The Last Blood Mage

The Capital City Surrenders

(Outside the Capital City)

Duke Marvin sat astride his horse, a silhouette against the dying light, his eyes fixed on the capital city's towering walls. Columns of smoke rose into the sky, the aftermath of the burning food reserves, a dark signal of his merciless strategy. The city, once a beacon of prosperity, now stood besieged, its fate hanging in the balance.

Beside him, Jackson, his loyal but stern subordinate, surveyed the scene with a calculating gaze. The air was thick with the tension of impending conflict, the scent of smoke mingling with the evening breeze.

Marvin's lips curled into a snicker, his voice laced with cold satisfaction. "Without those rations, the soldiers and people won't have a choice but to open the gates for us. Starvation is a powerful motivator."

Jackson, ever the realist, turned to face his lord, his expression grave. "The people of the capital city won't break that easily, Your Grace. Their loyalty to the king runs deep, and they have faced hardships be