Lord: I can see loyalty.

"Lock them up, find a few skilled interrogators to thoroughly torture them, and remember, don't let them die."

Seeing the group of assassins easily defeated and tied up, Vio gave a few instructions and then looked at Vincent.

"Well done, Vincent. You should get some rest during this time." Vio untied the restraints from him and said to the servant, "Take him to get treatment."

"Thank you, Lord." Vincent covered the wound on his hand, gave a simple bow, and slowly left with the help of his servant.

The bound man glared fiercely at Vio; if his mouth hadn't been gagged, he probably would have already started cursing.

After confirming that they had been taken away, Vio yawned and returned to his room, feeling not much fear.

If these assassins were only this skilled, he would have noticed them as soon as they got close, since Vio's sword had been hanging on the side of the bed the whole time.

What worried Vio even more was who wanted to attack him: Neil from the fortress? Or those bandits? Or perhaps it was this man's own decision?

Filled with doubt, Vio drifted off to sleep again in a daze.

When the sun was high in the sky the next day, Vio slowly opened his eyes, and Gina knocked on the door shortly afterward.

"Lord Vio, I heard that enemies invaded the manor last night?" Gina asked worriedly, helping Vio to his feet. "Are you alright?"

Vio waved his hand: "They were just a few petty thugs. They were already interrogated last night. I'm going over there to see how they are doing."

After a quick wash, Vio and Gina, led by a guard, arrived at a small house not far from the mansion.

The two guards at the gate immediately bowed respectfully and made way for Vio.

As the door opened, Vio saw the same people from yesterday.

"That's all?! I see you are... Eh, greetings, Lord!" A handsome man stood in front of the assassins, his clothes stained with blood.

"Excuse me, my lord, I've offended your eyes." Seeing the lord's brow furrow slightly, the man quickly stepped back.

"It's alright. Your name is Adrian, right? Well done. Looks like I'll be relying on you from now on."

Vio didn't pay any attention, simply glancing at the panel before nodding and turning to the assassins, asking, "What did they confess?"

"My lord, just give me a quick death!" Vio had barely uttered the words when the man charged forward like a madman, but the iron chain around his throat made it impossible for him to move an inch.

"Sir, let him repeat it to you again..." Adrian said with a smile.

"Who sent you?"

"It's Connor! Connor the Border Wolf of the bandits!" Vio exclaimed, and the man quickly replied. "We wandered around after leaving the village until we encountered that group of bandits."

"He killed several of us, but Connor spared me after learning about my situation. He wants me to kill you; if I do, the position of Lord of Bordeaux will be mine..."

The man had been tortured beyond recognition; several pieces of skin had been cut off his face.

"Connor?" Vio recalled for a moment; the name had indeed appeared in his mind.

When Sean the Wolf was attacked, he mistakenly thought that Connor was responsible. However, the information he received from the Earl of the Fortress was: "Connor the Border Wolf has nearly a hundred bandits under his command and is a major bandit problem in the Southern Territory."

It seems that Connor and Sean don't have a very good relationship.

After thinking for a moment, Vio looked at the man again and asked, "What else do you know?"

The man shook his head frantically: "I don't know! I don't know anything! That guy just gave me a few weapons and told me to set off... Ugh!"

Before he could finish speaking, the spike in Adrian's hand pierced the other man's shoulder, and the red-hot iron spike instantly emitted a puff of white smoke.

"I really don't know! I... Ah!!"

Vio didn't ask any more questions, but simply told Adrian, "Remember to get rid of him after the torture is over."

"Yes, my lord."

……

Back at the manor, Vio sat in the lord's chair and had already sent for several militia captains and the regimental commander, Jimmy.

Looking at the group of people in front of him, Vio didn't waste any words and went straight to the point: "Through the information obtained from the assassin's interrogation, we know that bandits have already set their sights on us."

"Front Wolf Connor, we don't know where their camp is yet." Vio's hand traced the unexplored areas on the map.

The militia captains exchanged glances, and their leader, Jimmy, quickly asked, "My lord, do you have any information on how many men Connor has?"

"There are at least a hundred elite soldiers, and the number of ordinary bandits would be more than double."

Upon hearing Vio's reply, the captains' faces turned awkward; this enemy was clearly not on the same level as before.

"I've already had Cohen send men to gather intelligence. This time, we'll probably have to take the initiative, just like the first time." Vio thought for a moment, then added, "Everyone, we need to increase security in both villages recently, until we eliminate..."

"My lord!" Before Vio could finish speaking, a loud shout came from outside the mansion.

At Vio's signal, the servant opened the door, and a vanguard rode up on horseback: "My lord..."

He dismounted and practically tumbled and crawled into the house.

"What's going on? Calm down." Vio was somewhat surprised; the militia had rarely been so flustered since they started training.

"Sir, warships are approaching from the sea behind the village!"

Upon hearing this, not only the vanguard, but everyone in the room stood up, their expressions immediately becoming unsteady.

"How many? Send archers to ambush on the cliff first!" Vio was the first to calm down and said to the militia captain beside him.

"Yes, sir!"

"How many... two ships, the ships were full of shields, and we couldn't see the number of enemies at that distance!" the vanguard hurriedly said after recalling.

"Jimmy, are there any boats in the village?" Vio nodded and then looked at Jimmy beside him before asking.

"Well... sir, the village only has one old boat that hasn't been out to sea for a long time, and we don't know if it will be usable."

"Come on, take me to see!" Vio had only taken a few steps when he looked at the other captains and vanguards: "Go evacuate the villagers, and then have the militiamen assemble on the cliff."

When Vio and Jimmy left the mansion, the village was already in a state of tense activity. The militiamen's urging echoed through the alleys, and villagers, young and old, were being led in an orderly fashion towards the village entrance, carrying their belongings.

The village of Bordeaux is perched high on a cliff, with the Gare de la Garde as its back and salty sand and sea below. Since the enemy came from the sea, the villagers naturally had no choice but to retreat to the village entrance.

Vio was soon led to an old ship near the shore. Because it was some distance from the village, enemy ships could not be seen from there.

Looking at the large ship in front of him, Vio's face turned pale. This was more than just an old ship; it was practically a dilapidated one!

"Lord Vio!" Just as Vio and Jimmy were speechless, a shout came from the direction of the cliff.

Looking up, they saw Old Patton leading several members of the blacksmiths' camp heading towards them!

"Old Patton? You didn't go to take refuge?" Vio asked anxiously.

"I knew it... Sir, when I saw you heading this way, I guessed you wanted to use this old ship..." Old Patton panted heavily. Although he was physically robust, he was still just an old man.

"Sir, enough with the nonsense. When I was young, I followed my master and worked with ship timber for a few years. I can't build a whole ship, but I can certainly repair leaks!"