This young master truly has the ambition of a hero.

So, the impatient Behemoth immediately set off for the capital. Although the old mage had temporarily given up on his attempt to reach the demigod realm (waiting for someone else to make way), he was still incredibly interested in demigod-level magic that could wield the power of laws. Good or bad, he was determined to join in the fun!

After Behemoth left, Dick prepared to head to the southern front again.

According to reports from the front lines, although the two countries have not yet reached a formal ceasefire agreement, the frontline combat troops have stopped their offensive. On the Empire's side, due to the prolonged siege and heavy casualties, the troops are experiencing strong war-weariness and resentment, to the point that even the supervisory teams are struggling to contain them.

As for the Third Prince Bailey, his attempt to turn the tables was in vain. It has now been basically confirmed that he is "Sun Shiwan from another world," and the Linzhao Basin is the Hefei he can only dream of.

Throughout the southern border of the empire and parts of the capital region, making fun of the Third Prince can no longer be considered disrespectful to the royal family. Because if you laugh, people won't reprimand or expose you; instead, they'll find themselves laughing along with you.

However, the laughter and joy he brought could not at all offset the evil he had committed!

Since the start of the war, the Empire has deployed a total of over 1.2 million troops to the southern front, of which over 200,000 have been killed in action, and there are countless wounded.

The number 200,000 may seem like a small percentage compared to the Empire's total population of 80 million, but behind every cold number on the casualty statistic are countless broken families.

As a result, the war raged on and on, but the empire failed to gain an inch of land.

It is said that when the imprisoned General Malcolm learned that the Third Prince had taken away his military power, he threw the troops he had painstakingly regrouped into a blind attack, which resulted in their near-total loss. The old general was furious and drew his sword to assassinate the Third Prince. Even after being stopped by his guards, he continued to curse and even spat a mouthful of bloody phlegm in Bailey's face.

Malcolm was a close advisor to Prince Charles, so he believed that Bailey's disregard for human life was intentional, and that he was using the Maple Dew people as a tool to slaughter the old prince's former subordinates.

Faced with the old general's accusations and curses, the Third Prince's face turned ashen. Although he didn't particularly like the former Crown Prince's subordinates who refused to submit to him, he at most wanted to marginalize them.

But he couldn’t admit in public that he had caused so many soldiers to sacrifice themselves in vain because of his incompetence; that would be better than letting people think he was ruthless!

Perhaps because he felt guilty and had not completely abandoned all moral principles, the Third Prince did not order Malcolm's execution, but instead imprisoned him in the dungeon, hoping to avoid seeing or hearing him.

The war was nearing its end, and Pele couldn't accept the outcome, but there was nothing he could do.

The bureaucrats sent by the cabinet told him very clearly that the national treasury was completely empty! It was so empty that a 1.95-meter-tall rat could run in it. The rations and pensions for the soldiers on the front lines were a huge hole, and they could only hope to make up for it during the tax season after the autumn harvest.

Currently, the imperial high command has begun to soften its stance on the negotiation issue. The kingdom is not making exorbitant demands for territorial concessions and reparations, but only asking the empire to recognize the kingdom's sovereignty over the Linzao Basin, exchange the captured Maple Dew soldiers, clarify the border line, and put the dispute to rest.

The kingdom's demands seemed reasonable, even somewhat humble. But they were facing the Black Forest Empire, the world's strongest overlord. And before this, the empire had never reasoned with anyone.

In this battle, not only did the "evil god" feared by the world bleed, but he was also whipped so hard that he rolled on the ground. Even though the Fenglu people were also badly wounded in this battle and almost exhausted their resources, it was undoubtedly a victory for them.

This greatly encouraged the small southern countries that had previously lived in the shadow of the empire!

So when Dick returned by ship to Fort Nameless Horn, news arrived just then that the armistice agreement had been signed, sending the entire camp into a frenzy of jubilation. No one cared about winning or losing anymore; the fact that this damned war was over, and that they were all alive, was more important than anything else.

"It's over! The war is finally over! Hahahaha... Waaah..."

As everyone was laughing, for some reason someone started crying, and the crying seemed to spread like wildfire, plunging the camp into an eerie silence.

Looking at the group of people who were somewhat out of control, Shizuka Marikawa, who had just finished an operation and came out to get some fresh air, was very puzzled.

"Dick, what's wrong with them?"

"The war is over."

"Huh? Shouldn't we be happy about that?"

"It was joyful; everyone was laughing at first. But then they all started crying. This war started because of the greed of a few, but it ended in a murky way. If you put yourself in their shoes, you'll realize that feeling lost is perfectly normal."

Dick shrugged noncommittally; he actually had more to say but didn't want to spoil the mood by saying it now.

The ceasefire was not the end, but a brief intermission. The cabinet's corrupt officials, through a series of baffling maneuvers, successfully instilled a deep resentment and anger in almost every level of the empire.

This resentment must be vented; if it cannot find an outlet in time, it will only self-destruct!

Chapter 291: The Road Home

On the very night the ceasefire agreement was announced, the commander of the Kingdom's army, who had been locked in a long-standing standoff with the Eastern Second Army Corps, arrived at the fortress, hoping to meet with Reinhard, the corps commander of the Eastern Second Army Corps. In a sense, the two sides had developed a bond through fighting, sharing a mutual respect.

The commander of the kingdom's army made this special trip, firstly to meet his long-time adversary. He had heard that Reinhardt, despite being surrounded, had personally led his elite troops deep into the kingdom's heartland to rescue his captured soldiers and successfully bring them home. Even as an enemy, he was filled with admiration for such a feat.

Secondly, I have a request: I hope to exchange prisoners with the Second Eastern Army Corps on the spot. The two sides have fought dozens of times in recent days, and each side has some prisoners of the other.

The commander also wanted to find out about the fate of a man, his younger brother, who had gone missing in a battle eight days earlier, with no trace of him, dead or alive. So he guessed that he might have been captured by the Imperial Army.

Reinhardt and Dick discussed the request and decided that they could grant it.

So the two sides brought their prisoners to the center of the battlefield the next morning to exchange them.

To the surprise of the Kingdom's commander, his brother was indeed still alive, though seriously injured and carried out on a stretcher.

In terms of numbers, the Second Eastern Army Corps had more than twice as many prisoners as the Kingdom's army. This was mainly because Dick demanded that the wounded of the enemy be treated as much as possible, which was both a humanitarian measure and a way to increase leverage in future negotiations.

Dick didn't dare to guarantee that the hastily built Nameless Horn Fortress could be held. He thought he could hold out for as long as possible, and if he couldn't hold out and had to surrender, he could use the fact that he treated the wounded enemy to give preferential treatment to the soldiers below who were destined to die.

The commander of the Kingdom's army didn't think so much. He only saw that many wounded soldiers were well taken care of and their mental state did not seem to have been abused, so he admired Reinhard even more.

So this guy took out of his own pocket and gave a large sum of money as additional compensation.

After a few more days of peace, both sides finally received notices from their superiors that the Kingdom's army would give way to the Second Eastern Corps, allowing them to return to the Empire on their own, and that no troops along the way should obstruct them.

"Finally, I can go back."

Upon learning that they could go home, the entire army was eager to return. Dick began his recruitment drive, intending to take all three thousand soldiers of the Volunteer Corps with him. He had previously entrusted Ruby Eyes in Mouth Harbor to find the families of these soldiers and relocate them all to the north.

Some of these soldiers had read letters from home, while others, though illiterate, had received tokens from their families proving their identity. Thus, they had no worries and readily agreed to go north.

Besides them, other troops and even some soldiers of the Imperial Guard also had the idea of ​​defecting to Ragug because of the Empire's inhumane behavior.

Unlike the general public in China who could only learn about the war through newspapers, the soldiers on the front lines knew better than anyone who was helping them.

Without the Earl's help, the Second Eastern Army Corps would have been annihilated in front of the enemy fortress long ago.

Without the assistance of the Saint-level experts from Laguge, the arrival of Saintess Fenglu would have been their death day.

Without Laguge's medical team, who knows how many more soldiers would have died?

Ordinary people may not understand grand principles, but they all have a simple sense of gratitude, and the strength that Laguge has displayed this time is truly impressive. Joining the ranks of such a powerful figure is obviously a good choice.

After resting for two more days, the Second Eastern Army Corps, having completed its transfer preparations, set off from the Nameless Cape Fortress. The medical team from Lagug had already taken a group of wounded soldiers who were unable to move by ship. They would head to Mousse Harbor to reunite with their comrades there.

The remaining troops returned home by land, and the Kingdom's army along the way did not obstruct them, so the two sides remained at peace.

It's worth mentioning that halfway through the corps' transfer, they unexpectedly encountered a group of prisoners of war, numbering approximately 20,000, who were also preparing to return home. They were likely Imperial soldiers captured in subsequent battles who hadn't yet been evacuated and thus missed the spectacular rescue operation at Firewing Fortress.

Both were returning to China, but their status and treatment on the two sides were completely different. Although the soldiers of the Second Eastern Army Corps were not dressed in fine clothes and many of them still had bruises on their bodies, they were fully equipped with armor and weapons. The soldiers were in excellent spirits and looked relaxed and at ease, without any sense of depression.

On the other side, the prisoners were all disarmed, and they were all dejected and listless, like refugees.

After all, the Second Army Corps held on. The country didn't win, but they certainly didn't lose!

It's like your team lost, but you were named MVP; that glory can offset the negative emotions of defeat to some extent.

Three days later, the army successfully arrived near the border. At this time, a group of silver-armored knights from the Kingdom appeared by the roadside. They seemed to have been waiting for a long time and took the initiative to greet them.

Dick immediately recognized that the one leading the group was the "historical Joan of Arc," with Princess Lilia of Maple Dew beside her.

In the early stages of the defense of the Nameless Horn Fortress, this saintess personally led an elite army to besiege it, resulting in a holy-level battle between the two sides. Historically, Joan of Arc's strength was simply beyond common sense.

It's important to understand that while this person was indeed a famous French hero in Earth's history, he was ultimately just a mortal human being, unlike the heroic spirits and magical girls around Dick. The fact that they could fight each other to a standstill was something Dick found hard to comprehend.

So Dick really wanted to know what method the kingdom used to enable Earthlings to learn martial arts and become so strong!

However, even a fool could tell that this was a top secret of the kingdom, and it was impossible for them to spread it around, let alone let a despicable imperialist like him know about it.

Soon, the kingdom's group arrived. Facing the kingdom's Saint-level experts, Reinhardt, who was only a mid-level warrior, couldn't help but feel a little nervous. However, Jeanne only glanced at him before looking at Dick and the others behind her. Her gaze swept over the black and white Jeanne and the other girls beside Dick, while Princess Lilia beside her rode forward and addressed the group.

"As your enemy, I admire your courage and boldness, and I am very grateful that you did not harm my father. Oh, by the way, Master Dick Best, would you be interested in visiting our kingdom?"

As soon as Lilia finished speaking, everyone present turned to look at Dick. Dick frowned slightly, thinking to himself, "Who would poach someone like that?" He simply shook his head and remained silent.

But Lilia's next words really piqued his interest.

"Our country has the original version of the summoning array for otherworldly beings, created by the ancient dragon race. You are the youngest Saint-rank mage on the continent. Do you really have absolutely no interest in it?"

Chapter 292: Are you guys kidding me?

After Lilia finished speaking, she led her group away without waiting for Dick's reply.

Reinhardt looked at him with some unease. He could now understand why the Maple Dew people wanted to recruit Dick, but he was also really afraid that his younger brother would not be able to resist the temptation and would run off to the Kingdom.

Dick looked around at the people around him and shrugged helplessly.

"It would be a lie to say I'm not interested, but I wouldn't betray my country for someone like that, would I?"

Everyone laughed upon hearing this, and the atmosphere immediately became lively again.

"If you ask me, the people of Maple Dew are just stingy. They think they can poach people with a lousy magic circle? They should at least include a princess in the deal!"

"Forget it! That scrawny blonde girl's body is hardly worthy of Lord Dick's attention."

"That's true, Lord's preferences... are quite easy to understand."

The group of rough, uncouth knights immediately let out lewd, strange laughs. The group of beautiful women around Dick were too pleasing to the eye; not only were they beautiful, but they were also large-breasted, truly making others envious.

We are all nobles, and many of the generals here are lords with fiefdoms. Why can't we recruit beautiful female retainers who are both powerful and good-looking?

The brief incident did not dampen the group's spirits for returning home. The legion quickly crossed the border and officially set foot on imperial territory. Not far away, along the main road, they could see imperial troops lined up to welcome the return of these "heroes."

The glorious deeds of the Second Eastern Army Corps are now known throughout the Empire, and Reinhardt's reputation has even surpassed that of his father, Rune Best. After all, the old war marshal hasn't taken to the battlefield for over a decade; his era has long passed. Coupled with his deliberate low profile, some citizens who don't pay much attention to national affairs have even forgotten the name of their military minister.

Reinhardt was quite excited, but also somewhat uneasy, because when he looked around, he did not see the Third Prince among the welcoming crowd. This made Reinhardt feel sad for a moment, lamenting that the friendship he once cherished most had ended in this way.

Soon, Reinhard met the welcoming party. The man introduced himself as a special envoy of the cabinet. He explained that the Third Prince himself was ill due to overwork, so he had come to welcome the soldiers of the Second Eastern Army Corps and, on behalf of the royal family and the cabinet, to reward the meritorious officials present.

As a legion commander and a war hero heavily promoted by the imperial media, Reinhardt received undeniably lavish rewards. The monetary rewards were self-evident; the Best family was one of the top five noble families in the entire Hessen Empire, and as the eldest son of the family, Reinhardt had never experienced financial hardship in his life.

The medals were a set of the three highest-ranking medals in the empire, along with a royal sword and armor, and the title of "Guardian Knight," the highest honor in the empire. Throughout the empire's thousand-year history, this title had only been awarded seventeen times, and even Duke Rune had never received it. Reinhard was undoubtedly the youngest Guardian Knight in history.

A wave of glory washed over Reinhardt, leaving him dizzy and disoriented. But Dick, who was following behind, saw it clearly: the Empire was trying to cover up the defeat in this war by creating a deity out of Reinhardt, dressing him up in a glamorous way, and then pushing him out to attract the attention of the people.

In contrast, the Empire's rewards for the rest of the Second Eastern Army Corps were rather lackluster. The combined rewards for all the generals were less than what Reinhard received alone, while the lower-ranking soldiers only received a meaningless verbal commendation.

Discontent was spreading rapidly among the crowd, greatly diminishing the soldiers' joy at returning home.

As an "unofficial volunteer," Dick only received verbal commendations, but he didn't care much about it. After all, he had already made enough money in the Southern arms business and didn't care about these meager rewards.

What he was curious about was whether the higher-ups were so stingy with those who had made contributions because the money had been approved but embezzled by intermediaries, or whether there was simply no money left to approve for those below.

The former is a basic practice of the imperial bureaucracy and is nothing new.

But if the latter is the case, then the situation would be much more serious for the empire.

After the troops withdrew back to the country, they were stationed near Charles City. Although the empire did not give them any reward money, they were at least provided with food and a lot of wine and meat, which slightly quelled the soldiers' dissatisfaction.

Reinhardt, on the other hand, was summoned to a private meeting by the Third Prince and did not return for half a day.

Dick is currently at the main camp, and he has basically achieved all his goals. Compared to the small reward given by the imperial high command, he would rather return to his home in Lagug as soon as possible.

At that moment, the female ninja Ayane slipped into the tent and whispered a few words in Dick's ear. Dick nodded, signaling her to step back.

"Arrange for someone to take good care of him and send him back to Laguge as soon as possible."

"Yes."

Not long after Ayane left, someone came to see Dick outside the tent. But the visitor surprised Dick somewhat; it was Marquis Leodor, the maternal uncle of the Third Prince Bailey.

Dick wondered what this man wanted, since he had never met him before.

"My lord, what business do you have with me?"

"I have long heard that the fifth young master of the Best family is a once-in-a-millennium magical prodigy and the youngest Saint-level mage in history. Naturally, I would like to make friends with you."

"What a coincidence! I also enjoy making many friends, but I wonder what the necessary conditions are for becoming friends with the Marquis?"

Dick's words seemed like a gesture of goodwill, but in reality, he was getting straight to the point and asking what the other party was there for.

Dick knew that Marquis Leodor was a supporter of the Third Prince, after all, he was his maternal uncle. At the same time, he also had close ties with the civil service group in the cabinet. This man was not in Dick's ally group, but he would not take the initiative to make an enemy of him. It was best for them to stay out of each other's way.

In response to Dick's question, Marquis Leodore laughed.

"I know that you helped Reinhard in many of his heroic deeds, which enabled the Second Eastern Army Corps to survive behind enemy lines until now. Since you are willing to go through fire and water to help your elder brother, why can't you join your elder brother in helping the Third Prince achieve great things?"

"My lord, forgive my bluntness, but the Third Prince's reputation these days..."

"Those are minor issues. Throughout history, the princes who have become emperors have never been the ones with the most outstanding personal abilities, but rather the ones who have the most support."

Are you sure he has a lot of support?

Why not support it?

Marquis Leodor asked casually, and Dick was taken aback for a moment before realizing what he meant.

The Third Prince is an idiot, he doesn't deny it, but this idiot is precisely because he is easy to fool that he is more suitable to be put on the throne, so that the officials below him can do whatever they want.

So this is what these guys were planning, that's why they insisted on supporting the Third Prince to ascend to the throne?

In an instant, Dick realized that the Third Prince's image in his mind had plummeted again. Before, he was at least the King of Wu of the Great Wei, but now he was simply aiming to be like Emperor Hui of Jin.