care of everything here... You..."

"I have to go," Murphy interrupted her. "It’s a Cardinal Decree. It can’t be avoided. The threat of cutting off our supply of Secret Medicine is too great a blow to the future of Monte Territory. Besides, the demand to ’arrive at the first possible moment’ is a signal in itself. Arriving late, or not showing enough enthusiasm, could become a pretext for a reckoning down the line."

He looked up toward the east, his gaze seeming to pierce through the stone walls of the castle. "What’s more, I want to see for myself what’s happened to the passage in the Iron Ridge Mountain Range, and what kind of game the Tower of Secret Silver and the Church Court are playing. Blackstone Fortress... I might be able to learn more there."

Aurora knew that further attempts to persuade him would be useless. She took a deep breath, pushing all her worries and anxieties deep down, her face once again showing the calm and decisiveness befitting the lady of Monte Castle. "Who do you need to take with you? What preparations are needed? I’ll arrange it at once."

"I’ll go alone. It’s fastest." Murphy’s reply was concise and clear. "Too many guards would just be a burden. You will be in full charge of mustering and dispatching the territory’s army. You can set out later with the troops. Don’t rush. Safety and stability come first. We’ll rendezvous at Blackstone Fortress."

He paused, lowering his voice so only Aurora could hear. "I’ll take the Shadow Hunter’s relic and the Starlight Healing sent by the Crescent District. The situation there will be complicated. These things might come in handy, perhaps as bargaining chips. Besides, meeting and trading with the Peric Clan in a warzone might be more direct and convenient than doing it here."

A flash of understanding appeared in Aurora’s eyes. She gave a solemn nod. "I understand. Be careful. I’ll have Bernard prepare the supplies and route immediately. You..."

"I’ll be back as soon as I can." Murphy looked at her, his gaze steady. "Until then, I’m leaving Monte Territory in your hands."

Aurora nodded heavily. A thousand unspoken words were ultimately reduced to a single sentence: "Be careful, brother."

Murphy nodded, then turned and walked with steady yet swift steps toward the passage leading to the Inner Castle.

He needed to make his final preparations at once, then rush alone to the fortress known as Blackstone at the fastest possible speed.

Aurora, meanwhile, straightened her back. She turned to face the Stewards and followers who had rushed over upon hearing the news, their faces filled with unease and confusion. She began issuing one command after another, just as she had the countless times Murphy had left in the past.

...

「The Cardinal Decree had been issued, and the storm was gathering.」 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Ten days before the high decree that shook the Continent was announced, a secret order from the new king, William IV, had already been quietly dispatched from the palace.

Twelve-year-old Princess Elizabeth was ordered to travel with a small entourage, leaving the Royal Capital for the turbulent eastern front of the Iron Ridge Mountain Range.

Her mission was to represent the Royal Family, personally visit the perilous region, coordinate with the local nobility and the forces of the Church Court, and prepare for the even greater storm that might be coming.

At that time, although the seal on the Plane Passage at Eagle’s Beak Peak was already showing signs of instability, and the Church Court and the Northern Shepherd Chief District were anxiously trying to reinforce it, the attack that would cause the seal’s complete collapse had not yet occurred.

The number of Otherworld creatures pouring out was limited, mostly confined to the core region of the Iron Ridge Mountain Range and the area near the Castile border.

The Royal Family’s caravan was elite and swift, composed of the finest members of the Royal Guard.

The one leading them was Sir Ernest, a man over fifty who was deeply trusted by the new king and possessed the strength of a Great Knight.

It was the middle of summer, yet there was little heat in the mountains; instead, a grim chill permeated the air.

At dusk on the eleventh day of their journey, the caravan was passing through a treacherous stretch of terrain known as Silent Pass.

The gray-black rock walls on both sides were sheer, as if carved by knives and chopped by axes. The path wound along the valley floor, and the light was dim.

The strange smell of sulfur and rusted metal, which had been faint ever since they entered the mountains, suddenly grew thick here.

Sir Ernest rode at the head of the column. His weathered face was grave as he raised his gloved right hand, signaling for the caravan to slow down.

"Stay alert. The smell here is wrong," his deep voice echoed in the narrow valley. "Scouts, move forward and investigate! Everyone else, form a defensive formation! Keep the Princess’s carriage in the center."

The well-trained Forbidden Guard Cavalry moved at once. There was a faint scraping of metal Armor as swords were drawn and Crossbow Arrows were nocked.