The allied forces lost. Although Count Flaud went as far as using Bellid forces in battle, it backfired on him instead as Zich read his plans beforehand and called for the Karuwimans’ support to annihilate the Bellid forces. Yet, even this couldn’t compare to the heartache the Count felt when he realized that his scheme against Steelwall was working against him now. The Karuwimans had officially labeled them enemies, and the Pope called for an excommunication.

The lords of other estates who had participated in this war hoping to get scraps from Count Flaud were now quickly cutting all ties with the Count and swearing that they had no clue that he was connected to the Bellids. Hoping to get on the Steelwalls and the Karuwimans’ good side, some even declared that they would help with the investigation against Count Flaud.

The Steelwalls, with their powerful military, and the Karuwiman holy knights and priests, the representatives of reverence and faith, made for a frightening combination. They were coming for them now, and there could be no greater nightmare than this. And while the allied forces struggled to find a way out of their situation, they also gained another piece of information that astonished them. It...