Chapter 369: Chapter 0366: I Have a Secret (Fourth Update, 10,000 Coins Reward Celebration 2/5)
 

This chapter is a “kazenoiro” reward update.

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In front of the empty and dilapidated small castle.

There was only one serf responsible for looking after the castle,

trembling as he answered, “Noble, noble sirs, all the nobles from Mane City have gathered in Mane City on the orders of Earl Celery Fort. The butler of the castle gave me ten copper coins, asking me to watch over the castle so that no one would steal the fresh flowers from the garden.”

After listening to the serf.

Liszt furrowed his brows in deep thought, “As expected, knowing that a large army is approaching, all the nobles have begun to band together in resistance… Apart from Mane City, there are hardly any knights in this area.”

He made a quick decision, “The closest to Mane City is Honey Town, about twenty kilometers away, which we could reach in half an hour. We will station ourselves in Honey Town!”

“Sir, isn’t that too close to Mane City?” Layden reminded.

“Maintain vigilance at night, I actually hope that they will abandon the castle and launch a surprise attack on us. If not, we will rest for the night and then directly assault the castle first thing in the morning; with Douson here, their castle won’t hold for many minutes. Destroy the castle, eliminate the knights of Mane City, and then swiftly move forward!”

Douson’s Rock Spike was almost the quickest magic for dismantling a castle, unless there were anti-magic materials in the castle.

After exterminating the knights of Mane City and joining forces with the Earl to wipe out Count Sned’s Celery Fort, they would be able to swiftly advance to the next major city.

Iron Hoof Island has only eleven major cities in total. The three port cities of Bull Hoof City, Bull Horn City, and Bull Tail City had already been occupied. Iron Hoof City, where the Marquis of Bull resides, is easy to defend but hard to attack, but amongst the remaining six major cities, each conquest meant seizing a significant achievement.

In truth, exterminating Iron Hoof Island was not a difficult task.

Although the Marquis of Bull was capable of launching surprise attacks that could injure the Sapphire Dragon, it involved preparations of over thirty years, and even at his strongest, he was only a marquis.

His strength was limited.

The Grand Duke had already called all his followers to besiege from all major ports. Without any external factors interfering, this battle was a great opportunity to seize achievements. Moreover, the Wrath Knight Order, which was directly under the Marquis of Bull, had already gone to fight the Second Prince.

The area around Bull Horn City theoretically represented an abandoned battlefield. If they did not seize achievements now, when would they?

“The only thing to watch out for is the magician from the Goat Assembly. The ties between the Marquis of Bull and the group of evil magicians from the Goat Assembly are very deep… However, these nobles who follow him may not necessarily have any connections with the magicians,” Liszt declared his decision before allowing others to discuss briefly.

In the end, they all agreed on his decision and hurried towards Honey Town.

Honey Town was only two kilometers away from Mane City, practically a chargeable distance. As the red glow of twilight spread across the western sky, the Black Knight Order had already blocked the main exit roads out of Honey Town.

The town had no knights stationed in it.

Liszt gave the order directly, “Begin the purge, drive the serfs away, but do not harm them indiscriminately!” No matter what, his soul belonged to a modern person, and he was far from regarding human life with indifference.

Trading in serfs was already the greatest evil he could commit against the common people.

“Yes, Lord!”

The Black Knight Order quickly dealt with the serfs in the town, driving them out of the castle’s perimeter, and then began to set up camp around the castle—of course, some serfs were brought over to help the knights with tasks such as pitching tents, collecting firewood, carrying water, and digging soil.

The knights had searched the town inside and out, and by the time they returned, the camp had already been established.

“Sir, there must be a number of rats from Mane City among the serfs, sent to gather information. Unfortunately, we only caught two, and their kind must have already taken the news of our arrival to Mane City,” Captain Layden reported.

“No matter, I had intended for the people of Mane City to know… Tonight they will either be on tenterhooks and not get a wink of sleep, or they will organize a sneak attack. Either way, it won’t change the outcome on the battlefield… We are here to conquer and besiege!”

Having finished his stern declaration.

Liszt then said, “Bring the two rats here.”

The rats were quickly brought forth, having already suffered physically, so they lacked any resolve and started spilling everything they knew right away: “Respected knight, Mane City has nearly one hundred and thirty Earth Knights, with the strongest being Baron Moray, an Elite Earth Knight. They all stationed within the Castle.”

Another rat hurried to say, “The Castle is on a hill slope, easy to defend but hard to attack, and they have abundant water and food supplies. Now Baron Moray and other lords are building Rock walls, preparing to make a stand within the Castle… They might not plan to attack.”

“Why wouldn’t they consider attacking or fleeing but instead choose to make a stand?” Liszt inquired.

“Perhaps they dare not leave their territory on their own. Once they leave, it would be akin to fleeing, which would incur severe punishment,” the first rat replied.

Yet the other rat shook its head and said loudly, “Noble knight, Parker is willing to trade significant secrets for my freedom.”

“Speak, if it truly is a significant secret, I wouldn’t mind letting you go,” Liszt signaled Marcus with his eyes, and the Earth Knight dragged the first rat away.

Parker the rat sighed with relief, “It’s like this, I have a brother in Bull Hair City, a rat like me; he got involved with a maid named Tracy from Celery Fort. Once, while they were doing their business in the storage room, they overheard a Magician who had arrived at Celery Fort, secretly discussing matters with Earl.”

This Magician informed Count Sned that the Marquis of Bull needed him to hold the Castle and delay the advance of the army.

He promised that after the success of the matter, he could be granted a new Marquis title for his service, and even if Sned were to fall in battle, his son would inherit the Marquisate.

“Earl’s son is serving in the Wrath Knight Order, which is under the Marquis. So, the Earl quickly agreed to the Magician’s proposal to hold Celery Fort,” Parker the rat recounted everything in detail.

“Have they mentioned what would constitute a success?”

“I do not know, noble knight, I’ve divulged everything I know. These are all things my brother bragged about after drinking, saying that sleeping with Tracy is like sleeping with a future Marquis’s maid,” Parker finished speaking and then couldn’t help asking, “Knight, you promised to grant me my freedom, and I swear I’ll leave Mane City without looking back.”

“Of course, I’ll grant you your freedom right now. Marcus, take him out,” said Liszt, giving Marcus a knowing look.

A moment later, Marcus brought the other rat over and said, “Sir, Parker has now been granted complete freedom,” emphasizing the word “freedom.”

In this world, to be alive, is to be bound by many things at any given time.

Liszt looked at the remaining rat, “Your accomplice Parker has traded his freedom for a secret. Now, if you too have a secret worth enough, you might gain your freedom.”

The rat hesitated: “Sir knight, I… I… Ah, yes, I’ve got it, I have a secret!”

“What secret?”

“The Elf Bug, sir! In the barley fields belonging to Baron Moray outside Mane City, a Barley Bug is being nurtured, and Baron Moray couldn’t move it elsewhere, he could only raise it outside… But, but, it’s been several days, and I don’t know if the Barley Bug has been nurtured successfully.”

A Barley Bug in the middle of nurturing?

Liszt’s brow quirked, having received an unexpected surprise.