Free Web NovelChapter 32: Chapter 32: Discussion
A Lord enjoys all the resources in his territory. This was beyond question.
So, what Monbodt said immediately piqued the interest of everyone, including Kaelon and Raymond.
Perhaps the one-sided victory at the port had made many of them eager for a fight.
Only Duane did not immediately state his position.
"Monbodt, thank you for providing me with this intelligence. It’s saved me a lot of effort."
He glanced at the sky outside.
The moon was dim tonight, and it was quite dark out. ’It must be around nine o’clock by now, right?’
"It’s getting late, and you don’t live here. How about this? I’ll have Jack see you home."
Monbodt wanted to say more, but Duane had already called Jack’s name.
At that moment, Jack and John were standing guard at the door. Upon hearing his name, Jack immediately pushed the door open and entered.
Duane ordered, "Escort Civil Servant Monbodt home for me. The roads are hard to see in the dark, so be careful."
"Yes, my Lord!"
Jack bowed to accept the order, then made a gesture for Monbodt to proceed.
Monbodt could only rise to his feet. "In that case, I will take my leave, my Lord. I wish you a good night’s sleep!"
After bowing, he walked out of the hall with Jack. John, who was still standing guard, closed the door behind them.
Monbodt glanced back silently, a bitter taste in his mouth.
’The Baron’s action was obvious. I haven’t made it into his inner circle.’
However, he didn’t show any sign of his displeasure. ’In any case, I’ve said everything I wanted to say tonight.’
’Now, let’s see how this young Baron deals with the Broken Wave Gang and the Holy Hand Association.’
He would much rather see the three sides go to war. The best outcome would be for them to destroy each other. That way, he could take control of the entire Black Forest Island.
"Knight Jack..."
"I’m sorry, but I’m just an ordinary guard in the Lord’s service!" Jack immediately corrected him.
Monbodt gave an awkward laugh. "Alright, Jack. I heard the Baron’s father is a Celestial Tier Warrior?"
Jack replied, "Yes, Lord Carter is one of the top experts in the Kingdom."
"Then why would he let his own son come to Black Forest Island? Could the Baron be a second son? Or an illegitimate one?"
Jack’s expression turned sour. "The Baron is Lord Carter’s only son. I suggest you stop making wild guesses about the Lord’s identity behind his back!"
"My apologies, Jack. I was just curious."
Monbodt apologized at once. Seeing that he couldn’t get any valuable information, he changed the subject to the other Guards.
"It seems to me that Kaelon and Raymond, the two men with the Baron, are very powerful Warriors?"
"You’ve got a good eye!"
Jack said with a hint of borrowed pride, "Lord Kaelon is a powerful Earth Tier Warrior. He could definitely defeat that Leader Bard with ease. As for Raymond..."
He paused, then chuckled. "He used to be a Captain in the Kingdom’s Third Legion, a Human Tier Warrior."
"Monbodt, since you’re on this island, you might not know what a Captain in the Kingdom Legion represents. In terms of combat strength, even an ordinary Earth Tier Warrior is no match for him!"
"HISS... So strong!"
Monbodt was instantly shocked.
Now he finally understood. No wonder the Baron wasn’t the least bit worried about the Broken Wave Gang and the Holy Hand Association.
"What about the other Guards? I see there are thirty-two of you in total," Monbodt asked.
"Why are you asking so many questions?" Jack frowned.
Monbodt’s expression changed, and he immediately said in a fawning tone, "It’s just that I’m thinking about how to get rid of that traitorous Broken Wave Gang. I was worried the Baron might be in danger, so I asked a couple more questions. If it’s a secret, just pretend I never asked."
"It’s not really a secret."
Jack said nonchalantly, "Take me, for example. I’m already a Basic-level Warrior, and my Swordsmanship has even been acknowledged by the Baron. But among all these Guards, my combat strength doesn’t even rank in the top twenty."
After saying this, he shot a glance at Monbodt. "You understand what I’m getting at, right?"
"I understand, I understand!"
Monbodt was secretly shocked. ’So, you’re telling me that out of thirty-two Guards, at least twenty-one are Basic-level Warriors?’
’As expected of the son of a Celestial Tier Expert. Even after coming to Black Forest Island, he’s still surrounded by experts.’
’If the Baron really fights the Broken Wave Gang and the Holy Hand Association, it’s actually possible they could wipe each other out.’
He said encouragingly, "The Lord is so powerful! I think the good old days for the Broken Wave Gang and the Holy Hand Association running rampant on this island are over!"
Jack shrugged. "I’m just a humble personal guard. A matter of this importance is for the Lord to decide."
"You’re no humble guard..."
The two of them chatted enthusiastically as they walked. freёwebnovel.com
What Monbodt didn’t know was that everything Jack said had been prepared in advance by Duane.
He had sent Jack to escort Monbodt home partly as a test, but he hadn’t expected Monbodt to actually ask so much.
「Meanwhile, in the Baron’s private hall.」
Everyone watched Monbodt’s retreating back, knowing in their hearts that the Lord had done this intentionally.
"Julian, tomorrow when you take over Monbodt’s duties, keep a close eye on him. See if you can find any evidence of wrongdoing."
Julian’s heart stirred. Seeing that they were among trusted allies, he asked, "My Lord, you mean to deal with him?"
Duane smiled and shook his head. "I’m just telling you to be cautious. After all, this guy has lived on the island peacefully for so many years. The excuse that the Broken Wave Gang and Holy Hand Association are using him to block anyone from the Kingdom is a bit of a stretch."
"Of course, if there’s nothing wrong with him, I will still use him. We’re short on talent here, after all."
Julian nodded. "I understand."
Duane then looked at Raymond. "Starting tomorrow, you’ll be in charge of the patrols. The area doesn’t need to be too large, just secure the few miles around the courtyard."
"Yes, my Lord!"
Kaelon, however, voiced his question. "My Lord, how do you plan to deal with the Broken Wave Gang and the Holy Hand Association?"
Duane mused, "That’s exactly what I wanted to talk about."
"The experts in the Broken Wave Gang and Holy Hand Association are more numerous than I expected. We’ve just arrived on Black Forest Island and haven’t stabilized our position yet. It’s not a good time for a direct confrontation."
He said seriously, "Whether it’s you, Raymond, or any of the Guards and people who followed me here, I don’t want to suffer any losses."
Kaelon nodded solemnly. ’The Baron’s thinking was more mature than his own.’
Julian then raised his own concern. "I’m afraid those two groups will team up to deal with us. What if they strike first?"
"If it really comes to a head-on clash, we’re not necessarily the weaker side."
Kaelon declared loudly, "No matter how many men Hardy has, they’re useless. As for Bard and Daniels, Raymond and I are more than enough to handle them."
Duane shook his head. "The Broken Wave Gang must have known for a while that we captured Hardy, yet they haven’t made a move. This shows they don’t dare to attack us rashly either. So, during this time, we need to build up our own strength." freewёbn૦νeɭ.com
He began to lay out his plan.
Eating and training were the only ways for an ordinary person to become an Extraordinary Warrior.
Therefore, Duane wanted to focus on strengthening these two areas.
He planned to bring out the Fire Source Beast Bone Soup and give it first to John, Michele, Evans, and Willie. These men were the closest to becoming Basic-level Warriors.
In addition, the other Warriors had to eat meat and drink soup at every meal to ensure they received sufficient nutrition.
After they had eaten and drunk their fill, all that remained was training.
Duane ordered Kaelon and Raymond to intensify their training, strengthening their Swordsmanship and Shield Skills.
At the same time, he planned to distribute the Bows and Arrows he had brought and form a team of archers.
"There’s one more thing that’s also very important."
Duane said pointedly, "Your true strengths are a mystery even to the people who came with us, and the people of Black Forest Island know even less. So, from now on, Kaelon, you are an Earth Tier Warrior. Raymond, you are a Human Tier Warrior."
"As for the others, based on the rankings from the last sparring competition, the top twenty will all be declared Basic-level Warriors."
"Also, Ralph, Julian, inform all the servants and the people who came with us not to reveal any information about us to outsiders."
These words left everyone present a bit surprised. Julian and Ralph were the first to understand, followed by Raymond.
"My Lord, you’re trying to confuse them."
Duane said with a helpless sigh, "This is a last resort, but we have to do it to build our prestige."
’In any case, Kaelon and Raymond could both fight above their actual tiers.’
’There were also plenty of people in the group whose Strength was close to that of a Basic-level Warrior. The only difference between them and an actual Basic-level Warrior was that they hadn’t activated their Fighting Qi Seed, which was impossible to tell from the outside.’
"Alright, that’s all for today."
Duane stood up and stretched his muscles. "Everyone is dismissed. Get some rest."
