Transmigrated Into the World of Magic and Swords-Chapter 203: Leadership, Sacrifice, and Trust

"If you want a war, then I will be waiting." After saying that, Larry cut off the communication, trying to act all high and mighty.

Scarlett clenched her fist as she stared at the blank projector. She would have beaten him to death if he were before her.

Unfortunately, they talked through a communication tool, so she could only suppress her anger.

"Scarlett, can you give me information about Velmora City?" even though Ren was confident he could deal with them alone, he chose to gather information first.

Scarlett’s expression calmed before she turned to him. "Let’s return to my office. I will tell you everything about Velmora City."

Ren didn’t say anything and simply nodded.

Once they were in her office, they sat down on the sofa.

Unlike usual, she sat across from him this time.

It was not the right time to lovey-dovey, so she sat before him as city mistress, not his lover.

"Velmora City is a small city, just like ours." Scarlett began giving him information about Velmora City.

She said their population was also similar to theirs, around two hundred thousand people.

The difference was that their soldiers were not as many as theirs.

It was only around ten thousand people.

Actually, there were three reasons why Nightshire City had eighty thousand soldiers.

First, their city was close to the border. Second, they had a bad relationship with Icria City and Nafield City.

And lastly, the forest behind their city was full of magical beasts.

Velmora City was located in a peaceful place, so their number of soldiers was much lower than Nightshire’s because they were not in danger every day like Nightshire City.

"If their army is really that small, how does he have the audacity to challenge us to a war?" Ren asked calmly. "Is it because we’ve just gone through two wars, so he thinks we’re in a weakened state?"

"I believe so." Scarlett was also startled earlier because normally, Larry had no audacity to go against her because her city was militarized one.

"What about the strongest awakener in Velmora City?" he threw another question at her.

"3-star mage." She said that the strongest awakener was the soldier standing behind Larry during the call. "Ren, your Warrior class has reached the Grandmaster rank, and your Mage class is already at 4-star. Besides the capital, you can basically do whatever you want in Tuiziya Kingdom."

"Does that mean Tuiziya Kingdom is a small kingdom?" he had never learned about it before, so he knew nothing about Tuiziya Kingdom.

"No." She shook her head. "It’s a mid-sized kingdom."

She said Tuiziya Kingdom ruled twenty cities, one hundred and fifty towns, and one thousand five hundred villages.

Its population was around twenty million, with one and a half million combined military force.

"I see." He finally knew about the Tuiziya Kingdom. "By the way, I think I’ve found a good way to solve our problem."

"What is it?" she inquired.

"Conquering other cities," he responded. "There are two cities, fourteen towns, and one hundred and fifty villages under my rule now."

He then continued, "If we control several cities, we will never run out of food supplies and other things."

Scarlett said nothing and only stared at him.

His method could indeed save her city, but she didn’t want to conquer other cities because it needed manpower to do that, and she didn’t want to sacrifice her people for that ambition.

They had gone through two wars in a year, so she didn’t want them to face another one.

If she could, she would not let them have another war because the memories of children, the elderly, the young, and parents crying over the loss of their loved ones still echoed in her mind.

His lips curled up into a soft smile when he saw her remain silent. "Don’t worry. I’m the one who will conquer all the cities."

Even though she didn’t say anything, he could tell what she had in mind because he knew how deeply she cared about her people and her city.

"You will conquer other cities alone?" a faint tremble slipped into Scarlett’s voice.

"Yes." He nodded. "Didn’t you say my power is enough to let me do whatever I want, as long as it’s not in the capital? Then I will conquer all the cities that have wronged us and force them to submit."

The moment those words left his lips, something inside her wavered.

It was not just relief.

It was the feeling of finally not being alone.

*Drip.

Scarlett could not control her emotions, so a single tear rolled down her soft cheek.

Ren, who noticed her tear, rose to his feet and sat next to her.

He wiped off her tears gently before finally holding her hands. "You don’t have to carry everything alone. Let me handle the dirty work. You just protect what matters to you."

She looked down at their intertwined hands before finally returning her attention to his face.

"Thank you." Her lips trembled slightly, and her voice was barely audible.

She was emotionally tired all this time.

A magical beast invasion, a battle over the mine, a war against two cities and now, a conflict with the Tuiziya Kingdom.

Everything had happened one after another, leaving her with no time to rest.

Sometimes, it felt like the weight of the entire city was crushing her.

But now, as she looked into his beautiful black eyes and felt the warmth of his hands, a small part of her finally felt safe.

It was like the storm had momentarily passed, and she could finally catch her breath.

’Ren...’

At this moment, she truly felt that meeting him was a blessing from the heavens because, without him, she didn’t know how much longer she could’ve endured.

Ren gently squeezed her hands and said in a soft voice, "You’ve done enough, Scarlett. More than anyone could ever ask for."

He then continued, "Let me be the shield that protects this city. You don’t need to carry the sword and the burden anymore."

Scarlett’s lips parted, but no words came out.

She could only stare at the man who had never once hesitated to throw himself into danger for her and for Nightshire City.

But after several seconds, the words finally slipped out.

"...You are going to make me cry again," her voice was barely above a whisper because she was trembling with emotion.

Ren smiled faintly before finally speaking, "Then cry. We are alone here."

For a moment, there was only silence between them, a warm and comforting silence.

And in that silence, Scarlett realized that no matter how chaotic the world became, as long as he was by her side, she could endure anything.

----

After comforting Scarlett, Ren headed to his organization’s base.

He instructed his subordinates that if the new city lords of Nafield City or Icria City arrived, they were to be told to pay taxes in the form of food supplies for the next few years.

Since King Aldrict had imposed an economic blockade on them, food became more valuable than money because no one was willing to trade with them for now.

While Ren was making preparations on his end, far away in Velmora City, Larry was having a discussion with his generals in his office.

They were talking about how to make Scarlett and Ren surrender to King Aldrict because it would earn them the King’s favor.

"My lord, why don’t we wait a little longer? King Aldrict has already imposed an economic blockade on them, and she’s also been declared a wanted person. If we give it a bit more time, I’m sure we can conquer Nightshire City easily," a blue-haired woman spoke abruptly.

The woman had long blue hair and black eyes.

Her name was Julia Howard, a powerful Master rank warrior and a Lieutenant General.

"I agree with Lieutenant General Julia, city lord." A black-haired soldier added.

His name was Austin Mosley, a 3-star mage and Major General.

"No! Do you think I’m the only one with this idea?" Larry believed the other city lords were thinking the same way because earning the King’s favor was like holding the key to greater power and securing a shortcut to rising through the ranks.

Now that the opportunity was right in front of him, there was no way he would let it slip away and allow others to take it because chances like this didn’t come every day.

"Then how about we strike from within before launching a direct attack?" a gorgeous, mature woman voiced her idea.

The lady had short, shoulder-length hair and deep black eyes.

Her name was Marisa Carter, Master rank warrior, and a Brigadier General.

Larry was interested in Marisa’s idea. "Explain it!"

"We poison their water sources first, and once they are all weakened, we launch a direct attack. That way, our chances of winning will be nearly guaranteed," General Marisa said confidently.

"That’s a brilliant idea, Brigadier General Marisa!" Larry praised her because he believed their chances of conquering Nightshire City were much higher with her plan.

The other generals nodded in agreement because they also believed it was a great idea.

Larry turned to his strongest subordinate and spoke, "General Clark, I’m entrusting this mission to you. Do whatever it takes to get it done. Remember! Failure is not an option!"

"Understood, city lord!" General Clark responded.

"City Lord, may I participate in this mission as well?" General Marisa asked.

"Sure." Larry agreed without hesitation, as it was her idea.

"Thank you, city lord." General Marisa could not help but smile happily when he granted her wish without thinking twice.

Just as they continued planning their scheme, a voice suddenly echoed throughout the entire city.

"Velmora City..." Ren, who was hovering above the city, infused his energy into his voice "You wanted a war, didn’t you? Then, come out. I’ve come to give you one."