As the smoke of war slowly dissipated, the clamor on the battlefield gradually subsided into silence.
Agnes's posture was agile; she bent her knees slightly, leaped, and landed steadily on the city wall, her movements clean and decisive, without the slightest hesitation.
Her expression was stern, like frost in winter, and she looked directly at Link, saying, "I have fulfilled my promise. This is Carter Zane's head; I have brought it for you."
With that, she expressionlessly handed over the head, still bearing traces of blood, which appeared particularly glaring in the sunlight.
Link did not reach out to take it but instead cast his gaze to a Greck Cavalry nearby.
The cavalryman reacted extremely quickly, instantly understanding Link's meaning, and hurried forward, respectfully taking Carter Zane's head with both hands, then firmly impaling it on his long spear.
Now, victory in war had been achieved, and the cheers of the crowd still seemed to echo in their ears.
However, everyone knew in their hearts that what they faced next would be an even more formidable enemy—the terrifying "The Terror Duke."
"The Terror Duke" Norton Gregg was a powerful Lord who possessed a vast territory spanning thousands of miles.
To be precise, the current "The Terror Duke" was the thirteenth generation. Before him, the Gregg family had undergone twelve generations of painstaking management and development, with each generation shedding sweat and blood on this land to forge the terrifying strength the Gregg family possessed today.
They accumulated wealth, expanded their influence, and cultivated elite armies, step by step leading the family to its glorious peak.
Such a powerful enemy was undoubtedly many times more terrifying than Carter Zane.
Although Carter Zane also had considerable influence and was considered a local overlord in the surrounding areas, in front of "The Terror Duke," he might have been like an ant before an elephant, appearing so small and vulnerable.
However, there was no trace of fear in Link's eyes; his gaze was firm and steady, as if he had long been prepared to face any challenge.
No matter how difficult the road ahead, he had to kill Carter Zane.
Even if it meant offending "The Terror Duke," what of it?
He would meet force with force, and adapt to circumstances.
Link knew that on this continent full of strife and war, fear would only make him lose the motivation to move forward.
Moreover, the abundant points brought by this war far exceeded Link's imagination. As long as he could develop steadily for a period of time, even if his opponent was "The Terror Duke," he had enough confidence to withstand him.
Link turned around and loudly ordered the warriors behind him, "Take Carter Zane's head, have Lina organize the troops to wait here, and then we will proceed to Gray Valley County!"
His voice was loud and powerful, echoing in the air, ensuring every warrior heard him clearly.
Carter Zane was dead, and Link naturally would not let go of the wealth and influence he left behind; he would definitely take it over.
Especially in the current situation, no one knew when the powerful "The Terror Duke" would retaliate. He had to seize every opportunity to strengthen himself and enhance the combat effectiveness of his army.
On this land full of variables, only by being strong enough could one stand firm in this chaotic world.
Just like the last campaign in Iron Hammer Territory, Carter Zane's head, like Bear Peter's, was hoisted high.
Link mounted his warhorse, his posture tall and straight, like an unshakeable mountain, moving forward.
Following closely behind him were Lina, Agnes, Lucrezia, Sterula, and Asaji, among others, each with a resolute expression, exuding a unique aura. Further back were the Greck Cavalry and the Eleglacia Heavy Armor Shield Soldiers.
This army had just gone through a brutal bloody battle, still stained with fresh blood, and a chilling aura permeated the air, as if an invisible force was circling, making people shiver.
Link led his army in a mighty procession towards Gray Valley County, with no intention of concealing their whereabouts.
He wanted everyone to know that the Winterfell City army had achieved victory, and they would enter Gray Valley County with a strong stance.
Therefore, as soon as their journey began, this incredibly shocking scene was discovered by the scouts of various forces near Gray Valley County.
These scouts had originally rushed here, intending to immediately report the news of Carter Zane leading his army to annihilate Winterfell City and kill Lord Link of Winterfell City to their respective forces.
After all, in their eyes, Carter Zane had a strong army, numerous elite Soldiers, and advanced weaponry, making it impossible for Winterfell City to resist.
They seemed to have already envisioned Carter Zane leading his army to flatten Winterfell City, imagining Link trembling under Carter Zane's iron hooves.
But now, it was clear that the situation had undergone a drastic change.
The one whose head was severed was not Lord Link of Winterfell City, but Carter Zane!
"Gods above, what am I seeing! That's Lord Carter Zane's head!" A scout's eyes widened, his face full of disbelief, his voice trembling slightly. He kept rubbing his eyes, as if wanting to confirm if all of this was real.
"It... it really is Carter Zane's head! How could the powerful Lord Carter Zane have his head cut off!" Another scout also looked terrified, continuously rubbing his eyes, as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. His body trembled slightly, his heart filled with fear and doubt.
"Oh my god, Winterfell City actually defeated Lord Carter Zane, this is impossible!" Another scout muttered to himself, his eyes filled with confusion and incomprehension. He stood there blankly, as if he had lost his soul, his mind a blank.
One by one, the scouts couldn't believe their eyes; it was simply too unbelievable.
How could Carter Zane, leading such a powerful army, have been defeated?
They couldn't figure out what had happened behind the scenes.
They began to whisper to each other, asking about what each had seen, trying to get some clues from one another.
However, when the scouts' gazes finally began to shift from Carter Zane's head to the army behind Link, they all fell silent.
Whether it was the murderous Heavy Armor Shield Soldiers, or the well-equipped City Guards of Winterfell City, or the silent and powerful Eleglacia Heavy Armor Shield Soldiers following closely behind.
All of this showed everyone that this was by no means an ordinary army.
Though few in number, they were by no means to be underestimated!
Especially the red figure walking at the front of the procession—Agnes.
She was clearly just a woman, but a casual glance from her made one feel their breath catch, as if suppressed by an invisible force.
Her eyes revealed a coldness and murderous intent that made people dare not meet her gaze.
"Such terrifying aura!"
These scouts averted their gazes one after another, no longer daring to look at her, fearing that an extra glance would bring unnecessary trouble.
They began to carefully record everything they saw, preparing to quickly transmit this news back to their respective forces.
Link led his army forward, completely ignoring the scouts hidden on both sides of the road.
He knew that these scouts were the eyes and ears of various forces, and he needed to use these scouts to convey a new message to the forces near Gray Valley County: that from today onwards, there would be no more Lord Carter Zane of Gray Valley County, but rather him, Lord Link of Winterfell City!
He wanted to make everyone know, with a strong stance, that Winterfell City had risen and was no longer a small force that could be bullied at will.
As Link's army slowly passed, some scouts from various forces, relying on their keen senses and methods, investigated more details.
They discovered the battlefield in the jungle, a gruesome sight.
Flesh and blood flew everywhere, corpses littered the ground, as if it were a hellish purgatory.
A pungent smell of blood permeated the battlefield, making one nauseous.
Severed limbs were scattered everywhere, and blood stained the earth, forming dark red pools.
There were also some Soldiers from Carter Zane's army who had luckily escaped, each looking dazed, as if they had lost their souls.
Their eyes were filled with fear and despair, and they stumbled forward, muttering something incessantly.
Whether it was the battlefield like a hellish purgatory, or the fleeing Soldiers who, though they escaped, were all mad and seemed to have suffered an immense blow, all indicated that Carter Zane's army had just suffered a crushing defeat here!
"Dead, all dead! That woman is a demon, a demon!"
A Soldier of Carter Zane, who had luckily escaped, was flailing his arms and legs, screaming hysterically.
His eyes were vacant, clearly having been terrified by Agnes's appearance on the battlefield.
His voice echoed through the jungle, filled with fear and despair.
Almost every Soldier who had luckily escaped reacted this way.
They were incoherent, unable to clearly describe the situation on the battlefield, making it impossible for the scouts to even ask for details.
The scouts could only watch these Soldiers helplessly, their hearts filled with doubt and curiosity.
Lord Link's journey continued, only this time, the display of force had shifted from Carter Zane to him.
However, Lord Link's display of force was clearly more impactful than Carter Zane's.
He traversed several small lords' territories with impunity, swaggering towards Gray Valley County.
The small lords whose territories he passed through dared not speak their anger.
Whether it was Carter Zane's head, hung high, or the silent, fierce army behind Lord Link, they were all silently telling these small lords—
Don't provoke me, or you will die a miserable death!