Chapter 260 - 259: Leader of the Thief Gang

Giant Stone City.

Since May, the clouds of war have loomed over the city.

Faced with the loss of Chishan Town overnight and the annihilation of half the Knight Order, the people here lived in constant fear, afraid they might not see the next day’s sun each time they went to sleep.

Fortunately, the arrival of reinforcements from Wushan Castle eased the situation.

That night, in the study of the Baron of Giant Stone City.

"Leader Coren, the remaining Knight Squads of the Fifth Knight Order have been taken over by Sir Toru."

Coren snorted, his expression frigid. "Leader? Brisot, do you really think I can still be the Leader of the Fifth Knight Order?"

When Toru entered Giant Stone City with Lurans’s orders, he quickly took control of the few surviving Knight Squads of the Fifth Knight Order.

Toru hadn’t said it outright, and Lurans hadn’t issued a formal order of dismissal, but Coren knew. After the defeat at Chishan Town, his title as Leader of the Fifth Knight Order was gone.

From now on, he was merely a Vassal of Wushan Territory and the Baron of Giant Stone Territory. The only forces he could command were the three Knight Squads from his own domain.

On top of this vexing matter, to atone for his mistakes at Chishan Town, Wiggin had also demanded that he deploy all the Knight Squads of Giant Stone Ridge and supply the Wushan Castle Knight Order and the Wubei Territory Knight Squads.

Moreover, it was foreseeable that even if Wushan Castle won this war and recaptured Chishan Town, he would certainly not get a share of the iron mine there.

Brisot chuckled, dropping the subject of the Leader position. "I hear the Commander of the Noble Alliance Army this time is Ronin. My lord Baron, how much do you know about him?"

"Just a kid who’s barely come of age."

Coren’s tone was filled with contempt. "Who knows if he was hiding his strength before or just got lucky and became an Advanced Level Knight. But even if his performance in the last six months has been decent, it can’t cover up his past ignorance and foolishness!"

His thoughts turned to Wiggin and his son, and his disdain deepened. "You know Wiggin’s skill as a commander. How much better do you think his son could possibly be?"

But Coren was lost in his own perspective. He only knew that Ronin had eliminated Reisen and become the Viscount of Wubei; he was completely unaware that the young man’s temperament and methods had fundamentally changed.

"So, what should we do in this war?"

Although Brisot was asking, he seemed to have a good idea of Coren’s intentions, which was why a faint smile played on his lips.

"Should we follow Ronin’s command, or..."

"Of course we’ll follow his command!"

Coren cut him off. "I already have the failure at Chishan Town hanging over my head. If I disobey orders now and the war is lost, won’t I become the perfect punching bag for the Noble Alliance Army to vent its anger on?"

"That’s true," Brisot nodded to himself.

Neither of them was the least bit worried that if the war was lost, the Polante Thief Gang would continue its offensive and threaten Coren’s territory.

After all, a significant number of Knight Squads from Wushan Castle had joined the Noble Alliance Army this time. Even if they were all killed by the enemy, the foe would suffer heavy losses in the process.

Coren took a deep breath, a calculating glint in his eyes.

"Go and make the preparations. Tomorrow, we have to go outside the city to welcome the Commander and the Alliance Army of the various nobles."

...

「At the same time, within Chishan Town.」

The grand hall of a mansion that once belonged to Hahn Knight was now brightly lit by brilliant candlelight.

The five men in the hall were all powerfully built, casting immense shadows on the walls in the flickering candlelight.

They were none other than the leader of the Polante Thief Gang and his core members.

"The Noble Alliance Army from Wushan Castle has arrived. I’m afraid they’ll be attacking Chishan Town soon." The speaker’s tone was tinged with worry.

"What’s there to be afraid of? We just need to beat them back."

"Heh, that’s right. We took Chishan Town. Are they expecting us to just spit it back out?"

The men below were all talking at once—some worried, some fearless, but not a single one suggested suing for peace.

"Alright, shut up!"

Amicus, the Leader of the Polante Thief Gang, shouted, instantly silencing the discussions in the hall.

"Hodan, from now on, have the men keep a sharp lookout. Be ready to fight at a moment’s notice."

Hodan was the Vice Leader of the Thief Gang. "Understood, Leader!"

"Warwick, has all the iron ore we’ve dug up recently been shipped out?" Amicus asked.

A Knight below quickly replied, "The early stockpiles from the Chishan Iron Mine, as well as the ore we’ve recently mined, have all been loaded up and shipped to Shore City."

"Good. There’s probably still some time before the war starts. Have those miners spend every waking moment digging, aside from when they’re eating. If they have to sleep, they can sleep in the mine!"

"My lord, you mean to...?"

The Vice Leader frowned slightly. This approach seemed like he was trying to dig as much as possible before leaving. ’Could it be that he’s thinking of retreating?’

"Heh, you always have to be prepared. If something unexpected happens and we have to withdraw from Chishan Town, then we’ll take as much iron ore with us as we can."

"I understand, my lord."

Warwick, the Knight in charge of the mining operation, revealed a cruel smile. "I’ll go supervise those miners and make them dig up more ore."

"Remember to feed them well, and let them sleep two or three hours a day."

Amicus added with a friendly reminder, "Production drops if they’re too tired."

"I’m sure the miners will be grateful for your mercy."

They discussed matters for a while longer before dispersing.

Although the Polante Thief Gang was a force unrecognized by the Kingdom and the various nobles, it had its own internal administrative structure. They weren’t just a disorganized rabble who acted on a whim.

Watching his subordinates leave the hall, Amicus stood up and stretched lazily.

As a Golden Knight, if he were to serve another noble, while becoming a Noble of the Feudal Territory might be out of reach, becoming a Knight and joining the aristocracy would be a simple matter.

But how could that compare to the freedom and comfort of ruling his own territory?

Years ago, he had accurately judged that Wushan Castle was in decline. Backed by the support of a certain noble, he chose to stir up trouble in this location—a display of foresight that even he himself had to admire.

Now, as long as he toed the line and didn’t provoke a united suppression from the Kingdom, he could easily establish himself in the Southwest of Wushan Territory like any other noble. Shore City and its surrounding towns would be his domain.

In that case, what was the difference between him and those Nobles of the Feudal Territory?

"The Noble Alliance Army of Wushan Territory... it’s been several years since I last tested your strength. I wonder if you’ve improved at all."

The corners of his mouth curled up slightly, pleased by some unknown thought.

"Heh heh, Marquis Lurans wants to use us to fight a war of validation for his grandson. I’m afraid that little plan is doomed to fail~"