Riding and Slashing

Chapter 93 A Different Two-Headed Snake

Charles thought it was Earl Oden who lured the enemy to take a detour, and hadn't arrived at Seven Forks.

So he asked Lord Andrew to divide up the search.

After sending someone to send a warning message to Qicha Fortress to light a beacon to call for reinforcements, Andrew divided the royal guards into several teams and searched in the direction of Seren Meath in multiple ways.

Andrew acted quite righteously, he asked Charles to follow one of the armed retinues and lead the way to the place where he and Earl Oden met the enemy.

But regardless of whether Earl Oden or the enemy's army is found, all troops must meet at Qicha Fortress the next day.

This is not because of righteousness, but because of responsibility.

When encountering such a major military situation, it is necessary to send more scouts to try to find the whereabouts of the Bacchus army.

Going north from Qicha Fortress, there is a vast wilderness with a radius of hundreds of miles—the vicinity is the terrible no-man's land that Li Ang and Sarah passed through.

Because it was sandwiched between two big rivers, and the nearby mountains surrounded it into a basin, so that this wilderness was filled with fog all the year round, even if the target was a large army, it was not so easy to find.

Charles led dozens of armed retinues from the Sarleon Realm around for a whole day, but found no one.The guards of the royal city had to return to Qicha Fortress in accordance with the military order, so Charles had to go back with them.

At this time, three days had passed since Earl Oden encountered the enemy.

When Charles followed those followers back to Seven Fortress, he saw the flag of Eldred, the lord of Seven Fortress, lowered by half...

Charles naturally knew what this meant—only when a respected and well-known figure passed away, would the flag be flown at half-mast.

At present, in the vicinity of the Qicha Fortress, the only one who can meet this condition is the famous "Brave Shield" who has almost protected the northeast of the Kingdom for 30 years with the power of a city, Earl Oden!

He rushed into Qicha Fortress frantically, but he was surrounded by the garrison as soon as he entered the city, and he was disarmed together with the Sleer Lion Realm subordinates who belonged to the royal city guards.

Charles shouted loudly: "I am Earl Auden's servant! Let me go!"

Although no one knew that Charles was Auden's son, many people had seen him in the House of Nobles, and he often went to various places to deliver orders, so many people knew him and knew that he was indeed Auden's confidant.

So he was indeed released quickly, but those Sarleon servants were still detained.

Charles rushed directly into the castle hall of Baron Eldred, just in time for Baron Eldred to pay his final condolences to the body of Earl Auden.

Charles immediately collapsed.

He has been with Auden since he was a teenager. Although he is an illegitimate child, Auden treats him very well, and the relationship between father and son has always been deep.

However, despite the grief as if his heart had been gouged out, even though he was so distracted that he couldn't even walk, Charles could still feel that something was wrong.

——He didn't see Earl Alden's subordinates, and none of the troops from Fort Yongshield were there!

His whole body was trembling, and he asked Eldred with tears: "How could this happen? He brought the elite of Fort Valor! He couldn't possibly die in the hands of the Bacchus Empire! Where is the army of Fort Valor?"

In the Lion Kingdom, if a commoner servant dared to speak to a high-ranking nobleman in this way, he would usually end up beaten half to death and thrown into the river.

But Eldred also met Charles in the House of Nobles. Seeing that Charles was so sad, he probably thought that he was too loyal to Earl Auden. Such a loyal follower lost his mind and could be forgiven for being rude and offensive.

Therefore, Eldred showed great tolerance, and even patiently explained a few words.

"Earl Oden returned to the Qicha Fortress with hundreds of Royal City guards last night. I saw the flags of him and Lord Andrew on the city wall."

"But I don't know why. They seem to have clashed outside the city. I didn't see the specific situation clearly because they were too far apart. I only know that they fought."

"By the time I went out of the city to meet him, the Earl had already died in battle, and the royal city guards had also run away... If my eyes are not blind, it was Lord Andrew's team that attacked him."

"I have too few cavalry to pursue Andrew, so I had to bring back the body of the Earl first."

"You are the confidant of the earl, what you should do now is not to cry, but to report to Sarleon City and Castle of Valor."

Subsequently, Charles was driven out of Qicha Fortress.

Because he didn't believe Eldred's words - Andrew was found by him, and he met him halfway, how could he kill Earl Auden for no reason?
But as soon as Charles said "You lied", Eldred ordered him to be thrown out of Seven Forks.

Charles was painful and angry, but he could do nothing - he himself was the servant of the noble house who knew the most etiquette, and he knew that if Eldred didn't beat or even kill him, it would be regarded as watching him. In Earl Auden's face.

But Baron Eldred's words are obviously not credible.

Charles is starting to doubt everyone now.

But the problem was that he was just a civilian servant—no one knew that he was the son of Earl Auden, and no one would take him seriously after Auden died.

This is the sadness of an illegitimate child...

Charles had no choice but to rush to Maixiangling as quickly as possible—this was Earl Auden's final explanation, asking him to come to Li Ang.

Only Li Ang knew that he was Auden's son, and would listen to him seriously.

"Lord Leon, I don't know exactly what happened, but Baron Eldred certainly didn't tell the truth."

"He captured Lord Andrew's royal city guards, but easily released me who went back with the guards. I'm not a fool..."

After two days of running, Charles has calmed down a lot and sorted out the biggest problem.

"He is really unscrupulous... Even if he is not the mastermind, he must be the number one accomplice..."

The lord has already gritted his teeth at this time. Rainier and Eldred, father and son, are indeed like fathers, like sons.

"But what should I do now? I can't even take my father's body with me..."

Charles held his hair tightly with his hands, helpless and frustrated, probably distraught.

He hasn't eaten for three days, and his face has withered like an old man.

Li Ang handed him a bowl of water, motioned him to drink it, and then said slowly, "Charles, you'd better not do anything now... rest here first, let me think about it."

The Lord Lord's first thought was the starting point of this matter.

Why was Earl Oden killed?

This was after he had resigned from the House of Nobles and handed over the leadership affairs—he was already old and had decided to return to Fort Yongshield to guard the frontier. Why was he killed under such circumstances?

Considering that Eldred is Rainier's father... Is this also the plan of the Bacchus Empire?
Was Oden killed in a chain reaction because he accidentally bumped into the cavalry army led by Governor Kailos?
No, the time is not right...

It is now January 355, 1 of the Pandeli calendar.

On January 1, the two countries withdrew their troops from the Sava River Fort.

On the 3rd, Li Ang completed the conferring ceremony, and met Earl Alden for the last time on King's Avenue in Sarleon City.

On the 6th, Li Ang returned to Maixiangling; on the same day, Auden encountered the cavalry of the Bacchus Empire; Charles went to ask for help.

On the 8th, Mai Xiangling was attacked by Rainier, and White Hart Castle was besieged by Bacchus' army.In the evening of the same day, Oden died outside Qicha Fortress.

On the 9th, Leon kidnapped two governors and broke the siege of White Hart Castle; on the same day, Charles learned of Auden's death and was expelled from Qicha Fortress.

On the 11th, Ralph's Rangers cleared the area around White Hart Castle, Lehman's Lion Knights entered White Hart Castle, and the Bacchus Empire retreated.

On the 12th, the sentry from Changhe Town arrived at Maixiangling, and Charles also came to Maixiangling.

As early as January 1, Auden encountered the cavalry corps of the Bacchus Empire, but White Hart Castle had not yet been attacked at that time!

Li Ang immediately found Governor Justus, who was still a hostage: "Justus, when did your Marshal Kailos take the cavalry to the direction of Seren Meath? You'd better tell me the truth now."

This was the first time that Li Ang called Governor Justus by his first name without adding any honorifics.

"A week ago, after he defeated Archduke Alma at Karen Deer Castle, he went directly."

Justus didn't know what happened, but looking at Li Ang's unkind expression, coupled with the change of address, he could naturally realize that the lord was probably in a bad mood.

So he didn't ambiguously, and gave the real answer directly.

Justus said before that Kairos had been to White Hart Castle and arranged for the siege before taking all the cavalry to Serenmeath.

The governor was obviously passing false news at the time, because according to this rhythm, Kairos would not be able to arrive near Serenmeath until January 1 at the very least, so Earl Oden would not be able to meet him.

The governor seemed extremely cooperative after being kidnapped, but he still didn't tell the truth. He was still considering the military situation of the empire and covering up Kailos' movements.

Since it was a week ago, it was January 1th, which made sense.

Kairos brought all the cavalry, and he was indeed able to drive from Karen Deer Castle to the area between Qicha Fortress and Serenmeath within a day.

So, is Kairos trying to attack Seren Meath, or is he trying to stop Earl Oden?

Or... for something else?
"What is Kairos' goal? Is the White Hart Castle's offensive a feint or a main attack?"

Li Ang's expression froze suddenly, he realized that the Bacchus Empire also used the double-headed snake tactic!

It's just more hidden and dangerous, and the plot probably isn't just one city and one place...

But this time, Justus just looked at Li Ang quietly, and shook his head: "I really don't know, I was just ordered to attack White Hart Castle."

He may not have known it, or he may be hiding it.

But 'I don't know' is actually a useful answer for Li Ang.

(End of this chapter)