Being a knight is not easy

Chapter 189 Chief Speaker

In order to ensure the smooth implementation of the plan, Ray Barton also secretly purchased a large number of magic weapons and forbidden-level magic scrolls on the black market.

Because he knew very well that the resistance in the west should not be underestimated and he had to be fully prepared.

At the same time, he used his position in the royal family to secretly dispatch troops to provide support for the aristocratic coalition advancing westward.

On the surface, he maintained the image of an impartial royal member, issuing edicts to appease all parties, but in fact he was controlling everything behind the scenes.

The dark purple magic candlelight flickered in the secret room. Ray Barton stroked the scepter inlaid with dragon crystal, with a sinister smile on his lips.

Dozens of magic boxes were neatly arranged along the wall. Inside the opened boxes, legendary magic scrolls glowed with a dangerous glow, and next to them were piles of mithril crossbows and cursed blades purchased from the black market.

"Your Majesty, everything has been arranged." A trusted subordinate bowed and reported, "Magic weapons and scrolls will be shipped to the coalition camp in batches, and the order to mobilize the troops has also been secretly issued."

Ray Barton nodded with satisfaction, a fierce look in his eyes: "Very good. Those stubborn nobles in the Western Territory will be wiped out by my plan this time." He raised his hand and gently wiped the dragon crystal on the top of the scepter, as if he had already seen the scene of the Western Territory being in his pocket.

At that moment, a knight rushed in, his armor clanging as he knelt on one knee. "Your Highness! Something terrible has happened! The three elite reconnaissance teams we sent to the western border have all been wiped out!"

"What did you say?!" Ray Barton was furious and smashed the scepter in his hand to the ground.

The dragon crystal burst out with a dazzling light, and the magic candle in the secret room was instantly extinguished, and the surroundings fell into darkness.

Only the pressure emanating from him spread like a substance, causing the kneeling knight to tremble all over.

"Useless! A bunch of useless!" Ray Barton's roar echoed in the secret room. "My carefully selected elite troops couldn't even complete their reconnaissance mission!" He grabbed the knight's collar, his eyes burning with rage. "Who did this? The Knights Guild, or the Bauhinia Organization?"

The knight's face was pale, and his voice was filled with fear. "For the time being, it's unclear. But according to the information sent back by the survivors, they seem to be fully aware of our actions, and their methods are extremely ruthless."

Dark purple devilish fire exploded, and the dragon crystal scepter in Ray Barton's hand smashed the black iron floor tiles, leaving spider-web cracks.

The insignia of the five legendary knights twisted and deformed at his feet, the gilded patterns charred by the intense heat. "Five whole years! I hand-picked these elite knights from the Royal Guards!"

He suddenly grabbed Chandler, the chief eunuch, by the collar, his knuckles turning white from the force. "Tell me, what kind of force could silently gnaw off five legendary swords?!"

Chandler's throat gurgled, and fine bloodstains appeared on his neck. "Your Highness, calm down. According to the fragments of the scroll sent back by the secret agent, those scouts didn't even have the chance to use their combat skills." He trembled as he unfolded the charred parchment, the edges of which were still condensed with a strange frost. "They must have been killed by a powerful person who suddenly appeared."

"Impossible. There are no more than ten Order Knights in the entire kingdom. Mobilizing any one of them will trigger an alarm throughout the entire kingdom!" He suddenly remembered the secret report he received half a month ago. Regarding the deaths of the Grand Duke of the North and the Grand Duke of the West, there was a suspected new Order warrior.

"Robin Gabriel!" Ray Barton gritted his teeth as he pronounced the name, murderous intent surging in his eyes. "Could this young knight, who has only been around for a few years, truly become a Knight of Order?" He abruptly grabbed a cursed blade, the blade slicing across his palm without leaving a wound. "Pass the order, activate Project Blood Moon. No matter the cost, the Western Territory must be reduced to a scorched earth within three days!"

Outside the secret room, the night wind blew through the imperial city tower, carrying with it the scent of blood. At this moment, Ray Barton stood in the center of the magic circle, a mad smile on his pale face, as if he had already witnessed the tragic destruction of the Western Territory.

The loss of five legendary knights was not only a huge loss of his strength, but also a serious challenge to his authority.

This time, he will never show mercy.

Ray Barton slammed the deformed legendary knight badge into the magic furnace. The blue-purple flames instantly engulfed the metal, and the steaming heat waves distorted his sinister face.

When the last trace of gilded metal was annihilated in the flames, he suddenly sneered, his voice resonating in the empty secret room: "The Central Province's million-strong army will eventually be put to use."

He raised his hand to summon the floating holographic star map, and his fingertips ran across the dense troop deployment marks in the central province, and then pressed hard on the western region.

Those dark green dots of light representing the strongholds of the Wizard Council, like dormant poisonous snakes, quietly spread across the territory of the empire.

"An army and powerful men? Ha, with the help of these lunatics, the resistance from the West is nothing but a mantis trying to stop a chariot."

There were hurried footsteps outside the door. The personal attendant knelt on one knee, his voice filled with undisguised nervousness: "Your Highness, a messenger from the Wizard Council wants to see you. He said that the Chief Speaker has been waiting for your reply for three days."

Ray Barton raised the corner of his mouth in a dangerous arc, and reached out to touch the ancient contract scroll hanging on the wall. It was the "Forbidden Covenant" signed by the royal family and the Wizard Council a hundred years ago. The ink has long turned yellow, but it still exudes a heart-pounding magic.

"Have the Speaker of the Wizarding Council come to see me," he said, a fierce glint in his eyes, "and tell him that I agree to his request."

When the skinny figure of Chief Chancellor Soros stepped into the secret room, Ray Barton was playing with a ring inlaid with black crystal, which was the symbol of the power of the Wizarding Council.

"Your Majesty, you finally figured it out." There was a subtle sense of pride in the hoarse voice of Chief Speaker Soros, and the flashing purple pupils under the hood were like two dancing ghost fires in the underworld.

"Cooperation is fine, but I want you all to come out in full force." Ray Barton slammed the ring on the table, and the black crystal burst into a dazzling light. "The Western Territory must surrender within ten days. Anyone who resists will be completely wiped out with forbidden magic."

The Chancellor let out a sharp laugh, his withered fingers slowly stroking the tabletop. "Deal. But in exchange, after the war, we'll get all the magical mines in the West, and..." He paused, a greedy glint in his eyes, "all of Bauhinia's properties."

Ray Barton narrowed his eyes slightly. After a brief silence, he suddenly laughed out loud: "As long as we can take over the Western Territory, everything will be fine."

The laughter of the two people intertwined in the secret room. Outside the window, dark clouds gathered, and a storm that could overthrow the empire was quietly forming in the dark.

Obviously, the strength displayed by the Western Territory forced Ray Barton to join forces with the Wizard Council.

(End of this chapter)