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

The warband leader's ears twitched slightly as he listened intently, seemingly trying to catch some subtle sound. Just as the count and the others were about to ask a question, he stood up and put down his wine glass.

"In my opinion, let's forget about it. I'm not in the mood for this drink."

A bad feeling crept into the hearts of everyone at the table.

"What do you mean by that?!"

The count's brother-in-law snorted and put down his wine cup, drawing his sword from his waist. However, the mercenary was faster than the knight. He suddenly reached out, grabbed the count's collar, and dragged him in front of him. With a flick of his wrist, a gleaming short sword immediately responded to his movement and was placed against the count's neck.

I advise you not to act rashly.

"Damn it, you surrendered to that witch too!" The count struggled for a moment, but this last bit of effort was immediately abandoned after feeling a slight chill on his neck.

“I said this to her before, and I can say it to you again: We are not loyal to anyone, nor are we anyone’s subjects. Our agreement ended the moment we were defeated. Now it’s another business.”

“Be honest, and I won’t take your life. In the meantime, let’s listen carefully.”

"What are you listening to... your men!" The count's mind had finally caught on, but it was too late. He heard the commotion outside, which rose and fell quickly, leaving only the creaking of the castle gate's mechanism.

"You only have so few men, so what if you open the gates?" The knight, one of the few remaining men who was the count's brother-in-law, rebuked in a deep voice, "If they dare to approach, the guards on the city walls will immediately fire arrows!"

Faced with this argument, the mercenary leader's face revealed a disdainful sneer:

"Do you think they did it out of kindness to leave your brother's body outside the city? It's all dark around, except for that one spot that's as bright as day. Where do you think the guards would be most vigilant?"

Outside, shouts and clamor arose again, and this time, the faces of the people at the banquet turned completely pale.

“This is… immoral…” The count managed to squeeze out a few words through clenched teeth in his final, desperate struggle.

"Is it morally right for a vassal to murder his monarch?" Skadi's voice rang out at the doorway at just the right moment. However, this time, the woman from Ampiri was unarmed, yet no one could harm her.

She strode up to the count, unfurled a scroll, and read aloud: "Count Nedoule murdered His Majesty King Erich, and although he died as a result, he escaped the punishment of the law. Therefore, his family members shall be stripped of their right to inherit the land, the title, and all other noble rights and obligations, and shall be immediately expelled from the country as a warning to others."

"The Earl of Outer Dole is young, and his affairs and functions will be temporarily handled by his mother, Skadi. Once the matter is settled, the Outer Dole family's right of inheritance over the entire Dole territory will be restored immediately. From then on, there will be no distinction between inner and outer Dole. Under the King's rule, there will only be one Dole territory!"

Count Nedoule, now a commoner, was trembling with fear. The captain who had subdued him noticed this and released him. His right hand still held a short sword pointed at the poor wretch about to leave the kingdom, while his left hand once again raised the wine cup in front of him.

"May His Majesty Henning and Her Excellency the Countess enjoy good health." He drank it all in one gulp.

Chapter 403 Raslaufer's Prayer

When Raslaw returned home with Angelita and Mary, a dark figure immediately pounced on them. It was none other than Daisy, the bard who had been "missing" for a long time.

"Look what you've done!" the poet shouted indignantly. "I heard about it from people in the tavern, and now I have to improvise a song about it!"

"That's not all! I told them I was in cahoots with you guys, and those drunkards actually laughed at me! It's utterly absurd!"

Why didn't you all call me?!

“The battlefield is not a place for poets,” Raslaufer said with great effort as he pulled Daisy aside. “Besides, you are a spellcaster, and you know more than just Angelita’s little tricks. It would be too conspicuous to involve someone like you in a conflict between counts.”

Leslaufer didn't want Skadi to be in the spotlight; it wouldn't benefit anyone.

Daisy paused for a moment, then pinched her chin with her fingers: "You mean... I'm amazing?"

Having a demon attached to your body, is that a question of how powerful you are?

“Of course, you are undoubtedly very strong,” Leslaufer patted her on the shoulder, “and you don’t need to be too discouraged. Although you didn’t show up, I still managed to give you a chance to shine.”

However, no matter how Daisy pressed her for details, Leslaufer refused to elaborate on how she had gotten the information. As for Angreta and Marie, they were completely unaware of the whole affair.

“I’ll be giving those two little ones a ‘baptism’ in a couple of days; that’s the main task right now,” Leslaufer said, unfastening his sword and tossing it aside. “The rest is just waiting for Paul to come and get Annie…”

“I’m not going anywhere!” Angelita protested immediately. “I put a lot of effort into decorating this place!”

“That’s none of my business,” Leslaufer shrugged. “Since your teacher dared to leave you here, he must have some plans. As for me, I’ll just leave you to look after the house. From any perspective, you should go with your teacher.”

The girl turned her back defiantly: "From my perspective, it's not like that. Are you so eager to get rid of me? I'm no longer a burden!"

“This has nothing to do with being a burden,” Doble sighed, pointing to the door, then to the south and east. “The entire Inasas, along with the Empire, is in complete chaos. Are you really going to leave me here watching?”

The deal was indeed very lucrative, and Raslaufer didn't mind leaving those conflicts temporarily. But he couldn't live off this money forever, and he certainly couldn't just lie at home and let his bones rust, his blood stink, and his muscles mold!

“What’s the big deal if we go with you?” Angelita retorted immediately, unconvinced. “As long as we’re not going back to the Empire, I can continue to stay by your side within the three Inasas territories!”

A brief silence fell over the air, and after a moment, the two sighed in unison:

"That depends on what Professor Bohr (student) thinks."

As another trusted confidant of Angelita, the old mage held undisputed authority in this matter. And because he was also a royal mage, both Leslaufer and Angelita believed that Bol had definitely made arrangements for Angelita's future life, and that these arrangements would certainly be more comprehensive and complete than anything Leslaufer could offer.

Perhaps he'd simply take Angelita to some starport and send her directly to another world? Raslaufer wasn't sure. Although the starport in Treasure City was destroyed, it was only the largest and most famous one in Inasas; the old mage might have other methods.

Angrina clearly didn't want to leave, but what about Raslaufer? What was he thinking? Perhaps even Doppler himself wasn't entirely sure. As a mercenary who wandered the world, life and death, separation and reunion were commonplace, but perhaps…

Perhaps somewhere deep inside, he needs a place he can call home? Otherwise, what is the house they are in now?

This thought troubled Raslaufer, conflicting and battling with his past, yet also resonating with it. Rarely, even someone like him was lost in confusion because of it. After several nights of this, after Raslaufer had counted the spirits around him, he went to town and bought some candles, and began his solitary prayer by the frozen stream outside the village.

This was not the first time Raslaufer had prayed. People living in a world between heaven and hell find it hard not to have some kind of faith. It's just that some people choose to dedicate their body, mind, and even soul, while others choose to offer only saliva, only being devout until the moment their saliva touches the ground.

Like most mercenaries, Raslaufer had prayed to the god of war, Occivara, the god of death, or Aston, the lord of fire and light, for various reasons, but none of these had been of much use. In the end, he relied on himself, not miracles, to escape his predicament. But this time, the person he would worship was someone who had truly shown him kindness.

More than once—though he didn’t really want it that most recently.

"Mother of the Streams, Silent Spirit, crowned with green leaves and clothed in clear water. Grant me peace to permeate my breath, grant me ripples to cleanse my confusion and bewilderment. Today, I wish to be a silent guardian, like dew returning to the earth, like a weary bird returning to the shade of the forest. May the grace of Idas endure forever..."

Leslaufer remained silent, but in an instant, all the lit candles around him turned blue. A serene atmosphere permeated the winter woods by the stream, and the bare branches rustled softly in response to Leslaufer's prayer.

This is not an ordinary person's morning prayer; it is one of the many rituals bestowed upon Raslaufer by Adas, a true divine art, even though it cannot summon holy fire for judgment or imprison and control enemies out of thin air.

However, despite the ritual's success, Leslaufer received no response. Perhaps, as Adas herself was known by the title "The Tranquil One," the goddess was not adept at preaching, even to Leslaufer, whom she favored so much.

Perhaps… a flicker of hesitation crossed the mercenary's mind, but more than anything, he pondered. Perhaps the goddess meant for him to pursue his own heart's desires; after all, no matter how profound the external teachings, they must be deeply considered before they could be transformed into his own will. Just like the martial arts he had mastered over the past twenty years.

Raslaufer calmed himself down, making himself appear like the spirits around him, except they were numb from death, while he was seeking a deeper echo.

His thoughts were not as profound as those of philosophers, and the inner journey was not difficult. Soon, Raslaufer heard that sigh from the depths of his soul:

"kill……"

Chapter 404 Daisy's Treasure Map

Leslaufer felt he had probably angered Adas. The very moment he heard that word, a whirlwind suddenly swept through, extinguishing all the candles around him. His prayer was thus forced to a halt.

But... Reslaufer didn't seem to find this surprising.

“It seems even goddesses can make mistakes,” Dubler shook his head and began packing up the ritual items around him to leave. “I’m afraid I’m just not cut out for this.”

So what kind of talent does he have? Didn't his soul just provide the answer?

However, what Leslaufer failed to notice was that the whirlwind did not arise out of thin air, and although the candles were extinguished, the faint blue light did not disappear. It simply did not continue to appear in the material world, but instead merged into the "demiplane" that the great demon Belial had mentioned earlier, the one that draws in and collects souls.

For a period afterward, it was one of the most tedious times in Raslaufer's life, especially the baptism of Skuld's two children, which was extremely boring. The only thing that could cheer Dopler up was that Bella actually took time out of the war zone to come and offer her blessings along with two other parishioners.

This also happens to corroborate the result of the prayer that day... Such a life is by no means the final destination that Raslaufer hoped for.

In contrast to Leslaufer, who felt like an outsider despite being in his hometown, his friends seemed to have no aversion to this kind of life. Whether it was Angelita or Mary, perhaps the nobles had their own set of, or even several, methods to relieve such boredom, and they seemed to have plenty to do every day.

Daisy continued her life of wandering and singing poetry. Skuld arranged for her to travel between different regions, allowing the poet to move freely throughout the surrounding areas. Thanks to her excellent singing skills, she actually earned quite a bit of money in Eastern Inasas.

But her constantly changing performance locations reveal that she and Leslaufer are largely the same kind of people. She would truly go insane if "imprisoned" in a fixed, routine life.

"Old Ray! Anne-Marie! Look what I brought back!"

Early that morning, Daisy excitedly ran back to Zebrech. As she entered the yard, she probably stepped on Blackclaw's tail. Instantly, besides her shout, everyone in the village heard the Deinonychus's aggrieved roar, a sound of surprise, annoyance, and a reluctance to actually retaliate.

For the past month or so, the poet has sometimes been in situations like this, perhaps leaving the performance venue the morning before and traveling all day to get home. Although it is just dawn, the villagers often get up earlier, and everyone inevitably follows local customs.

When Daisy burst in, they had just finished breakfast—a thick soup of mung beans mixed with chunks of meat and carrots. Six eyes, already prepared, fell on the poet.

"Oh, is this all you're eating?" Daisy, who had rushed back in a hurry, hadn't had time to eat yet. She sat down without waiting for a meal, and Mary immediately served her a bowl. After thanking Mary, Daisy immediately looked embarrassed.

"The crispy fried pork tenderloin I ate yesterday and..."

“This isn’t a pub,” Leslaufer tapped the table with his knuckles. “It’s local stuff, take it or leave it.”

"The villagers here wouldn't even have a chance to eat it—even the most experienced hunters wouldn't want to provoke those 'honey-eating creatures' in the forest at the end of winter."

Dubler refers to the local brown bear. Although there is a specific word for bear in the Inasas language, people in Eastern Inasas are more accustomed to using the pronunciation derived from the word for honey.

"Bear meat? I'll have to try it. I didn't expect there to be a hidden surprise here—I was wondering why Black Paw wasn't huddled in the haystack when we came in, what was he playing around with?" Daisy's eyes lit up at the mention of it, but after swallowing a few large mouthfuls, she was forced to put down her bowl. "Ugh, sour, and so hard to chew—"

“You’d better taste it again, then you can still detect the fishy taste,” Mary glanced at her. “I think you should go to those taverns less often. All the money you earn goes to the tavern owners, and it spoils your palate.”

They never complained about anything worse than this while they were on the road. After all, having something to eat in the wilderness is a good thing, otherwise they would have to eat berries like Bella every day.

“I didn’t give all the money to the boss; they’ll treat me to a meal themselves,” Daisy said, pretending not to hear the rest of the conversation. She proudly tilted her head back and wiped her mouth. “I’m just doing them publicity; they should thank me!”

"Look, look at this! This is one of their thank-you gifts!"

As he spoke, the bard pulled a yellowed, brittle parchment from his satchel. Various colors of ink had been splattered on it, creating a strangely alluring image.

"It's said that this is the landlady's family heirloom: a treasure map!" Daisy excitedly introduced to the others. "This is the tomb of an ancient king of Eastern Inassus. It's said that when he was crowned, his crown was inlaid with seventy-seven gems of various colors. If we can get it out, we'll be rich!"

"Seventy-seven?" Leslaufer looked up at the question. He vaguely remembered the number. "The king you're talking about, you wouldn't happen to be named Igor, would you?"

"Huh? How did you know?" Daisy was taken aback.

“Silly girl, your map is fake,” Reslaufer said, waving his hand dismissively after realizing he had guessed correctly. “Igor’s tomb was dug up a long time ago. Although I didn’t go there, someone who was involved at the time told me that the location he described is completely different from the one marked on your map.”

"Moreover, although later generations have spread tales of his extravagance and debauchery, in reality, due to the extinction of his lineage, Igor's later years were quite miserable. How could he, who was overthrown by his own subordinates, possibly have the opportunity to take the crown he wore when he ascended the throne to his grave? My acquaintance who turned to tomb raiding told me that they only found a few gold rings, and the most valuable item was actually a stone tablet that was sold to a historian."

"Besides, if it really is the heirloom of that tavern owner you know, with immense wealth contained in it, why wouldn't he go and get it himself instead of giving it to you? Don't take it too seriously..."

As he spoke, Raslaufer stood up, but then sat back down. Next to him, Angelita suddenly looked up at him and asked, "Uncle Raslaufer, may we go for a walk over there?"

Chapter 405 Fake Address, Real Ghost

“Annie, what I’m saying is, this treasure map is fake.”

“I heard you right,” Angelita nodded. “That’s why I asked if I could go, because it’s fake. I’m getting mushrooms growing all over the place in Zebrech village every day.”

"Would you?" Raslaufer looked into Angelita's eyes, and the girl didn't intend to hide her intentions—it wasn't that she wanted to go, but that she realized Raslaufer needed to get some exercise.

It was now within the timeframe agreed upon by Raslaufer and Paul, and the old mage could appear at any moment. If Daisy's treasure map was genuine, Raslaufer wouldn't dare take the risk, but if it was fake... just taking a stroll shouldn't be a big deal.

After all, the original contract did not stipulate that they had to wait in a fixed place after arriving at their destination. If Paul could find them by using divination and astrology, it would not be difficult to determine their exact location.

With that thought in mind, Raslaufer relaxed and not only stopped insisting, but also started planning the route for their trip with the others. A moment later, the neatly dressed group had gathered at the door. Raslaufer went to ask a neighbor to look after the yard, while Angrita unleashed Black Claw.

This time we're going to the wilderness, which is perfect for Black Talon to see the scenery of Eastern Inasas.

Although the winters here are not as warm as those in the empire, as far as the eye can see, there is only ice and snow.

The team of four people and one dragon set off again. Although they no longer needed to carry a lot of luggage, the thick winter clothing made up for it well. Even the feathers on Black Claw's body were now exceptionally thick, making its body look much larger than when they first met.

Raslaufer was still wearing the same leather coat he wore when he assassinated King Ehrlich. As the group walked along secluded roads, countless malicious gazes cleared and discreetly averted because of his attire and the greatsword behind him. In Eastern Inassassins, Dobler enjoyed far more privileges than both outside and locally; even highway robbers would deliberately avoid them.

This privilege made everyone's journey virtually unimpeded. No matter how cautious a person was, they would inevitably lower their guard in such an environment. Even Black Claw abandoned his constant sniffing and vigilance when the group arrived near the location marked on the fake treasure map.

Compared to the wild and untamed environment that is part of its heritage, this place is far too safe.

“This must be the area,” Leslaufer said, glancing at the parchment in Daisy’s hand and then at the setting sun that had already sunk behind the mountains. “Let’s rest here for the night and explore some more tomorrow.”

"To be honest, I was planning to see if there were any clueless thieves, but they were all old guys. It's really disappointing." The mercenary, who hadn't managed to get his greatsword on the road, fully expressed his frustration and resentment. But that's how it is in East Inasas. Bandits who didn't know Dople and dared to block the road had long been killed.

“You’ll be unhappy when they actually come out,” Daisy said dismissively, studying the treasure map with great interest. “Oh, I found this mark! Look at that row of dead trees over there, it’s exactly the same as the one on the map! Tomorrow, we’ll go there, then walk 180 steps west, then north…”

“As a fake map, it’s really detailed,” Mary said, curiously leaning over to compare the differences between reality and the image. “But that makes sense. If this were real, the person who drew it probably wouldn’t have had the time to do it so carefully.”

“It looks like a game we played when we were kids. My two older brothers used to love to take out some blueprints and pretend that those maps, with ink still wet, had been passed down for centuries,” Angelita chuckled. “Once, they both happened to have their eyes on a ‘treasure trove,’ but the two of them drew completely different maps, and they even got into a fight over it.”

"In the end, my mother and aunt lured them away with tea and snacks, and all the treasure they buried became mine—later they even thought they had been robbed and reported it to the captain of the guard, demanding that the thieves be arrested!"

A few amusing incidents stirred up Angelita's memories, and she couldn't help but think of her family back in the Empire—how were they doing now? She dared not reveal her father's and the Emperor's secrets to more people, but after she had run away, she couldn't help but worry.

This is probably one of the many "hypocrites" that teachers talked about back then.

Her Highness sighed softly, determined to stop thinking about these meaningless matters. She was responsible for keeping watch during the first half of the night, to prevent any unruly animals from rummaging through things or even having designs on their flesh and blood.

Late winter in Eastern Inasas is also very cold, which kept Angreta awake during her watch, but it wasn't so good for her sleeping companions. Although the camp was set up in a sheltered location, when the wind was biting, some cold air still managed to get in. This forced Daisy to frequently change to a more comfortable and warmer position.

Angelita watched all this, lost in her own thoughts, when suddenly she heard the rustling of paper. Turning her gaze, she saw that the bard, who had been fast asleep, had turned over again, and the "treasure map" that had been lying beside him was now free, fluttering in the winter night wind and flying outside.

Angelita reached out, but grasped at nothing. She let out a soft gasp and turned to look at her companions. Fortunately, no one had been awakened.

Watching the parchment spinning away into the distance, Angelita hesitated for a moment before getting up and chasing after it—it was just a piece of paper, it wouldn't take long, and it wouldn't be too far.

But to Angelita's dismay, the paper seemed to be deliberately working against her. She tried to grab it several times but missed. Finally, with a sudden change in the wind direction, the paper swept past a dead tree and landed behind a large rock, presumably getting stuck in a crevice.

"Now, let's see where you can run now." Angelita said in a low voice. She walked over quietly and quickly. However, just as she walked around the stone and was about to pick up the paper on the ground, her expression suddenly froze as if she had been frozen, and her movements followed suit.