Chapter 34: Forceful Action? Baron Carter Backs Down!

Three days later, early morning.

Outside Gold Mine Valley, dust swirled.

The black lizard flag pressed in like a dark cloud.

Baron Carter's army had finally arrived.

A force of over a thousand men stretched for miles, a murderous aura permeating the air.

Five Great Knights sat on their horses at the front of the formation, their cold gazes scanning the valley entrance.

Baron Carter rode on his horse, his face gloomy, no joy or anger visible on his fat features.

At the valley entrance, Roko had long been waiting with his people.

Standing beside him were only Hart, Fula, and Martina.

Behind them were the fifty-odd knights he had brought, along with some new recruits trained by Hart, totaling just over two hundred.

Compared to Baron Carter's massive force, they appeared somewhat thin.

But Roko's expression was calm, showing not a hint of fear.

The two sides stood in a standoff, the air seemingly frozen.

Baron Carter looked at Roko's young yet unnervingly calm face, his inner rage growing even more intense.

"Roko Raymond!"

Baron Carter's voice was like muffled thunder.

"Hand over my son!"

Roko spoke indifferently.

"Baron Carter, your son Morris is safe and sound."

"However, it seems there are some misunderstandings between us that need to be resolved."

"Release my son, and everything is negotiable!" Baron Carter's tone was harsh. "Otherwise, don't blame me for not respecting the Raymond family!"

A faint, imperceptible arc appeared at the corner of Roko's mouth.

"You joke, Baron."

"Your son Morris attacked my camp first, and now you've brought troops to my doorstep."

"Such actions, I fear, are somewhat improper, aren't they?"

"My people went missing near your territory, so I sent men to investigate. What is improper about that?"

Baron Carter argued sophistically.

"It is you who detained my son without cause and killed my knights and soldiers!"

"We must settle this account!"

As he spoke, he waved his hand violently.

The knights behind him slowly closed in, a powerful aura pressing down on Roko.

Baron Carter clearly intended to use force to reclaim Morris.

"Baron, are you certain you want to take action here?"

Roko's voice remained calm.

"You should recognize the Flame Griffin emblem on my chest."

"Hmph! The Raymond family!"

A hint of disdain appeared on Baron Carter's face.

"This is Xin Feng Province! This is the border! The heavens are high and the Emperor is far away!"

"As long as I don't kill you, even if Marquis Raymond finds out, what can he do to me?"

"For the sake of a pioneer abandoned by the family, would the Marquis really travel thousands of miles to wage a major war against a border baron?"

He clearly believed Roko was isolated and that the family's deterrent power could not reach the border.

Roko sighed inwardly.

As expected, the family name could not completely suppress these fellows.

However, he was not worried.

Just as the knights behind Baron Carter were about to cross the tacitly agreed-upon boundary line:

"Baron Carter, what a grand display of power!"

A voice with a hint of mockery rang out like a thunderclap across the valley.

Immediately following, a large number of knights suddenly surged out from the slopes on both the left and right!

Their neat formations and fine equipment were far superior to the ragtag army under Carter.

Two Flame Griffin banners fluttered in the wind, emitting a dazzling light!

Baron Leo and Baron Ban En, each leading over two hundred knights, struck like two sharp swords into the flanks of Baron Carter's force!

In the blink of an eye, Baron Carter and the thousand-plus men he brought were counter-encircled by these two suddenly appearing elite knight squads!

The smugness and arrogance on Baron Carter's face froze instantly, his pupils shrinking violently.

He looked in disbelief at the two suddenly appearing squads and those two glaring Flame Griffin banners!

"Leo Raymond! Ban En Raymond!"

He gasped, the color draining from his face instantly.

How is this possible?!

How could the two Raymond family barons in Xin Feng Province appear here at the same time?!

And they brought so many elite knights!

Baron Leo rode out, a playful smile on his face.

"Old lizard Carter, it's been years, your temper has grown, hasn't it?"

"You dare to bully people of my Raymond family at will?"

Baron Ban En was more direct, his cold gaze locking onto Carter.

"Carter, did you come here today wanting to go to war with us?"

The cold murderous intent was undisguised.

Cold sweat instantly covered Baron Carter's forehead.

He might not have cared about a single Roko.

But facing two powerful Raymond family barons simultaneously, along with the hundreds of elite knights they brought, his meager force was simply not enough.

If a real fight broke out, his entire army would be wiped out!

The situation reversed instantly.

Baron Carter's expression changed repeatedly, and in the end, all his arrogance and anger turned into deep dread and unwillingness.

He knew that solving the problem with force today was impossible.

"The two barons are joking."

Baron Carter squeezed out a smile uglier than crying.

"It's all a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding."

"Let's sit down and talk properly!"

Leo snorted coldly.

"Now you want to talk?"

"What were you doing before?"

But he did not continue to press, as their goal was not to actually start a war.

Soon, a crude wooden table was moved to the front of the two armies.

On Roko's side, Roko sat in the middle, with Leo and Ban En on either side.

Hart stood behind Roko.

Unexpectedly, the one representing Roko in the negotiations was the petite and exquisite Snow Fox girl, Martina.

Seeing this, Baron Carter's eyes flashed with a hint of contempt.

Letting an orc slave preside over negotiations?

It was simply the height of absurdity!

But after looking at the elite knights eyeing him like tigers and the expressionless Leo and Ban En, he finally suppressed his dissatisfaction and sat down across the table.

The negotiations officially began.

Martina cleared her throat, her youthful face carrying a calmness and sharpness inconsistent with her age.

She pushed a pre-drafted list toward Baron Carter.

"Baron Carter, these are my young master's conditions."

"Releasing Morris is possible, but you must compensate our side for all losses in this conflict, including but not limited to pensions for sacrificed knights and compensation for our mental distress."

"A total of fifty thousand gold coins."

"Additionally, you must sign a contract acknowledging Vanguard Valley and the surrounding fifty-mile radius as Young Master Roko's legal pioneer territory, and guarantee never to invade."

"What?!"

Baron Carter slammed the table and stood up, pointing at Martina and roaring.

"Fifty thousand gold coins?! Why don't you just rob me!"

"A mere orc slave dares to open her mouth so wide!"

Martina met his gaze without fear, her pure white eyes as clear as ice and snow, yet carrying the power to see through hearts.

"Baron, please mind your words."

"I am now representing my young master, Roko Raymond."

"As for the price, I believe it is very reasonable."

"After all, the life of Morris and the safety of your thousand-plus men are worth far more than this price." ===== CHAPTER 35 =====