“Go forward, through this corridor, and up that slope.” Emerson shook the blood off his sword and stepped over the corpse on the ground.

Cumberland looked at the maid lying in a pool of blood, and the terrified look in her eyes before she died made the old knight turn his head away.

The group walked quickly through the palace in the night and finally arrived at two huge iron gates.

Standing before the gate was a squad of guards responsible for protecting the treasury. Looking at the 'barbarian army' before them, the guards' first reaction was that they were dreaming. After regaining their senses, their leader shouted, "The royal palace is forbidden territory! What do you want?!"

The Valkyries drew their bows taut and gave the best answer with their arrows.

Emerson pointed to a house not far away and said, "There's a squadron of guards inside. In the innermost captain's room, one of the treasury keys hangs. The second key is in the steward's room in the tower, and the third key is above the emblem in the royal council chamber. Only by collecting all three can you open it..."

Brunhilde gestured to the warriors behind her, and a group of North Island warriors drew their swords and axes and entered the guard camp. A moment later, screams and the sound of blows came from the room.

Then, she walked to the iron gate, knocked on the door with her fist, and then knocked along the base of the wall until she stopped in front of a stone wall.

After a whistle, several North Island berserkers, fueled by a brief surge of adrenaline, raised massive iron hammers taller than a man and slammed them down on the wall.

The loud impact and flying powder made Emerson sigh, "This method works, but it's a bit noisy."

Two minutes later, the soldiers who had swept through the guarded camp returned to their ranks, covered in blood, and the cracks in the walls were widening. Meanwhile, deafening crashes echoed throughout the palace, lights came on in many places, and the faint sounds of people talking could be heard.

Finally, a hole was smashed in the wall, big enough for two people to pass through. The warriors of the North Island Knights rushed into the treasure vault, only to be stunned by what they saw.

The warehouse was filled with piles of goldware and coins, priceless antiques and paintings, a scene of wealth everywhere.

“A few days ago, the Supreme Council, under the pretext of suppressing the enemy religion, confiscated the property of a group of nobles and wealthy merchants. They haven’t had time to distribute the spoils yet.” Emerson looked at the firelight gradually rising in the distance from the palace and nodded, saying, “The arsonists have succeeded. Now, we’ll see if any greedy fish will take the bait.”

On the main street outside the palace, a barbarian army, just awakened from their sleep, marched along, yawning and muttering under their breath.

“Those useless guys in the kingdom actually sent people to our camp in the middle of the night, saying that the Father Church had instigated a military rebellion and that the rebels were attacking the palace and urgently needed our support.”

"Don't they have their own army? Let them handle the suppression of the rebellion! Why are they disturbing our rest?!"

"Their warriors are utterly incompetent! Without our help, the Church's knights would have already taken this place!"

The barbarian chieftain walked at the forefront of the army, looking at the military order in his hand over and over again, and said with a puzzled expression, "The order itself is fine, but something feels off."

"Chief! Look! The Silver Ring Palace is on fire!"

Hearing his men's shouts, the barbarian chieftain looked up into the distance. The Silver Ring Palace, built on the high ground within the city, was engulfed in flames that were rapidly spreading. He tucked his command token into his robes and ordered his people behind him, "Run! Did you hear me?! Run!"

As they marched to the gates of the royal palace, a sharp-eyed person picked up a silver moon that had fallen to the ground. The barbarian chieftain looked at the coin in his tribesman's hand and, without saying a word, ordered the troops to speed up their advance.

As they ventured deeper into the area, they found more and more valuable items scattered on the ground.

Finally, the barbarian army found the collapsed hole. After crawling into the hole, the dreamlike scene of gold before them drove everyone into a frenzy. Pockets, shields, helmets, and even mouths became the baggage of these treasure hunters.

People try their best to take as much property as possible, but no one thinks about why the hole was created in the first place.

Just then, the doors to the treasure vault were opened.

"You thieves! Robbers! Shameless bastards!"

Because of the fire at the palace, the guards who returned to defend the palace saw the bodies of the guards and also discovered the barbarian army that had stolen the treasure. They raised their weapons and began to curse loudly.

The barbarian chieftain glanced at the few guards in front of him, then at the bulging bag in his hand, and slowly drew his hand axe from behind him. The tribesmen behind him, whose eyes were filled with greed and brutality, also drew their weapons and prepared for battle.

With a roar, the barbarian army charged into the guards, and a fierce battle ensued in front of the treasury.

Outside the palace, barbarian armies that had received similar "requests for reinforcements" were arriving one after another.

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"Has any of you seen Earl Emerson?!"

Cumberland wiped the blood off his face with the enemy's clothes, looked around, and suddenly asked the others.

The warriors of the North Island Knights, their backs laden with bags of gold and silver jewels and their hands holding still-dripping weapons, looked at each other and shook their heads.

Brunhilde released her bowstring and shot the last commander who was trying to escape on horseback. She turned to Cumberland and said, "When we broke out of the palace, the Earl seemed to say that he was going back."

Cumberland was stunned for a moment, then his expression changed drastically. He mounted his horse and shouted to Brunhilde, "Take the Knights of the North Island and head west. I will meet you on the way!"

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