Imperial Crown.

Chapter 581 The Scoundrel Pretending to Be a Noble

Mid-September of the year 1209 in the Guangming Calendar.

Ferdinand, leading 23 troops, finally settled in the North Sea Province. Including logistics, supplies, and soldiers, the total number of soldiers he brought with him exceeded 30! Just settling these people in was a huge undertaking.

Fortunately, the snow stopped falling in the Nord province starting in September; it just got colder.

The county bordering the North Sea Province and the Nord Province is called the Foothills County, and the famous Goddess Sea is located within this county. However, apart from the locals who call it Goddess Sea, other provinces prefer to call it North Sea Lake. Clear, transparent, and azure... these are all words exclusively associated with North Sea Lake. The entire North Sea Province derives its name from this, which shows the importance of North Sea Lake! The locals, however, prefer the imagery of Goddess Sea Lake as sacred, refreshing, and sweet.

Deng Deng Deng

Q... that is, Isabelle Adjani swayed seductively into the room in her high heels. Even with a thick cashmere carpet on the floor, it couldn't hide Adjani's voluptuous figure and slender heels. The beautiful rhythm of the high heels, combined with Adjani's alluring image, always ignited a man's desire instantly.

"Aren't you planning to close down?" Ferdinand looked up at Adjani and asked in a slightly hoarse voice.

Isabelle Adjani wears fishnet stockings year-round, which accentuate her slightly plump thighs, making them appear incredibly pink and sexy. She wears ultra-short skirts and only half a simple black lace bra on her upper body. The reason it's only half is because with each sway of Adjani's body, it seems as if her nipples will be visible at any moment. Over this, she wears a purple silk robe, as smooth and supple as pajamas. Large expanses of exposed, white skin resemble shimmering stars, captivating and mesmerizing. Who wouldn't want to devour such a woman? Even 74-year-old Ferdinand is no exception.

"Do not"

Adjani's answer was concise and to the point: "Your Grace, I'd like to ask, why did you choose to stay here? It's quite a distance from Snowmaple County, isn't it? Why not just march straight into Snowmaple County and meet up with Tyrone in Hippok County?"

"Please calm down, my beauty."

Ferdinand stood up and personally poured Adjani a glass of wine, as Adjani's fondness for alcohol was well-known. "War is not child's play, nor is it as simple as you nameless people carrying out assassinations." "War requires a comprehensive strategy; a qualified commander must possess a broader vision." Ferdinand handed her the wine, taking the opportunity to stroke her delicate, fair hand. "I know you're eager to avenge Ezio." "But whether Ezio actually died at Raven's hands is still uncertain, isn't it?" "Perhaps he died on a bounty issued by another noble?" "You should know that the reputation of you nameless people in the Empire is practically that of rats in the street."

After Ferdinand drank his wine, Adjani took a small sip herself, slowly swirling the glass to let the Angel's Tears swirl inside. Although she knew she and Ferdinand were merely acquaintances, the veiled sarcasm in Ferdinand's words still made Adjani extremely uncomfortable. However, she couldn't refute him; after all, she lacked a title and wasn't a noble. Even with greater strength, she could only obediently listen to his instructions. "I want to know, what exactly is the Commander-in-Chief thinking?" "It can't be that he's using this as an opportunity to negotiate with Raven, can it?"

"What kind of talk is that?!" Ferdinand's expression suddenly turned serious. This statement was tantamount to accusing him of betraying the Emperor's orders. It was practically a veiled attack on his conscience. Seeing that the other party hadn't fallen into his trap, Ferdinand could only take a deep breath and speak more bluntly: "There are several considerations for not entering the Nord Province. Firstly, to fight a decisive battle outside their territory would be tantamount to handing over our home ground. We would inevitably fall into an unnecessary disadvantage. Secondly... it's also to prevent someone from cutting off our retreat." The Insa Empire had once used this tactic to defeat Ferdinand, leaving him with a psychological scar. "Thirdly, it's also to wear down their morale. If we push too hard, it will inevitably lead to Raven's desperate resistance, increasing unnecessary sacrifices. Or we could scare him away." "Neither of these is a wise move."

Adjani downed her drink in one gulp. "I must say," she said, "that you are indeed a great and respectable commander in the war." Then she put down her glass, wrapped herself tightly in her purple nightgown... no, her purple mage robe, and swayed her round, peach-shaped buttocks as she walked out of the room.

"Father."

No sooner had Adjani left than another person entered. Acori, clad in armor, entered the room and called out in a low voice.

"Who is your father?" "What are you shouting about?" "There is no father here, only a military marshal!"

Ferdinand immediately rebuked him. As a duke, Ferdinand had to make it clear to Acorus that, as an illegitimate child, he would never be able to bear the family name "Vandoria" in his lifetime, nor would he have the slightest hope of obtaining a family title.

Akery pursed his lips, a fleeting look of sadness and embarrassment crossing his face, and bowed his head, saying, "I'm sorry, Grand Marshal Ferdinand!"

"What is it? Speak up," Pei Dinan asked, his expression softening.

Akery pulled out a stack of documents. “Marshal, recently many nobles of earldom and above have been suddenly wiped out in various provinces.” “This has caused widespread fear among the nobles, who are now openly and covertly condemning His Majesty’s harsh treatment and military oppression of Raven.” “Even Marquis Huber and Earl Novieau of the North Sea Province have cut off our logistical supplies.” “This matter…” Akery hesitated for a moment, but still chose to voice his suspicion, “Could it be related to Raven?”

"Hmph!" Ferdinand snorted. "Look at this." "The fighting hasn't even started, and so much trouble has already arisen." "That stupid idiot Adjani, she even dared to dream of me marching directly into Nord and starting a war against Raven." Ferdinand shook his head. "These people really have no common sense about war." "If Raven were so easy to destroy, it wouldn't be alive now." Ferdinand pondered for a moment. "Draft two invitations for me, inviting Huber and Novichau to the castle. I want to personally give them a talking-to." "I want to see if those two are planning a rebellion!"

Ferdinand then looked at Akori, took a deep breath, and said, "Your training in the capital these past few years has yielded excellent results, and His Majesty greatly appreciates you." "You've certainly brought honor and glory to our Vandorian family." "You fought alongside Raven in the Battle of Eivor; tell me more about Raven in detail." "Also," he continued, "have you researched Raven's four crossings of the Tallinn River in the Orc Empire?!" "What are your thoughts? Speak freely."

Upon hearing this, Akore felt a surge of bitter sorrow. As a bastard, he was born in Insayy Province, the northernmost border of the Keynes Empire, a province and ancestral home controlled by the Vandorian family. To avoid suspicion, his mother was immediately butchered after giving birth to him, and he was secretly sent to Mangtelid Province, the southernmost border of the Keynes Empire. There, he was adopted by a minor baron, later inheriting the title and joining the army, fighting day and night on the front lines against the orcs. Fortunately, the Lord of Light protected him, awakening the seed of life in his fighting spirit, making him a transcendent being. He gradually accumulated merits and distinguished himself. Now grown up, possessing both strength and value, he still couldn't escape the curse of being a "bastard." Whether participating in the Battle of Eivor or training soldiers, all his achievements were attributed to the Vandorian family's glory. He, however, was never allowed to be a member of that family.

Akery heard these brainwashing tactics almost every day. He was tired of them, fed up with them, and immune to them. Hearing this, he quickly composed himself and said in a deep voice, "I must say, Raven is indeed a military genius." "When Raven entered the Bloodhowl province, he faced no fewer than 40 orcs. He only had 4 soldiers, and the human race as a whole was weaker than theirs." "I analyzed no fewer than 30 tactics, all of which ended in failure." "His situation seemed almost hopeless." "But the Battle of the Four Crossings of the Tallinn River was like divine intervention, the most brilliant battle I've ever studied." "Not only did he keep the orcs on their heels, but he also defeated them one by one, ultimately inflicting a crushing defeat on them." "If we could recruit him to our side, he would surely help our family rise to a higher level!"

Upon hearing this, Ferdinand's eyes gleamed with admiration as he looked at Akery. "You think so too?" "That's exactly what I was thinking." "So I'm going to write a letter to Raven, inviting him here. If he's willing to submit and pledge allegiance to me, I might just swallow my pride and protect him this once!" "Actually," "I didn't originally agree with killing Raven." "As a soldier, I greatly admire Raven's military talent and outstanding achievements!"

Akre nodded, thinking that this was probably the real reason why Ferdinand had deliberately settled his army in the North Sea Province.

“But Father… Marshal,” Akery said gravely, “His Majesty has made up his mind to eliminate the Raven and Griffith families. Will he tolerate us doing this? What if we offend His Majesty…”

“Child,” Ferdinand’s tone was gentle, “you must remember this well.” “The road to power is always accompanied by hypocrisy and sacrifice.” “Never regret it.” “Raven is exceptionally capable, but he’s too young; he doesn’t understand this.” “And he’s too arrogant! He thinks his insignificant hypocrisy will allow him to integrate into the upper world, into this circle, and be accepted by the nobles.” “Utterly foolish.” “To put it simply,” “Raven is nothing more than a scoundrel posing as a nobleman.”

Akeri nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite.

"Report—" A military officer rushed in, flustered, "Marshal, we've spotted a dragon!" "It did indeed fly from the direction of Nord Province." "Hmm?" Ferdinand's face showed surprise. "What does Raven want?" "Pass on my orders: have Adjani intercept this dragon." "Then prepare the magic crystal cannons and immediately annihilate it!"

"Yes!" the governor shouted, and went to carry out the order.

"Marshal!" Akery said hurriedly, "Didn't we say we'd talk to Raven first?"

"fool!"

Ferdinand roared, "It's precisely because we need to talk that we must strike hard against Raven! Do you think Raven will just wash his neck and obediently offer it up for execution?" "What you can't get on the battlefield, you'll never get at the negotiating table!"

"Capture them alive if possible!" "If you can't capture them, execute them on the spot!" Ferdinand reiterated his orders.

"Yes!" Akori shouted, turning and walking outside.

在凯恩斯帝国，一个【执行官】往往统领1-1.2万人士卒。下辖分管两个【副执行官】。每个【副执行官】统领一个军团。分别为4500-6000人的【军团】、以及600人的【精英军团】。再往下，就是【千人队】、【百人队】以及【精英百人队】了。而【精英百人队】往往会扩充至200人。

Raven used the same military system when he campaigned against the Orc Empire. Jacob's elite heavy cavalry was a hundred-man unit, also a full complement of 200 men.

As the order was given, the 20 soldiers began to operate methodically and efficiently, like a well-oiled machine. They stood ready for battle.

Ouch——

The dragon's roar resounded through the night sky. Although most of the soldiers had never seen a dragon before, and although most of them were sweating with fear, they still chose to stand firm at their posts, and there was no large-scale desertion. Only occasional small-scale disturbances occurred.

But with the officer's reprimands and the sound of the supervising officers' greatswords, the riot visibly subsided.

However, they soon tasted the bitterness of fear and despair. Under the pitch-black night sky, a volcano seemed to spring up out of nowhere, and in the next instant, it erupted without warning, spewing forth a torrent of scalding lava that crashed down upon them. No matter how eloquent the language, it could not describe the shock of that moment. No matter how simple the words, they could not express the suffocating feeling.

Walls, armor, shields… all turned to ashes and dust in an instant. Collapsed, melted, obliterated… a single breath of dragon's breath was enough to reduce nearly ten thousand human soldiers to black ash. Annihilation, loss of life!
"Aaaaaah!" "Mommy, save me!" "Lord of Light, please protect me!" "A dragon! It really is a dragon!" "This is divine punishment! This is divine punishment!"...

Even a third-tier transcendent being was utterly powerless against the dragon breath of a fifth-tier Zolzahn! Morale collapsed as a result, and everyone fled in panic.

"Boom!" "Boom!"

Immediately afterwards, the sound of the magic crystal cannon rang out.

"Starfall Convergence!"

Zolzahn's godlike voice boomed through the air, and clusters of dark nebulae gathered in the sky. The invincible magic crystal cannons bombarded them, but had absolutely no effect.

Zolzahn's golden, vertical pupils gleamed with disdain as he conjured a large cloud of mist to conceal himself. He then swooped down again, unleashing a barrage of corrosive poison arrows towards the commanders!
Although the Corrosive Poison Arrow doesn't have as large a range as the Blazing Inferno, its power is extremely strong, and even a fifth-tier Zolsahn can't use it more than a few times in a short period of time.

The dark green poisoned arrows whistled through the air, tearing apart the air with a wailing sonic boom!
As the deputy executive officer, the fourth-tier transcendent Sham unleashed his battle aura armor and activated his martial soul, attempting to withstand the dragon's poisoned arrow. However, all of this was clearly futile. The moment the poisoned arrow struck him, his combat skills, weapon, battle aura armor, physical armor, and even his body and soul, all dissolved into a pool of pungent, foul-smelling liquid in the blink of an eye, much like the corrosive blood splattered from the facehugger in Alien. As a fourth-tier transcendent, he didn't even have time to scream... no! He didn't even have a sound left.

This wave of poisoned arrows has claimed at least several thousand lives!

The more than 20 soldiers brought by Ferdinand were thrown into complete chaos, and countless people died under their own trampling.

"Burn the blazing sun to ashes!"

Just as the entire situation seemed to be on the verge of collapse, Adjani, who had already taken to the air, finally made her move. Not far above her head, something was spinning rapidly, and the sixth-rank Adjani was pouring her magical power into it. Her long hair flew wildly, her robes billowed, and as light shone, she completely transformed into the image of a savior.

As magic was infused, the seventh-tier enchanted weapon was finally activated. It was an enchanted artifact shaped like a compass, but with many sharp, protruding edges around its perimeter. Upon activation, it emitted a blinding light like a blazing sun. The next moment, a straight beam of light pierced through the clouds like a bolt of lightning, striking Zolzahn, who was hiding within!
"Ow~~~"

From within the clouds erupted Zolzaen's agonizing wail. Her entire right claw and side were pierced, dragon blood gushing forth. Then, from within the clouds came Zolzaen's heart-wrenching roar!

"You wretched insect!!!" "You!!!" "How dare you hurt me!!!"

……

(End of this chapter)