Chapter 118: Duke, Times Have Changed!
After the initial panic, the nobles of the Free Duchy Alliance gradually calmed down.
Despite their blind spots in thinking and flaws like arrogance, blindness, and greed, it was undeniable that they were the most well-educated class of the era.
Most of these nobles had experienced war and, upon understanding the Empress of Eternal Night’s resolute stance, realized she intended to make an example of them. They prepared for battle and perceived the situation.
Seeing no signs of large-scale troop movements in the surrounding areas, it was clear that the Empress of Eternal Night planned a swift invasion with small, elite forces to eliminate them quickly.
After all, teleportation arrays were expensive, and their capacity was limited to a few hundred or a thousand people at most. Transmitting tens of thousands of troops was still beyond the Azurevine Empire’s capabilities.
With the support of the church, these nobles were not afraid of a solo raid by the Empress of Eternal Night.
The church promised that if the Empress of Eternal Night left the Capital of Mysteries and attacked, the Three Gods would support them with a sacrifice, bringing down a god or an angel to suppress the empire’s strongest power.
While the promise might not materialize, it at least gave the Free Duchy Alliance the courage to take the first step.
They realized their enemies were most likely the Night Guards who supervised the nobles, as Roger needed a demonstration of his own.
However, it was not impossible for the military and Sparrows to intervene, as the empire had always had ample experience in small team combat.
Of course, Fergus City was not lacking in this regard.
As the closest city to the Monster Mountain Range on the empire’s side, there were many active adventurer mercenary groups.
By concentrating wealth and offering substantial sums of money, they quickly recruited a large number of professionals, including two legendary adventurers.
Assessing their strength, the Duke of Fergus and the councilors felt that the clouds had parted, the rain had stopped, and they were capable again.
“As long as we withstand this wave and apply for more aid from the church, even the Empress of Eternal Night can’t do anything to us!”
“Exactly, no matter how arrogant that woman is, she only bullies her own kind. She’s an ant before the gods.”
“Praise the Gods, it is they who have granted us freedom and protected the sacred rights of the nobility!”
The atmosphere among the nobles gradually became more relaxed. The fully activated magic array and the elites patrolling the castle gave them the confidence to persevere.
Soon, someone suggested, “Your Grace, why don’t we share your treasured slaves for everyone to appreciate?”
The giantess slave had opened their eyes, and they were willing to bet that the Duke of Fergus had many more exquisite and wonderful ways to enjoy them.
The suggestion was met with cheers, and the Duke of Fergus did not object. “Good, let’s all have some fun tonight!”
Slaves were just slaves. He had already enjoyed them and had no urge to hoard them for himself. Sharing with like-minded individuals and gaining more ideas was a pleasure, wasn’t it?
A knowing smile spread across the faces of the nobles.
Just then, a bird with long, colorful tail feathers landed on the windowsill. It hopped around, and its beautiful plumage caught the attention of a young noble.
He crushed the bread in his hand, rolled it into small balls, and tossed them out, saying casually, “I wonder when the Night Guards will arrive. I’m really looking forward to seeing the expression on that brat from the Charles family when he realizes he’s messed with the wrong people.”
The nobles burst into laughter, especially the Duke of Fergus, whose eyes gleamed.
They had been unable to do anything to Roger during the Star River Palace incident because he was protected by the Empress of Eternal Night.
But now that he was on their territory, even if they couldn’t defeat him, making him suffer a great and futile defeat would be far from difficult!
With this incredibly sturdy castle and the countless magic arrays funded by immense wealth, they couldn’t fathom losing!
…
…
On the mountain peak overlooking Fergus Castle, the Night Guards had already ascertained the castle’s structure and defensive arrangements and deduced the key nodes of the magic array.
Information that would normally be impossible to obtain from the outside was now clearly presented to the attackers, significantly lowering the difficulty of the upcoming assault. The most crucial contributors were these “scouting birds” developed by the Arcane Society.
Magic clashed with technology, creating a wondrous chemical reaction.
The Druid school possessed magic for controlling animals and sharing senses. However, their animal companions exhibited distinct magical fluctuations, making them easily detectable by enemy professionals on the battlefield, thus preventing them from getting close for reconnaissance.
But these spells were not complex. The Arcane Society cracked their principles and transmitted the birds’ vision wirelessly, integrating them with scientific detection methods like infrared, sonic, and electromagnetic waves. Ordinary birds, with no apparent magical aura, could become the eyes of the Night Guards.
Ironically, even acute mages and the stringent magic array would not react to these ordinary animals, allowing the scouting birds to freely traverse the castle’s airspace and gather vast amounts of intelligence.
Not only were the means employed unknown to enemy mages, but even the Night Guards operating the scouting birds were unaware of their technological modifications, believing them to be mere alchemical products with exceptionally strong anti-magic detection capabilities.
The application of technology in intelligence gathering was currently limited to the Empress of Eternal Night, Roger, Frankenstein, and the research personnel, who would not have contact with the outside world for a considerable time.
Even Dean Hall, at the suggestion of the Empress of Eternal Night, proactively erased related memories. The credit for his invention of the recording device would have to wait until a later date to be publicized.
Although the old man was stubborn, he was loyal to the empire. At his age, he cared little for fame or fortune.
Upon hearing that suppressing his invention would bring endless benefits to the empire and seeing the Empress of Eternal Night personally inquire about his well-being, the old man successfully overcame the blow he had inflicted upon himself.
In reality, at his age of fame and retirement, continuing to fight on the front lines, the feeling of “being needed” was his final desire.
He led the ancient worship faction, and besides his long-held beliefs, subconsciously, he may have intended to go against the tide, to gain more attention from his beloved disciple…
This was akin to a child crying to get their parents’ attention. Dean Hall, childless, took the most pride in having trained the Empress of Eternal Night as his disciple.
After this round of personal talks with the Empress of Eternal Night, coupled with her lavish praise for his invention and her request for his cooperation, the old man was revitalized after their conversation, no longer doubting himself.
In short, the longer certain secret methods were hidden, the greater the advantage the empire could gain on potential battlefield fronts.
This assault on Fergus Castle was merely a preliminary test.
However, the results of this method were enough to astound the Night Guards.
Even legendary powerhouses could not have imagined that the Arcane Society’s methods had become so powerful. The densely fortified castle appeared completely transparent to them.
With such a degree of intelligence support, Fergus Castle, while appearing impregnable, was effectively no different than being wide open for them to seize.
Each legendary powerhouse had reached an extremely profound level in their respective professional systems and possessed immense combat experience. They had countless strategies forming in their minds, from deciphering magic arrays to uncovering the castle’s defenses.
“Within an hour… it might actually be possible!” The one-eyed swordsman looked at Roger again, his gaze no longer the same. He affectionately rubbed the pair of half-finger gloves he had just acquired.
The “Eight Arms” spatial gloves contained a storage space of one cubic meter, similar to a lowest-grade dimensional bag.
However, gloves, as spatial items, had a unique advantage over rings, bracelets, or dimensional bags: items taken out were directly in hand, and items in hand could be directly placed inside, requiring no additional actions.
In other words, with these “Eight Arms” gloves, the one-eyed swordsman could seamlessly switch weapons during combat. Combined with his “Weakness Insight” ability, he could infinitely amplify the enemy’s weaknesses and choose the most suitable weapon to deliver the most fatal damage.
It was also highly deceptive!
Because he was a Sword Saint, a warrior type who sacrificed defense to maximize offensive power!
Entering the “Chapter of Imbalance” equipment warehouse, he didn’t choose a powerful weapon but immediately set his sights on the “Eight Arms,” considering it the final piece in completing his professional system.
With this piece of equipment, even if Roger didn’t fulfill his promise, he felt he was a leader worth following.
Because he was wealthy, had extensive connections, and could obtain equipment unavailable elsewhere!
The effect of the scouting birds at this moment, while not Roger’s direct display of strength, demonstrated that his connections allowed him to deploy such new equipment…
Perhaps it represented the Empress of Eternal Night’s favor?
Regardless, his future within the Night Guards was boundless!
Many shared similar thoughts. A new department, new equipment, and a first battle – their eyes sparkled with fierce fighting spirit.
It was time to showcase high-end operations!
Roger sensed the commotion behind him but continued without turning his head. “Don’t be in a hurry, everyone. Let our birds fly a little longer!”
He snapped his fingers and said to the technical staff, “Break the spatial lockdown.”
As they operated, a bird that had landed unnoticed by the defenders on a spot within the castle suddenly began to vomit.
It seemed to be in great pain, expelling almost its entire stomach, revealing a mass of earthworms that fell to the ground.
The bodily fluids of these earthworms had strong corrosive properties. They burrowed into the hard rock and began advancing towards a critical node of the castle’s protective magic array.
One minute later, the teleportation prohibition function of the Fergus Castle magic array was temporarily disabled.
The archmage in charge of the magic array began to investigate the issue and discovered a minor short circuit in a single point of the magical circuit.
This was a low-probability, but unavoidable, minor incident. The archmage dispatched two magic apprentices to investigate and repair it.
The captain of the guard also learned that the magic array’s problem would be quickly fixed and did not take it seriously after being informed.
It would be repaired in just a few minutes, and the magic array looked no different from the outside. Even the most elite Night Guards could not possess such precise intelligence.
Therefore, there was nothing to worry about.
After all, normally, breaking a magic array required a direct magical assault or clever counteraction.
This “accident” showed no signs of magical aura, and it was likely just an issue that arose from the magic array being too old.
Fergus Castle’s defenses were outwardly tight but inwardly slack. Roger, however, had already issued the order:
“Each of you, take control of key targets, assassinate local powerhouses. We will break through the center and bloom in multiple directions. Remember to practice backstabbing in the future!”
The Night Guards’ lips tightened, and they nodded in silence.
By this point, the methods displayed by the Arcane Society had shifted from astonishing them to horrifying them.
The magic array, into which the Duke of Fergus had invested so much money, had simply failed?
The precise coordinates of every point in the castle could be calculated, and they could teleport in to assassinate the enemy?
And all of this was accomplished without alerting the enemy. Could they believe it?
Such methods made them only grateful that they were loyal subjects of the Azurevine Empire…
Otherwise, they might have been decapitated in their sleep without even knowing it!
However, for them to complete their mission, such technical support was incredibly convenient. Victory was already within reach.
They had expected a grueling battle, but instead, Roger was carrying the entire team, using cheat-like methods to gain a full map view, nerfing the enemy’s defense towers to zero attack power, and even equipping them with mythical gear.
With such a disparity in equipment, wasn’t this the perfect opportunity for an unreserved, aggressive tower dive?
Who could refuse an easy victory against weaker opponents?
Shimmering teleportation lights filled the area as the legendary powerhouses, along with Roger, vanished from their positions, entering Fergus Castle during the brief window of the magic array’s malfunction.
The remaining Night Guards, led by Xiao Qiao Yi, waited for the signal from within to receive the Free Duchy Alliance’s surface structure from the front.
…
…
Inside Fergus Castle.
After a long meeting to discuss alliance matters, followed by defensive arrangements, the nobles were exhausted.
The workload of the past few days had already surpassed their workload of the past two months. It was time for a good rest and to await news of victory!
The nobles had returned to their rooms to rest, believing that the elites they had arranged were sufficient.
The Duke of Fergus, in particular, felt that taking this step was ultimately a good thing for the long term.
Compared to bowing down to that arrogant woman, he would now be the speaker of the Independent Alliance, his status elevated significantly, and he would be his own master!
Humming a tune, he returned to his room, contemplating what entertainment program to arrange for the night.
After being exposed by that half-blood devil at the victory celebration, he had been listless for several days. Only today, upon deciding to secede from the Azurevine Empire, did he feel his lost energy return.
Closing his door, the Duke of Fergus suddenly felt a chill at his waist. A dagger plunged directly into his kidney.
“Your Grace, feeling good?” A flippant voice, one the Duke of Fergus would never forget even in his dreams, rang out.
“Roger Charles, how did you get into my room? How did you break through my impenetrable defenses?”
The Duke of Fergus turned his head with difficulty and saw Roger’s smiling profile, his body instantly turning cold.
If even this seemingly lackluster powerhouse could enter his room, had the elite forces of the Night Guards already completely infiltrated his castle…
“Impenetrable defenses?” Roger whistled and then yanked out the dagger. “Duke, times have changed!”
As the dagger was pulled out, blood splattered all over Roger.
The Duke of Fergus swayed and collapsed to the ground from blood loss, his face still filled with disbelief.
Roger’s expression remained unchanged. To welcome a future without queens, he was prepared to have his hands stained with blood.
Humans were too forgetful. Without blood, the greed of certain scoundrels could not be suppressed.
He calmly tore open a magic scroll, sustaining the Duke of Fergus’s life force from ceasing.
He wanted this old traitor to fully experience the bitterness of betraying the empire and to see how his elaborate plans were merely a farce in the face of absolute power.
Roger wiped the dagger clean with the Duke of Fergus’s clothes, sheathed it, and then dragged him by one foot as he opened the door.
“Commander, the castle has been cleared.” The Night Guards’ powerhouses awaited Roger, bowing respectfully.
The easy victory instilled in them more loyalty than surviving a hundred battles.
Roger did not reply immediately. He walked out into the corridor and onto the balcony, gazing north.
Majestic mountains stretched as far as the eye could see, merging with the sky, all within the empire’s territory.
He rubbed his fingers, still faintly feeling the stickiness of blood, and a cold smile appeared on his lips.
Even if I descend into the darkness, even if I resort to any means.
This is still the empire I will protect!
“Raise the flag,” Roger ordered calmly.
As the bugle sounded, the outer defense forces saw Xiao Qiao Yi leading the main force of the Night Guards and surrendered. The Azurevine Empire’s floral branch flag fluttered proudly atop the castle.
The Free Duchy Alliance? It was merely a joke that lasted less than two hours.
The sand in the hourglass on the mountaintop had much of its fine sand yet to fall.
