Her Graceful War Song novel Chapter 1324

Salvador's investigation matched Winona's findings.

Nicholas had not left his fief; he spent almost every day taking his wife and children to see plays or listen to music.

In Nerovia, there were a few orphanages that Nicholas had established. They were dedicated to caring for orphans and the elderly who had nowhere else to turn. He would often attend a play and then visit one of these orphanages afterward.

However, Winona uncovered something that Salvador had missed.

It was the fact that Nicholas had once saved Eustace's life.

This event occurred seven or eight years ago, when Eustace was not yet the head of the Spencer family. He had been ambushed during a routine inspection of his estates. By chance, Nicholas and his men had passed by, and he rescued Eustace from certain death.

Nicholas was a modest man, and he had no desire for recognition or further dealings with the Spencer family. He had asked Eustace not to make a public fuss over the incident. To Nicholas, saving someone's life was simply a matter of doing what was right, not something that required repayment.

At the time of the ambush, almost everyone with Eustace had been killed. Only Eustace and his trusted bodyguard, Marvin, had survived. Interestingly, Winona had helped Marvin once when he was attacked while escorting goods. So when Winona investigated and spoke to Marvin, the latter told her this old story.

When Winona's report arrived, Carissa asked Violet about it, and Violet was taken aback. "Something like that happened? I didn't know anything about it."

That was seven or eight years ago, and Violet had been in Meadow Ridge at the time. Naturally, she hadn't been aware of what had happened at home.

"Should I write a letter to my dad?" Violet asked, furrowing her brow. Worry settled in her heart.

Eustace owed Nicholas a life debt. If Nicholas were indeed the mastermind behind the scenes, would he try to use that to pressure Eustace into helping him when the time came?

In the past, Violet had never been concerned when her family was involved. She knew her dad was loyal to the throne. As a royal merchant, he provided horses to the military and supplied weapons to the Ministry of Defense. It was impossible for him to support any traitors.

But if there was a life debt involved, that could complicate things. Even the most loyal subjects understood the importance of repaying such a debt.

"So, what do we do now? Only the Mystic Army is left in the capital."

Carissa pressed her lips together. The Mystic Army had once numbered 30,000 soldiers, but not all of them were elite soldiers. Among them were members of the Garrison Unit, who were hardly fit for battle—most of them were nothing but drunkards and gluttons.

When they were sent to the Southern Frontier, they had taken 15,000 men and lost over 2,000 in battle. Afterward, hundreds were sent back home as they were unfit for duty.

Later, Salvador split the Mystic Army into separate units. So now, combining the Capital Guard, the Royal Guard, and the Garrison Unit, their total force was barely over 10,000 men.

Of course, if the Nightsteel Guard under Ian's command were included, they could muster just over 20,000 soldiers.

They had no idea how many men the true mastermind might have, or where they were hiding.

The one thing they did know for certain was that if an assault on the capital was coming, it would not be delayed for long. The true mastermind's forces would already be in place, with some stationed outside the city and others inside.