Final Lord

Chapter 249 Departure
“Dick…never heard of him? One of the recruits we had earlier? Bring him here.” The patriarch tapped the ground with his bone staff.

Dick was quickly brought before the Patriarch. He was an ordinary-looking young man, wearing slightly oversized standard armor, with a plain short sword hanging at his waist. His eyes were humble and meek, like any new recruit.

"I heard you're good at soothing children?" The patriarch squinted at Dick and asked with a smile.

Dick rubbed his hands nervously: "Sir, I have six younger brothers and sisters back home, and I've taken care of them all since they were little..."

“Very good.” The Patriarch interrupted him. “From now on, you are responsible for looking after all the children in Paul’s territory, making them happy, making them laugh. I want to see more joy, understand?”

"Yes, sir!" Dick immediately knelt on one knee, his voice filled with fear and obsequiousness. "I will certainly not fail you."

Deng!Deng!Deng!Deng!
Just then, the sound of rapid hoofbeats broke the clamor of the banquet. A knight clad in heavy armor rode into the square, sparks flying from the iron hooves of his warhorse on the stone pavement.

"Your Excellency!" the knight shouted before even dismounting, "Viscount Hank has ordered an immediate campaign to punish the traitor Gru Kate! The royal decree has been issued; all people of Gru's territory are criminals and can be disposed of at will!"

A cheer erupted in the square. The half-goat people excitedly clattered their goat glasses, their goat eyes gleaming with cruelty.

"Dispose of it as you please! It's been so long since I've heard such sweet words."

"So that means we don't need to restrain ourselves, we can do whatever we want, right?"

The Patriarch stood up, the fluid in his abdominal cavity boiling with excitement: "Send the order: march tonight! We're going to hold a real celebration in the Gru territory!"

Amidst the deafening cheers, Dick's expression stiffened for a moment. His fingers unconsciously traced the hilt of his sword, but he quickly regained his submissive demeanor. No one noticed the cold glint that flashed in the unassuming recruit's eyes.

The torchlight flickered across his face, casting an ever-changing, unpredictable expression. Dick looked up at the rooftop; several crows, startled by the commotion, were flapping their wings and taking flight into the night sky. A barely perceptible twitch appeared at the corner of Dick's mouth, as if he were exchanging some silent message with the black birds.

"Prepare to depart!" The patriarch's roar echoed across the square. The half-goat people began packing their belongings, the clanging of chains mingling with the sound of goat hooves pounding the ground.

Dick silently stepped aside, and in the shadows where no one was watching, he took out a black feather from his pocket, gently twirled it, and the feather turned to ash, scattering into the night with the wind.

……

The night was as dark as ink. A jet-black raven silently swooped over the treetops and finally landed on Steward Ming's shoulder. Its scarlet eyes gleamed with an eerie light, and a sheepskin scroll was held in its beak.

Butler Ming unfurled the scroll, the torchlight illuminating the hastily written characters:

"Viscount Hank has led the Knights of Silver Shackles on an expedition, their target—Gru Territory. Crime: Treason. The royal decree has been issued: kill without mercy."

Steward Ming frowned and quickly took the scroll to Wang Bufu.

Wang Bufu unfurled the scroll and read it carefully.

Wei Yi, standing to the side, gripped the hilt of her sword tightly, her face deathly pale: "Brother Bu Fu, this is bad! It's treason! The entire Duke of Xiong Lu will come to punish us!"

"Heh." Wang Bufu merely chuckled, a wisp of fire igniting at his fingertips, burning the secret letter to ashes. The night wind carried the embers away, but his eyes were deeper than the darkness itself.

"What's the panic?" He slowly brushed non-existent dust off his shoulder. "I already guessed Viscount Hank's order to attack."

He turned and walked towards the sand table, his long, slender fingers lightly tapping the model of the Black Forest: "The people of the Gru Territory were relocated to the New Gru Territory by me a long time ago. The current Gru Territory is nothing but an empty shell."

From that time on, I was prepared to betray my country.

The Principality of the Bucks is deeply entrenched, with many hereditary nobles and a complex web of rules and restrictions. They have long been bound together as a stable interest group, leaving no room for the rise of commoners.

My father struggled his whole life, but all he left behind was a small baronial estate, and he was still constantly schemed against by his superior.

"Weiyi, believe it or not, it's much easier for us to conquer the capital than to climb the ranks through the nobility route."

"Break into Bucks City!" Wei Yi's eyes widened in shock; she never imagined her defiant brother had such ambition. "Brother, with our limited forces, can we really do it?"

“Of course not now, but once we’ve developed for a while, there won’t be any problems,” Wang Bufu said. “Holding back against Hank’s attack is a crucial step.”

The Duchy of the Bucks is a large and powerful nation, but they also have many things to consider. Above them, the Queen of the Kingdom of the Eagles has ascended the throne, and the new king is making his mark. In the middle, the Duchy of the Rocky Beach is eyeing them covetously. Below them, they have various borders that need to be guarded. In addition, the nobles within the Duchy of the Bucks are entangled in internal conflicts, so the military force they can actually muster to deal with us is actually very limited.

Their current thoughts of suppressing the rebellion stem from their perception of our weakness and vulnerability. Once they've suffered the consequences, their minds will naturally clear.

Taking down Viscount Hank is our first step in demonstrating our strength to the Duchy of the Bucks!

The blind chicken emerged from the shadows, rubbing its hands excitedly: "My lord, shall we pull off something big?"

"Of course. When Viscount Hank arrives at Gru territory and finds it empty, he will definitely try to find my troops, and he will also be able to find the Sunset Mountains."

No matter how he searches, the Black Forest is the only way through.

Wang Bufu's lips curled up slightly, a cold glint flashing in his eyes: "Doesn't Viscount Hank like 'suppressing rebellions'? Then let him suppress them to his heart's content."

Wang Bufu tapped the edge of the sand table, his voice like a blade chilled by ice, "Pass down the order: the first and second cannon fodder squads will ambush in the Black Forest, and the harpy illusion force will infiltrate Ghost Jump Cliff... I want the vanguard of the Silver Shackles Knights to come and never return."

Holding a bag of gold coins, Mair pondered, "My lord, I've lived in the Shackled Territory for a long time and have some connections. Do you need me to gather some intelligence?"

"No rush. It's not your time to make a move yet." Wang Bufu narrowed his eyes, gazing at the dark forest in the distance, which resembled a giant beast crouching.

“Let them taste the poison of disability first. When Viscount Hank’s main force arrives…” He suddenly laughed, a laugh like a fox eyeing its prey, “then we’ll give them a ‘big gift’.”

what! ! !
The cawing of crows shattered the silence, as if in response to his scheme. The death knell of the bird was about to toll.

(End of this chapter)