Big Mek

"Alex's men have found him."

When the old butler heard the name, he instinctively paused in surprise.

Who is Alex?

As the butler of the Vidal Family, he possessed an exceptional memory, storing in his mind the names, birthdays, and even preferences of all the important figures who had dealings with the family.

But when he heard the name Alex, he couldn't immediately place it in his mind.

But then, he had an idea.

--It's the eldest prince!

His Majesty the Emperor's eldest son, and one of the most powerful heirs to the throne.

He stood on the imperial political stage as a moderate yet decisive politician, kind to the common people and tough on foreign countries. This persona was very likable, and he enjoyed considerable popularity and influence.

But recently, the perfect eldest prince has been embroiled in trouble, caught in a scandal involving a secret deal with an elf.

They advocated remaining inactive and watching the elves invade Goth, even reaching a secret agreement with the elves and instructing the Good Family to ambush the Goth delegation, almost annihilating the entire delegation.

Although the rumors were unfounded and never named, they were only true to the common people—those with even a little bit of inside information knew that Princess Tina from Goth had practically poured a whole bucket of dirty water over the Crown Prince's head, face, and body, making him look filthy and smelly.

Moreover, this princess, renowned for her beauty and talent, displayed extremely shrewd methods and cunning in this long-planned revenge operation, proceeding step by step with meticulous planning and strategic maneuvering, even resorting to unconventional tactics.

By the time the Crown Prince and his staff realized something was wrong, the rumors had already spread far and wide and were impossible to stop—because Tina's secret allies were helping to fuel the fire, and the Crown Prince's political enemies were also secretly adding fuel to the fire. After all, opportunities to kick someone when they're down don't come every day.

In short, the eldest prince has been in a very passive position these days.

There's simply nothing we can do about Tina.

Rebuttal is not an option, silence is not an option either; there is only one way to completely clear one's name—that is to actively push for the Empire to send troops to fight against the Elves and interfere in Goth affairs.

But how could he possibly do that?

Thus, this became a dead end.

What can be done if the plan is not kept secret? He never imagined that his foolproof plan would be ruined by a Cathayan, nor did he expect that the usually gentle Princess Tina would be so decisive and ruthless.

And now, his enemies are not just Tina.

There's also the ever-changing political landscape of the empire, his brothers who dream of bringing him down, and the nobles and ministers with their respective stances...

"That Kang De isn't dead yet. The happiest person to hear this news is undoubtedly Tina, and the second happiest..." Leona said decisively, "Is Alex without a doubt!"

Inside the tent, she paced back and forth, holding the secret report.

The information was reliable. The Vidal Family had been operating locally for a long time, was deeply entrenched, and held a high position of power. Moreover, after receiving information about Kang De, Leona had people begin to keep a close watch on him.

"Alex's dogs are out in force..."

Leona cursed, "In the middle of the night, instead of going to prostitutes, they're out here fighting over shit. That's fucking outrageous!"

The old steward's expression turned solemn. "The Crown Prince wants to capture the Cathayan?"

"Certainly!"

Leona nodded first, then shook her head. "No, the news didn't spread that fast. It must have been his dog acting on his own. Now Alex and even the Empire are in a very mess because of Tina's big move. If they interfere and explain, it would be because they have a guilty conscience. If they pretend not to know, it would be even more guilty... Under these circumstances, Tina's lover has appeared, and they must be invigorated."

"Catching Kang De might be enough to threaten Tina. I don't know how effective it will be, but it won't hurt to try. Damn it, I can guess what they're planning with my ass."

Leona looked at the intelligence report and list in her hand. The Vidal Family knew very well which of the prince's dogs in Vidal City and the surrounding areas, and the intelligence report described the lineup that had been mobilized.

She thought for a moment and said, "These Cathayan are in danger..."

Although the enemy has a record of crushing Glittering Sand is just a viscountry, and that was not the result of a direct assault. It relied on strategies, methods, tools, and mental strength to kill, which is different from pure brute force... And the current pursuing force will not underestimate him.

The silver-haired girl said decisively, "We have to..."

"... Miss!"

Before anyone knew it, the old butler straightened his back.

He solemnly replied, "If you intend to lead the people to rescue the Cathayan under these circumstances, then please allow me to be impolite and disobey your orders and will."

"Just as the master once said, investing and taking sides are two different things. He and the young master will turn a blind eye to your bet on Princess Tina, and it won't stop you from sympathizing with Goth. Even today, when you plan to meet with the Cathayan, they won't say much about it."

"But."

The old butler said sternly, "This is fundamentally different from going to war. Once you lead the Vidal Family's fighting members to intercept the Crown Prince's men, this action will no longer be about business. It will signify the Vidal Family's choice and allegiance. This is Imperial territory, not Goth. You are a rational and intelligent heir. Now, answer my question: are you determined to intervene?"

Leona's eyes widened.

But hesitant.

Because the old butler was right.

She had no way to refute it.

This meant she was unable to command her loyal and powerful family private army.

She slowly sighed, "I understand the truth, but sometimes, if we throw aside the rules and be bolder, we may be able to reap great rewards. At times like this, our help becomes more precious, right?"

The old butler calmly said, "With the Vidal Family's foundation and power, there's no need for unconventional adventures. We should be part of upholding the rules and benefit from them."

He said, "Moreover, if I may be frank, that Cathayan is not worth the risk we're taking to offer him help... He's not as important as you think."

Leona remained silent.

She remained silent.

A long time.

The girl slowly said, "No, I think if we don't take this opportunity to help him and win his friendship and trust, the effort and cost of rebuilding that trust in the future might be beyond our imagination..."

She sighed helplessly, "But this is just my intuition, so I can't convince you, butler. You're fulfilling your duty, but I feel that the Vidal Family has lost something."

The old butler bowed to her.

"Thank you for your understanding. It's simply my duty. For Vidal's safety and honor, I must ensure everything is done within the rules. It's my responsibility."

"But my other duty is to share the burdens of my master, so that the young master will not be too disappointed by the cold reality. This is also a mission that a butler must fulfill."

A slight smile appeared on his lips.

"If you believe in the potential of the Cathayan, and desire to establish a good relationship with him, and do not wish for him to fall into the hands of the Crown Prince, but are unable to act due to considerations of your family's position..."

The old butler said, "Then I have a feasible suggestion—although it won't be a timely help, nor will it allow you to immediately establish mutual trust with the Cathayan, it will at least preserve a bridge of communication, which can be considered a way to help."

Leona exclaimed in surprise, "What is it? Tell me the fuck!"

The old butler's smile faded, and without further ado, he said directly, "Mercenaries."

The girl paused for a moment, then said with dissatisfaction, "I thought you had some brilliant plan. Mercenaries are useless; how can they possibly beat Alex's dogs? If they get captured alive and tortured, they'll confess to everything and even try to pin it on Vidal. I might as well just lead my men and take them down directly."

"Don't rush, young lady, you seem to have forgotten something..."

The old butler smiled and said, "The Vidal Family recently received a group of mercenaries with special identities. They're not very bright, they're stubborn, and they only have one mind..."

Leona's eyes suddenly lit up.

"Those green-skinned guys!"

She was excited for a moment, then frowned and said, "I know these orcs, but they're not here to be mercenaries. They're here to find something, something from a prophecy..."

"He's Big Mek."

The old steward said, "I've inquired about it. Some prophet from that orc tribe made a prediction, saying that Big Mek, unseen for thousands of years, has descended upon this world. He will unite all the greenskins in the world and bring unprecedented explosions and bangs to the tribe's offspring. So the orcs of that tribe set out south to search for him..."

Leona looked bewildered and said, "What big explosion, big bang, what nonsense is this?"

"That's what they say. After all, the customs and culture of orcs are very different from those of humans, and we don't know what those things actually mean in their culture."

The old butler said, "But that doesn't stop us from making use of those green-skinned creatures..."

Leona's expression shifted slightly. "--How can we use it?"

"Aren't they looking for the Big Mek?"

The old steward's smile grew increasingly meaningful, "We can provide them with clues, saying we recently discovered a very 'waaaagh' mechanical war machine, very loud, and terrifying-looking. The driver is a ferocious and brutal man, ruthless and bloodthirsty. We think this might be the Big Mek prophesied by the orcs. However, another group of ugly and despicable humans seems unwilling to let the orcs find the Big Mek, so they've already gone to hunt him down..."

Leona nodded repeatedly, then remembered something. "But Kang De... he's a fake, isn't he?"

"As for whether it's true or false, let the green-skinned people decide."

The old butler said, "We'll have men stand guard outside and let the Greenskins fight them. If the Greenskins discover afterwards that Kang De isn't who he is and try to kill him, we'll come out and take care of the Greenskins. That way, we'll have successfully befriended Kang De, eliminated the enemy, and killed the Greenskins to silence them—all three things will be done perfectly."

Leona smiled with satisfaction.

Old ginger is spicier.

The old butler also thought the plan was perfect.

The poor orcs will be exploited terribly, but what can you do when they're greenskins?

Besides, I didn't lie to them.

He thought of Kang De's alchemical chariot.

The spray-painted patterns, the external decorations, the colorful enchantments.

Even the old butler had to admit that the car was really... wahaaagh, very orcish.

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PS1: Second update, 3000 words! Goodnight everyone.