Opening a fantasy anime world with the style of Mount & Blade

Page 69

"My lord, please rest assured, I will absolutely not let you down. If I was gambling at the beginning when I pledged allegiance to you, believe me, I have already won the gamble!"

Lord Willing smiled, raised his head high, and looked up at the huge black shadow in the sky that had eclipsed the sunlight.

The fact that Viscount Storm possesses a giant dragon is absolutely jaw-dropping!

"Damn it, what do we do now? That damned black dragon is constantly roaming around Axel City. What is it trying to do?!"

Gathering all the soldiers inside the castle did not bring Streetlight any sense of security; on the contrary, it made him panic.

He wasn't blind. Not long after he returned to the castle, he saw that the eastern city wall had been burned to ruins by the black dragon Drogon, and Liu Tianyu's troops outside the city rushed in from the ruins, but the black dragon Drogon did not launch an attack!

Anyone with half a brain knows that the black dragon in the sky is definitely in cahoots with Liu Tianyu!

Otherwise, why would it have just burned its own walls and then kept flying around Axel without launching another attack?

Most importantly, he saw a small black dot on the black dragon's body. Although he couldn't make out its exact appearance, it was undoubtedly a humanoid creature!

Considering that the black dragon didn't open its mouth, the street lamp was certain that the person who had been speaking and maintaining order was the figure on the black dragon's body. This was further confirmed by Liu Tianyu's sudden disappearance from the spot.

Anyone with half a brain knows who the person riding the black dragon is—it must be Liu Tianyu!

Holy crap, the existence of a giant dragon in a remote and impoverished place like Storm Steppe is absolutely unbelievable. And the fact that the Storm Viscount, who is trapped in such a remote place, is actually a dragon knight makes Streetlight feel like he's living in a dream!

“My lord, you see, since this black dragon hasn’t attacked, it means it must have something to hold back. As long as we hold the castle, there’s bound to be a way!”

An old knight standing next to the streetlight offered his advice.

"Hal, you idiot, you shouldn't be blind yet, right? There's a small human figure on the head of that black dragon. Clearly, it's not a dragon without a master. The reason it hasn't attacked yet is obviously because it's being driven by its master."

Its master only wants to maintain order right now, which is why the black dragon hasn't attacked. Once it does, even the city walls will be burned to ruins. Do you think the castle can hold out then?

Upon hearing the old knight's words, a hot-blooded young knight stepped forward and rebuked him.

"Alright, Luther, you're speaking with such righteous indignation, are you perhaps planning to go out and fight the Black Dragon, becoming a dragon-slaying hero? If so, I'll definitely give you my full support!"

Seeing that the young and impetuous knight had interrupted him, the old knight was not annoyed, but instead retorted with a provocative retort.

"Alright! Stop arguing!"

Seeing that there were powerful enemies outside, and that there was even a risk of infighting among his men, Lu Deng was about to explode with anger and quickly stopped them.

"Boom boom boom!"

Suddenly, a loud banging came from the castle gate, silencing everyone.

"It's terrible! Your Excellency, a large number of people have suddenly appeared at the castle gates, and they have begun attacking them!"

A messenger scrambled up to the streetlight and reported.

"Damn it, it's finally here! Archers, hold your positions and fire! Soldiers on the third floor, throw stones toward the castle gate! The rest of you, hold the castle gate with your bodies! You must hold it!"

The streetlight gave the order through gritted teeth.

"Boom!"

Just as the messenger was about to return to relay the order, a short while later, a messenger covered in blood limped back and shouted:

"It's terrible, Your Excellency! There's a traitor among the castle guards! Someone has opened the gate bolts, and now the enemy has broken through the gates! All the soldiers are now at the gates to meet them!"

"what?!"

Upon hearing the news, the street lamp's brain went blank for a moment, and soon after, it fell straight backward.

"My Lord Count!"

"My Lord Count!"

Everyone panicked when they saw the streetlights fall down.

The author says:

Author's note: I'm so sorry everyone. I fell asleep while writing yesterday, and then I didn't get back from my business trip until tonight. So, I'm really sorry!

Chapter Ninety-Nine: The City of Axel Changes Hands

"For Viscount Storm! Kill!"

"Capture the streetlight alive!"

"Surrender without killing!"

Just as the streetlights dimmed, the shouts of battle outside the castle drew ever closer.

The remaining six knights panicked as well, looking at each other with expressions of unease.

After all, their old lord died in a single day, and now a new one has fallen. They truly don't know what to do.

Not all knights are true knights like Akavi, who adhere to the code of chivalry!

Most knights, frankly speaking, are just high-level henchmen.

As long as the nobleman they are loyal to can provide them with a fief and a source of income, it is perfectly reasonable for them to swear allegiance to that nobleman or employer and uphold the code of chivalry.

Once the nobleman they served dies, they can choose to serve the nobleman's heir, or they can choose to revert to being free knights. In addition, there are those who completely abandon the spirit of chivalry and become noble bandits!

Now, seeing the corpse of their former lord with their own eyes, and with the new lord unconscious, their hearts are truly in turmoil.

This is reality, not a game!

In the game, even if your general is killed and your flag is captured, your soldiers will still fight fiercely until the very last moment!

The reality is that if a situation of beheading a general and seizing a flag actually occurs, even the most loyal and devoted soldiers will be affected, not to mention ordinary soldiers. It is only natural that the army will collapse like a landslide!

Right now, these knights have encountered this situation. Should they uphold the code of chivalry and fight to the last moment after the streetlights went out, to show the world that they are true knights?

Or are we using the dim streetlights as a bargaining chip to buy a glimmer of hope?

"Crench!"

Outside the castle hall, Akavi had already used his frost-enchanted sword to turn the last remaining regular army soldier of the kingdom into a perfect ice sculpture.

In the castle corridor, fallen soldiers were everywhere, their blood staining the red carpet and making it even more eerie.

Some militiamen, terrified by the bloodshed before them, knelt down, put their hands behind their heads, and begged for forgiveness.

For those who knelt and surrendered, Akavi made them stand in a row against the cold wall, awaiting Liu Tianyu's judgment.

"Hmm? Have I run out of magic for today?"

Just as Akavi reached the gate of the castle hall, he noticed that the enchanted sword in his hand was no longer emitting cold air, and he couldn't help but frown slightly.

"Forget it! Guards of Vegia, come here and chisel open this wooden door that's in the way. Hurry up, I don't want to be outdone by those two young men!"

Akavi didn't have much to worry about. Without the power of his enchanted sword, he didn't know how long it would take him to break down the gate that was two and a half people tall. It would be better to call in a professional to break it down, which would save time and effort.

Upon entering Axel, they chose to split into three groups.

Akavi led his infantry to attack the castle and capture the streetlights.

Yak led the archers to guard all the key points to prevent any thugs from taking the opportunity to cause trouble.

As for Ellen, she led all the cavalry around the city of Axel, maintaining order while proclaiming that her side was a righteous army that had come to rescue the residents of Axel.

The main point is, believe it or not, I'm going to make sure it looks like the real thing!

Therefore, compared to the bloodshed in the castle, Axel City as a whole remained peaceful, which was indeed a strange thing. Of course, it was more likely due to the overwhelming power of the black dragon Drogon flying in the sky!

After receiving orders from Akavi, several Vaegir guards immediately raised their moonblades and went to the hall's main entrance, ready to smash it open.

"Wait! Wait! Gentlemen outside, please, for the sake of the gods, show mercy! We surrender! We surrender!"

Just as the Vaegir Guardians raised their Moonblades high, a voice suddenly came from inside.

This caused the Vaegir Guardians to lower their raised Moonblades, and those wearing Vaegir helmets with only their eyes showing turned their gaze to Akavi.

"Who are you? You can't be streetlights, can you? Let Earl Streetlights answer! Your answers are utterly meaningless!"

Hearing the pleas for mercy coming from inside, Akavi made a gesture, signaling the Vikya guards to stop hacking at the door, and replied in a cold tone.

"Your Excellency, we are Lord Streetlight's knights. Lord Streetlight has fallen into a coma due to the stress and anxiety caused by the series of bad news."

We are only negotiating with you because we have no other choice."

The knight in charge of negotiations was quite straightforward, getting straight to the point.

Actually, he didn't want to be so single, but the problem was that all their escape routes were now blocked. Even if there were any secret passages, only the streetlights would probably know about them.

But he just happened to faint, so we might as well be honest with each other!

As for breaking through? Are you hoping they'll suddenly unleash their full power and fight their way out, one against a hundred?

If they truly possessed such power, why would they need to pledge allegiance to Count Axel? Wouldn't it be better to simply pledge allegiance to the King?

"Clam?"

Upon hearing the knight's words, Akavi's eyes widened in surprise. "Wait, is this streetlight really that weak?"

So what if my father died, the elite troops he led were gone, the city walls were burned to ruins by my own viscount's dragon, and I'm about to become a prisoner?

He actually fainted like that? His tolerance for stress is just too low! Compared to him, his own viscount is far superior!

It seems that these greenhouse flowers are ultimately all show and no substance!

If the streetlights weren't dazed and could hear Akavi's inner thoughts, they'd probably faint from anger again!

Listen to this, listen to this! Is this even human language? In just one day, it's been a complete transformation from heaven to hell. No one could accept that!

"Heh, negotiation? Knight, don't you think what you're saying is a bit too ridiculous?"

You are now like turtles in a jar; the distance between us is merely a flimsy wooden door.

"I only need a little time to break it open. Do you really think you have any bargaining power left?"

Akavi expressed his utter contempt for the Knights' betrayal and responded without any politeness.

"I admit that you are very strong, and I understand that the troops you lead are quite elite, but if we fight to the death, it would not be difficult to take one or two down with us!"

Furthermore, Streetlamp is the heir handpicked by Count Axel. Once he dies, Viscount Storm will not only be tainted by the stain of murdering nobles, but it will also be difficult for him to complete his rule over Axel.

After all, the Axel family has ruled this land for nearly a century, and there must be loyal subjects among them. Viscount Storm probably wouldn't want to cause a massacre, right?

Therefore, it might be more advantageous for you to keep the streetlamp alive and then personally acknowledge Viscount Storm's rule!

Faced with Akavi's taunts, the knight simply chose to lie down, letting Akavi's taunts go in one ear and out the other, while explaining the advantages and disadvantages to Akavi!

"...You've convinced me. Open the gates. I swear in the name of Lord Havaha that as long as you behave yourselves as prisoners, you will be absolutely safe!"

After listening to the knight's words, Akavi remained silent for a long time before agreeing to his terms.

"Kakaka-"

As soon as Akavi finished speaking, the distinctive sound of wooden doors closing echoed from the hall doors…

Chapter 100 Inventorying the Spoils of War

"Your Excellency, this is Earl Axel's secret treasury. Without a doubt, he has divided the tax treasury into a public treasury and a private treasury. I have already settled the public treasury for you, and its value is approximately 300000 high-ranking gold coins."

The secret vault hasn't been inventoried yet; it awaits your personal inspection, Viscount.

After the battle in Axel City had ended, Liu Tianyu followed Gilga to the entrance of a hidden basement in Axel Castle.

The place was a complete mess, with chainsaws, axe blades, a bed of nails, and crossbow bolts stuck in the walls. In addition, there was a faint smell of blood in the air.

Without a doubt, Gilga must have conducted some treasure hunting before Liu Tianyu arrived.

After all, the street lamp had been stripped naked and imprisoned in a room.

Gilga found a uniquely styled sword-shaped key on his body, which, without a doubt, was a key used to open important places.

"All the mechanisms have been set up, Your Excellency. Please open this gate yourself!"

Gilga respectfully handed over the sword-shaped key. Liu Tianyu didn't say anything, but simply took the key and unlocked the special door lock in front of him.

"Ding, ding, click!"

Liu Tianyu's hands trembled slightly, after all, he had just been completely shocked by the sight of the mountain of currency and piles of grain in the public treasury.

After all, he never dreamed of such a scene when he was in Stormwind Territory. Now, those mountains of currency are quietly lying in his inventory.

[Currency: 4220000 dinars]

This amount of money would probably take a lifetime to accumulate even with Stormwind Territory and six villages, and this is merely the public treasury of Axel.

One can only imagine what kind of scene Count Axel's secret vault must be in!