Chapter 142 : Chapter 142

Chapter 142. Blood for Blood, Tooth for Tooth

On ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍the road, as they traveled day and night without rest,

Eli seized the time atop the jolting horse

and explained the severity of the situation as clearly as possible to Sebastian, who was riding abreast beside him.

The Federation remnant forces might gather their elites and launch a surprise attack on Thorne City.

Sebastian listened quietly, his expression hidden beneath his hood.

He showed neither surprise nor doubt.

Only after Eli finished speaking did he give a slight nod and respond in his usual steady voice, “This old servant understands.”

There were no unnecessary words and no needless worries.

That absolute calm and trust instead gave the anxious Eli a strange sense of stability.

Time flew by amid the urgent pounding of hooves. In the blink of an eye, it was already midnight on the third day.

After nearly three continuous days of hard riding, even the finest warhorses had begun to show signs of exhaustion, thick white breath spraying from their mouths and noses.

Eli and Sebastian chose to rest briefly behind a relatively hidden earthen slope.

Sebastian neatly dismounted and patted the sweat-damp neck of his mount.

“Lord, we are within range. Please come closer to me.”

Eli knew the critical moment had arrived. He immediately dismounted as instructed and quickly walked to Sebastian’s side.

Sebastian closed his eyes and formed a strange hand seal before his chest.

He began chanting a low and ancient spell. The language was obscure and difficult to understand, as though it came from some distant time and space.

“O Shadow of the Mortal World, wandering through the seams of reality, please heed my call…

With shadow as the vessel and will as the rudder, cross the bounds of space and guide our road ahead…”

As he chanted, Eli was shocked to see that the already dense night around them seemed to come alive.

Like a black tide possessing life, it surged in from all directions and gradually wrapped around the two of them, swallowing them whole.

The light quickly vanished, and sound seemed to be cut off as well. Eli felt as though he had fallen into an abyss of pure darkness.

He gained a deeper understanding of the mysterious power contained within the old butler.

“Open!”

As Sebastian uttered the final syllable, Eli felt a powerful force wrap around him.

In the next second, the world spun.

He seemed to fall into a swift current constructed entirely from pure darkness.

His body raced through an indescribable passage at a speed beyond comprehension.

His sense of time became blurred here. It might have been only an instant, or a long time might have passed.

When strong light once again stung his eyelids, Eli subconsciously opened his eyes.

The dazzling sunlight made him narrow his eyes. After he adjusted for a moment, the scene before him instantly cleared his mind.

The majestic and solemn La Roche Fortress was now bathed in the golden light of dawn.

They had actually arrived directly at the heart of Thorne City in such a short time!

Sebastian gently set Eli down.

Eli shook his head, which was somewhat dizzy from the spatial traversal, feeling as though he had just had a strange and phantasmal dream.

“Lord, we have arrived.” Sebastian’s voice was still calm.

But Eli keenly noticed that the old butler’s hand, hanging at his side, was trembling slightly.

His complexion also seemed a little paler than usual.

Clearly, this kind of long-distance shadow traversal was not easy for him either.

“Huh? Ah… we are here.” Eli took a deep breath and shook his head, which was still somewhat muddled.

“Let us go.”

He brought Sebastian with him and quickly walked toward the gates of La Roche Fortress.

When they were still some distance from the gates, the La Roche Family soldiers on guard shouted sharply to stop them.

“Halt! Who goes there?!” Sharp spears were instantly aimed at them.

However, one of the soldiers, who appeared to be a squad captain, carefully identified Eli’s face, especially that eye-catching head of white hair.

His expression changed, and he hurriedly stepped forward to stop his companions.

“Stop! This is Baron Pendragon! Sir Lucius’s honored guest!”

Eli had also reached them by then.

The squad captain quickly bowed, his face filled with surprise and confusion.

“Lord Baron? You… did you not leave Thorne several days ago? How…”

He looked at the sky, which had only just begun to pale.

He truly could not understand how this baron had suddenly appeared at the fortress gates at this hour.

Eli had no time to explain. “The situation is urgent!

I have an extremely important matter and must see Lord Lucius immediately! Please report my arrival at once!”

When the squad captain saw Eli’s solemn expression, he did not dare delay.

“No, no! Lord Baron, there is no need to report.

Lord Lucius specifically instructed us that if you visited, you may enter the fortress directly to see him at any time.

Please, both of you, follow me!”

This special treatment warmed Eli’s heart. He nodded.

The two then followed the squad captain through the fortress’s complex yet familiar corridors and arrived outside Sir Lucius’s study.

The squad captain stopped at the door, gave Eli a respectful nod, then turned and left to continue his duties.

Eli stood before the heavy oak door and raised his hand to knock hard.

Knock, knock, knock!

“Lord Lucius! It is Eli! Something serious has happened!”

“Mm… hm?! Come in.”

After a moment of silence inside the room, Lucius’s slightly surprised voice sounded.

Eli immediately pushed the door open and entered, while Sebastian silently followed behind him.

Inside the study, Lucius was indeed seated behind the wide desk as usual, several documents spread out before him.

But at this moment, his face carried astonishment, and his sharp gaze fell on the travel-worn Eli.

“Eli? Why are you here? I remember you already returned to Obsidian Territory several days ago.”

His gaze immediately shifted to the old man behind Eli, whose presence was extremely faint. “And this is?”

Eli stepped forward and bowed respectfully. “Lord Lucius, this matter happened suddenly. Please forgive me for barging in.

This is my butler, Sebastian.”

Sebastian stepped forward and bowed to Lucius with flawless precision.

His posture was humble yet dignified, without the slightest unnecessary expression.

Lucius’s gaze lingered on Sebastian for a moment, and his deep eyes narrowed slightly.

“You seem somewhat familiar. Have we… met somewhere before?”

Sebastian raised his head and calmly met Lucius’s scrutinizing gaze. His voice was utterly steady.

“Honorable Lord Lucius, your memory may be mistaken.

This old servant has long served in a remote place. I have had… no opportunity to meet you, my lord.”

Eli’s heart skipped at the side. Afraid that unexpected complications would arise at this critical moment, he hurriedly interrupted Lucius’s inquiry.

“Sir Lucius! Now is not the time to look into that! Something serious has happened!”

Lucius’s attention was successfully drawn back, and he looked at Eli.

“Oh? What happened?”

Eli took a deep breath and went straight to the point, throwing out that earth-shattering news.

“Lord Lucius, I have just obtained confirmed intelligence!

The Federation remnant forces entrenched in Storm City and other places are secretly gathering. Their target is not defense.

Rather… they intend to secretly launch a fierce assault on Thorne City!”

“What?!”

Even with Lucius’s depth of mind and composure, the instant he heard this news, he abruptly rose from his chair.

His brows knitted tightly together, and his face was instantly covered in frost. The air inside the study seemed to freeze.

“Is the intelligence source absolutely reliable?!”

Lucius’s voice was low and urgent, his gaze fixed on Eli like a hawk.

This news was too shocking. He had no choice but to be cautious.

“Yes! It is absolutely true!” Eli met Lucius’s gaze without retreating in the slightest.

“This is core intelligence that the most elite scouts under my command risked their lives to uncover by infiltrating a dangerous area! Please believe me!”

Looking at Eli’s exceptionally firm eyes, the severity on Lucius’s face slowly receded.

He did not immediately issue orders, nor did he show any panic. Instead, he fell into a brief silence.

A few seconds later, he suddenly let out a soft laugh of unclear meaning.

He turned around and walked to a locked mahogany cabinet behind the desk.

He opened it with a key, took out a letter sealed with wax, and handed it to Eli.

“Read this first.”

Eli was puzzled, but he accepted the letter and quickly opened it to read.

This was a handwritten letter sent by Regent Federico La Roche. The letter mainly mentioned several points.

First, Federico had also received intelligence that the Federation remnants had made abnormal movements recently. He warned Lucius to heighten his vigilance and prepare a response.

Second, it had been confirmed that severe internal strife had broken out within the Western Federation Alliance.

In the short term, they had absolutely no way of organizing a large-scale force to invade the Western Frontier, so Lucius did not need to worry too much about the rear.

Third, the plan to recover Storm City and the other lost territories had already been formally confirmed by the Royal Council in the royal capital.

The first batch of weapons and grain supplies would soon be transported to the Western Frontier.

However, the final sentence of the letter made Eli’s brows furrow tightly.

My brother, great chaos is coming. You must seize this chance to recover Storm City as quickly as possible and rebuild the Western Frontier’s defensive line! Delay will bring disaster!

Great chaos was coming?

Federico’s letter confirmed that the Federation was making unusual moves, and it also explained why they dared to take the risk.

But clearly, both Federico and Lucius had underestimated the other side’s courage and ambition.

They had believed that their target would at most be to interfere with the recovery plan, not to attack Thorne City directly.

“Finished?” Lucius took the letter from Eli’s hand and carefully put it away.

“My elder brother and I both knew that they were making unusual moves, and we had also taken precautions.

But I must admit, I did not expect these dogs who had lost their home to possess such nerve! They actually dared to set their sights directly on Thorne City!”

His gaze turned cold and sharp, like a sword about to be drawn from its sheath.

“Your intelligence is extremely crucial. It corroborates the intelligence my elder brother and I have obtained.

This gives me a clearer judgment of their action plan.”

Lucius walked up to Eli and patted his shoulder heavily, his tone carrying appreciation and decisiveness.

“Eli, I believe you. You have rendered great service this time!”

He turned and walked to the window, looking at Thorne City, which was gradually awakening outside. His voice carried suppressed anger.

“It seems that the first battle to recover the lost territories must be fought ahead of schedule beneath the walls of Thorne City.

That is fine as well. We shall use their blood as an offering to the fallen heroic souls of the Western Frontier who died when Storm City fell!”

“Messenger!” Lucius shouted in a deep voice toward the door.

An attendant immediately pushed the door open and entered.

“Immediately issue the highest emergency summons in my name to all vassals within two days’ march of Thorne City.

Order them to lead every soldier they can mobilize and gather at Thorne City with all possible speed!”

“And notify Count Quintus. Have him muster the soldiers inside Thorne City and make preparations!

Have Baron Ron take the Golden Lion Knights and place all city gates under martial lockdown. Without my order, not a single person is allowed to enter or leave Thorne City!”

“Yes, Sir!” The attendant accepted the order and quickly left.

Lucius’s gaze once again turned to Eli, a complicated light flickering in his eyes.

“La Roche repays blood with blood, and tooth with tooth! Eli, prepare yourself. We must win this battle!”