Chapter 167 166 How dare you utilize a half-dwarf? Bastard, you
Chapter 167 166.How dare you utilize a half-dwarf? Bastard, you’re going to pay for this!
It had been three days since Major Fraser had returned to the East Prussia region.
He had been in the barracks organizing what he had seen and heard in Transylvania, striving to summarize it into a detailed and not uninteresting report, and then presenting it to His Excellency King Louis, who was far away in the Misty City, in his dual capacity as the Pioneer Legion’s Major and the heir of the Capet family, as proof that the Ten Years’ War had truly ended in the Transylvania region.
As a son of a nobleman who has received a good education since he was a child, the major’s attainment in the art of writing is needless to say, and the first draft has already been submitted to General Loren for review yesterday, and the result will probably be ready today.
While the Major was carefully trimming his beard that had grown out from his trip to Transylvania, General Loren’s guards came running to summon him to the General’s office.
Like last time, Major Fraser first straightened his appearance, and after making sure everything was in order, he knocked on the door and walked into General Loren’s office.
The half Dwarf General was sitting in his chair, holding Major Fraser’s report in his hand, but judging from the downcast expression that appeared on his serious cheeks, he wasn’t satisfied with the report.
Or rather, satisfied with the report itself.
But the half-dwarf was very, very unhappy with some of the facts it revealed that were hidden beneath the surface.
“Fraser, can you ensure that all the details in the report are absolutely true?”
The general put down the report and picked up his own dwarven pipe, then asked in a serious tone.
The Major’s heart fluttered, and he immediately said in a deep voice:
“I can swear on the Carpe family name! All the details in the report were seen with my own eyes.”
“And about that subspace rift hidden underneath Cadman City?”
General Loren asked as he lit his pipe, he exhaled a smoke ring and tapped the table:
“The three pieces of information you gave about the subspace rift were all speculation and didn’t have any actual evidence, right?”
“I explained in detail after that section of the report, General.”
Major Fraser replied unperturbed:
“Regarding that subspace rift that shouldn’t have appeared, the fact that can be confirmed so far is that it was indeed triggered by the Fallen Sarokdar, that crazy Blood Vulture patriarch who attempted to create a Midnight Deity belonging to the vampires and thus sacrificed the vast majority of the Blood Vulture Clan’s elite.
That much is certain.
But Salokdar had been clearly unhinged at the time, and the new Blood Vulture Grand Duchess, Lady Tris, suspected that he had been compelled by some message from the outside world, while the old Fenok Knight confirmed that it was connected to some hidden force.
Both of these suspicions I personally lean towards being true.
It is only with regard to the last speculation, that is, whether or not the Great Astral Tearing Technique triggered by the Tower of the Ring in Cadman City was a means used to hide a subspace rift
I must admit, General, that this speculation is overly alarming and risky.
I was warned by both the new Grand Duchess of the Blood Vulture, Lady Tris, and His Excellency Murphy, Earl of Cadman, that this piece of information should not have been revealed if I wanted to be sure of my personal safety in the Kingdom of the Golden Sparrow.
Personally, I am well aware of the dangers involved.
However, I feel that my king deserves to receive first-hand detailed information.
Even if I don’t have any evidence to back up my assertion as to whether or not the emergence of that dangerous subspace rift has anything to do with the Tower of the Ring, a psychic organization that now occupies an important position in my country.”
“That’s exactly why I’ve asked you to come here.”
General Loren removed his pipe and exhaled a thick puff of smoke nearly obscuring his face.
He said in a low voice:
“You this report once submitted will mean that you will be noticed by the Tower of the Ring, and with the growing importance in the country of the organization that calls itself ‘The Academy’ but anyone can see their ambitions, there is no way to be sure that you will be safe, even if you are the heir to the Capay family.
So I suggest you . Delete it!”
“That’s not possible! General.”
Major Fraser’s body stood straight as he spoke in a deep voice:
“The Capay family has served the crown for generations, and I have a duty to my monarch! I must report for my monarch anything that may threaten the throne.”
“It can’t be in the report, it would kill you!”
The half-dwarf general banged the table hard, then jumped out of his chair and strutted over to Major Fraser, tilting his head to look at him, the general said:
“If your guess is wrong, then the Tower of the Ring will think you’re slandering them, and retaliation from the psychics will come direct and swift; if your guess is right, then it will only get worse.
You should have been smart enough to excerpt the part about the Tower of the Ring’s suspicions and reorganize it into a more formal debriefing.
What I will tell you is that I am leaving in three hours to return to Misty City to brief the military on the next course of action for the Pathfinder Corps, and to discuss the defense of the coming Black Plague with those fat-headed fools.
I guess there’s definitely a chance that I, as a member of the old Praetorian Guard, will be able to meet our sire face-to-face.”
“!”
The Major instantly realized what the General meant.
General Loren was not asking him to hide the truth, but to change his tactics, to bring those truly dangerous information by the General himself to Misty City and present it alone when he met with King Louis.
In this way, the danger that Major Fraser would encounter because of this report would be minimized.
And, at the same time, it would not have spoiled the gold and interest of his outstanding “Report on the Expedition to the Ten Years’ War and the Transylvanian-Vampire Blood Vulture Clans”.
It was indeed the best of both worlds.
But it also touched Major Frazier’s heart that General Loren was willing to provide him with this assistance that had gone beyond the bounds of superior and subordinate duty.
He nodded, acquiescing to the General’s decision.
But then General Loren shook his head again, exhaled a smoke ring, and advised Major Fraser:
“I read your report, it’s very good, it’s detailed while not boring at all, it’s as interesting as a fantasy chronicle novel, I’m sure our majesty will like it.
It’s just that the name is too formal, but in his youth his majesty was a famous prodigal son in the Kingdom of Sealand, and he himself published a collection of poems and a rather exciting novel under the pseudonym ‘Lord Boris’, which used him as the protagonist in a colorful depiction of the overly colorful life of a young man with a lot of energy.
Of course, that book is no longer available in its original form.
I mean, you’ll have to change the name if you want a more enthusiastic appreciation from His Majesty.”
The half-dwarf general wagged his finger and made a suggestion to his subordinate as an elder.
The old Praetorian Guard-born man had accompanied King Louis for more than a decade, and he was well aware of some of the little idiosyncrasies of his rich and powerful Majesty.
So he thought it over and said to Major Fraser:
“Let’s change it to ‘Capet’s Travels-Walking with Vampires’, I’m sure your book will be a big seller in the country after His Majesty praised your writing. Maybe you can even take the opportunity to mix up your name as a writer and get a group of literary young ladies.”
“Ah this.”
The Major was speechless for a moment.
He very much didn’t want the expedition report representing the end of the war that he had painstakingly put together and compiled to turn into the look of a third-rate novel, but General Loren had said so, so what could he do?
Not change it?
If you don’t change it, you’re just waiting to pounce!
That was the one thing General Loren had to say, so after he finished, Major Frazier was ready to take his leave, but was called out by the general.
“Wait, there’s one more thing I need you to do, but it mustn’t alarm anyone else.”
General Loren sat down on the couch in his office.
He held a dwarven pipe in his mouth and unbuttoned the collar button of his straight uniform with some annoyance, a gesture that signaled that what the general was about to say and command was inevitably unrelated to military matters.
The half-dwarf was always very good at using these seemingly insignificant details to point out his intentions to those around him.
In the smoke, his brown eyes, the same color as the earth, stared at Major Fraser, and after nearly several minutes of silence, he spoke:
“Old Fennock and I are old friends, and few people know of this friendship I have with him. It couldn’t even be called a friendship; after all, my mother, Baron Irena Frederick, was a devout Avalonian before I was even born. She was related to old Finok’s wife by some in-laws, so in theory, the old knight and I were still related.
But that’s not the main reason he and I became friends.
He’s over 170 years older than me, and even with the dwarven view of family, he belongs to my elders, and I know everything that happened to his family, and although he won’t tell me where he went and what he did during the six years that he disappeared, I believe in old Finok’s character.
Now the old bastard who taught me martial arts in my childhood is dead.
He nominally handed over the White Oak Warband to his ungrateful daughter, but in reality he handed over the last of his followers to me.
If nothing else, I’ll do my best to house these veterans.
They have done nothing wrong.
They were simply implicated in the strange rebellion of the Church of Avalon, and His Majesty will recognize their service to the kingdom during the Ten Years’ War, and a pardon will be enough to clear their names.
However, now that there has been an accident, the Tower of the Ring may have something to do with the appearance of the subspace rift, and I and the entire Pathfinder Legion may have been taken advantage of by that group of gloomy and conservative psychics.
Although I’m not sure if they actually did these things, but since they are suspected we can’t just let it go!
I already received word from the Tower of the Ring early this morning that they would soon send someone to receive the remaining veterans of the White Oak Battle Regiment.
Those psychics have enough reason to do so.
After all, the veterans did participate in matters related to subspace and must be taken seriously.
But I think you also know that in the current situation, once the Tower of the Ring is allowed to take these veterans away, it’s basically unlikely that they’ll come back alive.
And I will be leaving the barracks in three hours.”
General Loren closed his eyes somewhat wearily.
He was about to make a decision that went against his military status, but he didn’t regret it, he just rubbed the corners of his eyes and whispered:
“At that time, command will be handed over to the staff, and I will order that no soldier should leave the fortress until I return! This is necessary! Because we’re going to have an internal sweep to make it easier to uncover the eyes of the vampires hiding amongst the legions.
As such, no outside force can enter our barracks at this time!
No one!”
“I understand, General.”
Major Fraser understood at once.
But then he whispered:
“I actually have a go-to place for the remnants of the old religion, but I’m afraid these stubborn witch hunters won’t go for it. One of my schoolmates is serving as a consul in Transylvania, and I believe in her integrity in the belief that she protects her fellow humans.
Though the lord there is a vampire, from what I have seen of Lord Murphy, he will take in these poor people who have nowhere else to go.”
“Wretches?”
General Loren sneered and said:
“How can a group of mourners who will start a rebellion in my barracks in three hours and flee shamelessly be pathetic? Perhaps the negligence of my officers resulted in them being able to take the necessary supplies, weapons, and warhorses with them, but that doesn’t mean we’ll forgive this group of rebels either!
Unfortunately, the Pathfinder Legion has already been heavily damaged in the previous battle, and we are no longer able to pursue them, thus leaving it up to the Spiritualists to hunt the bastards down.”
“General!”
Major Fraser then realized what his general was preparing to do.
This was completely beyond his expectations, and he was surprised when he had thought it wouldn’t be such a big deal:
“You don’t have to do this! Please leave it to me, I can use the resources of the Carpe family to accomplish this without alerting anyone, there is no need for you to get involved! It will bring the Tower of the Ring to your attention .”
“I’m just going to make them notice me!”
The pent-up anger in the half-dwarf’s heart finally exploded out at this moment, and he was almost growling:
“Those dogs actually dared to use me! What do those bastards think war is? A playdough toy for them to play with? It even involves the dangerous subspace! If old Finok hadn’t neutralized that threat at the cost of his death, all of Transylvania would have ceased to exist, and we who were adjacent to that hellhole would have lost absolutely everything!
Those sons of bitches nearly buried my soldiers and my legion!
I was polite enough to give them a little lesson, and if they really intend to break bread with me again, I’ll gladly oblige!
Let them come!
Let the entire continent see whether the spiritual skills of the Tower of the Ring or the Earth Priests of the Silver Dwarves are more powerful! If they dare to jump a little more, in the name of Gaia, the Mother Earth, I will absolutely tear down their bullshit White Cliffs with my own hands!
Bunch of assholes!
Whether it’s on purpose or by dereliction of duty, now that such a big deal has been made, they will have to give me an explanation, and they will have to give an explanation to His Majesty and the country!”
Major Fraser maintained his silence amidst the general’s rant.
He knew that the harsh words thrown down by General Loren were not just incompetent rage, the Silver Dwarves behind this half-dwarf general were really not to be messed with.
As the ethnicity that was the most skilled in psychic energy among one of the three Dwarf races and beloved by Mother Earth, if the Tower of the Ring really angered them, the destruction of the White Cliffs’ headquarters by a sudden super quake was estimated to be a matter of a few hours.
Although General Loren seldom mentioned his origins, as the heir of the Carpe family, Major Fraser actually knew everything about the general’s origins.
General Loren’s own grandfather was the current Supreme Lord of the Silver Dwarves.
If it wasn’t for the fact that his relationship with his grandfather was very, very bad, he would have been considered a “Dwarf Prince”.
How General Loren’s amazing Dwarf father managed to hook up with a famous Baroness of Sealand and get Baroness Frederick to willingly give birth to his child is another story!
Well, that’s another story.
“Anyway, I’ll leave this in your hands, Fraser.”
General Loren said as he got up after venting his anger and re-buttoning his collar:
“Do it beautifully! It’s all right to see blood, if necessary.”
“It won’t come to that, please don’t worry, General.”
Major Fraser responded in a hushed voice.
After he left the general’s office, he quickly walked back to his own barracks to instruct his retainer to go ahead and inform Natalie’s war chief to gather the witch hunters immediately, and then took out his own Operational Treasure Pearl intending to secretly contact Miriam, only to have the Scarlet Consul’s communication delivered to him first.
“Your Excellency Fraser, I have an unforgettable request regarding the crafting diagram of the Hammerguard that you gifted to me…”
“Weapon crafting diagrams and all that later!”
Before Miriam could finish her words, she was interrupted by Major Fraser, who told his schoolmate what was about to happen in a short tone:
“The matter of the subspace rift has already been known by the Tower of the Ring, and they are now going to take away the White Oak Battle Group’s witch hunters in the name of ‘intervening in subspace affairs’, and it’s easy to imagine what will happen to these veterans if they are taken away by them.
I will arrange a ‘rebellion’ to give the witch hunters a chance to escape, but you will be responsible for picking them up!”
The Major said in a deep voice:
“This is not only out of remembrance for the heroic contributions of the old Finnock Knight, but also because a man of honorable standing does not want to see brave men who have dedicated themselves to their country end up in such a state.
Help them, Miriam!
Report all this to your lord at once, and I promise he can have the friendship of House Carpe for it.”
“One moment.”
Miriam’s tone also became serious, and a few seconds later, Murphy’s voice rang out in the communication jewel as he said:
“Time to press on! Don’t act in a hurry, it takes time to mobilize manpower from my side as well, release them before evening, we will meet them at the Andromeda Hills border.”
“I don’t want to hide the danger of this, Lord Murphy.”
Major Fraser went to the window and peered out, he saw the wagons labeled with the symbol of the Tower of the Ring appearing beyond the barracks and he whispered:
“The Tower of the Ring is clearly coming in hot.”
“That’s quite a coincidence.”
Murphy let out a low chuckle as he replied:
“The Blood Vulture Clan is also eager to have cordial talks with the originators of a doomsday plague that brought us here, and the 100,000 dead souls buried in the ruins are wailing in anticipation of justice being served.
Your Excellency, Major, there is no need to fear that this will implicate the honorable man behind you.
Because next.
It’s time for a ‘personal feud’ between us Dark Nobles and the Tower of the Ring!”
(End of chapter)