Keeping the Death Secret

Victor managed to open his mouth and ask, "When did this happen?"

"After leaving Sunset City, the Count has been unable to eat anything, only able to drink milk. He can't even walk anymore and can only give us orders from his bed."

At noon on April 21, the adult suddenly felt extreme pain in his body, and he probably knew that he could not hold on any longer.

He summoned Yellen and me to his bedside, instructing us to conceal his death from you and not to inform you. We were told to fully cooperate with you in this battle and fulfill our responsibilities in Great Oak Territory.

Magnus finished speaking slowly and deliberately, and handed something to Victor. Victor took it and saw that it was a small box wrapped in red velvet. He took out the box and opened it.

"Hiss!"

When Victor saw what was inside, he gasped. It was the lord's seal, symbolizing the power of the Great Oak Territory.

Victor tried to return the item to Magnus, but Magnus had already stepped aside, and Yellen had also left the room.

Magnus bowed deeply to Victor. "Viscount Victor, this is Lord Black's final request to you."

Before he died, he gave me two orders: the first was that his death must not be announced, and that it must be kept strictly confidential until I returned to Sunset City;

The second order was that this item must be delivered to you. He told me, 'Marcus, if Victor tries to refuse, tell him that I, Black, have fulfilled my promises to you and Colt, and Great Oak Territory has done what was due. Now it's your turn.'"

After hearing Magnus's words, Victor could only sigh and put the seal away.

"Let me make it clear beforehand that I am only temporarily keeping this item. I will fulfill my promise to Lord Black and take care of Brando until he is able to successfully inherit the title of Count of Great Oak Territory. At that time, I will return this item to Brando."

With tears welling in his eyes, Magnus bowed deeply to Victor again, "Viscount Victor, thank you!"

He then clapped his hands, Knight Yellen walked in from outside. Magnus nodded to Knight Yellen, and then Yellen, dressed in military attire, knelt down as if a mountain of gold and jade were collapsing.

"Lord Victor, Yellen will pledge allegiance to you from now on, and the entire army of Great Oak Territory will be under your command. You can promote officers and adjust the army as needed, and we will fully cooperate."

"Is this also Count Black's order?"

"No, it's an order to us, but a request to you!"

Magnus said respectfully that ever since Victor put away the seal, Magnus's attitude towards Victor had completely changed, as if he regarded him as a lord.

Victor shook his head, looking at the old man on the bed. He had already arranged everything.

"Then let's proceed according to Count Black's last wishes. Hmm, let's go out first and let Count Black get some rest!"

"Yes!"

After they finished speaking, the group left the room and lingered in the outermost conference room. Victor sat down in the main seat and waved for the other two to sit down as well.

After Magnus and Yellen sat down, Victor spoke up, "Since Lord Black has already made the arrangements, let's proceed according to his plan. Is there anything else I need to do?"

Yellen immediately gave a military salute and reported, "Before his illness, Count Black ordered us to deal with a number of unstable factors, saying that it was up to you Lord Victor, to handle them!"

Victor was taken aback by these words. What did he mean by "unstable factor"?

Yellen knew Victor might not understand, so he stood up. "Sir, please come with me. You'll understand once you see it!"

Magnus nodded in agreement.

Victor had no choice but to leave the wagon with Yellen, while Magnus stayed on the wagon, intending to stay there the entire time until they returned to Sunset City.

Magnus escorted Victor to his horse. Seeing Magnus and Yellen's attitude, the soldiers guarding the area seemed to understand something and immediately perked up.

Magnus stood at the camp gate, watching Victor and his men leave. Just as he returned to the carriage, an officer approached. Magnus looked up and saw that it was Depaul, the Captain of the Guard of Count Black's guard.

He cautiously inquired, "Steward Magnus, has that gentleman accepted Count Earl's request?"

Magnus nodded. "Yes, from now on we will all regard Lord Victor as our lord. This is the Count's order, and you will obey it!"

"Thank goodness, with this sir here, Great Oak Territory will be fine, Young Master Brando will inherit the title smoothly!"

Magnus raised an eyebrow and asked with some curiosity, "Depaul, do you have so much confidence in Lord Victor?"

"Of course, you didn't participate in the previous battles, but I led my troops to fight alongside them. The Golden Sunflower Family's army is indeed not to be underestimated; they were able to defeat the Duchy's First Legion despite having inferior forces."

Especially their infantry, charging directly at the Cavalry —I've never seen a unit like that before, and I have no idea how they were trained."

Then Depaul described to Magnus the performance of the Southern Marching Legion he had witnessed throughout the entire battle, from the soldiers' combat skills to the changes in formation, and to their fighting spirit. He praised the Golden Sunflower troops to the skies. If Victor were here, he would think he was exaggerating too much, like a charlatan.

However, Magnus did not doubt this. He knew Depaul well and knew that although the man sometimes liked to exaggerate, he would not lie.

"It seems that Lord Victor has a formidable army at his disposal. With such power, he is sure to achieve enough merit in this Civil War. Just as the Count said, becoming Count or even Marquis would not be a problem!"

With him taking care of Young Master Brando will surely be able to inherit the title smoothly. But, Count Excellency, will this Viscount Victor really not take this opportunity to seize the power and wealth of the Great Oak Family in the future?

"No, I shouldn't doubt that. This is the Count's choice; it can't be wrong."

Magnus was torn. He was happy that Young Master Brando had such a powerful guardian, but he also felt a sense of unease.

Meanwhile, Victor had followed Yellen to a barracks that looked heavily guarded, with many guards inside and out. Even Yellen had to use a token and password to get him inside.

After Yellen led Victor into the barracks, Victor saw several wooden houses that looked somewhat like prisons. Inside were a group of people who, upon seeing Yellen, shouted for her to release them.

Yellen explained, "There are a group of people being held here. They are all mid- to high-ranking officers from the Great Oak Territory. They are all related to other branches of the Great Oak Family, and some are even from the Great Oak Family themselves."

After the Count fell seriously ill, they began to secretly coordinate within the military camp, and even tried to contact Beck of the First Legion.

Fortunately, the Count was still able to speak at that time. I think after he finished his report, he immediately ordered these people to be arrested and imprisoned here.

Victor immediately realized that these people were indeed a destabilizing factor. If they were allowed to act freely and collude with the First Legion, the situation on the battlefield today might be very different.

"The Count gave me orders to bring you here to meet them; their fate is up to you."

After saying that, Yellen stepped aside to let Victor step forward.

Just then, someone in the cell suddenly saw Victor. He seemed to recognize Victor: "Lord Victor, please release me. I know you have defeated the Duchy's First Legion. I am willing to offer my loyalty to you."

"I am Diaz Great Oak, the Regimental Commander of Great Oak Territory. My brother, Tiago, also commands a detachment of the Coastal Defense Fleet. Our men are spread throughout the Great Oak Territory's army. I am even more skilled in commanding battles Yellen. With our cooperation, you will certainly be able to better control the Great Oak Territory's army."

Victor looked at Yellen, Yellen nodded and said, "He's right. Diaz is indeed the Regimental Commander. He's the highest-ranking officer in this cell."

Their family was a branch of the Great Oak and had always worked in the territory's army, wielding considerable influence and having many former members in the Great Oak Territory's private army.

If you gain their loyalty, you will have a much better grasp of the army in the entire Great Oak Territory.

Magnus and I, in fact, cannot fully control the army of Great Oak Territory. You saw their performance in battle; only my Cavalry Regiment performed reasonably well. The other units of Great Oak Territory did not demonstrate their true strength.

Victor recalled the situation during the battle today. Despite the presence of traitorous troops, the private army of Great Oak Territory was unable to break through the already wavering War Department. It wasn't until the First Legion retreated that the left-wing Coalition of Nobles.

Looking at the officers imprisoned in these cells, if Yellen's statement is true, these are all mid- to high-ranking officers. Without the command of these officers, the fact that the Great Oak Territory's private army can still hold out in battle is already a testament to their strict discipline.

Victor looked at the man named Diaz, who was kneeling on the ground and kowtowing to Victor. The other officers who were imprisoned followed suit when they saw their Regimental Commander Diaz doing this.

These people began to describe their positions; several were Battalion Commander, and there were also quartermasters—all very important positions that directly affected the combat effectiveness of the entire army.

Victor fell into thought. He noticed that Yellen hadn't said anything, just stood there. Combined with what she had just said, it seemed that she would carry out any order Victor gave, even if it meant releasing these officers on the spot.

Victor recalled Yellen's words, "Count Black, you've left me with a difficult problem."

From any perspective, releasing these people would be of great help to Victor. They were imprisoned by the Count as a destabilizing factor and were almost executed. If Victor releases them, he will definitely gain their loyalty.

Victor had no doubt that this was a gift prepared for him by Count Black. With these officers, and with the cooperation of Yellen and Sonanda, Victor would immediately have a large and powerful army, which would be of great help in the upcoming Civil War and would definitely allow him to achieve the merit of being promoted to a noble title sooner.

After what seemed like four or five minutes, Victor finally made up his mind. "Open the door!"

Yellen lowered his head and responded, then ordered the cell door to be opened. Everyone, including Diaz, came out and immediately knelt down in front of Victor, expressing their willingness to serve Victor for life.

"So, does that mean you're willing to listen to everything I say?"

Diaz and the others nodded repeatedly. "Yes, Lord Victor, we will obey your orders!"

"Fine, then die!"

As soon as Victor finished speaking, he drew his longsword from his waist. With a few flashes of light, several officers, including Diaz, clutched their necks and fell to the ground.

Diaz stared at Victor, his face contorted as if questioning why he had been killed.

"Your loyalty is worthless. Since you want to betray Count Black, you will continue to betray me when I encounter difficulties."

Yellen, do you agree with what I said?

Yellen stared at Victor in disbelief, then immediately knelt on one knee and exclaimed, "My lord, you're right! If it happens once, it will happen again. These people are not trustworthy!"

"Can I trust you and Magnus?"

"Rest assured, as long as you remain loyal to me while I am in charge of Brando's care, that's all that matters."

"Lord Victor, please give your orders. Steward Magnus and I will not refuse and will do our utmost."

Yellen's answer was firm and resolute, Victor nodded in satisfaction. He had been thinking about it for a long time and felt that this might be a small trap set by Count Black.

If he were to accept these traitors, he would certainly not gain the loyalty of Yellen, Magnus, or even Viscount Sonanda. Instead, it would arouse their suspicion that he would use his power as guardian to interfere in the internal affairs of Great Oak Territory and seize benefits from it. However, it is also possible that this is just his unfounded speculation and that this is not the case.

Having made up his mind, Victor went all out and executed them on the spot. The effect was excellent. Yellen's attitude towards him changed drastically. At least as long as he didn't go too far, Yellen would definitely obey his orders completely.

As for whether the army can be controlled, Victor is not worried at all. The private army of Great Oak Territory is already somewhat bloated after its expansion, so it's a good opportunity to cut some off and reorganize it properly.

Victor continued, "There must be quite a few people like this within Great Oak Territory, right?"

"Yes!"

"Then we'll follow the Count's orders and keep his death a secret. Once we return to Great Oak Territory, you and Magnus will have to cooperate with me..."

Victor quietly assigned tasks to Yellen.

"Yes, I understand!"

Yellen's answer was firm and unequivocal.