The Boss King actually disguised himself as a novice village chief?!
Chapter 266 - 228 Dark Night Orchard

Chapter 266: Chapter 228 Dark Night Orchard

Lord Baya stood before the huge full-length mirror, two male servants bustling around him as he donned an exquisite robe over his body, his dark brown hair slick with oil.

He had proposed to Queen Rania under an air of coercion and, with a stroke of luck, he had succeeded!

Rania didn’t like him personally, but marriages among nobility had always been like that—interests were what mattered most. He promised he would protect Rania and help her reclaim the throne of Rand Kingdom.

In the days to follow, celebrations would take place within his territory, not just at Mountain Demon Castle but also in six surrounding villages.

The militia from these villages served as sentinels, safeguarding the Mountain Demon Castle.

Though he was unsure if the prophecy the crone whispered had changed, no, no, no, it had changed—he was going to marry Her Majesty the Queen!

But soon, an urgent message was delivered by a raven.

"A detachment of Rand Kingdom cavalry? Heading towards Raven City?"

The smile on Lord Baya’s face disappeared.

His first thought was that Rania’s "helpers" had arrived, but he quickly realized that, should they be loyal to the Queen, they would also swear fealty to him once he married her.

"Pity they’re just passing through," Lord Baya said with a face full of regret.

The wedding ceremony would last several days, including baths, prayers, blessings, and more. The former Lord Baya detested such red tape, often sneaking away to yawn in private, but now that he was the main character, he suddenly found the beauty in these rituals.

To make a piece of meat delicious, one must wait patiently—the appetizer, the ceremony, the social dance—each step was key to enhancing the flavor of the meat.

Nobles, truly graceful.

...

"Damn!" Lind took a bite of his meat.

He was thirty percent convinced that Lord Baya was associated with the "rats," for a simple reason: the man was the most powerful force nearest to Snake Catcher Fortress.

Emerald Hill was simply not possible; they would be devoured by the grand snake Ronan before getting anywhere close to the fortress.

Never mind his human head; one look at his massive writhing serpentine body told you he wasn’t picky—in the face of Emerald Hill’s meager strength, he’d surely be eaten whole.

Moreover, Lind considered Doris’ analysis: as a "noble," his total allegiance to Her Majesty the Queen was genuine, as was his reason for killing the traitor Baya.

Proactive assault was clearly more in line with the spirit of the age than waiting.

Though it was all speculation, Lind decided to return and make contact with Lord Baya.

Forget thirty percent—even a three percent chance was enough for him to show up and cause trouble.

Since Her Majesty the Queen was getting married, as a noble from Rand, he presumed attendance at the wedding wouldn’t be an issue.

Dark Night Orchard was just ahead, and Lind forcibly shifted his attention back to the task at hand.

This was an estate nestled within a valley, with diamond-shaped bricks assembled into half-human-height courtyard walls.

Bare trees planted in the ground were entwined with vines that bore black leaves, forming an area utterly secluded from sunlight.

The soldiers had already halted to check their weapons and equipment at the earliest.

The Volcano Monster Bird would be of no use in this fight, while the scavengers were eager for action.

Lind, too, inspected his gear—no one wanted to die over something trivial, so they prepared for everything before rushing towards death.

"I can’t wait to experience a great battle!" Peel exclaimed.

His words resonated with the fellow Great Knights around him. With more powerful equipment and strength, they all longed for a real and pure fight.

The encounter at Emerald Hill, no, it could hardly be called a fight, was disappointingly dull.

If Dark Night Orchard and Emerald Hill were considered sub-villages belonging to Raven City, it might mean that one or two people could deal with this place.

But perhaps a fierce battle awaited; after all, the enemies that Lord Lind hoped to capture alive must possess some real skills.

"Don’t use the crossbow," Pim said, "Peel!"

He had previously taken down a Great Knight with a single shot from his Mystic Rune crossbow; if he carelessly killed the prisoners Lind wished to capture this time, someone would pay the price.

"I’ll aim for their knees, just like that—swoosh," Peel gestured.

To kill the enemy, to win the battle—simple as that.

"Are you sad?" Doris approached Lind, observing him as he polished the Broken Sword again and again with oil.

She could feel the power emanating from the Broken Sword.

"You may not believe it, but most of those I’ve killed on my way have been humans," Lind said, "always humans. The few Calamities we’ve faced pale in comparison to the deaths we’ve dealt with by our hands."

This world, supposedly overrun with Calamities, with people suffering at their hands, yet looking back, his struggles had always been with human factions.

"Perspective is different," Doris remarked.

"Of course, I know that," Lind nodded, "Sometimes, though, I wonder about the world we live in—it may not be so pure. But it’s alright, I know the most important thing now is to kill the enemy."

The soldiers’ chests burned with fiery anticipation.

The signal to raid Dark Night Orchard was about to be sounded.

Before the apocalypse, Doris had never witnessed a scene like the one before her—dozens of "War Gods," who might be sung about by Bards, who might display their might in a battle, now fashioned a golden spearhead.

Their numbers were not large, but they were mightier than legions of thousands.

The Catastrophe Warhorses pawed at the ground, mouth agape showing fanged teeth with viscous saliva drooling between them.