Chapter 155: Chapter 143: Flamboyant Knight
After a quick mental assessment, Levi had to admit that her ridiculously flashy outfit alone was enough to intimidate anyone.
He was afraid that one wrong move, one little bump or scratch, would be enough to bankrupt him.
After swallowing hard a few times, the Lord managed to suppress the urge to pull a heist.
"Levi, long time no see." A familiar voice came from within the Silver Armored Knight’s face-covering helmet.
"Huh?!" The Lord looked astonished, as if in disbelief.
"It’s only been a few months, Levi. Don’t you recognize me?"
The Silver Armored Knight lifted the face-covering helmet, revealing an extremely familiar face.
"Duke Fulina?"
Levi was startled.
The visitor was indeed someone he hadn’t expected. No matter how he thought about it, he’d never have predicted it would be Fulina.
"Are you surprised that I came? Or surprised that I didn’t take a carriage?" Fulina’s expression was playful, and she went on to explain, "Don’t be fooled by my delicate appearance. I’m a Combat Qi Master—even Si Kai is no match for me. Riding for a few days is nothing."
"Besides, I’m riding a Magical Beast. Its back can become as soft as I wish, so it’s really no different than sitting on a velvet pillow."
When Fulina finished speaking, she extended a hand toward Levi. The Lord, taking the cue, raised his hand to help her dismount.
"Not at all. I’m just rather flattered that Your Grace the Duke would deign to visit my humble backwater." Levi flashed what he considered his most handsome and charming smile.
Nearby, Zat turned away and sneered. His boss’s tone was completely unlike his usual self, and it made Zat so uncomfortable he felt like he was crawling with lice.
Whatever Fulina’s intentions, she was currently his and Liya’s most powerful ally. Besides, a Duchess was not someone to be slighted, a fact Levi could not afford to ignore.
"Levi, I’ve been hearing your legends all the way in Bailiu City. You’re quite famous."
Fulina said with a smile.
In reality, unlike the commoners and Mercenaries, she knew more.
The Lord’s fame was in no small part thanks to Clan Leader Lorina of the Kovic Family.
Of course, it was undeniable that the Baron had paid her to do it. Still, getting so many Minstrels to sing tales of the Lord wasn’t something money alone could accomplish.
It was a testament to one aspect of the legendary merchant’s influence.
"Haha, it’s all just empty fame." Levi laughed dismissively.
He had indeed spared no effort in promoting High Cliff Castle, to the point that many considered it false advertising.
For instance, the giant castle in the stories, guarded by mighty walls eighteen blades high, was in reality just a large village on a hill encircled by a low wall.
’Compared to the merchants from my past life, I’ve only embellished things a little,’ Levi thought. ’At least High Cliff Castle is actually called High Cliff Castle. It’s not like I made up the name.’
Levi waved his hand, sending Zat and Mier to coordinate with the troop’s Military Officer, while he personally escorted Fulina up the hill.
He wasn’t sure if she was just confident in her superb Combat Qi, or if she simply believed that with her army nearby, a mere Baron of Exploration would never dare to make a move against her.
In any case, Duke Fulina proceeded toward High Cliff Castle alone with the Lord.
"Where is Si Kai?"
Fulina asked, taking off her helmet.
A waterfall of red hair instantly cascaded to her waist, showing no signs of being matted or greasy despite the long journey and the pressure of the helmet.
As if sensing the Lord’s curiosity, the Duchess explained, "This helmet is a piece of Magic Equipment. It’s inscribed with a Cleaning Technique that automatically removes dust."
As for whether more Magic was inscribed on it, there certainly was, but Fulina didn’t elaborate.
Forcing his gaze away from the fist-sized gem on Fulina’s chest, Levi smacked his lips and said, "Si Kai took some men deep into the Wilderness a few days ago to scout the Minotaurs’ movements. He hasn’t returned yet."
"Mm. In truth, this band of Minotaurs isn’t worth my personal attention. I came here for a different, more profound reason."
Entering the Lord’s hall, Levi poured the Duchess a full cup of hot tea before picking up the thread of conversation. "Oh? And what matter could possibly be important enough to bring our ever-diligent Duke all the way out here in person?"
"I’ve had this tea before. This batch is too astringent. You’ve clearly been sold a shoddy imitation passed off as the real thing." Fulina drained the warm tea in a single gulp, delivering her criticism before continuing, "As for the campaign to the south, although our dear King is doing his utmost to prevent it and the Noble Garden’s stance is unclear, it’s already a done deal."
The Lord silently cursed the black-hearted, maggot-souled merchants. ’I specifically bought this tea from Bailiu City to serve Liya. There isn’t much of it, and I’ve been treasuring it for days. I can’t believe they’d swindle me even over a small purchase like this.’
’No wonder Liya’s expression faltered slightly when she drank this a few days ago. She probably kept quiet to save me the embarrassment. Only someone like Fulina would have no such qualms.’
’Damn it, they dare to rip off a Baron? I guess they think you can’t make a profit without being greedy, huh? Just wait until I lead my grunts south to Bailiu City. The first thing I’ll do is sort out these crooked merchants and show them what a true Military Nobility with real power looks like!’
Fulina didn’t elaborate on why the matter was a done deal, merely setting the tone before she continued, "The borders of the Northern Territory often see unrest, but it’s all just minor skirmishes."
"The soldiers have grown complacent after too long without a real fight. They desperately need an adversary to sharpen them. But choosing that adversary is tricky—they can’t be so strong that we suffer heavy losses, which would be detrimental to the southern campaign, nor so weak that it feels like a holiday stroll for the troops. And that’s when the Minotaurs entered my sights."
"They look menacing, but they’re really just a ragtag bunch thrown together at the last minute. In terms of numbers, they are indeed a formidable enemy that can’t be ignored. But their true core strength lies only with that group of Minotaurs. Once we crush them, their army will rout on its own. They fit the bill perfectly."
Having said so much in one breath, Fulina swallowed, her throat moving. The ever-observant Lord poured her a glass of cool water.
After taking a drink to moisten her throat, Fulina continued, "Originally, I sent a negotiator to buy some time while I mobilized my soldiers. But I never imagined these Minotaurs would just outright execute my envoy."
"I had originally planned to just defeat them. They would have been useful, whether sent to the Gladiatorial Arena or used as cannon fodder against the Southern Territory. But now? Not a single one of them will be left alive!"
As she spoke, Fulina’s smile turned cold.
"Levi, I saw the skull-mound you built. It’s quite impressive. In a few days, I will use the heads of these Minotaurs to build a mound of ten thousand skulls in the Wilderness and thoroughly defend the honor of the Northern Martel Family!"
*HISS!*
The Lord sucked in a sharp breath, making his own undeniable contribution to global warming.
’This Duchess may be a mature, rare beauty,’ he thought, ’but I never expected her to be even more bloodthirsty than me, Lord Li.’
’A skull-mound of ten thousand heads... It’s simply unimaginable.’
However, Levi did take note of the other use for the Minotaurs that Fulina had mentioned. Using them as cannon fodder to charge the enemy was an excellent idea.
In the past, when commoners were used as line-filling soldiers, they would often break and flee back into their own ranks, disrupting the formation. The losses often outweighed the gains.
But with these Minotaurs, there was no such concern. Once they went Berserk, they would lose all fear and would not stop until they were dead or utterly exhausted.
As regular soldiers, they might disrupt their own formations because of the Frenzy Technique, unable to distinguish friend from foe. But as front-line cannon fodder, they were practically heaven-sent.
Whenever faced with a fortified city, you could send these bull-headed brutes in first to wear down the enemy’s supplies and manpower in a siege.
Only when the time was right would you send in your own precious elite soldiers.
But now that a Duchess had decided to leave no survivors, this group of Minotaurs was doomed.
Levi shook his head. ’Of all the people to provoke, you had to pick a woman—and a powerful Duchess with military authority, no less.’
’Now, Minotaur heads were really going to roll.’
The Lord sighed with profound, world-weary compassion.
