Chapter 70: The Ultimate Defeat of Cromwell Principality’s Expeditionary Force (Part 2)
Ximengsi Continent’s southern region, outside Steinbeck Fief, Peacock Forest Area
After a night during which a wispy blue fire had destroyed their supplies and along with that, their morale, Cromwell Principality’s troops had been defeated. Steinbeck Fief’s militia of just 5,000 or so people had defeated Cromwell Principality that had fielded over 100,000 troops. One of the commanders, Eric, the son of Cromwell Principality’s Suzerain, Duke Krend, was killed in action. Miss Jenny was missing, and rumor said that she had also died in Peacock Forest Area.
Those two forts, Grey Fort and Evan Fort, built by Cromwell Principality in Peacock Forest Area had been destroyed in the fire. Considering the losses of their personnel, Cromwell Principality had suffered over 30,000 casualties. Among them, over 10,000 were rear-service personnel who had been killed in the large fire at the granary area. The remaining over 20,000 had been killed during the confrontation with the mercenaries. As for the mercenaries’ side, among the originally employed over 20,000 mercenaries, only several thousand people had successfully fled the armed conflict with Cromwell Principality’s troops.
After this war, Cromwell Principality’s vitality was greatly damaged. It would be impossible for them to reorganize their military strength to send a punitive expedition against Steinbeck Fief within a foreseeable time. Among over 50,000 regular troops, just 30,000 or so had returned to their country. As for those surviving 20,000 or so rear-service personnel, since they knew that returning meant a capital offense, they fled to other countries. Various kinds of rumors spread out regarding the cause of this disastrous defeat.
Cromwell Principality claimed that this defeat was the result of the mercenaries’ rebellion and bad faith. They even suspected that the mercenaries had been in cahoots with Steinbeck Fief and had been bought by the other party. Just before the war, Cromwell Principality claimed they had changed sides and made a surprise attack on Cromwell Principality’s Grey Fort. Commander Eric had also been dishonorably killed by a mercenary. Later, Duke Krend even pushed the blame for the granary fire onto mercenaries, claiming mercenaries deliberately set it on fire.
Mercenary Guild claimed that it was Cromwell Principality who had first attacked. Now, both sides were in the phase of shirking responsibilities. Cromwell Principality issued a banishment order, closing down the branch of Mercenary Guild in his nation. Duke Krend publicly stated that Mercenary Guild had three days to leave on their own; otherwise, he wouldn’t eliminate the possibility of him using various means to behead all the mercenaries within Cromwell Principality’s borders.
What was the truth? As one of the parties involved, Steinbeck Fief remained silent without making its position known. They just watched Cromwell Principality and Mercenary Guild shirk responsibilities. As victors, they were low-key, making many busybodies unable to investigate the rumors.
However, from those escaped rear-service personnel of Cromwell Principality, a new rumor circulated. They said that Peacock Forest Area was cursed, that they had been raided by ghosts at night, and that the ghosts had initiated the large fire. Because they were army deserters, the credibility of their words was greatly reduced, and many outsiders expressed doubts. If there were truly an undead calamity, then none of Cromwell Principality’s troops, mercenaries nor Steinbeck Fief’s militia would have been able to escape the indiscriminate attacks of the undead. It was unreasonable for just these army deserters to encounter them.
Steinbeck Fief’s militia got ready to return to their own territory. In this battle, the casualties among the 5,000 or so militia had been very small. There were several hundred who were accidentally burned, but none had been killed in battle. The combat power of Cromwell Principality’s over 30,000 rear-service personnel that they had attacked was no different from that of this small militia. Coupled with the threat of a large fire and undead, they had already lost all fighting spirit, giving an opportunity for Steinbeck Fief’s militia to crush the enemy troops.
After the end of the war, this militia that had originally been poorly equipped now offered every soldier a complete set of armor. They finally looked like a regular army. All this equipment had been seized from Cromwell Principality, saving Clyde a lot of military expenses.
As for the matter of undead, Steinbeck Fief’s militia didn’t know much about it. They just knew that military officer Clyde, appointed by the Suzerain Princess Saras, had some connection with undead. The commanding general Princess Natalie also know this, but Princess Natalie didn’t express her position. How could they, small soldiers, open their mouths? As long as they could muddle along, working together with undead was not impossible. Those who came from the independent cities had originally had very little belief in Light Church; therefore, they weren’t so opposed to undead.
Clyde sat in a luxurious carriage. After the war, Princess Natalie had transformed captured carriages into carioles for transporting the goods and money looted by Clyde as well as those special maids. Now, Ancient Demon King Andrisno was outside the carriage, acting as a coachman. Using an ancient demon king as a coachman, only Clyde could do so. Other Human Race’s imperial families or aristocrats wouldn’t even dare to dream of this kind of scene in their lifetimes.
Clyde sat in the main carriage with Princess Natalie beside him. Right in front of him was Miss Jenny, the daughter of the Cromwell Principality’s suzerain Duke Krend. This beauty with a black ponytail kneeled in front of Clyde with an embarrassed expression. All the equipment on her body had already been stripped off, leaving behind only a black colored bra and panties, which belonged to the openwork-styled series. It was almost like she wore nothing. At a glance, Clyde could see her ideal figure. Coupled with this attire, it greatly increased her allure.
Jenny’s hands were tied behind her back with a red rope, and her entire body was also bound with the same rope in a standard tortoise-shell binding style. This had nothing to do with Clyde. When Ancient Demon King Andrisno had initially handed Jenny over to him, this princess had already been like this. Looking at the technique, Andrisno seemed to have learned from Clyde’s younger sister Lucifer, that bloodkin Lolita who was fond of such wicked erotic stuff. From his first glance, he knew that this was her true legacy.
In addition to Jenny, those female guards who had followed Jenny were also in the carriage. Unlike Jenny, they were not so lucky. All of their equipment had already been stripped off, and they were in completely bare states, similarly bound by red rope in a tortoise-shell binding, making a shameful posture. Around their snowy white necks, there were red leather collars with thin chains attached to them, with the other end of each attached to an iron hoop in the carriage.
Those beautiful female guards kneeled with bright red faces. Small red balls sealed their abilities to speak, and saliva flowed down the corners of their mouths. A black blindfold covered almost half their faces, and it made them unable to see the surrounding environment. Other than not having special magic imprints, their current states mirrored the special maids he had captured before.
“You... how much of a ransom do you want? I...”
“Miss Jenny, I don’t lack for money. Also, you seemed to misunderstand something. I didn’t capture you to ask Duke Krend for a ransom. Like that, it would be a loss for me. I won’t do it.”
Jenny’s snowy white body shivered. If the other party didn’t want a ransom, could it be that he wanted other things? As an aristocrat of Clark Alliance, Jenny naturally knew that the ending of a prisoner of war would be very miserable, especially for special maids. Princess Natalie beside Clyde rummaged for a while before handing Clyde a red leather collar with an iron chain attached to it.
After Clyde took the collar, he took out a small red ball and approached Jenny. Jenny was so scared that she wanted to get up, but the red rope binding her body gave her no chance. She could only watch Clyde approaching her, preparing to put that red leather collar on her.
“Don’t, don’t do this! The member nations of Victor Alliance don’t practice slavery. You cannot do this!”
“Miss Jenny, you seem to have forgotten a matter. Cromwell Principality has already announced that you are dead. No one knows that you are here; moreover, those rules and regulations of Victor Alliance... Since I came from the countryside, I don’t know them!”
After a small “kacha” sound, that red leather collar was clasped around Jenny’s snowy white neck. Clyde then pulled the iron chain a little, and Princess Jenny fell into his bosom. Clyde reached out his hand towards her smooth back and gently undid the knot, taking off the upper undergarments of Princess Jenny. Now, with only her black panties remaining as a final line of defense, Jenny had few secrets hidden in front of Clyde.
“Well, don’t be afraid. I am very reasonable. You have the power to choose. Handle matters beside me. Any profession is fine. If you don’t want to, then serve as a maid-servant!”
“This... aren’t they the same choice! Wait, don’t... don’t mess around. I will listen to all your arrangements!”
Originally, Jenny had wanted to resist, but Clyde reached for her black panties. Upon seeing this, Jenny thoroughly admitted defeat and didn’t dare to move in Clyde’s bosom. Under the influences of Lucifer, Clyde could already meet beauties with level-headed detachment. This was a different world. Accepting such things seemed to have no issues. The main thing he acted like this was that he needed talented people beside him. Just Princess Natalie was not enough. As an assassin, Jenny could also become a great military officer.
At this moment, it was already mealtime. The militia of Steinbeck Fief stopped, and Ancient Demon King Andrisno prepared some good food and delivered it to Clyde. Clyde causally hugged Jenny in his lap while feeding her. Jenny became bright red, but she couldn’t move her limbs and could only let Clyde feed her, daintily lifting forward toward her small mouth. Those special maids that had originally belonged to Eric entered the carriage and fed those female guards. They were already accustomed to seeing this kind of wicked scene.
The female guards didn’t dare to resist. Since their Miss Jenny was already under the other party’s control, after their small red balls were temporarily removed, they cooperatively opened up their cherry mouths to let those maids feed them. Princess Natalie moved to Clyde’s side and looked at Jenny in delight. She sympathized with this old archrival. This result was best, or at least, it was better than being killed by Ancient Demon King Andrisno. Thinking of this, Princess Natalie gently reached over and pulled that elastic waistband, helping Clyde take off Jenny’s last defense. After the black panties fell from her feet, everything of Jenny was revealed to Clyde.
“Mas... Master, can you let my guards stay? Don’t sell them off. I beg you.”
“Jenny, don’t be nervous. I abide by the regulations of Victor Alliance.”