Chapter 495: Preparations Before the War

After Luoning had Tom take Mélis down to rest, he summoned Oudoruo.

Though Prasido had decided to surrender and explained how he would do so, Luoning still intended to proceed according to his own plan.

He picked up a pen and wrote a single line on paper—

After the war begins, anyone who wishes to live need only lay down their weapons and crouch in the southwest corner of Watchfort, and they shall be spared.

Once finished, Luoning handed the note to Oudoruo. “Call Tom, find a few others who can write, and copy this message onto several hundred sheets.”

Oudoruo glanced at the words, seemed to understand, and couldn’t help but praise: “My lord, this method will surely shake the morale of Watchfort’s army.”

He didn’t yet know that the woman earlier was Prasido’s sister from Watchfort.

Luoning smiled slightly. “Go then. And remember—make sure the handwriting is legible. Don’t let them write something even they themselves can’t read!”

“I understand, my lord!”

Oudoruo felt uneasy. Few soldiers could read, far fewer write with any skill.

Though hundreds of copies were a daunting task, if necessary, he and Tom would simply have to write more themselves.

When Tom received the assignment, he immediately felt awkward.

He sensed the lord was making things difficult for him—after all, his handwriting was truly abysmal.

But there was no escaping it; once chosen by the lord, refusal was impossible. He gripped the pen tightly, striving to make each character as neat as possible.

At midnight, Rudar returned to the Westwind Hill camp atop a griffin. Upon learning of Luoning’s arrival, he reported immediately.

He recounted Bruno’s appointment letter, Garret’s actions, and the conduct of the various nobles.

Luoning had no objection to Rudar’s stance—war served his interests.

What surprised him, however, was Bruno appointing him as military advisor, placing him alongside Garret and Gushan in the alliance’s command structure.

Yet such an appointment was clearly meaningless.

In Garret’s subsequent battle plans, Westwind Hill’s task was to seize Watchfort, then assist Melonika’s forces from Gray Valley in capturing Flame Fortress.

Nothing inherently wrong—but this meant Luoning wouldn’t even reach the main battlefield. What good was being a military advisor then?

Clearly, Garret had arranged it deliberately.

Luoning didn’t care. For him, securing what was rightfully his and protecting the Wushan knights was enough.

As for the others—he shared no bond with them, and they’d shown no sign of requesting aid. If he went offering help, they might suspect he was chasing glory.

“Since our supreme commander has ordered a full offensive the day after tomorrow,” Luoning said with a smile, “we shall obey his command. Prepare the knights for battle tomorrow. And I, too, will take action.”

He hadn’t expected Garret to alter Bruno’s original decision.

Nor had Gushan, Iben, or Willis anticipated it.

The reason? Garret’s long-standing authority over Redpine Fortress had conditioned the nobles not to question his moves.

Besides, the appointment letter itself bore no obvious flaws.

In the Golden Feather Palace, the king found it odd that Garret hadn’t returned yet. But considering how his decisions might affect Garret’s mood, perhaps the journey was slower—or maybe Garret was taking time to wander and clear his mind.

Like last time returning from Moonlight Valley—though a griffin ride should’ve taken half a day, Garret had stretched it into two or three.

Early the next morning, Mélis, having restored her spiritual energy and magic, bid farewell to Luoning.

Veiled, she stepped into the dense forest near Watchfort and activated a scroll of Earthwalk. In Luoning’s perception, she vanished beneath the ground and entered Watchfort.

A seventh-tier spell—once used by Dean Miloslav to escape Count Osen’s pursuit.

Without spiritual sense, even Luoning’s Wind of Perception couldn’t detect her trail. Truly, Earthwalk was unmatched in stealth and evasion.

Back at camp, Oudoruo and Tom had already brought the seven or eight hundred “surrender appeals” they’d written through the night and stacked them on the table.

Thankfully, thanks to the paper produced in Shanlin Town, producing so many sheets no longer required costly parchment.

Luoning flipped through a stack, clicking his tongue. “You really must practice more. Look at your writing—crooked and scattered like leaves tossed by the wind.”

Tom scratched his head, chuckling sheepishly.

“Enough. Both of you go assist Rudar with battle preparations. You’re dismissed.”

They fled like prisoners granted pardon.

Luoning stored the papers in his spatial ring, then climbed onto Carlo’s back, soaring once more above Watchfort.

For days, the soldiers of Watchfort had seen no dragon, their tension easing.

Now, that colossal shadow returned, reigniting dread in their hearts.

War was coming—and the dragon still lingered.

Their enemy, clearly, was the beast in the sky.

Prasido stepped out of his chamber, gazing at the aerial giant. He couldn’t understand—why, after choosing surrender, did the enemy still come to intimidate?

Was it to save face for the Carmine family—to play the charade to its end?

Mélis appeared beside him, her spirit drained, utterly exhausted.

“What kind of man do you think Luoning is?” Prasido asked.

She shook her head. “Hard to say. But he feels different from any noble I’ve met. Perhaps… he thinks for himself.”

As they spoke, paper fluttered from the sky like snow, drifting across Watchfort. Guards and knights scrambled to pick them up, reading intently.

Prasido stared in disbelief. He ordered a soldier to bring one. When he saw the words, he froze.

After a long silence, he laughed bitterly. “You’re right. He does think for himself.”

“He isn’t following our agreement at all.”

Mélis suddenly recalled Luoning’s intense gaze upon her that first meeting—now, it seemed laden with scrutiny.

“Could it be… he suspects a false surrender?”

“Hah. Quite possible. This young marquis is indeed cautious.”

Prasido folded the paper, pausing—this material wasn’t parchment. It was different.

“It’s clear he wants not just our men, but Lycard’s knights too.”

Mélis nodded slowly. “With this move, many have already lost the will to fight. At the first sign of defeat, they’ll rush to the southwest corner.”

“Then our moment has come!” Prasido’s lips curled. “If so, I must rally their spirits. At least when battle begins, they’ll still hold their swords with courage.”

Luoning’s maneuver weakened their resolve—but made the Carmine family’s defeat seem inevitable, thus more forgivable.

Prasido would not only inform Earl Ural of Luoning’s tactics, but also report how he himself had inspired the troops.

That way, when he surrendered, the shame would be less. After all, he had done everything he could, hadn’t he?

(End of Chapter)