Chapter 115: Arrival (Part 2)

After a day’s journey, at nightfall, the convoy arrived at the outpost of their destination: the Jandu Territory.

Unlike the Tier Territory, Defendi Territory, and Janel Territory, which had accumulated wealth over generations and possessed towns and villages with considerable populations.

The Jandu Territory currently still had its first Lord.

The Lord of the Jandu Territory was a personal knight of Marquis Vauban who was granted the title of Baron after achieving war merits; this Jandu Knight was also the first generation Baron Jandu.

He was not only upright but also brave and skilled in battle.

However, the territory was newly established. Apart from the existing three villages or so, the core of the future Jandu Territory, Jandu Town, was still under construction.

However, Dean knew deeply that after the Emerald was destroyed, Jandu Town had not even been completed.

Of course, that was a memory from the previous life.

At this moment, the entire Jandu Territory still looked busy and thriving.

Miss Baron, the nephew of Baron Defendi, and Baron Janel stood in front of the town under construction, watching. Looking at the town that was already taking shape, the expressions on everyone’s faces were different, but they all held a trace of memory—it seemed… they thought of their ancestors’ struggles in their own territories.

However, the next moment, the expressions of the three changed—

Miss Baron silently offered a blessing.

The nephew of Baron Defendi looked around everywhere, searching for where the weakness of this town lay.

Baron Janel looked as if it had nothing to do with him, shouting at his retainers to bring some food.

Dean took in the expressions of these three.

For Miss Baron’s innate kindness, he responded with a smile.

For the nephew of Baron Defendi’s ambition, he stared coldly, laughing mockingly in his heart.

As for Baron Janel?

Well, seeing the other party eating with a face full of grease, Dean chose to ignore him.

It seemed that he felt Dean’s gaze. The nephew of Baron Defendi looked back, and after seeing it was Dean, his gaze turned cold first, but the next moment a smile floated onto his face.

It was as if good friends were meeting.

Regarding the matter of Knight Carl and his group, the other party did not ask, nor did they wait. When the convoy set off, they just set off like that.

It was as if nothing had happened at all.

They didn’t even leave any personnel behind.

Regarding this, the people from the other two convoys naturally had no questions. After all, even that person didn’t ask, so what did they need to ask?

It was just that in their hearts, their evaluation of Churde Defendi changed again.

Sinister and ruthless.

Clearly, he was of the same line as Baron Defendi.

It could even be said that he surpassed him—after all, if it were Baron Defendi, at least he would send people to pretend a bit.

Even though everyone knew what the so-called ‘hunting competition’ was about.

Dean’s expression was plain, just like the first time they met, and he nodded to Churde Defendi—even if the other party was on his must-kill list, Dean would not let the other party feel his killing intent.

After all, a real assassin, before the moment of striking, is just a stone, a passerby.

And when the target realized it, it was already the moment the assassin succeeded.

Trained by the Old Thief, Dean had practiced this countless times and had gone through actual combat no less than a hundred times.

As for why he wanted to get rid of Churde Defendi?

With a Wizard holding killing intent against you, you would make the same choice as Dean.

Churde Defendi did not stay long. After greeting the other two high-status people in the convoy, he returned to his carriage.

When Baron Janel saw Dean’s sweeping gaze, the scene from the morning clearly surfaced in his mind again. Suddenly, his face turned pale, and he also ran back to his carriage.

The remaining Miss Baron let out a long breath.

For that Baron Janel who was like a fly, if she could swat him dead, she would absolutely not show mercy.

“That guy definitely has no good intentions!”

Miss Baron walked to Dean’s side and said this.

“That depends on the target—this is not a place he can touch… unless he is prepared to tear his face with Marquis Vauban!”

Dean naturally knew what the person beside him meant. Regarding this, Dean shrugged—the mockery Dean had for Churde Defendi earlier was not without reason.

One had to know that the Jandu Territory and Vauban City were right next to each other.

And Baron Jandu was a personal knight of Marquis Vauban—just like Allenor beside Baron Tier, this relationship had long explained the connection between the two.

Baron Jandu, or rather, the entire Jandu Territory was a gateway established by Marquis Vauban.

And… a gimmick to attract the attention of others.

As for the real purpose?

Dean’s gaze subconsciously swept toward the other side of Vauban City, which was looming in the distance—over there, in the Dense Forest twenty kilometers away from Vauban City, a fortress was being built.

Seandel Fortress!

This key location where the Emerald Kingdom had lingered on during the Blood Moon War had now entered the completion stage.

This was established simultaneously by Marquis Vauban and the Grand Duchess—clearly, regarding the movements in City, these two people with far-sighted vision had already seen it and were guarding against it.

If not for the accidental fall of Yorkshire.

The Emerald Kingdom would never have been breached so easily.

Thinking of the second son of the Marquis of York and the Earl of Dell County, Dean’s hand subconsciously gripped the sword hilt at his waist; however, Dean quickly relaxed.

‘Killing intent in the heart cannot be hidden, proving you are not enough to be called an assassin—you must treat yourself as a stone, motionless. Before you strike, you are a dead object!’

The teachings of the Old Thief surfaced in his mind again and quickly made Dean calm down.

Because Dean knew that the Old Thief’s words were the most insightful guidance for him, who was full of killing intent.

It was so in the past, and it is so now.

At this moment, a team of cavalry appeared in the distance—

Clatter, clatter…

Amidst the crisp sound of horse hooves, this team of cavalry rapidly approached.

The knight at the very front wore bright steel armor. His helmet was in the crook of his arm. He had a beard and rough features, but he looked extremely serious.

One could tell at a glance that he was a meticulous person.

“Baron Jandu!”

Miss Baron was the first to salute. Churde Defendi and Baron Janel also walked out from the waiting carriages and greeted Baron Jandu with Noble courtesy.

However, Baron Jandu’s return salute was the Knight’s Salute, the same etiquette as Dean’s.

Clearly, Baron Jandu had not yet gotten used to his current status.

Or perhaps… he was unwilling to change his identity as a knight.

This was not rare in Goedz; in fact, it was very common. Let alone a Baron, even knights who obtained the titles of Viscount or Earl through military merit habitually maintained their identity as knights.

They even stubbornly believed that they were first a knight, then a noble.

What they should follow was the etiquette and beliefs of knights, not of nobles.

Without exception, the territories under these lords were very peaceful and harmonious, and even prosperous enough.

However, more lords were those who inherited their titles generation after generation.

For example: Baron Janel.

He was the representative of the vast majority of nobles in the Emerald Kingdom.

In Goth, this situation was even more severe, and City was only slightly better; in the entire Goedz, there was only one exception… White Night!

That country was strangely unfamiliar to the Emerald, Goth, and City.

Even the Conqueror King had met his match there.

Dean had only stayed there briefly to evade pursuit and had not lingered, but the culture and system there made Dean somewhat yearn for it.

Because it was somewhat like his hometown.

A hometown he could never return to.

“Everyone, please follow me!”

Baron Jandu said, and then urged his horse forward.

Behind him, the team composed of the other three territories of Vauban County followed closely.

Dean and his young subordinates were distributed around the carriage of Miss Baron; however, clearly, apart from Dean, those young people were gradually being attracted by the prosperity before their eyes.

Creak…

When the drawbridge of Vauban City gate was lowered, just by peeping through the city gate tunnel at the bustling corner inside, the young people subconsciously let out exclamations of admiration.

Look at the stream of people brushing shoulders, the colorful shop signs, and the peddlers shouting their wares.

Of course, there were also the lights that brought brightness to the entire street in the darkness—those were basins of fire supported by wooden stands, arranged every ten feet.

Together with the candlelight from the shops, they illuminated the whole street.

“Regiment Commander, can we look around after completing the mission?”

Captain Theron and Captain Ike looked at their Regiment Commander with expectation.

“Yes… Huck, can you accompany these young men for a stroll?”

Dean nodded and instructed his deputy.

Under prosperity, there is bound to be filth.

At least, Dean had already discovered more than one gaze measuring and examining their convoy—definitely the malicious kind.

Dean did not want to see his young subordinates suffer, so having Huck accompany them was naturally a very good choice.

“Regiment Commander, leave it to me!”

Huck, knowing his young Regiment Commander’s intention, would not refuse.

Then, the young people burst into a low cheer—although the mission was not yet completed, they seemed to already be able to start celebrating.