[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-reborn-king":3,"chapter-the-reborn-king-the-reborn-king-chapter-325":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","The Reborn King",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},1100982,1437,"Chapter 325: Contemplating the Future","the-reborn-king-chapter-325",325,"\u003Cp>William looked down at the report he had been given. Looking through the pages, he smiled and threw them over to Marcus, who sat opposite him. \"You got what you wanted.\" Marcus picked it up and quickly skimmed through.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reports on the entire village leaving their homes and heading east or west. Marcus smiled, but it quickly fell as he got to the last page. \"They’re burning whole villages.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s what you wanted,\" William said bluntly. He knew that the people claiming to be the Livonian Free Army were nothing more than crooks. He had prepared for something like this to happen, but even he was stunned by how terrible some of the reports were. \"It may be what you wanted, but we need to deal with it soon. With the Church here, things have changed.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marcus nodded, but froze and looked at the paper again, and a sly smile spread on his face. \"What if that’s not a bad thing?\" William raised an eyebrow in confusion and watched as Marcus got up and paced back and forth. \"We had no idea if the Commonwealth forces would have even accepted the influx of refugees. But it’s different now. That guy, Michael. He likes to think he is a good person. He couldn’t dare leave people who need help alone.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Marcus leaned over the chair and stared at William. The old man chuckled and nodded, \"He won’t be able to abandon them and would even feed them.\" William looked down at the papers and chuckled, \"It’s good. We got really lucky with his arrival.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If he doesn’t help them, then at least we have something we can use against him. Men like him love to believe they have done the right thing. It’s the only way to justify their atrocities.\" Marcus cruelly smiled, and William laughed but sighed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Talking about people who believe they are good. Sister Alice sent word.\" Marcus groaned at the mention of the woman. Out of all the people he interacted with, religious fanatics were always the hardest to deal with.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What does she want?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It was nothing much. The people don’t trust the Pantheon. She will have her clergy lead a few charitable events to ease the people’s nerves during wartime. Mainly food donations. She hopes it will be enough to gain the people’s trust,\" William shrugged. Marcus looked dup with a strange light in his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We can use this.\" William leaned back and looked at him, waiting for Marcus to continue. \"We want to bog down the Commonwealth forces but also make the Empire not seem like a conquering nation. Martrys have a way of making people sympathise with a cause. Even if they don’t believe in it, it will also separate us from what is happening. After all, why would the Empire kill its own clergy?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You didn’t just suggest that?\" William said in horror, but Marcus remained stoic, staring at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Why not. We have already indirectly killed how many Commonwealth peasants? What’s different?\" William opened his mouth but stopped. If he complained, it would just be hypocritical. He wanted to say how the clergy were citizens of the Empire, but thinking about how many he had already killed to keep order in the Empire, it didn’t make sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No one can know Marcus,\" William said gravely, and Marcus nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You asked me to get involved in politics more. This is what happens, General.\" William sighed and lowered his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You have permission. Tell no one, not even his Majesty. In the meantime, prepare to send over the first batch of refugees towards the Commonwealth forces. We have to bog them down until the bridge repairs have finished. We missed timing the two, but it can still work.\" MArcus nodded and quickly left the tent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>William sighed and scratched his beard. It was annoying. The war felt like it was becoming something completely different now. He couldn’t help but think he was getting old.’Once this is over. I’m retiring.’Every man had a breaking point. William could tell his generation was coming to an end. He was a relic of the past.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Alfred won’t like this.’He could already see the young man’s face when he would give the news. There would be anger, but eventually Alfred would calm down and understand. Marcus was ready to take his place. He understood war, even if he was stubborn, and he had finally learnt to play the political game, even if he was brutal in how he did it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Alfred needs a man like Marcus.’It was something he was sure of. Despite how Alfred had treated Marcus, the man remained loyal. His belief in Alfred was undying, all because he believed in order. Alfred created the order Marcus loved in his home, and Marcus would do anything to ensure it remained.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>William knew after a while that Marcus taking his place would be dangerous. The man would not hesitate to carry out any act if it were an order, and for someone like Alfred, that was perfect. But no one else had his skill set in leading the Ammary military. Marcus was his only viable successor after Isaac became Prime Minister. It was a risk he had to take to ensure the Empire didn’t collapse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>William sighed again and got up. Walking out of the tent, he looked across the river at the enemy camp and frowned. Although he didn’t doubt his men, the church’s coming was a bad sign for the future. It felt like the Empire was slowly becoming the world’s enemy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Your Grace!\" A messenger ran into the tent Snowid was in. Snowid looked at him, and the messenger gulped before handing him a small letter. \"Jaslo. The Empire took it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What?\" Snowid said Confusion and opened the letter. Reading it, he froze and looked at the messenger, his breathing getting heavier as a bad feeling filled his gut. \"Has this been confirmed?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The messenger lowered his head and opened his mouth, unable to speak. If Snowid broke out into a mad rage, he would have felt more comfortable, but instead, all he saw was his King being nervous.\" Reports of a large number of people leaving Jaslo have been confirmed. Unless a disease broke out, the only explanation is an invading army.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Snowid’s fist tightened around the paper, and he nodded. Getting up, he walked back and forth, trying to think. \"What about the Marquess?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No information. If he stayed behind, then most likely the Empire had taken him hostage.\" Snowid stopped and shook his head. Jaslo wasn’t just a third front being opened. It was the loss of the largest weapon manufacturer in the Commonwealth. Although the crown had a stockpile, it would struggle to replace it if a situation arose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Get me the council. Calm yourself before leaving.\" The messenger felt even more nervous. Not once did Snowid yell. He would have even preferred being beaten. That way, he would have known that it wasn’t a terrible loss. Snowid took a seat and gulped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Waiting ten minutes, his war council quickly showed up. Throwing the letter on the table in the centre of the tent, he frowned. \"Jaslo has fallen.\" The nobles didn’t believe what he said and picked up the letter, all frowning and became equally nervous as Snowid.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We have to free the city.\" One said quickly. \"Forget our weapons, we can’t risk having three fronts open.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Does someone have any good news? Anything?\" Snowid asked, hiding the desperation in his voice. It starkly contrasted the man who suffered a defeat and made it seem like a victory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The Laska have mobilised.\" Someone said loudly, and Snowid lifted his head up happily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good. We need to fall back again.\" It was sudden, and everyone looked at him like he was crazy. Snwoid clenched his fist but didn’t lash out. \"If we stay here, we risk being surrounded by Jaslo. I know we get closer to Torun with each retreat, but we have no choice. Once the Laska forces join up with ours, we will free the city, and from there, hopefully, we can encircle the Empire forces.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The church can defend the South. If they die, so be it; they will buy us time. In the meantime, hire as many mercenaries from Chent as possible. We already have constant food imports, so it shouldn’t be hard.\" Snowid gave his order and the nobles looked at each other and nodded. Leaving him alone, Snowid frowned. The war was turning in the Empire’s favour too quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>",1427,"2026-06-03T11:17:48.775Z","2026-06-03T11:17:51.400Z",1,"novelbin.me","fa73ee546d5377f8526817562a29b5e6ab0068861f6fac60d1890e64b141de5f","the-reborn-king-chapter-326","the-reborn-king-chapter-324",487,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-reborn-king-cover.jpg"]