Chapter 187: Defeating Kamari

After finishing his words, Doug turned to Isolde and said, “Come with me. I have something to show you.”

Isolde eyed him, a flicker of hope in her voice. “Is it from him?”

“Yes,” Doug replied simply.

She followed him into another room. Doug opened a box and pulled out a small clay figurine—its features were rough, but it unmistakably resembled Isolde. The figurine’s hand had broken off, leaving it incomplete.

“This was left at the inn. He came here secretly and didn’t stay at the posthouse. By the time I arrived, his belongings had already been searched. This was left on the floor, and whoever searched it broke it,” Doug explained.

Isolde’s fingers trembled as she gently touched the figure’s face, then the jagged edge where its hand was missing. A sharp pain pierced her heart, like something was gnawing at her from within.

“Is there anything else?” she asked quietly, her voice barely audible. He had mentioned there was a surprise for her, something more.

Doug looked at her, his expression unreadable. “There’s one more thing. He had a famous embroiderer from Zloimond make a wedding dress for you. It’s most likely in Kamari’s hands now. He hasn’t returned it. I heard this from an old acquaintance in Kamari’s household.”

A cold void spread inside Isolde. Her stomach churned with anger. How dare Kamari take the wedding dress he had made for her?

“What was his mission here?” Isolde fought to keep her voice steady. She had to know.

Doug took a deep breath, and now that he could share everything, he began, “Kamari is plotting rebellion. The King has received multiple reports about it and warned Kamari several times. But Kamari has grown bolder, thinking the King is too weak to take action. Sixteen years ago, Princess Aveline used gunpowder to blow up a dam to redirect floodwaters. Kamari got the idea to make a powerful weapon from that. The King got wind of it and sent Oliver to investigate. If it turned out to be true, Oliver was ordered to destroy it. Oliver arrived in Zloimond, spent some time investigating, and found everything that had been reported. But he was betrayed. Kamari surrounded him. Oliver was sharp and managed to escape with some of his men. He seized the chance to sneak up to Beaupids Mount and destroy the weapons cache. Unfortunately, he had no experience with gunpowder and didn’t know how much to use. The weapons depot was destroyed, but it triggered a landslide. Oliver risked his life to get Darien out, and Darien was chased, but he fought his way back to Argentum to report.”

Isolde was speechless, her heart racing. “The person who betrayed him—did they die in the landslide?” she asked, her voice hollow.

“We don’t know,” Doug replied grimly. “The number of dead is still uncertain. They found some bodies at Beaupids Mount, burned beyond recognition. From the swords they carried, they belonged to Oliver’s men. And one of Oliver’s own swords was found at the scene. But Oliver’s body… hasn’t been found. The bodies recovered didn’t match his height.”

Isolde’s mind spun as she processed the grim news. She nodded silently, then, after a pause, looked at Doug with a determined gaze. “Doug, if Kamari isn’t stopped, it will be a disaster for the court.”

Doug shook his head. “The national treasury is drained. War costs money, and Pablo has just returned from his campaign. The army is only just being reorganized. We don’t have the troops to spare.”

But if we wait for Kamari to make a move, it will be even harder to deal with, Isolde insisted. “Right now, the court has no idea the court will strike. We can catch them off guard and crush them before they can gather an army. We don’t need to send the entire military. Just two or three thousand men from each of the four camps, and we can take him down.”

Doug laughed bitterly. “You think it’s that easy? How do you plan to crush them? Kamari has a sizable force. You can’t just expect to wipe them out like that.”

Isolde’s frustration bubbled over. “They may have numbers, but they’re nothing more than a mob! They’ve never seen a real battlefield. They lack experience. Even I could defeat them with a few troops.”

Doug scowled. “You’re starting to sound ridiculous. You can throw a few punches, but going to war? Do you think you can survive the battlefield? There’s no place for women in battle. Don’t say such things—people will laugh at you.”

Isolde’s confidence faltered, her shoulders slumping. She had hoped Doug would be the one to approach the King, convincing him to send troops so she could take part in the battle for Oliver’s revenge. She wanted to reclaim her wedding dress.

She still held onto the belief that Oliver might be alive, but after over half a month buried beneath the mountains, even God couldn’t save him now.

Her heart sank, her thoughts darkening. Perhaps it was never meant to be.

She had been foolish to think she had a second chance at happiness. She had believed that this life, though hard, would give her the opportunity for revenge—and for someone to truly love her. But heaven had been cruel, toying with her and Oliver alike.

If she was alive for revenge, then she would avenge Oliver too.

With renewed determination, she asked Doug, “Do you really think the King won’t attack Zloimond now?”

Doug shook his head. “No, he won’t.”

Isolde’s frustration boiled over. “If not now, when? Oliver has already crippled Kamari’s right hand. If we wait any longer, he’ll only return stronger. It will be even harder to defeat him then.”

“Defeat him with what reason? Kamari hasn’t rebelled yet. The country is in a time of peace. To raise an army now would cause panic among the people. It would shake the throne. The King will not risk civil war—at least not for another two years. Otherwise, Oliver wouldn’t have been sent on a secret mission.”

Isolde’s face tightened with anger. “If we don’t act now, how many soldiers will the Eryndral Empire lose in two years before we can defeat Kamari? Harrison fought for two years, and still couldn’t break him.”

Doug froze. “What are you saying?”

Isolde’s voice was thick with emotion. “No matter what you believe, two years from now, Kamari will not be the same as it is now. And the court won’t be able to defeat it with just ten thousand soldiers.”

Doug stared at her, disbelief and concern etched on his face. “What are you talking about? You really think Kamari can’t be beaten with ten thousand soldiers? Do you know how many men Kamari has? If they rise up, they can easily muster fifty thousand soldiers—and who knows how much more gunpowder they have? We’re not prepared to fight them. We’ll be on the defensive.”

Isolde’s eyes burned with intensity. “If you give me ten thousand men and let me command them, I’ll guarantee that within three months, Kamari will be shattered and broken.”

Doug gaped at her. “Are you out of your mind! You think you’re an invincible warrior. You can’t even beat me, and the battlefield is not just about fighting skills.”

Isolde’s voice was firm, unwavering. “Doug, I need your support. We can spend two days here, then we’ll go back to Argentum to speak with the King and Queen Mother. I, Isolde, will put my life on the line. Three months. If I can’t bring Kamari’s head, then my head will be forfeit.”

Without waiting for a reply, she turned and walked out of the room.