"You made our Hawk Clan lose a high knight!"
"High knight!"
The death of Salen is a huge loss for the Hawk Clan.
The Hawk Clan spent a large amount of resources and time to train him into a qualified high knight.
He was supposed to fill the gap in the familyās combat power after the death of the Hawk Count, becoming a blade to intimidate the enemy.
Now all of this has turned into a burst bubble.
"And you, this so-called commander, only know how to hide with your army in the valley!"
Luriceās voice became sharper,
"Under the pretense of searching, you cower like a coward!"
"Itās for strategic needs, Baron." Cook said calmly.
"Strategy, haha."
Lurice sneered, took a deep breath, and slowly spoke.
"I understand now, from the beginning this was a conspiracy planned by your Cold Blade Clan!"
"Everything youāve done is to reignite the war between the Hawk Clan and Black Pine Ridge, to weaken your neighbors!"
Luriceās words were like cold water poured onto hot coal, instantly freezing the atmosphere in the reception room.
Siloās face suddenly changed, and Cook couldnāt help but frown.
This statement meant that Luriceās attitude toward the Cold Blade Clan had fundamentally changed, suggesting that the relationship between the two clans might become strained.
"Baron, you must believe me, this is not the intent of the Cold Blade Clan!"
Silo said seriously:
"Before we began cooperating, I had clearly explained our goals to you."
"This action was entirely aimed at Baron Rod, with the intent of weakening the overall power of Black Pine Ridge!"
"And you werenāt the only one to suffer losses, the Cold Blade Clan also lost two high knights!"
After speaking, Silo stared closely at Lurice.
"Is that so?"
Lurice curled the corners of her mouth into a cold smile,
"Who can prove that Madreās attack wasnāt acting under your instructions?"
"Otherwise, how could they know so accurately about Salen Knightās defense weakness?"
"Honorable Lurice, Baron of the Falcon, stop these baseless allegations."
Siloās face grew more serious, and he solemnly explained:
"During our previous communications, Iāve never concealed anything."
"If this really was a conspiracy, we would hardly need to let you know so many secrets."
"Indeed, who really knows what happened?"
Lurice completely ignored Siloās explanation, impatiently waving her hand,
"Nothing you say can solve the problem now, leave, youāre not welcome here."
Her voice was resolute.
"Baron."
Silo frowned deeply, opening his mouth to say something.
He took a deep look at Lurice, ultimately choosing silence.
Silo nodded slightly and made a brief bow before turning to stride towards the door.
Knight Cook shrugged, still wearing that indifferent expression, and followed Silo out.
The heavy wooden door closed behind them with a dull thud.
The reception room fell into deathly silence.
Lurice let out a long sigh, her entire being seeming to lose strength as she slumped onto the chair.
She bowed her head, holding her forehead, sinking deep into thought.
Through the vents, a breeze blew in, causing the curtains to sway gently.
After a long time, the reception room door was once again pushed open from the outside.
"My lord, I saw your guests have all left."
Luriceās bodyguard, a young man, cautiously walked in, his face full of worry.
"Their expressions were ugly... did something happen?"
"Nothing."
Lurice raised her head, her face a bit fatigued,
"I just drove away some useless trash."
Luriceās gaze became serious,
"Beo Ka, I need you to do something very important for me."
...
...
On the desert of Black Pine Ridge.
The scorching midday sun was suffocating.
Yorick, with heavy shackles on his feet, moved each step with difficulty as the carriage slowly pulled him along.
The lack of water and the fierce sunlight made Yorickās mind dizzy.
He no longer remembered how many days ago he and the soldiers beside him were rescued from that lunatic Madre.
And then fell into the hands of Knight Sao, becoming the slaves of Black Pine Ridge.
It made no real difference, still slaves.
"Give me water, I need to drink water!"
Lying on the carriage, Salen shouted with all his might, "Iām a high knight, a minister of the Hawk Clan, you canāt treat me like this!"
Salenās voice was shrill, lacking any high knight demeanor.
"Send my message back to Eagle Ridge, you can at least exchange it for a hundred, no, two hundred gold coins!"
"Hurry up, you idiots, or if I die, youāll have a huge loss."
...
Salen, wounded, sounded weak.
His cries didnāt bring him a water bag, but a piece of cloth of doubtful cleanliness.
"Whether youāre valuable or how much youāre worth, will be decided by our lord."
Sao sat on horseback, speaking coldly without turning his head: "So before meeting the lord, you wonāt die."
"Mmm-mmm-mmm!"
Salen still struggled, but no one paid attention to him anymore.
Yorick watched quietly at the carriage carrying the once high-and-mighty commander without saying a word.
If this high knight had listened to his advice, perhaps he wouldnāt have been cornered in the room without even putting on his armor.