Chapter 34 Infrastructure: Deeper Contact
"Not here? He's not here!"
The Black Earl laughed grimly and extended his hand to John Deere.
"In the glorious capital, you are the Grand Duke's trusted confidant, frequenting the Silver Moon Palace, and a highly respected professor at the Royal Academy. But here, in this frontier inhabited by only uncivilized barbarians and illiterate commoners, you are merely a creature slightly better-looking than the average person!"
"Do you know what's in my dungeon? Whips, branding irons, boxes covered in spikes, and devices that can tear limbs off living people... Of course, for someone as proud as you, throwing you directly into a dungeon to be tortured is a bit of a waste. So I will hand you over to my mercenaries. They are poor and thirsty, and they will be happy to have a knowledgeable and handsome professor from the royal capital as a substitute for a woman."
The Black Earl's hand was about to touch John Deere's face.
"When you are pinned down on a haystack by a group of barbaric and vulgar mercenaries and treated with brutal methods forbidden in the red-light district of Kukuchia, can you still maintain your pride?"
"—I almost forgot to tell you that most of them have a penchant for killing people."
The Black Earl admired John Deere's face, which had turned pale because of his words, with pride. After a long while, he suddenly laughed triumphantly.
"Are you scared now? Can't stand it?"
"Now, immediately, put aside your chastity and integrity, apologize to me sincerely, and then take me to see your great Marquis of Gaura, who is said to be as handsome as his brother and inhuman."
"Tonight, I want to be alone with him in his bed. I will hold his arm and hold him tightly in my arms. Let our lips and tongues blend, let our skin be intimate, let his smooth skin be covered with my sweat..."
The Black Earl was intoxicated by his own description, closed his eyes and smiled with enjoyment.
“—How disgusting.”
"What did you say!"
The Black Earl was furious.
"Someone come!"
"exist!"
"Capture this fellow immediately, take him back to Castle Black and lock him up in the dungeons! Don't give him even clean water without my permission! Anyone who dares to release him secretly will have his head!"
"Yes, sir!"
The Black Earl's knights advanced, ready to arrest John Deere.
"Don't! Don't mess around!"
Count Bruno tried to dissuade him: "Lewis, no matter what, this is Rydburg, not your Dekala Castle! The Grand Duke's two hundred Holy Guard Knights are in the tower opposite! You don't want to die, but I want to live well!"
"Are you afraid that my men will clash with those delicate Holy Guard knights who have never been on the battlefield? Are you afraid that the Holy Grand Duke will learn about what's happening here and send magicians to kill you?"
“…”
Count Bruno bowed his head.
The Black Earl sneered and ordered his subordinates: "You guys, take him to the outside of Rydburg first, then tie him up and bring him back to Castle Black!"
"yes!"
The knights surrounded John Deere and asked him to go out with them.
Count Bruno glanced at John Dill guiltily. "Don't worry. When the Grand Marquis returns, I'll tell him everything. I'll ask him to bring the Holy Guards to Dekara Castle to rescue you!"
"……etc!"
A deep voice suddenly sounded, and then the tall and strong Lance appeared in front of John Deere, who was surrounded by the black knights.
"What happened? Why are you..."
"The Black Earl came to Rydburg but didn't see the master. He was very angry and decided to take me back to Castle Black and have the master meet him there."
"oh……"
Lance scratched his head, looked up, and glanced at the black figure in the hall who was talking to Count Bruno impatiently: "Are you Black Count Lewis?"
"Who are you?"
"Lance, nicknamed 'Blue Lion,' is a professional mercenary currently employed by the Holy Grand Duke on a three-year contract."
Lance happily gave his name.
"'Blue Lion?' You are 'Blue Lion'?"
The Black Earl looked solemn.
"Blue Lion" Lance is no small figure. He is one of the four most powerful generals under the mercenary king Alfonso, nicknamed "White Devil".
It is said that he was originally a slave gladiator in Kucukia, who set an amazing record of one hundred consecutive victories. After gaining his freedom, he formed the "Blue Lion" pirate group, which became one of the top five pirate groups in the coastal area in just one year. He was later conquered by Alfonso and became one of the four kings under Alfonso.
The "blue" in the nickname "Blue Lion" comes from the color of his eyes, and the "lion" describes his bravery and strength on the battlefield, like a lion.
"—Unbelievable! Truly unbelievable! To gain the support of the Holy Family, Alfonso actually lent the 'Blue Lion' to the Holy Archduke! Is he really that eager to change his title from 'Mercenary King' to 'King'? He's clearly a bastard who doesn't even know his father's name!"
“Lewis!”
Lance was angered by the Black Earl's words, took off his leather gauntlets, and prepared to challenge him to a duel.
"Lance! Don't be impulsive."
John Deere tried to stop Lance.
"Don't stop me!"
"Move aside—"
Xiao Yun, who was behind Lance, took off the bard's tricorn hat, walked through the arguing crowd, and entered the hall.
"Lewis, Alfonso may be a bastard who doesn't even know his father's name, but as long as he is successfully crowned king, there will be at least a hundred nobles claiming to be his brother or father."
"Who are you?"
The Black Earl asked in amazement.
He should have harshly questioned the bard who dared to speak so arrogantly to him, but the other party's shimmering appearance - whether it was the smooth white porcelain skin or the delicate and beautiful facial features, the slightly curly brown hair, the slender figure... even the voice he spoke was as beautiful and melodious as a nightingale.
Lewis's mind went blank for a moment.
until--
"Your Excellency the Grand Marquis, you are finally back!"
I was brought back to reality by the sound of Bruno crying with joy.
"You...you are..."
(No wonder the rumor goes that the direct descendants of the Holy Family are beautiful pets carefully nurtured by the Twin Gods, capable of the deepest contact with them... With such beauty, it's hard to call them human... Not to mention that his elder brother, the Grand Duke, is even more handsome...)
(Possessing extreme beauty, yet forbidden from committing infidelity with anyone before the age of thirty, and periodically forced to enter the highest levels of the ziggurat to serve the gods... After leaving office, he can only marry and have children with the woman designated by the oracle... A body controlled in this way, truly, is not...)
The Black Earl, whose mind was gradually being taken over by filthy and obscene things, licked his lips and said, "Your Excellency, Grand Marquis, you are indeed as beautiful as the rumors say, and you are beyond the reach of ordinary people."
"You are just as self-righteous as the rumors say—"
Xiao Yun looked at the Black Earl without fear and replied, "You won't even salute me."
"How come?"
The Black Earl smiled obscenely, knelt on one knee, and drew his sword: "Please accept my sword."
"Sword of Loyalty?"
"The Sword of Loyalty."
The Black Earl added, "I can't wait to be your lover."
"I don't like your ugly face."
"If you and your brother are the standard for beauty and ugliness, it's hard to find someone who isn't ugly. But the standard for a lover isn't the beauty of his face, it's his physical strength. If you only give me the chance, I'll use all my skills to please you, hold you in my arms, and satisfy you all night long."
(I really want to take his sword and chop off his head.)
Xiao Yun thought unhappily.
The Black Earl was unaware of Xiao Yun's inner hatred, and when he saw that Xiao Yun ignored him, he became even more aggressive.
"Your brother is also pitiful... He was chosen by the oracle to become the high priest at the age of fourteen, and began to regularly serve the gods in the highest level of the tower at the age of sixteen. I heard that his frail body made him sick every time he served the gods. Especially during his first service. Who knows what he went through in the highest level of the tower, but he actually had a high fever for an entire month afterwards..."
"Put away your curiosity! This is a top secret that even the Emperor of the Empire has no right to know, unless you want to be arrested for blasphemy and handed over to the Noth Priests for trial!"
After scolding the Black Earl, Xiao Yun turned around and ordered the Black Earl's knights to release John Dill and go back to the Black Castle!
"What a proud young man."
"But soon, you'll be crying and begging me to help you!"
The Black Earl deliberately mocked loudly and left Rydburg with the Black Knights.
Xiao Yun asked Lance to send John Deere back to his room to rest, glanced at the timid Bruno, and turned back to the living room deep in the castle.
…
…
On a full-moon night, in the dense forest near Dekala Castle, pairs of eyes flickered and burned.
The knights on duty had long been numb to the monsters and demons in the dense forest. They sat cross-legged under the burning bonfire on the city wall, chatting, laughing, gambling, and some even fell asleep against the rough wall.
No one noticed that something terrifying was spreading in the shadows.
finally!
finally!
That horrible thing rushed out of the shadow!
There is an endless stream of them, countless!
With the wrath to destroy Fort Dekara!
"ah--"
…
Ding! Ding! Ding!
The castle's alarm bells were sounded.
The Black Earl woke up from his mistress's arms and saw the flames rising into the sky outside the window, mixed with tearing screams!
"What's going on! Guards! Guards!"
"Report—Barbarians! The barbarians in the dense forest are attacking!"
"What?"
The Black Earl was stunned for a moment, and then he saw a head flying across his field of vision!
He rushed to the window and found that the area below was densely packed with grinning barbarians - their faces had totems painted with blood and mud, their bodies wrapped in simple clothes made of whole animal skins, some holding stone axes or shooting poison arrows, and they jumped and moved flexibly in the castle like monkeys.
The knights of Castle Black were attacked late at night and were inevitably overwhelmed for a while, but they were well-trained after all, and after a brief moment of surprise, they immediately launched a counterattack.
Although the barbarians took the initiative in the sneak attack, their equipment was too backward, and they were caught in a tough battle with the black knights from the very beginning.
But they opened the city gates and lowered the drawbridge before engaging the Black Knights in close combat.
At this moment, the main force of the barbarians was crossing the drawbridge and entering the castle continuously!
Lewis stood on the high tower and saw more and more barbarians pouring into the castle like a tide below, and finally realized the seriousness of the problem!
If this continues, the Black Knights will be wiped out!
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