Chapter 337 245: Pies Really Do Fall from the Sky (Part 2)

In fact, even if an ordinary soldier had been the one to capture the famous general Cross, he would have been immediately ennobled as a Baron.

This showed just how much the collective nobility of the Northern Territory hated him to the bone.

Although Levi wasn't part of the Northern Territory's bureaucracy, he could definitely use this old man to trade with Fulina for a shocking amount of supplies.

As for the remaining nobles, they would become prisoners, awaiting judgment on the day Liya became a Duke, when their lands and titles would be legally stripped away.

"My lord, unfortunately, you are now officially under arrest." Levi folded up the portrait and stashed it in his inventory, a smile on his face as he looked at the old man. "Duke Fulina will decide your fate."

"I sincerely advise you not to even think about resisting or trying any funny business. Otherwise, I can't guarantee the safety of anyone here but you."

KRAK!

With a loud crash, the double-edged Giant Sword, empowered by immense Power, plunged more than halfway into the earth.

The purest display of power brought with it the most stunning visual impact.

Everyone's eyes twitched in shock.

The Priest who had been about to chant had no choice but to withdraw his Magic Wand and cease his little trick.

'At this distance, I'd probably end up just like those Knights before I could even finish chanting.'

"I wonder if you could satisfy one last doubt of mine." Cross stared at the impossibly young face before him. "How did you know we were all here?"

Having his entire high command inexplicably captured by the enemy, ending the war in an almost farcical manner, had become a thorn in Cross's side. If he couldn't understand how it happened, he probably wouldn't be able to rest in peace even in his grave.

"You overlooked a critical issue."

The Lord clasped his hands behind his back and gazed at the horizon, doing his best to appear nonchalant and composed.

This massive windfall had put the Lord in an excellent mood, and his desire to show off was overwhelming. He didn't mind wasting a little time.

The old man drew a sharp, cold breath, his throat feeling dry.

He was a famed general of the battlefield, a veteran of countless campaigns, large and small. While his plans might not have been wildly imaginative, his cautious and meticulous nature ensured they were always flawless.

Yet now, his plans were being called into question by an impossibly young man, one who had likely not seen many battles.

In that instant, he felt that all his hard work was worthless in the face of a genius.

To encounter a military genius who could so utterly crush him in his twilight years... Cross felt that even the saliva he swallowed tasted bitter. It truly felt like this was his destiny.

He was destined only to be a stepping stone for another's fame, his own story ending so unceremoniously.

"What critical issue?" Cross did his best to straighten his back as he looked at the other man's silhouette. The tall, exquisite main tower of the castle in the distance served as a backdrop, making him appear imposing and grand.

"Hahaha, the critical issue is that sometimes, pies really do fall from the sky." The Lord turned his head and roared with laughter, revealing two rows of neat, white teeth.

Even the well-mannered Cross almost felt his heart seize with anger. He had to take several deep breaths to suppress the torrent of profanities that threatened to erupt from his lips.

WHOOSH!

Just then, a sound like a coming storm rolled in from the north. The pine needles in the mountains rustled in the strong wind, and countless banners whipped and snapped in the gale.

The commotion startled everyone, and Levi quickly looked up.

"Holy shit, it's Griffin Knights!" The Lord's booming voice made Cross's eardrums ache as his roar echoed across the clearing. "To arms! To arms!"

In the sky, a group of Silver Armored Knights riding Griffins were screaming in from the north. A quick glance revealed at least five hundred of them, if not more.

The Griffins were clad in fine Iron Armor. Their eyes were incredibly sharp, and their talons, glinting with a cold light, could easily disembowel a highland boar.

"You old bastard, so you were hiding this move all along?! You've been colluding with the Royal Court, just waiting to screw us over."

The Lord was so angry he wanted to pummel the old man, but he was afraid a single punch might kill him. So he just grabbed him by the collar, tossed him into the middle of the Barbarians, and ordered them to guard him closely.

Cross blinked, looking completely innocent.

To be honest, he had no idea why this Griffin Knight Order was here.

'But then he suddenly remembered something. So that's what he meant. But then confusion set in. If that's what he meant, then it's unlikely these Griffin Knights are our allies, either.'

"Shields up!"

At the command, the Barbarians raised their Shields in front of them, drew Fine Steel Javelins with their other hands, and watched the circling Griffin Knights with ice-cold eyes.

If the enemy dared to fly low, they would make sure to leave these Griffin Knights with an unforgettable memory.

However, the enemy didn't attack as expected. Instead, they circled in the sky. The next moment, a transparent ball of Qi began to gather in the air. It expanded rapidly, reaching its limit in an instant, and then...

BOOM!

A massive explosion resounded between heaven and earth. A shockwave rolled out in all directions from above, whipping everyone's hair about. A stern, thunderous voice then boomed, echoing in their ears.

It was loud enough for the entire military and civilian population of Black Stone Castle, nearly five or six hundred thousand people, to hear it clearly.

"Lady Fulina, Marquis Cross, have your men stand down!"

The Lord and Cross stared at each other, wide-eyed and speechless.

"Ahem, how about you let me go first?" Cross took the opportunity to make a request.

"Don't even think about it!" The cold sneer on the Lord's face was enough to make the surrounding temperature drop again.

Although he couldn't figure out what these Griffin Knights were here for, spitting out the meat that was already in his mouth was absolutely impossible.

However, their demand for a ceasefire clearly meant they weren't completely siding with the Southern Territory. Something unknown must have happened.

"Have someone you trust order your soldiers to drop their weapons. Then I'll believe these Griffin Knights aren't here to help you."

The Lord also took the opportunity to make a demand.

But his little scheme couldn't fool these old foxes.

"Impossible!" a noble immediately retorted angrily. "Not unless we're all dead! You can forget about making our soldiers lay down their arms!"

"Zat, take him and cut off his head." Levi snapped his fingers, his tone devoid of any emotion. "In your next life, remember to know your place, lest you get your head chopped off again."

"Sith, do not be insolent."

As Zat started forward with a cold smile, brandishing his War Axe, Cross first rebuked the noble, then said with a helpless look, "Levi—I'll call you that, if I may—you should know better than anyone that ordering soldiers to lay down the weapons they depend on for survival is something not even I, their commanding general, can do."

"Then have them cease all resistance."

"How is that any different from having them lay down their weapons?"

The two reached an impasse. In the end, Cross had to take a step back.

Because now, with their leaders captured, the fall of Black Stone Castle was a foregone conclusion. Continued resistance was meaningless.

Their only hope was that the sudden arrival of the Griffin Knights might change the situation somehow.

"Sith, go and have the soldiers surrender," Cross said with a sigh.

"My Lord..." Sith wanted to say more.

"We have already lost."

As he said this, Cross looked toward the horizon and seemed to age ten years in an instant, his figure suddenly stooped.

No matter how unwilling Sith was, with the Old Marquis, his commanding general, admitting defeat, there was nothing he could do.

With a "please" gesture from the Lord, the middle-aged noble headed toward the Guard Army on the other side, who were frozen in place, stunned by the sudden arrival of the Griffin Knights.

A moment later, those Guards had no choice but to throw their weapons to the ground. Then, like a line of dominoes, the Guard Army units from here all the way to the Inner Castle, though confused, all laid down their arms one by one under the strict orders of their officers.

This made Levi breathe a sigh of relief. Whether these soldiers were armed or not didn't really make a difference to him.

It was just that this sent a signal: the sudden arrival of the Griffin Knight Order was not part of the old man's plan.

The Royal Court hadn't directly sided with the Southern Territory, either.

He just didn't know what had happened.

Levi watched the Griffin Knights on the horizon, pondering.