Victory at the Front! New Goatman Traces Found at the Border

Whitelaw, who had inexplicably been whipped again, finally broke down.

Then ask already! Didn't I tell you everything?! And you still whipped me! Sob sob sob~

Whitelaw had originally thought he could endure it, only to find that each lash hurt worse than the last. The spots where the second round of whipping had split his skin were so painful he wanted to die on the spot.

When asked why he had fled all the way from the western part of the Empire to the east, Whitelaw's voice trembled even more.

He admitted that he had been fleeing his family's debts, believing that he could make a comeback by becoming a Pioneer Noble in the east.

"Debts? Aren't you western nobles all supposed to be rich? I heard even the King's wife envies the jewels worn by a Countess from the coastal region."

Whitelaw said nothing. It was clearly a jab at how poor his family had been.

"The King launched a Grand Inquisition. Throughout the entire Western Region, most families that had underpaid their taxes fell into ruin and fled into exile."

Henry waved a hand. He did not care about that. The great waves sweeping through the west had nothing to do with him. Even if the dozens of landed earls and several directly appointed marquises along the Western Coast all suddenly dropped dead, Henry would not care.

It was far less important than deciding what to eat that evening.

After interrogating him for half the day, Henry realized that this was truly just the story of an unlucky fool crashing into an iron plate. He was deeply disappointed.

He had thought it was one of Glen's little tricks. How boring.

Whitelaw bared his teeth in pain and stubbornly said, "Baron, I'm the son of a baron too. You can't torture me."

"Baron? Where is there a baron here?"

Henry smiled and looked around, saying nothing more before leaving with his men.

"Bain, find a few Grassland Warriors and send this brat to Audoh's office. If he dies here, it'll bring me bad luck."

Henry felt that an Exiled Noble did not qualify to die in his dungeon. At the very least, it ought to be a Knight with a fief.

Henry's picnic plans were canceled because of this minor incident. The workload for the eighty Grassland Warriors suddenly increased, and they were practically turned into three-man Patrol Teams.

Henry was not afraid of fighting, but nobody liked mosquitoes.

Just as Henry spent every day eating, drinking, and having fun to his heart's content, Earl John's invitation arrived at West Lyme Fortress.

The reason was that his eldest son was getting married, and he hoped Henry would attend the banquet.

When it came to eating, Bain was even more enthusiastic than Henry. Henry only needed to bring a wedding gift; Bain was solely responsible for eating.

Especially after learning that Boman might also attend, Bain became even happier.

Two days early, Henry took Bain and Ailiya to Audoh to eat and drink at John's expense.

More importantly, he wanted to gather some information. With John's eldest son getting married at this time, there had to be political reasons behind it.

Only later did Henry learn that the Seventh and Eleventh Legions had scored victory after victory, then fought another major campaign—and won decisively!

The woman John's eldest son was marrying was the niece of Alberti, the Legion Commander of the Eleventh Legion.

I need to set up an intelligence network. Being a local tyrant feels great, but knowing nothing is too damn frustrating.

Ever since the Pioneering War began, trade in the stagnant pool that was Audoh had surged forward by leaps and bounds.

With the opening of Earl John's eldest son's wedding banquet, Audoh became lively once more. That was the convenience brought by great nobles and great cities.

Dressed in an Imperial Robe, Henry arrived at the lavishly decorated Banquet Hall. Candlelight flickered, while the fragrance of wine and fine food filled the air.

What extravagance. Still, the gifts Earl John received would probably not be few either.

Henry exchanged pleasantries with several vaguely familiar guests, his movements elegant and his words refined.

Unlike several months ago, Henry no longer needed to take the initiative to speak with others. People naturally gravitated toward him instead.

Brave, wealthy, and powerful—those three words had been deeply branded into their minds. At least within the social circle centered around Audoh, the name Henry Bro was known to all.

Soon, the banquet officially began, and Earl John delivered his welcoming address.

John's eldest son emerged hand in hand with a woman. Before several dozen nobles, they swore to become husband and wife.

A handsome groom and a beautiful bride. At any rate, Henry thought the kid looked far better than John.

Afterward, the musicians John had invited began to play beautiful music, and the dancers entered the floor, pulling guests up to dance.

Henry joined in as well, dancing with a woman beside him. His steps were light and coordinated, a sign of his excellent control over his body. Besides, this sort of dance was also part of noble etiquette.

After the music ended, everyone took their seats and enjoyed the lavish meal. Henry chatted pleasantly with the guests beside him, but the things they discussed failed to interest him.

They held Wine Cups in their hands, gently swirling the wine within as they toasted one another and laughed merrily.

To outsiders, it looked elegant and high-class. Henry only found it boring. Could they not talk about something more interesting?

"Mm-hmm, that's what I think too. Of course, compared with whether cows and horses can produce an animal with greater endurance, wouldn't this latest victory in the campaign be more interesting to us nobles?"

Unable to stand it any longer, Henry could only take the initiative and steer the conversation. The information he had received lately was too scattered; he needed these people to help him sort through and refine it.

The topic immediately shifted to the victory in the front-line campaign, and the nobles' faces filled with pride and excitement.

They passionately discussed the details of the war, praising this person and that person for being so brave.

They really could brag without even drafting a script. They spoke in such detail that anyone unaware would think they had taken part themselves.

The first major campaign had been named the "Zhi Luo Campaign." Henry, the most dazzling figure in it, had already had his name spread across the entire Empire by bards and Trade Caravans.

This campaign was named the Tuo Ye Campaign. Though no one as dazzling as Henry emerged, quite a few talented young men and Swordswomen made their names.

The nobles began loudly scheming, discussing how to expand their territories and seize others' resources. Oh, and mocking the Exiled Nobles and Downfallen Nobles together.

The clinking of Wine Cups intertwined with the sound of arguments. Yet amid the lively atmosphere, some nobles wore worried expressions.

Expansion meant new lands and new nobles. But in the end, the powers within a region would inevitably have to clash to determine who was truly the strongest there.

"Latest news: traces of Half-Orcs have been discovered in Autongard and Weibao. They seem to be heading south!"

No one knew who had spread the news, but when Henry saw Earl John's formerly genial expression turn stern, he knew the news was most likely true.

Henry looked at the noisy nobles arguing before him and drained the wine in his cup with satisfaction.

These Half-Orcs came at just the right time! I was just worrying about having nothing to do! Now that I have more troops under my command, I can use this chance to drill them and level them up!