After I died, my personal maid rebelled.

Garwin, who was digging a canal with his soldiers in the Eastern Territory, looked surprised.

"The old Marquis's daughter, a cursed being? Are we to throw her into the sea in a ship, or is this Lady Elene's order?"

The messenger who came to report nodded continuously, "Commander, the goods will arrive in the next two days. Lady Elene's request is to throw them as far as possible."

The wind was silent. Leaning on his hoe, Garwin, with his dark skin and honest appearance, fell into deep thought.

Back then, he lost to Kate in a competition among three regiments. He thought he could only work as Kate's assistant from then on, but the Duke gave him the opportunity to establish his own division.

In terms of warfare, Garwin admitted that he was no match for Kate. Sometimes, when he was strategizing the advance of the Second Division from the rear, Kate's tactics often surprised him.

In terms of discipline, the Third Division was not as good as the First Division stationed in Kuogu City. If the Second Division was as aggressive as fire, then the First Division was as immovable as a mountain. Both words have extremely distinct characteristics.

It shouldn't be long before the First Division, a sharp sword honed over many years, pierces the world with a chilling gleam in the Duke's hands.

And now comes Earl Rondo, who is skilled in large-scale warfare and commands the Fourth Division...

Even Garwin himself wouldn't believe that he wasn't under pressure.

However, he didn't have any outstanding talents, and his time managing the eastern agricultural region only taught him how to cultivate land and handle government affairs.

In the past, the Duke would write letters praising him, but now that the Duke has disappeared, the first order he received from the Duke's mansion was to exile the incarnation of the curse.

Garwin sighed. After reaching a higher rank, his superiors all started currying favor with powerful figures. Kate had gained the favor of Lady Luna, and Earl Rondo had also found the support of Lady Elene. Was he falling behind?

Garwin was certain, absolutely certain, that the Third Division had been forgotten once again. While the fighting raged in Green Gorge, all he could do here was take on garbage-collecting jobs…

Garwin rubbed the mud off his hands and continued to wield his hoe. He should cultivate more farmland. The strength of a battle does not lie in the outcome of a single battle, but in who can hold out until the end.

With such a large-scale expansion of the military this year, the pressure on food supplies is immense, and he needs to make plans as soon as possible.

The summer sun was scorching and distorted the air. After a busy afternoon, Garwin scooped up the murky river water from the ditch to cool his reddened head.

He had just wiped his face when he saw the flustered messenger fall in the field, but he quickly got up, not even having time to wipe the mud off his eyelids, and rushed to Garwin, cheering.

"Commander, Commander! His Excellency the Duke has arrived!"

Boom! A thunderclap rang in Garwin's mind. He scratched the back of his head in disbelief, then blankly released his hoe and walked step by step along the field path outwards.

Finally, he took long strides and suddenly started running, startling the soldiers who were leisurely returning to camp, who hurriedly followed their commander.

The commotion as everyone ran grew louder and louder. The soldier standing guard at the camp gate squinted and scrutinized him for a while, and sure enough, it was their division commander.

Commander, the Duke is inside. Are you sure you want to be dressed like an old farmer...?

Ignoring the sentry's embarrassed expression, Garwin rushed to the camp before stopping and taking a deep, tense breath.

"Smells like a dead body, come in and talk."

The familiar recipe, the familiar taste—Garnin was so moved by the Duke's insane joke that he almost cried.

He's back, the Duke really is back.

After responding, Garwin opened the tent flap and saw Duke Oswald intently examining an agricultural planning map. He immediately knelt on one knee.

"Your subordinate Garwin, it is...an honor to meet Your Grace."

"If you really can't speak properly, then at least learn some clichés." Oswald waved at Garwin with his back to him.

Garwin smiled awkwardly and quickly got up to go forward, only to see Oswald pointing his finger heavily at a corner of the map.

It's been a long time since I've seen the Duke, and his eyes seem to have become even more sinister.

"The planning of the agricultural and pastoral areas is good, but look at this lake. If we can reclaim land here, the area behind it can be used as a horse breeding ground. Wouldn't that be the best of both worlds?"

Garwin paused, somewhat at a loss for words.

"But Your Grace, this is the territory of the Central District."

"So whose territory are you on now?" Oswald glared at him irritably. "I'm here, so you write up an attack plan tonight, and I'll review it before heading back to Ice City."

After saying that, Oswald paused, then smirked and said jokingly.

"Don't tell me you didn't do any military intelligence research after you came here."

Garwin shuddered, snapped to attention, saluted, and shouted, "Yes, sir! I'll go and draft the attack plan right away!"

The vast military camp erupted into a massive uproar immediately after Garwin left his tent.

The regimental commanders and staff members were urgently recalled, but the news that spread made the soldiers jubilant. The first battle since the establishment of the Third Division was about to begin!

The boisterous soldiers made Oswald chuckle wryly. He enjoyed the atmosphere; in fact, his tense mind had relaxed considerably since arriving at the Third Division's garrison.

Although the turmoil of his emotions was constantly assaulting his reason, seeing those eager eyes made Oswald feel that everything he was enduring was nothing.

The ancients always said that a kind heart cannot command an army, but Oswald often felt guilty. Every order he gave meant the loss of countless equal souls. Their loyalty was so heavy that Oswald dared not take a step back.

Late at night, the military conference of the Third Division came to an end. Oswald, who was smoking to relieve his emotions, clearly felt the trembling of Garwin's fingers when he received the military plan from him.

"Be confident. Of all my teachers, you best meet my expectations."

Oswald opened the plan. He wasn't just being polite. There were many talented people in the Northern Territory who could fight, but generals who could lead troops on horseback and govern the people on foot were extremely rare.

This is why Oswald insisted on stationing the Third Division in the Eastern Territory; only Garwin's presence would put his mind at ease.

The military plan was written in great detail, including subsequent management policies and defense priorities. Garwin had already made plans. After confirming that there were no problems, Oswald gave Garwin an approving look, then stubbed out his cigarette and neatly signed his name.

"Prepare a horse for me. With the Green Gorge army pressing in, I cannot linger here for too long."

Oswald put on his trench coat, but was stopped by Garwin before he left.

"Your Grace, there is one more thing I think you need to know."

"What is it? Speak."

Garwin gave an awkward smile, unsure whether doing so would offend Lady Elene.

"I hereby inform the Duke that Lady Elene has captured the embodiment of the curse, namely the old Marquis's daughter, Annie. Therefore, Lady Elene has instructed me to exile Annie into the sea."

Annie?

Upon hearing this, Oswald's lips twitched. What exactly had happened during his absence?