At the city gate of Liberty City, Count George, the lord of the city, was currently waiting. He sat in a hastily constructed wooden shed, squinting at the distance.
"Cough, cough, cough..." George coughed violently twice, his murky eyes filled with bloodshot veins.
"Father, you should head back first. We can wait here for His Highness the Fourth Prince," Gil said with concern.
Gil was George's fifth son, a rather mediocre person. It was mainly his filial piety that allowed him to stay by George's side; otherwise, he would have long been sent away to his own territory.
"No need. The Fourth Prince arrives today; we cannot be impolite," George said, waving his hand. He had received news that the Fourth Prince had withdrawn from the Capital, no longer interfering in the struggle between the First and Second Princes, and was beginning to conserve his strength for the future.
"Why would His Highness the Fourth Prince leave the Capital?" Gil didn't understand. He knew their family sided with the Fourth Prince, so why wasn't he in the capital vying for the throne?
"He simply lacks the strength. The First and Second Princes both have Dukes supporting them," George sighed. This was also the only reason he had been able to establish a connection. Otherwise, why would the Fourth Prince even glance at a mere Count?
"I understand." Gil pursed his lips. It was just like his own situation; if his other brothers hadn't passed away, he would never have risen to his current position.
"This time... I'm afraid His Highness the Fourth Prince will be disappointed." George sighed again, a look of dejection on his face.
Of his three sons, one was dead, and the others missing. He had even lost several hundred knights. The Count's knightly order had been severely weakened, losing more than half its strength. He feared the Fourth Prince would look down on him even more.
"Father, no one could have expected that Sedona City would be so powerful, to actually have several hundred knights," Gil said comfortingly.
The capture of Viscount and the annihilation of the knightly order— George had received all this news. After all, the Bounty Hunter's Guild had failed two consecutive missions, and all the intelligence had been gathered. It allowed George to understand Sedona City's true strength, its bustling trade, and the unique coexistence of humans and beastkin.
"Those are not excuses. Failure is failure," George said, waving his hand, his eyes filled with killing intent.
Gil fell silent. Knowing his father, he understood that he was already angry. The calmer he appeared, the greater his desire to kill.
An hour passed.
Thump, thump, thump...
The ground vibrated. The thunderous sound of hooves rumbled from the distance. At least a thousand horses were galloping.
"They're here. Everyone, get ready." George opened his eyes, stood up from the wooden shed, and walked to the center of the castle gate.
"Yes," Gil responded respectfully, immediately directing the knights to form ranks.
Thump, thump, thump...
A dozen or so minutes passed. A banner appeared on the horizon, followed by horse after horse, and then a troop of knights came into view.
Thump, thump, thump...
A few minutes later, the knightly order arrived before Liberty City, stopped, and parted to either side. A carriage was driven forward—it was the Fourth Prince's. Count George and the others hurried to greet it.
Creek!
The carriage door opened, and the very portly Fourth Prince stepped out, a constant smile on his face.
"We respectfully welcome Your Highness, the Fourth Prince." George performed a noble's bow with reverence.
"Ah, Count George," The Prince said gently, dismounting the carriage with the help of a knight.
"Your Highness, I have already prepared lunch. Please, Your Highness, dine with us," George said respectfully.
"Let's go. I happen to be hungry as well," The Prince said, waving his hand. He was very unpretentious, not at all like a loser.
To retreat from the Capital meant he could not compete with the First and Second Princes. This already made him a semi-loser. No one could say for certain if a future rebellion would succeed.
"Your Highness, this way, please." George led the way.
The group followed George into the castle and took their seats in the dining hall. The Fourth Prince sat at the head of the table, while George sat in the second seat to the left, indicating his rank was only fourth among those around the prince.
"Count, how are the matters I entrusted to you?" The Fourth Prince asked gently as soon as he sat down. "How many knights are there in the Western Lands?"
The Fourth Prince had long set his sights on the Western Lands. The place was remote, but its population was by no means small. He should be able to gather a few thousand knights, which would give him the foundation to counterattack the Capital.
"This..." George was at a loss for words, his face darkening slightly. He hadn't expected the Fourth Prince to be so eager.
"What? Has something happened?" The Fourth Prince's gentle expression slowly faded, his eyes flashing with displeasure.
The order for George to gather knights in the Western Lands was a secret command from the Fourth Prince himself. This was a force the prince was developing in secret so as not to alert the First and Second Princes.
"Your Highness, there has been a small problem. My three sons have all died in the Western Lands." As George spoke of this painful subject, he was overcome with grief and began to weep, shedding tears.
"What happened?" The Fourth Prince was stunned. How could three sons just die as soon as he brought it up?
"Your Highness, it is like this. After receiving Your Highness's command, I did not dare to delay for a moment and sent my three most outstanding sons to the Western Lands to complete the task you assigned. But who would have thought there was a Sedona City Lord named Lucas. He refused to obey Your Highness's command and even sent men to attack and kill my three sons," George said, wiping his tears as he spoke. An uninformed observer might have actually thought he was heartbroken over his sons.
"So audacious? Interesting." The Fourth Prince squinted at George, his cheek twitching. A moment later, a look of mourning appeared on his face, and he offered comfort, "Count George, rest assured. When we go to the Western Lands this time, you may deal with Lucas as you see fit."
"Yes, thank you, Your Highness." George secretly sighed in relief. He had managed to get away with it.
"I have brought two thousand knights with me this time. I'll leave their arrangements to you. We will rest for a few days and then set out for the Western Lands," The Fourth Prince said with a light laugh.
"Please, leave it to me," George readily agreed.
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