Three days later, the travel-worn Grand Duke Fisabulon's entourage entered the gates of the third border ranger corps stationed on the main road of the southern province. After freshening up, Grand Duke Fisabulon couldn't be bothered with the exhaustion of running for his life. He ordered his soldiers to blow the horn to summon the officers for a meeting. Facing the tent full of knights and officers of the third border ranger corps, Grand Duke Fisabulon told them a grim truth. "We've been ambushed by the four northern families alliance. The first border ranger corps is probably done for, and the capital city of Wendebri has been lost. The third border ranger corps will soon face the attack of the four northern families alliance …"
The knights of House Fisablon and the 3rd Ranger Corps in the tent immediately broke into an uproar. They were either calling for revenge or worried about the fighting prowess of the four northern clans. After all, the 1st Ranger Corps was fully equipped and ranked in the top three amongst the clans. For them to be wiped out by the 4th Ranger Corps in one fell swoop, one could imagine how powerful the enemy the 3rd Ranger Corps, which was weaker than the 1st Ranger Corps, would have to face.
Grand Duke Fisabulon didn't explain why he'd escaped from Wendebri with only a few dozen people. He only gave one order after another in an orderly manner. First, he had to recall the entire army and recall the patrolling squads. He had to strengthen the defenses of the camp, reinforce the walls, set up watchtowers and watchtowers, dig deep trenches, and stock up on all sorts of military supplies. He had to make preparations for battle.
Second, he had to immediately send scouts and scouts to Winston to investigate the movements of the four northern families alliance. He had to gather the scattered family soldiers and find a way to find out the whereabouts of the first border ranger corps. If it was really as Laurist said and the first border ranger corps was done for, then he had to find out the real reason why they were completely wiped out. Most importantly, he had to find a way to find out why the four northern families alliance had sent out their troops and the size of their armed forces.
The third order was to send messengers to the four central duchies to ask for help. Grand Duke Fisabulon told the messengers that the Iberian Kingdom had been attacked by the allied forces of the northern nobles led by the Andinac Kingdom's Grand Duke of the North, Norton Lollister. At present, the Winston Province and the capital of Windbri had fallen, and Grand Duke Fisabulon was leading his family's armed forces to resist in the southern province. However, the enemy was too powerful, and Fisabulon's armed forces could only barely hold on. Once the southern province fell into the enemy's control, the grand duke could only bring his family's armed forces back to his territory to protect himself. however, no one knew if the northern guilds would turn to attack the four central duchies.
The biggest sore point of the four central duchies was the Andenac Kingdom's king, Oglesello. This former heir of the Crisen Empire, who was known as the second prince, would never forgive the betrayal of the four central duchies. The four archdukes of the four central duchies were well aware of this. In their eyes, the four major families of the North, who were able to put the second prince back on the throne of the Andinac Kingdom, were definitely loyal to the second prince. Once the forces of the four major families of the North came into contact with the forces of the four major families of the North, it was conceivable that the alliance of the four major families of the North, which was able to destroy the Madras Duchy and the Iberian Kingdom, would definitely target the four central duchies.
Grand Duke Fisabulon wasn't sure if the four northern families would be on the same side as the second prince. In his eyes, Laurist wasn't that loyal to the Andenac Kingdom. Otherwise, when the second prince was fighting on the frontlines of the Redelis Kingdom, the Norton Family's armed forces wouldn't have traveled thousands of miles to the Haneabada Archipelago to destroy the slave kingdom to take revenge for the attack on their territory. With the strength of the four northern families, as long as they stood on the second prince's side, the second prince wouldn't be usurped by his niece.
However, this suspicion didn't stop Grand Duke Fisabulon from using this as an excuse to blackmail the four central duchies for support. The most obvious thing was that the four central duchies definitely wouldn't be willing to be on the border with the Andenac Kingdom. If that happened, there would never be a day of peace. Having the Fisabulon Family deal with the armed forces of the four northern families alliance in the southern province was much better than being attacked by the four northern families alliance into the territory of the four central duchies.
Therefore, Grand Duke Fisabulon didn't stand on ceremony. Other than sending messengers to the four central duchies to request for military support, he also asked for a huge amount of military and living supplies. Grand Duke Fisabulon was very confident that the four central duchies would seriously consider his request. In fact, even if he received half the amount of supplies, Grand Duke Fisabulon would still be satisfied. Anyway, it was a sky-high price. Of course, he had to allow the four central duchies to return the money.
After sending messengers to the four central duchies, Grand Duke Fisabulon's next order was to mobilize the troops. Other than ordering the reserve troops that were originally scheduled to arrive at the capital of Windbri within this month to meet up with him in the southern province, he also ordered the newly formed fifth border Ranger Legion in the Eastern Barren Province to rush to the southern province to increase the number of troops he could command. As for the defense of the Eastern Barren Province, it could be handed over to the garrison legion. With Grand Duke Fisabulon commanding these few legions to defend the southern province, the family's territory wouldn't have to worry for the time being.
Currently, the second border Ranger Legion was guarding the Greater and Lesser Jinchuan regions under Viscount Christopher's command. They couldn't be mobilized. As for the fourth border Ranger Legion, they couldn't be mobilized either. On the contrary, they had to send word to prevent any surprise attacks from the northern armed forces. After all, the Northern Barren Province was connected to the northern lands. Of course, the best way was to destroy the iron chain bridge built by the Kenz Family. With one less direction to defend, the fourth border Ranger Legion could harass and engage in guerilla warfare against the alliance of the four northern families that had taken over the Winston Province through Pitro City.
After issuing the order to mobilize the troops, Grand Duke Fisabulon looked at the map in silence for a long time. In the end, he issued another order. He issued a conscription order to the close to a hundred grass-barbarian tribes that had submitted to the House of Fisabulon in the northeastern plains. He ordered the elite grass-barbarian tribes to prepare their own warhorses, weapons, and rations and head to the southern province to participate in the war. As a reward, Grand Duke Fisabulon generously promised that all the spoils of war that the grass-barbarians plundered would belong to them …
The knights and officers in the tent were shocked by Grand Duke Fisabulon's order. They all went up to dissuade him. Once the grass barbarians were allowed to plunder as they pleased, the negative effects it would bring would far exceed the benefits the grass-barbarians would bring to the House of Fisabulon. If word of this got out, the House of Fisabulon would go from being the protectors of the northeastern plains to accomplices of the grass-barbarians. Even if it wasn't for the sake of the family's reputation, the grass-barbarians who were notorious for disobeying orders and acting on their own would bring endless trouble to the family's commanders …
Grand Duke Fisabulon smiled wryly as he told the knights and officers under his command. To be able to wipe out the first border Ranger Legion a hundred miles away from the capital, it was impossible to overestimate the armed forces of the four northern families. By the way, the two companies of the third border Ranger Legion stationed in Dusklake had also been lost. With the strength of the third border Ranger Legion, the Grand Duke was doubtful if they could withstand the upcoming assault of the four northern families. If they could ensure that the southern province wouldn't be lost before the other two legions arrived, then the Grand Duke would have to thank the heavens.
I'm not trying to scare you. Grand Duke Fisabulon solemnly warned the knights and officers in the tent that the upcoming battle with the four northern families would be a long and arduous one. If the House of Fisabulon didn't give it their all, then the result of defeat would be the House of Fisabulon being suppressed in a corner of the northeastern plains, silently relying on the whims of others for a slim chance of survival. The lifeline of the family would be in the hands of others, and they would be able to do as they pleased.
However, if we win, we will be able to suppress the alliance of the four major families in the North. We will be able to unite the territories of the Winston Province, the Southern Province, and the other three provinces into one solid entity, becoming the overlord of the Northeast region. Relying on the trade routes of the four central duchies, the House of Fisabulon's power would flourish with each passing day. All those who contributed in this battle would be richly rewarded. The Grand Duke wouldn't be stingy with bestowing titles and territories to outstanding family knights, allowing them to become members of the noble class.
Therefore, Grand Duke Fisabulon expressed that in this long and arduous battle, the more barbarians that came to participate, the better. The Grand Duke believed that generous rewards and harsh military laws could be used to restrain the actions of the barbarians. Those who disobeyed orders could be directly sentenced to death for the crime of rebellion, which would implicate their tribes. As for those who obeyed orders, they could be ordered to become the scapegoats of the family's armed forces. On one hand, they would be used to whittle down the strength of the four northern families, and on the other hand, they would exhaust the barbarians and indirectly eliminate the threat they posed to the family's territory after they developed their strength. The Grand Duke had to prevent the family's armed forces from suffering great losses in this battle, and thus be unable to suppress the rebellion of the barbarian tribes in the northeastern plains.
After concluding this military conference, Grand Duke Fisabulon hastily ate some food and fell into bed to sleep for more than ten hours. These few days of fleeing had worn him out. After waking up, the Grand Duke took a bath and ate something. After changing his clothes, he dismissed his attendants. He took a bottle of wine in the large tent and poured himself a drink, tears streaming down his face as he drank. At this moment, the Grand Duke felt as if his heart was being cut by a knife. Thinking back to the scene of him being chased by Laurist until he was out of breath, the Grand Duke felt that this was the greatest humiliation of his life …
He had never fled in such a sorry state before. He had abandoned the capital of Wenderbri, abandoned Lake Town, and even lost the first border Ranger Corps. Not only had this messed up his arranged plans, most importantly, he had lost an extremely large amount of wealth and nearly three hundred thousand manpower to replenish his family's territory. It was as if he had encountered a robber. Not only had he been robbed clean, the robbers had even wanted to kidnap him to blackmail his family. Fortunately, he had finally escaped. This was how the Grand Duke felt right now.
He thought back to the inheritance of the nobles in the southern province that he had destroyed in Wenderbri, as well as the wealth of the nobles in the traditional territories of Winston Province that had rebelled. The Grand Duke felt his head throbbing. That was an enormous wealth of more than three million gold fords. He had originally planned to use it to build a strong garrison and three fortresses that were difficult to conquer, turning Winston Province into his ideal battlefield. Now, it had all become the spoils of war for the four northern families …
In the Rose Palace of Wenderbri's capital, Grand Duke Fisabulon had only exchanged two blows with Laurist when he acutely sensed that Laurist's swordsmanship and personal cultivation were not inferior to his own. Although he could rely on his rich experience to exchange two to three hundred blows with Laurist, and perhaps even win while he was distracted, the Grand Duke was very clear that if what Laurist said was true, the first border Ranger Corps had already been destroyed, and Wenderbri's capital was about to fall into the hands of the four northern families, then the battle between him and Laurist would be meaningless regardless of the outcome. Thus, the Grand Duke had made a prompt decision to immediately leave the capital and escape from danger. That was the only correct solution.
However, the Grand Duke had not expected that Laurist would not only speak viciously like a scoundrel on the streets, but would also chase after him relentlessly, insisting on making him stay. It was also Laurist's pursuit that made the Grand Duke realize that if he were to fight to the death with Laurist in a fit of rage, and if he were to fall under Laurist's sword, then the Fisabulon Family would lose its backbone and become a pile of loose sand. The four northern families would then be able to easily obtain the fruits of victory.
This was Grand Duke Fisabulon's thoughts as he fled. He definitely could not fall into Laurist's hands. Only when he was out of danger could he lead his family's armed forces and slowly turn the tables. He could wash away the humiliation that Laurist had inflicted on him with blood and fire …
Of course, in his heart, Grand Duke Fisabulon still had a lingering fear towards Laurist's swordsmanship. He remembered that in Sunset Lake Town, when the six hundred or so family soldiers charged towards Laurist, Grand Duke Fisabulon still had the thought of launching a sneak attack. However, the scene that unfolded before his eyes caused the Grand Duke to completely lose the will to fight Laurist. Facing a group charge of more than half a company of soldiers, the Grand Duke believed that he would have to retreat. He could only use a guerilla warfare method to slowly kill those soldiers. Most importantly, he would not be entangled by those soldiers. This was also the mentality that ordinary great swordmasters would not be willing to face against soldiers in a battle formation.
However, what the Grand Duke saw at that time, Laurist went up to meet them. He was like a nimble little fish swimming freely in a fast-flowing stream, or like a cool breeze circling in a dense forest. All the spears and swords that the soldiers extended towards him posed no threat to him at all. He was like a ghost of a farmer, using the sword in his hand to continuously reap the lives of the surrounding soldiers like harvesting wheat …
Grand Duke Fisabulon immediately jumped in fright. This, this was the power of a Domain. Without saying a word, Grand Duke Fisabulon immediately mounted his horse and ordered the guards beside him to flee. No wonder Laurist dared to barge into the Rose Palace and challenge a 3rd Rank Great Swordmaster like him. That was because he had absolute confidence in his own cultivation and swordsmanship. He only dared to do so if he could deal with him. Fortunately, he did not fall for it and managed to escape from his pursuit.
However, Grand Duke Fisabulon still had some doubts in his heart. Laurist was not a Sword Saint, so how did he grasp the power of a Domain? Generally speaking, only those who had reached the realm of a Sword Saint could grasp a Domain. However, Laurist did not give off the feeling that he had already advanced to a Sword Saint.
It wasn't that Grand Duke Fisabulon had never seen the Sword Saint before. Back when he was still a level 1 Great Swordsman, he had just been appointed as the Commander of the Ranger Legion of the Christen Empire's border defense and went to the imperial capital to have an audience with Christen VII. At that time, the Sword Saint of the Christen Empire was still around. When the Grand Duke faced him, he felt as though there was a huge and boundless mountain in front of him. Suddenly, he felt as though the mountain had transformed into a boundless ocean. The only thing that remained in the Grand Duke's heart was a feeling of unfathomability. Because of this, the Grand Duke worked hard to become a third-level Great Swordsman in just 20 years.
However, Laurist did not give off the feeling that he was facing a Sword Saint. Perhaps this brat had just coincidentally grasped the power of a domain. That's right. Perhaps it was because Sandy said that he cultivated in the Eastern Warrior Monk Techniques. Overall, Loriste should be halfway to the peak of the Sword Saint realm. He was still a little bit away from becoming a Sword Saint.
It would be great if Sandy was here as well. If they worked together, they would definitely be able to stop Laurist. Perhaps they would even be able to teach this kid a lesson. He remembered what Laurist had said, that the Great Swordmaster Sandy had already become the Second Prince's prisoner. Grand Duke Fisabulon felt even more melancholy. I should send people to the Andinac Kingdom and the imperial capital to scout for information. I really hope that this brat is lying to me!
After finishing a bottle of wine, Grand Duke Fisabulon finally calmed himself down. Brat from the Norton Family, Laurist, just you wait. Perhaps I'm not as good as you in terms of cultivation and swordsmanship, but in the upcoming battle, let's see who's stronger. I swear in the name of the Fisabulon Family that I'll repay all the humiliation I've suffered. I'll repay it with the destruction of the Northern Four Families Alliance!
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