Chapter 388 - 136: Victory by Proclamation

Chapter 388: Chapter 136: Victory by Proclamation

From inside the pass, through Feiying Pass, runs an Ancient Trade Route.

And the first stop along the Ancient Trade Route after Feiying Pass is Chris City.

This was also why Robson had to conquer Auric Province, or at least its southern region.

On a map, the first stop outside Feiying Pass appears to be Sri County. In reality, however, the road from the pass leads first to Chris County.

To truly open passage through the pass and gain the support of the Fengman Clan and other domestic factions, Chris County had to be secured.

Unlike Vidom, Chris County had no walls at all. It was unclear if this was due to its history as a commercial hub or because of repeated relocations in recent years. It looked just like a small town, only much, much larger.

The outcome of the kingdom’s war was still uncertain, so no merchant caravans traveled beyond the pass. As a result, Chris City was full of empty houses.

Clearly, the local Viscount lacked the resources to populate the entire city.

"Look! Up in the sky! What is that?!"

"A dragon! A dragon!"

"Quick, report to the Lord!"

...

The sudden appearance of a dragon in the sky threw the people on the ground into a panic.

Even the nobles of Vidom County would be at a loss seeing such a legendary creature, to say nothing of these common folk who had barely seen a handful of magical beasts in their entire lives.

Viscount Ferdinand was jolted awake by the commotion. As he was trying to figure out what was happening, a soldier burst into his castle.

"Lord! A dragon! A huge dragon!"

"There’s a dragon flying outside!"

’A dragon?’ Viscount Ferdinand almost laughed. ’How could there possibly be a dragon in this region?’

’They’re probably just a bunch of bumpkins who saw some random flying creature and thought it was a dragon.’

With this in mind, Viscount Ferdinand took his bow from the wall.

"I understand. You all stay on alert and maintain order in the territory."

’Perfect, I was bored anyway. Since the people think there’s a dragon in the sky, then I, Lord Ferdinand, will do a bit of pest control today.’

...

"Holy shit! A dragon!"

Staring at the massive beast soaring through the sky, Ferdinand knew with absolute certainty—even though he’d never seen one with his own eyes—that this was, without a doubt, a legendary dragon.

Only a dragon could possess such a beautiful and majestic form.

"My Lord! What should we do? Should we prepare the ballis— wait, you’re holding a bow. Are you planning to shoot the dragon down?"

Seeing his master emerge, the vigilant young knight felt his resolve return and hurried over to ask.

Viscount Ferdinand silently put away his bow and gave the young knight a sharp flick on the forehead.

"Shoot the dragon! Shoot the dragon! I see you’ve been listening to too many stories!

"You might look impressive for a moment, but what about the people of Chris?" Viscount Ferdinand snapped.

Viscount Ferdinand conveniently forgot to mention his own recent thoughts about "pest control." After all, he never imagined there would actually be a real dragon here!

"Yes, my Lord!"

Viscount Ferdinand glanced at the sky. The dragon showed no signs of aggression, and he certainly had no desire to provoke it.

After all, if you shot at a dragon and brought it down, that was one thing. But if you failed... the trouble that followed would be endless.

The dragon circled in the sky for a while longer before it suddenly began to plummet toward the ground.

Its trajectory was aimed squarely at one of Chris’s public squares.

That’s right—as a once-famous city beyond the pass, Chris City did indeed have its own public square.

"Come on, let’s go take a look," Viscount Ferdinand said.

...

The moment Viscount Elton climbed off the dragon’s back, his entire body felt weak and shaky.

He had finally fulfilled his childhood dream of being a Dragon Knight, though the experience itself had been less than pleasant.

Robson, on the other hand, was perfectly fine. ’I’m a Golden Tier expert,’ he thought. ’How could a Golden Tier get dragon-sick? Viscount Elton must be getting old. Otherwise, a simple dragon ride wouldn’t have bested him.’

Viscount Elton had agreed to Robson’s plan that morning. To save time, Robson had flown him directly to Chris County on the dragon.

One had to admit, a dragon was an excellent mode of transportation.

"People! They’re getting off the dragon’s back!"

"Dragon Knights! They’re Dragon Knights!"

...

When the dragon landed, the crowd of onlookers swarmed in. The moment they saw Robson and Viscount Elton dismount, they erupted in cheers.

Dragon Knight was, after all, a title of great honor.

"Make way, make way! The Lord is here!"

"Move aside, move aside..."

Before long, a group of guards arrived. They immediately cordoned off the square as a nobleman stepped out from the crowd.

"Ha! Ferdinand! Long time no see, my friend!"

Viscount Elton, having recovered a bit and feeling more steady, broke into a wide grin at the sight of the newcomer. He strode forward with his arms open for an embrace.

"Elton! Long time no see, my friend.

"When did you get your hands on a dragon? And this is..." Ferdinand asked, stunned.

He could hardly believe his eyes. ’My old friend... climbing off a dragon?’

’The world must have gone mad. Or maybe I’m still asleep?’

"This isn’t my dragon," Viscount Elton explained. "This is Everton, Viscount Robson’s magical beast."

"Viscount Robson... then you must be..." Ferdinand said, turning to look at Robson.

"Robson. Robson Odogin," Robson said with a smile, extending his hand. "It’s a pleasure to meet you, Viscount Ferdinand. I’ve heard a great deal about you."

"Viscount Robson! It really is you! Your exploits are still legendary throughout Auric. The pleasure is all mine!" Viscount Ferdinand quickly replied.

"May I ask what brings you both here today?" Viscount Ferdinand asked, looking at the two of them with a puzzled expression.

Viscount Elton glanced at Robson, who nodded in return.

Then, Elton sighed.

"Ferdinand," Viscount Elton began, "have you heard about the recent business with the Beastmen in Vidom County?"

"I’ve heard a little... Has it been dealt with? If you need help, I can lend a hand."

"Thank you, but it’s already been taken care of. Viscount Robson was the one who helped me resolve it," said Viscount Elton.

"Viscount Robson?"

Viscount Ferdinand looked between the two, his eyes narrowing in confusion.

"Well, it’s a good thing it’s been resolved, then.

"So, what brings you two distinguished guests here?" Viscount Ferdinand asked again.

From his tone, it was clear Viscount Ferdinand sensed something was amiss and was beginning to put some distance between himself and Robson and Elton.

Fortunately, this was all within Elton and Robson’s expectations.

A man in Viscount Ferdinand’s position couldn’t be easily fooled, even if he wasn’t a man of extraordinary talent.

If that were the case, the military-merit faction wouldn’t have become such a thorn in Louis III’s side.

"Ferdinand, I’m here to give you a warning," Viscount Elton said. "Those Beastmen are already heading for Chris County!"

"Ha? Heading here?"

But upon hearing the news, Viscount Ferdinand showed no fear. Instead, he burst out laughing.

"Let them come! I’ll show them the mettle of the Franks!" Viscount Ferdinand declared with pride.

Looking at Viscount Ferdinand, Viscount Elton was reminded of that sunny afternoon when he too had rejected a certain nobleman’s offer.

Now, that very nobleman stood beside him, while he, Elton, had lost everything.

"Of course, I know how brave you are. Ferdinand, you were famous back in the Fifth Corps.

"But for the sake of Chris County, I suggest you take a look at this," Viscount Elton said.

As he spoke, Viscount Elton produced a crystal from behind his back.

It was one of the items from the large pile of sundries Prince Noah had given Robson back at Thermopylae.

A Memory Crystal—a magical mineral that could record events and, with the owner’s permission, play them back.

Memory Crystals weren’t exactly rare treasures. They were often used on the front lines to report battle outcomes, so of course Viscount Ferdinand recognized it.

"A Memory Crystal?" Viscount Ferdinand asked, looking at Viscount Elton in confusion.

Viscount Elton placed his hand on the Memory Crystal, and a faint image began to appear within it—a scene of Viscount Elton’s own battle against the Beastmen.

"Extraordinary!"

Viscount Ferdinand understood what Viscount Elton was implying and carefully studied the information in the crystal.

Drawing on his years of combat experience, he could tell the strength of the Beastmen in the crystal at a glance. They were a group of Extraordinary-level fighters, and powerful ones at that!

This was followed by the scene of Viscount Elton’s retreat, pursued by an endless horde of Beastmen.

The expression on Viscount Ferdinand’s face darkened.

A Memory Crystal couldn’t be faked; the only reason they weren’t in widespread use was their extreme rarity.

If the approaching Beastmen were indeed the same ones from the crystal, then Viscount Ferdinand would have to seriously reconsider his position.

Like most in the military-merit faction, Chris City represented everything Viscount Ferdinand had built. He couldn’t afford to be careless with it.

"Elton, thank you for the warning. I will report this information to Count Sriphine," Viscount Ferdinand said.

"Report it to Count Sriphine?"

Viscount Elton laughed. It wasn’t an act; he was genuinely laughing, but out of exasperation.

He had once trusted Count Sriphine just as much. Then, reality had slapped him hard across the face.

"You’re not still thinking that hypocrite is going to come and save you, are you? I suggest you take a look at this," Viscount Elton said.

As he spoke, Viscount Elton took out a letter. For some reason, the paper was a bit wrinkled.

Ferdinand took the letter from Elton, his expression one of confusion.

Elton simply smiled, offering no explanation.

Ferdinand unfolded the letter. A single glance was enough to recognize Count Sriphine’s handwriting. Furthermore, a Magic Rune on the paper verified its origin.

The letter wasn’t long, and Viscount Ferdinand finished reading it in moments.

"So, what do you think, Ferdinand? As I recall, Vidom County didn’t have that many goblins at the start, did it?" Viscount Elton asked with a laugh.

Ferdinand didn’t answer. He just crumpled the letter in his hand, tilted his head back, narrowed his eyes, and took a deep breath. Ignoring Viscount Elton, he turned his gaze to Robson.

"I, Ferdinand, on behalf of the ten thousand-plus Franks of Chris County, thank you for your generous offer of aid, my Lord!"

Without another word, he had yielded. Military Commission members: +1.

He had no choice. Judging by the strength of the Beastmen in the Memory Crystal, Ferdinand knew he couldn’t stop them alone. Even if he somehow succeeded, his forces would be decimated.

As for Count Sriphine, forgetting about whether he would even arrive in time, it looked like they’d be lucky if he didn’t stab them in the back.

And what about the lower-ranking nobles? They were far easier to win over than a mid-tier officer of the military-merit faction like Ferdinand. It was just a matter of offering the right incentives.

Seeing Viscount Ferdinand’s earnest declaration of loyalty, Robson’s expression remained troubled. Instead of welcoming him, he let out a sigh, which left Ferdinand baffled.

"My Lord, is there some difficulty?" Ferdinand asked tentatively.

"Alas... Vidom County and Chris County are safe for now, but I worry these Beastmen will turn their claws toward Vidolan County.

"They are all His Majesty’s subjects, all our fellow Franks... Alas!"