Chapter 620: Summoning

The first year of the Conqueror’s Era.

There was no unified calendar across the entire world of Saer, which caused great confusion. Wu Ming’s first act after coming into power was to issue decrees establishing a new calendar system and standardizing measurements.

This new system of dating was called the “New Calendar,” beginning on the last day of winter in the year that Wu Ming became king, which was known as New Year One.

In the first year of the New Calendar, at the call of King William Wallace I, the blue-blooded nobles of the Wind Firefly Plains, along with freemen, mercenaries, and even wild tribes, launched retaliatory strikes against the previous incursions into the Highlands.

An army of nearly twenty thousand marched through the deadly Eagle Fortress Canyon and grandly advanced into the Highlands.

With them came many solo adventurers, volunteer mercenary companies hoping to earn merits and titles, and small merchants who simply wanted to make a profit.

This blue flood surged forward, bringing a terrible disaster to the Highlands.

In March of the first year of the New Calendar, the Conqueror’s army arrived at the city of Giant Rock on the eastern border of the Highlands. The guardian of this place was Earl Kyle Wellington, who refused the Conqueror’s envoys’ demand for submission, declaring, “Every inch of land here belongs to the people of the Highlands. The blue-bloods should go back to the plains!”

The envoy of King William remained courteous: “Your actions will bring war. Your people will betray you, cheering for my king and impaling your head on a spear!”

Enraged, Earl Kyle cut off one of the envoy’s ears and sent him back.

Upon hearing the news, the Conqueror immediately began his assault. Just one round of bombardment from wooden cannons caused the seemingly impregnable walls of Giant Rock City to develop several breaches. Troops poured through the gaps, and the entire city quickly descended into chaos.

Rather than fighting for Earl Kyle as their lord had claimed, the people rushed into the lord’s mansion, shouting the slogan, “We want peace, not bombs!” and captured the taken-aback Kyle, handing him over to the Conqueror.

The seemingly impregnable Giant Rock City surrendered to the Conqueror within a single day.

From then on, the eastern gateway of the Highlands was wide open, equivalent to the entire Highlands opening their doors to the Conqueror’s army.

Earl Kyle was famous for his stubbornness, as unyielding as granite.

Even though he had been utterly defeated and bound before the Conqueror, he still proudly held his head high: “Foreign king of aggression, you can hang me, even cut off my head and impale it on a spear, but the resistance of the Highlanders will never cease.”

However, the Conqueror smiled and shook his head. After cutting off both of Kyle’s ears as punishment, he mercifully gave him two choices.

Either have his head cut off and placed in a gift box to be sent to Lionheart City, or submit, kneel before the great Conqueror, swear allegiance, and kiss the ground at his feet.

Although Kyle had been eloquent and passionate before, when his ears were actually cut off, the bloody scene and excruciating pain immediately made him weep bitterly. He immediately knelt down and kissed the ground before the Conqueror, choosing to submit.

Because of this, the Conqueror generously retained Kyle’s title, merely demoting him to baron and stripping him of his suzerainty over Giant Rock City, which was granted to other deserving individuals.

With the map from the Scholar’s Book, after occupying Giant Rock City, the Conqueror did not stay for even a moment. Besides leaving behind necessary troops to guard the supply lines and rear, the main army immediately advanced towards Lionheart City.

He issued a decree: any noble who surrendered before the arrival of his army could retain their original title and land; otherwise, those rights would go to the first person who defeated them.

Once this decree was issued, combined with prior propaganda, many minor nobles immediately pledged allegiance to the Conqueror.

Of course, there were also those who resisted fiercely, but before Wu Ming could arrive, they were overthrown by their own retainers or mercenary groups. The former peasants moved into the nobles’ castles, gaining their lands, wealth, women… living a life that they could hardly have imagined in their wildest dreams.

And to maintain their new status, they had to firmly support the Conqueror and ensure victory in the Highlands campaign!

The entire Highlands quickly descended into chaos.

Amid this gloom, the blue dragon banners slowly approached Lionheart City, the stronghold of the Wellington family and the ruling core of the entire Highlands.

…

Inside Lionheart City’s council chamber, many well-dressed nobles could no longer maintain their composure.

Their faces flushed with anger, they argued loudly, lamenting their misfortunes and hardships, and accusing each other of inaction and incompetence.

Amid mutual blame, a strong sense of fear pervaded, leaving the Duke of Wellington feeling helpless.

Several months ago, he was still a confident middle-aged man, even possibly destined to become the king of a new duchy. But now, his hair was completely gray, and his forehead bore many more wrinkles, clearly showing the signs of an elderly man on the brink of death.

It seemed that the capture of Arthur and the subsequent bad news had dealt a heavy blow to him.

“How many people do we still have?”

The Duke of Wellington asked in a low voice.

“We have already summoned all the troops from our territories and urgently conscripted all civilians over the age of sixteen. Along with mercenaries and adventurers, it will be no problem to gather fifty thousand men!”

A fat noble stood up and said.

Yet even so, there was little joy on their faces.

After all, among these fifty thousand, most were just farmers, and the number of properly trained regular soldiers was less than nine thousand.

“What about the reinforcements promised by the Celtic, Lister, and Anlie families?”

The Duke of Wellington furrowed his brow.

These families had previously been conquered by Arthur’s army and had acknowledged the Wellington family as their overlords and protectors, thus having the obligation to send troops.

However, as the bad news spread, these fence-sitters began to waver again.

Precisely at a time when decisive suppression was needed, the Wellington family had lost their absolute military advantage due to Arthur’s defeat. With the advancing army of the Conqueror, they not only could not reinforce their new conquered territories to maintain control, but they also had to withdraw their elite troops.

As a result, the local factions that had been suppressed began to rise again.

After all, with the accumulation and depth of noble families’ thousand-year heritage, their networks of relationships in the local areas were intricate and extensive. Unless all the inhabitants were killed, it was impossible to completely clean up everything in one go.

“They…”

The fat noble immediately faltered, and his expression instantly let the Duke of Wellington know the outcome.

“Damn it!”

The Duke of Wellington slammed the conference table, and the air in the entire room seemed to tremble: “I have decided. With the current Highlands alone, we cannot resist the conqueror. We need reinforcements—reinforcements from the Storm Cape!”

“Veron, you will serve as the envoy. Go to Storm Cape immediately and find the chief of the largest Storm Tribe. Tell him… if he comes to help me, I will give him the Ice City in the North!”

The Duke of Wellington closed his eyes painfully and said in a deep voice.

To all the nobles of the Saer continent, although Storm Cape was vast and expansive, it was synonymous with barbarism and desolation. Compared to the Wind Firefly Plains, even the Highlands were considered primitive and harsh in natural conditions.

In the past, just to deal with the spontaneous raids by those savages every winter, the lords of the Highlands and Wind Firefly Plains had to deploy large numbers of troops on their respective northern borders.

Now, the Duke of Wellington was personally opening the northern border of the Highlands to them.

“The Ice City has always been a fortress resisting the invasion of the Storm Warriors. Once the Ice City changes hands, our Highlands will be constantly exposed to the swords and spears of the Storm Warriors! I oppose this!”

A noble from a collateral branch of the Wellington family immediately stood up and loudly questioned, “Duke Wellington, what exactly are you trying to do?”

“I am merely trying to preserve our family and ensure the continuation of our glory!”

The Duke of Wellington interlocked his fingers and placed them on the table: “The Storm Warriors and those chieftains only desire our grain, ironware, women, and salt… but that greedy dragon from the Wind Firefly Plains, the Conqueror, seeks everything we have!”

Although he explained, his heart felt even more weary.

At this time of life and death for the family, internal strife still continued, which deeply disappointed him.

“The Conqueror—William?”

After hastily concluding the family meeting and returning to his study, the Duke of Wellington murmured the name.

His hands began to tremble involuntarily, as if the name itself contained some magical power.

If this Conqueror did not possess some strange magic, how could he have defeated his invincible son, who was protected by the King’s Sword?

The Duke slowly paced in his study for a long time before finally making a decision.

He pressed his lips tightly, walked to a bookshelf, and pulled out a thick, dust-covered book with a black cover, opening it to the last page.

In the center of this page was a hollow slot, where a black card lay. On it, a purple mandrake flower bloomed, exuding a mysterious aura.

The study’s doors and windows were tightly shut, thick curtains drawn, blocking all light, and the room was plunged into darkness, except for the increasingly dazzling glow from the black card.

“With my blood, I summon my covenant being. Descend!”

The Duke drew a golden dagger, cut his finger, and let the crimson blood drops fall onto the card, chanting a low invocation, like a mysterious incantation.

“My Lord Duke!”

A puff of purple mist emerged from the card, the mandrake flower slowly blooming, exuding a seductive glow. Within the mist, a cloaked figure appeared, faintly visible, bowing respectfully to the Duke: “Upon hearing the news of the Conqueror, I knew this day would come! All is under the watchful eye of the Lord of Shadows!”

Looking at this magical scene, the Duke’s heart felt cold, but he gritted his teeth: “I want the life of William Wallace!”

“As you wish!”