Imperial Crown.

Chapter 642 Getting Up (2)

"Beep beep beep" "Beep beep beep"... "Beep beep beep beep"...

The disgusting alarm clock started emitting its horrible screams again.

The giant on the bed frowned, rolled over, and slammed the gear-shaped alarm clock shut. Then he pulled the warm blankets around himself even tighter.

Outside, the cold wind howled, rattling against the windows with a terrifying "crackling" sound.

Lying in bed, it was incredibly comfortable. She really didn't want to move at all. However, just as Bu Ruo was about to drift off to sleep again… that damned "beep beep beep" sound rang out sharply once more.

Bu Ruo let out a long breath, opened her eyes in the dimly lit room, and stared blankly into space.

Even though I'm awake, I don't want to get out of bed.

But the damn alarm clock just wouldn't stop ringing. Bu Ruo yawned widely, tears welling in her eyes. She reached for the alarm clock on the bedside table and turned it off completely. She glanced at the time—4:58.

"get up!"

She shouted loudly, as if encouraging herself or giving herself a command. Reaching out, she precisely located the switch for the magic lamp in the dark room. With a click, the room instantly brightened.

After getting dressed, Buruo went to the washroom and began to wash her face and brush her teeth like a human. Occasionally, when she had time, she would shave the thick hair on her face. Yes, she wasn't human, but an orc. A boar-man. A defeated prisoner of war. Later, Thor intervened and saved her, giving her a decent life.

She's doing well now; she has her own house in Goldshire and a job.

They were already familiar with and accustomed to the life of the human race.

Looking at the milk and nut oatmeal in the kitchen, Bu Ruo shook her head. She still couldn't get used to this stuff. Besides, as a boar-person, she had to do extremely heavy physical labor every day, and this wouldn't keep her full.

Reaching the doorway, Bu Ruo slipped on a large woolen overcoat, stepped outside, and headed downstairs. For Bu Ruo, the greatest invention in Raven's territory was never Angel's Tears, nor Angel's Honey… but Angel's Feathers. With these garments, even orcs could maintain a fairly respectable appearance and easily put on and take off their clothes.

Take her as an example. Her originally plump and robust figure, wrapped in a trench coat and cinched at the waist, now appeared shapely and quite attractive. She looked elegant and poised. However, her pig-like head was still rather horrifying to humans, especially the two crescent-shaped fangs on her mouth, which only added to her ferocity!
I've heard that many alchemists have come to Eagle City and opened a medical and beauty sanctuary. Quite a few female werewolves have even cruelly cut off their own tails. Bu Ruo also plans to save up some money to remove her two fangs.

But she still had some hesitation. If she removed her fangs, would she still be considered a beastman?

Everyone has the right to pursue beauty and a good life.

Bu Ruo had considered saving money to buy her freedom and return to the Beastman Empire. But she was becoming increasingly reluctant to go back. The thought of returning to the Beastman Empire and living that primitive, bloodthirsty tribal life—the inconvenience of food and clothing, the filth and stench—made Bu Ruo constantly waver in her resolve.

Stepping downstairs, the cold wind rushed into her lungs, sending a shiver down her spine. She hurried towards the street. Her boots crunched on the thin layer of snow. After crossing two blocks and turning west, Bu Ruo quickly found a hole-in-the-wall restaurant.

"bang bang bang"

Bu Ruo knocked on the door. "Old Xu!" "Open the door quickly!"

"Coming!" "Coming!"

Soon, there was movement inside the door. A middle-aged man with blond hair and blue eyes, who insisted on giving himself the strange name "Old Xu," opened the door and revealed a kind smile. "I was just moving some things, that's why I was a little late."

Bu Ruo had been eating at this tiny, unassuming restaurant for a year or two, and the two had long since become close friends. She hunched her shoulders, stamped the snow off her boots, and then stepped inside, closing the door behind her. "The usual," she said, "a large bowl of braised pork offal," and "three flatbreads." As she spoke, Bu Ruo took out a silver coin and placed it on the counter. "I'll come back for the rest tonight." "Remember to leave the door open for me."

"Okay!"

Old Xu, around 40 years old, responded and went into the kitchen to scoop rice. He quickly returned carrying a small bowl, about the size of a basin. It was dark and murky inside, making it impossible to see anything clearly. But it smelled wonderfully of meat. It looked delicious.

Bu Ruo had heard Old Xu say that these were made from the offal and intestines that the pork factory didn't want. That's why they were so cheap; a big bowl like this only cost a dozen or so copper coins. They were filling and satisfying. So, for years, Bu Ruo ate here for breakfast and again when she came home for dinner, usually skipping lunch. At first, she felt a little awkward, a sense of guilt as if she were eating her own kind. But after trying it once, she never mentioned it again.

She tore three large flatbreads, each bigger than her face, into pieces and tossed them into the small bowl in front of her. Looking at Old Xu, who was frantically calculating accounts on the abacus at the counter, Bu Ruo chuckled mischievously, "Old Xu," she said, "bring out the chili sauce and aged vinegar." "It tastes bland~"

"I'm saving this to give to the Viscount during the New Year." "You've eaten too much," Old Xu said with a shy smile.

Bu Ruo's face fell. "No wonder you're over 40 and still can't find a wife."

Old Xu blushed. "Tonight... I'll bake some naan for you tonight, okay?"

She knew Old Xu well and naturally knew he was an honest man. The kind you couldn't get a word out of him, no matter how much you whipped him. She'd heard he'd suffered from "mental illness" before, constantly muttering nonsense like "I've transmigrated" and "I'm the protagonist"... Later, as he grew older, his parents and sisters contracted a strange illness and soon died one after another. He became honest and hardened, eventually supporting himself by opening this small, run-down restaurant. He'd also become taciturn and withdrawn. In a way, he was a pitiful person.

I heard that even this hole-in-the-wall restaurant was opened with money borrowed from Tang San in the village.

"Old Xu," he said, "do you want a wife?"

Bu Ruo soaked all the guokui (a type of flatbread) into the bowl, stirred it, took a slurp to warm her stomach, and then teased him. To be honest, she quite liked Lao Xu's "honest" personality.

Old Xu's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this. Even if he were slow-witted, he understood the meaning behind Bu Ruo's words. He could only remain silent, head bowed.

Bu Ruo smiled. "Don't judge me by my looks." "I have a big butt, so I can have sons." "Although I only have two nipples, they are big and I have plenty of milk. I can raise many sons for you." "Besides, I'm extraordinary, much stronger than you, so you don't have to serve me like a baby."

The sound of the abacus abruptly stopped. Old Xu became even more silent. But Bu Ruo could tell that Old Xu was already tempted. However, he still had some hesitation.

Old Xu sighed deeply, "I have an ancestor named Xu Xian, who also got together with a beastman, but the outcome wasn't good." "I think we should just forget about it."

“I know what you’re hesitating about.” Bu Ruo sneered, “Isn’t it because you think I’m ugly?” “I plan to save up money and go to Eagle City to get my two fangs removed.”

"That must cost a lot of money, right?" "Do you have enough money?" Old Xu looked up and asked.

"Is it not enough for you to give me?"

Bu Ruo asked with a smile. She found teasing Old Xu Ke quite amusing.

"Sigh," Old Xu said, trying to save face after holding it in for a while. "It's only right for friends to lend each other money."

"Tch!" "Useless!"

After finishing his meal, Bu Ruo let out a burp, left the bowl and chopsticks behind, and said, "I'm off to work."

Brio hurried through several blocks, passing an arena. He'd heard there was a goblin there named Kikigak. Years ago, it had secretly run away, leaving behind a large sign that read, "Orcs will never be slaves." But upon returning to the Orc Empire, it didn't even last a year, losing over 60 pounds. So it sneaked back, changing the sign to, "Orcs can be slaves too."

Every time she heard this story, Bu Ruo couldn't help but shake her head and sigh. Her resolve to stay only grew stronger.

Soon, Bu Ruo arrived at a building with high walls and a large compound. There was a sign on it that read "Prisoner of War Camp." There were many Eagle Army soldiers patrolling around, and the guards were quite tight.

Bu Ruo revealed his identity, stepped inside, took out his stick, and banged on the iron bars, shouting, "Get up!" "Everyone get up!"

It was only around 6 o'clock.

Her job is to manage the orcs who were previously captured. This includes boar-men, tiger-men… and previously many goblins, eagle-men, werewolves… but their leaders were capable and managed to bring them back. Currently, there are only boar-men and tiger-men left. There are quite a few, around 2.

Breakfast was simple: oatmeal and eggs. To ensure the prisoners had the energy to work, the food at Eagle's Prison wasn't bad.

"Listen up, everyone!" "According to the orders given by Lord Pan, we must dig more than ten kilometers of canals every day." "Everyone, give it your all!" "In addition to the Jinsha River we are digging," "the Liujing River and Meng'en River are also under construction at the same time." "If we fall behind in progress, we will not receive any contribution points."

"288 contribution points can be exchanged for freedom!"

"Bu Ruo shouted loudly," she said. She repeated these words almost every day, both to encourage the prisoners and to encourage herself. Although she was now the prisoner's commander, she was not free. If she wanted freedom, she would have to accumulate enough contribution points first.

Therefore, gold coins alone cannot redeem you from your bondage!

Bang!
Taking advantage of a passing encounter, a tiger-man slammed into Bu Ruo, causing him to stumble and nearly fall. The tiger-man, shackled with demon-sealing steel shackles, sneered, "The first thing I'll do when I'm free is kill you, you traitor!" "Then I'll devour hundreds of humans alive to vent my anger!"

Bu Ruo stood up, glaring at him angrily. "Sang Mu," she said, "blame Silvermane! What kind of skill is it to pick a fight with me? Did I let you get captured?!" "Anyway, Silvermane, Broken Tooth, Sliver... they're all dead at Raven's hands." "If you insist on courting death, I can't stop you." "Hmph."

Mentioning this matter, Sangmu snorted coldly, his eyes flashing with murderous intent, and walked towards the dining table.

Bu Ruo patted the dirt off her trench coat and walked towards her dining table. Although she had already eaten her fill at Old Xu's, she wouldn't mind having another meal. After all, the food in the prison was free, so why not take it?

hula-

However, no sooner had Bu Ruo sat down than the door to the mess hall was violently pushed open. A large contingent of Eagle Army soldiers rushed in. Upon seeing this, all the prisoners stood up in terror.

Bu Ruo stepped forward cautiously, forcing a smile. "My lord, what has happened?" "Although we are prisoners, we still have tasks to do every day." "We're not just freeloaders." Her greatest fear was the execution of these fellow prisoners.

After all, there have always been complaints about orcs eating too much. I heard that Lady Fiona, the steward of Eagle Hold, is quite dissatisfied.

Judging from the style of their armor, these Eagle Army soldiers were clearly not the Eagle Army patrolling nearby. They must be from Eagle City. This was why Bu Ruo's heart sank.

"Who the hell are you?" the centurion shouted. "Why aren't you in shackles?!"

Bu Ruo hurriedly explained, "Reporting to you, sir." "My name is Bu Ruo, and I am the commander of the prisoners." "I was recommended by Thor Dyson, so I don't need to wear shackles." As she spoke, she quickly took out five gold coins from her trench coat pocket and discreetly slipped them to the centurion in front of her.

The centurion took the gold coin, weighed it in his hand, and his expression immediately changed, turning into a friendly smile. "Oh~~" "So it was Lord Thor who recommended them." "Listen to me, quickly take these filthy beasts to the bathhouse for a bath." "Viscount Raven will be coming to inspect in person soon." "If Lord Raven smells even a trace of stench, I may have nothing to say, but my sword won't stand for it!"

"Huh?!" "Lord Raven is coming?!"

Bu Ruo was startled upon hearing this. No wonder these people had such a large entourage! He hurriedly nodded and said, "Yes, yes, yes." "I'll go and make the arrangements right away."

With that, Buruo hurriedly called to the group of orc prisoners and headed towards the bathhouse.

She hurriedly ran out of the prison to buy Angel's Embrace soap. All the way there, she wondered why Lord Raven had come to the prison for no reason. But she couldn't come to a conclusion.

Two hours later, Bu Ruo had led all the orcs to wash themselves clean, change into clean prison clothes, and stand straight in the prison courtyard, waiting to welcome Raven.

Before long, Bu Ruo saw two enormous magical beasts flying down from the sky! Eagle heads, horse bodies, lion claws, tiger tails, and wings sprouting from their ribs... they were actually two griffins as big as adult elephants! They exuded an extremely strong sense of oppression.

"It really is Raven!"

Bu Ruo looked up. The first griffin was carrying Thor and a hyena. Thor, usually so arrogant and domineering, probably only behaved so obediently in front of Raven.

On the griffin behind them sat two more people. One of them had short, dark hair and an imposing, dignified appearance. He wore a sweater underneath a brown sleeveless cotton jacket. Beside him sat a girl. She was short, with pigtails, and had dark, glossy skin. Her face was covered with terrifying, gilded markings.

The griffin landed, stirring up a gust of wind.

Buruo and the centurion rushed forward to greet Thor and the hyena as they jumped down from the griffin.

Thor then brought Bruno to Raven's side.

"Are you the commander here?" Raven asked casually.

“Yes, Lord Raven,” Bu Ruo nodded.

“I need a pair of strong, powerful legs.” “Go find one and bring it to me.” Raven smiled wickedly.

"Hmm?" "Huh???"

Bu Ruo didn't quite understand at first.

Thor leaned closer and whispered a few words in his ear.

Bu Ruo's face showed surprise, and his expression became somewhat hesitant. Just like Old Xu had been before, he became sullen.

"What?" "Is there a problem?" Raven asked in a cold voice, his eyes half-closed.

"No!" "No!" "Lord Raven."

Bu Ruo hurriedly forced a smile.

Then, leading Thor towards the prison, once inside the prison courtyard, Buruo pointed and said, "This is it!"

Thor nodded, signaling, "Grab him!"

Seeing this, Sangmiao immediately ran away, shouting madly, "Buruo! I'll fuck your mother!" "You traitor to the orcs!" "Disgrace to my race!" "I didn't say anything! Don't believe her nonsense! I was just scaring her!" "Let me go!" "I still want to dig the canal!" "I still want to accumulate contribution points!" "I still want to redeem my freedom!"

However, his struggles were doomed to failure. He was quickly captured by the Eagle Army, his hands and feet were tied, his mouth was gagged, and he was placed on the first griffin.

Then the two griffins took off one after the other, flying towards the busiest center of Goldshire.

Watching the griffins depart, Buruo turned around and shouted, "Go to the canal on your own!" After saying that, she tied her trench coat and ran wildly in the direction the griffins had gone.

……

Riding his griffin, Raven quickly arrived at Phil's manor.

Philip and his family had been waiting for Raven in the cold wind for a long time.

"Greetings, Lord Raven!" "Long live the Godfather! May he be blessed with happiness and good health!"

As soon as the griffin landed, Philip shouted loudly and led his family to kneel on the ground.

In fact, Philip didn't need to kneel, but he deliberately arranged this scene, clearly to express his respect for Raven.

"Alright, alright." "Get up, all of you."

Raven landed his griffin and said with a smile, "It's freezing cold, what are you doing making such a fuss?" Raven looked around but didn't see his two daughters, so they must have been married by now.

"It is a rare honor for you to visit in person." "How could I not be thrilled?"

Philip said sincerely.

Raven nodded slightly, then turned his gaze to Baido, who was sitting in a wheelchair. "Let's go inside."

“That’s how it is.” “Sicoret said I had something that could help Baydo recover from his injured legs.” “So I thought I’d give it a try.” “However, there’s no precedent for this, so there are still some risks involved.”

Raven quickly explained his purpose. He then turned to Sicreth and asked, "Are you sure everything's alright?"

Sicot rolled her eyes. "Don't worry. That's how all the injured people in the Astral Plane are treated."

According to Sicorret, Raven needs to use the [Essence of Corrupted Souls] and [Battle Demon Qi], and the combination of these two items can help Baydo transplant a new pair of legs.

"Really, sir?!"

Baido became agitated. Although he forced a smile every day after his legs were crippled, trying not to worry those around him, he was constantly in pain.

Unexpectedly, there was still a glimmer of hope in this matter!
"You insolent fool!" "How dare you speak to my lord like that?" "When has my lord ever joking? Do you have the right to question him?!" Philip immediately reprimanded him. Then he turned around, knelt down again, and said with utmost respect, "Please, my lord, give it a try." He had taken countless concubines throughout his life, but fathered many daughters. He only had two sons: Turo and Baido. Now Turo was dead in battle, and Baido was crippled. He was in immense anguish. When he raised his head, his old eyes were already brimming with tears.

……

(End of this chapter)