Blood and fire boil!
The great shadow of the blue dragon roared and danced over the city of Lionheart!
Soldiers wielding flags, swords, and shields poured into Lionheart, slaughtering the rebels.
The heads of soldiers served as important markers for calculating merit within the Conqueror’s army. Why did the enemy collect so many severed heads? It was said that the Conqueror intended to pile them into a towering structure to intimidate all rebels in the Highlands!
At this moment, the Duke of Wellington could no longer bear to think about anything. He hurriedly fled into the still relatively safe family castle and entered his study.
This had once been the center of his power, but now all he saw was a scene of panic.
The maids, stable boys, and cooks were fleeing in all directions, spreading messages of terror, and as they escaped, they couldn’t resist taking one or several valuable items from their masters as a reward for years of hard service.
After initially killing two maids, the Duke of Wellington had already lost all will, no longer wanting to continue such acts.
He sat quietly on the recliner, waiting calmly.
Although he could have fled, even to Frostspire or other estates of the Wellington family to make a final stand, he no longer wished to do so.
Was the Duke of Wellington still a duke without Lionheart?
The most immediate reality was that the entire Wellington family had lost all power to resist the Conqueror before him.
Castles and estates represented the source of noble strength. After losing these, he would likely have to live under the banner of another branch of his family, relinquishing the title of duke—a humiliation that the proud Duke of Wellington could never accept.
“Even in death, I must remain a duke, maintaining the dignity of nobility. A man of noble blood shall never perish in bloodshed…”
He mused silently, when suddenly, the sounds outside changed.
Cries and the clash of battle continued to echo, eventually turning into a unified rhythm, as if a large force had entered the castle, searching room by room.
The Grand Duke of Wellington gave a bitter smile, and with trembling hands, lifted the golden goblet in front of him, drinking the deep red wine in one gulp.
When the soldiers finally broke through the defenses and kicked open the study door, they saw only the stiffened corpse of Sagas Wellington.
…
The next day, the disturbances in Lionheart gradually subsided, and the Blue Dragon Coalition had taken control of every corner of the city.
Only then did Wu Ming, surrounded by a large entourage of knights, enter the gates of Lionheart as a conqueror.
This city, established by the Lionheart King, had finally welcomed a new monarch after the end of that ancient kingdom!
Inside the grand castle’s great hall, Wu Ming sat upon the throne, listening to reports from his subordinates.
“Sagas Wellington committed suicide by poison?”
He mused for a moment, then ordered all valuable captives from the Wellington family to be brought forward.
Soon, a group of well-dressed, frightened red lions stepped forward. Each bore at least the rank of knight, representing the backbone of the Wellington family. However, now surrounded and watched by soldiers on both sides, they trembled visibly, and without any command, they knelt directly: “Great Conqueror, we humbly offer our loyalty. We hope you will accept it!”
Garcia turned his head away, seemingly unwilling to witness the downfall of the Wellingtons.
“Sagas Wellington sent armies multiple times to invade Fengying Plains and even plotted an assassination against me. Such heinous crimes are unforgivable!”
Wu Ming spoke indifferently, his slow and solemn tone instantly plunging the group of noble captives into despair, believing that they would be dragged out and hanged the next moment.
“However, since Wellington is already dead, his sins cannot entirely be laid upon you…”
Wu Ming’s next sentence was like heavenly music to their ears, and they immediately began loudly cursing the previous Duke of Wellington, praising the Conqueror’s mercy.
Observing Garcia’s disdain and the servile manner of the nobles below, Wu Ming remained indifferent.
The truly brave lions had either died or broken through the siege; those captured were mostly cowards, which was perfectly normal.
Certainly, even if they were waste and scum, they still had some utility.
“As punishment for your rebellion, I strip the Wellington family of their ducal title and demote them to the rank of marquess!”
Wu Ming paused, then announced his punishment: “Lionheart City will also be reclaimed as my directly governed city, and the surrounding estates will be treated similarly!”
Garcia closed his eyes.
Lionheart and the vast, fertile lands surrounding it were the most important foundation of the Wellington family’s rule. Now stripped of them, their family strength would drop by more than half.
“As for the next Marquess of Wellington?”
Wu Ming swept his gaze downward, and all the nobles, even Garcia, felt their hearts skip a beat.
However, he did not immediately name a successor but instead said: “Although Sagas Wellington is already dead, resistance from other branches of the Wellington family continues. I need you to proclaim my mercy throughout the land and help me subdue them. Whoever ultimately brings the remaining red lions to heel shall be appointed by me as the Guardian of the West and the new Marquess of Wellington!”
Upon hearing this, nearly all the Wellingtons below had their eyes reddened like rabbits.
Baron Balder and other outsiders watching could not help but secretly smile.
Knowing how deeply rooted the Wellingtons were in the Highlands, it was clear that complete conquest would not happen in a short time. Therefore, inciting the red lions to fight among themselves became a necessary strategy. The remaining members of the Wellington family simply could not refuse this temptation, leaving them no choice but to fight desperately.
“My King, please forgive my boldness. In your words ‘you,’ does that include Arthur?”
Garcia stepped forward and bowed respectfully.
The expressions of all the lion nobles beside him immediately turned awkward, with many glaring at him angrily.
Arthur Wellington was the designated heir of the former Duke of Wellington. Among nobles who valued bloodline and legitimacy, as long as he still lived, no one could deny his right to inherit, making him the natural choice for clan leader and the first in line to the title of Marquess of Wellington.
It was possible that once he appeared, he could gain the loyalty of some remaining rebellious branches.
“Of course!”
Wu Ming looked at Baron Garcia, his eyes flashing with an unusual light: “As long as he swears fealty to me!”
“I understand!”
Garcia bowed again and retreated into the crowd, his thoughts unknown.
“You may all go now!”
After dealing with a few urgent matters, Wu Ming waved his hand, dismissing the vassals.
At this time, the hall was empty except for a few trusted individuals.
“My Lord!”
The newly appointed Voodoo Witch, Karitan, knelt respectfully and spoke in a reverent tone: “We have searched the entire castle but could not find any other children of the Duke. However, I found traces of sorcery in his study, suggesting that a sacrificial ritual had taken place.”
“It seems the intelligence was true. Sagas offered many things in sacrifice to the dark gods…”
Wu Ming said little about this misfortune. He calmly stood up: “Now, let’s go see what wealth he has left for us!”
The vault of the Wellington family lay beneath the castle.
Due to the rapid advance of the Blue Dragon Coalition and the Duke’s overconfidence in Lionheart’s defenses, he had never considered relocating the treasures, leaving all of it to benefit Wu Ming now.
“Open it!”
After passing through several checkpoints guarded by his own soldiers, Wu Ming arrived at the bottom of the castle, facing several towering doors, as if standing before the gates of a land of giants.
“At once!”
Sir Jack, ever the sycophant, stepped forward with a large key, struggling to open the iron door.
Creak!
The vault door was made entirely of iron, and even with Jack’s strength, it took considerable effort to open it alone.
When it finally revealed its contents to Wu Ming and his entourage, they were met with gasps of astonishment.
Gold!
Blinding, brilliant gold, shining with dazzling luster, formed a small mountain before them.
Before their eyes lay a hill composed entirely of golden coins, with large quantities of diamonds, crystals, agates, and more atop it.
“At least over a million golden coins… the value of other artifacts is yet to be calculated…”
Wu Ming glanced briefly, estimated the approximate figure, and sighed deeply: “The accumulation of a noble ducal family over hundreds of years is indeed extraordinary.”
A powerful force with a thousand-year heritage naturally accumulated an astonishing amount of wealth.
“It seems we have the reserves for establishing a duchy…”
Wu Ming then ordered the other vaults to be opened, revealing large quantities of weapons, leather armor, and countless stores of grain filling entire warehouses.
Anyone possessing such wealth, weapons, and food supplies would naturally develop ambitions, explaining why the Wellington family had been so eager to expand.
“My King, our Glory Knights have searched every corner of the city, but unfortunately, we have found no trace of the Hand of Shadows!”
As they left the warehouse, the High Priest hurriedly approached Wu Ming with this less-than-ideal news.
“The Hand of Shadows’ headquarters is not in Fengying Plains or the Highlands, so it must be in one of the remaining three regions. Not finding them now is of no consequence. As long as I continue to win, the space for these rats to survive will shrink, and eventually, they will be unable to resist the urge to come out and find me.”
Wu Ming spoke confidently.
That evening, a banquet was held in the great hall of Lionheart to celebrate this victory and to appease the surrendered nobles, making a grand feast quite necessary.
Naturally, Wu Ming was the center of attention at the banquet, and many nobles sent their daughters, sisters, or even wives to attend. The passionate gazes and the feeling of being surrounded by stars were enough to make any man intoxicated.
As the banquet ended, two messages almost simultaneously reached Wu Ming.
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