Chapter 125: The Choice of the Nobles

The morning sun rose completely, yet it failed to dispel the haze shrouding Golden Port.

The nobles' hurried and chaotic preparations for flight continued; horses neighed, carriage wheels creaked, and the scene was one of utter pandemonium.

Amidst this chaos, there was an unmistakable sense of anxiety and despair.

"Relying solely on these guards, we cannot possibly reach the capital safely!" a marquis, accustomed to a life of luxury, had a forehead beaded with cold sweat, his voice trembling. "Those magical beasts in the wilderness, along with the orcs' vanguard, could be encountered at any moment! We are heading to our deaths!"

"But, besides them, who else can we count on?" Another viscount looked around in despair, his eyes filled with confusion.

The city garrison had already collapsed, the nobles' private troops lacked sufficient combat power, and the adventurers had either already fled in the face of such a dire situation.

Even those who opened their mouths like lions to demand sky-high rewards could not guarantee sufficient security.

Everyone's gaze eventually fell, as if by unspoken agreement, on the villa in the distance where orc corpses were piled high like a mountain.

There, that "Jack" who had displayed extraordinary power last night had become their only hope.

After some urgent and whispered deliberation, several of the most prominent nobles in Golden Port—including the highly respected Count Reinhardt, the wealthy Baron Fabio, and General Brandon, who held the final military authority—formed a temporary delegation.

They straightened their disheveled robes, forcibly suppressed the fear in their hearts, put on their most humble smiles, and cautiously walked toward the "Residence of Dawn."

When they arrived at the villa gate, Gao Jie Ming had already finished handling matters inside and was standing at the entrance, watching them approach with a calm gaze.

The robe he wore was spotless, forming a sharp contrast with the bloody slaughterhouse behind him.

"Lord Jack!" Count Reinhardt stepped forward first; although elderly, he bowed respectfully, his posture even more devout than when facing the King.

"To disturb you again is truly a last resort. But as this concerns the survival of our families, I hope for your understanding."

"Count, what is your business?" Gao Jie Ming's tone was indifferent.

Count Reinhardt straightened up, a flash of embarrassment crossing his face, which was then replaced by determination.

He took a deep breath, as if having made up his mind, and said in a deep voice, "My lord, last night you turned the tide and saved our families. This kindness is something we will never forget! But as you know, the orc army is about to reach the city gates. Golden Port is now a city in peril, and we have no choice but to abandon the city and flee to the Royal Capital."

He glanced at the restless Baron Fabio and General Brandon beside him and continued, "However, the journey from Golden Port to the Royal Capital is long and fraught with danger. Along the way, there are unknown magical beasts, and even more likely, we may encounter orc pursuit parties and ambushes. Although our families have some private troops, they are... they are far from enough to counter real danger."

"So..." Baron Fabio took over, rubbing his hands eagerly, his fat face full of pleading, "So, we implore you! We implore you to be able to... be able to escort us to the Royal Capital! As long as you are willing to act, our families are willing to give everything as a reward!"

General Brandon also stepped forward. Although he was once a general holding heavy military power, at this moment he could only bow and cup his hands: "Your martial prowess, my lord, is rare in the mortal world! If you can escort us safely to the Royal Capital, our families are not only willing to offer ten thousand taels of gold and silver, but we can also offer all the magical items and ancient secret treasures collected by our families! Upon reaching the Royal Capital, we are willing to introduce you to the royal family and cabinet dignitaries, and strive for the most prominent titles and even fiefs for you! This journey will certainly not disappoint you!"

Money, magical items, secret treasures, titles, fiefs, and even direct introductions to the royal family.

These temptations, which would normally be enough to drive any adventurer crazy, were now pouring toward Gao Jie Ming like a tide.

What they could offer were the highest resources they could mobilize as top-tier nobles.

Gao Jie Ming listened quietly to their conditions, his expression shifting slightly; he appeared to be trying to maintain his composure, but he still subconsciously revealed a trace of greed.

As people who were masters of human nature, they captured this scene very accurately, and they exchanged glances privately, their expressions filled with joy.

As long as there was desire, things were easy to handle. In this world where individual strength varied greatly, the wealth accumulated by nobles over generations far exceeded the imagination of ordinary people.

What did it matter if the desire was great? There were plenty of ways to satisfy him!

However, none of them noticed that there was not a trace of emotional fluctuation in Gao Jie Ming's eyes.

Looking at the few people in front of him, Gao Jie Ming's inner thoughts surged like a tide.

This was an excellent opportunity, a perfect opportunity!

He had established his prestige in Golden Port under the identity of "Jack" and had killed many scoundrels, but his identity indeed lacked a sufficiently reasonable explanation.

Now, accepting the nobles' escort mission and becoming an "escort hero" was the best way for him to whitewash his identity and make himself rationalized and legalized!

Moreover, the capital of the human kingdom was one of the core cities of the Plane Plane Nuolun, which was not only the political and military center of the human kingdom but also the place where the belief in divine power was most intense in the mortal world.

Countless believers prayed there, and major temples stood there.

This was a great opportunity for him to deeply study the divine power belief network of the Plane Plane Nuolun and observe the deeper influence of gods in the mortal world.

Coupled with his previous behavior, it was enough to make everything develop in the direction he had envisioned.

He slightly raised his eyelids, his gaze sweeping over the group of nervous and desperate nobles in front of him, his lips curling slightly to reveal a faint, almost imperceptible smile.

"Since you counts, barons, and generals are so enthusiastic..." Gao Jie Ming's voice sounded slowly, carrying a unique, unquestionable magnetism, "Then, I will take this 'business'."

Hearing Gao Jie Ming's affirmative answer, the nobles' faces instantly erupted with immense joy.

Count Reinhardt's lips trembled, and he was almost moved to tears: "Great! Great! My lord! You are the savior of our families!"

"However..." Gao Jie Ming's voice sounded again, pulling them back to reality from their ecstasy. The indifference in his tone had not diminished in the slightest; instead, it carried a trace of heart-trembling pressure, "My reward cannot be measured by the ordinary wealth you speak of."

Count Reinhardt immediately became nervous: "My lord, please speak! As long as our families can afford it, we will not be stingy!"

"My requirements are very simple." Gao Jie Ming's gaze was sharp, sweeping over every noble present: "First, during the escort, I have the highest command of the team, including the marching route, camping locations, defensive deployment, and even the right to dispose of anyone who disobeys orders. Your private troops and mercenaries must completely obey my orders and must not have the slightest disobedience."

Once these words were spoken, the nobles' expressions changed slightly; this was equivalent to handing the lives of their families completely into Gao Jie Ming's hands.

But thinking of his terrifying combat power last night and the crisis of the orc pursuit, they could only grit their teeth and nod.

"Second, all supplies, wealth, and magical items encountered along the way... any war loot that does not belong to your private families will belong to me. This includes any war loot obtained from the orcs." Gao Jie Ming added.

The supplies were of little use to him, but they could enrich his "persona."

"This... this is natural! My lord, you are the leader, so all war loot naturally belongs to you!" Baron Fabio hurriedly expressed his stance.

"Third," Gao Jie Ming's gaze was profound, and he deliberately paused, making the nobles' hearts jump into their throats, "After arriving at the Royal Capital, I want you to use all your connections to strive for royal recognition for me."

This condition sounded a bit strange, but the nobles exchanged glances privately, and expressions of "as expected" appeared in their eyes.

They had investigated "Jack" a long time ago, and the result was naturally that no useful information was found.

No matter how one looked at it, the other party's past information seemed to be just an ordinary adventurer.

Although the information investigated by the spies looked very real, it could not be linked to the strong man in front of them in any way.

Coupled with some of his actions after arriving in Golden Port, the nobles of Golden Port naturally regarded Jack as a "dark pawn" planted by some nobles.

And it was highly likely that he was a dark pawn of nobles from other kingdoms.

When they were discussing just now, General Brandon also expressed his views.

He found that judging from the surrounding battle traces, although this "Jack" was powerful, he did not seem to have mastered any powerful combat techniques.

This actually fit the other party's background: the most important thing for a dark pawn was secrecy, not strength.

Conversely, if a dark pawn became too powerful, it might instead invite the suspicion and wariness of the master—just like this "Jack."

Looking at "Jack's" previous actions, the other party was highly likely to want to set something up in advance in Golden Port.

But there was no doubt that the orc invasion should have also destroyed his setup.

What is the best way for a dark pawn who is wary of his master and has failed his mission to escape?

Naturally, it is to whitewash his identity!

So... this should be the other party's true purpose!

But it doesn't matter. Anyway, this is also good for them. As long as he is willing to escort them, everything is negotiable.

"This... this is not difficult! My lord! We will definitely go all out to strive for all this for you!" Count Reinhardt promised almost without hesitation.

In their view, this kind of request was far easier to satisfy than titles and gold coins.

"Very good." Gao Jie Ming smiled faintly, his smile carrying a trace of satisfaction, "Since that's the case, let's prepare to set off quickly. I am fully prepared and can leave at any time, but I don't want you to be dawdling when the main orc force arrives."

Glancing at the huge package Gao Jie Ming placed beside him, the nobles also smiled.

It seems that the other party had long planned to leave here as well.

This is good!

Only when both sides have the same goal can they maintain consistent interests.

"Please rest assured, we are ready and can set off at any time!"

(End of chapter)