naaapseattle #551 - I defended the Thousand River Valley
#551 - I defended the Thousand River Valley
"Has the third batch of city-guarding soldiers been released?"
Prince Condé, sitting under the candlestick and reading, was in his nightgown, even wearing a ridiculous pointed nightcap.
But the soldier before him had no smile on his face: "They've all been released. There are only about a hundred soldiers left in the city."
It had been three days since he discussed surrendering with Wien, and today was the sixth day of the siege.
According to the Gray Horse Knight, one hundred soldiers were to be released every morning, noon, and evening, with no interception allowed.
After he safely left the city tomorrow, Prince Condé would publicly announce his promise to him, and then he would reveal the location where the remaining direct evidence was buried.
Two Edicts Legions had already set off, led by Lacunio, to the only way to Moliretti.
After capturing the outpost fortress, Prince Condé would head north to meet Lacunio, and then fight the penultimate battle of the Thousand River Valley with the Grand Duchess.
However, before that, Prince Condé felt as if ants were crawling in his heart, making him itch unbearably.
In these three or four days, he had received reports from the Faceless Men of Hotam County.
Judging from the handwriting, the letter from the rebel leader André to Horne was indeed genuine, and the timing was right.
Although the possibility of forgery could not be ruled out, Prince Condé genuinely believed that this letter was real.
The most important corroboration was that just as the Faceless Men had just investigated Wester, he was assassinated by a gangster.
The reason was that this merchant was in debt and refused to pay, simply treating him like a fool!
Did he not know who this gangster belonged to?
And what shocked Prince Condé the most was that the Faceless Men often investigated this and that, and before they even investigated Wester much, Wester died.
Surely not everyone could be prescient?
Then there was only one possibility: either there was a traitor among the Faceless Men, or there was a traitor by his side.
Prince Condé didn't know which one was more terrifying.
He now had only one thought: after returning to Hotam County, he must arrest Sampoli and interrogate him.
Prince Condé did not believe he had no accomplices!
And accomplices had already appeared: Gairinon was one, and Sampoli was another.
He was now certain that there must be a secret alliance opposing him hidden behind this, and it was definitely more than just these few people.
He never trusted these local nobles, otherwise he would not have moved people from his Condé territory in.
Now that this incident had occurred, he wanted to purge the nobles of Hotam County even more.
If he became the Prince of Thousand River Valley in the future, he didn't want the governing seat to be in Langsand County or Lower River County; the wealthiest Hotam County was his goal.
It was just a pity that this land was full of local nobles. Due to church law and noble law, he couldn't arbitrarily deprive them of their titles, so he could only postpone the discussion.
This time, he had seized the handle and found evidence of the nobles colluding with the enemy.
Although he still couldn't deprive them of their titles, he could exchange territories.
Either exchange these nobles to Langsand County or to Mountain County, and the vacant land could be enfeoffed to his warriors.
It was just a pity that this letter was from the Holy Sun Army to Holy Sun and from Holy Sun to Moliretti.
At most, it could only be considered indirect evidence. The direct evidence he really wanted would have to wait until tomorrow.
His Highness the Prince felt for the first time that the night was so long.
After the initial anger, as time passed, the anger slowly turned into greed and anticipation.
Weren't those nobles causing trouble for him every day?
When this evidence was slammed into their faces, Prince Condé would make them kneel down and beg him.
After the warmth of the previous days, the weather had turned cold again these days, and the cold wind blew through the camp.
Some soldiers who had not kept warm enough were awakened by the cold, and when they looked up, they could always see the lights of the main tent lit.
Lit all night long.
The next morning, Prince Condé, with dark circles under his eyes, excitedly put on his silk shirt and draped his most valuable cloak and clothes.
He also specially ordered people to prepare long swords, holy water, and edicts, so that he could re-enfeoff this powerful, wise, and surprising new knight.
Walking out of the tent with the other captains of the Edicts Legions, Prince Condé came to that small, isolated city.
After several rounds of shouting, the city gate slowly opened.
The heavy iron chains made a dull creaking sound, and a handsome middle-aged knight slowly rode out on horseback.
The Gray Horse Knight raised his hands high, indicating that he had no intention of resisting, and slowly approached forward.
Prince Condé's warhorse pawed the ground unconsciously, while his face wore a smile.
Behind the fence, Seizinger, as the last batch of released soldiers, silently watched Wien, counting his steps forward.
His gray horse had a dull coat, as if stained with the dust of the journey.
Under the gaze of countless ferocious Edict Knights, Wien wore simple cloth clothes, without armor, and no weapons were seen on his waist.
He sat upright on his horse, his smile as indifferent as if he were not surrendering, but rather going to see a long-lost friend.
In the slanting sunlight, Wien seemed to really see his friend, his liege Vincent.
He said that he had lived in the cold mountains since he was a child, and his biggest dream was to live in sunshine and flowers.
Just like today, his horse's hooves stepped in sunshine and flowers.
When Wien was still a knight page abandoned by his mentor, it was Vincent who selected him from among many pages and brought him back to Thousand River Valley from Fran.
It was also Vincent who believed that he had the potential to become a title knight, and obtained a place in the Knights from the old Duke.
On the battlefield against vampires, Wien stabbed a ogre warlord to death with one shot, and then obtained the title in front of the king.
The Fran king at that time hinted that he should return to his homeland, but he still chose to follow Vincent back to the remote Thousand River Valley.
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Without Vincent, he would probably still be that mediocre knight page on the training ground, the kind who could never become a knight in his life.
He never understood why Vincent was so persistent in promoting the policies of the Huanno sect, even if he repeatedly failed, he had to work hard again and again.
This Thousand River Valley was not a rich land, where did it come from so much magic?
He didn't understand, but it didn't delay him from carrying out Vincent's orders.
Just like he didn't understand why Moliretti insisted on taking the most dangerous path, but he didn't mind supporting her, for fear she would fall to the ground.
Wien saw Prince Condé's smile, and also knew that Prince Condé regarded his letter as alienation.
He didn't know if it would succeed, and if it failed, then he would be the most ridiculous clown.
But he didn't care, just continued to move forward to that destined position.
The weather was clear, and the gray horse knight's hooves were steady, until he could finally hear Prince Condé's satisfying and even flattering words.
But he didn't listen, because he heard something else.
"Uncle Wien!"
In a trance, it seemed that someone was calling his name, and the gray horse knight subconsciously turned his head.
But Prince Condé in front of him changed his face drastically.
That was the light sound of a bowstring——
Time seemed to stand still.
An arrow accurately pierced Wien's temple.
Blood gushed like a spring, quickly spreading along the arrow shaft, dyeing his collar red.
The knight let out a low groan, the reins in his hand loosened, and his body leaned forward weakly.
The gray horse seemed to sense something, let out a mournful cry, and pawed uneasily, but the knight's body could no longer maintain balance.
He slowly slid from the saddle and fell heavily to the ground, his eyes slightly open, and blood flowed over the corners of his mouth.
"Assassin——"
"Quick, protect His Highness the Prince!"
The moment Wien fell to the ground, everyone was in chaos.
In the crowded crowd, Prince Condé seemed unable to hear anything, standing stiffly on horseback.
The original expectant and soothing smile was now hidden, twisted, gnarled, and ferocious, turning into a face that could not hide its anger.
"Sampoli!!!"
The prince's roar resounded in everyone's ears.
"What do you think I am in your eyes?! Huh? What!"
Whether it was because of convulsions or a dying man's memories, Wien's always turned-out eyebrows stretched out, so the wry smile at the corner of his mouth turned into a smile.
Vincent, your Thousand River Valley, I have guarded it for you.