Lord: I can see loyalty.

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As dawn broke, the smoke from the battlefield had not yet dissipated.

Violema stood at the edge of the ruins, gazing at the winding road to the north, the direction Marcus and his remaining troops had fled.

"Jimmy, organize a pursuit team. Ansquie will lead the main force of the Azure Peak Knights to follow. Alec, you and I will go ahead." He paused, his gaze fixed on the distant horizon. "We can't let those nobles have another chance to regroup."

The order to pursue quickly spread throughout the army.

The vanguard of the Azure Peak Knights, who had been poised for action, immediately turned their horses around and sped away along the tracks left by the defeated enemy.

Alec rode at the very front, his greatsword held horizontally across his saddle. The morning breeze billowed his platinum cloak like a white flag fluttering in the gray sky.

The fleeing remnants of the northern army had been running all night, and were exhausted.

Their armor was covered in mud and blood; some had lost their helmets, some had lost their weapons, and some were riding rickety horses stolen from civilians, their steps faltering.

Marcus Whitehorse, surrounded by a few close associates, rode on the only black horse that still looked somewhat spirited, his face ashen.

His lips trembled as he glanced back from time to time at the still unseen pursuers to the north.

"Lord Marcus, we have no way to escape." A Silver Fox knight rode closer, his voice filled with despair.

"Shut up!" Marcus snapped. "Once we cross that stone bridge, we'll be in the heart of the North, where the Golden Saddle Horse family has a garrison. Once we get there, we'll be safe!"

Before he finished speaking, a cloud of dust rose from the horizon behind him.

Those were cavalry, cavalry from the southern border, incredibly fast; their white-gold figures and black-armored knights could be vaguely seen in the dust.

"They've caught up!" The Silver Fox knight's voice changed.

"Quick! Cross the bridge!" Marcus whipped his warhorse frantically, and the black horse neighed and galloped toward the stone bridge ahead.

A stone bridge spans a narrow river, the water gleaming with a dark luster in the morning light.

Across the bridge lies a vast plain, and further north lies the territory of the Golden Saddle Horse family.

Marcus whipped his horse relentlessly, its hooves pounding rapidly on the stone slabs of the bridge.

But just as he was about to cross the stone bridge, a loud bang came from ahead.

A magical bomb landed precisely at the bridgehead, sending shards of stone flying and dust billowing. Marcus's warhorse was startled, rearing up and throwing him off.

"Ah—!" Marcus screamed and fell to the ground, landing on his shoulder. The intense pain almost made him faint.

As the smoke and dust cleared, a large crater was blasted into the bridgehead, and several pieces of rubble rolled into the river, splashing water.

Alec stopped his horse at the edge of the pit, looking down at Marcus lying in the dust, his gray eyes devoid of pity.

"We caught up."

Marcus struggled to stand up, but the sharp pain in his shoulder made him tremble all over.

He looked up and saw the dark mass of the Azure Peak Knights approaching from behind Alec, while his surviving men were already surrounded.

"You surrender." Alec sheathed his sword. "You've lost."

Marcus closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and finally nodded slowly...

……

Further north on another path, the nobleman Rand was walking alone.

He was not on horseback, nor did he have any attendants. He wore only an old gray-brown cloak, his head bowed, like an inconspicuous traveler.

He had been walking all night, his feet were blistered and his lips were chapped, but he dared not stop.

Unlike Marcus, he didn't believe the Golden Saddle Horse family would accept them, these defeated generals.

He knew that Cedric didn't need losers, but rather people who could conquer territories for him.

For these small and medium-sized families, once they lose, they lose. They have no value to be used and are destined to be abandoned.

But he had no other way out.

If he returns to the North, Cedric will kill him; if he stays in the South, Count Vio will never trust him.

He could only leave, go to a place where no one knew him, and live out the rest of his life in anonymity.

"Stop!" a voice came from ahead.

Rand suddenly stopped and looked up to see a tall figure standing on the path ahead.

It was Glenn of the militia.

Behind him were mercenaries from the Grey Hyenas, who poured out of the woods on both sides and surrounded Rand.

"Rand, head of the White Eagle family," Glenn's voice was calm, "Our Earl wishes to see you."

Rand didn't struggle or run away; he knew he had nowhere to escape, and just sighed.

"Let's go."

At noon, the last group of remaining soldiers were escorted back to the main camp.

Vio stood in the center of the camp, watching the prisoners being led to kneel in a row, among them Marcus Whitehorse and Rand Hamas.

He walked up to Marcus, looked down at the once arrogant eldest son of the White Horse family, now covered in mud and dejected.

"Marcus Whitehorse, your brother Jimmy is doing very well in the Knights of the Azure Peak," Vio's voice was calm. "But you, you chose to be my enemy."

"Take them away." Vio waved his hand. "And that Rand, interrogate them separately, focusing on them."

The prisoners of war were taken away, and order was gradually restored in the camp.

The soldiers in the southern border began clearing the battlefield, treating the wounded, and sorting through the captured supplies. The mercenaries of the Grey Hyenas slumped down next to their tents, drinking heavily and laughing loudly, celebrating their hard-won victory.

William walked up to Vio and knelt on one knee.

"My Lord, in this battle we captured more than 3,000 knights and soldiers from various families in the North, and seized countless armor, weapons and warhorses. Our army suffered 110 dead and more than 400 wounded."

Vio nodded.

"The dead warriors, according to the previous rules... separate the prisoners into ordinary soldiers and low-ranking knights, and tell them that those who are willing to work for the Southern Territory can be spared from imprisonment. After working for three years, they will regain their freedom."

"Those who are unwilling, lock them up and wait until they come to their senses before we talk to them."

William was taken aback. "Your Excellency, you're not going to kill them?"

Vio glanced at him. "What's the use of killing them? The South and West need manpower, we need to build cities, mine, and repair roads."

"I'd be more than happy to have them work for free." He paused. "As for those noble captains, let their families pay their ransom. The ransom should be enough to make them feel bad, but not enough to bankrupt them. After they're ransomed, they won't have the money to oppose me anymore."

William smiled. "Your Excellency is wise."

……

As night fell, a campfire was lit in the camp.

The soldiers in the southern border sat around the fire, roasting meat, drinking wine, and singing songs.

Jimmy and Ansquie were drinking heavily and soon their faces turned red. Russell was also arm wrestling with several knight captains, which drew cheers from the crowd.

The Grey Hyena mercenaries surrounded Zane, listening to him recount his heroic feat of biting through an enemy's throat in the Black Forest.

Vio sat under a large tree at the edge of the camp, holding a glass of wine in his hand, but he didn't drink it.

Alec sat beside him, the greatsword leaning against him, his gray eyes gazing into the distance.

"Your Excellency, what are you worried about?" Alec asked.

Vio was silent for a moment, then spoke.

"Although these battles have gone smoothly, Cedric's main force has not yet moved, and the armies of the Golden Saddle Horse and the Black Serpent have not yet arrived. We have only defeated the small and medium-sized families in the North. The real tough battles are yet to come."

Alec nodded. "You're right."

"So we can't wait." Vio raised his head, his gaze falling on the northern horizon. "If we wait for them to come to our door, we'll only be able to defend passively. Rather than that, we should continue to take the initiative."

Alec's brow furrowed slightly. "You mean…"

"Continue north." Vio put down his wine glass, stood up, and said, "Before they've all assembled, we'll head straight north and catch the Golden Saddle Horse and Black Serpent families off guard. They think we'll be waiting for them in the South, but we won't."

Alec was silent for a moment, then stood up. "Sir, have you made up your mind?"

"It's decided." Vio turned around, his gaze sweeping over the soldiers who were still celebrating. "Tell Jimmy and Ansquie to rest well. In a few days, the entire army will head north."

Alec looked at him, a hint of respect flashing in his gray eyes. "Yes, sir."

The news quickly spread throughout the entire camp.

Jimmy and Ansque exchanged a glance, both seeing surprise in each other's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by excitement.

Russell put down his wine glass, clenched his fist, and his eyes burned with fighting spirit, while Glenn silently wiped his greatsword, a glimmer of light appearing in his calm eyes.

William stood by the campfire, watching the mercenaries still celebrating, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"The Earl is truly..." He shook his head, "As expected of him."

Zane grinned, revealing a set of yellow teeth. "That's more like it. Hiding in the back all the time, what kind of warrior are you? Fight! Fight them all the way to their northern homeland!"

The campfire cast their shadows long, long on the ground.