After the Frontier Alliance withdrew its troops from the Sibilis region, a satisfied Laria, spurred on by the envoys of Sirleid, decided to capitalize on the momentum by taking further action. Under the name of the King and with the grandeur of a punitive expedition, he marched toward Ferafea. The Earl believed that if the eastern armies could force the opposition to accept his terms, it would be equivalent to extending eastern influence deep into Feron and clearing a path to the undefended lands of Sibilis.

　　However, the eastern forces merely struck an imposing pose through military drills, taking no substantive action. The Frontier Alliance finally ceased its internal bickering and dispatched a high-ranking noble at the head of a retinue to the Sirleid camp. Bilbus met them with a display of equal pomp to welcome the envoys. Envoys from Binehus and Ral also appeared in the welcoming party, hoisting the banners of their respective lords.

　　Although Laria harbored suspicion and displeasure, he followed the counsel of Kalad and joined the Sirleid contingent for the subsequent meeting. After a period of negotiation, the audacious Lord of Ferafea, Gluner, was forced to travel to the capital of Feron to humbly beg for the Lord's forgiveness. Previously, Gluner had held the Lord of Feron in contempt—especially after receiving promises from the Frontier Alliance—and had grown increasingly dismissive of his liege's commands.

　　During their withdrawal, the eastern army accepted invitations from three local lords to hunt and feast within their domains. These lands were densely forested and teemed with various game, and delicious, non-toxic wild fruits grew in abundance. The vast expanses allowed the warhorses to gallop freely and the hunters to showcase their archery, ensuring the eastern lords returned home satisfied after their long journey.

　　Nevertheless, the Frontier Alliance’s success in reclaiming Pilater ignited Laria’s determination to compete for dominance. Bound by treaty restrictions and wary of the situation in the west, Laria turned his gaze toward the stagnant regions of the east. Since the death of Vidarim, the Earl of Feriatino, the nobility of this region had remained aloof, believing their geography would keep them far from the strifes of the barbarians and the western territories.

　　When the Colibian army seized Sirim and swiftly annexed the entirety of Labia, the people of the east were finally jolted by a cold shock. At that moment, Laria stood triumphantly over a massive map, pointing with a short sword. Outside the tent, a Colibian official arrogantly demanded that the representatives and envoys of the eastern lords wait in an open field to be summoned by the Earl according to their rank.

　　Standing at the very back was Bury Smote, the representative of Noor. Due to the humble origins of the Lord of Noor, Sispar, his low-ranking title, and his remote location, this representative appeared insignificant among the crowd. Yet, Noor refused to abandon any opportunity to involve itself in western affairs. Though forced to stand at the rear of the line, Bury shouted toward the open tent in a booming voice:

　　“The gods may not grant every prayer, but they never bar their faithful from the door!”

　　Though such an outburst was improper, it piqued the Earl’s vanity and curiosity. Under the collective gaze of the crowd, the envoy remained as calm as ever, his eyes burning like torches. The Earl’s official summoned guards, intending to subject the Noor envoy to a flogging as punishment for his insolence, offense, and sacrilege. To this, the envoy cried out:

　　“Alas! I fear I must raise my voice simply so that Your Excellency, standing atop such a high cliff, might hear my humble words!”

　　Laria stepped out of the tent, signaled his guards to stand aside, and questioned the man with curiosity. Kalad sensed that this envoy might harbor ill intentions; he hoped his liege would finish the military campaign against Lahdar before granting an audience to this crafty messenger. This great city amassed the wealth of both Scoro and Pandir and would be vital to the Colibian cause, now and in the future.

　　But Laria decided to hear what the man had to say. If he could hear more wise counsel, would it not benefit Colibia’s military operations even further?

　　The envoy from Noor suggested that Colibia’s strength should make the people here feel secure rather than anxious. The former would support and follow the Earl’s cause, while the latter, if oppressed by the Earl, would inevitably unite to resist Colibia.

　　“I see only their fear,” Laria replied. “Thus they can only sue for peace, not resist. Are you and those other envoys out there not begging the victor for peace at this very moment?”

　　“Noble Earl,” the envoy responded, “as long as the gods do not wish to abandon a people, even a mighty army cannot cross a mere ditch. But when the gods depart, even the loftiest walls shall turn to dust.

　　The eastern lords have never ceased their preparations for war in their pursuit of peace. Moreover, the people of the east and Colibia live under the protection of the same gods. The reason they have come to your camp—rather than holding their own assembly and signing a treaty of alliance under the witness of the gods—is because the people of the east do not wish for misunderstandings or strife with Colibia that would give the Frontier Alliance an opening.

　　The Frontier Alliance has not forgotten how your army paraded through Ferafea; they feel deeply insulted and hold that grudge close. Meanwhile, you hoist the King's banner while conquering the King's own vassals, an act that will surely incite resentment among the lords of royal descent. The very treaties Colibia has signed and the relationships it has built will, therefore, be called into question.”

　　"Thus it appears," Bury Smote continued, "that the lords of the east guard against Colibia, the lords of the west question Colibia, and the Frontier Alliance never ceases to dream of vengeance against Colibia. Consequently, Your Excellency’s military maneuvers yield neither profit nor honor."

　　Laria offered a thin smile and a nod of approval, learning that the envoy’s name was Bury Smote. Nonetheless, the Earl issued orders to the Colibian army to launch a new offensive against Lahdar.

　　A group of captured skilled artisans, swayed by both rewards and threats, forged war machines for Colibia. Simultaneously, the alarms of war and the advocacy of men of vision roused the eastern lords; they assembled a coalition force at Stimai and marched rapidly toward Lahdar.

　　When Colibian scouts detected their movements, Laria still harbored ambitions, for his soldiers had reached the walls of Lahdar several times. Only when the reality of the enemy's proximity became undeniable did he abandon the assault, striking a pose as if he intended to negotiate with the eastern lords. Meanwhile, news sent from the lords of the west, led by Sirleid, caused Laria’s arrogance to dampen slightly.

　　Under the advocacy of the Marquis of Sirleid, the western lords formed an imposing delegation in the King’s name. Carrying a royal decree and displaying the full regalia of the sovereign, they appeared in Colibia. On the advice of Sibis and Kalad, Laria was forced to suspend his actions and galloped back to Nisul in accordance with the protocols of a royal audience.

　　The decree empowered Laria to punish injustice and uphold standards. It concluded with a lengthy list of rites from the Willem era, which a royal herald from Hedlim tirelessly read aloud to the assembled crowd.

　　The war in the east ended with a treaty. Using a blend of threats and linguistic trickery, Laria used the treaty to sever Arenferia from the domain of Delicolia. In the name of the King and under the guise of "restitution," he assigned it to a distant branch of the Geldre family. This forced the Lord of Delicolia to relocate his capital to Birst.

　　Satisfied with the dismemberment of Delicolia, Laria not only neutralized the eastern threat but also secured the fear of both Arenferia and Delicolia, along with the submission of the eastern lords.

　　The ancestors of the Delicolian lords were once leaders of a group of farmers. Ravaged by war, they had gathered to protect their families and lands, raising simple ramparts and taking up crude weapons to bar anyone from their territory. Brill had dispatched persuasive envoys to conciliate them, subsequently granting their leader the status and title of a lord to continue governing the local land and people.

　　Yet, some had whispered into Brill’s ear, causing the suspicious sovereign to send his own subordinates to establish a domain in the northwest of Delicolia, keeping watch over these seemingly unruly folk.

　　During the barbarian invasions, two low-ranking lords from Arenferia and Delicolia led their descendants and subjects in resistance. The former family was nearly annihilated by the heavy blows of the barbarians. The Lord of Delicolia, through marriage, took in their widows and surviving heirs, thereby inheriting their lands and estates with the King’s recognition.

　　After his retreat, Laria remained fixated on the location and wealth of Lahdar. He pulled his troops back a short distance and raised the Colibian flag near a village. From this village, a southwest march across open terrain led directly to the gates of Lahbeda. This left the city and its weak governor under the constant shadow of Laria’s army, eventually forcing their lord to abandon Delicolia and align with Colibia.

　　Sibis, the Lord's tutor, fervently wished to recruit the envoy Bury for Colibia—or at least ensure he did not leave the camp. Under the pretext of "protection," he had his attendants keep Bury under watch. If Bury could not serve Colibia, Sibis intended to kill him personally, preventing him from serving others while shielding Laria from a foul reputation.

　　While Kalad acknowledged the man's talent, he did not hide his suspicion. He believed that while Bury was goal-oriented, he would be unscrupulous in his methods, likely treating subordinates with severity and struggling to get along with peers. He subtly hinted to the Earl that to harness such talent, one might have to grant him significant power.

　　Laria intended to meet the envoy the following day. Bury remained vigilant throughout; he knew this meeting was a matter of life and death. He told Laria with great respect that he was merely a messenger from Noor, possessing neither the ability nor the courage to discuss grand affairs of state. He claimed he only followed his master's orders and begged the noble Earl for forgiveness.

　　Furthermore, Bury shared certain intelligence he had gathered, which satisfied the Earl. Ultimately, Laria concluded that Bury's abilities were limited to those of a foreign officer or a spy, and he granted him a bounty on the spot. Sibis, seeing his counsel ignored, resolved to kill Bury regardless of the consequences.

　　Having already sensed the danger, Bury used the Earl’s bounty to bribe a slave. He hid in a cart full of refuse, and at dawn, the slave transported him far from the camp, allowing him to evade the swords and hounds of Sibis's attendants.

　　On the surface, considerations of mutual security and interest kept the royal descendants and eastern lords in close cooperation, deterring the Frontier Alliance from rash action.

　　However, the arrogant and suspicious nobility revealed a weak underbelly. They remained wary of their newly-joined subjects, refusing to grant them more autonomy. They preferred the company of submissive slaves over the service of enterprising men. Meanwhile, a decadent trend of indulgence began to spread as a meaningless fashion among the idle aristocracy.

　　The Frontier Alliance seized this opportunity, insidiously exporting gaudy and ostentatious goods to these neighbors, causing the gold and silver of the nobility to flow north. Animal skulls encrusted with gems and pearls became a frenzied pursuit—ironically, this "head-hunting" custom was originally a rite of passage for certain barbarian males.

　　The personal conduct of the ruling class sparked imitation among the lower orders. Wild beasts in the mountains became targets of pursuit. Dreading the severe punishment for trespassing on noble estates, people risked their lives in deep forests to challenge tigers, leopards, and bears. A hunting team known as "Koren and Son" gained fame for their skill, accepting noble commissions to capture fierce beasts.

　　Farmers even turned their limited fields into pastures for livestock, using every means to grow massive, horned heads, entirely disregarding that the original purpose of husbandry was for labor and food. A man named Kald was rewarded by his lord for his skill in breeding; it was said that the bulls he raised had such enormous heads and curled horns that their bodies could no longer bear the weight, leaving them to spend their days resting on the ground.

　　Most notable was the Lord of Silarence, who showcased his prized collection at a lavish banquet. The long horns on a massive skull stretched straight forward, drawing gasps of wonder. The boastful lord bragged to his guests that the creature was as sturdy as a bear with the limbs of a tiger's tail.

　　This temporary security made them gloat; immersed in pleasure, they naturally lacked any vision for the future. Their predatory rivals maintained a patient, polite facade only because they were waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

　　In contrast, the Marquis of Sirleid’s virtue was a perfect match for his station. His household maintained a tradition of simplicity, and he treated his subjects with generosity and benevolence. To instill correct values and encourage labor, and to correct the foul winds of luxury, royal lands were used to reward industrious subjects, thereby winning their unwavering loyalty.

　　He dismissed redundant slaves, allowing them to seek their own livelihoods while granting them a bounty as a reward for their service to the late Marquis. The luxury items in the palace, once plundered by tyrannical officials for his brother, were all sold to replenish the treasury and fund public works.

　　The Marquis wore embroidered clothing to public events—fabric crafted by the skillful hands of local women. This satisfied the needs of his status and the desire for beauty without wasting gold on extravagant fabrics from the east. From the late Lord’s private stables, the Marquis converted fine horses for military and agricultural use, or for breeding superior offspring.

　　The courtiers and minor lords who had supported Bilbus’s ascension all followed their liege’s example. The Marquis hoped to reform the culture of corruption through his own actions; yet, those still plagued by the worry of daily bread could not suppress the resentment in their hearts, raising their clubs against their rulers.