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On the other hand, the Blood Vulture vampires arrived quickly.

For these beings capable of supersonic flight at night, most terrain obstacles were meaningless.

The rescued Thorn Clan also arrived soon after, though a few unfortunate souls under Count Andrei were injured. The loyal servant Vesta was left behind to care for the wounded.

By the time the Count of White Mountain arrived, sword in hand, both sides had already transitioned from a tense standoff to a not-so-peaceful conversation.

A line of Blood Vulture members hovered in the air, sealing off the surroundings, while the Winged Cavalry spread out through the forest on alert, leaving the conversation space to the leaders of both sides.

The Count of White Mountain was very proper and knew when to advance or retreat. He did not demand to listen in or approach, but simply found a good spot to sit down and rest under Adele’s vigilant gaze, taking out his poetry collection to read.

In the center of this encounter in the forest, in a mountain valley at dawn, the young lady leaned on her Night Howl Staff, staring at the Winged Cavalry leader who had just jumped down from his tall horse before her.

The latter walked forward and removed his helmet when he was about 7 steps away from the young lady, revealing a rough face of a man probably in his forties or fifties. He had short graying hair, sharp eyes, a standard square face with a full beard. His eyes weren’t very large but his features appeared very rugged.

The most distinctive feature was his high forehead.

This was the most obvious biological characteristic of the Western Sassa barbarians of the Ice Bay region. As for the rugged face, it was a common trait among mountain dwellers. Understanding this, it wasn’t hard to see why old Eugene would complain that Murphy’s warriors didn’t look like mountain folk at all!

Where in the world were there mountain people with such delicate skin like them?

The man before her, 2.5 meters tall and as burly as a bear, with every muscle in his body exuding an aura of wildness and violence, was the standard mountain man, wasn’t he?

However, the most striking thing about the man before her was still the scar on his face.

In these years of war, having a scar on one’s face was quite normal. It was the “gentlest” memento that war left on life. But a scar so large that it ran from the forehead across half the face to the chin was not quite normal even in this era where human life was treated carelessly.

It must have been left by some kind of blade, passing through the left eye. Perhaps it was just a hair’s breadth from gouging out his eyeball.

This guy was really lucky to be alive.

“Seicob Winged Cavalry Second Regiment Commander, Knight Colonel Valand Osprey Ophol! The last Winged Cavalry Commander.”

This commander looked the young lady, who only came up to his waist, up and down, his gaze as fierce as a knife. He introduced himself:

“You, Blood Vulture vampire, what have you come to do on our ancestral lands?”

“To rekindle friendship.”

The young lady calmly said:

“As early as the first Black Disaster, the Lessenbra family and the Seicob family’s Winged Cavalry lords were already friends. This friendship has lasted 400 years. It will not be severed because of the gnoll threat, nor will we forget each other because of a war that lasted ten years.

Let me introduce myself.

My name is Femis!

Femis Cecilia Lessenbra, leader of the Midnight faction of the Blood Vulture Clan, Countess of Anderma in Transia.

I have not come to provoke, much less for war.”

“Friendship, what a beautiful word. However, are you blood-sucking vultures worthy of speaking of friendship?”

The young lady’s words elicited a contemptuous cold laugh from the Winged Cavalry commander before her. He spat rather crudely to the side and said:

“Two years ago, when Seicob City was besieged by the Pioneer Army, we sent seven valiant knights carrying Count of Seicob’s letter requesting aid to Kadman City! We held out for three months in a desperate situation, but what did we get in return?

When those shameless spirit plague jars from the Goldflower Kingdom were hurled into the city, when the skies over Seicob City were dyed ink-green, when our people were suffering heavy casualties and struggling on the brink of hell, what did we get?

When Seicob City was burned to the ground and a century of foundations crumbled in an instant, what did we get then?

It’s been two years!

A full two years, young lady!

Your father ignored us as if we had never existed, and we went from being full of confidence at the start, to hopeful and pleading midway through, to finally despairing. Your so-called ‘friendship’ made us feel as if we were fighting side by side against external enemies with an imaginary friend!

So why act so surprised?

Femis!

Of course I know who you are! The genius young lady of the Blood Vulture Clan.”

Valand waved his hand with a cold smile, saying:

“However, on this land, anyone who speaks of ‘friendship’ is hiding a knife in their smile, and words promising to aid friends are not to be trusted. Now, take your so-called new lord’s orders and get out of our forests!

The moment my liege, the Count of Seicob, as steadfast as a mountain rock, died in Osprey Castle, we ceased to have any relation with you!

Perhaps your lord wants to take this land. He’s welcome to try!

That arrogant dwarf opposite spent two years and sacrificed countless warriors’ lives without being able to set foot in these forests. What force can your lord muster to threaten us?”

“Well.”

Femis wasn’t angered.

Everything that happened in Seicob City gave the colonel before her ample reason to be angry and refuse dialogue, but fortunately, her task was to find the Seicob Winged Cavalry, and she had already completed this task.

The troubles that followed were not hers to deal with. Let Murphy worry about them.

“Let someone more specialized talk to you. I’ve never been good at running my mouth.”

The young lady quite casually tossed over a Computation Bead, then spread her wings and rose into the air, hovering at a subtle position two heads higher than the knight before her, bowing politely to the Osprey knight as she took her leave.

Within minutes, all the Blood Vulture vampires had withdrawn completely.

They even showed no reluctance to leave.

This behavior left not just Knight Valand, but all his subordinates staring at each other in bewilderment.

Huh?

Have these Blood Vulture Clan midnight rats turned over a new leaf?

When have we ever seen them give up something they’ve set their eyes on so easily?

The Osprey knight didn’t immediately mount his horse to leave. Instead, he stood in this forest protected by the ancestors, feeling the movement of the cold wind from Ice Bay blowing through this woodland as dawn approached. That wind mixed with cold invigorated him, while the call of the distant mountains in Saxony that they could never return to still refused to quiet in his heart.

The history behind these people was very complex, not something that could be explained in a word or two.

But one thing was certain, their homeland was far more than just this Count of Seicob domain in northern Transia.

Valand played with the Computation Bead in his hand. Although Transia was an isolated place, he had once been a member of the nobility in this land and naturally knew about these little gadgets invented by halflings.

This bear-like man took out a snuff bottle and took a hard sniff under his nostrils, letting his beard become tinged with a grayish-yellow before this robust knight finally made up his mind.

He activated the Computation Bead.

Soon, a communication request vibrated in his hand.

“Hello, friend on the other side.”

Murphy’s gentle voice rang out on the Computation Bead through the spirit resonance phenomenon that transcended space. He said:

“Let me briefly introduce myself. My name is Murphy, and I am the governor of Transia jointly recognized by the Goldflower Kingdom, the Kingdom of Nordtov, and the Blood Vulture Clan, as well as the Count of Kadman of the Blood Vulture Clan. I myself am a vampire, and Femis, who was certainly just berated by you, is my companion.

I must say, your anger was misdirected.

But that’s not the point.

I need to take up a little of your time to discuss two things with you. Don’t worry, it won’t take more than five minutes.”

“You don’t sound like a vampire.”

The Osprey knight said mockingly:

“You sound more like a sissy hiding far away! Are you too afraid to come and meet us in person?”

“Hmm, provocation! A very useful negotiation tactic, but you clearly haven’t mastered its essence. You should first present your own views and demands, then use your various methods to achieve them.”

Murphy was not provoked at all. He said:

“A true decision-maker shouldn’t be so rash. You’ve been in a stalemate with the Pioneer Army in the forests for two whole years. Strength alone couldn’t achieve this, there must be wisdom driving it behind the scenes. So I can deduce that you are probably not the leader of the last Winged Cavalry.

Or rather, you’re just the military commander.

Alright, I understand.

Please relay my next words to your lord, knight!

This is important for both you and us.

You shouldn’t have the authority to reject another lord’s initiative on behalf of your lord, so please listen carefully to what follows.”

The vampire knocked on the table on his end and said in a deep voice:

“Firstly, the Black Disaster is coming, in no more than 5 and a half months! This has been confirmed by the Blood Pact Knights team. If you still have observation windows to the outside, you should have noticed that both the Goldflower Kingdom and the northerners of Nordtov have already begun preparations.

An action on such a large scale can’t be faked.

The Portia Federation was established precisely because of the Black Disaster. All people living on this land have an ancient and sacred duty regarding the Black Disaster! I don’t care how you view my new regime, nor do I mind what opinions you have about my claim to rule over all of Transia.

I’m just telling you this!

You’re defending your homeland and forests, but if you don’t act quickly, soon you’ll have no homeland left to protect.

That’s what I wanted to say.

Additionally, I’m currently eradicating local gnoll bandits in my territory. The next step is to defeat the rising gnoll warlord Kenport in the Anderma Hills.

If you’re interested, I’d welcome powerful Winged Cavalry to join me on the battlefield, fulfilling our ancient mission.”

To this, the Osprey knight said nothing, but the female knight beside him, only a head shorter and equally robust and rugged, had already taken out a notebook to record this important information.

As for why the Osprey knight himself didn’t record it…

It wasn’t because he was arrogant, but because he was illiterate.

Well, who says a powerful knight must be both literate and martial? Must one be able to write poetry off the cuff to be called a knight?

For mountain folk and barbarians, these two sub-races, their biggest commonality is that they don’t view writing and knowledge as necessities of life, and they have excessively strong power to ensure their life choices can be carried out to the end.

After all, when faced with fists as big as cooking pots, even the most beautiful poetry can hardly soothe aching cheeks.

“You didn’t refuse or continue to insult me. That’s a good start.”

Murphy laughed on the other end and said:

“Now for the second matter, which is actually a continuation of the first. I’d like to invite the Count of Seicob who currently leads you to meet me at Crimson Citadel to discuss the division of power in the Transia region together.

I am the governor.

But I don’t refuse to let the Count of Seicob continue to hold his power. That’s also part of the ancient agreement.

Of course, I understand you have concerns, so I can come over too.

The time and place can be set by you. I can show my sincerity this way.

However, it might need to be a bit later. I need to deal with the gnolls in the Kadman domain and Anderma Hills first. It won’t be later than 2… hmm, 1 and a half months!”

“Impossible!”

The Osprey knight finally spoke up. He said:

“You don’t have nearly enough soldiers to eradicate the gnolls in two count domains in just a month and a half. Those dog-things practically grow with the wind. You can’t kill them all. The order in all of Transia has long since collapsed.

Without your blood servants to eradicate them, this will only make the gnoll numbers swell even more.”

“Oh, then how about we make a bet?”

Murphy said very candidly with a smile:

“If we resolve the gnoll problem within a month and a half, you and your lord come here for a visit. If we can’t resolve it, that means my lovely Crimson Citadel will be surrounded and destroyed by gnolls.

Naturally, you won’t have to worry about proposals from a clueless and presumptuous governor anymore.

You see, this proposal carries no risk for you, right?”

Knight Valand exchanged a glance with his wife, who shook her head at him. He was about to refuse this childish proposal when he heard Murphy say to him:

“One more small matter. I’ve reclaimed the production lines of Seicob City from the Carpe family in the Anju region. Those are the ones that were taken from your city back then. Perhaps after a while, those production lines will be sent back.

I don’t have a good place to settle them right now.

What I mean is, if your lord is interested in this, we can certainly discuss it.”

“That’s the count’s ancestral property!”

The loyal knight rebuked:

“You can’t occupy it privately!”

“Then come and talk to me about it. After all, I paid quite a price to get back those things you lost. I can’t operate at a loss, can I?”

Murphy said gently:

“You know where to find me. Let’s leave it at that. I’m looking forward to meeting the Count of Seicob. Good night, everyone.”

“Ding!”

He cut off the communication without giving the Osprey knight more room to respond.

The tall knight didn’t hesitate at all. With a whistle, he summoned his warhorse, mounted it, and disappeared into the ancestral blessed forest with his knights.

In the office of the Blood Vulture Halls, Murphy set down the core bead with a smile on his face and said to Crimson Regent Miriam, who was sitting across from him:

“It’s done. We can be sure that the Count of Seicob’s lineage hasn’t been broken. The Winged Cavalry still have a master. This means you can start preparing for negotiations with them.”

“But my head is already swollen!”

The Crimson Regent lay on the table, covering her head, looking completely defeated. She wailed:

“Just in this half month, I’ve started losing hair. The envoy from the Ministry of Finance of the Nordtov Kingdom has already arrived in Bataxin City. I still need to go there personally to negotiate deals with them and accept the prisoners they’re returning.

But I don’t understand that economic theory you proposed at all. I’ve tried hard to understand, but I’m really not cut out for this. I didn’t inherit any of my mother’s talent for doing business, and this knowledge from another world is really obscure and complex.”

“You can pick a few people to bring with you.”

Murphy instructed his regent:

“Among my warriors, there are professional financial talents. I’ll have them serve as negotiation advisors to strategize for you and also act as your guards.”

“Mm, that’s good!”

Miriam nodded repeatedly, but then heard Murphy say to her:

“But the reward for this task will have to come out of your own pocket. This counts as your personal task now. That’s reasonable, right?”

Miriam’s face soured again.

She had to quickly think about what to give the otherworld warriors as rewards. She couldn’t just give them money directly, could she?

That would be too insulting.

However, Miriam soon had a good idea. She recalled that Murphy had given every important person in Crimson Citadel the privilege of selecting “warriors,” and she currently only had three warriors. Perhaps she could use this unique title as a reward.

Moreover, the Iron Warden in her possession seemed to be highly sought after by the warriors. She had already obtained the blueprint from Grandma Marianne, so this rare weapon blueprint could also serve as a reward?

She was about to stand up and take her leave when she heard Murphy’s communication bead emit a soft “ding,” indicating that a communication request had been triggered.

Murphy picked up the bead with surprise, looked at it, and connected. Then the Osprey knight’s voice rang out from it.

This time it carried a hint of gravity. The mountain knight said:

“The Count of Seicob thanks you for your reminder, Count of Kadman. She has instructed me to report an important matter to you as a basis for rebuilding trust between our two sides. The Wolfsbane Clan has entered Transia!

This is intelligence we extracted from the Blood Vulture traitors hiding in our forests. It’s the vanguard of the Wolfsbane Clan re-entering the continent, calling themselves the ‘Greyclaw’ faction. Their leader is a vampire named ‘Korando’.

They are currently hiding in the Anderma Hills.

Combining this with the news you sent earlier, the count believes that the suddenly rising gnoll warlord there might be related to them. You should be careful. This is not a simple coincidental event.”