The royal palace of the Ragetide Kingdom was a massive structure built against a mountainside. Though outwardly grand and imposing, on closer inspection, it seemed crude and unrefined.

Those who worshiped the Lord of Storm favored such a rugged aesthetic. After all, berserkers and delicate ornamentation did not mix.

Thus, the palace interior lacked unnecessary decorations. Even the statue of the Lord of Storms, Thanos, was notable only for its sheer size, not for any intricate craftsmanship. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

The current Ragetide king was now seated before that towering statue. Kneeling beneath him was Monge Greywater, the very commander whose flagship had been obliterated by Ambrose.

The loss of twelve medium warships and a flagship was a heavy blow to the kingdom.

Even though Monge Greywater was a renowned general, such losses had infuriated the king.

Suppressing his anger, the king roared, "Is this the so-called intelligence you bring back? Only that the undead have gained one additional legendary mage? Don't you have anything more to report?"

"Your Majesty," Monge Greywater replied, "the true issue is not the legendary mage himself, but why the undead pirates dispatched a ship specifically to retrieve him."

The king frowned. "You believe that they're planning something?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. I have already ordered an investigation. The sea winds have told us that this legendary mage boarded from the western coast of the Emerald Dreamwood. The Silent Sea pirates have always been elusive. For them to suddenly invite such a powerful reinforcement, they must be preparing something major, perhaps even an assault on one of our cities. We must prepare in advance."

The king tensed. "Which city?"

"We do not yet know, but the sea winds will inform us. We will detect their whereabouts beforehand. What matters now is consolidating our strength. The pirate fleet possesses many legendary combatants, so we must ready the Ragetide Legion in turn."

Every kingdom possessed a signature military force. Lyon had its paladins; Alkhemia relied on golems and constructs; the elves had their Twilight Wardens; the dwarves their Ironguard. The Ragetide Kingdom had its eponymous Ragetide Legion, composed primarily of stormpriests.

Named after the kingdom itself, the legion was small—barely a thousand strong—and lacked any legendary individuals. But what they excelled at was combined spellcasting. Given sufficient preparation, they could summon hurricanes and tempests powerful enough to kill even legendary foes.

Blessed by the Lord of Storms, they could store their spells in a unique manner. When needed, the magic could be unleashed instantly, bypassing any casting time requirements.

The problem was that such preparation lasted only about a month. Afterward, the entire legion would require over half a year of rest. Furthermore, their combined rituals demanded vast open space. No ship could accommodate their formation in full.

Monge Greywater said, "They will strike within a month. If we prepare now, the Ragetide Legion can deliver a decisive blow at the critical moment. That is the key intelligence I bring, Your Majesty. With preparation, we may finally eradicate these undead."

If the kingdom could concentrate its forces, it would surely surpass a pirate fleet in strength. A kingdom like Lyon, capable of transforming nationwide faith into holy radiance, was so formidable that even lesser gods hesitated to provoke it.

The reason the Ragetide Kingdom had repeatedly suffered losses against the Silent Sea pirates was simple: the undead never attacked cities. They only intercepted merchant vessels at sea.

If Monge Greywater's assessment was correct, the kingdom could use teleportation arrays within each city to redeploy swiftly. Every city had ample space for the legion's rituals, perfect for unleashing magical devastation upon the undead.

"But this is all conjecture," the king cautioned. "You have no proof."

"We lose nothing by preparing in advance. The Ragetide Legion, after all, cannot function effectively at sea. At worst, they'll be incapacitated for half a year. But if I am right, we may finally be able to eliminate this threat."

That final argument swayed the king. He ordered the Ragetide Legion to begin their preparations.

Beyond that, the entire kingdom was to be mobilized for war.

Since its founding, the legend of the Silent Sea pirates had haunted the Ragetide Kingdom. No one dared underestimate them.

The king added, "Summon the court mages. We have trained them for years. It is time they prove their worth."

The Ragetide Kingdom was the youngest and weakest of the nine major kingdoms.

It possessed only two true legends of its own: the current king and his designated heir. As a kingdom, however, it had expended enormous sums to retain three legendary court mages.

Their salaries alone consumed nearly a tenth of the annual tax revenue.

Ambrose himself had once considered seeking employment in the Ragetide Kingdom before abandoning the idea due to its distance.

Now, in its hour of crisis, the kingdom would finally call upon those costly masters.

The royal command reached the three legendary mages. They all vowed to give their all to prove that they were worthy of the salaries they had received for years.

The king was satisfied. With him and his heir in the mix, there would be five legendary combatants on their side in all. Combined with the power of the Ragetide Legion, they should be well equipped to defeat the undead pirates.

The kingdom began full-scale preparations for war, hoping to scatter the shadow that had loomed over it since its founding, once and for all.

Yet less than a day later, an uninvited guest stormed into the palace and angrily confronted the king. "How can you issue such a reckless order?"

The Ragetide king gazed at the furious young woman before him with unmistakable affection. She was his daughter, the kingdom's designated heir.

"Ariel, why the agitation? What's wrong with preparing for war?"

His tone was gentle, as though he could not bear to raise his voice at her.

But Princess Ariel, her red hair blazing like fire, gave him no such courtesy. "You're mobilizing on the basis of a single statement from Monge Greywater! Father, our kingdom isn't wealthy. Once our ports close due to mobilization, our losses will be enormous. We cannot afford it."

The Ragetide Kingdom was widely regarded as the poorest among the nine kingdoms.

Driven from the mainland after defeat and confined to resource-scarce islands thereafter, it ranked lowest in terms of both population and economy. Only its maritime advantage sustained its independence.

Other kingdoms could mobilize freely. The Ragetide Kingdom could not halt its operations for even half a day without risking starvation among its people.

The king's voice grew taut. "The Silent Sea pirates are our greatest threat. If we can eliminate them, any cost would be justified. Destroy those cursed undead, and we will become the true masters of these seas. Only then can the kingdom prosper.

"You were born upon the ocean. When you came into this world, thunder filled the skies in celebration. You are the favored child of the gods, and my finest heir. I want you to inherit a perfect kingdom, not one suffocating beneath the oppression of the undead."

Lightning seemed to gather in his eyes. The king had endured enough humiliation.

Followers of the Lord of Storms were rarely inclined toward overthinking. The king wanted battle, nothing more. The economic consequences of nationwide mobilization did not concern him.

Ariel understood that the undead were the kingdom's collective nightmare. Every ruler had sought to eradicate them. Two kings had even died trying. But she believed another path existed.

Though the Silent Sea pirates did cause losses, a careful accounting revealed that the damage was far less than imagined.

Undead often slumbered for years, even decades. The pirate fleet only raided the kingdom infrequently. While each raid hurt, their average impact was smaller than the devastation caused by natural disasters like typhoons and tidal waves.

Meanwhile, the kingdom's annual expenditures against them had steadily increased, straining its treasury.

Worse still, they had achieved no meaningful victories.

Even a commander like Monge Greywater, who occasionally scored minor successes against them, was hailed as a "renowned general." That alone spoke volumes about their inefficiency. Vast sums had been squandered for nothing.

In Ariel's view, the kingdom ought to negotiate with the pirates, offering tribute in exchange for a non-aggression pact. It would be far cheaper.

With stability, wealth and population would grow. Increased prosperity would bring more legends. More resources would allow for the recruitment of additional court mages.

Only once sufficient strength was amassed should they move against the undead.

Every such battle in the present was like tightening a noose around the kingdom's neck. This mobilization felt like wagering the entire nation's fate on a single roll of a die.

And what if they were to lose? Ariel did not believe the Ragetide Legion could truly threaten the undead. The court mages, though paid handsomely for service, would not stake their lives on the battle. They would likely flee at the first sign of defeat.

In the end, the only reliable combatants would be Ariel and the king himself.

What could two legends do against such formidable undead?

But her father did not see things that way. He could not accept humiliation. Matters of economy and livelihood paled beside his wrath.

They argued at length. Though unwilling to scold his daughter, the king remained firm. His order would not be rescinded.

Powerless to override him, Ariel had no choice. Only the king could issue commands. A princess might advise, but not defy, him.

Now, there was only one path left. She would confront Monge Greywater. If she could force him to admit that his intelligence was exaggerated or flawed, perhaps her father would reconsider.