Building a Kingdom and Conquering the World - Chapter 254

Chapter 254: Leier’s side
Leier’s eyelids felt unbearably heavy. When she finally forced them open, there was only darkness. Hushed voices reached her ears, mingling with the steady thump of boots on wooden floors. It reminded her of the guards patrolling the king’s castle, right outside of his door.

“Any news from the sisters who went to find the Second Prince?” It was Xena’s voice, piercing through the silent and dark environment.

“Not yet,” another sister whispered, her words low, afraid that her voice could awaken the injured captain “Luckily, they departed in the same night. The First Prince’s men are everywhere. They have even begun beating people in the Outer District and cutting off supplies, trying to force a confession. They are not buying the story of a fight for power between nobles…even chickens band together in times of need.”

“It’s not surprising,” Xena muttered. “An entire mansion vanished, and the whole capital shook with it. Still, it’s been a week since the Captain collapsed. We need to find a reliable source of food supply and prepare for King Henry’s arrival…Once he arrives, this will all settle.”

The moment the king’s name was spoken, a jolt like lightning ripped through Leier’s body. Her muscles seized, pain tearing through her as if a half-healed wound had been ripped open. She tried to push herself up, but the effort only drained what little strength she had accumulated during a whole week. Darkness began taking over her vision, with a grunt she forced herself to remain awake, but falling powerlessly with a loud thud.

“Captain!” Xena’s voice rang out as the door swung open. She rushed to Leier’s side, helping her onto the bed. “You must rest. Your wounds haven’t healed.”

“When is the king coming?” Leier’s voice cut through the room, her eye locking on Xena as if the veil of darkness didn’t exist.

“We sent the message as soon as we returned from the attack. We expect him within four days at most,” Xena answered.

“Tell me about the situation at hand,” Leier ordered. Her body sank into the mattress, trembling with exhaustion, but she forced herself to sit upright.

The thought of her king’s arrival filled her with both security and shame. She had failed, acted recklessly, ever since learning her family’s killers were probably here. And now the king himself had to intervene.

Xena hesitated, but began- “After the explosion, we used the sewers to return to base, since the whole mansion collapsed into rubble. After the explosion, the First Prince locked down the whole capital. Hundreds of soldiers are patrolling the streets, and the security at the gates has increased. People are being seized for interrogation every day, and none of them have survived. Luckily, our sisters managed to get out of the city before the First Prince took action.”

Leier trembled, making Xena stop. Just sitting upright took a lot of mental and physical strength. Her muscles were shuddering as though ready to give away, almost forcing her to lay down. However, the captain remained firm.

“Continue,” Leier commanded, her voice hinting no weakness, prompting Xena to continue, though words left her mouth at rapid speed.

“The two sisters have not yet reported back from contacting the Second Prince,”- Xena reported – “We expect word before the king arrives. We also uncovered a spy cell working for the Second Prince in the Outer District slums. They refuse to cooperate with us, but they’ve used this chaos to increase the Prince’s influence amid the people’s growing anger at the First Prince. Some are already cursing him and wishing he was dead.”

Leier swallowed hard, forcing a deep breath to steady herself. The sound made Xena fall silent.

“They may think we are working with the First Prince to crush their network or extract information” Leier mused, her eyes turning slowly towards Xena. “Do they know our origin?”

Xena shook her head. “They don’t know our origin, but with this contact, they realized another group is operating within the capital. To cover our trail, we planted clues suggesting we belong to a rising underworld faction, one seeking gold and survival. It might help us.”

“Good.” Leier’s voice strained against her exhaustion, her back hunched as she tried to ease the stabbing pain in her abdomen. “Did you spend any of the gold we brought?”

“The supplies we carried ran out two days ago,” Xena admitted. “We were forced to buy food from a few guards smuggling it out of the Inner District. Two bars of gold have been spent.”

They had brought ten bars in total. A fifth of their reserves already gone.

“Find a guard who is dissatisfied, greedy, or desperate,” Leier ordered. “Offer him five pieces of gold. We need someone ready to open the gates for the king and his men, should it come to that. Use another three pieces to buy food. Distribute it to the people nearby. Focus on those who have families within the walls. If you can, win over someone from the Prince’s spy cell. If not, feed their families instead. They will remember the favor.”

Leier’s mind drifted briefly to a lesson she had never forgotten. Henry had once told her that people carried a debt when shown kindness, a pull to repay it even at greater cost. He called it the “Principle of Reciprocity”, a core knowledge taught at the Commanders’ Training Center in the capital and to all Shadow Guards. And now, Leier would wield it as a weapon. Loyalty could be bought, earned, but gratitude could bind even stronger. Still, she dared not use it on those whose families were outside the walls; the Second Prince could be holding them hostage, and such bonds wouldn’t and couldn’t be broken.

“That’s enough,” Leier said at last, lifting a weary hand toward the door. “Lay low until the king arrives.”

Xena recognized the dismissal. She also recognized how close her captain was to collapsing. Rising to her feet, she bowed her head.

“We will proceed as commanded, Captain. Leave the rest to us. Please… rest.”