“House Wilfer?”
Wu Ming asked.
In the continent of Sear, having a surname meant at least a trace of noble bloodline.
“That’s right. The Wilfers are also part of the blue bloods. This James seems to be the second son of Baron Wilfer. Who would have thought he formed a mercenary group, serving Viscount Garcia! For old Wilfer, this must be an unbearable disgrace! You know, he’s a staunch supporter of the Earl!”
Baron Terry exclaimed in disbelief.
“So what do we do now? Hand him over to Baron Wilfer, or send a message to Viscount Garcia?”
Throughout history, during wars, high-ranking captives were usually treated well and could even be used for ransom.
Although James Wilfer was merely the leader of a mercenary group, his status was high enough as the second son of a noble family, and the entire Silver Eagle Mercenary Group had more members than just these.
Most importantly, there was the issue of reputation.
If Viscount Garcia failed to pay the ransom for those who had loyally fought for him until the very end, he would surely face rebellion and lose everyone’s support. Who would then be willing to serve him as a mercenary or adventurer?
Therefore, he would definitely redeem James. That was beyond doubt.
“Whatever happens, let’s first send him back to the camp!”
Baron Terry’s face turned grim: “Baron Wilfer is also a good friend of mine. Regarding James’s disposition, I would like to leave him in Baron Wilfer’s hands, William…”
Theoretically, James was still William’s prisoner, and even Baron Terry couldn’t arbitrarily decide his fate.
“Fine!”
Wu Ming naturally had no intention of making things difficult. He glanced at the sky, then his ears twitched: “The Earl’s cavalry is coming to greet us. Let’s go back to the camp together!”
It was obvious that Baron Terry wanted to befriend him, and how could Wu Ming miss that?
Therefore, drawing him closer and enhancing their relationship was necessary.
Over the past few years, their families had developed quite a good relationship, and Wu Ming also needed such a noble alliance.
At this moment, seeing the Earl’s cavalry approaching, the two exchanged a glance and felt that their relationship had deepened further.
The camp of Earl Lanshan was enormous, surrounded by wooden walls and trenches, with sharp wooden spikes pointing at potential enemies.
However, once inside the camp, the tents were scattered, displaying banners from various families, giving off a rather chaotic vibe.
But this was the norm for noble coalitions, and Wu Ming believed that Garcia’s side wasn’t much different.
“My vassals and knights, you’ve finally arrived?”
Inside the main tent, Earl Lanshan stood up. He looked even fatter and more bloated than before, but his eyes still sparkled with sharpness.
“I have brought a knight and over a hundred soldiers to serve you!”
Baron Terry saluted first and spoke.
“Excellent!”
The Earl looked at Wu Ming: “My dear William, the prosperity of your Karos territory has spread across the entire plain. What have you brought this time?”
“I have brought four hundred men, along with all the necessary weapons and equipment, and fifty horses!”
Wu Ming smiled slightly, not surprised to see the surrounding nobles stirred.
After all, adding the previous hundred soldiers, his military strength had reached five hundred men, more than that of a baron.
“Ha ha… William, you are indeed my most loyal knight!”
With such strong reinforcements arriving just before the big battle, Earl Lanshan appeared very pleased: “You’ve arrived just in time. We are about to hold a banquet, to enjoy wine and delicacies together, and then crush Garcia completely!”
Wu Ming and Terry bowed and took their seats, only to be somewhat surprised when they noticed the beautiful Black Widow—Tana—sitting directly opposite them.
Her Wild Wolf Heart Mercenary Group had been fully incorporated by the Earl after the previous martial arts competition. After losing Alfred, Tana did not get the fiefdom of a knight’s estate as she had hoped, but was only granted an honorary lordship. Now she had brought the Wild Wolf Heart to join the battle.
When she saw William, a seductive smile appeared on her lips, and her full, red lips shimmered under the lamplight.
Clap!
A whole roasted lamb was placed on a huge tray, carried in by four cooks, exuding a rich aroma.
Around the lamb were fruits and vegetables.
Earl Lanshan stood up, drew a silver dagger, and began slicing meat for each noble and knight present.
This was both his right and duty as the lord, symbolizing his connection with his vassals.
Dismantling an entire lamb was quite a technical feat for the Earl. By the end, he was already somewhat out of breath.
It was worth noting, however, that Wu Ming was the first among all the knights to receive his portion of roast, and it was also the most delicious part—the lamb chops—indicating his important position in the Earl’s heart.
Many nobles who witnessed this scene wore expressions of deep contemplation.
…
“William! It seems the Earl really values you. Perhaps after the war, you might have to marry one of his daughters…”
After the banquet, Baron Terry followed Wu Ming back to the tent.
For closeness, they had chosen two adjacent encampments, which made it convenient to watch out for each other in case of emergencies.
Of course, for Baron Terry, his small number of troops wouldn’t be of much help. He probably valued the ease of receiving Wu Ming’s protection more.
“Actually, I don’t mind marrying a lord’s daughter, as long as her dowry isn’t too extravagant…”
Wu Ming said with a straight face.
“Then you’ll have to show more value during the war. Otherwise, the Earl’s reputation as a beastmaster isn’t just for show…”
Baron Terry wore a barely suppressed grin, obviously already familiar with the Earl’s peculiar habits.
“Alright!”
After sharing some private jokes about their superior, feeling their relationship had deepened further, the two began discussing serious matters. A hint of worry finally appeared on Baron Terry’s face: “This campaign might not end well!”
“Hmm?”
Wu Ming looked at Baron Terry in surprise.
How come this seemingly spoiled guy suddenly seemed so smart?
“It’s not me… it’s a relative from my family who sent me a message from the Highlands. The Lion family won’t sit idly by while Viscount Garcia falls. While we’re fighting them, we also need to be careful of the Highland knights’ sudden attacks!”
“A relative in the Highlands?”
Wu Ming asked in confusion.
“She’s an aunt from our family who married into the Highlands. There, the Gligar family, marked by the purple jacaranda and dove, is our family’s relative, with very close blood ties!”
Baron Terry announced proudly.
This was the essence of noble families!
Wu Ming understood a bit. In his past life, even aristocratic families found it hard to continuously pass on glory and benefits for generations, but these Western landholding nobles could do so!
Even a knightly family that had existed for hundreds of years would inevitably accumulate some hidden cards and unknown connections.
This was what was called “foundation.”
“Then have you informed the Earl?”
Wu Ming asked in a low voice.
“I had already written a letter to warn the Earl beforehand, unfortunately… he seemed to not take it seriously at all!”
Baron Terry shrugged his shoulders: “But it doesn’t matter either. At worst, I’ll just be captured again. Anyway, I’ve come and fulfilled my duty as a vassal to the Earl!”
Wu Ming looked at this guy who acted like a rogue, completely at a loss for words.
However, according to the general principles among nobles, even if these blue-bloods lost their lands, they would still be welcomed everywhere in the continent of Sear, thanks to their long history and bloodline origins.
On the contrary, families like the Wallaces were pure nouveaux riches, and would only be looked down upon by the upper class.
Therefore, one couldn’t say that what Baron Terry said wasn’t reasonable.
Even if Earl Lanshan were defeated and even stripped of his title, Baron Terry wouldn’t face much hardship, at most losing a bit of land.
“Pity… this only applies to these old-established blue-bloods with complex connections. I can’t expect such preferential treatment… half the families in the Windfly Plains are eager to take a bite out of the Karos territory!”
Wu Ming thought silently, further solidifying his determination to seize the entire Windfly Plains.
“The nobles are all fickle; as long as you display the power to dominate and guarantee their interests, they won’t care who rules the Windfly Plains!”
“And also Baron Wilfer, I’ve already spoken with him at the banquet. He will secretly send people to come and take James away!”
Terry continued: “He expressed his gratitude for your and my kindness, and promised to send sufficient tokens of appreciation.”
“Good!”
A slight smile appeared on Wu Ming’s lips.
Then, suddenly, a guard’s voice came from outside the tent: “My lord, Lord Tana requests an audience!”
“It seems you have other plans for tonight!”
Terry’s expression suddenly turned quite ambiguous: “Interrupting someone’s wonderful evening will send you to hell… make the most of it!”
He stood up, elegantly bowed, and then walked out of the tent.
Watching the retreating figure of Baron Terry, Wu Ming’s impression of nobles changed slightly. It seemed they weren’t entirely fat pigs and parasites, or else they would have died out long ago in the fierce inheritance elimination contests.
Just as he was thinking this, a tinkling laugh suddenly rang out, accompanied by a fragrant breeze that blew into the tent.
“Sir William!”
Tana walked in. She was wearing tight-fitting clothes, her appearance increasingly mature and charming, like a juicy peach, making one’s mouth water.
“Lord Tana!”
Wu Ming politely nodded, looking at this uninvited guest.
He naturally knew that behind this woman’s beauty lay an extreme danger: “I haven’t congratulated you on becoming a lord yet!”
“Just an honorary title!”
Tana shot Wu Ming a somewhat resentful look: “Given the choice, I believe every honorary lord would unhesitatingly trade this title for a knight’s fiefdom as their estate.”
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