Chapter 351 253: Seeing Panda Again

This left the Northern Soldiers, who had taken the city walls with such effortless ease, feeling somewhat baffled by their victory.

But a win was a win, and that was worth celebrating. They cheered and jumped for joy, quickly cutting down the Southern Territory's banner from the top of the walls and replacing it with the Northern Territory's "Eagle-Clutching Sword" flag.

This was the sigil of the Martel Family, and it also symbolized that Kolon had now fallen firmly under Fulina's control.

After more than half a year of preparation, they had finally achieved their strategic objective and broken into the capital of the Southern Territory. The Northern Expedition Army even held a city-entry ceremony.

An honor guard in leather shoes, red formal attire, and feathered hats formed neat ranks at the front, blowing horns and beating drums. The army followed behind, marching joyfully into Kolon.

The lively scene drew many curious eyes from behind cracks in doors and holes in walls, all furtively sizing up the army from the Northern Territory.

To be honest, when they first heard the Southern and Northern Territories were going to war, they had spent their days worrying and praying that the Duke of the South could repel the Northern Guys.

Now, facing the Northern Border Corps entering their city, they silently cursed the entire family tree of the Southern nobles with every rustic curse they knew.

They prayed in the name of the Earth Mother Goddess that these Northern lords would vent all their anger on the heads of the great Southern lords, and please, please not bring harm to them, the unarmed common folk.

After entering the city, the army did not let its guard down. They began to sweep the city, paranoid that a few thousand enemy soldiers might be hiding in some foul ditch, ready to strike a vicious blow at a critical moment.

Only after repeatedly confirming that Kolon City was clear of enemies, with the only remaining resistance holed up in the towering White Castle, did the officers and nobles finally breathe a small sigh of relief.

They then dispatched soldiers to surround Kolon's Duke's Castle, posting heavy guards even at potential sewer exits or secret passages leading to the outside.

By the time all this was done, the sun had set.

Fires flickered to life in the camp as cooks began to prepare a meal. Cattle and sheep, purchased from local farmers, were slaughtered to reward the soldiers who had performed meritoriously in the siege.

Although the Duke's Castle had not yet been taken, they had already conquered Kolon with its twenty-eight-ren-high walls. The Inner Castle, with walls of only seven or eight ren, was considered a foregone conclusion.

Besides, it was already night. Considering the many disadvantages of nighttime combat and the fact that the soldiers had been hungry for nearly a day, the assault was postponed.

Therefore, the capture of the Inner Castle was scheduled for sunrise the next day.

With victory now within reach, the Northern Border Corps and the contingent from High Cliff Castle finally set aside their friction for a brief moment and were arranged to celebrate together.

Outside Kolon City, in a massive, specially erected tent, the ground was covered with thick woolen carpets. Long tables were arranged inside, and the seats around them were mostly filled. A glance around revealed nobles of all sorts, accompanied by their personal guards.

A dozen or so maids flitted through the space like butterflies, serving platter after platter of food that tantalized the senses of sight, smell, and taste.

Of course, when it came to refinement, it still couldn't compare to the food from the Duke's Castle.

But everyone had been on campaign for several months now. Most days, just getting a full stomach was enough; during urgent battles, they subsisted on hardtack day after day.

So, to be able to eat a hot meal like this was an extremely rare pleasure.

As for these maids?

Let's just say it wasn't surprising for certain nobles to bring a few maids along on a military campaign to help them... blow off some steam.

With the exception of a proper Legion Commander under a Duke, like Fujero, it was a common habit among the general nobility.

It was a tacitly accepted practice, something even Fulina wouldn't comment on.

The meal had not yet officially begun, and the Northern Nobles were already talking boisterously amongst themselves.

If one listened closely, one would find that seventy percent of their conversation was about how they would thoroughly "experience the differences" of the Southern women after Kolon was completely conquered.

The other thirty percent was peppered with discussions about a certain person.

If the Lord were to hear this, he would probably be furious, cursing these nobles as a pack of good-for-nothing lechers. After all, how could a group of women possibly be a more popular topic of conversation than he, the Lion Hunter Knight?

It was simply illogical.

As the tent flap was pushed aside, the first to enter was a stunningly beautiful young woman with blonde hair and blue eyes, followed by an exceedingly handsome young man with a physique as perfect as a panther's.

It was as if the Northern Nobles had been collectively struck dumb. They all fell silent, carefully sizing up this Lord of High Cliff Castle, this Lion Hunter Knight.

The entire tent became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

The Lord wore a humble smile, his aristocratic bearing perfectly composed—until he spotted the hulking, furry figure ostracized in a corner of the tent. At that moment, his masterful aura shattered completely.

"Holy crap, Marshal Pan, when did you get here?" he said, his face a mask of surprise.

A burly Panda-man was sitting in the corner like a timid new bride, furtively glancing at the surrounding Northern Nobles.

By the looks of him, he seemed to be looking for someone to chat with to kill some time, anything to distract himself from the food.

Unfortunately, the Northern Nobles were all insufferably arrogant and refused to give the Panda-man the time of day. This left him feeling like a tiger that had wandered into a herd of cats—completely out of place.

"Lord, I just arrived today." Hearing the familiar voice, Panda looked up, his eyes instantly brightening.

Panda already knew that the human nobles looked down on Half-Beastmen like him. Now, having just arrived, he was summoned to a banquet with no one he knew, which made him feel utterly restless.

At first, he had wondered what was wrong with the Northern Nobles, why they had all stopped talking.

Now, seeing a familiar face, he leaped to his feet in excitement, nearly flipping the table in front of him.

This caused the Northern Nobles to frown in disapproval. If this Panda-man wasn't the Duke's number-one enforcer, they would have long since had this ill-mannered Half-Beastman thrown out.

"Come sit with me," the Lord said, beckoning. "I was just thinking I didn't have anyone to talk to. We can shoot the breeze."

Panda, who had been miserable from the ostracism, didn't hesitate. His burly, towering figure fell in behind the Lord.

"Panda, let me introduce you. This is Miss Liya, the future Duke of the South, and my Feudal Lord."

Levi rattled off the titles, piling them onto Liya and making the young woman's face turn red.

After all, to be honest, she felt that she hadn't yet earned any of those titles.

'To be Lord Li's Feudal Lord, she must be a truly great personage,' the Panda Race Leader thought, deeply impressed by the solemn introduction.

"This is the Wolf Island Count, Lord Monvert," Levi introduced them one by one.

"This is Panda, commander of the Panda Warrior Corps, and also the Panda Race Leader."

Liya nodded slightly and extended a small, jade-white hand.

Panda quickly extended a large, furry paw and gently shook hands with them both.

After the introductions, the group found a specially reserved spot and sat down.

Levi could see the expressions on the faces of the Northern Nobles across from them turn sour.

It was clearly because of Panda. Although they ostracized the Panda-man, he was still, at the end of the day, one of the Northern Territory's own. To see him now fraternizing with the Lion Hunter Knight left a sour taste in their mouths.

The Lord, however, paid them no mind, immediately pulling Panda into a casual conversation.

"How come I haven't seen you guys around? You're only just arriving now?"

This was something that puzzled Levi. Logically, the Panda Warrior Corps was Fulina's ace in the hole; it was unthinkable that she wouldn't have brought them.

But for them to arrive now, when the war was almost over, it was hard not to suspect some other, hidden reason for the delay.

Seeing the concerned expression on the Lord of High Cliff Castle's face, a stark contrast to the cold indifference of the Northern Nobles, the young Panda Race Leader felt a warm current flow through his heart.

To the Northern Nobles, he was universally despised, but with the Lord of High Cliff Castle, he could clearly feel genuine respect and concern.

It was hard for him not to be moved.

Panda composed himself and shook his head. "There was a small matter back in the clan. I had to take some of my people back to deal with it, which wasted some time."

"Once it was settled, we rushed here as fast as we could, only managing to arrive this afternoon."

"Alright. If you run into any trouble, you tell me," Levi said with a nod, not pressing for more details.