Chapter 424
Seeing that there were no people matching the description in the carriage, the Sarkaz City Defense Army waved to their comrades in the distance, signaling them to proceed.
The shortest route from the Duke's Mansion to the Place Where the Kings Sleep requires passing through five outposts. This is only the first checkpoint; there are still four more to go.
After they left, the W trio appeared from behind and passed through the base without any checks.
The Sarkaz City Defense Army at the second outpost were much tougher than the first. More than twenty men surrounded the wagon from a distance and sent one man over to inspect it.
"Don't move, and cooperate with the inspection. If we see anyone pulling out a weapon, don't blame us for being impolite!"
After confirming that the wagons were from the Cumberland Manor and were en route to Birthday Banquet, the Sarkaz City Defense Army cautiously opened the wagon doors and approached to inspect them.
Seeing him staring at him and looking him up and down, seemingly trying to identify his race, Shi Lei took out a Pure Gold from his pocket and tossed it directly to the Sarkaz City Defense Army.
"You fucking..."
The latter was about to hurl insults when he suddenly saw the gold bars gleaming with a metallic sheen. He immediately forced back the Sarkaz curse that was about to spill from his lips.
"Are you still in good health?"
After saying that, he took out the dagger from his waist and used his body as cover to cut at the Pure Gold. After one cut and seeing that it wasn't gold-plated, he immediately said with a stern face:
"There are quite a few people here..."
Shi Lei, too lazy to waste words, tossed another Pure Gold:
"We're in a hurry, hurry up!"
After receiving two gold bars, the attitude of the Sarkaz City Defense Army changed completely.
Theresis distributed a large amount of supplies to the Victoria workers who manufactured the materials, showing some favoritism towards the Sarkaz mercenaries who had risked their lives for him. Even if his men harbored resentment, they dared not speak out.
"Since you're in a hurry, let's hurry up and not delay important matters. Also, which nobleman's residence are you going to for Birthday Banquet?"
Such a question was anticipated. Before Shi Lei could answer, the Butler, Elsie, chimed in:
"Viscount Charles, it's his wife's birthday."
"I know their family, the Trenfield District, right? Here's a bonus: that area has recently been taken over by the Blood Demon Great Lord. If you encounter anything strange on the road, it's best to stay far away."
"Huh? What strange thing is that?"
The Sarkaz City Defense Army did not answer, but simply got off the train and waved to their companions, signaling them to open the gates and let them pass.
He put one gold bar in his pocket and generously distributed the remaining gold bar to everyone.
Seeing that the Sarkaz City Defense Army refused to speak, Alda urged Elsie to leave quickly and not linger.
They followed the same method and successfully passed the third outpost. If two gold bars couldn't correct the Sarkaz's arrogant attitude, one or two more would surely change it.
As long as you pay enough toll fees, people will think you're approachable and not a wanted criminal.
Anyway, Shi Lei can manufacture them at will, and the Pure Gold can be used to locate the City Defense Army.
At most, they'll go through a simple procedure: lifting the curtain to check if any Rhodes Island members are present. Once they confirm there are no eligible individuals, they'll proactively open the gates and allow entry.
As the pack cart departed from the third outpost, everyone inside secretly breathed a sigh of relief. They only needed to pass two more outposts before they would reach the Place Where the Kings Appear.
The more secure you feel, the less secure you actually are.
When they stopped at the fourth outpost for inspection by the Sarkaz City Defense Army, the three-person team that had been trailing behind suddenly encountered an unexpected turn of events, disrupting the entire plan.
For some unknown reason, Heredrey suddenly shouted at the Sarkaz City Defense Army:
"Catch them quickly!"
This terrified Alda, who immediately ordered her Butler to force their way in. Elsie lashed her whip across the pack animal's rump, causing the cart to move forward.
Vigna and the others were also taken aback, not expecting things to turn out so passively. She gripped the iron hammer in her hand, looking ready to go down and fight the Sarkaz.
Alda had no desire for a direct confrontation with the Sarkaz City Defense Army; her immediate priority was to find the Breath of the Kings.
Together with Dagda, she tried to persuade the Crownslayer not to act rashly and to rush out of the outpost's perimeter first.
Inside the carriage, only Shi Lei remained calm, like an ancient well without the slightest ripple.
Before the cart crashed into the roadblocks, he summoned Jade Shield Wall to block the way. Using the invisible shield, he forcefully pushed aside the roadblocks along the way.
They immediately expanded the range of the Jade Shield Wall, blocking the pursuing Sarkaz City Defense Army.
No one saw him make a move; he could complete the spellcasting action instantly with just his thoughts.
There was no time to consider why the roadblocks set up by the Sarkaz were of such poor quality. Elsie kept waving the reins, urging the cart forward with all its might.
Seeing the pack wagon break through the encirclement of the Sarkaz City Defense Army, W slashed Heredrey's head hard with the back of his dagger:
"Hey, you One-Eyed Pirate, have you lost your mind? Do you even know what you're doing?"
He didn't fight back, letting W continue to attack until blood flowed from his forehead and cheek.
"There's no need to talk about Theresis. Manfred has been very kind to me these past six months, I can't just leave like this. At the very least, I need to repay his kindness before I can leave with you without any regrets."
This statement infuriated W.
"What the hell are you saying? You betrayed us, and you still want to work with us?"
Heredrey took a punch but didn't retaliate. Seeing the Sarkaz City Defense Army wanting to help, he volunteered to help W and Ines, saying it was just a joke.
Upon hearing this, the Sarkaz City Defense Army thought he was acting like a lunatic and looked utterly speechless.
But the Cumberland Family wouldn't have forced their way through the checkpoint if they had nothing to hide. Therefore, they still planned to inform General Manfred about the matter. Unfortunately, he seemed very busy and they were unable to establish communication.
Heredrey's breathing became heavy. He raised his hand to touch the wound on his head and gasped sharply.
"Hiss, W, Ines. This is a little gift. I overheard your entire discussion about Alda. As expected, she's probably backed by some Duke outside the city. I deliberately shouted that just now to get the Sarkaz to report the Cumberland family's rebellion. That way, I can push Alda closer to you. Even if you want to kill her later, you'll have a plausible excuse."
"Don't think I don't know you're trying to tip off Manfred!"
Heredrey did not deny W's accusations:
"That's right, I wanted to provide him with information. Manfred will soon find out that I didn't die at the alcohol plant and that I was with you. That way, he won't continue investigating there and dig deeper into other people's clues."
I'm providing this information to repay Manfred's favor. From now on, we're even, and neither of us owes the other anything. You guys used to be mercenaries, so you know this business is a separate matter. I took the job, so I have to do something to get out of this mess.
Moreover, the man in the carriage was very capable. Although he didn't usually show off, I felt that he was in no way inferior to, and perhaps even stronger than Manfred.
Anyway, I've already repaid their kindness. If they're unwilling to accept it, I can become a free person.
W utterly despised his peculiar thought process, and even the usually composed Ines wanted to dunk on Heredrey.
June 23, 11:45 pm
Unable to contact Manfred, the Sarkaz City Defense Army had no choice but to call the Blood Demon Great Lord's minions.
They were afraid of being held responsible for not reporting the matter in a timely manner, so they had no choice but to resort to this drastic measure.
A few minutes later, the Blood Demon Great Lord learned of the Cumberland family's betrayal and escape.
The Sarkaz had anticipated this sudden betrayal. This was true not only for the Cumberland family, but also for other nobles still residing in the Central City District.
They outwardly flattered him, but behind his back they cursed the Sarkaz's ancestors countless times.
Which one of them doesn't want to drive out the Sarkaz and restore the glory of Victoria?
After the Blood Demon Great Lord took over the area under the jurisdiction of the King of Scavengers, he began to build altars on a large scale.
However, the Cumberland family's betrayal still led him to delegate the task to his subordinates and personally come to the Duke's Mansion.
Accompanying him was Leto, a former Gallic Officer and now Lieutenant Colonel Leto Sarkaz City Defense Army.
When the Blood Demon Great Lord arrived at the scene, he did not detect any living beings in the Duke's Mansion. He guessed they were all in that wagon and had escaped with Alda.
Too lazy to search, he set the place on fire.
The fire engulfed the expensive wooden furniture, growing ever fiercer. The billowing smoke resembled a sharp sword piercing the dark sky.
"Great Lord..."
"Shh, you're disturbing my enjoyment of the scenery."
The Blood Demon Great Lord interrupted Lieutenant Colonel Leto, explaining to himself just how beautiful the firescape was:
"The once-glorious history of Victoria is now gradually turning to ashes. The proud mansions of those nobles have become scorched ruins. Bricks and tiles, meticulously crafted by numerous artisans, are peeling away piece by piece, curling up and dying along with the precious flowers cultivated in the gardens. Don't you think this scene is beautiful?"
Lieutenant Colonel Leto was not an arsonist and could not appreciate the beauty of art from the scene of the fire.
"I've said it before, these nobles should be investigated."
Seeing that he was changing the subject and didn't want to talk about it, the Blood Demon Great Lord wouldn't let Leto have his way and forcefully pulled him back:
"What? Don't you like these flames? Try to listen, savor, and feel them. It's like blood gradually vaporizing inside your body, hissing, sizzling. Oh, listen, what a beautiful sound!"
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Chapter 502 Snatching a Chestnut from the Fire (4K)
The Kal'tsit group of five passed through the Sardien District and walked towards the Central City District of Londinium.
Many citizens can be seen on the streets.
Most of them were residents who were preparing to move out overnight because they were afraid that the City Defense Cannon would bombard their Residential Area again.
Even if they were reluctant to leave Londinium, leaving still offered a glimmer of hope. But if they stayed, they might just die in their sleep.
Local residents gradually evacuated, and no Sarkaz City Defense Army intervened to stop them. It was as if they were indifferent to the lives of the Victorians.
Since entering the Sardien District, Kal'tsit five companions have not seen the Sarkaz again. They presumably retreated to the Central City District, consolidating their forces to create an impenetrable fortress.
Although these citizens need help, there are more important things to do right now, and we cannot linger here.
Kal'tsit was single-mindedly searching for the Doctor, and that indescribable sense of unease grew stronger and stronger.
After the group had crossed three blocks, Ascalon, who had been hiding in the shadows, suddenly issued a warning:
"Doctor Kal'tsit, please be careful."
The four stopped and stared at the crossroads a few hundred meters away. Misery and Logos spotted a large Sarkaz force, roughly estimated to be nearly a thousand men.
Only then did Mon3tr beside Kal'tsit belatedly realize what was happening. It bared its teeth at the crossroads and made low growling noises.
Due to his enormous size, Broca moved much slower than an average person. Even at full speed, he was still several hundred meters behind the group of four.
Fortunately, Kal'tsit and the others stopped, Broca the opportunity to reunite with them.
The commander of this group of the Sarkaz City Defense Army was General Manfred, who rushed to the scene upon hearing the news.
His main purpose in assembling his troops to lie in wait was to find the Doctor and the 'Exotic Demon King' Amiya.
Unfortunately, neither of them came; instead, Lord Kal'tsit, who had a close relationship with the Sarkaz, was present.
Now that she has entered Londinium, she will inevitably reunite with the Doctor and Amiya. If they can capture Lord Kal'tsit, they can achieve their ultimate goal as well.
Manfred's attention was still focused on Wendigo and the Mistress of Banshees, and he asked:
"I don't understand why you, the Ten Royal Courts, would side with the Exotic Demon King?"
Many Sarkaz now know that the Exotic Demon King is the leader of Rhodes Island. But the real Behind the Scenes Manipulator is Lord Kal'tsit.
The Banshee refused Theresis's summons and explicitly joined Rhodes Island. Although there was no intelligence on Wendigo, his alignment with Kal'tsit clearly indicated that he had also defected.
Broca n't recognize the other person; given the Sarkaz's long lifespan, Manfred might not even have been born when Bozokas became famous on this continent.
"First, I am not loyal to your king. Second, my mission is to protect them."
Upon hearing that Wendigo hadn't yet joined the Exotic Demon King's camp, Manfred felt there was still a chance to win him over. If he could get such a powerful figure back into the Royal Court Army, it would be a great achievement.
The destruction of the City Defense Cannon and the failure to prevent assassins from breaking into the Shard Building can offset the previous mistakes.
Manfred doesn't seek rewards or honors; he only hopes to do more practical things for Theresis.
"I can refrain from attacking them, but will you come with me to see our king?"
Broca knew the other side wanted to persuade him to surrender, but he had already chosen another lord. He could not serve two forces at the same time, and he had to sever ties with the royal court.
Furthermore, I have a mission to complete and cannot leave Kal'tsit and the others, therefore I cannot go with Manfred.
"If you dare to make a move, I dare to make a move. Theresis is your king, not mine. What I saw along the way was you ravaging this city. No matter how much you emphasize the suffering you've endured, it cannot change the fact that your hands are stained with the blood of innocent people."
Manfred frowned upon hearing this; it seemed Wendigo harbored a deep prejudice against the Sarkaz.
"You seem to have misunderstood this point. It is undeniable that the Blood Demon Great Lord and the King of Scavengers have a penchant for slaughtering and torturing civilians. But I have never supported such practices and feel genuine disgust towards them. I am different from those royal courts; as a soldier, I want to assist Your His Highness in securing a better future for Sarkaz."
"The Sarkaz's future isn't solely about supporting Theresis. Bring him to me; I have a mission and cannot leave."