Chapter 354 Weapons
With a crisp sound, the exquisite white porcelain teacup shattered on the polished marble floor of the study in the commander's mansion in Osiris City, and the black tea spilled out, staining the thick round wool carpet under the table.
Major Luca's muscles under his eyes twitched subconsciously, trying to avoid the crispy pieces of teacup flying out, but he controlled himself, tightened his jaw, and allowed the broken porcelain pieces to cut a small cut on the side of his face, and blood dripped down.
The symphony had stopped long ago, and the study was terrifyingly silent. The generals and adjutants of the major legions huddled together, and there were also a few faces appearing in the crystal ball, all of them daring not to breathe. The only sound that could be heard was the heavy breathing of Marquis Edward Ravel.
"Crescent Fort? Two hours?!" The other man braced himself on the table with both hands, veins bulging on the backs of his hands. His face, as he slowly lifted his head, was twisted with extreme anger and disbelief. "You're telling me, Crescent Fort only lasted two hours before it was lost?!"
"How did those peasants get through? Did they fall from the sky or crawl out of the abyss?!" He pointed at the noses of the generals of the Third and Fifth Legions guarding the Rime Valley Corridor in the crystal ball and cursed, "Are you all blind? A slave army capable of capturing Crescent Fort slipped past right under your noses. Over four hundred miles, crossing mountains and ridges. How did they do it?! Or are you just a bunch of useless people? What's the point of the Empire supporting you? Are you supposed to hand over the granaries to the People's Party?!"
The commanders of both legions felt aggrieved. It was clearly Marquis Ravel's own fault for misjudging the situation. The enemy hadn't advanced to reinforce the Blood River Ferry, instead bypassing the Frost Valley Corridor. To make matters worse, they had diverted most of Crescent Fort's forces. Otherwise, how could a group of exhausted slave remnants have captured Crescent Fort so easily? What did this have to do with them?
But no one dared to retort. Marquis Ravel had been suspicious recently, always suspecting that there were undercover members of the People's Party in the army. No one wanted to be labeled a traitor for no reason, so they had to let Marquis Ravel spit and rage until he had vented enough and stopped panting.
"Tell General Basso," Marquis Ravel said in a cold voice, "I don't care what methods or means he uses—three days! I only give him three days to defeat the main force of Ole Asaqi's army! Otherwise, expect to be court-martialed!"
The main granary was being held by the enemy. If time dragged on, everyone would be doomed. The only solution now was to dispatch the elite troops on standby in Osiris City and recapture the Crescent Fort granary.
As the generals filed out, Marquis Ravel rubbed his forehead and looked gloomily at the silent Major Luca. "Where's that promised shipment from the 'Asylum' company? How long do they plan to delay?"
"I was just about to report that Monsieur Moni has made... new 'considerations' regarding the agreement." Major Luca quickly glanced at the Marquis' sinister expression and bowed his head respectfully. "He believes that, given the drastic changes in the current battlefield situation and the additional risks associated with 'cargo' transportation, the previously agreed-upon coal concentrate quota is no longer sufficient to achieve the expected returns. They are requesting an additional 15% quota as compensation for the 'risk premium.'"
Marquis Ravel was so angry that he laughed.
"What does he think he's doing? Bargaining with vendors at the market?" He whirled around and grabbed Major Luca by the collar, his eyes bloodshot. "Illegal mining of coal concentrate, stealing the Empire's resources. Is he betting I won't report this to Her Majesty the Queen and end it all for everyone?!"
Of course Edward Ravel didn't dare.
Even if they knew about this, the royal family would just turn a blind eye and let the "Protector" company go. But Edward Ravel, who tried to profit from it, was definitely not so lucky.
It's important to understand that the Protector Company is not just an ordinary company; the royal family is their largest shareholder. With the decline of warlocks, the royal family sees these new weapons made of jet as the only hope for reshaping military hegemony and even the world order.
...What's more, that group of lunatics tried to rely on coal essence to "reshape" warlocks and mass-produce a legion of fearless warlocks.
Marquis Ravel loosened Major Luca's wrinkled collar and slowly walked to the window.
"...Deal." After a long pause, his voice practically squeaked out through his teeth: "Tell Lord Moni that I only want him to deliver the batch of 'Wall Breaker' heavy artillery to Osiris City on time and in the required quantity!"
"yes!"
Luca responded solemnly. Just as he was about to turn and leave, Marquis Ravel called out to him with a gloomy expression, "I heard that a ghost seems to have appeared near Eagle's Nest Town?"
Luca was stunned for a moment, then hesitantly said, "Our people haven't obtained any reliable evidence, but it's rumored. Emilia Caledon went to Eagle's Nest and disappeared nearby, so..."
"The nearest open area to Eagle's Nest is Stone Creek," Marquis Ravel said coldly. "Send a group of people to conduct a secret search. If you can find the Ghost, that would be great, but don't take action. If you discover his whereabouts, immediately fabricate and spread rumors that the Ghost has been captured."
The corners of his mouth curled up into an exceptionally cold arc: "—We will use the 'Ghost' to lure away his army."
…
Greven's face turned grim.
His muscular, scarred upper body was exposed, his fists clenched on his knees, cold sweat dripping down his forehead. His Excellency the Dragon Knight's fingers pressed lightly against his right shoulder. The wound, originally only two fingers wide, had now become a fist-sized bloody hole, still expanding, and even the white bones were clearly visible.
The healing process was several times more painful than the injury itself. Greven could even hear the rustling sound of flesh being peeled off layer by layer and then regenerating again, like countless red-hot steel needles drilling into the bones.
But Mr. Ghost watched the dragon rider's actions from the side, unfazed by the bloody scene, and it was unknown what he was thinking. Greven gritted his teeth, forcing himself not to utter an unseemly groan or scream, and he didn't dare to look at the expression on the black-haired young man's face.
A mixture of pain, embarrassment and forced weakness burned his nerves. He would rather be stabbed ten more times on the battlefield than behave like a pitiful patient in front of Mr. Ghost.
"This isn't a simple arrow wound," Azuka said calmly. "It's stained with a corrosive force. Nothing's visible on the surface, and the pain is numbed by the poison. But the wound has actually rotted deep into the flesh—it's incredibly vicious."
His fingers moved, making a peeling motion—Greven finally couldn't help but squeeze out a muffled groan from between his teeth.
"You are very patient, General." The Savior calmly commented on his former enemy, though his words lacked any admiration. "But you should be more grateful for the master's observation. Otherwise, if you had delayed for a few more days, your right arm would have been completely useless. It would have rotted away like highly rotten fish overnight, and you might not even have survived."
"But on the battlefield, you must learn to constantly monitor your physical condition." He spoke as if he had experienced countless battles, even with a hint of inexplicable sarcasm: "Blindly enduring and overexerting yourself often only results in a corpse."
Greven, who felt that these words implied something about the two people present, said: "..."
He couldn't help but glance at Mr. Ghost, but the other party seemed to have completely not understood the subtext and was staring seriously at his shoulder.
The remaining flesh finally became healthy, and the healing process became much easier. When his right shoulder was as good as new, Greven breathed a sigh of relief, loosening his grip on the bloody mark. He felt as if he had just been pulled out of the water. He tentatively moved his right arm, and aside from the slight soreness from the healing flesh, there was no more pain or stiffness.
"...Thank you, Your Excellency," Greven said solemnly. "And thank you for taking the trouble to speak to me."
...To be honest, when it comes to serious matters, this person's ability and style are impeccable, even he can't find any fault with him.
The professor hadn't noticed the undercurrent between the two men. He looked lost in thought, then suddenly, without warning, asked, "Greven, do you remember what this arrow looks like?"
The general recalled for a moment, and after a description, Nova and Azuka looked at each other.
"The 'Shelter' Company?" the professor asked with a frown.
The savior recalled the weapons that were popular on the battlefield in his previous life and nodded affirmatively: "Yes."
It was a very confusing conversation. Greven looked at the two of them with a bit of bewilderment. Even though they were clearly not alone, the atmosphere between them still naturally created an atmosphere that no one else could interfere with.
The general left.
The professor was still frowning, wondering just how deep the cooperation between Osiris City and the "Shelter" company had reached, when someone gently put their arm around his shoulders and rubbed his slightly aching forehead.
"Upset?" Azuka asked softly, "Why are you frowning like that?"
"...Well, I'm a little worried." The black-haired young man was silent for a moment and answered very frankly.
From an angle he couldn't see, the savior's eyes suddenly became extremely terrifying for a moment, but the strength of his hands was still very gentle: "Don't worry, you found him in time, he will be fine."
"What?" The professor was stunned for a moment before realizing what the other party was saying. "I'm not referring to Graven. What are you worried about? I'm thinking about the situation at the Blood River Ferry. He mainly used guerrilla tactics to catch the enemy off guard, but if Ravel used some new weapons that have never been seen before..."
"Ore will be fine." Azuka's voice remained gentle, his emotions unaffected. "He's seen everything on the battlefield before, so he won't be harmed by these things."
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