Wizard: I Have a Cultivation System

"Prepare for battle!" Victor raised his Longsword, the tattoos on his face twisting hideously as his muscles tensed. "Let these Vilt People see the might of the Northern Warriors!"

The battle erupted fiercely in the narrow valley.

Though the Rosenia army was exhausted, they still displayed tenacious fighting strength under Victor’s command.

"For the God of Truth!" Victor personally led the center army forward, every swing of the Longsword in his hand cutting through the air with a vicious whistle.

Viscount Hans calmly observed the battlefield, his gaunt arm gesturing continuously as he directed reserve troops to fill gaps in the defensive line.

"Don’t be impatient," he said to the messenger beside him. "Let the infantry wear down their stamina first."

「The battle raged on until evening.」

The valley was strewn with corpses, their blood dyeing the new green of early spring red.

Baron Belede was wounded in the melee, and for a moment, the Black Rock Banner faltered.

Baron White’s cavalry also suffered heavy losses after three charges.

"Lord Viscount, if we keep fighting like this, our losses will be too great!" Baron White spurred his horse to Viscount Hans’s side, his armor splattered with blood.

Viscount Hans narrowed his eyes, watching Victor carve a path through the Rosenia army. "Hold on a little longer. Their morale is already starting to waver."

And indeed, as the sun began to set, the Rosenia army’s formation started to fray.

The Vassal Army broke first, followed by the infantry phalanxes.

The Snow Wolf Lord was struck in the shoulder by a stray arrow while trying to regroup his forces and was forced to retreat.

"Now!" Viscount Hans finally ordered the general assault. "All forces, press the attack!"

The Vilt Alliance Army launched its final charge.

With the advantage in numbers granted by the terrain, the Rosenia army’s defensive line completely collapsed.

The Ice Eagle Lord was killed in the chaos, while the Frost Bear Lord fought a bloody path out with a few of his personal guards.

Victor watched his crumbling army and knew the battle was lost.

He took the one remaining Lord and a retinue of fewer than twenty Knight’s Attendants, broke through the Vilt right flank, and fled frantically toward the border.

"After them!" Baron Belede wiped the blood from his face, about to lead his troops in pursuit.

"No need." Viscount Hans raised a hand to stop him. "Don’t pursue a desperate foe. Our losses are already great enough."

「As dusk deepened, the stench of blood on the battlefield grew thicker in the evening wind.」

The soldiers began to take stock of the battlefield, and the results were shocking.

Hans’s allied forces had suffered nearly thirty percent casualties. The worst of it was the loss of nearly half of a Knight Escort Squad.

Fortunately, though some Official Knights were severely wounded, none had been killed.

As for the Rosenia side, aside from Victor and the few who escaped, they left behind the body of the Ice Eagle Lord, an Official Knight. The Vilt had captured another Official Knight, and the better part of a Knight Escort Squad was either captured or killed. Nearly three hundred bodies lay strewn across the valley, along with a great deal of scattered equipment.

In addition, the allied forces captured over a hundred soldiers, while another three hundred or so had broken ranks during the battle and fled into the mountains.

"Though we won this battle, our losses were far too great," Baron White said, his face grim as he tallied the casualty list. "Someone must be held responsible for this."

Viscount Hans looked toward the Duval Territory, a cold glint in his eyes. "As a Border Lord, Baron Sylvan failed to effectively intercept the enemy, causing the allied army to suffer grievous losses. According to tradition, he should compensate us for our losses."

"That’s right!" Baron Belede immediately responded. "If he hadn’t just rolled over, would we have had to fight a bloody, head-on battle with the Rosenia People? He must answer for this!"

Baron White nodded in agreement. "Exactly. Let’s go to Baron Duval’s Castle right now and demand an explanation from Sylvan."

Once the allied army had regrouped, they advanced deeper into the Duval Territory.

The villages they passed were deserted, but the Lords paid it no mind.

"It seems those cowardly villagers all fled into the mountains," Baron White said from his horse, looking around at the empty cottages with contempt. "These cowards only know how to hide in the woods. They’ll only dare to come back after the fighting is over. But in the end, this is all due to Sylvan’s incompetence. He can’t even earn the loyalty of his own people."

However, when they arrived at New Wood Town, not far from the Baron’s Castle, they finally noticed something was wrong.

Not only was the entire town deserted, but every valuable item and all stored grain had been completely cleared out.

The warehouse doors stood wide open, the interiors cavernous and empty.

The houses didn’t have a single decent piece of furniture left, as if no one had ever lived there.

"What the..." Baron Belede dismounted, stormed into a house, and came out moments later, fuming. "They didn’t even leave a single pot! What in the world is Sylvan playing at? Did he really flee without a fight?"

Baron White’s face instantly flushed crimson. He had just been mocking Sylvan for his poor governance and lack of popular support, but now he felt as if he’d just been slapped across the face.

He scanned his surroundings, his face shifting from red to green, finally settling on a pale, uncertain white. ’This isn’t just fleeing from war... This was clearly an organized evacuation. Could it be...’

When the allied army finally reached Baron Duval’s Castle, the sight before them left all the Lords stunned.

In the vast twilight, the castle gates stood wide open, the drawbridge hanging limply over the dry moat. The walls were deserted.

Under the moonlight, the entire castle looked like the carcass of a great beast, its innards gouged out. A dead silence hung in the air, thick with an unsettling aura.

The warehouses were empty. The cellars were empty. Even the silver candlesticks from the chapel altar had been taken.

Viscount Hans slammed a fist against the crenellations of the wall, his graying beard trembling with rage. "Sylvan! You have some nerve!"

Baron White looked around in disbelief. "He... completely abandoned his territory? The Noble Inheritance Technique explicitly forbids a Lord from abandoning their fief without just cause!"

"Worse than abandoned," Baron Belede roared, kicking over an empty barrel. "This is absconding with the funds! He took everything of value from the entire territory!"

Viscount Hans let out a cold laugh, his voice carrying a bone-deep chill. "It seems Baron Sylvan no longer wants this territory."

His words silenced the other Lords, who began to exchange glances.

Baron White spoke first. "According to the Noble Inheritance Technique, a Lord who abandons their fief without cause will have their territory reclaimed by their liege."

"Duke Douglas..." Baron Belede mused. "He has the right to reclaim the Duval Territory and then re-enfeoff it based on military merit."

"Re-enfeoff..." Baron White repeated the word, a flicker of eagerness in his eyes. "How long has it been since a territory has been re-enfeoffed in the Northern Territory?"

Viscount Hans slowly swept his gaze over the empty castle, his voice low. "Not since the border wars one hundred and thirty years ago has a territory in the Northern Territory changed hands. Every post is filled, so even a liege lord would find it difficult to reclaim a vassal’s land."

"But things are different now," Baron White interjected, his voice laced with unconcealed excitement. "Sylvan abandoned his territory of his own volition. This gives us a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

A greedy look spread across Baron Belede’s coarse face. "The Duval Territory may be barren, but its strategic position is important. More importantly..." He looked at the other Lords. "This means the war on the northern border might grow more intense. When that time comes, more territories might... become available."

The Lords fell silent.

They realized Sylvan’s flight could trigger a chain reaction—the beginning of a power shuffle in the Northern Territory.

Under the strictures of the Noble Inheritance Technique, the transfer of territory was extremely rare. Now, a precious opportunity lay right before them.

Viscount Hans took one last look at the deserted castle, then turned toward his warhorse. "Let’s head back. Reporting the situation here to Duke Douglas is our top priority."

The other Lords nodded, but each wore a different expression, their minds already calculating how to secure the greatest advantage for themselves in the coming redistribution of power.