Your Majesty's money, why don't you engrave my name on it?

“But the bad thing happened with his last wife,” the goblin carefully observed Raslaufer’s expression. He didn’t know Raslaufer’s connections, but his intuition told him that the dangerous man in front of him had become three or five times more dangerous. “It is said that she was a slave from Ampiri. Although she and the count were quite compatible, everyone was waiting for her to die suddenly like the previous wives.”

"And what happened? She actually pulled through! Apparently, she was about to die during childbirth, but a priest who was a goddess of resurrection happened to come along and saved her—she even gave birth to a girl and a son!"

Angelita couldn't help but look at Raslaufer with a hint of triumph, while the mercenary shook his head slightly: the count had redeemed Skadi, so naturally it had nothing to do with him anymore. Besides, he was rarely home, so even if he remembered to inform him of such good news, he probably wouldn't receive it.

“But in this way…” Daisy couldn’t understand what these two were doing with their flirtatious exchanges, but at least she understood that if the count had his own children, his two younger brothers would definitely become his real brothers.

“That’s right,” the goblin nodded. “Actually, if they had any guts, they should have gone out and made their own way after they were sure they couldn’t inherit the territory. Even if they came back with eighty or ninety warbands, no one would say anything. But they’re just two cowards who only stay at home, fantasizing and sucking their brother’s blood.”

"When they had nephews and nieces, they panicked and made a series of foolish moves, which almost led the Earl to drive them away. In the end, they even hired someone to kill the Earl and forcibly declared him their heir to the territory!"

This kind of thing is nothing in Eastern Inasas, and the goblin's reminder was really just something he happened to do while passing by. However, he could clearly feel that Leslaufer's muscles tensed up again.

"And what about his wife and children?"

"Oh, although his wife ran away, the two children ended up in the hands of her two younger brothers. They're making a scene now, but in my opinion, at best they'll get the children back, and maybe she'll even lose them herself—"

The goblin's words came to an abrupt halt, and his shoulder cracked under Raslaufer's hand.

“That’s perfect,” Dobul looked at the bear goblin. “How about we team up? I think there must be someone who desperately needs to hire a few men right now.”

Chapter 373 Gentle

Although Raslaw asked a question, the goblin didn't dare to answer it seriously. Despite his reluctance, he eventually stood by the carriage at dawn and took on the job of coachman.

"Leslaufer, why did you have to get involved in this mess?" However, the grievance in his heart was impossible to swallow. Even though he was forcibly "tied" to the carriage, the goblin's mouth didn't stop. "You still have plenty of gold coins waiting for you, it's just a few steps away... You had to take such a long detour, what do you think Her Highness will think..."

“Of course I’ll listen to Uncle Leslaufer,” Angelita replied nonchalantly, cutting off the goblin’s rest of her sentence. “Besides, I already told you not to call me that. If you want, you can just call me Annie.”

The bear goblin sighed and agreed, but his attention was clearly not on that.

He wasn't a goblin-like fool. No matter how much he thought about it, he could understand that Raslaufer must have some kind of relationship with the Earl of Outer Doule, or even the Countess. But the problem was—he didn't!

Let alone standing here catching the train, even if he works tirelessly and risks his life, what benefit would he get? They didn't hire him; he'd be lucky to get a decent meal in the end!

The bear goblin had no doubt about whether this trip would succeed—Dublers were a specialty of Eastern Inathas, but not all Dobulers were Leslaufers. The princess and the poet were both spellcasters, and with him and his assassin followers, how many heads did his two good-for-nothing brothers have to chop off?

The answer is, about three or four hundred.

“I must admit, I underestimated them,” the goblin’s men quickly reported back after they arrived at the earl’s territory. “Those two brothers gathered a group of bandits and bribed several villages, managing to amass three to five hundred men—what a damn spendthrift.”

Do they really think those bandits will obediently take the money, do the work, and leave? Do they really think a single transaction can buy them all off and make them completely subservient? The spirit of contract—the kings of Eastern Inassia have no such thing!

If Raslaufer hadn't intervened, the lord of this Outer Dole territory would probably have changed his surname soon.

“I don’t care how many of them there are, you beast,” Raslaufer frowned. A rabble, even if there were thousands, wouldn’t be of much use. Once their momentum is broken, they will soon collapse. “What I asked you to find out is where the Countess is now.”

“Well, she’s trapped, trapped between their castle and several other fortresses,” the goblin said, picking up a twig and scribbling a few shapes on the ground. “Here she is.”

"I heard she has a few followers, but they can't break out of here. No matter which direction they try to break out, they will definitely be intercepted. In my opinion, those brothers are planning to starve their sister-in-law to death in this circle."

The bear goblin's knowledge of these matters was entirely due to his own abilities, and as long as the real parties involved obediently died, the two brothers' inheritance would be legitimate, reasonable, and even merciful.

After all, everyone would admit that it was too dangerous and challenging to let two children manage the territory in Eastern Inassassins, and it was truly a righteous act for the strong and capable uncle to volunteer to take over.

However, even if the children grow up, this power will not be transferred back—besides, whether they can actually grow up is still questionable.

Reslaufer was there to solve this problem.

After determining their location, the group quickly changed course and headed towards the wilderness where Skadi was besieged. By daybreak, they could already see two or three solitary tents nestled among several sturdy fortresses in the open field.

At this moment, two groups of people filled in many of the empty spaces, but the one on the outside was quite formidable. Even those pitchforks and sticks, when numbered in large numbers, resembled a "mighty army," while inside, there were only a handful of people.

Four squires dressed in tight-fitting short robes stood in pairs, protecting their master, while two knights in shabby armor guarded a young woman. Although the six men looked disheveled and exhausted, their eyes were resolute, as if they were determined to fight to the death.

As one of only two women in this "team" (there was another middle-aged woman in the retinue), the young woman in charge, although her clothes may have been expensive and gorgeous in the past, now had most of the skirt hem deliberately torn off, revealing ill-fitting and out-of-season trousers and thin-soled shoes underneath.

Her long hair, dyed beyond recognition and no longer distinguishable as either red or gold, danced wildly. Her eyes, however, remained fixed, staring ahead at the two scoundrels riding hunting horses, along with the slightly rusty halberd in her hand.

"Scotty!" Of the two nobles, both in their early twenties, the one on the right spurred his horse forward two steps, looking down at the woman not far in front of him with disgust. "He's dead. Even if Corylhiel himself came, it wouldn't change anything! Come back with us immediately and end this farce!"

Even if not for yourself, you should at least think about your two children, right?

Intimidated by the weapon in the young woman's hand, the young man did not continue forward. Instead, he turned to the side, revealing two wooden stakes behind him. Two toddlers, only three or four years old, were bound to the stakes. They had obviously tried to struggle and cry out, and now their innocent faces were filled with numbness towards everything in the world.

"Hand over my brother's seal and that letter with the treasure's location!" another young man said in a hoarse voice. "If you do as we say, we guarantee your and your child's safety! But if you remain obstinate—"

"Go to hell—" Before the two brothers, one in red and one in white, could finish their performance, a torrent of filthy words mixed with the dialects of East Inasas and Ampiri poured out of the furious young woman's mouth, completely drowning out their words. "You can even kill your own brothers, do you think you'd care about a barbarian woman like me and your nephew? Stop pretending to be human, you beasts!"

“Shameless parasites, you think you can threaten me? I won’t give you anything! Take my child’s life, then take it!” She spread her legs and slapped her crotch with her free hand. “As long as I have this, I can have as many children as I want!”

On the high ground not far away, Angelita stared blankly as she processed what she had just heard and seen, then stiffly turned her neck to look at Raslaufer beside her.

……mild?

Chapter 374 Witchcraft, or a Plan

"Since you're so reckless, then there's nothing more to say!" Skadi's insults, delivered in several languages ​​mixed with even more slang and dialect, made the faces of the two hot-blooded young nobles turn ashen. Finally, unable to bear it any longer, one of them drew the sword hanging beside his saddle and swung it forward with all his might.

"Kill them!"

The brothers had Skoti and their elder brother's two children, and Skoti also had what they needed and wanted—the Earl's seal of Outer Dolores and that mysterious letter.

The former is the stepping stone for them to inherit the legal lineage, and if it is lost or destroyed, it will complicate matters; as for the latter, it is a secret that even they have only seen once or twice. They have all witnessed the situation where Skadi wanted to give this letter to their brother, but was pushed back by the count.

Occasionally, between the lines, there were words like "family," "future," and "way out." Both of them believed that the information contained therein was self-evident—it must be the treasure trove of inheritance left by their family, or more precisely, their unfortunate old man.

In other words, it's the portion that should have belonged to them, but was swallowed up by their older brother!

However, despite their desperate desire for the letter, the count's seal and other related items were more important. If Skadi refused to compromise, they would have no choice but to reluctantly abandon the latter and instead try to win her over as soon as possible to gain moral and royal support—there was, of course, an inner Count near Outer County, whose count had been eyeing this place for a long time!

Around them, the already excited henchmen, upon receiving permission, immediately swarmed towards the group of people inside the encirclement like wolves. The employer's demand was to 'kill them,' but he hadn't specified when!

The Countess was at the height of her charm...

Many people thought so, especially after Skadi's speech. However, they soon realized that this wildflower from Ampiri not only had sharp thorns, but the thorns were also highly poisonous!

The loyal followers of Skoti immediately formed a defensive line around their mistress. However, outnumbered, the fragile human wall was quickly broken. Several bandits seized the opportunity and attacked the young woman from all directions.

But just as they were about to celebrate their success, the woman, who seemed destined to be a plaything, suddenly let out a roar, and the heavy halberd in her hand, which even an adult male might not be able to wield, swept its axe blade around its user!

Severed limbs, weapons—when that heavy weapon, over two meters long, began to spin, nothing could stop it in its path. The drooling and clamoring from before instantly turned into cries and curses. And in the face of these, Shikoti's verbal skills were just as sharp, managing to suppress the volume of those guys' voices by defeating them all!

"Come on! We all know what you're here for!"

Using the momentum, Skadi wielded her long-handled weapon, sending the attackers behind her stumbling backward into the crowd. Then, she turned and swung the front of the axe at an angle. Although the axe blade missed anyone, the spearhead at the far end slammed solidly into one man's pelvis. The pain was so intense that even the two nobles who hadn't participated in the fight couldn't help but gasp.

"Who else?!"

Although Skadi appeared like a Valkyrie descended to earth, her strength was not inexhaustible. Her advantage in both hand and verbal combat rapidly depleted her stamina. Soon, her two enemies realized this and attacked simultaneously from the left and right, but their target was not Skadi herself. When she parried their weapons with her halberd, they surprisingly abandoned their weapons, instead using their hands and arms to weigh down the already heavy halberd!

Two strong men, weighing nearly two hundred kilograms, were an immense burden. Under such an impact, the countess, who was at her wit's end, was immediately thrown backward to the ground. The halberd, which was originally a weapon to kill the enemy, had now become a shackle. The heavy halberd shaft pressed on her chest, making it difficult to even breathe, let alone lift it up again.

Those two men, taking such a risky and reckless fighting style, were naturally afraid of losing their lives. Therefore, as soon as Skadi was subdued, they immediately began shouting and yelling:

"We've got her under control! What are you all standing around for? Come and get her!"

"...No, they won't."

Suddenly, the two of them turned to look at Skadi, who was pinned to the ground, their eyes filled with disbelief and fear.

"What are you all standing there for? Make your move!"

With a loud shout from Shikoti, about 70% of the attackers around them suddenly echoed the shout, brandishing their weapons and slashing at their comrades who had just been fighting side by side!

They had been the most aggressive earlier, desperately closing in on Skadi and her retinue, securing the most advantageous attacking positions, yet they had hesitated to unleash their full power. In the chaos of battle, because most of these enemies were not professional soldiers, almost no one noticed this incongruous scene—until now!

The two men who were holding down Shikoti tried to get up, but having voluntarily given up their weapons, how could they run? A moment later, two screams were heard, and when the young woman got up, leaning on her halberd, there were two corpses beside her.

"Damn it, what's going on?" The sudden turn of events threw the two young men on horseback into a panic. One of them pointed at Skadi and screamed incoherently, "Witchcraft! You witch! You used witchcraft—"

"To hell with your witchcraft!" A burst of laughter rang out from the crowd. "The Dole Thorn Battle Group, by the Lady's order, quell the rebellion!"

"Suppress the rebellion!" The unified shouts of dozens of people sounded like the shouts of hundreds of thousands on the chaotic battlefield.

However, this small, pre-positioned fighting group was still limited in strength. Although they gained a slight advantage in the initial chaos, their enemies quickly realized the numerical disparity between the two sides and launched another attack.

At this moment, Raslaufer, who had been watching from the sidelines, finally picked up the greatsword in his hand.

“I knew some of these people weren’t putting in the effort… I see, Skuld,” Duple’s smile was sinister from the bottom of his heart. “Now that the enemy and we are separated, it’s our turn to take the stage.”

"Daisy, say hello to them first!"

"Just you wait and see!" The bard began to play his harp with great enthusiasm, and the surrounding air instantly became scorching, causing Angelita and the others to scramble to get out of the way. A moment later, a bright flash of light, almost tangible, danced above Daisy's head to the accompaniment of music, and with an elegant tremolo, it traced an arc and landed precisely in the crowd.

"Fireball—blast them with it!"

As Daisy sang her mad ramblings, a spherical inferno with a radius of six or seven meters suddenly swept through the crowd!

Chapter 375 The Bloodline of Ampere

“Miss Daisy’s new spell…” Mary asked, stunned, as she rushed into the crowd with Angreta. “Is there any risk of accidental injury?”

"Don't worry, I can't say for sure about my past self, but recently I've relearned math from you guys!" The poet slung his zither behind his back and then brandished the Sea Song Blade, stabbing at those around him who dared to resist after the "Heavenly Fire" descended.

Although Daisy's talent with a sword was not particularly high, perhaps it was a case of "the more you gain, the more you get," as her fireballs did indeed hit the bandits who had been gathered together with great precision, completely avoiding friendly forces.

"Damn it, who are those people?!" If it was just a few people rushing in from the outside, that wouldn't have surprised the two noble youths. But a huge fireball spell could have completely annihilated them.

"Master, damn it, when did this bitch get involved?! How did she manage to summon her?"

The person who casts this destructive spell must be paid according to the number of spells cast!

"She took our money!" His brother reacted quickly, grabbing the woman by the collar and roaring, "That bitch! No wonder she wouldn't budge—she'd already spent all the money! She was afraid we'd find out and not let her off the hook!"

It was an utterly absurd conclusion, but to the two of them it was perfectly reasonable—in order to win over Skoti, they had promised her all the wealth they hadn't yet obtained, so if she had gold on hand, she would naturally use it to retaliate in the same way they had dealt with her!

What should we do now?

The two looked up and saw the crowd in front of them surging to both sides like a tide. However, what was splashed up was not only blood-red waves, but also all kinds of severed limbs!

"Anything else to say? Run! Run now!"

Never mind what it is, just run!

"We have horses, they can't catch up! Retreat to the castle!"

"Those two little brats—" "I don't care if they live or die!"

Even against a real army, Raslaufer could easily breach their defenses, let alone this loose rabble. In just a few words, he was only a dozen meters away from them. The sudden life-or-death crisis terrified the two nobles, who wished they could embed their whips into the rumps of their hunting horses and escape with their lives.

Behind them, some reckless bandits even tried to kidnap the two children to threaten Raslaufer, but the mercenaries' swords were faster and heavier than theirs. In the blink of an eye, the area around the wooden stake where the two children were tied was covered with corpses.

"Hahaha?"

Following the sound of laughter, Raslaufer lifted her eyelids to look, and saw the younger boy. His eyes, which were the same emerald green as his mother's, had lost their previous numbness and had become lively again. He stared intently at Raslaufer, as if he had seen something extremely interesting.

“You little rascal,” Leslaufer grinned as he looked at the boy, “you’ve got some nerve!”

One enemy saw this as a perfect opportunity for a sneak attack. He had been lying on the ground feigning death, so he grabbed the hilt of a sword and leaped up to stab Raslaufer in the back. However, in his world, he only felt a sudden, powerful force, and then, in a dizzying spin, the man he was about to kill was gone, leaving only two children staring wide-eyed at him.

"Come on, Uncle didn't bring much back, so I'll show you a magic trick!" Raslaufer's loud laughter nearly deafened the attackers. "Look, Uncle has a living person in his hand now."

The arms binding the attacker were released simultaneously, but the fists struck the attacker's ears with even greater speed. The attacker's hearing and life were cut off almost simultaneously: "Alright, now he's just a dead man!"

This time, even the girl looked at Leslaufer and laughed.

Seeing the two little ones shaking their heads, Raslaufer drew his sword and cut all the ropes binding them. When they were released, they didn't cry or make a fuss. Instead, they clapped their hands and laughed, whether at Raslaufer or at the non-living props he was using for his "performance."

“I really didn’t know you were so good at making children happy.” Mary tossed her long braid behind her head and strode over. In defeating these ordinary people, she was actually more efficient.

In Raslaufer's view, this girl from the city of Treasures had already grasped the essence of Corazonde swordsmanship, with almost no superfluous movements in her every gesture.

“I think most kids would have fainted from fright,” Leslaufer said, as he pushed the two little ones next to Mary, they quieted down instead. “Truly worthy of being Ampiri bloodlines…”

It is said that in Ampiri, newborns are weaned early and given animal or human blood for a period of time to help them get used to the harsh life of eating raw meat and drinking blood. Reislaufer had been there and knew that this was not true, but now Doppler had some doubts about whether the examples he had seen could represent the customs of all Ampiri.

"Master...Master?" Just as the mercenary was teasing the child with his blood-stained hands, a call made him stiffen slightly. He looked up and saw the two knights supporting their exhausted mistress as they stumbled towards them. "It's you, it really is you!"

Looking at that long, golden-red hair, even Raslaufer's expression became complicated. He slowly stood up, letting the two children rush towards their mother: "...Hi Skadi, long time no see."

"It really is you!" A dazzling light shone in her green eyes. "Two years, seven months, and three days, you've finally decided to come home again!"

“You’re as meticulous as ever, even I couldn’t remember,” Leslaufer laughed, walked over and gave his old friend a warm hug. “You’re still alive, and you have two kids! Congratulations!”

"You're always in such a rush when you come back to your hometown, otherwise you would have known about this much sooner." The young woman made no attempt to hide her joy at the reunion, but there was a hint of resentment in her words.

She stepped back a few paces after the embrace and bowed twice to Raslaufer, as if she were a married noblewoman from Eastern Inassis and a slave, as if she were not the warrior who had just fought with a halberd, but the friend and servant who had been alone in an empty house years ago, serving as the steward of Dubler. "Just now, I had already said goodbye to you in my heart—I thought that this time, my husband would 'redeem' me and bring me to his side forever."

“Ha, let him go and get intimate with his ex-wives!” Leslaufer patted Skadi on the shoulder. “Come on, tell me what’s been going on all these years, then we’ll send his brothers down to keep him company!”