The Boss King actually disguised himself as a novice village chief?!
Chapter 437 - 367: Everyone Has Been Pried Away

Chapter 437: Chapter 367: Everyone Has Been Pried Away

Tao Lexi had stayed in a room above the tavern for the past two days.

The Queen had not invited them to stay overnight in the Royal Palace, explaining that the initial turmoil had caused some buildings to collapse, and currently all efforts were focused on repairing the walls and roads of Goliath, with the Royal Palace repairs being postponed.

The dilapidated Royal Palace was not fit to entertain guests.

But Tao Lexi knew well that the cold treatment was likely due to her poor performance within the Royal Palace, about which she could do nothing.

She thought that General Lind exaggerated his words, a sycophant trying to control the Queen to dominate the entire Rand Kingdom, so she certainly didn’t speak in good terms.

With nowhere else to go, they could only stay in the tavern.

Fortunately, here money could buy the treatment of nobility, and Tao Lexi ate quite happily.

"How is General Lind preparing the weapons?" Tao Lexi gently wiped her glasses.

The kitten jumped down from her lap and meowed as it walked toward the door where William stood.

Tao Lexi was very concerned about matters related to General Lind, she did not believe that Lind was truly willing to selflessly provide so much military equipment.

Moreover, the Expedition Army this time would be assembling thousands of the undead, whose appetites were not so easily satisfied.

"He did not provide any," William said as he bent down to pick up the cat.

"What?" Tao Lexi also did not believe that Lind would break his promise, as a duke’s credibility was more important than wealth, and she did not think that Lind would be unaware of the characteristics of the undead. Angering greedy and mad undead had no benefits at all.

William continued, "We arranged allowances, weapons, and clothing for the soldiers joining the Expedition Army, but he gave something different to the undead."

"What?"

"A voucher, with which they can buy items cheaply from the store."

"What store?" Tao Lexi felt she must have missed some part.

"The only gain for the undead joining the Expedition Army is that they now have the privilege to buy weapons and equipment at a high price offered by Lind."

"Ah?"

Not only was Tao Lexi baffled, but so was William at this moment.

This was clearly getting something for nothing. I should give you something now, I won’t give it to you, but let you fight and pay you a salary, then wait for you to buy it with your salary.

"Did the undead agree?" Tao Lexi thought the chances of the undead agreeing wouldn’t be very high.

"All those weapons and equipment are of good quality," William commented, some of the armors even made him envious.

It wasn’t that Lind hadn’t bled for this, he truly bled heavily.

"We from Griffin Fortress cannot produce those items," William’s final words plunged Tao Lexi into silence.

Tao Lexi always felt something was not quite right, but she reluctantly believed that Lind truly was committed to dealing with the Great Rift, willingly depleting his wealth.

Such an immense wealth felt terrifying to her, even more so, heartbreaking.

From a noble’s perspective, war should not deplete one’s fortune as Lind did, regardless of the enemy. War should be fought for profit, and if it couldn’t make one richer, then it should never have been started.

But Lind’s self-sacrificing posture changed Tao Lexi’s view of him.

The Expedition Army was about to depart. Soldiers undertook logistical work, while the undisciplined undead lazily stood aside.

Tao Lexi would not go to the front lines, she would return to Griffin Fortress.

Currently, the Griffin Family had not contributed much, just a few uncontrollable undead who would eventually return, aside from that, only a handful of soldiers.

Only when Tao Lexi put on her glasses did she notice that William was wearing a brand new suit of armor and was also carrying a Mystic Rune Longsword, "Where did you get these from?"

"General Lind gave them to me!" William replied.

"Lind?" Tao Lexi felt uneasy.

Indeed, she then heard William say, "Yes, Tao Lexi, I’m not going back to Griffin Fortress with you, I’m going to fight on the front lines!"

"This is not what we agreed upon." Tao Lexi was somewhat anxious.

On the front lines, they could send other knights, not let a "Griffin" take the risk.

Illegitimate siblings, blood kinship transcends everything.

But William was very serious, "The General has agreed to let me be the deputy leader of the assault team, and I will go to the deepest part of the Abyss!"

Tao Lexi kept shaking her head, "That’s sending you to your death!"

William, carrying an air of indifference to life and death, said, "Perhaps, but someone has to go deeper."

"What about Lind? Didn’t he say he was going to the front lines too?" Tao Lexi asked, her fondness for Lind, who put her brother in the most dangerous position, dwindling.

"He is the leader of the assault team!"

Tao Lexi fell silent.

Seeing the expression on William’s face, Tao Lexi knew she couldn’t persuade him to change his mind, so she decided it was best to go find Lind.

As Tao Lexi lifted her skirt and stepped out of the tavern, she saw a few familiar Undead who greeted her, but Tao Lexi noticed something more — each of the Undead bore the Lion Badge, the family crest of Armand.

It was bad. Not only had her brother been persuaded by Lind, but all the Undead had also sworn loyalty to Lind in a very short time. She had come feeling confident of her position, but she might return completely isolated.

She bit her lower lip gently and got into the carriage.

The roads were smooth, as the paths had been the first to be reconstructed, ensuring normal traffic and transportation of materials.

When the carriage reached the Armand estate, it was stopped.

After notifying them of her arrival, the carriage was quickly allowed to enter, and Tao Lexi was led by a housekeeper to the estate’s living room. Many rooms were sealed, except this one.

She sat down and noticed a portrait hanging on the wall.

It was a frail-looking boy.

As Tao Lexi stared at the portrait, Lind’s voice came from behind, "The 17-year-old me, Boyd helped me with this painting. Looks like a different person, doesn’t it?"

She turned around and saw Lind, now clad in armor.

Compared to the elegant attire he wore the last time they met at the Royal Palace, Lind now appeared imposing, his fierce armor resembling the talons and teeth of a lion.

Lind walked up to the portrait, then turned to look at Tao Lexi.

It was as if the young man and the boy coexisted in one time frame, the naivety gone, but looking completely like two different people.

"Did you send William to the Great Rift?"

"He wanted to go himself," Lind said as he poured a glass of wine for Tao Lexi.

But upon seeing Tao Lexi shake her head, he tilted his head back and drank it himself.

Not wasting was his principle, always.

"You shouldn’t let him go."

"Okay."

Seeing Lind decisively agree, Tao Lexi opened her mouth, "You agreed?"

"He wanted to join the Expedition Army," Lind said, "It wasn’t my request. If you can convince him to return, I have no objection."

Tao Lexi clenched her fists, realizing she had thought Lind was really going to help, but it turned out he had already read through William’s character, knowing well that William would never leave.

"Only for today!" Lind put down the wine glass. "The army departs tomorrow. If he wishes to leave then, he will be treated as a deserter."

He had already secured the formula for the Magic Potion; whatever would happen to the main character of that version didn’t really concern Lind.

A Hero Tier Great Knight couldn’t sway the outcome of the battle.

Tao Lexi’s already nonexistent fondness for Lind diminished once more, but aside from glaring at him a couple more times, she had no other option.

Griffin Fortress had contributed nothing but Undead to the expedition.

Compromise by bringing back Undead?

Tao Lexi knew she couldn’t possibly manage that.

Although those Undead had no loyalty to speak of, once they accepted a "mission," they would fearlessly be loyal until death.

Now things were truly bad.