Chapter 300
Chapter 300: Broken city, broken soldiers
A humble looking carriage passed through the broken city gate that was riddled with holes. The streets were deserted, with an occasional sighting of one or two people. The eyes of those on the streets were filled with despair and resentment, a silent protest against their current tragic life.
Brettel City was as dirty as Han Shuo had expected, looking only a tad bit better than the sights he’d seen on the road. A few lazy soldiers indifferently watched the carriage enter the city without asking about his background or for an entry fee. It seemed that Brettel City was on the verge of death.
“Hey, can you please tell me where the city lord’s mansion is?” Chester pulled on the reins and smiled at a civilian who looked like a beggar.
This person was lying lazily in the sunlight, focused on picking out the fleas from his body. He seemed not to have heard Chester’s question. He didn’t even lift his head.
“I’ll give you one silver coin, where is the city lord’s mansion?” Chester had been born poor so he knew quite well about the poor’s temper. A smile on his face, he patiently asked again.
The mention of silver coin immediately showed its effectiveness. Sniffing the seductive aroma of money, the seemingly deaf beggar suddenly stared at Chester. He pointed in the direction of the street to the east, “Go straight for three hundred meters. The tallest, most broken down mansion is the city lord’s mansion.”
A silver coin shining in the sunlight spun through the air, rolling to a stop on the ground in front of the beggar. Chester whipped the horse and left without saying thanks, following the directions to the city lord’s mansion.
The beggar hastily picked up the silver coin, clutching it tightly in his hand. He then looked towards the direction where the two left and murmured, “Some more people have come to Brettel City again. If it isn’t some risk-taking merchant who’d come for profit, then it must be that legendary unlucky count. Poor fellow.”
Whenever Brettel City was invaded, the city lord would be the loving focus of their attention. As such, the walls of the big tall building weren’t too sturdy, and there were still several holes decorating the ground nearby, remnants of a previous bombing, that hadn’t yet been repaired. When Han Shuo’s carriage arrived, only a smattering of five maids and less than a dozen soldiers were present.
“Your Lordship, I think you’d better leave while it’s early. This place has been abandoned by the Empire. Do you think you alone can change the situation of Brettel City? Without a hundred thousand imperial elite soldiers to guard this city, it’ll forever be unable to escape its fate of being invaded. If you want to seek death, can you please not drag us with you?” This stubborn soldier was extremely arrogant as he ignored Han Shuo’s cold eyes and rebutted in a rebellious manner.
Whoosh!
A dark brown ray of light flashed. No one knew what had been launched as something shot towards that rebellious soldier. The next second, a head rolled off a pair of shoulders, fresh blood spraying out from the neck like a brush sketching a beautiful painting.
“From now on, what you need to do was listen and execute commands. You have no need for doubts, and even if you do, you must keep them to yourself!” Han Shuo looked murderous as he shouted, his face cruel and ruthless like a butcher. The soldiers below clamped their mouths shut one by one.
At this moment, a shining troop of over a hundred warhorses, their riders holding shiny weapons in their hands, slowly entered the castle. A man in a full-body, silver armor with a silver spear in his hand bent his body slightly on the warhorse to pay respects to Han Shuo, “Sir Count, earth rider Faulke will dedicate my all to serve you and heed your every command.”
Han Shuo didn’t need to think much at all to know that Faulke had been sent by Lawrence. Han Shuo felt an atmosphere of slaughter from this man that only existed on true warriors who’d been through hundreds of battles. He immediately swept a glance filled with ill intent at Brettel City’s soldiers and said with a sinister laugh, “Faulke, from today on, these ones are under your care. Use the most cruel method you have to train them. I won’t blame you if someone dies during training.”