"Crack!"
Gruul's fist unhesitatingly broke the last enemy in front of him, and then tore off his thigh. The soldiers who were fleeing in the distance could only see their backs in the darkness. The seemingly stupid Caucasian Troll used all his strength to throw the thigh that was still steaming hot. In the distance, the darkness could no longer be seen clearly, and the sounds of people falling to the ground and screaming could be heard. It was exceptionally ear-piercing in this silent wilderness.
Many people raised their hands to signal the end of the battle, then turned to look at the soldiers. Madam Vasaki understood the current situation, so she took the initiative to greet the guy who looked like an officer.
"I need to talk to the highest officer here."
Madam Vasaki casually wrapped the blood-stained whip around. She walked as if she was walking in high heels. Her expression was cold as she spoke to the guy whose armor was different from the other soldiers.
Behind her, there were a few tall and silent figures that made the officer shiver.
* * *
"I don't accept this agreement."
Victoria looked at the guy in front of her. Her voice was as cold as the snow of Velun Kingdom.
"Sir Count, I don't think this is a wise choice, but I still respect your opinion." Opposite Victoria was an envoy dressed in luxurious clothes. The badge on his body indicated that he was the envoy representing Marquis Barton to negotiate. He had an unusually shrewd mustache, and a pair of sharp triangular eyes. He did not look like someone who was easy to talk to. "But the Marquis has already made the biggest concession. I hope you can consider it more."
His words sounded a little shrill, which made Victoria a little annoyed. Of course, she was not annoyed by the person's voice, but by the condition that Marquis Barton had given her: to form an alliance and deal with Flora together.
This was to be expected, but Victoria did not expect Marquis Barton to give her a reward that exceeded her expectations. Once Sith Court's walls were breached and Flora's henchmen were eliminated, Victoria would continue to be the Lord of Sibor. At the same time, she would have a large vassal territory and so on …
The generous conditions were enough to tempt any politician, but the well-informed Victoria clearly knew how Marquis Barton dealt with the rebel leaders who attacked Xilias with him. Those former nobles were either dead or crippled, and none of them could stand to the end. The choice she faced didn't exist at all. She would never treat herself like a fool.
"I refuse."
Victoria stood up and waved at the waiter, indicating that the negotiation was over.
"Have a nice day."
The waiter didn't leave any harsh words. He just looked at Victoria playfully, then turned around and walked out of the room.
"What a scheme …"
Victoria looked at the waiter's back and sighed softly. When she turned around, the Empire's territory was already divided, and there was no sign of unification. Sith Court in the east had been quiet recently, and Sibor in the west was waiting for Queen Flora's orders. At this time, there was suddenly no news from the real lords of Xilias. It was as if they had suddenly lost their backbone. Marquis Barton seemed to know about this and had already launched a psychological attack on her …
* * *
"Take it slow. There's no rush."
Marquis Barton sat quietly at the dining table. He was the only one quietly hugging the food in front of him.
It was dinner time, and the food on the table was very simple. This old marquis, who was no longer young, did not enjoy all the glory and wealth he could after conquering Xilias. Even his maidservants were ten meters away from him.
The food on the table was very simple. Coarse wheat bread, milk, salt, some vegetables, and very little meat. It wasn't even enough for an adult man.
"Enough is enough. It's not good to be greedy."
Barton stared at the food in front of him as if he was talking to himself. He had been like this for a long time. After all the conspiring nobles were wiped out by him, Marquis Barton often sat quietly like this. He did not even care about political affairs. He gave very few orders, which made people feel as if the city of Liliath had lost its master after it was occupied. The position that was supposed to be the 'first seat' seemed to be empty.
The atmosphere was quiet, but it was soon broken.
"Marquis Barton, please forgive me for my sudden visit."
A figure suddenly appeared on the opposite side of the huge dining table. This sudden situation made Marquis Barton's fingers move slightly. However, the knife that he was holding firmly did not fall on the table. He narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at the front of the table.
"You are?"
"Chris Barton, Duke."
Chris Barton, who was wearing a black robe, was very polite. As usual, anyone who faced him felt that he was in front of a graceful and powerful person. His aura was very weak, so weak that it was even weaker than the average commoner. But his elusive skills had made Marquis Barton understand his strength.
More than five professionals suddenly appeared in the room, but before they could do anything, they seemed to be frozen by something and were fixed on the spot!
Chris Barton's appearance today was not the usual skeletal appearance. He looked like a middle-aged man in his forties. His eyes were very heavy, as if he had stayed up too much. But his eyes flashed with a light that Marquis Barton didn't dare to look at. This was something he had never seen before. An old man who stood until the end in the political storm with his hands stained with blood was not willing to look at that pair of sharp eyes. This was definitely not a good sign.
"What's the matter?"
"Yes, and it's very important."
Chris Barton did not waste any time. He snapped his fingers. After this simple action, all the "bodyguards" in the room instantly fell to the ground. Although there seemed to be no injuries, their hearts suddenly … stopped beating forever.
In the next moment, the cutlery in Marquis Barton's hand fell on the table with a clatter. His pupils suddenly dilated, and his body seemed to be suddenly pressed down by something. The clothes on his body suddenly shook violently as if blown by a hurricane. His meticulously combed hair also fluttered everywhere, but the only thing that did not move was his body. The marquis' eyes were pitch-black!
"This moment, may be beyond your expectations …"
Chris Barton slightly narrowed his eyes, stood up, and walked to his side. He stretched out his hand and patted Marquis Barton's shoulder slightly.
"Hmm?"
All the turbulence in the surroundings stopped abruptly. Something grayish-white in the air entered Marquis Barton's body along with the last vortex. The marquis, whose eyes had returned to normal, shuddered violently. He then turned his head to look at Creston, who was patting him on the shoulder.
"How do you feel?"
Chris Barton's expression was playful, and he seemed to be smiling.
"I feel very good."
Marquis Barton swallowed. His eyes were a little dull. He slowly turned his head, then shifted his gaze to Chris Barton, and whispered, "What do you want?"
"Stay here."
Chris Barton raised his hand, which was on Marquis Barton's body. The moment his voice fell, he disappeared in place, as if he had never been there.
* * *
"Madam, what do they mean?"
Many people looked at the scenery outside and felt like a dream.
At this moment, the five of them were sitting in a 'carriage' heading towards a nearby village. This thing was strange. It didn't have wheels, but it could travel abnormally smoothly on the bumpy road. This was because it was like a huge magical beast was carrying them forward.
Of course, there were two of them — Gruel alone occupied the other "carriage."
The thing carrying them forward was called a "Karu Beast." Its lower limbs were a bit like a centipede, and there were countless of them … But this scalp-numbing creature was thousands of times larger than a centipede. In the eyes of many, this guy was as big as a truck. If one did not look carefully, it was impossible to tell where its head was. The huge carapace on its back was abnormally flat, each of which could seat four to six people, and its speed was abnormally fast and extremely stable.
Above the group of people was a large awning. Many raised their hands to block the dazzling light. Looking at the desolate wilderness, they felt a lot of emotions.
"This village is located at the border, but not long ago, it was not considered the edge." Madam Vasaki leaned back slightly. Her plump figure was even more dazzling under the sunlight of the Abyss Continent. Her casually crossed legs trembled slightly as the Karu Beast moved forward. "Because the big, unfriendly neighbor next door always comes to loot from time to time. More than five villages have been looted by those stragglers."
"Why are there no reinforcements?"
Many eyes turned back, and some people leaned back on the soft back of the chair with some fatigue. Next to them, Yuna and Kuzkas were talking about something about yesterday's battle. The two warriors exchanged views and seemed to be discussing how to kill the enemy faster.
"The village chief of this village has asked for reinforcements three times, but he has not received any response. Their current situation is completely eating and waiting to die."
Madam Vasaki raised her bat wings slightly, blocking the dazzling light refracted from the ground. She closed her eyes slightly and lay down beside Many relaxed and continued, "If it wasn't for us, they would probably be finished after another two attacks like that."
"I'm really speechless. Can't these people escape?"
"Maybe I'll know when I think of the destination."
Madam's voice was indifferent. "Little guy — heh, I haven't called you that for a long time, right?"
"Well, it's indeed been a long time."
Many was a little stunned, recalling when was the last time Madam called him that, but his mind was in a mess, so he gave up the idea.
"Little guy, this is where my elders live. Why do you think they attacked that continent?"