Kisor pulsed with life, but it was also the heart of a complex information network, expanding and branching like the roots of a giant tree. At the core of this network stood Marion, the commander of the Special Infiltration Unit, now more than just an intelligent soldier. Under Zidan's direct supervision, the intelligence forces expanded to include 160 new members, carefully selected from among new recruits and refugees—those with sharp eyes, quick minds, and the ability to disappear and blend in.
Zidan spent long hours with Marion, teaching him the arts of intelligence gathering, analysis, and how to infiltrate the deepest places without leaving a trace. The Neuralink chip flickered in his mind, showing him models of modern espionage techniques from Earth, how to build secret networks, and how to use encrypted signals. Marion absorbed this knowledge like a sponge, applying it brilliantly, leading to the astonishing development of his forces. They became Zidan's eyes and ears in every corner of the kingdom, sending reports on army movements, court whispers, and even the rumors of remote villages.
One day, as Zidan reviewed some records in his office, the door burst open. Marion entered, his face pale, his eyes bearing an urgent look. He knelt before Zidan, panting.
"My Lord Baron! Urgent news! Horrible news!" Marion said, his voice barely a whisper.
Zidan tensed. "Speak, Marion. What happened?"
"Lionji... Lionji is being invaded, My Lord! By pirates from the north!" Marion said, his eyes gleaming with terror.
Zidan felt a pang in his heart. Lionji! The coastal city directly north of Kisor, considered the third city in the strategic triangle comprising Kisor, Sigret, and Lionji. Lionji was a prosperous city, belonging to the noble Leonac, and considered an important maritime gateway to the kingdom.
"Pirates?" Zidan asked, his voice chillingly calm. "How?"
"They attacked suddenly, My Lord! From the sea!" Marion continued, raising his head. "It was a brutal attack. There was no time for resistance. Noble Leonac... he was killed, My Lord. Killed in the attack. And the entire town was completely plundered. They looted everything, burned homes, and left destruction in their wake."
A deafening silence fell over the room. Leonac's death, and the plundering of Lionji. This was a crushing blow to the kingdom and a direct threat to Kisor.
"And what about his daughter? Lin?" Zidan asked, remembering that Leonac had only one daughter.
"His daughter, Lin... is currently missing, My Lord," Marion replied. "It's said she fled with some guards southwards. Meaning she's coming towards us, or towards Sigret. Our spies are following her traces, but she might be in danger."
Zidan looked at the map before him, his eyes contemplating the distances. Lionji, then Sigret, then Kisor. These three cities formed an important line of defense. Now, Lionji had fallen, Sigret was under his control, and Kisor was the next target.
"If you find Lin, Marion," Zidan said in a calm voice, yet carrying an unmistakable tone of command. "Tell me immediately. Whether you find her in Sigret, or here in Kisor. I want to know her whereabouts and ensure her safety."
"As you command, My Lord Baron," Marion said, then bowed and left the room, leaving Zidan to ponder the new repercussions.
Elsewhere, in Sigret, the atmosphere was completely different. Enough time had passed since its fall, and the season began to flourish under Javer's leadership. The streets, once steeped in mud and filth, were now completely clean, thanks to Lysander's efforts and the sanitation teams, and thanks to the incentive system that encouraged residents to participate. The scent of wildflowers and damp earth filled the air, instead of the smell of decay.
Residents and refugees saw how much cleanliness and safety they had felt in the past few days. Diseases no longer spread at the same rate, and children began playing in the streets without fear. Most importantly, they saw how much Lord Zidan and his mayor Javer cared about their hunger or satiety. Food stores were open, and new crops grew in abundance, ensuring everyone a fair share.
"We've never seen such care from a noble before," an old woman whispered to her son, as she ate a bowl of hot soup. "We were starving, and now we eat every day."
"He is a just noble, Mother," the son replied. "He cares about us. He cares about the morshditt of all people."
Peace and loyalty towards Zidan in that region increased dramatically. Residents no longer saw him as an invader, but as a savior. They had seen with their own eyes how their lives could change when there was a leader who cared about them. Sigret was slowly transforming into a microcosm of Zidan's vision, the "Morshditt of all people."
Meanwhile, on a dirt road south of Lionji, a 16-year-old young woman rode a horse, her face pale, her eyes carrying a look of despair mixed with determination. She wore simple clothes, but she looked like a delicate girl forced into this squalor. Her hair was medium brown, and her face was clean and delicate, but traces of fatigue and fear were evident on her. This was Lin, the daughter of the slain noble Leonac.
Lin was riding with a small group of about 30 soldiers, mostly her father's personal guards, who had survived the pirate attack. They were exhausted, hungry, and scared. They had fled from Lionji, a city that was now literally dead. Without administration, without law, chaos had increased after its baron's fall. Lionji was just a pile of rubble and blood, a memory of a prosperous city.
"To Sigret, My Princess!" one of the guards said, his voice hoarse with fatigue. "Perhaps we'll find safety there. We've heard that Viscount Zidan is a just noble."
Lin didn't speak much. Her eyes stared at the horizon, searching for a glimmer of hope. She had lost her father, her city, everything. She carried the burden of survival and finding refuge. Sigret was her only hope, a place she had heard strange stories about a noble who changed the face of cities. She was approaching her destiny, unaware that her name had already been mentioned in Kisor's palace, and that her fate might intertwine with Zidan's.