Chapter 132: Leopold Lake Area Enveloped in the Flames of War (Part 2)

Chapter 132: Leopold Lake Area Enveloped in the Flames of War (Part 2)

Translator: The Light

Editor: Entelechy

The “Battle of Three Earls” led to a blockade of the path, sealing up the passage to the Needham Plains. Clyde, who had originally just wanted to go to the Needham Plains using this shortcut path, was helpless. He could only command Steinbeck Fief’s army to capture Ian Village and build a temporary campsite before thinking about how to break through the blockade line around the Leopold Lake Area.

Ian Village was not small in terms of the area it covered. Knight Thomas, who had previously controlled this place, belonged to Earl Edgar’s side, who had a behind-the-scenes financial backer in Douglas Clan. Clyde wasn’t courteous, directly leading his army to drive out Knight Thomas in less than half a day. Knight Thomas’s 2,000 miscellaneous soldiers were not Clyde’s opponent. They fled in a panic, leaving behind several hundred corpses. It seemed they had gone to look for Earl Edgar to request reinforcements.

Thus, Steinbeck Fief’s army successfully entered Ian Village. However, Knight Thomas and his army had already stolen everything from this village’s residents. Other than grains, all other valuables had been looted. The army ruffians under these small lords were little different from bandits. After seeing Clyde, Ian Village’s Mayor Lauren, a middle-aged uncle, sweated profusely. Now, this village had nothing valuable. Just a moment ago, Knight Thomas and his army had ransacked them; they were unable to offer any money or goods to Clyde.

“Your Excellency, now, this village has nothing. We can only provide some food and drink for your noble troops. Please forgive us. I will go prepare it immediately.”

“Mayor Lauren, I came to temporarily borrow the peripherals of your village to station my troops. We are not bandits. You don’t need to worry.”

“Your Excellency, our village truly has no money. Please show us mercy!”

Mayor Lauren turned pale. He was not faking his fear. Clyde hadn’t known, but Knight Thomas who had come before had also said the same words, claiming that they weren’t bandits, so the villagers should remain at ease. However, he had suddenly turned hostile, his face changing faster than turning a page of a book as he had looted Ian Village.

Clyde was too lazy to continue to explain himself. He just waved his hands, signaling for Mayor Lauren to leave. After Steinbeck Fief’s army stationed itself in Ian Village, they made some simple fortifications in the vacant periphery of the village as well as constructing some fences that were necessary for basic defenses. Clyde used Mayor Lauren’s mayor residence as his temporary headquarters. Knight Thomas had already redecorated this place, so it could be used as a temporary imperial residence.

In this renovated residence, Clyde held an emergency meeting with his high-ranking officials, Princess Saras and the others, around him to discuss the issue of breaking through the barricade. According to the scouts’ investigations, the three earl’s fortifications had been completed. It was rather difficult to break through them from the front. The best method was to pass through one of the three earls’ territories.

Among the three earls, Earl Fred was supported by Stuart Clan, Earl Gerard was supported by Morston Clan, and Earl Edgar was supported by Douglas Clan. Clyde chose Earl Gerard. In any case, they were both supported by Morston Clan. With this identity, it was comparatively better to speak with him. Moreover, the scouts at the frontlines brought back a piece of extremely useful intelligence.

Earl Gerard’s family’s miss, Magician Anna, was a person known by Clyde. When the imperial capital of Adrian Empire had been under lockdown due to the assassin attack at the palace, Miss Anna, as one of Princess Alyssa’s close girlfriends, had also shared a bed with Clyde. Clyde could still remember that beautiful night. During this expedition, Anna had followed Earl Gerard, so he could just ask for her help.

Without wasting any time, Clyde, as the administrative officer of Steinbeck Fief, took a letter written by Princess Saras to where Earl Gerard’s army was stationed, trying to discuss the matter of opening a path with Earl Gerard. Clyde’s younger sister, Bloodkin Lolita Lucifer, stayed behind to help Clyde guard the important officials.

Earl Gerard was stationed in Benson City, an important city and in fact the largest beside Leopold Lake. The three earls were stationed in different regions, making a triangular formation. There were no signs of their main armies entering battle for the time being. Now, only the miscellaneous mobs of the small lords they had recruited fought here and there. The moment for their main forces to fight had not arrived yet.

Compared to Ian Village, the defenses of Benson Town were quite a few grades higher. Sentry posts dotted the borders at regular intervals. It was completely different from Knight Thomas, that unprofessional fellow who hadn’t even made a basic wooden fence. Clyde came here alone on horseback while wearing his knight armor. When he arrived at the outskirts of Benson Town, the guards stopped him.

“This place is under military control. No one can enter.”

“Brothers, we’re on the same side. I came here to discuss an important matter with Earl Gerard.”

“This is... It turns out to be one of us. Enter! Brother, it is comparatively better to look for His Excellency the Earl Gerard a little later. Now, he has already begun a drinking party with several flowers. He doesn’t like to be disturbed at this moment.”

“A drinking party with flowers... This, however, is a battlefield.”

“Brother, did you just become a soldier? What battlefield? Everything is a chessboard between bigwigs, and we are just chess pieces, nothing more. It is most important to preserve our lives.”

After Clyde showed Morston Clan’s seal that he had obtained from Miss Morais, these defending troops recognized his status as an ally. Since they were supported by the same backer, it was very unlikely for the other party to be hostile. When the squad leader heard that Clyde was looking for Earl Gerard, he warned Clyde out of goodwill. Now, Earl Gerard was enjoying his rest. He wouldn’t receive guests for now. The squad leader first led Clyde to the mayor’s residence of Benson Town and made him wait for Earl Gerard to be free.

Compared to Ian Village, the situation of Benson Town was even more miserable. Not only had all their properties been looted, but also the family members of many residents had been detained as hostages and locked up in Benson Town’s dungeon to prevent the residents from colluding with the enemy. The dungeon was right next to the mayor’s residence, so when Clyde arrived at the mayor’s residence, he saw a large number of residents, both men and women, staring at him from prison cells.

“Don’t look, brother. Avoid trouble whenever possible. It is just a method to get rich.”

“Method to get rich?”

The squad leader showing Clyde the way was a relatively straightforward person. He bluntly told Clyde that Earl Gerard was detaining these hostages to demand a ransom. Victor Alliance didn’t practice slavery; therefore, they couldn’t openly engage in human trafficking. The most direct method was extorting a ransom. Those captured in the dungeons would pay a huge ransom if they wished for freedom. If they couldn’t pay the ransom, they would be treated as temporary recruits and forced to enter the battlefield.

The attitudes of other nations in the Victor Alliance towards such actions were unclear, but the aristocratic Suzerains of Adrian Empire gave tacit consent to this unwritten rule. Knight Thomas had been driven away by Clyde before he had had the time to kidnap hostages. After arranging a place for Clyde, the squad leader left. Immediately afterward, Clyde used his Dark Mist Magic to conceal himself in the shadows and explore the mayor’s residence of Benson Town. Earl Gerard was in the largest hotel of Benson Town, “Abel Hotel.” A banquet for Earl Gerard and the small and mid-sized lords he had dispatched was being held here. They were not present in the mayor’s residence for the time being, making things easier for Clyde’s infiltration.

After searching for a period of time, Clyde found Miss Anna in a luxurious boudoir of the mayor’s residence. The blonde and dark blue-haired beauty wore just a white bathrobe. Because she had yet to fasten the lapel, a vast expanse of white skin covered with dewdrops could be seen. It seemed that she had just finished taking a bath and still had not had time to change her clothes. She had not even worn any undergarments and was in a bare state. Because her figure was a well-developed type, this appearance greatly increased her temptation.

“Eh, Priest... Lord Clyde, how come you’re here?”

“Miss Anna, I just happen to have been passing by. I haven’t seen you for a period of time, and you seemed to have grown again. Do you want me to examine you carefully?”

“So hateful! No matter how you say it... You, what do you want to examine?”

Anna’s face became bright red. Although her mouth was saying otherwise, her body was unexpectedly honest. She directly took off her white bathrobe, revealing her completely bare white body. Then, she sat on the bed, placed her hands behind her head and parted her white legs, allowing Clyde to see all her secrets. After all, the other party had opened his mouth to ask for this. Compared to her close girlfriends Princess Alyssa and Miss Sivia, Anna’s personality was quite bold and open. She confidently took on this charming posture in front of the person she liked.

“Cough, cough. Miss Anna, I’ve come here to seek your help.”

“It... it tickles! Lord Clyde, feel free to instruct me. You can order me however you like.”

Clyde stepped forward and reached out his evil claws, pinching those two alluring red cherries. Anna’s face turned bright red for a moment, seeming very charming as she stammered. If it were not for his having proper business to handle, Clyde would have pushed her down on the big bed and firmly taught her a lesson.

“Lord Clyde, you want to pass through my family’s area? I can’t help you in this matter. If my old man learned of this, it would be troublesome.”

“Anna, I need to do this! Are you sure you can’t help?”

“I can do nothing about it. Truly... eh, Lord, don’t!”

A wicked smile appeared on Clyde’s face before he turned Anna around and pushed her down, forcing her to assume the shameful posture of sticking up her cute behind. He held Anna’s hands with one hand, making her unable to resist. Lifting his other evil hand, he smacked her elastic and soft flesh. Along with a clear and melodious wicked slapping sound, Miss Anna’s weirdly erotic voice echoed throughout the room.

“Ya, don’t hit, don’t... don’t! Stop! Lord, I have a way.”

“Now you remember? This won’t do; you have to be punished. Get down in this posture, then I might not punish you.”

“That posture is too... Don’t! I will do it.”