The Next Aub and the Foundational Magic

At the end of spring, Dunkelfelger’s archducal family and everyone of captain rank or higher in the Knight’s Order had assembled for an emergency meeting. The knights veritably erupted from the gathering, sending out ordonnanzes to summon their subordinates to the training grounds while hurrying there themselves. Even Hannelore, who usually waited until the meeting room was nearly empty before leaving, sped out with equal urgency.

“You seem to be in quite the rush, Lord Lestilaut. What in the world was said during that meeting?”

My retainers approached me with questions the moment I returned to my chambers. The meeting room had been too small to accommodate the full retinue of each member of the archducal family, so we had settled on just three adult retainers apiece. Father had done his utmost to keep the information just revealed from Mother, which explained why none of us had found out sooner.

I understood my retainers’ desire to be brought up to speed posthaste, so I gestured to the scholar who had accompanied me.

“Wingert, relay what we were told.”

“Aub Ehrenfest reached out to Aub Dunkelfelger through means of emergency communication, requesting immediate aid,” my scholar said, reading from his notes. “It seems that Ehrenfest and Ahrensbach will face each other in true ditter tonight.”

“What? True ditter?!”

“Are they insane?! The country is in dire enough straits already! What would drive them to declare war?!”

“A request for aid? Whom are we sending?”

My retainers met the news w