"You’re right, Governor." Sir Harold’s voice was terribly hoarse. "It was an accident. One that none of us had foreseen—or rather, one we refused to believe could happen... The worst possible kind of accident."

He took a deep breath, as if to suppress the emotions churning in his chest. "My father did sense something was wrong and made the necessary preparations. But his initial assessment, even after the passage truly opened, was that it would be a slow leak—long-term pressure from a gradual increase in creatures from the Otherworld."

"Eagle’s Beak Peak was being continuously reinforced by the Church Court and the Northern Shepherd Chief District. Logically, even if a problem arose, it should have been a relatively slow process, allowing us to establish layered defenses at Blackstone Fortress and gradually wear them down."

"However..." Sir Harold’s fists clenched again, his knuckles turning white. "A fatal attack occurred, targeting the very core of the seal. The assailants were not only incredibly powerful, but they also knew the seal’s structure inside and out!"

His voice was thick with suppressed fury. "Saint Cyril Cardinal and the Valkendu Metropolitan Bishop were on-site, attempting one final reinforcement. They, along with the elite Temple Knights protecting them, were severely wounded almost instantly! Attacked from both inside and out, the seal shattered in a flash. The scale of the breach was several times larger than the worst-case scenario! The creatures that poured out were no longer scattered, disorganized individuals, but like... like the vanguard of a well-prepared army!"

Sir Harold slammed his fist down on his thigh, producing a dull thud. "This wasn’t a natural disaster, Governor! At least, not entirely! This was a conspiracy! A conspiracy that took advantage of the Church Court’s divided attention! What they wanted was to tear this opening wide apart in the fastest, most violent way possible—to drag the Eastern Territory, the Kingdom, the entire Continent into the flames of war and leave them no time to deal with anything else!"

He shot to his feet and paced anxiously around the room for a few steps before managing to compose himself. He turned back to Murphy, his eyes bloodshot. "So, do you understand now? Our previous procurement was based on preparations for a ’long-term border conflict.’ But what we’re facing now is a ’blitzkrieg’—an attempt to instantly overwhelm our defenses."

"The materials we stockpiled are nowhere near enough for this rate of consumption! That’s why my father ordered me to renegotiate that deal with you as soon as possible—at any cost!"

Murphy listened quietly, his face still showing little expression.

The information Sir Harold revealed confirmed many of Murphy’s prior suspicions.

’The Ironspine Duke had indeed sensed the anomaly in advance and made preparations. He just hadn’t expected his opponent to be so ruthless and decisive, to just flip the table and turn a ’long-term standoff’ into a ’race against death.’’

’This also explained why the Peric Clan had pre-ordered a massive shipment of special steel months in advance, a shipment that would take months to prepare. They had originally been planning for a war of attrition.’

’But there was still one question that hadn’t been fully explained.’

’How did the Ironspine Duke "foresee" that the passage would definitely open?’

’Was it just his clan’s centuries-old "intuition" regarding ore and ley lines?’

’That intuition seemed far too precise.’

’However, that wasn’t something Murphy needed to delve into right now.’

’Since not even those two injured dignitaries had publicly investigated or questioned the Ironspine Duke’s "foresight," he, a mere Northern Governor, certainly had no need to be the one to point it out.’

’As for Sir Harold’s "at any cost" rhetoric, Murphy took it with a grain of salt.’

’It was hard to tell how much of the "candor" and "rage" from the heir to an old noble clan was genuine emotion, and how much was a pre-negotiation ploy.’

’Under the pressure of the Church Court’s supreme edict, all territories and factions were being forced to muster forces and contribute supplies. Every high-quality steel supplier on the Continent was probably facing similar "at any cost" procurement demands at this very moment.’

’The Peric Clan was desperate, yes, but they couldn’t possibly let him name any price, especially when facing war—a bottomless pit that devours resources.’

’For him, being able to use this opportunity to obtain rare minerals and special materials unique to the Peric Clan—things that were difficult to acquire through conventional channels—would be a satisfying enough outcome. For instance, higher-quality Thunder Steel with specific properties, or other Spiritual Materials needed to strengthen his Flying Sword.’

"I understand, Sir Harold." Murphy finally spoke, his voice still steady. "The situation is indeed worse than anticipated. Blitzkrieg... an apt term. The Church Court has clearly realized this as well, which explains the supreme edict."

He paused, his gaze landing back on Sir Harold’s face. "So, Sir Harold, how do you propose we renegotiate? The production capacity of the Monte Territory’s workshops is finite, but the demand from the front is infinite. What can the Peric Clan offer to ensure our limited output prioritizes the needs of the Eastern Territory?"

The heart of the conversation finally shifted from an exchange of intelligence and an outpouring of emotion to a cold exchange of benefits.

The agitation in Sir Harold’s eyes gradually subsided, replaced by the shrewdness and composure befitting a nobleman and a soldier.

He sat back in his chair, his voice regaining its former clarity and force.

"You are a man of understanding, Governor. Time is short, so I will be direct. My father hopes that the terms of the previously agreed-upon three hundred thousand Gold Coin advance payment can be... adjusted. Perhaps lowered, or paid in installments, to alleviate my clan’s current financial pressure."

"In exchange, the Peric Clan is prepared to grant the Monte Territory partial mining rights to several of our rare ore veins in the Eastern Territory. Specifically regarding the Thunder Steel you previously showed interest in, we can guarantee a prioritized supply and give you the best possible price."