Chapter 210 Every Family Has Its Own Problems

Early in the morning, when it was still light, old Abel got up yawning and went to the pigsty outside the farmhouse to prepare today's feed for the animals.

This is one of the few jobs he has in winter.

However, at this moment, the noise coming from the feed shed made him nervous.

There are only two situations in which this could happen: either it's a drunk adventurer or it's a beggar from outside the village.

If it's the former, it's easy to deal with, just notify the Adventurer's Guild, but the latter is not necessarily the case.

As for the third and most dangerous situation, it is the little devil in the nearby forest.

However, those cunning guys would never stay until dawn. They would usually fly away after eating, so he didn't even consider it.

"Let me see what you are..." Old Abel muttered, first called people around, then grabbed a pitchfork and rushed in with everyone.

But the next scene that came into their eyes scared them. They saw a dozen goblins lying next to the feed bucket and eating with relish. They had drunk up most of the slop they used to feed the pigs.

Seeing the villagers standing at the door, the goblins who were busy eating were frightened and stood there with their mouths open.

“Catch them!”

Old Abel was filled with rage and he rushed forward with a roar. He and the other villagers quickly pinned down the guys who stole the feed.

Although ordinary goblin soldiers are not easy to deal with, these guys are obviously not professional soldiers. On the contrary, the humans are all farmers who have received military training.

Under the crushing of physique and strength, the goblin who stole the pig feed was beaten black and blue in the face in a short while, and begged for mercy under the old farmer's fist.

Old Abel was bullied twice by the Demon King's army yesterday. He was so angry that he didn't know where to vent his anger. Now he finally got the chance. He grabbed one of the goblins by the neck and interrogated him with a pitchfork.

"Tell me! You are the devil's man!"

Looking at the three gleaming spear tips, the goblin whose neck was being strangled was so frightened that he peed his pants and stammered.

"My, my, my, if it's the goblin from the Castle of Calamity..."

Old Abel's eyebrows glared and he was about to poke out with the pitchfork in his hand, which frightened the goblin so much that he quickly changed his words and screamed in panic.

"I'm the Demon King's Goblin! No, I'm the Demon King's man!"

The expression on Old Abel's face changed into one of satisfaction.

As if they had noticed this, the goblins, who were good at observing people's words and expressions, quickly spoke in unison under the threat of death, and screamed one after another.

"That's right! We are the warriors of His Majesty the Demon King!"

"He sent us to attack you!"

"Ying, hero, spare our lives! We won't dare to do it again!"

Looking at these goblins begging for mercy, Old Abel felt very relieved.

So this is what being an adventurer is like. No wonder so many people enjoy it.

Just as he was enjoying the feeling of showing off his power, there was a noise outside the door, and the men of "Shield Thrower" Hebal walked in with muskets.

"What happened? I heard that there are people from the Demon King's army here?"

Scanning the crowd with his sharp eyes, Hebal soon discovered the goblin being held down by the villagers, and an expression of surprise immediately appeared on his face.

"Goblin? Why are you here?"

"They were stealing Master Gus's food, sir," Abel walked forward with a proud look on his face, saying, "But they didn't succeed. We only lost some swill to hold them down!"

No matter how small a mosquito is, it is still meat. In any case, it is a credit, Hebal waved his hand.

"Take them away."

The militiamen rushed forward and tied the sixteen goblins together with ropes.

At this moment, the sound of bells suddenly came from outside the town.

Old Abel and the surrounding villagers were startled when they heard the sound and exchanged frightened glances.

"The Demon King's army is attacking us?!"

"no……"

Hebal looked out of the town in astonishment, looking at the flag that appeared on the horizon.

If possible, he would rather the Demon King's army attacked instead. After all, if they couldn't win, they could just run away.

His Adam's apple moved and he spoke in a trembling voice.

"It's His Majesty the Grand Duke..."

…

The mighty army marched to Yinsong Town, and the fully equipped column numbered at least 20,000 people.

In the feudal era, adding a zero to a number was basic practice, adding two zeros was conservative, and adding three zeros was against the will of heaven. Therefore, it was not an exaggeration to claim to have an army of 200,000.

Hearing the noise outside the town, the residents of the town and the adventurers in the tavern went out one after another, casting curious glances at the flags showing off their might in the distance.

"Is that the Campbell family crest?!"

"I heard that Her Royal Highness the Princess will be coming soon..."

"No, that's not Her Royal Highness. She doesn't have that many guards... Maybe it's His Majesty."

"It seems that something has really happened to Mr. Colin, and even His Majesty has been alarmed!"

The sound of whispers spread at the entrance of the town. Everyone had known for a long time that Baron Gus had been captured, but they still had doubts about the whereabouts of Mr. Colin.

But now it seems that the rumors are true.

Just as everyone was talking, several fast horses galloped past them on the street and headed towards the direction of the army.

The dust raised by the horse's hooves passed across the frozen fields. Sheriff Adlai dismounted from his horse and knelt on one knee in fear and trepidation as he arrived at the front of the battle.

"Your Majesty! I am the sheriff of Silver Pine Town. As for the mayor, he is on his way here. We didn't know you were coming. Please forgive us for not welcoming you..."

"No need to be polite."

Edward, who was riding on a horse, replied casually, looking coldly at the quiet town in the distance. His brows were slightly furrowed, but he felt relieved in his heart.

His mood was actually very conflicted. He wanted some fighting to happen, but he didn't want the fighting to be too intense.

After all, once a war breaks out, all the problems he faces will be solved, and those nobles who oppose him will return to his side, including his younger brother who has a lot of complaints about him, who will no longer be able to compete with him.

But on the other hand, if this war turns into a total war, his ideals will be shattered.

Grand Duke Aaron Campbell has become a legend in military affairs. It is impossible for him to replace him. The only way is to become a monarch who governs the world and leave a good name.

perhaps--

This may have been the reason why the late king left the sword to his sister instead of handing it over to him.

This is what he has been thinking about recently.

Of course, even if the father had good reasons, this betrayal was unacceptable to him.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Adlai stood up tremblingly, nodded respectfully and stood aside.

Edward, holding the reins in his hand and wearing armor, looked down at the top of his head and continued.

"I heard that the Demon King's castle appeared in the land given to you by your ancestors. What is going on?"

"There is indeed a castle in the north of Silverpine Forest, but strictly speaking it is not the territory of Baron Gus. When the previous king was still alive, the Andes family had a mine there, but it was soon occupied by monsters, and only adventurers would occasionally go there." Adlai lowered his head and answered everything in detail.

Although he didn't like Master Gus, he still had to speak for this guy when faced with the monarch's questioning.

After all, he was not naive enough to think that the whip in the Grand Duke's hand would only fall on Master Gus's head.

Moreover, even if we take a step back and assume that Baron Gus was the only one punished and his title confiscated, this would definitely not be good news for him since he already controls the local power in Silver Pine Town.

Archduke Edward seemed to accept this statement, and also seemed to simply not want to waste time on such trivial issues.

He looked over Sheriff Adlai's head, toward the peaceful and tranquil Silverpine Town, and spoke in a voice without much emotion.

"No matter what happened, I feel relieved to see that you are all right."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Adlai said gratefully.

Edward looked at him and changed the subject.

"…However, what I cannot accept is that your lord's stupidity has not only cost him his life, but also the lives of the distinguished guests of the duchy, and has put my dear sister in danger. I will hold him accountable later, but for now, tell me everything you know about the Demon King's army."

Of course, it is impossible for Adlai to tell His Majesty all the news about the Demon King's army. After all, his interests have long been closely tied to the Demon King, and he even sold his soul to the latter.

To be honest, he had no idea what tricks the Demon King was playing this time. He actually staged a drama of kidnapping himself.

But at this moment, Hebal, who came in a hurry, helped him out.

Not wanting to waste his promotion, the cowardly shield thrower turned over, dismounted, and knelt on the ground, saying in fear and trepidation.

"Your Majesty, we captured scouts of the Demon King's army near Silver Pine Town... They seemed to have seen your army's march, so they came to us to gather intelligence, but we didn't let them succeed. We pinned them down as soon as they showed their heads!"

Edward looked at him.

"Bring them up here."

"Yes!" Hebal glanced at Sheriff Adlai next to him, got the latter's affirmative look, and then hurriedly retreated.

Not long after, the sixteen goblins were brought up and forced to kneel on the ground by the militiamen with their heads pressed down.

Perhaps they felt the majesty of the human monarch, or perhaps they were intimidated by the mighty army, they trembled in fear and dared not even make a loud sound when breathing.

Edward had no interest in interrogating them personally, and just gave a look to the knight's squire next to him.

After receiving the order, the attendant dismounted from his horse without saying a word. He raised the whip in his hand and started whipping the goblins. Finally, he took a bucket of salt water and poured it on them. He tortured them until they were unconscious before he began to question them.

The goblins, who were tortured to death, dared not tell a lie and quickly told the whole story of what had happened.

Including when the Hell Dwarf took them to purchase goods, and when they were transporting the goods they were attacked by human mages.

They described those fireballs as a rain of fire all over the sky. In short, they did not dare to stay for a moment and could only flee like birds and beasts.

Edward looked surprised when he heard this, but soon felt relieved.

The soul level of the nobles is all above silver, and the nobles of the empire prefer magic, so it is not uncommon for powerful magicians to be born in noble families.

For example, Edward himself has the strength of a silver level, but he just doesn't have many opportunities to use it.

Leaving behind those goblins, the heavily armored attendant returned to Archduke Edward, performed a knight's salute, and reported to him.

"Your Majesty, according to the goblins' explanation, they should be the defeated soldiers on the battlefield. The Demon King of Thunder County seems to have formed an alliance with the Hell Dwarf of Broken Rock Peak. They sold the captured baron to the latter and were attacked by Mr. Colin when they were delivering the goods. If nothing unexpected happens, I guess they should have returned last night."

Upon hearing this, Archduke Edward's brows relaxed slightly, and a comfortable smile appeared on his face. The knights surrounding him also breathed a sigh of relief.

They were not afraid of fighting the Demon King's army, but it was hard to say how likely they were to win if they rushed to the battlefield in such a hurry.

"very good."

Edward looked at the soldiers behind him and gave the order.

"Pass my order down. The entire army will set off to Baron Gus's manor."

"Yes!" The knights saluted respectfully and rode back to the front of their respective armies.

The fluttering military flags changed direction, and the mighty army set out on the road again.

The townspeople heaved a sigh of relief, as it seemed that peaceful days had returned. However, the adventurers sighed with regret, as there was no good show to watch.

Looking at His Majesty Edward who came and went like the wind, Sheriff Adlai asked hurriedly.

"Your Majesty, what should we do with these goblins?"

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Edward waved.

"Hanging in the square."

The Duchy of Campbell doesn't need these things, this is how they always deal with the demons they capture.

Adlai's expression became serious and he bowed respectfully.

"yes!"

…

The mighty army soon arrived near Baron Gus's manor, and the dust raised by the horses' hooves almost immediately attracted the attention of the people in the manor.

Baron Gus never imagined that his accident would not only shock the princess, but even alarm His Majesty.

The gate of the manor.

Baron Gus hurried out and spoke in panic in front of the Grand Duke.

"Your Majesty?! Why did you come here in person?"

"How can I just sit back and watch my subjects being captured by the Demon King's army?" Although he was very annoyed, Edward still showed his compassionate side to his subordinate and treated him with tolerance.

You can scold him behind closed doors. Even if this country bumpkin doesn't care about his reputation, he is still a person who cares about his reputation.

Especially since Mr. Colin is here.

After dealing with his vassal, Edward looked at Colin who was standing next to Baron Gus, dismounted, walked forward, and said with an apologetic smile on his face.

"I've heard about what happened yesterday. I'm sorry to have embarrassed you."

"That's impossible," Luo Yan nodded slightly and said with a smile, "I am deeply impressed by Mr. Gus's love for his people, and Her Highness Irene Campbell's concern for his subjects must also come from you as the eldest brother. The Kingdom of Ryan is worthy of being the hometown of knights, and the Principality of Campbell is worthy of being the guardian of tradition. This trip has opened my eyes. After I go back, I will tell my father about this legendary experience."

The polite words were flawless and as standard as a textbook, worthy of a noble from the empire.

Edward had a bright smile on his face and shook his right hand enthusiastically, but he became reserved instead.

"It is our honor to receive your praise! Please also convey the greetings from the Lord of the Principality of Campbell to your father. The Principality of Campbell will always remember the helping hand his children extended when we were facing threats. Saint Sith will bear witness to the friendship we have forged today!"

"I will. It is an honor for the people of the Principality of Colin to have such a deep bond with the descendants of heroes."

Luo Yan smiled and shook Archduke Edward's right hand, which was tightly clasped over his, completely immersing himself in the character he had created for Roxie Colin.

Witnessed by countless combat priests and knights, the Demon King's right hand was firmly clasped with that of the ruler of the human principality, although the latter was unaware of it.

The troops of Thunder City and the Knights of the Trident were stationed near the manor.

Edward ordered his soldiers to write a letter to inform the recruitment point in Thunder City to cancel the mobilization plan, and then walked side by side with Mr. Colin and entered the manor with Baron Gus following closely.

"...I heard about your deeds when I was in Campbell Castle. I have wanted to meet you for a long time, but I didn't expect that my disappointing sister would kidnap you to a rural place like Silver Pine Forest."

Looking at the smiling Archduke Edward, Luo Yan smiled and nodded.

"It's the same for me. I heard your name when I first entered the Kingdom of Ryan."

Edward showed a flattered expression on his face and smiled embarrassedly.

"Really? I thought my father would be more famous."

"Indeed."

Luo Yan nodded honestly, but then changed the subject.

"But the nobles I met all said that Archduke Aaron was better at bravery but slightly inferior in intelligence, while his child Edward Campbell possessed both his strengths and made up for his shortcomings."

Based on his previous observations, Archduke Edward not only had the ambition to achieve great things, but also had a vain side.

Although he may have heard a lot of flattery, compliments from people of the same status have a completely different effect.

Sure enough, a broad smile appeared on that majestic face.

Archduke Edward said modestly.

"They are overpraising me! I am still too inexperienced to be compared with my father."

Having said that, his heart felt as sweet as honey, and he liked the guest from afar even more.

Luo Yan had no doubt that the respected Grand Duke would seriously consider any proposal he made at this time.

However, he did not want to reveal his purpose too obviously, as this would create hidden dangers for his subsequent plans.

and……

He subconsciously thought of his sister again, so he couldn't help but say a few more words.

"Although I have a lot to say to you, the person who needs you most right now is probably Her Royal Highness Irene Campbell. She would be very happy if you could go and see her."

"That's what I was planning."

Edward, who was coaxed into feeling comfortable, was willing to listen to advice and looked casually at Gus standing beside him.

The latter noticed the Archduke's look and spoke quickly.

"Her Highness Irene is resting in bed in the annex! She has had a high fever since she came back that day. It seems that she was attacked by the backlash of the Light of Legend..."

Edward frowned.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier? Take me there quickly."

"Yes!" Looking at His Majesty who was pretending to be stupid, Gus didn't dare to expose him and hurriedly walked to the front to lead the way.

Luo Yan did not follow, but just nodded slightly and said.

"I'll wait for you in the reception room."

He knew very well that if he were present, both Irene and Edward would feel uncomfortable, unable to behave like their usual selves, and would only be able to speak through masks.

"Please wait a moment, I'll be back soon." Edward appreciated his kindness and gave him a grateful look, then followed Baron Gus to the villa on the other side of the fountain garden.

Watching the group go away, Luo Yan stood beside the fountain for a while, and then was led by the servant to the reception room in the main building.

In order to prevent him, who was also a guest, from feeling neglected, Marina took over her husband's role and entertained him as attentively as she had yesterday.

Although her hospitality was a little too enthusiastic, Luo Yan still appreciated her kindness and then said that he wanted to stay quiet for a while before talking to His Majesty.

The regretful look turned into resentment, but Marina finally stepped back and gently closed the door for him.

The noisy room returned to silence, as if the singing canary had returned to its cage.

Luo Yan took a sip of the black tea and put the cup back on the tray.

A leisurely shadow emerged on the shaking water, and he sighed slowly and said.

"...Sometimes I really can't figure out what kind of feelings Archduke Edward has towards his sister. He seems to hate her, but he can't let her go."

Same as before.

It had been eating the watermelon silently nearby, and probably had no sense of boundaries, so it followed the bird to the other pavilion and just floated back from there.

Although that was not the Demon King's territory, there were the Demon King's "believers" there after all, and the Demon King was not far away, so it could float to the window and take a look.

Luo Yan thought about it for a while and then spoke.

"Mixed feelings."

"That's the same as not saying anything." Youyou couldn't help but complain.

"Because this really cannot be explained in a few words." Luo Yan said casually.

Just like Vivian's feelings for him, it was just a matter of which one prevailed more, hatred or indebtedness.

Even himself.

Originally, he felt at ease teaching the brat a lesson. After all, he did not owe the Colin family anything. But when he saw the efforts Irene Campbell had made in places Edward didn't know about, and the suspicion in Edward's eyes, he suddenly wondered if he was too harsh.

Some mistakes are clearly made by the parents.

Roxel's indecision and silence almost doomed him to be misunderstood by Vivian, and Roxel's silence might not be due to selfishness, but also due to the pressure from his father Caesar.

As for Prince Caesar, he also had his own problems. Not only did he have to face the Demon God, but he also had to face the other members of the Demon God's Cabinet and the Senate of the Principality of Kolin. Even a demigod couldn't really do whatever he wanted.

"Every family has its own problems." Luo Yan couldn't help but sigh.

Youyou, who was floating nearby, made a joke.

"Are you thinking about yourself?"

Luo Yan replied calmly.

"I am not a machine. It is human nature to sympathize with others who are suffering from the same disease."

At the same time as he finished speaking, the carrier pigeon carrying the royal order finally flew back to Thunder City, followed by a fleet of fast horses galloping from the Governor's Mansion to the military camps throughout the city.

Before the conscription points could come into play, Archduke Edward lifted the mobilization.

With the arrival of this letter, the war clouds hanging over Thunder City seemed to dissipate in an instant.

However, in contrast, a new tsunami swept the entire city silently...

(End of this chapter)