hotmtlnovel Page 13
Page 13
After all, while a single member of the Seven Shields Alliance might not be a problem, all seven of them together possess the strength to hold their own against the Kingdom for a short period of time.
After all, it's the front line against the Demon King's army. It would be impossible without some strength and trump cards. In any case, it's not something a mere viscount like him can afford to provoke for now.
However, when Liu Tianyu's gaze fell on Prim's uneasy, kitten-like face, his thoughts began to wander.
Chapter Eighteen: Plotting the Seven Shields Alliance
"I only remember that today, when I left the fortress with a few knights to go out for a stroll, we were attacked by a group of mounted bandits."
There were dozens of them, but in the end, the knights who were guarding me all abandoned me.
After that, I was knocked unconscious by the bandits. When I woke up again, I found myself completely bound, and then your soldiers rescued me.
After cleaning up the battlefield, Liu Tianyu and Princess Prim sat in the luxuriously decorated carriage and chatted.
"Leaving the fortress, being attacked not far from the city, abandoned by the knights... Don't you think this series of events is too much of a coincidence?"
After listening to Prim's words, Liu Tianyu reached up and touched his chin, analyzing the situation.
"Your Excellency Viscount Storm, are you implying that my attack by bandits and my kidnapping by goblins were all orchestrated by someone behind the scenes?"
After listening to Liu Tianyu's analysis, Prim's beautiful, petite face instantly welled up with tears, making her look pitiful.
Although Prim is of noble birth and possesses the face of an angel and the figure of a devil, she is ultimately just a sixteen-year-old girl in the prime of her youth.
She had only ever heard of the dark and brutal nature of political struggles, but now that she had experienced it firsthand, the impact on her was absolutely enormous.
"I don't want to assume malice towards others, but in your current situation, there seems to be no other explanation besides malice, right?"
Liu Tianyu shrugged, looking at the lovely princess in front of him who was on the verge of tears.
For some reason, he always felt as if some strange attribute was about to awaken within him.
"Think about it carefully. Is there some kind of conspiracy targeting you or your sister in your palace?"
After all, your beauty is renowned throughout the surrounding countries, and your sister is a general of the second fortress. If anyone has designs on you, they can only be on you or your sister.
"Well then, I'll head out now. After all, the battlefield isn't completely cleaned up yet. Just call me if you need anything."
Liu Tianyu gave Prim another heads-up, then opened the carriage door and walked out.
[Ding, you have won. Casualties:]
[Our casualties: Nord Royal Guard (1 wounded)]
Enemy casualties: Goblin Wolf Riders (29 dead, 3 wounded, 5 deserters)
[The loot has been automatically added to your inventory. Please check it!]
The system's mechanical notification sounded the instant Liu Tianyu stepped off the carriage.
"Hmm? The loot was automatically added to my inventory? Why wasn't it added to my inventory during the last skirmish? Was it because there were friendly forces besides my troops at the time?"
"Fine, thanks system, at least it saves me some trouble, although I don't think these goblins will yield any loot."
After saying that, Liu Tianyu opened his inventory.
"Huh? A wolf? Wait, system, your item system can store living creatures?"
Liu Tianyu was initially quite nonchalant, but when his eyes fell upon the lifelike wolf that occupied an entire grid, he couldn't help but widen his gaze and hurriedly inquired with the system.
[Host, your inventory can store, but only one type of creature: your mount. No other creatures can be stored!]
The system answered Liu Tianyu's question directly this time, but it was clear that this was not the answer Liu Tianyu wanted.
Liu Tianyu's face fell, but he wasn't too disappointed. After all, you can't put people in the game's inventory, so it's not a big deal if the system can't put people in either.
After Liu Tianyu stopped speaking, the system's voice disappeared again, clearly indicating that it had gone offline again.
"Hey, the battle's over, and now I'm starving again. Guys, let's have some roasted wolf legs for supper tonight!"
"oh!!!"
After the system logged off, Liu Tianyu refocused his attention on the camp, looking at the battlefield that the system had already cleaned up, and shouted to the Nord Royal Guards.
After responding, the Nord Royal Guards each picked up a wolf carcass and began cutting it up. The wolf pelts had already been collected into their inventory as spoils by the system, so the process was quite swift.
Before long, a rich aroma of meat and spices once again filled the air above the camp.
"Knock knock knock" "Ah? Please come in!"
Soon, the door of the luxury wolf carriage was knocked on again, and Prim, who had been in a depressed state, finally reacted and hurriedly spoke.
“Princess Prim, you haven’t eaten all day. I’ve brought you something to eat. The conditions are simple; we only have roasted meat and soup. Please forgive us.”
After receiving permission, Liu Tianyu pushed open the door and came in, then gently placed a large plate of roasted meat and a large bowl of thick soup on the wolf car's table.
"Oh? Not at all, it's just that Prim hasn't formally thanked Viscount Storm for saving my life yet!"
Prim quickly stood up and gave Liu Tianyu a curtsy.
"No, no, when you see those green-skinned beasts, any normal person with strength would never stand idly by!"
Liu Tianyu waved his hand gently, but his gaze fell on the stunning glimpse of spring in Prim's dress.
“Pink…”
Liu Tianyu murmured softly.
"what?"
"Oh? It's nothing. You eat first, and after you finish, please rest for a while. We still have to head to Axel tomorrow during the day."
"Axel City? Your Excellency Viscount Stormwind, I have a favor to ask. Could you please escort me back to the Seven Shields Alliance?"
You definitely won't have made a wasted trip; I'll reward you handsomely when the time comes!
Upon hearing that Liu Tianyu was going to Axel, Prim quickly grabbed Liu Tianyu's right hand with her small, silk-gloved hand and pleaded.
"It's truly a case of 'a mountain range seen from different angles'! I apologize, Princess Prim, but please forgive me for temporarily declining your request. The reason I left Stormwind Territory was to resolve the goblin problem within my territory."
Looking at the beautiful scenery so close at hand, even though Liu Tianyu was no longer a virgin, he couldn't help but steal a few glances, but in the end he still refused Prim.
"Why, why?"
Upon hearing Liu Tianyu's rejection, Prim's beautiful eyes seemed to glisten with tears again.
Look at these goblins, they've already dared to kidnap you, their noble princess! I don't even want to think about what they'll do next!
Their very existence is a desecration of Stormlands, and they must be burned at the stake!
However, please don't worry. Once I've eliminated the goblins, I'll personally escort you back to the Seven Shields Alliance next spring, how about that?
Seeing that Prim was about to cry again, Liu Tianyu immediately comforted her gently. After all, this was the most important part of his plan to seize the Seven Shields Alliance, and he absolutely could not let anything go wrong!
He believed he was definitely not the kind of beastly warrior like the mercenary leader, so he naturally had to win her over gently.
Just kidding, there are still more than two months until spring. I'll put you in Stormlands, and I don't believe I can't win you over!
"I see. In that case, I wish you good luck in your military endeavors!"
Upon hearing Liu Tianyu's explanation, Prim immediately stopped crying and smiled, nodding her head gently.
"Please enjoy your meal. I'll come and call you again tomorrow before we leave!"
Liu Tianyu then walked out with great gentlemanly manners and closed the wolf carriage door.
"Phew, this is wonderful! To be saved by such a kind and gentle person as Viscount Storm, my dear sister, Prim might already be..."
Watching Liu Tianyu disappear, Prim sat down, a sweet smile spreading across her delicate doll-like face. Little did she know, the very person she called a good Samaritan was eavesdropping outside.
Chapter Nineteen: Entering Axel
"Ah! Is this Axel City? It seems like it's been three years since I last came here."
I remember my fifteenth birthday, my coming-of-age ceremony, was held at the grand hotel in Axel.
The next day, as dusk approached, Liu Tianyu and the others finally saw the city walls of Axel.
At first glance, the walls of Axel are about 10 meters high, and they are not wooden walls, but pure stone walls.
In front of the city gate, there is a drawbridge that is 8 meters long and 5 meters wide, wide enough for 5 people to walk side by side.
Beneath the suspension bridge flows a constantly moving moat, with no unusual smell, indicating it is not stagnant water.
As a renowned city in the northern province of the kingdom, Axel City is quite prestigious, covering an area of 2000 square kilometers, with a permanent population of 2 and a transient population of 4, and has two city gates, one on the east and one on the west.
Here you'll find everything you need: hotels, blacksmith shops, adventurers' guilds, mercenary camps, markets, churches, and more.
Compared to Axel, Stormwind is utterly insignificant, not even worthy of carrying a shoe, in terms of population or facilities!
But on second thought, Axel is, after all, a famous city with a history of over a hundred years. Moreover, it is rich in resources and has not suffered from natural disasters. It is normal for it to have developed into what it is today after a hundred years.
Then look at his Stormwind Town, which he inherited from his cheap father. Stormwind Territory has not even been established for thirty years, and there is still a lot of room for growth.
Once the natural disasters of storms and the man-made calamities of goblins are resolved, the Storm Plains will be a golden treasure land, and he can lie down and be fine!
"Ha, it's been years since I've been to Axel City, and it's still so lively! Even this night market is just as bustling as the rural night markets of my past life!"
Riding a horse along the smooth streets paved with marble, looking at the brightly lit and bustling night market around him, Liu Tianyu felt a sense of unprecedented tranquility.
Compared to the gravel roads of Stormwind and the muddy roads of Stormwind Plains, the roads in Axel City are much better.
Especially the vendors setting up stalls around the area, and the magic stone lamps flashing brightly on both sides of the road, it really felt like a small town from my previous life.
Liu Tianyu rode his armored horse in front, followed by the Nord Royal Guards, and at the very back was a luxurious carriage pulled by four wolves.
This combination looks strange no matter how you look at it.
Anyway, whether it's the once bustling and popular shops or the pedestrians coming and going.
Upon seeing Liu Tianyu, they all instinctively avoided him, cautiously observing the passing group.
They couldn't help but wonder, which noble family could this be? It's almost evening, and he's still making such a ostentatious entrance into the city.
Although their minds were filled with doubts, they dared not voice them in the face of the ten burly men and the cart pulled by the four wolves.
Looking at the quiet atmosphere around him and the pedestrians who were avoiding him, Liu Tianyu glanced at his group and then shrugged.
He couldn't help dressing so flamboyantly in the city; he couldn't very well take off his clothes and change them in the street!
"Phew, they're finally gone. By the way, whose noble family is that?"
"I don't know! But just looking at that carriage pulled by four wolves, I feel it's quite extraordinary. Even the Earl's carriage doesn't seem this luxurious!"
"Are you all so shallow? Didn't you realize that those ten men were the most terrifying? I feel like if they wanted to, they could snap our necks in an instant!"
After Liu Tianyu's group disappeared into the night market, the night market, which had been muted, resumed its activity, with people discussing Liu Tianyu and his companions as they passed by.
After passing through the bustling night market, the next area is the hawker area, which is quite quiet.
In general, a more ordinary setup would involve laying a blanket on the floor and displaying some trinkets that could be either antiques or junk.
Those with more money rented a storefront, opened the door, and welcomed everyone to come in and watch.
Liu Tianyu was somewhat interested in this vendor area, since it was similar to the antique street or lottery ticket stalls in his previous life, a place where some people were happy and some were sad.
However, he didn't intend to let himself be troubled; instead, he planned to test the system's abilities, such as its appraisal capabilities!
Soon, he arrived in front of a street vendor.
This street vendor was about twenty-five or twenty-six years old, with slightly fair skin and no calluses on his palms.
But his face bore the marks of hardship, and although his clothes looked decent, they had two patches on them, suggesting he belonged to the wealthy middle class.
"Ah! My lord, your patronage of my humble shop must be a sign of divine favor. May the Supreme God protect you!"
When the vendor saw Liu Tianyu approaching, he immediately stood up, bowed respectfully, and patted his chest.
Looking at the vendor's etiquette, Liu Tianyu was slightly taken aback. How should I put it? It was a very standard aristocratic bow.
"A fallen noble family?"
Liu Tianyu blurted out his name.
"Forehead--"
Upon hearing Liu Tianyu's words, the vendor was slightly taken aback, then nodded somewhat ashamed.
Seeing the vendor's expression, Liu Tianyu didn't say anything more.
The decline of noble families can have many causes. Some lost their fiefdoms and were left with only titles due to inter-noble warfare. Others saw the emergence of spendthrift heirs who squandered their fortunes. Still others lost their direct male heirs, who were transferred to collateral branches, leading to their eventual decline…