Chapter 306 - 304: Siege Crossbow

Chapter 306: Chapter 304: Siege Crossbow

Led by the Guard Captain, Duane crossed the castle’s inner courtyard and ascended a hidden stone staircase.

Magic Energy Lamps, placed dozens of meters apart on either side, stretched his shadow, making it flicker between long and short.

As he climbed higher, Duane thought he could hear the sound of waves crashing against the cliffs, and the wind carried a faint, salty tang.

Sea Cliff Castle’s fortress was situated atop a high mountain, making it even easier to defend and harder to attack.

’Holding the interrogation here shows just how seriously the Count is taking this matter.’

Stepping onto the final stair, he found the imposing fortress looming before him.

It was constructed entirely from black stones of an unknown material, which gleamed with a cold, metallic luster under the moonlight.

The fortress walls were at least three times as thick as the outer city walls. Behind the crenellations, the cold glint of weapons could be seen, though Duane couldn’t identify what they were.

Duane noticed some Magic Patterns on the outer wall, which were likely the physical manifestation of a Magic Array.

"My lord, you’ve arrived!"

Knight Allen, clad in Armor, stood outside the fortress. A Longsword hung at his waist, and a Longbow was slung across his back.

He was the father of Eleanor, Natalia’s personal guard, a Noble Knight of Silent Shore, and reportedly the Captain of the Magic Energy Archery Team.

"Is Rivera the spy?" Duane asked directly.

"When I caught him, he was preparing to flee Silent Shore. After a brief interrogation, I determined he must be the spy."

Allen signaled his men to push open the fortress gates. "The Count, his lady, and the young masters and misses are all inside. You may go in and see for yourself."

Duane nodded and passed through the heavy gates.

The fortress had two subterranean levels and two above ground. A dozen thick, Magic Pattern-etched stone pillars supported the ceiling.

At this moment, Count Kais was seated on an ironwood chair in the center. Lady Delilah and Natalia sat to his right, while George and Lloyd sat to his left.

Kneeling before them were, to Duane’s surprise, a full nineteen people.

’Wasn’t Rivera the only one who committed a crime? Why are there so many people?’

"Duane, you’re here!"

The Count’s deep voice rang out as he pointed to a chair beside Natalia. "Have a seat."

Duane nodded in acknowledgment and sat down.

After a brief explanation from Natalia, he got a general idea of who these people were.

Originally, Knight Allen had only captured Rivera, but under the Count’s intimidating pressure, the man had confessed and named other traitors within Sea Cliff Castle.

Among them were servants, stable hands, gardeners, and even castle Guards.

Duane’s lip twitched. ’Nineteen people... isn’t that a bit much?’

’No wonder the Count looks so grim. Just how deeply has his own castle been infiltrated?’

’And then there’s Moer, the steward. He’s in charge of managing all aspects of the castle. For something like this to happen, he must be feeling anxious and blaming himself.’

Although these people didn’t hold high positions—the one with the best treatment being Rivera, the Message Bird Guardian—sometimes, ordinary people can cause the most trouble.

"The matter of the letters has been thoroughly interrogated!"

The Count spoke, his voice suppressed with anger.

This incident involved both Silent Shore and Black Forest Island, which was why he had summoned Duane to observe.

"It was Rivera who withheld the letters. Not a single one was sent out!"

Duane nodded. "It’s a good thing the trust between us is strong, or this could have caused a real disaster."

The Count said, "I have already begun adjusting the mail delivery process, adding review and verification steps to prevent this from happening again."

This incident was also a valuable lesson for Duane.

’In the future, if I’m dealing with multiple locations or large volumes of correspondence, I’ll definitely need to pay close attention to security.’

"Duane, what do you think should be done with them?" the Count asked.

Duane hesitated for a moment before replying, "This is your household’s affair. It wouldn’t be appropriate for me to interfere."

But the Count insisted, "You are already Natalia’s fiancé, and this matter involves both of us. You are fully qualified to give your opinion."

"Very well."

Duane nodded, his gaze falling upon the trembling figures kneeling on the floor. The bloody welts on their backs were clear evidence of a harsh beating.

"Who are they working for?"

The Count replied, "We’ve already interrogated them on that. Their contact was a merchant from a furniture factory in the city. By the time Allen went to apprehend him, the man had already fled."

Although they couldn’t pinpoint the mastermind, a careful analysis suggested it could only be one of a few certain families.

"In my opinion, there may be other traitors like them still hiding in Sea Cliff Castle. Therefore, to make an example of them, I suggest executing all the culprits."

’If traitors can get away with a good outcome, the ones who haven’t been discovered will only become more brazen.’

As soon as he finished speaking, the group began to beg for their lives, but Rivera repeatedly cried out, "My lady, save me!"

’Rivera has a connection to Lady Delilah?’

"It’s not that I don’t want to save you, Rivera."

Lady Delilah spoke slowly, her tone a mixture of disappointment and conflict. "But what you’ve done this time is too outrageous. I cannot forgive you!"

Duane leaned over and asked Natalia in a low voice about Rivera’s identity.

She whispered back, "He’s a distant relative of my mother’s. It was because of that connection that Father put him in charge of mail delivery."

Duane understood instantly. So he was a cousin.

He knew a little about Lady Delilah’s background. She was not of noble birth, and her family had been all but wiped out while serving the Kennedy Clan.

’This distant cousin was probably one of her few remaining relatives.’

Now that Rivera had committed a capital crime and was to be executed, Delilah’s heart must have been torn.

The Count didn’t want to say any more. He commanded, "Take these people to the death cells. Find a time and hang them!"

"All their family members are to be demoted to Slaves and sent to Black Forest Island with the newest batch."

"Yes, my lord!" Knight Allen and the Guards led the group away.

The Count stood up, looking slightly weary. "Moer, you bear responsibility for this."

The steward bowed his head. "Yes, my lord. It was my mismanagement. I have made a grave mistake!"

"I’ll dock you one year’s pay. Keep a sharper eye out from now on! And Allen, the stable master, and the others—dock a year’s pay from all of them!"

Preventing spies was indeed difficult, and given Rivera’s connections, Moer wasn’t the only one who had been negligent.

That was why Count Kais only issued a fine and didn’t change their positions or administer corporal punishment.

After this matter was dealt with, Duane and Count Kais discussed the issue of confidentiality.

The main topics were the Kennedy Clan’s Magic Research Institute and the upcoming collaboration on the Warm Sun Soup.

Silent Shore was not like Black Forest Island. The population here was too large and their backgrounds too diverse. A major investigation was necessary; otherwise, if something were to happen in the future, spies would put them at a severe disadvantage.

However, this was Count Kais’s own affair. The most Duane could do was offer his opinion; he couldn’t help with the actual execution.

After the matter was resolved, Natalia led Duane on a tour of the fortress’s defensive installations.

The one that caught his interest the most was the "Siege Crossbow." It was an improved design created by the Kennedy Clan based on the principles of the Longbow. It resembled a Bed Crossbow and was operated by three people: one to aim, and two to turn the Winch.

This Crossbow was forged entirely from Refined Iron, measured 1.8 meters in length, and was imbued with a "Rapid Speed" effect.

The Siege Crossbow had an effective range of 700 meters when fired level and an astonishing 1,800 meters when fired in an arc!

Within its effective range, it could easily pierce Armor and kill an enemy.

"Even a Celestial Tier Warrior completely covered in Fighting Qi Armor could be killed if they’re not careful!"

Natalia said, "This is probably one of the reasons the other families are wary of us."

Duane completely agreed.

The castle was armed with numerous Siege Crossbows, and its key walls were protected by a Defense Magic Array. Taking it in an instant would be nearly impossible.

Moreover, Sea Cliff Castle also trained a Magic Energy Archery Team.

A storm of arrows and crossbow bolts covering the four to five hundred meters in front of the fortress... Duane couldn’t even imagine its power.

Unless an attacking army had an expert of his caliber in a siege, they would have no choice but to wear themselves out in a battle of attrition.

’No wonder the Count specifically had Natalia give me a tour. He probably used it as an opportunity to show off the Kennedy Clan’s hidden strength.’

Duane teased, "You know, when we were discussing the dowry, something this good never came up."

Natalia laughed and explained, "The Siege Crossbow was only developed recently, and it’s not for sale to outsiders. It’s a secret weapon, so Father didn’t mention it. If you want some, I can tell Father later. He might even give you a couple."

Her tone shifted. "With your skill at designing the Light Crossbow, making a Siege Crossbow shouldn’t be difficult for you. The only thing you’re missing is the ’Rapid Speed’ Enchantment Formula. But you have the even more powerful ’Wind-Held’ Magic and Enchantment. So if we were to compare, the Heavy Crossbow you design would probably be even more powerful."

That was true, but Duane didn’t have the resources of the Count’s family. Manufacturing a large Heavy Crossbow would be too troublesome.

Getting the steel was one thing, but the key component was the Crossbow String.

Its manufacturing process was complex. Without a large number of advanced craftsmen, it would be very difficult to produce.

"In that case, you have to help me ask for a couple more!"

As Duane spoke, he pulled the prepared Wind-Held and Enchantment formulas out of his Void Space.

"Give these to the Count for me."

"Wind-Held?"

Natalia took them instinctively, then asked in surprise, "Duane, you have a storage space?"

Duane explained, "It’s a special effect from my bloodline awakening. Why, you know about storage spaces?"

"In some Secret Realms, there are ancient structures that might contain old recipes, formulas, and Storage Rings. I’ve heard that His Majesty the King has a Storage Ring himself."

Natalia was full of envy. "A Mage has to carry so many things. A storage space would be incredibly convenient. Unfortunately, we don’t know the method to make one, and since it involves Space Magic, it’s impossible for us to research."

As she spoke, her attention returned to the two manuscripts in her hands.

"Weren’t these supposed to be given to my family when I marry you? Why are you giving them now?"

Duane smiled and reached out to stroke her cheek. "You marrying me is just a matter of time. Are you planning to run away from the wedding?"

Silent Shore was already starting to move people to Black Forest Island and would begin port construction and other projects ahead of schedule, so it wasn’t a problem for him to hand these over early.

Besides, the sooner these things were made and armed, the better.

"Hmph, you’re so confident!"

Natalia put the manuscripts away and affectionately took Duane’s arm. "I have good news for you. I broke through!"

"Oh?"

Duane looked at her in surprise. Under his Starlight Eye, he could see that the Magic Power in her body was indeed more abundant than before.

"Incredible! You’re already a Level 4 Mage?"

Natalia was only turning eighteen this year, yet she was already a Level 4 Mage. Her talent was likely on par with the magical geniuses of the two continents.

Of course, her rapid breakthrough was also thanks to the baptism of the Great Blessing Technique during the nation’s founding ceremony.

Natalia said smugly, "Hey, didn’t you say last time that you’d give me a gift when I became a Level 4 Mage? Hurry up and tell me what you prepared!"

Duane had indeed said that. Considering their high Arcane Affinity, he planned to give her the Spell Model for Summon Warhorse.

"I actually prepared it a long time ago."

Duane turned to face her, his voice holding a hint of playfulness.

He reached out, brushing aside the long silver hair by her ear to reveal the small, delicate ear beneath.

"If you want to know what it is, then be a good girl and close your eyes."

"Really?" Natalia’s eyelashes fluttered. Like a little girl eagerly awaiting a present, she shut her eyes, a smile of anticipation playing on her lips.

But the next second, warm breath drew near. Before she could react, her lips were gently captured.

In that instant, it felt as if a tiny electric current had shot through her heart.

Natalia’s eyes flew open in shock, and in that dazed moment, she fell into Duane’s warm embrace.

"Mm-mm..."

The only sound by her ear was her own ragged breathing.