Chapter 627 - 455: Expedition to Red Hill Castle and "Black Wind’s" Prison Break
Chapter 627: Chapter 455: Expedition to Red Hill Castle and "Black Wind’s" Prison Break
"What did you say?"
Gaius asked.
"Say that again!"
The Knight, intimidated by Gaius’s presence, didn’t dare to raise his head and simply repeated what he had just said.
"Marshal Gaius, the Thunder Dragon Knight Squad sent to Red Hill Territory... their mission failed. Red Hill Castle... has... has fallen."
"The squad was attacked about three miles from Red Hill Castle. The enemy dispatched over three hundred Knights and a thousand soldiers from the City Guard Army. They... they also had a hidden unit of Vampires, their numbers unknown."
"The squad... the squad fought desperately to break out, losing seven of our brothers."
Fallen.
A complete Viscount’s Domain that had existed on the map of the Thunder Dragon Duchy for decades, with its own castle, army, and people!
And just like that, without a sound, it had raised the flag of the Blood Rose.
This meant that Viscount Red Hill had not only fallen and become a Vampire himself, but he had also used some method to control his entire territory’s army, turning them into a weapon against the Duchy.
This was rebellion.
An open declaration of war, raising the banner of revolt!
A scorching rage shot up from the soles of Gaius’s feet to the crown of his head. He could barely contain the urge to draw his sword.
Raylo said nothing.
He just sat quietly in the main seat, his fingers unconsciously tracing the cold armrest of his chair.
The brazier in the tent cast shifting light and shadows across his face, making his expression unreadable.
He didn’t look at the reporting Knight, nor at the furious Gaius. His gaze was fixed on the entrance of the tent.
After a long silence, he finally spoke, his voice calm.
"You may leave."
"Yes, Your Highness."
As if granted a pardon, the Knight quickly bowed and turned to leave the tent.
The Knight retreated, and the tent flap fell, shutting out the noise from outside.
Inside the command tent, only Raylo and Gaius remained.
"Your Highness!"
Gaius could no longer hold back. He took a step forward, his voice hoarse.
"This is no longer simple infiltration. They are digging at the very foundations of the Duchy! Red Hill Territory... that’s one of the gateways to the Duchy’s Western Territory!"
"I know."
Raylo’s gaze finally shifted from the entrance to Gaius.
His eyes were cold, as cold as the winds of the Extreme North Ice Field.
"Count Remon, Viscount Red Hill..."
Raylo stood up and walked over to the large military map.
His finger slowly traced across several adjacent territories on the map.
Iron Pine Territory, Red Hill Territory, Cyan Spring Territory...
These territories were like cancerous tumors embedded in the body of the Duchy.
Now, one of them had completely erupted, and the others were beginning to fester.
"They are not acting alone."
Raylo’s voice carried a hint of cold mockery.
"It seems that Blood Rose Prince gave them more than just Power and eternal life. He also gave them an unrealistic dream."
"A dream of replacing humans with Vampires to rule this land."
Gaius followed his finger, his expression growing ever more solemn.
He understood what Raylo meant.
These fallen nobles were not fighting their own separate battles.
They were secretly colluding, forming a vast network.
The fall of Red Hill Territory was merely the first corner of this web to be exposed.
If they didn’t act immediately, the net would tighten until it dragged the entire Duchy into the Abyss.
"We must dispatch troops immediately to retake Red Hill Territory!"
Gaius said resolutely.
"We’ll hang the traitors’ heads on the flagpoles for all to see the price of betrayal!"
"Your Highness, I will personally lead the Thunder Dragon Knight Order and set out now!"
"No."
Raylo shook his head.
"Your Highness?"
Gaius was confused.
"Uncle Gaius, you have more important matters to attend to. I have someone else in mind for this."
Raylo’s finger pressed down hard on the small area marked "Red Hill Territory."
"Since they dared to rebel openly, they must be fully prepared. We have much to do, and we must swiftly extinguish this flame lit by the Vampires."
"Resolve the Red Hill Territory problem with the utmost speed."
Gaius’s breath caught. He instantly understood Raylo’s intention.
’Make an example of them to warn the others. No, this is even more ruthless than that. This is about using thunderous force to sever this web of rebellion before it can spread!’
"Uncle Gaius."
Raylo turned around, his black eyes shining astonishingly bright in the lamplight.
"I want you to immediately assemble a thousand-man squadron of the Thunder Dragon Knight Order. Depart tonight. Your target is Red Hill Territory."
"I want the Thunder Dragon Knights at the walls of Red Hill Castle before dawn."
Gaius’s heart trembled.
"Remember, no offers of surrender, no negotiations."
Raylo’s voice was devoid of any emotion.
"Once you arrive, attack the city immediately. I want you to flatten Red Hill Castle in the shortest time possible and bring me Viscount Noel, alive."
"I’m worried..."
Gaius said hesitantly.
"Since they dared to betray us, I fear they have unknown preparations within the city. They might even... have a Domain Level combatant waiting in support."
"I’ve already made arrangements."
Raylo said.
He walked to the tent entrance, lifted the flap, and let out a long, piercing whistle toward the sky.
A high-pitched dragon’s roar echoed in response from the night sky.
A streak of golden light descended from the heavens, landing steadily in the open space outside the command tent.
Its massive Dragon Wings folded, and the gale they created made the tent flap and snap violently.
It was the Golden Dragon Sun.
It lowered its enormous head, its golden eyes looking at Raylo with a hint of inquiry.
"Sun."
Raylo said.
"You will accompany the Thunder Dragon Knight Order and put down a rebellion."
Sun let out a low roar, indicating it understood.
Gaius looked at the Golden Dragon, which radiated a scorching aura, and the last shred of doubt in his heart vanished.
With a Domain Level Peak Golden Dragon providing support, forget a Viscount’s domain—even a Duke’s castle could be razed to the ground.
"I understand, Your Highness."
Gaius slammed a fist against his chest plate, producing a loud "DANG!"
"I guarantee the mission will be completed!"
"Go."
Raylo waved his hand.
Gaius turned and strode out of the command tent. Soon, the clear sound of a rallying horn echoed through the camp.
Raylo stood at the tent’s entrance, not going back inside.
The night wind stirred his black hair, carrying with it the distant clamor of Knights assembling and the neighing of warhorses.
This Continent was a mixture of different races, plagued by endless war and strife.
Vampires fed on humans; the two were fated never to coexist.
There was no mercy, no compromise between them.
Only blood and fire.
Therefore, the Duchy’s consistent policy was to eradicate evil completely, leaving no room for leniency.
Soon, one thousand fully armed Thunder Dragon Knights had assembled, their Iron Armor glinting with a chilling light.
They mounted their warhorses and flowed out of the camp like a black torrent, silently disappearing into the vast darkness of the night.
The Golden Dragon Sun spread its wings and glided silently above the troops, like a silent god of death.
The sound of the departing Thunder Dragon Knight Order’s hooves gradually faded, eventually silenced by the north wind.
After the brief commotion, the camp at Black Stone Territory returned to calm.
The only thing that had changed was a new, lingering presence in the air—an aura of grim slaughter.
Raylo returned to the command tent but did not rest immediately.
He sat before the map, studying the Duchy’s territory over and over again.
Just then, the tent flap was lifted once more.
This time, it was Gaius who entered.
"Your Highness."
Gaius walked briskly to Raylo’s side.
"What is it? Did something happen?"
Raylo asked.
"No."
Gaius shook his head. He took a letter from inside his tunic and handed it over.
"An urgent letter from a Royal Capital messenger, addressed specifically to me."
Raylo took the letter.
"I already opened it."
Gaius said.
"It’s from Elvin in Thunder Dragon City."
Elvin.
Vice Commander of the Thunder Dragon Knight Order, Gaius’s capable right-hand man, and the Domain Level Powerhouse in charge of defending Thunder Dragon City.
Raylo raised an eyebrow and unfolded the letter.
The contents of the letter were simple, just a few short lines.
"Target ’Black Wind’ successfully ’broke out of prison’ three nights ago. Everything went smoothly. No major losses within the city."
A smile touched Raylo’s lips as he looked at the letter.
"This Bishop of the Abyssal Sect certainly moves fast."
Gaius laughed as well.
"Your Highness’s foresight is brilliant. If we had really let those Abyssal Sect madmen run rampant in Thunder Dragon City, he probably would have torn half the district down."
This was something Raylo and Gaius had planned beforehand.
The Abyssal Sect Mage known as "Black Wind," imprisoned in the deepest dungeon of Thunder Dragon City, was a genuine Domain Level Powerhouse.
Upon learning that the Abyssal Sect was planning a rescue mission for him, Raylo immediately had Gaius send a secret letter to Elvin, who was stationed at Thunder Dragon City.
The order in the letter was enough to stun any general of the Duchy.
Relax the dungeon defenses. Do not fight the Abyssal Sect’s rescue team to the death. Ensure that the Mage "Black Wind" could be "smoothly" rescued.
When Gaius first heard this plan, he was so shocked he was speechless for a long time.
That was a major criminal from the Abyssal Sect.
Not until Raylo explained the stakes involved.
First, just as Gaius had worried, if a Domain Level Peak Bishop were to launch an indiscriminate attack, it would be a devastating catastrophe for the densely populated Thunder Dragon City.
Risking the destruction of half the Royal Capital for a prisoner of little value was not worth it.
Second, and most importantly.
The Abyssal Sect and the Thunder Dragon Duchy had no fundamental, irreconcilable conflicts. Their interests merely clashed on certain points.
The Abyssal Sect, however, was a sworn, mortal enemy of the Light Holy See.
The enemy of my enemy is a friend who can be used.
Especially with the Light Holy See making frequent moves and even treating the Dragon Realm as a mortal enemy, it was simply unnecessary to waste too much time and power on the Abyssal Sect over one or two insignificant figures.
...
「The next day.」
The morning mist had not yet completely dissipated when the heavy sound of wheels rolling over the earth came from the western road.
A convoy of more than a dozen heavy carriages, escorted by Knights, slowly drove into the camp at Black Stone Territory.
The distinct salty, fishy smell of the ocean began to permeate the air.
"It’s the seafood shipment from Seagull Port."
Ed said in a low voice, standing beside Raylo.
Raylo nodded, his gaze passing over the crowd to land on the approaching carriages.
Having received word, Kado led more than twenty Hill Giants forward with great strides to meet them.
The Giants wasted no words, walking directly to the front of the convoy.
One Hill Giant bent down, his fan-like hand gripping the corner of a carriage.
The muscles on his arm bulged, veins coiling like writhing serpents. With a low roar, he heaved the heavy carriage clean off the ground.
The draft horse let out a terrified whinny and was quickly pulled aside by a nearby Knight.
The Giant hoisted the entire carriage over its head and walked toward the northern part of the camp.
"ROAR!"
The resting Cloud Sea Giant Whale saw this, smelled its food, and opened its abyss-like maw.
The Hill Giant tilted the carriage. The mountain of ice blocks, along with various sea fish and shrimp inside, slid out with a great CRASH, pouring like a silver waterfall straight into the Cloud Sea Giant Whale’s mouth.
GULP.
The great whale swallowed its food, swished its tail fin in satisfaction, and churned up huge waves in the pool.
It let out a long, happy cry that echoed throughout the valley.
The other Hill Giants followed suit, lifting the carriages one by one and "unloading" them in the most direct way possible.
After watching the Cloud Sea Giant Whale feed for a while, Raylo returned to his tent.
As the Regent, he now had to make decisions on all major affairs of the Duchy. The government documents forwarded from Thunder Dragon City each day required two Thunder Eagle Knights just for transport.
The afternoon sun pierced through the gaps in the tent, casting mottled spots of light inside.
Raylo had just finished dealing with a stack of government documents from Thunder Dragon City and was rubbing his brow.
The tent flap was lifted, and Alex walked in.
"My lord, there are two new letters for you."
He placed two wax-sealed envelopes on the table in front of Raylo.