Chapter 475: The Archduke’s Demands [Part 2]

Lugh smirked before leaning forward from his seat. “In exchange for returning all the lands I have conquered, I will accept the compensation from my King. However, I also want the Kingdom of Britannia to hand over the Gryphon Battalion to me. They are an annoying bunch, but I am willing to take them in.”

The moment those words left his mouth, King Helios’ expression turned serious, while King Augustus looked genuinely surprised.

The King of the Radiant Empire didn’t believe that King Augustus would simply hand over one of their strongest military assets. But, the following exchange took him by surprise.

“Deal,” King Augustus replied. “However, regardless of what manner and form they are sent to you, I will accept no complaints. I will give you what you want, so you better do what you promised.”

“Oh, I almost forgot. You must also include their families,” Lugh added with a smile. “Don’t worry. I plan to treat them properly once they are in the Helion Duchy.”

“Very well.” King Augustus nodded. “I agree to this compromise.”

For the King of Britannia, a Gryphon Battalion without any Gryphons was useless to him. He already had an agreement with Lugh when he visited his capital city. But, he guessed that the old bastard wanted to make it official with his King as witness to the agreement.

This was why he added the term “regardless of what manner and form they are sent” to the condition.

He was already planning to execute Dominic and his men after they had lost the prized Gryphon Battalion of the kingdom.

Thanks to their incompetence, the Kingdom of Britannia would need decades to raise, breed, and train another batch of Gryphons to become loyal subjects of the kingdom.

Instead of wasting his time making them miserable, he might as well send them and their families away. This way, they would be out of his sight, and he could appease the powerhouse before him.

He was just relieved that Lugh didn’t demand anything else aside from their previous agreement.

“Very well. I’m a busy person,” Lugh said. “Have them use the teleportation gates so we can quickly close this deal. The sooner you give them to me, the sooner I will return your lands to you. Fair deal, right?”

“Fine,” King Aurelius stated. “I’ll have them sent to you before this day is over.”

After reaching an agreement, the Prime Minister took his leave and headed to the teleportation gate.

He was curious to know why the Hero of the Radiant Empire had asked for the Gryphon Battalion in exchange for returning the lands that they had invaded.

However, Theodore also believed that agreeing to this demand was a good thing.

Right now, the kingdom needed to regain its stability.

The soldiers currently guarding the cities the Helion Duchy might invade could be sent to the west, where another bloody battle was happening.

So, with his King’s orders, Theodore mobilized his men to reach out to the families of the Gryphon Battalion Riders and inform them about the King’s decree.

A few hours later, Dominic and his men, who were stationed at the four generals’ stronghold, also received the King’s decree.

The Black Tortoise General and the Vermillion Bird General looked at Dominic with solemn gazes.

While they didn’t agree with the King’s decision, both of them understood that this might be the better outcome for the Gryphon Riders, who had lost their value.

Dominic and his men could’ve been executed or imprisoned underground, never to be seen again.

Their families would also suffer the consequences of their failure, which would lead to a scenario that the two generals didn’t want to see.

“You are to use the teleportation gate of this city and head to Briarcrest City right away,” the messenger declared. “Your families will also join you shortly. This is the last shred of mercy our King will give to you and your subordinates.

“Consider yourselves lucky. At least, you will only become the slaves of the Helion Duchy. Take it as your last duty as a Britannian.”

Dominic and his men all had grim expressions on their faces. They were about to be turned into war slaves, a very common practice on the continent.

War slaves, especially warriors, were in high demand. After all, the ones who bought them could recycle them as guards or even mercenaries for dirty work.

Of course, Dominic could still accept this outcome.

The problem was his family.

His wife, son, and daughter would also become slaves just like him. Just thinking of what could happen to them in the Helion Duchy filled him with dread.

‘I must negotiate with the Duke,’ Dominic thought in desperation. ‘I need to ensure that my family, as well as the families of my subordinates, will not be mistreated.’

Even if it meant pledging his loyalty to the Duke and serving him for the rest of his life, Dominic would still bend his knee to do it.

If that was the only way to save his family and his men, why not? He could even go to hell in exchange for their safety.

“What are you waiting for?” the messenger asked coldly. “Start moving already.”

With a heavy heart, Dominic ordered his men to follow him to the teleportation gate, which had already been prepared for their transfer.

None of them resisted the King’s decree, for their family’s lives were also at stake.

It was the consequences of losing their partners during the previous conflict against the Aslan Tribe.

Sometimes, Dominic wondered if everything that happened was only a dream.

No. Only a nightmare.

He couldn’t count how many times he wished he could wake up and return to his normal life.

However, he understood that he wasn’t dreaming.

This was his new reality.

A reality that he must accept.

When they arrived at Briarcrest City, their families were already there, waiting for them.

At the sight of their families, the soldiers couldn’t help but tear up.

The wives of some of them had bruises on their cheeks, signs that they had resisted the soldiers who had come to take them and their children away by force.

With one look, the men could tell that their family didn’t even have a chance to pack any of their belongings.

In the eyes of the King, since they were already going to be handed over to the Archduke of the Helion Duchy, they no longer needed anything else aside from the clothes on their bodies.

“All of you, please follow me,” Andreas, whom Lugh had assigned to take over the transfer process, said calmly. “We have created a temporary teleportation gate that will lead you to the Helion Duchy. I advise all of you to behave properly. If you do, then we will be more lenient on how we will treat you.”

Knowing that they had no other option but to obey, Dominic nodded and held the hand of his wife.

“It’s going to be okay,” Dominic said. “I promise. I will keep you safe.”

His wife was a sensible woman. Although she looked anxious and fearful, she still nodded in understanding.

“Papa, where are we going?”

Dominic’s five-year-old daughter asked while holding onto her mother’s hand.

“Somewhere we can live together,” Dominic answered, doing his best to stop his voice from cracking. “A place where we can live happily together.”

“Happily?”

“Yes.”

Dominic’s son, who was now sixteen years old, bit his lip as he listened to the conversation between his sister and father.

He knew his father was only trying to make sure that his sister wouldn’t become too scared of what was going to happen next.

However, he was not as naive and innocent as his sister.

Still, he clung to the hope that even if they didn’t live happily together, at least their family wouldn’t have to be separated from each other.

Looking anxious, uncertain, and fearful, the Gryphon Riders and their families entered the temporary teleportation gate that led to the Helion Duchy.

None of them knew what was waiting for them on the other side.

But one thing was for sure.

Their lives and their freedom were no longer under their control.