Riding and Slashing

Chapter 151
When Duke Alma bundled Raphael to Fletcher Village, Ralph was still building defense facilities without knowing it.

When he saw Duke Alma, Ralph's expression was extremely complicated-of course he knew Alma, and he had known him for 30 years.

Alma broke away from the Knights of the Lion more than 30 years ago, and in the following years became the Knight Master of the Horn Call Ranger, Ralph was just a young ranger at that time.

Moreover, Alma could have become the grand leader of the Horn Call Ranger Group. At that time, Alma was the lord of Changhe Town, and had a high reputation in Changhe Town.

But after a tragedy happened in Lion Lake City, Al Fuwan, the original lord of Lion Lake City, was relocated because he failed to protect the king and nobles, and lost the territory of Lion Lake City.

Alma rescued the mad king and was named the lord of Lion Lake City.

But later, Alma killed some scum in his family. Killing relatives is a serious crime, so he lost his family's territory in Changhe Town.It just so happened that Duke Alfwan, who had lost Lion Lake City, took over Changhe Town.

These two dukes are equivalent to exchanging territories. Of course, this result is not a coincidence, but the result of the mutual support of the best friends.

However, such a result prevented Alma from becoming the grand leader of the Horn Call Ranger Squad.

After all, the purpose of the ranger group is to defend the homeland, and it is not in line with the tradition and regulations of the ranger group to let a lord outside the jurisdiction of Changhe Town serve as the head of the group.

Moreover, after Alma was sealed to Lion Lake City, she took charge of the Lion Lake City Banner Guard, so she could no longer serve as the Horn Call Knights.

The Lion Lake City Banner Guard was actually formed by Duke Elfwan, and now this force is the Lion Lake City heavy cavalry led by Fawcett at the beginning.

In fact, the establishment of the Lion Lake City Banner Guard was also due to the tragedy that Leonardo caused in Lion Lake City-too ​​many noble lords were killed, resulting in the emptiness of Lion Lake City for a while.

Moreover, Elf Wanben lost the territory of Lion Lake City because of his weak defense and failed to resist the Lion Knights led by Leonardo.

Although it has been transferred to Changhe Town, Lion Lake City is Alfuwan's hometown after all, so before he left, he armed the wealthy citizens with industries in Lion Lake City and formed a team between common people and nobles. Among the heavy cavalry units.

The newly formed Lion Lake City Banner Guard is actually similar in nature to the Horn Call Ranger Squad. It was originally a civilian army with the purpose of protecting the countryside.

In order to make Alma quickly have the ability to guard Lion Lake City, Al Fuwan handed over the Lion Lake City Banner Guard to Alma.

Of course, it was also to allow himself to maintain his influence in Lion Lake City. During the years when Alfwan was in good health, the heavy cavalry of Lion Lake City often fought for Alfwan.

And Earl Alden became Grand Master of the Rangers called by the Horn.

Alma and Alfwan had indeed been close friends who had always cooperated with each other, and Alma was providing opportunities for Alma until his dying day.

But Earl Auden and Ralph have gradually become Alma's enemies in the past 30 years. In addition to conflicts of interest, there are also conflicts in ideas and behavior patterns.

For example, Alma's current behavior is absolutely impossible for Auden and Ralph...

"Ralph, old man, I know you don't like me now. But that's all right, as long as you still like your only son."

Alma looked up at Ralph, "I just need your help..."

"My lord, what you do will only make me look down on you..."

Ralph shook his head, contempt in his eyes.

"It doesn't matter... I never cared what other people think of me. Ralph, I want to become the grand master of the Horn Call Ranger, and I need your support. You also know that my patience is limited. For your son's sake, Tell the young men of the Rangers that I should be their leader."

Alma shook her head, her face expressionless.

"Kill the leader of the members of the ranger group? Pooh!"

The young Raphael kept struggling, and his attitude was extremely fierce. Alma killed twenty rangers in front of him, and his anger can be imagined.

"Shut up kid, I don't want to hurt you..."

Alma turned her head and let her subordinates gag Raphael's mouth, then stared into Ralph's eyes: "This is your only son, Ralph. He is brave and determined, and has a bright future. I swear, if If you are willing to help me, I will make Raphael the next grand master. Of course, you don’t have to agree, as long as you are willing to leave him forever... I will give you 5 minutes to think about it."

Of course Ralph couldn't give up his only son...

No matter how determined a tough guy is, there will always be a weakness.

With the cooperation of Ralph, the horn summoned all the rangers to gather in Fletcher Village.

It only took Alma two days to become the grand master of the Horn Calling Ranger Squad in name, and took the Horn Calling Ranger Squad to the west.

He claimed to bring the ranger group to 'suppress bandits'.

In fact, the large army of the Ranger Regiment happened to pass by Godric and the others who had broken through the siege and returned to Castle of Valor. The closest they were to each other was actually only twenty miles apart.

This is the route Alma deliberately guided, and the Horn Call Ranger Group did not approach the mountain that besieged Godric.

There are indeed a large number of 'bandits' in the west of Fletcher Village. The members of the Horn Call Rangers who don't know the truth have indeed seen many members of the Red Brotherhood with their own eyes, so they have no doubts about Duke Alma's purpose.

So, only three days later, Alma summoned all members of the ranger group with a horn to 'chase and kill' a large group of bandits, and came to the area under the jurisdiction of Lion Lake City, near Payne Village.

But after coming here, they lost track of the group of Red Brotherhood members...

Alma had sent Kedron on a round trip with the Red Brotherhood's rogue knights and robbers to Fort Valonshield.

Of course he won't let those Red Brotherhood bandits enter any village in the Lion Lake City area...

If these unruly and difficult-to-control gangsters appear in Lion Lake City, they will arouse dissatisfaction among the nobles of Lion Lake City, especially his Horton family.

Half a year ago, many villages were harmed by Forscher and the Red Brotherhood...

Everyone in the family knew that Alma was connected with the Red Brotherhood. If members of the Brotherhood appeared in large numbers in the Lion Lake City area, the Horton family would give up on Alma instead.

In fact, it was difficult for the members of the Red Brotherhood to unite. Every city in Pendor Continent had a Red Brotherhood, but they did not have a common leader, nor did they have any clear hierarchy, let alone a serious army.

This is a huge underworld organization that obtains wealth through assassination, collection of protection fees, drug trafficking, illicit sales, and slave hunting. It is probably the largest organization in the entire continent, but this organization is very loose and difficult to manage.

Many seemingly ordinary civilians, businessmen, and even nobles are also members of the Red Brotherhood, but they all belong to various gangs. Various gangs in each city have been fighting each other for territory, and it is difficult to unite.

However, the Duke of Alma spent a lot of money to buy many rogue knights, and let these noble rogues recruit people from various cities to form such a large army, and let Baron Kedron coordinate and manage it.

Alma persuaded Kedron to fully support his price, which is to give these rogue knights to Kedron and become Kedron's personal soldiers.

Members of the Red Brotherhood have been inquiring about Raphael's movements. Raphael was able to find traces of robbers near the hill. Of course, Alma sent someone to lure him on purpose. His main purpose was to catch Raphael.

Use Kedron who knows the terrain to capture Raphael and trap Godric and Charles, leaving Fletcher and Ralph's border camp empty, and preventing Godric and Charles from destroying him thing.

Then Alma used Raphael to coerce Ralph to cooperate, and became the head of the Horn Call Ranger Group, and once again used the members of the Red Brotherhood to lure the Ranger Group to go out to suppress the bandits. All members left the eastern region and could not help Fort Brave Shield— Fort Valorshield temporarily became an isolated city.

And Kedron's current task is to take the members of the Red Brotherhood back to the eastern border, completely occupy Ralph's camp and Fletcher Village, and then besiege Fort Yongshield.

——This is the same routine as when Alma occupied Changhe Town, but this time he has more goals to achieve.

Use the bandits of the Red Brotherhood to capture Fort Valorshield, then lead the Horn to summon the Rangers to "recover lost ground", and you can stand up and get a good name.

If the Duke of Alma obtained Fort Valor and controlled the dangerous border area, he could use the safety of Changhe Town as a bargaining chip to completely coerce the Horn to summon the rangers to obey him.

At first, he asked Faucher to send people to build a camp on the riverside to repair the bridge, originally to intimidate the ranger group.

Alma has never forgotten the family's original territory, Changhe Town... This plan has consumed all his savings, and he wants to use up all the members of the Red Brotherhood who will be given to Kedron. .

Moreover, he brought the horn to summon the ranger group to Payne Village near Lion Lake City, killing two birds with one stone.

Alma went directly to the First Banner Guard in Lion Lake City.

This is a heavy cavalry force of more than 200 men, who are now gathering at Penn, for they have found a large number of armed forces approaching from the east.

Due to the large number of invading troops, out of caution, Grand Long, the flag officer of the First Banner Guard of Lion Lake City, did not act lightly, but set up defenses in Payne Village.

But Grandlon never expected that these people were actually the Horn Call Ranger Squad, and the leader of the group was his old lord, Duke Alma.

Duke Alma, who led the whole ranger group, only took a few minutes for Grandlon to stand behind him again.

The Horn Call Ranger Regiment has a total strength of more than 900 people, and all of them are elite.

Of course, the Ranger Squad with a large number of people and strong combat power has a huge deterrent effect. Grand Long didn't know that the Ranger Squad was just fooled into it...

You must know that the Horn Call Ranger Group was only defending the safety of the eastern region before, and almost never left the eastern region, let alone entered the jurisdiction of Lion Lake City.

In Grandlon's view, there is only one possibility to bring the ranger group away from the east and appear in a large number in Payne Village near Lion Lake City - he thought that the ranger group was completely controlled by Alma and became a private soldier!

In this case, of course, Grandlon must give in...

Moreover, in addition to the deterrent effect of the Ranger Group, there is another sentence that works-"Grand Long, take the Banner Guard with me. I know that the families of the Banner Guard members are under the supervision of Fawcett, let's change this. everything."

The family of this army has always been under the control of Fawcett, but the young nobleman probably did not expect that his father would do the opposite and easily instigated this elite army.

After all, Alma is the lord of Lion Lake City, and Grand Long, the flag officer of the First Banner Guard, should have returned to his old master.

In the next half day, Grandlong led Alma into Lion Lake City inconspicuously, and visited the commanders of various troops in the city in private.

Two knight commanders and more than a dozen knights were killed by Alma and Grandlon one by one, and most of the army in Lion Lake City returned to Alma's hands silently overnight.

As Alma said, as long as he appeared in Lion Lake City, no one would dare to attack him.

That very night, Fawcett became Alma's captive.

This was also the hand of the heavy cavalry of the Lion Lake City Banner Guard. They tied the sleeping Fawcett in front of Duke Alma.

Since Alma started planning to capture Raphael, within a few days, Lion Lake City was back in the hands of the aged Duke.

After all, Fawcett gave in to his father and confessed everything under the whip and salt water, including the matter with his sister.

Alma drove him out of the house and exiled Fawcett and his sister to Ravencrow.

Afterwards, Baron Kedron's 'scout' came the news that 'Jatu people and bandits jointly attacked Fort Yongshield'.

Alma immediately took most of the army from Lion Lake City, together with the Horn Call Ranger Group, and marched towards Fort Valor.

Like a loyal minister actively defending the country's borders.

……

Fort Valor, Lord's Hall.

After successfully breaking through and joining Leofric, Godric, Charles and others entered the Castle of Valor to rest together.

There were too many wounded in the team, and Liwa was dying. Only Fort Yongshield had military doctors to treat her injuries.

When they passed Fletcher Village, they got a report from Ralph's craftsmen, saying that the Duke of Alma had become the head of the Horn Call Ranger Squad and had taken the Ranger Squad to the west to 'suppress bandits'.

Godric could naturally realize that the thousands of members of the Red Brotherhood before must have been created by Duke Alma, because it reminded him of the fact that Alma sent an army to "suppress bandits" to control Changhe Town.

But this time, there were knights sent by the king to watch Changhe Town, and Malbert, the son of Duke Brennus, was there. Alma probably would not have any idea about Changhe Town.

Plus those Red Brotherhood members showed up on the northern frontier—well, Alma might want to take on Yonshield!

So he ordered all the troops to enter Fort Yongshield to prepare for the battle, and sent an order to Changhe Town to summon the troops to come to support.

"Lord Godric, how did the Duke of Alma become the head of the Horn Call Ranger? Ralph probably won't support him..."

Leofric still didn't understand.

Of course, Godric didn't know the reason, he thought for a long time, and finally came to a conclusion: "No matter what method Alma used, I at least believe that the Rangers will not attack us...as long as we can defeat those Hooligans, his plan will not succeed, and what we have to face for the time being are only members of the Red Brotherhood."

"No, maybe there are Jatu people..."

At this moment, Liwa suddenly opened her eyes from the coma, and said something with a pale face.

Her injuries were very serious. Although she had barely been bandaged, the two fatal wounds on her chest and abdomen had not been able to stop the bleeding, and she was being looked after by Charles at the moment.

"Liwa...you'd better not talk and have a good rest!"

"No, Charles, let me see Castle of Valor... Ha, that's what this place looks like..."

Riva tightly grasped Charles' arm, let Charles help her sit up, leaned on Charles and looked around.

"The Jatu people..." Leofric murmured.

"I have made deals with the Jatu people... I know that the Duke of Alma has the most contact with the Jatu people, and he can even hire Jatu people to do things for him. The Red Brotherhood is not capable of attacking Fort Yongshield. But the Jatu people..."

Liwa's voice became lower and lower, and her face became paler, this sitting up probably consumed all her remaining strength.

Everyone looked at Liwa.

"She's right, we're going to face a tough fight..."

Godric nodded in agreement: "Miss Riva, you...Miss Riva?"

Riva suddenly became silent.

"Liwa... Liwa, don't sleep, don't sleep! Liwa..."

There was a sudden pain in Charles' heart, tears poured out, he supported the limp Liwa, and shouted helplessly.

He already realized that Liwa was able to sit up just now, maybe it was a flashback...

"Don't make noise...Charles, tell Master Li Ang that I can't repay his favor. But at least, I'm back home..."

Liwa's voice gradually became as low as a mosquito, and after the last whisper, her head drooped.

Until the last moment, she still kept her eyes open, greedily watching everything in the lord's hall.

This is the castle her father built, but this is the first time she has entered the lord's hall.

Also the last time.

She once denied that this was her home.

But she came home after all.

In the way a noble should have.

……

Sarleon.

After being imprisoned in the secret room for two and a half days, Leon finally met King Ulrik.

The king's face was as pale as a living person, which reminded Li Ang of the secret spy of the Bacchus Empire.

However, even after seeing the king, the lord was still lying on the bed without moving.

"Leon, the Bacchus Empire has attacked White Hart Castle, you have to find a way to repel the enemy..."

Ulrik didn't care about Li Ang's rudeness, and gave Li Ang an order in the first sentence, as if nothing happened.

"Your Majesty, I'm locked up here now, how do I repel the enemy? Do I rely on my mind?"

The lord turned over on the bed and lay on his side facing the king, probably showing respect.

"This matter is Igor... well, go back to your territory, and I will give you some compensation."

Ulrik originally planned to push it on Igor, but seeing Li Ang's appearance, he changed his words and offered compensation directly.

"Your Majesty, what kind of compensation?"

Upon hearing this, the lord turned over and stood up from the bed, his attitude became unusually correct.

"I know your business is doing well, and I need a lot of money now...you find a way to help me raise one hundred thousand dinars, and I will give you the flag to grant tax exemption in my jurisdiction-this is only the royal industry Is this kind of compensation enough for the privileges that can only be obtained?"

Ulrik's voice was very low, his breathing was relatively weak, and he was obviously in poor physical condition, but he kept his head held high.

"...Your Majesty, this is a transaction, not compensation..."

Li Ang shook his head, gaining a new understanding of the thickness of Ulrik's face.

But Li Ang also knew that what Ulrik proposed was indeed a win-win approach.

(End of this chapter)