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

"Huh?" Lamia was stunned and attacked again, but the result was the same as before.

"you--"

The monster stretched out its claws for the third time, but before it could touch Earl Xinmu, a chill climbed up its spine and penetrated its head!

"Yonata!" The monster roared and tried to fall to the side to avoid the spell coming from behind, but the next second, its six limbs were completely paralyzed and it lost consciousness!

At the last moment, all Lamia could do was try her best to turn her eyes back. There, a bald wizard in a black robe raised one hand with a tired look. Between his thumb and index finger, there was a small piece of iron that was not bent at all.

"Call me...Yonata...Master."

The pain in his soul tormented the mage constantly. Ever since he obtained the three-headed flail and began researching it, the will of some terrifying existence had commanded him to kill and devour, commanding him to be eternally hungry and thirsty. Without external intervention, he would lose all consciousness and become a completely ignorant and barbaric animal.

But a servant from another demon lord left him a glimmer of hope: Lamia did not want a human version of a werewolf with a weak body, it wanted to command a real wizard. When the monster laughed at Earl Xinmu's self-righteousness, it knew that it itself was also one of the arrogant ones.

The spirit of an arcane master is far more resilient than one might imagine. Although Jonata still had to succumb to this half-man, half-lion monster in most cases, at the critical moment, he still broke free from the shackles and embraced himself again.

"Master Jonata!" Count Xinmu felt as if his soul was about to fly away with Panasonic's breath! He stepped back more than ten steps, and after confirming that the monster could no longer move, he ripped off the dim magic pendant hanging on his chest.

Favi, that filthy skunk had lied to him! He said this thing could withstand three lethal threats, but it was useless to him after only two!

It has to be Master Jonata!

"Immediately... move..." The Necromancer had no time to reminisce with the other party. Since Lamia was immobilized and could no longer provide him with rational protection, the chaotic thoughts from the werewolf swelled again, "Destroy... the conspiracy..."

"Then what should you do?" The count knew that this was not the time to hesitate. No one knew how long Master Jonata, who looked to be in poor condition, could hold on, so he immediately ordered the priests and guards to lead the civilians to evacuate.

In the earl's sight, the spellcaster, whom he had known for many years, showed a smile of impending relief on his face.

"Someone will... come and take care of this..."

At the same time, at the other end of the city, an undead creature much stronger than other gnolls broke out of the black wizard tower, with Leslaufer and others following closely behind it!

"Follow it!" The mercenary shouted to his companions to follow. "No matter what happens outside, we must find Master Jonata immediately!"

Chapter 89: Mortal Knowledge

The undead creature created by the gnoll leader was holding the three-headed flail bought by Jonata, but it turned around and fled after fighting with Leslaufer only a few times, leading them into the necromancer's wizard tower through a secret door in the basement!

This series of abnormalities almost made it clear that this was all arranged by Jonata himself! Not to mention that they also found a copy of Jonata's experimental log in that laboratory.

The experiment connected my mind to a shadow of the abyss. Hunger and desire attacked my mind simultaneously, as if a powerful force from outside had entered my brain and commanded me to kill and devour. Although it lasted only a short moment, it was still too much for my human mind. But in a way, it was also comforting to feel that I was part of a greater group: I felt not the hunger of a single beast, but the hunger of all its members.

"The experiment must be repeated. This time, I realize where the hunger comes from. I am consumed by the boundless hunger and endless thirst of the great Yeenoghu, and I know He will never be satisfied. Yet, I must feed my master..."

A few words were enough to describe everything the wizard encountered while trying to decipher the curse on the flail, but he did not give in. Instead, he continued to fight. The gnoll leader, who voluntarily gave up the attack and led the way for Raslaufer and the others, was a clear example. In this case, how could they turn a blind eye to this?

"Damn it, what the hell is going on here?!" Vondar strode forward to catch up with the group. The tall dwarf's pace was no less than that of the others. "It must be that monster! We destroyed its lair, so it simply stopped pretending!"

A large number of monsters and cultists almost occupied the streets. The Angora Church next to the Wizard Tower barely sheltered some people, but it seemed that if the problem could not be solved from the source, they would not be able to hold on for long.

"It must pay for this!" Angrita's face was terribly gloomy. This was the Empire's city—this was Matt's city! Now it had been invaded and destroyed by monsters like this!

"Aren't there four arcane masters here? What do they do for a living?"

"One of them is already in bad shape, and the others are definitely not much better!" Daisy ran a little out of breath. "This kind of plot is not uncommon, but I didn't expect to have to run to solve the problem!"

She had only run 800 meters at best! If she rushed like that, by the time she reached her destination, she wouldn't even have the strength to pluck the strings!

Before the bard finished speaking, Bella had transformed into a sturdy, fast horse and carried Daisy on her back. "Wow, thank you!"

"Don't just thank me. We're asking you to save your energy now so you can exert it later!" The mercenary chased the gnoll, leaving the streets behind. "There! It's heading to the Earl's mansion!"

Of course the monster would go there! If it could control Jonata, it could control Earl Xinmu, and if it controlled Earl Xinmu, it could almost control the entire Xinmu City!

"Over there!" The sharp-eyed poet, riding on the druid's transformed horse, quickly spotted the man and the monster locked in a stalemate in front of the Earl's mansion. However, the monster was now as motionless as a wooden sculpture, while the black-robed figure looked even worse.

"You can't stay here with me forever, Jonata!" At this moment, the monster has almost regained control of its body. Jonata is not specialized in enchantment spells such as monster immobilization, and the time he can buy for the city is very limited.

"I saved you! Without me, you would be no different from those beasts lying on the ground chewing the dirt on the street! How dare you betray me?!"

"Call me Master Jonata," the Necromancer's sleeves stirred up violent air currents, trying to continue his spell. "I won't be your running dog, nor will I die like a hyena!"

"You have no choice! Do you think that after today, you can pretend nothing happened?"

"...I never thought so," Jonata felt his control over the monster's body become tenuous. On the contrary, the chaotic will from the abyss was stripping him of control. The bald mage turned and looked at the rushing gnoll leader and the mercenaries behind him. "Naturally, someone will come to put an end to me!"

"What is that? Jonata! Didn't you tell me it was 'gone'?!" Lamia followed the wizard's gaze. The familiar two-handed sword and the frightened look on the wielder's face made her heart skip a beat.

"Impossible! Even if you could secretly arrange it, you definitely can't lie to me!"

"No lies, freak. It's gone, but only for you."

The mage summoned his last ounce of strength, forcing the undead creature to leap towards Lamia, who was about to escape. "Watch carefully to see the limits of mortal intellect! Follower of Graz'zt, you..."

"Can you resist the might of the great Yeenoghu?!"

"boom--"

Without warning, the gnoll leader's body exploded, forcing Reslaufer and the others to pause. The necromancer's body tumbled down the stairs like a torn sack, slumping before the mercenaries. At that moment, inch-by-inch, wild-hair black and yellow sprouted from his head, his entire skull reshaped as if by some force, as he inched ever closer to the gnoll.

"Leslaufer... do it..."

Jonata had no idea that what he was saying was no longer the Imperial language, but the real language from the abyss. It was impossible for Reslaufer to understand what he was saying.

But fortunately, this does not affect the mercenaries' judgment.

"Very good." The man nodded and cut off the head that still looked seven-tenths human with a single blow. He then looked towards the front of the Earl's mansion. There, a creature that had once been half beautiful had finally broken free of its restraints, tearing at the arms of its human half in a frenzy.

Just like the changes that happened to Jonata before his death, hyena-like hair grew on its body and its appearance became more and more ferocious.

"Yonatha, you deserve to die!"

"You are the one who deserves to die!" A sharp piano sound suddenly pierced the monster's eardrum, but only it could hear that sound.

The magic contained in the piano music was full of malice, mercilessly destroying the monster's senses and spirit, which should not be too fragile, causing its huge body to stagger.

If it didn't have six limbs, it would have had almost no chance of standing up again, because at that moment, the sword that had just been stained with Jonata's blood was already in front of it.

Chapter 90 Good Girl

"Get that thing away from me!"

Lamia screamed and dodged Leslaufer's sword in a panic. It could feel it! There was the mage's blood on the sword, and in that blood was hidden the power of the curse!

A curse that can make her even weaker!

"I believe you can escape death, because you make Angora sick to look at you now."

"I believe you are the reason humans evolved the middle finger."

"Oh, I almost didn't recognize you. The last time we met, you just looked like a beast."

The man's offensive was already overwhelming the monster, and to make matters worse, the abominable bard refused to give up the opportunity to add insult to injury. Each word, more vicious and harsher than the last, emanated from her mouth, carrying a special magical power that repeatedly assaulted the monster's mind, leaving scars on its body and soul.

Cursing is just a medium. Not to mention that Lamia can understand and speak Imperial language, even if it can't, the meaning of the words will still penetrate into its brain and humiliate it!

"Enough!" The monster completely gave up on defense. After it launched a desperate counterattack, it finally gained a few openings. "Go ahead and show off your words here! This city is finished! And you are the culprits of all this!"

"If you hadn't pressed me so hard, I wouldn't have set off all this today!"

"Your deceitful lies have reached their limit, monster!" Earl Xinmu suddenly appeared at a nearby street corner, surrounded by guards, not even leaving his residence. "Without them, Xinmu City would have been completely shattered by you in the future! But now—"

"It's time for us to fight back!"

"Don't worry, he's just bluffing. He won't come near you." Without waiting for the Lamia to react, Reslaufer spoke first. He headbutted the monster hard on the forehead. As blood spread along the temples, one of the Lamia's lion claws had been cut off by him.

"But I'm different."

When the mercenaries charged again, with the dull thud of a heavy object falling to the ground, Lamia, with only five limbs left, could no longer maintain its balance and fell to the ground with a thud. It tried to make a final struggle, but Reslaufer immediately saw through its intentions and slashed down with his greatsword twice in succession, chopping the already desperate monster into three pieces.

"Well done! Lei...that guy!" The Earl could no longer remember Reslaufer's name, but at least he remembered that there was such a person. For him, this was enough to show his magnanimity. "Thank you for your hard work! Can you still fight? We still have enemies all over the street to deal with!"

Leslaufer, who had trudged out from the three pieces of the monster's corpse, looked at him. The look in his eyes made the earl's heart palpitate, but the next second, the other party's seemingly normal words made him feel a little relieved.

"Where are we going to kill? How many are we going to kill?"

"The Golden Eagle Guild!" Count Xinmu blurted out the location without hesitation. "A large number of Xinmu puppets are stored there, but they are now controlled by cultists. They are definitely a more dangerous force than the monster you just killed!"

"Is there anyone who needs to be rescued?"

"...I'm sorry, but no!" Earl Xinmu hesitated, his expression solemn. "The entire Golden Eagle Guild has been infiltrated by demons. I'm afraid there are no innocent people there."

Reslaufer heard this without questioning it. After finding out the location of the Golden Eagle Guild, he dragged his sword in that direction.

"Old Lei, wait a minute!" Feng Daer shouted from behind, "This is impossible! The bastard must be lying to you. The power of the devil is wreaking havoc on the entire city. You can't help him fight among himself!"

"Shut up, you shorty!" Count Xinmu's expression suddenly changed, and he lowered his voice and said viciously, "We must get those puppets, otherwise how long will this battle last?"

"Even if you have to give up those innocent people who have never had any dealings with demons?" The dwarf refused to give in and stared at the other party.

"No one is innocent! They were the ones who abandoned Xinmu City first!" The Earl opened his arms. "Where did you come from? Did you see any half-dolls on the street? No! They were all guarding their own homes with those short-sighted idiots!"

"But that's understandable..."

"That's an unforgivable crime!" Count Xinmu roared angrily, as if he was going to make Feng Daer a member of the Golden Eagle Guild. "Enough! Don't argue with me about this topic! If you have the energy, go to Master Favi's mage tower over there! If you can free him, we'll be one step closer to victory!"

"We will go," Bella said slowly, now that she had regained her human form. "But I want Lesloff to come with us. Buddy, go get your uncle. He needs to protect you, doesn't he?"

Vondar immediately perked up and looked at Angelita expectantly, but Daisy was unaware of this. The poet was asking the guards around the count for water - verbal output was also a strenuous job, and her throat was about to smoke.

Reslaufer paused and turned to look at Angarita. Without a doubt, if Angarita asked him that, he would turn to support Master Favi. Mercenaries never dwelled too much on where to kill.

"No, Sister Bella, go and help Master Favi as the Count instructed," Angelita said, shaking her head slowly and firmly in response to Bella and Vondar's gazes. "With Sister Daisy here, there shouldn't be any major problems."

"What about you? You're going to stay with this Count? It'll be safe!"

"The Earl doesn't need someone like me, right?" Angelita glanced at Earl Xinmu. Although it was a question, the latter felt as if he was being ordered by a great nobleman and nodded involuntarily.

"That's no problem. I'll be with Uncle Reslaufer." Her Royal Highness the Princess waved the war hammer in her hand and stepped forward to catch up with Reslaufer. "Don't worry about me! Uncle Reslaufer will ensure my safety!"

Vondar Banqiu stared blankly at the back of Angrita chasing after Leslaufer, his bearded lips trembling: "Should I be worried?"

"She hasn't even reached adulthood yet..." Bella murmured, "Forget it, if even you don't know, what's the point of asking me? She's a good girl and will keep a good watch on Leslough. Let's go and rescue them."

Count Xinmu muttered in disdain in his heart, turned around and directed his men to launch a counterattack against the devil's lackeys.

A good girl? He had never heard of it. It was in the mercenary lexicon—they didn't have a lexicon!

Chapter 91: Banquet after the crisis

"The dark clouds of evil fill the sky of Xinmu City, but the light of righteousness still shines on the earth..."

When Earl Xinmu stood back in the courtyard of his mansion, he raised the glass filled with Xinmu wine in his hand - that was another specialty of Xinmu City, but because gypsum and rosin were usually added to it, the indescribable taste made outsiders avoid it - he sang a toast, and the survivors of the disaster in Xinmu City surrounded him and responded.

Normally, the Earl would have greatly enjoyed being surrounded by people, but today was an exception. The nobles repeatedly raised their glasses towards the man, who looked as if he were being poured with blood, and the latter politely responded.

"...Brave heroes accomplish great deeds, while treacherous and evildoers are annihilated..."

The Earl cast his gaze upon the merchants around him. These men had once bargained with him, but now they could only fawn over him. Just down the street, a guild that produced Xinmu puppets was still littered with corpses and blood. That was the price they paid for their devotion to evil as "cultists."

But no one dared to use this to accuse the earl or the man, because the real monster did not escape the disaster. Its twisted body was cut into three parts and hung high on a rack in the center of the city square. The last time it was used was during the reign of the previous Earl Xinmu, when he hanged three unlucky merchants who hoarded goods at high prices.

In the field, a young spellcaster in an orange robe walked towards the singer playing the maté and the druid dancing to the music, sincerely paying respect to the two women whose blood had just dried. After all, if it weren't for them, Favi would probably have been trapped at home during the city's most critical moment.

The dwarf, who was not of much help because the bomb was damp, shrugged his shoulders and filled his plate with herbed smoked pork. Compared to verbal flattery, real wine and meat were his favorite reward.

"...The glory of the gods still favors this city. We bathe in it and are reborn..."

The priests at the edge of the banquet each praised the names of their gods, and the ordinary citizens at the edge were praising the gods, the empire, the emperor and the earl. The cunning Earl Xinmu deliberately did not mention His Majesty Richard VII or the empire, so as to avoid being seen in such a public occasion as expressing allegiance to a party that was at war.

The civilians who would normally be considered to be soiling the ground around his residence would naturally make up for this deficiency.

And even from a personal perspective, the count would rather praise the gods than the emperor - the good deeds of priests and pastors in saving civilians in disasters are irreplaceable, but what about the emperor? Where is his omnipresent white blade and black arrow?

“…Let’s toast to a bright future for Xinmu City!”

Angrita sat next to the dwarf, sipping her pear wine in small sips after raising her glass. This place looked like a place reserved for the empire's minority races. Dressed as a half-elf, she wouldn't attract any attention. After all, compared to her, whether it was the druid who used magic to conjure colorful petals or Reslaufer who sat at the table like the God of War's chosen one, she was much more conspicuous.

But in Angarita's opinion, the latter might be more like the offspring of the God of Murder than the chosen one of the God of War. She witnessed Raslaufer swinging his sword at the merchants who were too frightened to resist with their golems, and he did not hesitate at all.

But Angelita did not stop it. To a certain extent, the princess even agreed with this approach - if she had not used such a tough attitude to "requisition" those puppets, it would probably take at least a week to repel the evil demons in half of the city, and it would take an unknown amount of time to clean them up.

She secretly glanced at "Uncle" Reslaufer, who was sitting in a chair of the same specifications as Master Favi, more majestic and inviolable than the Earl. He faced the curious, awe-inspiring and even hateful gazes calmly without any sign of stage fright.

But in fact, this was the most difficult moment for Leslaufer, much more difficult than being on the battlefield. The plasma on his body made him out of tune with the atmosphere of the banquet, but he had to sit here like this to distract his attention from Earl Xinmu and Angelita.

He is the best, maybe even the only, choice.

Needless to say, Angrita's side was in trouble. Earl Xinmu also needed him to share the blame for the subsequent massacre of the Golden Eagle Guild, because Leslaufer was a mercenary, and a mercenary meant that he would not stay in Xinmu City for a long time, and he was accustomed to "confiscating" houses and exterminating families while performing tasks.

If Count Xinmu had personally commanded the operation, he might even have had his heart pierced out by the pitchforks of the angry people, but if it had been done by a mercenary, no one would have been surprised - especially if this was a barbarian from Inassus.