[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-exiled-duke-s-lottery-system":3,"chapter-the-exiled-duke-s-lottery-system-the-exiled-duke-s-lottery-system-chapter-65":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","The Exiled Duke's Lottery system",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1366773,1809,"Chapter 65 - 62: Before the Tide","the-exiled-duke-s-lottery-system-chapter-65",65,"\u003Cp>The bells of Elarion rang before dawn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not the slow bells used for meetings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not the iron signal for workshop shifts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>War bells.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heavy. Sharp. Relentless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their sound rolled through the snowy valley while torchlights flared across the fortress walls and soldiers rushed through the streets beneath the freezing dark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The beast tide was coming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And everyone in Elarion knew what that meant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one in the north joked about beast tides.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Entire villages disappeared beneath them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Convoys vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortified outposts collapsed overnight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When winter starved the deeper forests, the creatures descended together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hungry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Violent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Endless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the main fortress hall, commanders, knights, engineers, and squad captains crowded around the central war table while scouts delivered fresh reports one after another.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Movement confirmed across the northern ridges.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Forest packs merging together.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Dire wolves identified.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Several frost boars.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A scout hesitated briefly afterward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Large signatures deeper behind them.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The room grew quieter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one liked hearing that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Malen stood over the map with one hand resting against the table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How long?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"By evening,\" the scout answered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucas cursed softly under his breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cedric looked toward Lucien.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The outer villages?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Already evacuating.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least they had time for that much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside meanwhile, Elarion had transformed completely overnight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The settlement no longer resembled a growing industrial town.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It looked like a fortress preparing for siege.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Workers hauled ammunition crates toward the walls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Blacksmiths distributed fresh steel spearheads.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Boiling oil cauldrons were prepared above the gates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cannon crews worked without rest beneath the western battlements while engineers reinforced firing positions with timber and stone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And across the lower courtyard—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The First Rifle Regiment assembled in formation for the first time under live combat orders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Snow drifted through the training grounds while fifty riflemen stood in organized lines wearing thick winter cloaks over reinforced leather and steel gear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not knights.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not ordinary infantry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something else now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien walked slowly before them while workers and guards watched silently from nearby walls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some riflemen looked nervous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Others excited.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few looked terrified.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reasonable reaction honestly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This would be their first real battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Malen stopped beside the formation afterward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Listen carefully.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire courtyard quieted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You are not frontline infantry.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His voice remained calm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cold.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You hold formation.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pointed toward the fortress walls above.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You fire.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then toward the distant snow-covered north.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And you do not panic.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One younger marksman swallowed visibly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another tightened his grip around the rifle stock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Malen’s gaze swept across them all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"These weapons make you dangerous.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A pause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Discipline keeps you alive.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No grand speeches.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No dramatic promises.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just truth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oddly enough—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That steadied them more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien stepped forward afterward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The walls will hold.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Several soldiers visibly relaxed hearing that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your task is simple.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked toward the rifles resting across their shoulders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Fire carefully.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then toward the fortress beyond them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And trust the man beside you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence followed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Heavy silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because that part mattered most.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Trust.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Commoners stood beside knights here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hunters beside miners.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in a few hours—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They would either survive together or die together.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Above the western wall, the newly constructed twelve-pound cannon was slowly rolled into final firing position beneath enormous effort.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"LEFT!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"YOUR OTHER LEFT!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"STOP PUSHING!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It weighs more than my house!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dwarves screamed instructions while exhausted workers dragged the artillery carriage into place across reinforced wooden tracks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cannon looked monstrous atop the battlements.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like some iron beast staring toward the frozen wilderness beyond Elarion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurethar watched from the upper tower while smoke drifted from his nostrils slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You mounted the loud weapon on the wall.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cedric grunted while helping stabilize the cannon wheels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That tends to be where defensive weapons go.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Reasonable.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then after a pause:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I approve.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That honestly worried Cedric slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Far below the fortress, civilians continued moving inward from nearby settlements while supply wagons flooded through the gates before closure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Children cried.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Workers carried crates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guards shouted directions through the chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet despite the fear—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Order remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because Elarion had prepared for disaster before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lucien stood atop the northern wall by midday while looking toward the distant forest line stretching across the horizon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>White snow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dark trees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stillness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too still.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Malen approached beside him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The scouts confirmed visual contact.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How large?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Peak Knight stayed silent for a second.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Larger than expected.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Below them, the rifle regiment moved into assigned firing positions along the reinforced wall sections while ammunition teams established reload stations nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cannon crews loaded the twelve-pounder carefully for the first live battle deployment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Powder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wadding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Every movement deliberate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire fortress seemed to hold its breath.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then finally—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The northern forest moved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first it looked like shadows shifting between trees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then the shadows multiplied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hundreds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thousands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A dark wave emerging from the snow-covered wilderness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wolves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Massive boars.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Horned creatures with black fur and glowing eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some climbed over rocks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Others smashed directly through frozen trees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ground itself seemed alive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One guard whispered weakly:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...Gods.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The beast tide stretched across the valley like a living storm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And deeper behind the front lines—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Larger shapes moved beneath the trees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Waiting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fear across the walls became tangible immediately.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even veteran soldiers tightened their grips around weapons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because humans understood monsters instinctively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then suddenly—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurethar rose from the tower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The golden dragon unfolded enormous wings above Elarion while snow blasted outward from the battlements beneath the force alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire fortress looked upward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the beasts slowed slightly in the distance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurethar stared toward the incoming tide with ancient golden eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not politely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Predator to predator.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"At last,\" the dragon rumbled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fire flickered faintly between his teeth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Something interesting.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",940,"2026-06-05T21:32:57.730Z",1,"novelbin.me","152353298ad69eb3a5809618acf6ad9d90689bb69dc297e55a9ec96af1047a13","the-exiled-duke-s-lottery-system-chapter-66","the-exiled-duke-s-lottery-system-chapter-64",144,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-exiled-duke-s-lottery-system-cover.jpg"]