Chapter 467: Letter of Allegiance

"The new Title: Duke Laobodi Er..." Prince Dilan's painful expression froze.

Lei En, standing behind, could not see his facial change, but his soul's eye perceived his emotional fluctuations, colors flashing rapidly—gray, white, cyan, blue—like neon lights, finally settling on teal, a hesitation tinged with slight joy.

The prince was moved.

When the plan to attack Fengnu Castle was set, Emilyss and the lords discussed Dilan Laobodi Er, who is King Marck's younger brother, but the brothers were not close, even somewhat estranged.

Because Prince Dilan had long coveted the Title: Duke Laobodi Er in secret.

When they were young, they competed for the ducal heir, but Prince Dilan lost. Later, Marck usurped the throne of Kangjiatuo, staying long in the capital Jinslan, absorbing lands originally belonging to the Zhuogeng Castle family, and could not attend to the Laobodi Er Duchy.

Yet the Laobodi Er family could find no one more suitable than Dilan, so Marck had to entrust the territories and Fengnu Castle to this scheming brother.

Fengnu Castle is the only place that can train Giant Deer Warriors, so Marck could not let Prince Dilan expand his power; he placed many of his own men inside Fengnu Castle.

The Title: Duke Laobodi Er remained firmly in Marck's grip, giving Dilan no chance.

Indeed, Prince Dilan owned no fief of his own.

He is called a prince, but in reality he is merely a steward of the Laobodi Er family, with little authority; without Marck's written decree, his orders cannot leave Fengnu Castle, and he cannot command the family's vassal lords.

For this ambush of the Dragonborn army, Marck could not find a better candidate, so in the crisis he ordered the Giant Deer Warriors and the lords to temporarily obey Prince Dilan.

During the usurpation war, Prince Dilan did not take part and his hands never stained with Dragonborn blood.

Therefore Emilyss was willing to give him a chance.

The Laobodi Er family worships Grosh, the "God of Strength and Orcs," the mightiest of Kangjiatuo's Seven Gods; exterminating the family would surely provoke His wrath.

After all, Grosh does not disregard mortal followers like the dragon god Bahamut.

Emilyss needs a member of the Laobodi Er family to replace Marck, suppress the vassal lords, and lead loyalty to herself. With such a person as a buffer and proxy, resistance to ruling the Laobodi Er Duchy would be far smaller and would not anger Grosh.

Of course, the Laobodi Er family must pay sufficient price for Marck's past deeds.

That is what will need to be considered later.

Lei En did not crush Prince Dilan's head with a hammer just now, sparing his life precisely because he is useful.

Sure enough, Prince Dilan, as the plan foretold, defected on the spot under the twin temptations of life and profit.

"Warriors, I am Dilan Laobodi Er!"

"In the name of my family I command you to lay down your weapons, cease fighting immediately, and cease resistance."

Prince Dilan's booming voice echoed across the battlefield.

Both sides in the melee froze for a moment, looking toward the high hill. The clash had ceased to be a battle and become a one‑sided slaughter, mainly by Centaurs, River Bay Legion and Gunwing Knights surrounding the enemy; upon seeing Lei En's figure, their movements slowed.

The Laobodi Er family's army had already collapsed entirely, most fleeing for survival, only a few still holding stubbornly.

Hearing that Prince Dilan had surrendered, they became thoroughly enraged.

One by one they shouted Grosh's name or cursed Prince Dilan for disgracing the Laobodi Er family's reputation, launching reckless suicidal charges.

They were then cut down by the reacting Gunwing Knights and Wizards.

"Lay down your weapons."

Prince Dilan's deep voice reached the Transcendents, "It is not worth giving your life for that king far in Jinslan who has not returned to Fengnu Castle for years; he is no longer Title: Duke Laobodi Er. You should not die here pointlessly—think of your parents, wives, they are waiting for you to return."

Lei En couldn't help but glance sideways; this hulking brute, perhaps illiterate, managed to utter such stirring words.

Those words worked well, moving the fleeing Transcendents.

"I surrender!"

Immediately someone dropped their weapon, raising both sides to signal surrender.

The Laobodi Er army had already collapsed; most only wanted to survive, but bound by loyalty to their lord, their reputation, and the enemy's ruthlessness, they focused on fleeing.

Now that someone led, they immediately followed.

Bang bang bang…

The forest rang with the sound of weapons being discarded, hands raised overhead, the sky‑borne gunfire ceased, the Centaurs halted their pursuit, realizing the enemy truly ceased killing; instantly the Transcendents showed expressions of relief.

They knew they had survived today.

The fighting stopped.

At the clearing at the valley entrance, Emilyss, heavily guarded by the Scale‑Blood Squad in the center, clenched her fists, hands trembling uncontrollably, heart surging.

I have won!

Winning this battle equals conquering the Laobodi Er Duchy.

Kangjiatuo's Seven Great Duchies have already subjugated four; this restoration plan is more than half complete, giving Marck the advantage, and the Iron Throne is now within sight!

Emilyss took a deep breath, steadied her excitement, and ordered, "Immediately gather the captives, treat the wounded; they are my people, we cannot watch them die—save them all if possible."

"Yes!"

Warogen and Dinglaji and others were likewise high‑spirited, directing the Transcendents in rescue efforts.

The River Bay Legion's Scale Warriors each wield water‑based healing, and the Centaur priests can also staunch bleeding; unless injuries are severe, most can be saved.

On the hill, after finishing his proclamation, Prince Dilan coughed up a large mouthful of blood.

Lei En released his grip on the armor and asked, "Do you need treatment?"

"No need, thank you for your concern, Sir."

Prince Dilan produced a bottle of seemingly precious magic elixir and tipped it back to drink.

He wiped the blood from his mouth, his complexion quickly reddened, and the blood cavity from chest to back healed at a visibly rapid pace.

Lei En nodded; the Giant Deer Warrior's regenerative ability was indeed astounding.

Among Kangjiatuo's Seven Great Families, Transcendents—Giant Deer Warriors are famed for "high vitality, high defense"; Prince Dilan's "Self‑Healing" reached level nine, "Rapid Recovery" level seven. Such grievous wounds would have killed other legends, yet he remains mobile, merely lacking offensive strength.

"You are the Wizard from Weizelan Fu Kong Cheng, Ryan Augustus, Chairman?" Prince Dilan, touching his painful wound, still wore a look of lingering fear.

"It is I."

Dilan's face showed disbelief, curiously asking, "Are you truly a Wizard?"

He couldn't help but scrutinize Lei En; Kangjiatuo rarely sees dedicated spellcasters, even sorcerers are few, yet rumors claim that Wizards, Mages, or Sorcerers are all frail, weak, and can be felled with a single sword.

I swung an axe at the opponent's shoulder, but the Storm Slayer couldn't get through, and the wound it caused had already vanished.

Conversely, the opponent hammered me half to death with a single strike.

If that hammer had struck my head, even with the highest defense and strongest regeneration, I would already be in Grolsh's Divine Kingdom now.

This style of exchanging wounds and ignoring attacks is even wilder than the Giant Deer Warrior!

His strength, defense, and regeneration are terrifyingly strong!

Prince Dilan has only seen such power in his older brother Ma Erke in his whole life, and he finds it hard to believe that Lei En is a Wizard; are there such Wizards in the world?

In fact, not only Prince Dilan, but also Duke Feishe beside him shares the same confusion.

Lei En smiled and casually explained, "I am a combat Wizard, just a rare breed. If you ever have a chance to go to the Empire or ask around, you'll find out."

"Combat Wizard…"

Prince Dilan and Duke Feishe noted down this extraordinary profession.

Lei En looked up at the sky.

The Fire Dragon had already chased far away, and the Extreme Warriors were still hunting the Snow Eagle Guard, gunfire nonstop, the Eagle Song hunters scattered in flight, and few survivors remained. Snow Eagles excel at flying; although they are only Mid-stage birds, they are slightly faster than the Fire Dragon, and even when the Fire Dragon activates "Raging Flame Dive," it cannot last, likely unable to kill all the Snow Eagles.

The escape of a few Eagle Song hunters does not affect the overall situation; both sides have essentially revealed their cards.

Kaidejia's figure appeared, shaking his head, "No detection."

Lei En had known it long ago.

His True Will and Soul Eye have been on guard, stronger than Kaidejia's Mystic Eye, and likewise failed to locate the opponent's caster.

Kaidejia and Lei En's gazes both fell upon Prince Dilan.

Prince Dilan's heart leapt instantly.

This white‑haired Wizard is also the Speaker of Weizelan, a Legendary High-rank caster whose power is unfathomable; a single spell solved Ron*Etis!

"Who cast the 'Mass Camouflage' to hide the army?" Lei En asked gravely.

"I don't know."

Prince Dilan shook his head, fearing the two Speakers might misunderstand, and quickly explained, "That caster was a man of Ma Erke, who came with the Snow Eagle Guard. He was enveloped in a layer of light and shadow, so I couldn't see his features; his voice was strange, and I couldn't tell gender. At the start of the battle, when he saw you hadn't triggered the magical trap, he vanished immediately."

The Soul Eye showed he was not lying.

Lei En and Kaidejia exchanged a glance; the Legendary caster's scheming concealment of his identity was clearly out of fear of being recognized or having his true background guessed from his appearance.

The person is either a Wizard also from the Empire, or someone fearing Weizelan's retaliation.

Either way, he is an enemy of Weizelan.

Lei En stopped questioning, raised his hand to open a portal, and returned from the mountaintop to the valley entrance.

Prince Dilan stepped out of the portal, immediately half‑kneeling toward Aimiliss, and shouted, "Prince Dilan Lao Bo Di Er has met Her Majesty the Queen. In Grolsh's name, I, Dilan Lao Bo Di Er, hereby declare my allegiance to the Zhuogengbao family, willing to fight for the Queen against the usurper Ma Erke, eradicate all enemies that stand before us, and have the Kingdom of Kangjiatuo welcome back its true master."

His voice was loud, firm, and powerful, without any hesitation.

Seeing the half‑kneeling, yet towering Dilan Lao Bo Di Er—who was as large as a small hill—though everyone had discussed this beforehand, actually witnessing the Lao Bo Di Er family's submission still felt somewhat unbelievable.

For a long while no one responded, leaving Prince Dilan uneasy.

He was about to lift his head to observe when a melodious female voice rang out, "Duke Lao Bo Di Er, I accept your and your family's allegiance, please rise."

That mention of "Duke" made Dilan's heart blossom with joy.

"Thank you, Your Majesty the Queen."

After bowing again solemnly, he finally saw Aimiliss surrounded by the Bloodscale Guard in the center—a beautiful lady with violet eyes, silver‑white hair, and a pair of red dragon horns on her head; though not tall, she exuded a dragon‑like aura of majesty.

Indeed, a dragon‑born!

Prince Dilan Lao Bo Di Er dared not stare further; he was no stranger to dragon‑born, and after more than forty years seeing one again, he couldn't help feeling a few emotions.

He had thought the dragon‑born's rule was over, yet did not expect a resurgence.

Half an hour later.

The Lao Bo Di Er family's army was captured; after tallying, over four thousand surviving extraordinary beings remained, of which over a thousand suffered minor injuries needing time to heal; more than three hundred were permanently disabled by severe wounds; nearly sixteen hundred were killed, including over a hundred who died from grievous injuries.

The heaviest casualties were the Giant Deer Warriors.

They had long been stationed at Stormrage Fortress, numbering over a thousand; more than half had just become Giant Deer Warriors, only at the initial level, yet they charged at the front and were met with a crushing blow from the Extreme Warrior Corps, over six hundred died to gunfire, and the proportion of severe injuries was low because those hit by Lambo's spear rarely survived.

Prince Dilan Lao Bo Di Er, upon learning this, felt a heart‑wrenching pain that made breathing difficult.

These Giant Deer Warriors are the family's foundation and his future private army; to have two‑thirds slain in an instant, how could he not be heartbroken?

Unless he could recruit the Giant Deer Warriors under Ma Erke back into his ranks.

Ma Erke commands fifteen hundred Giant Deer Warriors, the elite of the Giant Deer Legion, whose overall strength surpasses that of the novice Giant Deer Warriors at Stormrage Fortress by more than one tier.

As he was pondering, he heard Aimiliss call his name.

"Your Majesty the Queen." Dilan hurriedly bowed.

Aimiliss looked at his towering, stout frame, a hint of a smile at the corner of her mouth, and said with some expectation, "Lord Dilan, I need you to capture Stormrage Fortress for me; can you do it?"

Stormrage Fortress is the Lao Bo Di Er family's core territory, easy to defend but hard to attack, and has never fallen for many years.

If Stormrage Fortress can be taken, it would not only mean conquering the Lao Bo Di Er family but also boost the dragon‑born army's momentum, delivering a heavy blow to Ma Erke's prestige.

Currently Stormrage Fortress still houses many defenders, as well as a large number of vassal lords' private troops and families; outside the castle lies a Storm Rune formation, making a forced breach difficult.

Dilan knew clearly this was his moment to pledge his name.

He shouted without hesitation, "Your Majesty, grant me a thousand troops, and ensure the gates are opened within half a day to welcome Your Majesty into Stormrage Fortress, making me its new master."

(End of Chapter)