Chapter 708: The Blood Armor Set

Solomon's agreement with Henwell changes the plan.

The expedition is postponed for a week just as it is about to depart.

Two weeks later, a caravan enters Kuka City.

King's Shield contacts clear the way along the entire route. The caravan meets no obstacles and races more than a thousand kilometers without rest.

At a King's Shield estate outside the city, Henwell accompanies Solomon as he inspects the goods.

Every crate contains a complete set of black-and-red armor and weapons covered in unusual patterns.

Henwell explains, "The armor bears three extraordinary effects: Reinforcement, Adaptation, and Energy Conduction. The weapons bear Heavy Strike, Sharpness, and Reinforcement."

"The standard set includes a full suit of armor with a helmet and boots, as well as a longsword."

"It also includes a small arm shield with Rebound, a cavalry saber with Armor-Piercing and Rending, and a close-combat dagger with Silence and Bleeding."

"Finally, there is a Recurve Crossbow. It is not an extraordinary weapon, but it comes with ten arrows bearing Armor-Piercing, Rending, and Featherlight."

"Believe me, only Peace Haven could sell them this cheaply, and every country restricts their circulation."

"Otherwise, there would be no shortage of buyers willing to pay a hundred thousand gold coins for a complete set."

After checking each crate, the captain of the King's Shield guards nods to Solomon, indicating that everything is in order.

Solomon marvels, "Incredible craftsmanship. How does Peace Haven keep such expensive extraordinary metal so cheap?"

Henwell shrugs. "That is one of Peace Haven's core secrets. If an outsider discovered it, I imagine the lord of Blood Hill would personally recover the information."

Solomon does not pursue the subject. "Very well. We will also pay the remaining one million gold coins in gold. Shall I hand it over now?"

Henwell rubs his hands together. "Of course. I can't wait to see those gleaming little darlings."

The King's Shield guards then carry out more than a dozen large chests.

Palm-sized gold bars are stacked neatly inside. Members of the Qili Guild count them and verify the gold's purity.

Once the inspection is complete, they load the gold onto their wagons and disappear into the night.

Solomon asks, "You are simply leaving with all that gold? Are you not afraid?"

Henwell laughs. "Afraid of what? This money will no longer be mine. It is going to the Vorry royal family."

"I lent the new king of the Vorry Kingdom one million gold coins, and the agreement is already signed."

"The gold will travel directly east into the Vorry Kingdom and continue all the way to Silver Peak City."

"By tomorrow, it will bear the mark of the Vorry royal family. Anyone who takes it will be robbing the royal family itself."

"And the new king is so desperate for money that stealing from him would be a very bad idea."

While praising Henwell's resourcefulness, Solomon secretly signals his men to call off their planned action.

Henwell's tone turns pointed. "Mr. Solomon, whoever you are and whatever faction you belong to, you clearly intend to do something big."

"Anyone with great ambitions must keep his word. Without trust, neither a person nor an organization lasts long, much less grows into a major power."

"There are exceptions, of course. Veil is one faction that does not keep its word."

"The consequence is that it can only remain hidden in the darkness, hunted and hated by every other faction."

Solomon turns solemn. "Mr. Adolf, please don't misunderstand us, especially our organization."

"This cooperation has been most pleasant. I believe we will have many more opportunities to work together, and I promise our sincerity will not disappoint you."

"We leave in three days, so you should prepare as well. I will not break my promise regarding the enormous benefits still waiting for you."

The two gold balls spin in Henwell's hand. "Do I still dare go? I didn't earn much this time, and chasing a bigger reward means serious risk. I might not come back alive."

Solomon falls silent for a moment. "Mr. Adolf, let us speak inside."

Once they reach the study, Solomon dismisses his men and pours Henwell a glass of wine.

"Mr. Adolf guessed correctly. The ruins are dangerous, but the treasure is real. I did not deceive you about that."

"I will give you two choices."

"First, remain at the King's Shield while we explore the ruins. We will bring back as much wealth as possible and compensate you with five hundred thousand gold coins' worth, regardless of what we recover."

"Second, gather some trusted professionals and come with us. We will take the documents and artifacts from the ruins, while your people may carry away as much of the remaining wealth as they can."

Henwell remains silent, so Solomon continues. "If we return, we'll discuss another trade."

"We need formation-scale standardized equipment made by Peace Haven. We will need your contacts and channels, and we will also cooperate with the transport arrangements."

Henwell raises an eyebrow. "Formation-scale? What size of formation?"

"...Legion-scale."

Henwell is silent for a moment. "We can discuss that later."

Henwell is now even more interested in Solomon's organization.

What could they want with standardized arms for an entire legion?

Who stands behind them?

One of Ika's dukes?

Or some ambitious prince?

Secretly stockpiling armor and troops means preparing for rebellion.

Interesting.

No matter who stands behind the organization, Henwell intends to lend a hand.

Ika is simply too powerful.

It has tens of millions of people, millions of square kilometers of land, more than a hundred standing legions, nearly ten ace legions, and three knight orders...

A country like that will be the greatest obstacle in Henwell's future campaigns.

Worse still, Baleqi has begun strengthening the people's national identity and even cultivating national consciousness.

If both ideas take root, the country will become extremely difficult to conquer.

If Henwell fails to defeat Ika within thirty years, even a later victory will carry an enormous cost of occupation and rule.

With that in mind, Henwell decides not to act against the King's Shield for now.

After returning to his room, Henwell summons the Qili Guild professionals who have arrived for the expedition.

Over the years, Henwell has trained quite a few extraordinary professionals.

He has even produced a promising Grand Knight. The young man, Lodar, is effectively his adopted son.

When Henwell was seventeen, he selected the ten-year-old boy from among the serfs and began training him.

Twenty years have passed since then. Lodar advanced to Grand Knight on his thirtieth birthday last year.

Lodar is one reason Henwell still controls the Qili Guild and keeps its many unsavory members in line despite rarely appearing in person.

Some guild members resent Henwell's dangerous wagers and have long tried to force him to give up power.

As soon as Lodar advanced, however, their opposition fell silent.

That saves Henwell the trouble of finding an excuse to purge the loudest among them.

Henwell has not summoned his adopted son for this expedition.

For something this dangerous, naturally he brings the disloyal turncoats and uses them as expendable scouts.