Chapter 69
"Good!"
"Malte!"
"Oh, Mr. Thomas, I really want to transfer the title to you, but you signed a contract with Miss Vainay. The nobles of the Augustus Empire always keep their word, and I always prefer to do business with people who keep their promises."
Thomas coughed up blood.
Keep your word?
You say this guy is trustworthy?
She stole thirty gold coins from me yesterday!
However, Thomas also realized that the key point was not how many gold coins he had. He still had money, and he could have another two hundred gold coins, but what good would that do?
That wallet was so weird.
A small wallet that could hold so many things was indeed very tempting for nobles, since having it meant they could carry their precious possessions with them at any time.
"Hmph! Malte, you'll regret this!"
Thomas snorted coldly, losing interest in the banquet, and turned to leave.
"Heh~ I'd regret it if I gave you the title."
Malte sneered. He knew Thomas was no ordinary man, but so what? He was leaving tonight.
"Come, Miss Vainay, let's sign the contract. I'll have someone fetch the Viscount's seal and medal right away."
Half an hour later, the contract was signed and the transaction was completed in one go.
"Then, Miss Vainay, we have enough gold coins, but what about that wallet..." Malte stared intently at the wallet in Vainay's hand.
The latter handed over the wallet and whispered, "Be careful not to get targeted."
Malte was taken aback, then nodded repeatedly, meaning he shouldn't reveal the secret of his wallet too much... No, I have to leave now.
Malte put his wallet in his pocket and called to his servants.
"Miss Vainay ... no, Viscount Vainay, I wish you a pleasant experience in Kells."
After leaving behind gentlemanly manners, Malte departed with his servants.
The deal was done, and from now on everything in Kels City and its castle was no longer his concern.
"Viscount Vainay, we're leaving too."
"Please go ahead."
Rider and Ham also left in a hurry, and what they were going to do was none of 'Vainay's' business.
"This castle... is bigger than mine."
'Vainay' looked around, a faint smile appearing on her lips.
"From today onwards, please call me Viscount."
You have become Lord Kells.
After Ryan finished reporting to the Grand Duke, he switched to the 'Vainay' character interface and was taken aback when he saw this message.
He had only just remembered that Vainay was going to a banquet tonight. There was nothing he could do; the Princess rescue operation was just too crazy. If he wasn't careful, 'Shally' would have died. The only reason she was able to hold on until the end was because he sent her two batches of Magic Power recovery potions.
"What the hell? A wallet is worth 500 gold coins??"
Ryan finished reading the AFK (away from keyboard) log.
Suddenly, I had the illusion that the Imperial Viscount was an idiot.
Isn't that just a regular wallet?
As for the things constantly coming out of it, that's because of the game's inventory; it has absolutely nothing to do with the wallet.
However, this move did indeed secure the title. Ryan underestimated Thomas's wealth; he only had 3,500 gold coins, while Thomas certainly had more. In a fair competition, Thomas would have had no chance.
For a moment, Ryan actually had the illusion that AI was better than him.
"Thomas is probably unwilling to accept this. If the Second Prince is also backing him, he might send Supernatural Being to assassinate him."
"No problem, we'll deal with whatever comes our way."
Vainay already level 15. I'll try to level up in the next few days and hopefully defeat a few monsters that are level 20 or higher.
With the fighting raging on Caslathdi's side, even if it really was the Second Prince who was behind it, he didn't have the extra energy to deal with the affairs of Kels City.
Ryan wasn't worried as long as it wasn't Third Tier Transcendent.
"From now on, we can let the AI play by itself, and I can just lie back and carry the team."
He originally wanted to intervene in the management of Kels City himself and test the waters first, but now it seems that he can also let the AI try it out. If there is no secretary, then create one. Who says that AI is inferior to a secretary? At least it is very capable.
After thinking for a moment, Ryan set the game to idle mode, then packed his things and went home.
Caslathdi and the others have escaped the Karkha Mountains and entered a large grassland. The pursuers are still there, but they should be able to get through the night safely. However, they have lost contact with the Royal Guards and it will be difficult to return to Berman City.
Avik certainly has more than just the six thousand soldiers from Kosotoya. If new enemies emerge, 'Shally' alone won't be enough to hold them off.
"I wonder where the old captain and the others are."
What a useless Jonathan, where did all the support go?
After pondering it over and over, Ryan decided he couldn't just wait around. He went outside and called out into the air, "Blood Robe."
The next moment, as black mist emerged, Blood Robe- Clad Walker stepped out into the night.
"Sir, you wanted to see me?"
"Where is the Iron Blood Legion?"
"A letter arrived recently, it has reached a forest north of Kosotoya. My lord, are we to have them attack the city?"
"No, let them besiege the city. Kill anyone who comes out. At the same time, spread the word that Magana's iron-blooded army is on its way. Let that scoundrel Avik wash his neck clean. The Grand Duke wants to use his flesh to make buns to feed the dogs."
"Yes."
The man in Blood Robe accepted the order and left.
He had already sent nearly two thousand Iron Blood Legion there, but it was unrealistic to send them to attack the city. What was the point of fighting if the heavy cavalry couldn't charge? Magana happened to have the idea of using Caslathdi, so this rescue was the perfect opportunity.
Forget everything else, let's get our reputation straight first. Avik's attack plan has been thwarted, and as long as Caslathdi survives, the Grand Duke won't have to jump into the cesspool.
If we don't step forward now, when will we?
As for Caslathdi, they'll have to rely on his loyal minister to whisper in their ears.
Meanwhile, on a train Kels City.
Malte looked at the purse stuffed full in his hand and scratched his head in confusion.
He put another gold coin inside, and several coins fell out with a clatter.
"Oh no, we didn't find out how to use this Supernatural Item."
The next day.
Ryan woke up early, and the first thing he did was open the game.
"Damn it, this is just like playing on my phone in my past life. Games are really harmful."
Complaints aside, the game still has to be played.
It was already daylight, and the troops in Berman City were preparing breakfast and would depart in about twenty minutes.
Caslathdi sent men to find out the whereabouts of the Royal Guards. The good news was that they had been found; the bad news was that it wasn't just the Royal Guards that had been found.
An unidentified army emerged, numbering approximately three thousand, and completely overwhelmed the Royal Guards in direct combat.
Caslathdi originally planned to take these people to provide support, but then came the good news that Jonathan and the Burning Covenant had successfully joined up with them, and then came the bad news that the unknown army had more than three thousand men.
The enemy split into two groups, with another group of three thousand people searching the streets for Caslathdi's whereabouts.
In addition, the Kosotoya regained their confidence after a night of reorganization. Viscount Avik gathered four thousand men and personally led the charge, only to be defeated by the Iron Blood Legion as soon as they stepped out of the gate.
Two thousand men against four thousand, the advantage is in my hands!
Gruk joined forces with the Iron Blood Legion and vented his anger over the deaths of his squad members on Avik's army. Two thousand Ironbloods repelled a force twice their size, forcing Avik to keep the city gates tightly shut and not dare to go out.
The Iron Blood Legion's combat prowess was something even Ryan envied; the Grand Duke's ability to train troops was truly remarkable.
As for 'Vainay', Ryan woke up to find two thousand more troops around the castle. Checking the records, he learned that 'Vainay' herself had moved them there to prevent any troublemakers from harming her.
With the lordship changing hands, Kells' situation was bound to become unstable. In addition, with a villain like Thomas watching over him, 'Vainay' directly transferred all the city's defense troops to protect the castle.
Malte had wanted to run away for a long time, so the construction of the city's defense forces was a mess. These two thousand men were cobbled together from various sources, but no matter what, they looked quite intimidating when they were deployed.
"So many people have suddenly appeared... Sigh~ It's really annoying not having enough troops."
Ryan shook his head and said, "Give him ten thousand men. Who the hell calls them traitors? Kill them all!"
After washing up, Ryan went to work as usual, doing his job as mayor while keeping an eye on the battle reports from the front lines.
As expected, Caslathdi's group was attacked several times. With more than a thousand people, it was impossible for them to hide. After the attackers discovered their whereabouts, they surrounded them on a large scale.
It seems that another major war will break out soon.
"This can't go on."
Just as Ryan was having a headache, Blood Robe suddenly brought the latest news from Kosotoya City— Magana had ordered the city to be burned!
"No way? It really burned down?? Where are the people inside???"
"My lord, there is no need to worry. Most of the imperial citizens inside have escaped."
The burning of the city happened this morning, and Blood Robe explained the situation to Ryan.
The order came from Magana herself. She had people spread the word beforehand that she was going to massacre the city, targeting all those who remained in the city and joined Avik in rebelling against the empire.
Avik's assassination of the Princess makes him a traitor, and those of you who joined him are also traitors.
If the Grand Duke says you're a traitor, you'd better be true, or you'd better run away as fast as you can.
In fact, the attack on Kosotoya was sudden; Avik did not notify anyone beforehand, and the people of the city remained uneasy afterward, only daring not to act recklessly because of Avik's power.
The atmosphere in the city changed after Avik's army was defeated early this morning, and Magana seized the opportunity to spread panic.
Who is she?
Iron-Blooded Grand Duke!
What's so special about massacring a city?
No one questioned the veracity of the story, and once the news spread, the entire Kosotoya was thrown into chaos.
Although Avik sent men to suppress the riots, his small force was no match for them, not to mention the more than a thousand Iron Blood Legion outside the city.
Gruk led his squad into the city and, taking advantage of the chaos, opened the city gates. Instantly, all the citizens who wanted to escape rushed out.
Upon hearing this, Ryan asked in bewilderment, "Aren't the city guards going to stop them?"
Blood Robe said, "I don't know, but Gruk said that at least half of the soldiers on the city gate also fled, and they did not pursue those people."
"Well..."
It sounds like there's something wrong, but it also seems like there isn't.
As expected of Magana, her reputation is well-deserved.
Avik's rebellion was unlikely to be followed by the general public. Even if some people did follow him, the majority would still be innocent.
But the concept of 'innocence' is hard to define in this world. How many of those who died were not innocent?
Magana gave them a chance, and although Ryan wasn't sure if she really meant it, it was undeniably effective, throwing Kosotoya into complete chaos.
Once most of the citizens who needed to flee had fled, the special forces team set fires everywhere. For Supernatural Being, this kind of thing couldn't be easier.
The fire has already started, and it is naturally impossible for it to spread quickly in a short time, but it is only a matter of time before the city is burned down. The Iron Blood Legion is guarding the city gate exit, killing one if one comes, and killing two if two come.
Gruk reported that Kosotoya would definitely fall in two hours at most.
"The Grand Duke's move is brilliant... Wait, I need to get moving too!"
Whether the Grand Duke is brilliant or not remains to be seen.