Chapter 28 Infrastructure: Black Earl
Under the protection of two hundred Holy Guard knights allocated by the Holy Grand Duke, the newly-appointed Grand Marquis of Gaula, Lucien al-Saints, and his two capable subordinates, John Dill and Lance, headed eastward along the "Road of the Gods", through dense forests and continuous mountains, and came to the steep rocky heights beside the Cass River. Across the turbulent river, they looked at the castle built with huge stones opposite.
On the other side of the river is Gaura.
Affected by the ancient curse that has not yet dissipated and the strong winds that blow continuously from the Death Desert, the sky of Gora appears to be a strong and strange blue-purple-red. Below the sky, the nearby black castle and the distant black mountains echo each other, forming a distorted outline like a demon from hell, which makes people feel strongly uncomfortable.
The descendants of mutated fish and shrimp live in the river, the open areas along the river are occupied by the pioneers who settled here, the forest is inhabited by fierce barbarians, and the mountains are the habitat of ghouls and various wild beasts - of course, compared with the various monsters that only exist in legends and live in the Death Desert, whether it is the fierce barbarians or the martial pioneers, or the ghouls in the depths of the Talia Mountains, or the mutated water monsters in the Kas River that still appear from time to time, they are not worth mentioning.
Thinking that he had to lay the first cornerstone of the empire in this borderland where demons were rampant and barbarians were wreaking havoc, Xiao Yun couldn't help but sigh, even with the system's backing.
"——If you feel scared, you can return to the capital immediately and throw yourself into the arms of the Grand Duke to let him comfort you."
Lance said suddenly.
"I won't look back."
(You and I have embarked on a path of no return...)
Silently reciting the promise he made to Yaris, Xiao Yun looked up and gazed at the black castle on the opposite bank.
This is a border castle made entirely of gray-black rocks, which is easy to defend and difficult to attack. The walls are covered with potholes and scars from swords and spears. Each pothole represents at least one attack from barbarians or even zombies.
But the castle still stands today, using its simple, solid rock structure and the purple flag flying above it to protect the pioneers living in the open area of the river valley below.
"The Empire has five castles in the Gola region, each with a garrison ranging from 2,000 to 4,000 troops, for a total of 15,000. The castle before you, sir, is the largest of the five castles in the Gola region, the one with the largest garrison and the most forbidding natural environment. The highest military commander of Dekara Castle is honored as the Black Earl, and the soldiers are known as Black Knights in recognition of their loyalty and perseverance in defending the Empire's dark frontier."
"That's why Dekara Castle got the nickname Black Castle."
John Dill added: "Although you are the Grand Marquis of Gaula, appointed by the Emperor himself, if the Black Earl does not obey you, it will be difficult for you to gain a foothold in Gaula."
"Even the Holy Family?"
"The border residents mainly worship the storm god Sera."
John Deere said politely.
"--Understood."
…
…
"Open the door!"
The leading black knight shouted loudly, and the guards guarding the city leaned out to take a look. Then, the drawbridge of the castle slowly dropped, and the black cavalry silently entered the black castle that exuded a gloomy atmosphere.
The corridor leading to the castle hall is very old, with the walls on both sides covered with scratches and wear. The few decorations have long been blurred, and the smooth and clear gaps between the stones make people suspect that there is a secret door here. If you walk on such a corridor at night, even a battle-hardened knight will feel a chill.
The few black knights at the end of the team could no longer help but shiver, muttering to themselves that they would have to endure several more years before they could leave this hellhole.
“…What are you talking about!?”
The captain stopped and looked coldly at the young man who had just whispered.
“—No! Nothing!”
“It’s better if there is really nothing!”
After emphasizing this, the captain led the team up the stairs. After several twists and turns, they arrived at an extremely spacious hall where the furniture and supplies were all in the fashionable style of the royal capital.
On the stone altar deep in the hall, a tall man in black armor sat on a chair covered with soft, fluffy animal fur, with a large sword placed at his feet.
"grown ups--"
The captain led the group to a standing position, stepped forward, took off his helmet, and held it to his left chest. He reported respectfully: "The Grand Marquis of Gaura and his entourage from the capital have arrived on the other side of the Kas River and will enter Castle Black by noon tomorrow at the latest."
"Grand Marquis of Gaura?"
The man known as the Black Earl sneered and said in a slow, heavy voice, "He's just a loser who got his title through his family. He faints at the sight of blood."
"I heard that although the Marquis of Gaura can't match his brother's peerless beauty, he's still a rare beauty, perfect for me to enjoy!"
"This kind of thing...what if...the magician passes the news back to the capital and lets His Highness the Grand Duke know..."
"If the Grand Duke cherishes this half-brother, why did he send him to Gola?"
“…”
"Don't you want to know whether the members of the Holy Family, both men and women, really possess unparalleled beauty as rumored, and—"
The Black Earl touched the corner of his mouth and uttered the second half of his words with unusual joy: "...a body that even the gods would be intoxicated by."
…
…
"Let's set sail——"
Lance, a former pirate, shouted loudly and energetically untied the rope as thick as a baby's arm. The large ship that could accommodate more than 200 people was immediately swept by the turbulent river and rushed to the center of the river.
Xiao Yun, who encountered this situation for the first time, grabbed the side of the boat in fear.
Most of the knights of the Holy Guard who were traveling with them were also staggering like drunks, and it seemed like they would kneel on the deck and vomit at any moment.
"You'd better stay away from the side of the boat and don't fall into the river. Although John and I were born in coastal areas and are good swimmers, we are not sure we can rescue people from such a turbulent river."
"There are all kinds of monsters in the Kazakhstan River."
John Deere added.
As if to confirm his words, as soon as he finished speaking, a ball of white foam emerged from the left side of the boat and moved at high speed close to the boat!
"What's this!"
Xiao Yun, who had gradually adapted to the rocking rhythm of the boat, asked sharply, "A monster from the Kas River?!"
"Very—"
Before Lance could finish his words, the churning foam split in two, revealing a massive mouth with at least ten layers of fangs! Surrounding the mouth were over twenty tentacles, and behind it was a smooth, tubular cavity that emitted a strong, fishy odor!
"Death Polyp! It's Death Polyp!"
Shouting, Lance pulled out two hooks from behind his waist and slashed at the Death Polyp that was about to rush onto the boat and was as tall as an adult as it emerged from the water!
"Don't get caught in its slime! It'll burn your skin!"
John Deere warned sharply.
However, at this moment, the bloody mouth of the Death Hydroid had already collided head-on with Lance's double hooks!
Deep within the fully opened mouth, densely packed with fangs like a chrysanthemum, a ball of crystal-clear liquid emitting a pungent smell was...
"Lance! Get down!"
Xiao Yun grabbed a sword with his backhand and threw it at the big mouth of the Death Polyp like throwing a knight's spear.
Hearing the call, Lance suddenly knelt down on his knees with the help of years of fighting, slid forward, and used the double hooks in his hands to harvest the lumen of the death hydra!
Crash——
choke!
The moment Lance cut the tube of the Death Hydra with his double hooks, its open mouth was pierced by the heavy sword thrown by Xiao Yun!
Bang! Bang!
The big mouth without a lumen fell back into the dark and deep river along with the heavy sword that pierced it and the lumen without a mouth, splashing foul-smelling water.
"call--"
Lance let out a long sigh, stood up, walked to Xiao Yun, and looked at this noble young man born into a sacred family with great surprise.
"Just now... Thank you! Even without your help, I could still have dealt with this Death Polyp, but I would have been burned by the acid it spewed out."
"No need to thank me, I—"
"Why did you save me yourself?"
Lance asked in confusion, "You could have ordered a knight beside you to throw a sword or something else to pierce the Death Polyp's mouth."
"I forgot."
Xiao Yun said embarrassedly.
"Forgot?"
Lance was stunned.
Xiao Yun nodded. "Compared to my brother, known as the 'Light of the Empire,' I've always been stupid and slow-witted. When faced with a crisis, my mind tends to go blank, leaving only instinct."
"Earlier in the palace, I was so excited that I forgot about my blood phobia and drew my sword in front of His Majesty, injuring the mage. Only afterwards..."
"I know about this..."
Lance looked solemnly as he repeatedly examined Lucien's fair and handsome face.
"Perhaps... Young Master's blood phobia is some kind of protective restriction..."
"Protection restrictions?"
"Um."
Lanslow twitched his chin. "My master, Alfonso, has 'mad blood' in his body. Whenever he goes to the battlefield, he becomes agitated, violent, and bloodthirsty. He won't feel tired for three days and three nights, and his excitement may even double. After each battle, his armor, including the shirt and trousers underneath, is completely soaked in blood, requiring several men to remove it."
"But 'mad blood' isn't the most terrifying blood humans can possess. Even more ferocious is 'beast blood'... No one knows how powerful or perverted those with 'beast blood' can become... Legend has it that the gods imposed a restriction called 'blood phobia' on 'beast blood' to prevent those with 'beast blood' from dragging the world into a sea of blood."
"You suspect I have 'beast blood'?"
"I didn't believe in the existence of 'mad blood' until I saw Alfonso on the battlefield. Since 'mad blood' really exists, 'beast blood' must also exist."
"Then you can't say that I am—"
Xiao Yun suspected that Lance had a tendency to become a Buddhist.
"In fact, neither 'Mad Blood' nor 'Beast Blood' are creations of God. Instead, they are semi-finished products of 'Knight's Blood' developed by the Eternal Empire, which was destroyed by divine punishment six thousand years ago."
"'Knight's Blood'? What is that?"
Lance and Xiao Yun both stared at John Deere with wide eyes.
"I don't know. I only found a few fragments of description in the master's collection. It is said that the 'Blood of the Knight' was not successfully developed until the destruction of the Eternal Empire."
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