After Kai's words left his lips, he glanced around the table where maps of the city and surrounding lands were spread, littered with markers and curious looks.

A moment of silence passed, and another. He briefly expected one of them to talk, but it seemed like they were waiting for him.

Taking the charge, he began, looking at Killian. "Alright, let's start with the guards. Killian, could you give us a headcount? How many men do we have at our disposal?"

Killian’s hand came to his face as he briefly thought about the question. "We have a solid force, Lord Arzan," he replied. "Around two hundred guards including the five Enforcers, men trained to defend the city walls. I have been constantly getting more and more guards into our ranks after the larvae extermination and we have doubled our forces in the last few months."

Kai nodded slowly. "Around two hundred as an estimate. Even if we double that number through training civilians, it still seems… insufficient." He gestured towards the map, his finger tracing the path of the incoming beast wave. "The sheer number of creatures involved makes me believe that we severely lack numbers. From the report I showed you, hundreds of spiders would be attacking us and with different species involved, two hundred men would never make it."

"Exactly Lord Arzan," Francis said, agreeing with Kai. "It would take around three men just to deal with one spider.”

A sombre silence fell on the room once again as Kai's mind ran a mile searching for solutions. Though, he had no idea how to go with it.

The only connections he had in the world were in the city currently and he had no one to request help from. Maybe they could try for mercenaries like the last time, but that would severely put them in debt and mobilising so many mercenaries seemed beyond their current capabilities.

As he thought more and more, something clicked in his mind.

“Francis, there have been cases of beast waves before in the Lancephil Kingdom right?”

“Yes, my lord.”

“What happened in those? Did the king intervene?”

Unlike what he had expected, Francis' eyes dimmed further at his question. “The king intervenes normally. But, not directly, Lord Arzan. Typically, in cases of beast waves, the closest Duke or Marquis household takes charge of the defence. They have larger armies, more resources, so it's a norm for them to defend against them and show how strong they are."

Killian let out a snort, a harsh sound that echoed in the room. “I have heard of a few beast waves, mostly stories but also some real accounts. Most nobles would flee the city alongside the civilians. Though, it's not out of the ordinary for a few of them to leave the civilians behind to hold back the beasts for a while till they could get to safety.”

Feroy nodded. “Yes, I travelled a bit as a merchant's guard a few years back and it's not always that nobles would get the hint of a beast wave early on. Some of them strike them out of nowhere.”

Francis coughed to bring back attention to him and continued his explanation, “That's the traditional course, Lord Arzan. The kingdom, of course, intervenes in haste if the situation becomes truly dire. They send more Mages, even a contingent of the Royal Army. In rare cases, we've even heard of savants leading the charge."

The thought of Archine Tower helping him out with the beast wave was funny to him since they seemed to be out for him, but if he could really get help from them, he didn't mind being a little nicer during their inevitable meeting.

For now, it seemed like he might very well be able to let the Duke handle the situation.

“Very well, we should send the plea and prepare to evacuate the citizens to the Duke's territory,” he said and noticed Francis' eyes losing more colour.

“Yes, Lord Arzan. I already sent an official letter of plea to Duke Lucian, your brother attached with a report of everything we have found and our civilian numbers.”

Kai’s eyes raised and he internally grimaced.

“So, his response?”

Francis's shoulders slumped, a defeated sigh escaping his lips. "The messenger returned just this morning, Lord Arzan. Apparently, Duke Lucian… well, he suggested we 'deal with it ourselves' or 'petition the kingdom directly for assistance.' He claimed a need to gather more information and 'assess the severity' of the beast wave before committing any reinforcements."

Kai felt a cold anger simmering within him.

Arzan’s own brother, the newly appointed Duke of the region, turned a blind eye to the impending disaster. Didn't Lucian understand that if the beast wave ravaged Veralt, it wouldn't stop there? It would continue its rampage, engulfing their lands eventually.

Killian’s frame tensed with frustration voiced the question that hung unspoken in the air. "Why will Lord Arzan's broth— I’m sorry, the Duke shirk his responsibility? Surely he understands the consequences of a full-blown beast wave? His territory would be on the line too."

Francis, his gaze downcast, offered a bitter chuckle. "Perhaps he sees Veralt as a buffer, Killian. A way to gauge the true strength of the beast wave before committing his own forces. Or maybe," he added, his voice taking on a cynical edge. "He's banking on the kingdom stepping in and saving the day, leaving him unscathed. In other words, waiting for Veralt to be destroyed."

Kai couldn't help but frown. From the journals he found, it was evident that Lucian wasn’t very fond of his powerless brother, but again, Arzan seemed invisible to Lucian at different points during his writings. It all seemed like Arzan’s family wanted him to be gone for good.

He didn't know the reason for the growing hatred, especially when he was already out of the race for succession. That was over and for someone like Lucian, Arzan would be nothing, but a small noble now.

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Regardless, the ignorance and the response to the request was unnecessary. There were too many lives at stake for him to hold some petty grudge against him.

Kai sighed. Lucian refused to aid, so now that option is out of consideration. I doubt we can rely on him from the response we got.

Thinking it through, he realised that he was again back on the starting line with no allies and not enough strength to deal with the beast wave himself.

If that was the case, then it was better to focus on what he had.

“We can't rely on Duke Lucian's supposed ‘generosity’ here,” he said, his voice stern. “We wash our hands and prepare to our best. Focus on what we can control. Phillips, gather every hunter in the territory. We need their keen eyes and knowledge of the wilds. Take a few guards and turn them into our scouting party. I need every bit of information you can gather."

Phillips nodded curtly. He seemed like the oddest person in the room, but as Kai looked at him, he flinched and agreed. Even if he didn't work for Kai, he understood that a beast wave meant the end for them.

So, with no option, he could only do his way alongside the other hunters.

"Francis," Kai nodded back and continued. "Spread the word to all village heads. The beast wave is coming, and they need to prepare their people for evacuation. We'll need temporary shelters within Veralt's walls."

Francis's eyes widened. "Shelters, Lord Arzan? That would require a significant amount of resources and—."

Kai cut him off. "We'll make it work. Get the people mobilized, and have them start constructing basic shelters. If it comes down to it, citizens can share their homes. If it becomes worse, we’ll extend the shelters of the castle. It will be a temporary hardship, but one we must endure."

A silence took over their discussion hearing the last part of his sentence. Kai felt more than one odd look towards him.

“Do you have any objections?” He asked and everyone quickly shook his head.

“No, Lord Arzan!”

Nodding, he continued. "And Killian, we need more guards. Double our current force. We'll train every able-bodied citizen who's willing to fight."

Feroy looked in between Kai and Killian for a few seconds and broke the silence he carried for quite some time during the discussion. “Are we truly considering such a fight, Lord Arzan? Shouldn't we… just evacuate everyone?"

Killian let out a frustrated growl. "Feroy, have you lost your mind? We can't just abandon the city! The walls, the supplies… everything we've built would be lost!"

Before Feroy could respond, Kai raised a hand, silencing them both. "Feroy, I won't ask civilians to fight. My priority is their safety. We'll work on a detailed evacuation plan. But as Lord of Veralt, I cannot simply walk away. This city is my responsibility, and I will defend it to my last breath."

Even if he hadn't been the original lord, he had gotten a connection to the place and was finally looking forward to changing it for the better. However, his love and responsibility for the city weren't the only reason behind his decision.

"Even if we evacuate as many civilians as possible if Veralt falls, the entire region falls. Lucian controls everything around us, directly or indirectly. Running wouldn't guarantee safety with him in charge since he clearly is unwilling to help. Fighting is my only choice here."

He paused, rethinking his own choice of words. The lot present seemed to be thinking something in their own minds, including Francis, whose eyes were looking at him in admiration for a few seconds before plastering on the map.

Deciding to make sure no one would doubt his decision, he insinuated it again.

“I know it's risky, but it's the only way," he said. "We train, we strategize, and we fight like cornered wolves. And let me assure you," he added, turning towards Feroy with a smile, "I don't enter fights I believe I can't win."

Feroy met his gaze, his eyes hardened and lips thinned, replacing the earlier doubt that was on his face. “Yes, my Lord," he said. “I wouldn't doubt you for a second."

The meeting continued without any obstacles after that.

Different questions were brought up, solutions were given and discussions were made. They strategized, they planned, and they poured over maps. It was impossible to figure out everything at once since there were so many variables present.

Still, they did their best until a bigger hurdle emerged— the city walls.

Francis, his brows furrowed, voiced the problem. "Lord Arzan," he began, his voice laced with trepidation. "Even with the most valiant defence, our walls are our biggest weakness. They're sturdy, yes, but not built to withstand a full-blown beast wave. I have no doubt they are going to crumble at the first sight of the attack. What are we going to do about them?"

***

A biting wind whipped at Kai's face as he stood atop the ramparts of Veralt, his gaze fixed on the distant horizon.

Below him, the clang of hammers echoed. Workers scurried along the partially rebuilt wall and gate, sweat covering their clothes and faces focused on the tasks at hand.

After the Arachne spider attack, the reconstruction began the very next day since they couldn't afford to leave it any longer. It was slow, but work was progressing well enough.

Killian, looking in the same direction as Kai, stood beside him and brought his attention back from the horizon.

"They're working tirelessly, Lord Arzan," Killian said, his voice barely audible over the wind. "The new gate will be complete by the next full moon, if not sooner."

Kai nodded, his eyes scanning the rolling hills that stretched towards the dark expanse of the forest.

"In two months," he said, his voice heavy with an unspoken weight. “Those hills, those very roads… they'll be teeming with them, won't they?"

Killian let out a heavy sigh. "Yes, my Lord. It will be a veritable tide of fangs and claws."

A desolate silence settled between them, the wind whistling a mournful tune. Kai felt the familiar tug of despair, but he quickly shoved it down. There was no point in thinking about the negatives.

An old lesson from his master emerged in his mind and he did what he had always done. Think about the problem, accept that it was hard and let the worry pass from his mind to think about the solution.

As he took a breath while letting the fear pass, he felt much better.

"Even with these walls," he said, his voice hardening. "Even with reinforcements, we are still vulnerable. These beasts can break through stone like it's butter."

Killian offered a tentative smile. "True, Lord Arzan, but we have the advantage of surprise. We'll be ready for them. We'll fight with everything we have, and we'll… we'll win."

Kai allowed himself a flicker of a smile, a ghost of amusement dancing in his eyes.

“These walls can be broken easily, Killian, you still believe that? That we can win?”

For a moment, Kai could see something flicker in Killian’s eyes, but he quickly masked it to the neutral, stern look on his face.

“I do believe that, Lord Arzan.”

Kai let his words linger for a brief moment before giving a nod and turning towards the mason.

“Let's hope your words stand.”