Imperial Crown.

Chapter 601 The Empire's Youngest Marquis

"Ten bottles."

Inside the Snake Keep's study, Chirp Linga sat with his legs crossed, a cunning smile spreading across his face. He held up three fingers and waved them back and forth. He never imagined that Raven would one day come begging to him for help. What could be more blissful than seeing the pleading look on the face of an enemy who had once defeated and captured him?
The army marched to Hodges County, where Mon'en City was located. Raven ordered a three-day rest. He allowed the soldiers to bathe, eat, visit prostitutes, and gamble as they pleased. To prevent the orcs from causing trouble, Raven established a special disciplinary unit. Of course, to use people effectively, a heavy hand wasn't enough. A carrot was also necessary! So Raven instructed Hu Xia to distribute three gold coins to every soldier and orc as entertainment expenses.

7 goblins, 3.6 werewolves, 8 eaglemen, and 3.4 eagle soldiers. Adding them all up, the total is around 15. This alone cost Raven approximately 46 gold coins. There were also logistics and supply personnel, but Raven gave them far less, only 1 gold coin each, adding another tens of thousands of gold coins. The total expenditure was around 52 gold coins.

But now Mr. Raven is not short of money!
A mere 52 is nothing compared to the more than 380 million gold coins he just received from the Adjani ring—it's just a drop in the ocean. "A piece of cake!"

Besides, any currency only has value when it circulates. Holding it on your person is just holding nothing. Whether it's Snake Keep or the entire Hodges County, Raven has long considered it his own. This money, after going through many twists and turns, will sooner or later flow back into his hands. That's the allure of a monopoly.

Of course, this doesn't mean Raven is trying to emulate nobles like Tyrone, exploiting the common people and plundering the lower classes. He has many ways to make money, and all of them are done honestly and openly. If it weren't for Habs's insistence on fighting him to the death, to put it bluntly, with Raven's economic acumen, he would be the master of this era!

"How dare you delay my work of making money and farming!" "You deserve to die."

Raven thought to himself with a cold snort.

But the next moment, a slightly fawning smile appeared on Raven's face. After all, who can't brag? Raven currently had a major headache, so much so that he had to turn to the goblin Chuchulinga for help. Chuchulinga, as always, exuded an incredibly irritating aura.

“300 it is.” “Are you sure you can do it?” Raven rubbed his temples and asked somewhat doubtfully.

"Huh?" "What kind of talk is that?" "Are you questioning the abilities of the great goblin chieftain, Chuchulinga?" Chuchulinga touched the drooping horns on his head and said somewhat displeasedly. "Don't forget Raven, I saved your lives back in Tzeentch's Palace." "Oh, by the way," "Speaking of which," "Why didn't I see Thor and the others this time?"

"Sigh," Raven sighed softly. He didn't reply. He took out 300 bottles of Angel's Tears from his ring and placed them on the table. "I can't let Igni bother me anymore. I'm so annoyed."

"Don't worry." "Leave it to me." Chirplinga gave an OK sign, swept all the Angel's Tears off the table, and was so excited that she even winked her left eye at Raven.

Looking at Chirpy Linga's green face, wrinkled and withered like a brain, Raven almost vomited up his dinner. He quickly waved his hand, telling him to get lost.

Three days later, the army marched east again. No one knew what method Chuchulinga had used, but Igni indeed stopped bothering him. This greatly impressed Raven.

I haven't had a chance to thank you yet.

Without Igni, Raven finally found some time alone with Bai Yue. The two rode side by side, and Raven spoke from the bottom of his heart. Through Chiu Chiu Linga, Raven learned that the reason he and Igni had come to help was all thanks to Bai Yue.

"nothing."

Over the years, this little wolf girl seemed to have acquired the dignity of a clan leader. She was no longer the naive and ignorant girl she once was. She carried a faint aura of authority; though she appeared frail, a resilient strength lay hidden within. She calmly and composedly replied, "Raven," "I know you're very smart," "I hope you won't make things difficult for Uncle Pan." "I have no other demands or intentions in supporting you." "We already have an agreement, don't we?" Then, Bai Yue's tone shifted, "Of course," "I also want to prove that we orcs are not the filthy, lowly, shameless, and ungrateful people you portray us to be."

Raven nodded. "What are your plans after that?"

"After this war, I will leave my people here in the Bloodstained Highlands. I will return. My people are still waiting for me. I believe you understand without me saying it. The Bearmen of Rift Province have always coveted our Nightthroat Province's territory." Bai Yue thought for a moment, seemingly considering it seriously, before speaking.

Raven nodded without speaking. For a moment, both fell silent. The atmosphere suddenly became somewhat strange and awkward. Fortunately, they were marching in the dark, and no one else was around to disturb them, so no one noticed anything unusual about their interaction.

Time flies like an arrow, and another 10 days have passed in no time.

The army finally arrived not far from Venice. It was late at night, and Raven, fearing the enemy's magic crystal cannons, ordered the army to camp about 10 miles away. He then led Bai Yue, Eric, and the others to the city walls.

A distance of ten miles or so may seem far, but for warhorses with demonic beast blood, it's actually quite fast. These warhorses, when truly galloping, can cover nearly 400-500 miles in an hour—about the same speed as a sports car in their previous life. That's why the army's marching speed is so fast. For orcs, running is an innate racial talent they excel at. Otherwise, the journey from the Orc Empire, which would normally take half a year, would have taken Bai Yue and her group only three months.

"Raven!" "You've finally come!"

On the city wall, Ferdinand looked down at Raven and shouted. Ferdinand was well aware of Raven's cunning. Even without the orcs' support, and even if Raven had only brought 3 Eagle Army soldiers, Ferdinand would not have ventured out of the city to engage Raven in open battle. Time was on his side. The longer the conflict dragged on, the more unfavorable the situation would become for Raven. The longer it dragged on, the more nobles in the Nord province would be forced to stand against Raven.

How could Raven not be anxious? Otherwise, why would his foolish second-generation followers ride Zolzahn to their deaths?
Throughout Raven's battles, he was virtually undefeated. However, the meticulous Ferdinand noticed a detail that was easily overlooked, or even if noticed, easily ignored. That is, for almost all of Raven's defeated opponents, at least 4% of the time, their defeat stemmed from underestimating him. Those who underestimated Raven ultimately met a bad end. The "Sand King" Horatio of the Bloodstained Highlands underestimated Raven, and so he died! The marshals and generals of Eivor underestimated Raven, and so Eivor was defeated. The dragon Zolzann underestimated Raven, and so she ultimately surrendered. The Orc Empire's Silvermane, Broken Tooth, Chuchulinga, Igni, and Sliver underestimated Raven, and their ultimate fates were either death or surrender… Now, they have even succumbed to Raven's tyranny, traveling thousands of miles to support him.

Therefore, once Ferdinand realized this, he would never again underestimate Raven. Even if he were ridiculed by the nobles and reprimanded by the Emperor… he would never be fooled or led by the nose by Raven. As long as he could defeat Raven, nothing else mattered! Because only the victor who survives has the right to write history!
So he deliberately chose to oppose Raven! The more Raven wanted a decisive battle, the less eager he became. The more Raven wanted peaceful negotiations, the more he pressed forward relentlessly. Military strategy is ever-changing, like water without fixed form. This mental game, this confrontation, this torment… was Ferdinand's trump card! It was also the composure honed by a seasoned veteran.

"Grand Marshal Ferdinand." "I think we can talk." "We are all citizens of the Keynesian Empire, brothers and sisters." "And you and I," "have been on the battlefield many times, personally experiencing the cruelty of war." "I simply cannot bear to see brothers killing each other." "Grand Marshal Ferdinand." "I, Raven, come with sincerity." "Once the civil war breaks out, our soldiers will be covered in wounds, pierced by swords and spears!" "Venice will be riddled with holes!" "And these fallen warriors will not receive the glory they deserve!"

Raven spurred his horse forward, amplifying his voice with his battle aura, making it sound like rolling thunder as he shouted into the city. He wanted everyone to hear him. It was a calculated move to demoralize everyone. Whether it would work or not was another matter. But with the opportunity before him, Raven might as well take advantage of it.

Just moments ago, Raven had scanned the city walls. Under the starry sky, banners fluttered along the walls. Each banner bore a large seahorse, its hands each wielding a weapon: a trident in the left hand and a half-sword in the right, crossed in front of it. This was the emblem of Ferdinand's family—Vandoria! Some banners were even magical artifacts, gleaming brightly in the night. Below the walls stretched a moat at least three zhang wide. A pungent smell of oil wafted from it. Clearly, Ferdinand had known of Raven's approaching army. Therefore, the moat wasn't filled with water, but with specially prepared oil. If Raven attacked, this oil would ignite instantly. Moreover, across this wide moat was only a narrow, broken bridge, less than a zhang wide. Even heavily armored infantry could barely fit three at once. And what was even more worrying was that the broken bridge was only half the width of the moat. Trying to use a ladder to climb from the broken bridge to the smooth city wall was virtually impossible. The other end of the bridge was chained high to the city wall. If the oil below were ignited, the entire bridge would be reduced to ashes. Raven sighed inwardly. Under such circumstances, attacking the city was practically impossible.

Gazing at Ferdinand atop the city walls, Raven had to admit that Ferdinand was the most formidable opponent he had ever encountered. He was not only incredibly strong but also remarkably intelligent. Ferdinand not only possessed a cautious nature but had also thoroughly studied Raven. It could be said that all of Raven's current predicament stemmed from Ferdinand's arrival. As Raven's voice boomed below the city, hundreds of crows in the dense forest outside the city were startled into flight, cawing shrilly as they soared into the distance. The crows' cawing seemed to foreshadow the trouble to come.

"Little bee!" "Stop trying to get on our good side!" "Why didn't you say these hypocritical things when you let the dragon come and slaughter our soldiers?!" "Do you know?!" "The dragon Zor'thar slaughtered over 30,000 of our soldiers!" "What?" "Weren't those 30,000 soldiers your brothers?" "Oh." "Now that the dragon is dead, your biggest asset is gone!" "And now you're saying you don't want war?" "If you didn't want war, why did you bring so many orcs here?!" "Pah!" "You say one thing and do another!" "Disgusting!!"

Ferdinand remained silent. Instead, Akori, standing to the side, roared, “You not only sent Zolzahn, but you also released another dragon!” “But one died at Marshal Ferdinand’s hands.” “The other died by my hand!” “Bringing more orcs is useless!” “Before a true dragon slayer, they are nothing but dying maggots!”

Zheng!
The next moment, Akori drew his greatsword, raised it high to the sky, and roared, "The dead shall not die!"

Immediately, the soldiers on the city wall began to beat their armor and shout in unison the Vanderlia family's clan motto: "The dead shall not die!"

Clearly, Raven's psychological warfare tactic had been foiled. The soldiers' hatred for Raven had reached its peak, and their fighting spirit was significantly heightened. Although Akori was a bastard, his abilities were indeed far superior to the average person. However, everyone has desires. When desires reach their peak, people are prone to distortion. His eagerness to prove himself made him appear somewhat impatient and naive.

However, Raven ignored Akori and continued calling out to Ferdinand, "Marshal Ferdinand, we met a few times in the capital. We had a pleasant conversation at a banquet. As you know, the reason I didn't side with the rising new faction is because I respect imperial heroes like you!" "To be honest," you said, "you have always been my role model! You are the imperial hero I admire most! Even when Serafinu tried everything to win me over, I didn't side with them. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been the only one suffering in the Abyss during the Supreme Judgment." "Yes," you said, "you gave me a choice, but I didn't cherish it in my youth." "Now," you said, "I want to choose again." "To be loyal to you." "To be loyal to the Empire." "To be loyal to the old faction!" Raven's voice was incredibly sincere, his tone heartfelt, and his attitude humble. It didn't sound like enemies about to fight each other; it sounded more like a nauseating confession.

At this moment, "political hypocrisy," "the art of negotiation," and "the cunning of the human heart"... spewed forth a torrent of filth from the anus of a rat whose belly had been stomped on. These words not only silenced those on the city wall, but even those of his own people behind him nearly vomited from nausea.

"laugh"

Ferdinand, of course, wouldn't fall for it. He looked down at Raven below the city walls as if he were a clown, letting out a dismissive snort. But for some reason, his expression suddenly turned serious, and he said in a deep voice, "It's too late." If he hadn't personally overheard the contents of the letter Raven wrote to Emperor Habsburg, Ferdinand might have actually been tempted. Unfortunately, he knew Raven too well. He knew that Raven would never give in easily, never admit defeat easily, and never surrender easily. Whenever this little bee faced a predicament, he would squeeze out a pitiful bit of honey from his rear end to deceive his opponent. That's how this little bee could manipulate everyone so easily. Even the title of marquis was obtained through deception.

"Raven," "Don't waste your energy." "Do you really think I'll fall for your tricks?!" "If you had come alone today, I might have trusted you a little." "But you've brought a large army, and now you're here to put on a show of your shamelessness and hypocrisy." "Don't you think you're just putting on a show, trying to attract attention?" "His Majesty once trusted you so much! But you've repeatedly deceived and betrayed His Majesty." "Before coming here," "I made a solemn pledge before His Majesty." "I will definitely bring your head back to report!"

At this point, Ferdinand's voice suddenly rose, resounding like a great bell: "Raven!" "Don't forget!" "You are the youngest marquis in the empire!" "If you still have any noble honor and virtue," "then bind your hands and walk into the city." "I swear on the soul of my family, I will plead for your life before His Majesty!"

After these words, a long silence fell over the city. Raven seemed to be seriously considering this option. Only the howling wind raged between heaven and earth, like a "bridge" connecting the city walls and the city below. Banners fluttered in the cold wind. The somber atmosphere remained, adding to the oppressive tension.

"Marshal Ferdinand." "If you insist on a decisive battle, then let's decide in the most ancient way of the Empire—a duel!" "What do you say?" "This way, the lives of our soldiers can be saved." "I think..." "On the continent, there is nothing that better embodies the honor and courage of a noble than a duel!" After a long while, Raven's voice came from afar.

"it is good"

The word "agree" almost slipped out instantly! Pei Dinan was overjoyed. He was a genuine sixth-tier, four-star transcendent! He had been immersed in the sixth-tier realm for over ten years! Raven, on the other hand, was at most fourth-tier. Although using a divine weapon had caused him some internal injuries, he had fully recovered more than half a month ago! In fact, even if Raven hadn't come looking for him, he should have already marched west to find Raven. But in a flash, Pei Dinan suddenly had an idea. He remembered his previous plan: to do the exact opposite of Raven's strategy. After all, that kid was too cunning! Despite his low strength, he dared to challenge him to a duel; no one would believe it wasn't a trap.

"That was... a close call!!!"

Ferdinand roared. His expression changed instantly, the fat on his old face trembling as he pointed angrily at Raven: "Raven! So this is your real purpose!" "You haven't changed at all! Still so cunning!" "I will never fall for your tricks!" "And I will never duel you!" Ferdinand chuckled coldly. "Let me tell you!" "The city still has three years' worth of provisions!" "Either attack the city, or get out!"

……

(End of this chapter)