Do you have a problem with necromancers?

Chapter 111 Fahre Prize
The noble alliance set out again, with Ruft's wolf head stuck on the tips of the militia's spears, like a triumphant banner.

The overall morale is obviously high, but some deeper issues are only noticed by a few people involved.

Gavin Tanfield, the second son of the Earl of Deepwood, quietly slowed his pace and deliberately lagged behind the group, joining Gucci Talley and the others.

Gucci Talley is the eldest son of Earl Talley and Gavin Tanfield's cousin.

The Talley and Tanfor families, both located in the western part of the Fertile Lands, have a very long-standing alliance and kinship ties, forming a fairly solid small circle among the nobles of the Fertile Lands.

“I’ve already asked.” Gu Qi was talking to a nobleman from the Tale family when he saw his cousin approaching, so he beckoned him to join the conversation. “The werewolf’s corpse weighs at least four hundred pounds.”

"Over 400 pounds, what does that mean?" Gavin was still a little confused. "It means you can bleed more?"

"This means that even if a dozen fully armed knights surrounded him, they might not be able to kill him," said the nobleman from Tale beside him. "To give you an example, this kind of heavy boar is firstly thick-skinned and tough, so swords and knives can't penetrate it at all. Secondly, when it charges, it's like a mountain pressing down on you. Even if you have a shield and heavy armor, you can't withstand it. Once it hits you, you'll be sent flying."

Gavin understood the analogy. If a 400-pound wild boar is this powerful, then a werewolf of the same weight would be even more unbeatable.

So how exactly did Ryan Fahre kill this werewolf?
“He has a high elf and a dark elf by his side,” Gavin said thoughtfully. “As we all know, elves are skilled in magic, and hard skin that swords cannot pierce may not have the same defensive power against magic.”

“And that Sandwoman, and that Wood Elf,” another nobleman said. “The Sandwoman’s skills are beyond question; her scimitar is an enchanted weapon with the power to kill in one hit. As for the Wood Elf, he should be a bow and arrow user; there are arrow holes in his werewolf’s head.”

"So we've all come to the same conclusion: almost all four guards around Marquis Fahel possess the strength of legendary bounty hunters or archmages," Gu Qi said solemnly. "The problem is, most people with such strength go to the capital to join the court and serve the royal family, or they serve the grand dukes of the border provinces—why are they following Marquis Fahel? What kind of high prices did the Marquis offer them? And why did he hire these individuals?"

Upon closer examination, this statement is actually quite malicious. The emperor and the grand duke hire legendary guards because they can afford it. What are you, a mere border marquis, planning to do by spending so much money to surround yourself with such formidable figures?
“Marquis Fahre…” Gavin hesitated for a long time before finally saying, “He seems to be a man destined for great things.”

"Whether it's a legendary bounty hunter or an archmage, they both have a decisive effect on the front lines," Gu Qi said leisurely. "They're relatively less effective against imperial legions, but dealing with noble armies is a piece of cake. Once a lord dies on the battlefield, no matter how numerous, well-equipped, or elite his vassal armies may be..."

All to no avail.

Just like in "A Song of Ice and Fire," when Robert smashed Rhaegar's head with his hammer, the Targaryen army was instantly wiped out. If one day Ragnaros openly rebelled, and during a battle against the Marorne allies, four legendary guards charged directly into the midst of thousands of soldiers, braving the knights' attacks to kill the Grand Duke on the spot—then the Reach would have to be renamed Fahl.

In the world of the aristocracy, power is not maintained by institutions, but by people. As soon as the leader of a faction dies, the people below will immediately split into countless camps, and many people will even turn against their former enemies, and their original political views will also make a 180-degree turn. To the uninformed masses, it looks like the left and right brains are fighting each other.

Therefore, in the eyes of Gu Qi and others, no matter what needs Marquis Faher had in order to recruit these four legendary-level powerhouses, in any case, given Faher's own strength as a military noble, he had already posed a substantial threat to Grand Duke Malorne.

"How will the Grand Duke react when he learns of this?" Gavin frowned and pondered.

“He definitely can’t touch Marquis Fahel,” Gucci said.

"Why?" Gavin asked.

"Because of us..."

The nobles fell silent once again.

South of the Fertile Lands, the gateway to the Serpent Mountains has always been guarded by the Faher family. If the Grand Duke wants to touch this Marquis, he must first persuade the nobles of the Fertile Lands, otherwise it will inevitably provoke strong opposition from the entire Fertile Lands.

What was the opinion of the wealthy nobles?

Everyone secretly asked themselves, and if they had to choose between Marquis Fahel and Grand Duke Marorne, they would actually prefer Marquis Fahel.

This family has guarded the territory from the Raging Tide River to the Serpent Mountain Range for many years, making them the underwear of the nobles of the fertile land, while the savages of the Serpent Mountain Range are like gay men who covet the nobles' anuses.

Even if you are a grand duke, if you try to touch our bottom line, we will fight you to the death!

"So, which side are you planning to stand on?" Gavin asked tentatively.

“We intend to side with the victors,” Gucci replied. “What about the Tanfield family?”

“We will stand on the side of justice.” Gavin’s answer was more high-sounding, but in essence, there was no difference. The one who ultimately triumphs is naturally the one who is just.

But both sides have already gotten their answers from the probing: what does it mean that a vassal of the Marorne family would not express that he would stand firmly with his lord?

“In that case, what we should be considering now is how to help Marquis Fahl better lead everyone to resist the savages,” Gavin Tanfol said solemnly.

“The Marquis’s prestige is still insufficient,” Guchi Tale said in a deep voice. “Although the Faher family guards the southern gateway to the Land of Abundance, they are ultimately outside the noble circles of the Land of Abundance. We should do more for the Marquis to help him establish his prestige.”

"Then after we return to Eagle Hold, I'll go and sound out what the others think?"

"Leave the Portour family to me; the old count still has reservations about the lack of timely assistance from High Rock City. You're in charge of the Debisiri family; although that marquis claims to be loyal and dutiful, my father says he's most likely a thoroughbred Supremacist..."

----------

After the death of the giant wolf Ruft, the savages seemed to have temporarily ceased their activities. Or rather, if they couldn't send someone stronger than Ruft, sending more people would only be suicide.

When the noble alliance emerged from the Serpent Mountain Range and saw the vast plains around them, many people couldn't help but shed tears.

The group arrived at Eagle Keep almost without stopping. Before they even reached the vicinity of the city gate, they saw the Pegasus Banner of the Malorne family and the black eagle banner of the Nightshade Legion already hanging above the city walls.

Surrounded by nobles and knights, Renn stepped into the castle hall, where he saw Grand Duke Malorne and Legion Commander Claudius, who had already received the news and were waiting there.

“Ravencrest has fallen to the wildlings,” Raine said succinctly. “The Wild Elf King has transformed himself into a wraith. At the same time, he seems to have mastered the ritual of wraith transformation and has a wraith army of no less than 50 men under his command.”

The Grand Duke and the Legion Commander both became serious. A single vengeful spirit and an entire legion of vengeful spirits are two completely different things. Although the conditions for transforming a vengeful spirit are more complex and demanding, the individual strength of a vengeful spirit far surpasses that of an ordinary ghost, and once formed into an army, it can be compared to the undead scourge.

“And another thing,” Raine continued, “we were attacked by werewolves on our way back from our retreat.”

“If I remember correctly,” Grand Duke Malorne said slowly, “werewolfs are essentially a kind of undead creature?”

“No, that’s not it,” Claudius said seriously. “Strictly speaking, they should be cursed creatures. However, many ancient necromancers also studied curses, and therefore also knew how to transform into werewolves.”

"In other words, we are not dealing with a rabble," Grand Duke Malorne concluded, "but with an evil necromancer."

"Or rather, he's a savage chieftain who inherited the legacy of some ancient necromancer," Raine corrected him.

“There’s not much difference between the two. Once necromancy is involved, it’s probably not a problem that we can solve on our own.” Claudius waved his hand. “I’ll go and inform the Inquisition in the capital.”

When it comes to complex and malevolent necromancy, it's beyond the scope of military tactics. For example, if an undead plague breaks out in the army, many knights don't even know how to screen for infected individuals. What to do then? Therefore, it's necessary to call in professionals to resolve the issue.

The group quickly reached a consensus, and the small meeting came to an end.

Most of the nobles and knights who followed Raine out of the Serpent Mountains had already found a place to rest. Some of them, who had been rescued by Fatin, were now queuing with the Nightmare Legion's chaplains to have their bodies checked for any problems.

Of course, the flesh essence created using Raine's body reconstruction technique will be consumed after the injury is repaired, so there's no need to worry about it being detected.

Summoned Darrian to the lord's study, and after a long silence, Raine said:
"I will write a letter and have the smuggling fleet take it to the Gem Islands and deliver it to His Excellency Delacouron, the Royal Ink Master."

"Should we contact the High Elves?" Darion immediately tensed up. "Has the situation deteriorated to this extent? Although the High Elves tacitly allow smuggling with us, the possibility of them openly sending military forces to support us like this..."

“They will agree.” Renn sat down at his desk and began writing a letter. The fact that Ellina had been mistaken for someone else by the High Elf court was completely unexpected. Due to her resistance, although Renn held this trump card, he had little opportunity to play it.

But now, Ryan has found the perfect way to persuade her.

Are the lives of the people of this bountiful land enough to warrant their sacrifice?
The ravens of the Gem Islands are isolated from the outside world, so Raine's letters can only be sent to Salt Island first, and then sail out to sea with the fleet.

Once the High Elf royal court receives the letter and discusses whether to send troops, it is unknown how long it will take. Therefore, this can only be considered a move made in advance.

The outcome of the next battle will ultimately depend on the unity and fighting spirit of the River Bend coalition, as well as whether the Empire is willing to provide support.

Raine had some confidence in the former, but remained completely pessimistic about the latter. There was no other reason; in the original timeline, the fertile lands had been ravaged by the savages, yet the capital hadn't sent a single soldier.

Although the empire has always treated the four border regions as its own sons and the border provinces as adopted sons, past emperors have always been firm when it comes to core issues like territory.

It can only be said that Emperor Nilocas of the Empire was an oddity in every respect.

A few days later, Raven sent a reply from the capital, which, as expected, greatly disappointed the people of River Bend Province.

The Imperial Capital Inquisition stated that, before confirming the threat level of the Legion of Wraiths, it was not in accordance with the request of the Imperial Capital Headquarters to send a specialist, and the matter had been transferred to the River Bend Provincial Inquisition.

While local branches may have their share of skilled Witchers, the strongest have undoubtedly been selected for headquarters. The Wraith Legion, like the Scourge, is a formidable enemy of the Empire that cannot be treated with excessive caution—yet the court is abandoning it simply because it occurred in a border province—this is utter nonsense! Acting rashly!
Claudius could already foresee that the Empire's failure to play its due role in this momentous event would inevitably lead to alienation from the local nobles, and that the Marorne and Faher families would use this opportunity to further erode the Empire's influence in the River Bend Province—even if they had not originally intended to do so.

The Nightshade Legion was powerless to do anything about it, and Claudius could only try to get involved as much as possible, at least to prevent the Legion's influence on the matter from diminishing.

“I have already sent a messenger to escort the Witcher from the River Reach Inquisition over here,” he told Grand Duke Malorne. “He is a veteran hunter with over ten years of service and should be able to help us deal with the Wraith Legion.”

“I hope so.” Grand Duke Malorne’s expression was tense, and no one knew what he was thinking. “The Riverlands army is about to arrive. And Twin Eagle Castle?”

“We haven’t received any news of a cannibal invasion yet, but our scouts in the Serpent Mountains haven’t returned,” Raine replied in a deep voice. “It’s safe to assume that the cannibals are gathering at the exit of the Serpent Mountains and could rush into Eagle’s Keep Plains at any moment.”

"What are they waiting for?" Grand Duke Malorne asked, frowning.

Renn was silent for a moment:

"do not know."

“That’s the troublesome part,” Claudius said seriously, arms crossed. “If it’s just savages, they would have to gather an army and take Eaglehold if they wanted to invade the Fertile Lands. So we don’t have to do anything. We can just wait here and fight the savages head-on.”

“But if necromancy is involved, the situation will become extremely troublesome,” Raine analyzed seriously. “Necromancy is mostly bizarre and unpredictable. Although we don’t know what the other party is planning, it must be an evil scheme that can destroy the entire Eagle Fort Plains.”

The Grand Duke and the Legion Commander both frowned, having to admit that Raine was right. Take the infamous Scourge as an example; historically, they mostly spread the plague in water sources first, creating enough infected undead in the early stages, and then using these undead creatures to attack more people to spread the plague.

In other words, the Legion of Wraiths could very well poison the water or food, or even deliberately send an infected person into Eagle Hold Plains to secretly spread the plague that can turn humans into wraiths, and those who know nothing about necromancy have no way to defend against it.

“I will have the River Bend Provincial Inquisition send that veteran witcher here as soon as possible,” Claudius stated.

After the meeting, Ryan took his leave immediately, as there were still many matters at Eagleburg that required his attention.

Claudius then approached Grand Duke Malorne and said pointedly:
“I don’t care what you think, but Marquis Fahel is crucial to our current fight against the savages. Don’t put the cart before the horse.”

“I don’t understand what you’re talking about,” Grand Duke Malone said calmly.

"Hmph, you'd better not understand." Claudius sneered and left.

The Grand Duke watched his retreating figure, his face expressionless.

Currently, the allied forces in the River Bend Province are controlled by Claudius on the Imperial Legion side, while the nobles should theoretically obey the Grand Duke's command. However, recently many nobles from the bountiful lands have begun to secretly collude and indirectly convey messages that Marquis Fahel possesses the wisdom and strength to fight against the savages, hoping that Grand Duke Malorne can "listen more to Marquis Fahel's opinions."

Autocracy is the domain of authoritarian rulers, while "listening to others' opinions" essentially means relinquishing some power. If the Grand Duke of Marorne and the Marquis of Fahl disagree on certain matters, whose side will the wealthy nobles support?

No powerful noble in any border province would allow such a widely supported noble to diminish their prestige and influence. However, as Claudius said, now was not the best time to move against the Marquis of Faher, otherwise it would surely provoke strong resentment from the nobles of the bountiful lands.

Previously, High Rock's slow response to the call to arms had forced many nobles from the bountiful lands to flee north, causing considerable discontent. Grand Duke Malorne, unlike Emperor Nilocas, would not continue to undermine the Wall while it was unstable, and therefore had no choice but to remain inactive for the time being.

Raine returned to his study and began dealing with family affairs.

The affairs of the entire Faher family can be divided into three parts: farming in the coastal plains corridor, which is responsible for feeding the population of the territory; smuggling trade with the high elves, which is responsible for providing financial revenue; and military expenditures in the Serpent Mountains, which are responsible for ensuring security and stability.

Now, almost all the castles and territories inside the Serpent Mountains have been taken over by the savage army, and the knights have been almost entirely killed or wounded; the situation is practically hopeless. However, the River Bend allied forces stationed at Eagle's Keep have filled this gap, so all that's needed is to redirect the various food and supplies that were originally sent to the Serpent Mountains to Eagle's Keep instead.

Agriculture and trade were not significantly affected. If the Faher people were still alive and ruled over large swathes of the coastal corridor, they would have been terrified by the savage army and fled to Searock City for refuge, which would have severely impacted production activities throughout the entire coastal corridor—this actually happened in the original timeline. Players who went to the Serpent Mountain Range to farm dungeons couldn't even buy supplies there and had to detour to Searock City to buy them.

Now that all the Faher people are dead, many territories are being managed by their original territorial officials, thus avoiding the fate of being abandoned by their lords. They are now working overtime to harvest winter wheat.

Trade revenues have seen even more impressive growth. Smuggling fleets that used to have to sneak around and take various detours to avoid the High Elf navy no longer need to hide. They simply sail to the port at night, load up their goods, and set sail for the return voyage. Even if they encounter a naval fleet, the other side will simply pretend not to see them.

The increased efficiency of navigation led to a continuous doubling of smuggling revenue. With a large sum of money in the accounts, even after purchasing supplies for the River Bend Province coalition, there was still more than half left, leaving Raine unsure of what to do with it.

If money cannot be converted into family strength, then it is ultimately just a useless precious metal.

With the ultimate goal of fighting the White Walkers in mind, Raine quickly came up with a solution.

“I want to establish a fund,” he instructed, summoning Diamond from Salt Island to his study. “It will be used to support the spellcasters’ guilds throughout the empire, for academic research, discussion, and innovation. An award will also be given annually to the mage in the human empire who has made the greatest contribution to the field of magical research in that year.”

Diamond was stunned for a long time before finally realizing what was happening:

"Are you trying to bribe all the mages in the empire?"

“To be precise, it’s funding,” Raine corrected him. “Researching magic is very expensive, isn’t it?”

Of course. The Spellcasters' Guild was originally founded by a group of desperately poor mages who banded together to negotiate with the Imperial Court and various noble families. Even now, funding from the royal family and the great nobles remains the main source of funding for the Spellcasters' Guild's daily operations.

No mage would refuse a large sum of money. Of course, if you're planning to take up his time and have him serve as your occult consultant, that might trigger their social anxiety. But if the selection is purely based on academic ability…

“My lord, I admire your foresight immensely,” Diamond said with an expression of admiration. “After all, aside from a lucky few who are appreciated by nobles, the vast majority of mages in this world are very poor. I’ve heard that the infighting within the High Towers of the Fjords is extremely severe, with many losers in power struggles going bankrupt every year due to the cutoff of research funding. Many wizards are so poor that they have to come to the North or the Storm Province in the capital to find work.”

“Yes, you’re right,” Renn said thoughtfully. “The tower wizards of the Fjordlands… if we could bring them in as well, they would definitely create fierce competition with the Imperial mages.”

“You are truly brilliant!” Diamond exclaimed in admiration. “How could I not have come up with such a brilliant idea? To bring in the Tower Wizards and Imperial Mages to compete, to make them fight tooth and nail for the ‘Fahel Prize’!”

“The Fahre Prize?” Renn looked at him meaningfully.

“Of course,” Diamond said obsequiously. “What could be more deserving of the name of this world-class award than your esteemed surname?”

(End of this chapter)