- Fantasy Lord: Start with Daily Intelligence
- FLDI Chapter 83
**Chapter 83: Return, The First Maine Conference**
At Lawrence Castle, Barons Glatton and Valmy gathered once again.
However, this time, their expressions were filled with even more worry than just a few days prior.
“Baron Pape, has Lord Thor still not returned? And are you sure the Eagle’s Nest hasn’t been evacuated?” Glatton asked anxiously. “The minotaur horde is now less than 200 miles from the Maine Valley—at most, they’ll be here in three days.”
“Indeed,” added Baron Valmy. “Of the pioneer lords who initially agreed to resist with us, only three remain. The others have fled.”
Several days had passed, and their expressions grew more and more troubled.
“Thor has not returned yet,” Pape Lawrence replied, his face mirroring their concern. “But as far as I know, the Eagle’s Nest remains intact and hasn’t shown any signs of retreat.”
Pape’s own unease was growing by the day. If he hadn’t been absolutely certain that the Eagle’s Nest was still standing, he would have already panicked himself. But as the minotaurs closed in, the situation was becoming increasingly urgent.
“Let’s go check again,” Glatton suggested after a brief silence. “We can’t wait any longer. If the minotaur horde arrives and we don’t have enough forces to defend, we’ll be overrun. It’s better to prepare to retreat now.”
Pape Lawrence, after some hesitation, nodded in agreement. “You’re right, this time we can’t handle it alone.”
Baron Valmy, seeing the others’ resolve, quickly agreed as well. The three of them set off toward the Eagle’s Nest once again.
A day later, they arrived at the Eagle’s Nest, but the news they received was not what they had hoped for.
“Lord Thor still hasn’t returned?” Pape Lawrence asked, unable to hide his frustration.
“No, Baron Pape,” said Raine with a serious expression. “But the lord said he would definitely be back within ten days.”
“Ten days?” Valmy blurted out, but was quickly silenced by Glatton, who grabbed his arm.
“Thank you, Sir Raine,” Glatton said, offering a polite nod.
After the three barons left the Eagle’s Nest, Glatton turned to the others with a bitter tone, “Ten days? We barely have three before the minotaur horde arrives.”
The other two exchanged uneasy glances. They were reluctant, but they could see the reality of the situation. The minotaur horde was far beyond their ability to fight.
“There’s nothing we can do,” Pape said with a resigned sigh. “We’ll have to abandon the land. We can pay the ransom to the kingdom later—better that than dying here.”
The thought of abandoning their lands, into which they had poured so many years of effort and resources, filled them with bitterness. But it was a choice between that or certain destruction.
Just as they were about to leave, they noticed dust rising in the distance. The ground trembled slightly beneath their feet.
The Eagle’s Nest immediately went on high alert.
But as the figures in the distance drew closer, the barons were the first to recognize them.
“It’s Lord Thor!” Glatton exclaimed, his face lighting up with joy. “He’s back!”
Excitement spread among the barons, and the tension in the Eagle’s Nest quickly eased.
Soon, Thor arrived at the Eagle’s Nest, riding his majestic unicorn, with his knights close behind.
“Greetings, Lord Thor!” all three barons said, rushing forward and offering knightly salutes.
But as they bowed, something caught their attention, and their eyes widened in shock.
“You… You’ve broken through!” Pape Lawrence stammered, staring at Thor in disbelief.
Thor smiled calmly at their astonishment. “Apologies for making you wait, gentlemen.”
“No need to apologize, Lord Thor!” they all replied hastily.
“Let’s not waste time with pleasantries,” Thor said as he dismounted and handed the reins of his unicorn to a guard. “The minotaurs will attack soon. We should go inside and discuss our strategy.”
The three barons quickly nodded in agreement and followed Thor into the Eagle’s Nest castle.
Inside, they all took their seats as Anna hurried to prepare refreshments.
As soon as they were seated, Baron Glatton couldn’t hold back his question any longer. “Lord Thor, do you have any idea of the scale of this minotaur attack?”
“I know some details,” Thor replied thoughtfully. “The minotaurs seem to have used some kind of dark magic to increase their numbers. There should be around six or seven thousand of them by now.”
“Yes,” Valmy confirmed, “though most of these are ordinary minotaurs enhanced by their magic. But even these are far more formidable than goblins. Ordinary humans can’t handle them—at the very least, we need reserve knights. And to be precise, their numbers are already close to seven thousand.”
“Our combined forces of reserve knights aren’t nearly enough to match those numbers,” Valmy continued, his voice heavy with worry. “And without earth knights, I fear we’re in no position to resist.”
Pape Lawrence, always more direct, asked bluntly, “Lord Thor, is there any chance we can defend against this threat? Or should we abandon our lands and pay the kingdom’s ransom?”
The kingdom of Tulip had a law stating that any knight could become a pioneer lord, but those who abandoned their lands were required to pay a hefty ransom to the kingdom as atonement. The amount was considerable, and no one wanted to take that path unless they had no other choice.
The three barons fixed their gazes on Thor, their anxiety and uncertainty clear in their eyes. They were desperate for answers.
Thor understood that he needed to reassure them, or they would likely lose their resolve to fight. Without the support of these barons, no matter how much Thor’s strength had grown, it would be difficult to defend against the coming storm alone.
“Gentlemen, please listen to what I have to say,” Thor began, his voice steady. At once, the room fell silent, all eyes on him.
(End of Chapter)