As the fleet passed through what was once the Istanbul Strait, Malin gazed upon the former city of Istanbul, now the capital of the Church led by the Lord of Justice. The Holy Grand Cathedral with its soaring Gothic spires and streets adorned with countless flags reminded Malin of the rising demand and scarcity of silk. To the east was the Endless Sea, stretching out of sight. From this point onward, heading south meant navigating vast expanses of open water. The fleet would try to hug the northern landmass while heading southeast. Many times, drinking water had to be replenished using spell formations, while as for food... the Thanans’ supply ships were equipped to grow crops and rear livestock. There were only three supply points between here and the part of the human world occupied by the Thanans. Malin could only exclaim that this situation was truly beyond imagining. Feodosia had now transformed into a sprawling military base. To its east lay the Kerch Strait, where the former Sea of Azov had turned into land. At that location, human forces from the Eastern Kingdom were engaged in battle against Chaos. When word of Malin’s arrival in Feodosia spread, someone significant from the Eastern Kingdom’s military appeared—the Crown Prince himself visited in person, inviting Malin to observe the front lines. Malin couldn’t retreat, nor did he intend to; after all, the relationship between the Eastern Kingdom and Malin’s faction had greatly improved. Even if the Eastern Kingdom were to act irrationally, they had to consider the consequences of losing Malin’s assistance. Could they really withstand the nearly endless assaults from Chaos without it? The fleet needed three days for resupply, during which they also passed along a considerable amount of equipment to the Eastern Kingdom. The Eastern Kingdom leaders, knowing Malin’s provision of essential resources, naturally wouldn’t dare to act ungrateful. When Malin and Mr. Meng visited the front lines, they were even assigned a small baron and his depleted battalion as a personal guard detail. The young baron’s name was Kasdoff Moore. He didn’t appear to have a Slavic lineage, but given the prevalence of mixed heritage these days, figuring out one’s true ancestors was nearly impossible. Malin didn’t blame the fifteen-and-a-half-year-old, who had only recently inherited the title, for not being able to clarify his origins either. His battered battalion—which had once been sizeable—was composed of freemen, serfs, and hunters from his territory. Surprisingly, they had decent combat capabilities; without it, they would have long been annihilated on a battlefield . Unfortunately, the young man’s late father hadn’t had good luck. In the previous campaign, his battalion found itself surrounded on three sides by Chaos forces in their assigned war zone. Moore’s independent unit was pulled into blocking maneuvers, holding a mountain pass for half a day. Three companies fought until only one and a half platoons remained. Ultimately, it was the Lord of Justice’s airborne forces who couldn’t bear to see the slaughter and extracted them from their dire straits. The half-grown youth’s father and both company commanders perished in their positions, leaving Kasdoff to inherit. Perhaps the unit’s exceptional resilience prompted mercy from the military: they decided to pull the battalion off the front lines for rest and recovery, even allowing Kasdoff to return to his own territory with a year to regroup and replenish. Even Malin agreed this was uncommonly generous. On battlefields like these, small units like his were usually used until they were drained. If not for Malin’s support, the Eastern Kingdom would have likely followed this approach as well. It was only due to the current abundance of weapons compared to manpower—and this unique circumstance of fighting a "wealthy war"—that the military displayed any kindness. After all, Northern forces were widely considered more capable in battle than their Southern counterparts—a well-known fact even within the Eastern Kingdom. Initially, when news of Malin’s arrival reached the military, they had wanted to assign elite units to him—those favored troops who excelled equally in earning accolades and pocketing spoils. However, the Crown Prince halted the military’s impulsive thinking. Every Noble knew of Malin’s contributions to the North. At a time , such a move would amount to playing petty tricks, provoking Malin unnecessarily. After two days of deliberation, reportedly during a moment of leisure when the Crown Prince stepped out from the military headquarters, he happened to catch sight of Kasdoff training with the only fully-fit company commander remaining in his depleted unit. The boy’s resolute expression immediately caught the attention of the young Crown Prince, and he decided on the spot—to have Kasdoff and his weakened battalion assigned to Malin as head escort and guard detail. When the commander initially heard that his young lord was to rejoin the battlefield, his face turned pale, anger flashing across the grizzled features of these old soldiers. But when the Crown Prince clarified it was Malin Gaiate who required their service, the expressions of the veterans shifted to joyful smiles, and the young Kasdoff himself was so delighted he could hardly believe it. "My father and grandfather told me time and again before they passed that if not for the weapons you provided us, the Moore family would have long exhausted its last manpower. When I learned that I would get to serve you, I felt immensely proud. For the Moore family, receiving such an honorable duty is something we’ll pass down as a legacy." This young man admired Malin deeply. Malin, in turn, smiled and patted him on the head. "Lead the way for me, that’s all I need from you. A tiny frame like yours shouldn’t complicate things by stepping in front of me." "How can you say that? I’m your Head of Guard! It’s my responsibility to ensure your safety!" The young man’s cheeks flushed red from being underestimated.