"Next up is the partnership with the Unicorn Duchy..."
Now that the Kirin Hero Kyros had successfully hatched, Ethan’s focus shifted again—this time, toward diplomacy.
Sure, the Crimsonstar Kingdom had just suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Emerald Castle, but that didn’t mean they were out of the game. In terms of overall strength, Crimsonstar still outclassed Emerald Castle by a long shot.
Which meant, if it came down to a one-on-one fight, Emerald Castle wouldn’t stand a chance. The only way to maintain the current balance—and keep the Unicorn Duchy from making any reckless moves—was to keep the alliance going strong.
With that in mind, Ethan turned his gaze toward Seraphina, Balthazar, and Elyra.
"You three can head back now. Things here are pretty much wrapped up. If anything else comes up, I’ll let you know."
Now that the two-way portal between Stellamaris Kingdom and Emerald Castle was fully operational, the two places were practically next-door neighbors. No need to keep them hanging around here.
Besides, the eastern front was currently a goldmine for leveling up. The Dungeon army was still mostly probing, not launching any full-scale assaults or all-out offensives.
So the danger level was still manageable.
Which meant now was the perfect time to grind out some levels. Opportunities didn’t come often—they had to make the most of it. The source of thɪs content is NoveIＦire.net
"Understood, my Lord..."
"We’ll head back now, Master."
Seraphina and Elyra exchanged a glance. They were reluctant to leave Ethan’s side, but they knew what mattered most right now. Elyra’s second awakening couldn’t wait. Time was precious in this world, and they couldn’t afford to waste it.
Soon, Seraphina, Elyra, and Balthazar stepped through the portal deep within Stellamaris Kingdom and returned to Emerald Castle.
Meanwhile, Ethan made his way to Coral Fortress to meet with Marquis Lucan, the representative of the Unicorn Duchy, and Roland, the Cavalier Hero from the Castle faction. The three of them were about to dive into serious talks about the future of their alliance.
Inside the grand council chamber of Coral Fortress, Ethan sat at the head of the table. To his left and right were Roland and Marquis Lucan.
"Count Valkarion," Lucan began, trying to lighten the mood a bit, "after this battle, with Crimsonstar Kingdom soundly defeated by our joint forces, I think we can finally breathe a little easier..."
But despite his calm tone, there was no hiding the flicker of awe—and fear—in his eyes as he looked at Ethan.
Truth be told, Lucan hadn’t expected Ethan’s forces to be this overwhelming.
Two Crimson-tier Ultimate Heroes.
Two Mythic Ace Units.
A terrifyingly powerful orange-tier Legendary unicorn mage hero.
And what remained of the Stellamaris Kingdom—still a formidable force in its own right.
Not to mention Pirate King Draven’s entire fleet.
This wasn’t just a strong army.
This was a force that could crush the Unicorn Duchy’s entire navy several times over.
Unless they were willing to deploy their elite Angel Corps—units capable of fighting on land, sea, and air—the Unicorn Duchy wouldn’t stand a chance in a direct confrontation with Emerald Castle.
In fact, it wouldn’t just be a loss.
It’d be a total wipeout.
But the thing about the Angel Corps... most of the time, they’re more of a deterrent than an actual combat force. You can’t just throw them into battle whenever you feel like it.
First off, Angels are proud—like, ridiculously proud.
Proud enough that they won’t lift a finger unless they feel the situation is worthy of their "noble status." They see most battles as beneath them. And worse, they absolutely cannot stomach the idea of losing.
So if you deploy the Angel Corps and still end up losing—especially if it’s a crushing defeat—then you’re in for a world of trouble. The Angels will start grumbling, complaining, maybe even dragging their feet in future battles...
And in the worst-case scenario? They’ll flat-out refuse to follow orders—or even betray you.
To put it in more relatable terms: it’s all about loyalty.
At 100% loyalty, they’ll follow your every command without question.
At 70%, they’ll still obey, but you’ll hear the grumbling. They’ll do the job, but they won’t be happy about it.
At 50%, it’s a coin toss whether they’ll listen to you or not.
At 30%? You better start preparing for mutiny.
And every time you lose a battle, their loyalty drops. The worse the loss, the more it drops.
Especially with Tier 14 Archangels.
Those guys? They’ll throw a tantrum and walk off the job at the drop of a hat.
And it’s not just Angels. Other Tier 14 Mythic Units are the same way.
They might not be as dramatic or quick to turn on you, but the core issue is the same—they’re hard to manage, and even harder to keep loyal.
That’s why most Lords have so few Mythic Units under their command.
First, they’re insanely rare.
Second, even if you get one, keeping them loyal is a whole other battle.
The only thing that can really keep Tier 14 Mythic Units in line—make them a little more forgiving after a loss—is a Crimson Ultimate Hero.
And the Unicorn Duchy? They don’t have a single one.
Which is exactly why Marquis Lucan was practically green with envy right now.
Crimson Ultimate Heroes.
If he could train them up properly, the sky was the limit. That kind of power could flip the entire balance of the continent.
And that’s why the entire leadership of the Unicorn Duchy had unanimously agreed to back Emerald Castle.
On one side, you had Emerald Castle with two Crimson Ultimate Heroes.
On the other, Crimsonstar Kingdom, with none.
Even a fool could see which side to bet on.
"Crimsonstar Kingdom definitely took a heavy hit this time," Ethan said, eyes narrowing as he processed Lucan’s earlier comment. "But I doubt they’ll just roll over and take it. Their units and Heroes might’ve died, but it’s not like they can’t be revived..."
He was already thinking ahead—planning for the inevitable retaliation.
After all, Crimsonstar was a massive naval empire with a long-standing reputation. And now? They’d been humiliated. Crushed. Their losses were staggering.
There was no way they’d let that slide.
Ethan didn’t believe for a second that they’d just swallow their pride and walk away. No, they’d come back swinging. And when they did, he’d be ready to hit them even harder—to make sure they felt the pain deep enough to back off for good.
"No," Roland, the Cavalier Hero from the Castle faction, cut in without hesitation. His eyes gleamed with certainty. "They won’t dare strike again."
"They won’t?" Ethan blinked, caught off guard. He turned to Roland, brows furrowed. "Why not?"
Sure, Crimsonstar had taken a beating. But aside from Thalric’s suicide—which had cost him a couple levels—nothing had really crippled them.
Their lower-tier armies, their 13-Tier Kirin units, even their 14-Tier Sacred Kirin legions—they’d all been wiped out, sure. But that wasn’t permanent. All of it could be revived—for a price.
Unlike the Stellamaris Kingdom, which had been holed up in a pocket dimension, starved of resources and barely scraping by, Crimsonstar had been ruling the seas for tens of thousands of years.
And that kind of history?
It meant their treasury was overflowing. Their wealth was on a whole other level.
Sure, reviving that many units would cost a fortune—an astronomical sum, really—but Crimsonstar could afford it.
And if they could afford it, then their strength wouldn’t drop. They’d bounce right back to full power, just like before.
But then Marquis Lucan chuckled and shook his head.
"Count Valkarion," he said with a knowing smile, "you’re forgetting one very important thing..."