Chapter 2: New Century (Epilogue)
Duke Corvet pursed his lips, remaining silent. He knew Duke Bristol was right. If he were the King, he wouldn’t leave four potential threats alive, especially when these threats were all old warriors who had touched the threshold of Champion Knight.
“Then what’s your plan? There are three Legions in the Royal City: the Maidon Heavy Soldier Corps, the King’s Elite Guard, and the Royal City Guards. The Maidon Heavy Soldier Corps protects the center of the Royal City, the Royal City Guards defend the city walls, and the King’s Elite Guard specifically protects King Maidon, comprising 12 Great Knights and five Sky Knights.”
“No,” Duke Bristol interrupted him. “There are no longer five Sky Knights in the Royal City. Two have been dispatched to the front lines, leaving only three. However, they should return with the Winter City army.”
“Alright,” Duke Corvet nodded and leaned forward, asking, “Now the numbers of Sky Knights are equal. Besides, we’ve been Sky Knights for so many years; dealing with those three younglings in the Royal City should be no problem. But how do we stall the King of Winter?”
“You’re mistaken. The task of restraining the King of Winter falls to the three of us Sky Knights,” Duke Bristol told him. “As for the three younglings in the Royal City, I have my own ways. Look, what is this?”
With that, Duke Bristol pulled a bottle of red liquid, sealed in a diamond-shaped crystal, from his vest pocket. The liquid was crystal clear, resembling a luxurious ruby. A faint, sweet and fishy aroma began to spread through the air.
Duke Corvet sniffed, feeling a surge of heat rush to his lower abdomen. He looked at the crystal-clear liquid with surprise and asked, “Why is this thing so bizarre? Forgive my ignorance, but I only know this should be the blood of some creature.”
“This is succubus menstrual blood,” Duke Bristol said, putting the crystal bottle away. Servants nearby were already unsteady, their gazes hazy, affected by it.
“Succubi have that too?” Duke Corvet looked as if he had lived a long time.
“Of course. Succubi are viviparous,” Duke Corvet nodded and smiled. “All female succubi produce menstrual blood. This blood is very special; when applied to the body, it can enhance abilities in that area. But once ingested, even a single drop will gradually erode the Qi source of us knights. At first, there’s no feeling, but slowly, the Qi source will enter a stagnant state. This state will last for a week. In the worst-case scenario, we will be almost unable to use our Qi, even Sky Knights will be restricted by this.”
“Damn it, where did you get such a bizarre thing?” Duke Corvet shrank his neck, unable to imagine that succubus menstrual blood was so terrifying. Just one drop could cripple a Sky Knight. If demons invaded the material plane, wouldn’t they all become fish on a chopping block?
“The Buwen family’s ancestors once slew demons and possessed many demon remains. Sorcerers from the South Continent have extensively researched these evil creatures. They discovered that many materials from demons have incredible efficacy. My father happened to know a bit and traded some succubus menstrual blood with merchants from the South Continent in exchange for demon remains,” Duke Bristol shrugged. If he didn’t explain clearly to his old friend, his old friend might suspect he had defected to demons.
“The world is indeed vast and full of wonders…” Duke Corvet sighed. But then, he immediately advised nervously, “Still, it’s best to stay away from such things. Historically, anyone who dabbled with demons met a grim end. I don’t mean anything else, I’m just reminding you.”
“I understand,” Duke Bristol smiled and nodded. “So my plan is to cripple the high-end combat power of the Royal Palace using succubus menstrual blood. Of course, we can also try it on the King of Winter. If the succubus menstrual blood also affects Champion Knights, then perhaps we won’t have to die.”
Duke Corvet fell into thought for a moment and found the plan unfeasible. “You’re thinking a little too optimistically,” he said, pushing himself up. “You only took it out earlier, and even without opening the lid, it has already caused us various abnormal reactions. Moreover, its bloody smell is too strong. How can we make those Sky Knights ingest it?”
Duke Bristol didn’t answer Corvet’s question. Instead, he gazed into Duke Corvet’s eyes and evaded the topic. “Corvet, how many years has it been since you last ate the Silver Star Fish from Maidon Bay?”
“About seven or eight years,” Duke Corvet answered subconsciously. “I remember that precious ingredient. Its fishy smell is peculiar, but as long as you endure that smell and put it in your mouth, you can taste the most wonderful flavor in the world. Sweetness and umami will quickly occupy every inch of your taste buds. Finally, when you swallow it, a warm current will circulate throughout your body, like drinking a bottle of strong liquor, making all your blood boil. It’s comparable to a hot spring bath~”
Duke Corvet had always been a man who indulged in pleasures and knew how to enjoy himself. He didn’t have as much power as King Maidon, but he had certainly eaten delicacies that the King had, and perhaps even some the King hadn’t. His current near-trapezoidal figure showed that Duke Corvet had certainly not neglected his stomach in recent years.
“But, what does this Silver Star Fish have to do with your plan?” Duke Corvet snapped back to reality.
“Of course,” Duke Bristol nodded. “Don’t you think the fishy smell of the succubus menstrual blood is actually not as strong as the fishy smell of the Silver Star Fish? If I were to raise the Silver Star Fish in water with four or five drops of succubus menstrual blood for a while, until the fish’s flesh completely absorbed the blood, and then sell these Silver Star Fish to those younglings in the Royal City, what do you think will happen?”
Duke Corvet frowned and pondered for a moment. Finally, he shook his head with a solemn expression. “This plan is flawless. Those three younglings also enjoy good food. Once there’s news of Silver Star Fish, they’ll surely send servants to buy it. In the end, the Silver Star Fish will end up on their dining table.”
“That’s right, and the same goes for the King of Winter. I spent quite a lot of money to get these Silver Star Fish for this plan… By the way, Corvet, why do you have that expression?” Duke Bristol looked at Duke Corvet, whose eyes were shining, with surprise.
“Bristol, we’re good brothers, aren’t we?” Duke Corvet rubbed his hands together, his beard-covered face beaming.
Bristol: “…Yes.”
“So, can you give me a portion of the Silver Star Fish you bought?” He wiggled his large buttocks, inching closer to Duke Bristol. “Seriously, I’ve been trying to get my hands on this stuff, but I never could. It turns out you got it all. Aren’t you going to compensate me?”
Bristol: “…Scram!”
