Chapter 468: Piercing Bone, Sucking Marrow

Dilan Labordir's efficiency was even faster than he claimed.

In less than half a day, before night even fell, he had already opened the gate of Windrage Fortress to warmly welcome the dragon‑blood army into the castle.

Windrage Fortress sits on a massive cliff by the sea, towering high with the sea on three sides; only a narrow road outside the western gate provides access. Its walls, over thirty meters tall, are built entirely of massive stones, curved and virtually unclimbable, faintly etched with rune lines that pulse with a subtle elemental energy.

The sky above the fortress is perpetually gloomy, storms never cease, and the howling gale from the sea seems to recount the castle's age and vicissitudes.

This is the largest fortress Lei En has ever seen, more than ten times the size of his own Ge Lamorgen Fortress.

Windrage Fortress is both a castle and a city.

The Labordir family's domain is the most barren of the seven duchies, mostly hills and the sparsest population; with over fifty thousand permanent residents, Windrage Fortress has become the largest city of the Labordir Duchy.

Windrage Fortress has never fallen in history.

Lei En observed the storm‑rune formation set on the walls; the array is ingeniously designed, harnessing the high‑density wind element of the raging storm, requiring only a few Giant‑Stag warriors or wind‑blood sorcerers to activate, and needs little upkeep under normal conditions.

If enough personnel operate the storm array, breaking through it is no easy task.

Moreover, unlike the water‑veil shield of Torrent Fortress, this array possesses offensive power; its released wind spells are comparable to the Eight‑Ring Spell, dealing massive damage to aerial foes or to enemies besieging the sole gate.

Yet, as the old saying goes, the strongest fortresses are always breached from within.

Under the setting sun, the dragon‑blood army garrisoned Windrage Fortress.

Dilan Labordir stood at the inner gate of Windrage Fortress and shouted loudly, "A warm welcome to Her Majesty the Queen upon arriving at Windrage Fortress!"

"Sir Dilan, you have done well," Aimilisi said with a smile, looking very pleased.

"Serving Her Majesty the Queen is the greatest honor of my life," Dilan bowed modestly again, revealing the massive axe on his back.

The epic‑level axe, "Storm Slayer," dripped fresh blood from its blade.

Behind him stood a group of nobles, many still pale from terror and unwilling to show any resistance. Those who dared to oppose have already been cut down, their corpses displayed along the castle road.

Along the way, everyone has become aware of the ruthless tactics of the newly appointed Labordir Title: Duke.

First, he demanded a thousand men: half were private troops led by surviving vassal lords, including Count Lu Ku Ya, the first to surrender, now prisoners forced to cooperate for survival; the other half were elite transcendants from Feishe Duchy, who could monitor the captives and, should they defect, still offer a chance to seize the fortress.

His selection of men shows that Dilan is meticulous despite a rough exterior, far from the recklessness he appears to be.

He led over a thousand transcendants back to Windrage Fortress at the fastest possible speed.

The transcendants disguised themselves as defeated retreating troops, tricked the gate open, and once inside launched a massive purge, under Dilan's command executing all of Ma'erk's agents and anyone who voiced dissent, cleanly and decisively.

The garrison left in Windrage Fortress was already small, only a few hundred, and relatively weak; the sudden assault left them virtually unable to retaliate.

Dilan not only seized Windrage Fortress smoothly, but also openly eliminated dissenters.

Even now that Aimilisi departs with her army, he can still firmly hold Windrage Fortress, becoming the de facto ruler of the Labordir Duchy.

Lei En gave Dilan Labordir a deep glance.

This person is no simple case; he must be guarded against.

That night, the dragon‑blood army camped within Windrage Fortress; a modest welcome banquet was held in the great wind hall of the inner keep, attended only by a few nobles and lords. The next day, after receiving permission, Dilan held a mourning ceremony on the castle's plaza for the warriors who fell yesterday.

Before tens of thousands of Windrage Fortress residents, Dilan first expressed regret and sorrow for the fallen, even shedding a few tears.

Then he began to harshly condemn his brother Ma'erk, calling him a usurper who betrayed the true ruler of Kangjiatuo, the Zhuogeng Bao family, and the various crimes of past decades.

If Ma'erk had not betrayed and usurped, how could the dragon‑blood have attacked Windrage Fortress?

Ma'erk has not returned to Windrage Fortress for decades, long ago...

If Ma'erk had not taken the Giant‑Stag warriors to the capital, reducing Windrage Fortress's strength, how could those brothers...

Dilan's eloquence is excellent, highly...

At first the residents didn't quite believe him; as Di Lan grew more and more agitated, people gradually began to respond loudly, hurling curses at the king they hadn't seen in decades, the square roared with voices, and the foul shouts never ceased.

Amid this momentum, Dilan announced the expulsion of Ma'erk from the Labordir family, also gaining...

Finally, he formally introduced Aimilisi.

A dragon‑blood, the legendary noble dragon‑blood, appeared before the people, accompanied by three majestic great dragons; the residents of Windrage Fortress were simultaneously shocked and intensely curious.

Aimilisi also displayed a measured kindness.

Ordinary people are easily moved by the seemingly ordinary actions of those in power—a gentle smile, a simple reply, even a shared glance—each amplified infinitely, evoking an inexplicable sense of closeness.

If that superior figure possesses power beyond the ordinary, the effect is even greater.

Compared to King Ma'erk, who bears the Labordir Title: Duke yet hasn't returned for decades, a noble dragon‑blood standing before them, the beautiful Queen, clearly draws the people's support.

In just a quarter of an hour, Aimilisi won over the people of Windrage Fortress.

The crowd shouted loudly, "The dragon‑blood has returned!"

Ma'erk has become a thing of the past in Windrage Fortress.

Lei En watched coldly and had to admit, Dilan Labordir surprised him again. Clearly, some in the crowd were his planted "stooges," exploiting the herd mentality to toy with Windrage Fortress's citizens for applause.

He glanced at Waluogen and Ding Laji beside him.

Both are accustomed to operating behind the scenes, so they didn't follow Aimilisi onto the stage; their expressions were mixed, joy tinged with caution.

Their joy stemmed from the successful capture of Windrage Fortress, the conquest of the Labordir Duchy, and gaining the people's support.

Their caution concerns Dilan Labordir, fearing that he may...

"Are you worried he might cause trouble?" Lei En asked.

"Yes," Ding Laji nodded. "He seized the Labordir Duchy through the Queen's hand; future governance cannot bypass him. He himself is a Legendary High-rank Giant‑Stag warrior, his position now unstable—he may have no ulterior motives now, but who knows in the future."

Waluogen also wore a worried expression.

Lei En chuckled twice, "If his methods are truly that formidable, why was he still tightly suppressed by Ma'erk? Know that Ma'erk hasn't returned to Windrage Fortress for decades and never managed to turn the tide."

"Uh..." Ding Laji was momentarily at a loss, while Waluogen seemed thoughtful...

"All schemes must be based on strength," Lei En explained. "Dilan now controls Windrage Fortress because he has the Queen's and the dragon‑blood army's backing; his personal strength is decent, but truly..."

Ding Laji's eyes lit up, "I understand."

"Do not give him room to expand his power," Waluogen added. "Without money or people, he cannot cultivate many Giant‑Stag warriors; alone, his achievements will be limited."

Lei En nodded approvingly, "The specifics of how to..."

The Laobodi Er family has fourteen vassal lords; in yesterday's battle eight died, leaving only six. According to the Kangjiatuo Kingdom's noble succession system, a new lord is chosen from the families of the deceased lords, but it requires the granting lord, that is, the Laobodi Er Title: Duke's investiture.

Currently Dilan is not yet the Laobodi Er Title: Duke, so naturally cannot grant investiture to a new lord.

Aimeilis can use this to negotiate terms, seizing ownership of several territories and merging them into the Zhuogeng Castle family's lands, thereby weakening the power of the Laobodi Er Duchy.

Moreover, over four thousand Transcendent beings who survived yesterday, including six living lords, are still classified as captives; by custom they must hand over ransom to be allowed to return.

This ransom requires the lion to open his mouth wide, at least stripping three layers of skin from the lords!

Both ceding land and paying compensation, the Laobodi Er Duchy will not recover for decades; no matter how many schemes Dilan has, lacking money, land, and people makes it hard to pose a great threat.

It can be called a triple gain.

Luowagen hesitated, "Territory is the most important foundation for nobles; losing territory is an indelible disgrace, so Dilan is unlikely to agree."

"He has no choice but to agree."

Lei En hummed, "If he dares to resist, we'll replace him; there are many members of the Laobodi Er family in Windrage Castle. The world lacks nothing in ambitious ones; as long as there's a chance to rise, they gladly betray things that never belonged to them."

"I don't believe it; the Laobodi Er family is all hardbones."

Ding Laji and Waluogen looked at Lei En with a measure of admiration, and also some awe; it turned out he was the most ruthless.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

Lei En found it odd; aren't these just standard procedures? Exploiting others with power is simply human nature, self‑taught.

"Hehe… nothing, nothing…" Ding Laji began to flatter, "Lord, your wisdom surpasses all, you are brilliant!"

Waluogen's plump face forced out a smile.

"Flatterer," Lei En said lightly, his face showing indifference, though he felt rather pleased inside.

On the third night, Aimeilis finally summoned the desperate Dilan Laobodi Er. In the great hall of Windrage Castle, under Lei En's and two Speakers' gaze, Ding Laji and Waluogen negotiated with Dilan, presenting the demands for territory and ransom.

As expected, Dilan refused on the spot, saying it was impossible.

He even rose in anger to leave the hall, but found the three Speakers from Weizelan staring at him, daring not to move, and then saw a stranger yet familiar—a young giant stag warrior who had previously gone unnoticed.

However, this giant stag warrior also bore the surname Laobodi Er.

Dilan was shocked and angry, as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over his head; he dared to be angry but not to speak, and could only suppress his fury and sit down again.

Surrender comes in only zero times or not at all.

Dilan was never a person of especially strong Willpower; years ago that flaw caused him to lose the competition for the dukedom to Malk, and now, because of the same weakness, he yielded, becoming the most disgraceful patriarch in Laobodi Er family history.

After a round of negotiations, the Laobodi Er Duchy relinquished five territories.

These five territories are all in the northern part of the Duchy, together accounting for one third of its total area. The actual loss exceeds mere land; the Duchy's north bordered the former lands of the Zhuogeng Castle family, and at the frontier lies a massive forest covering over thirty thousand square li.

The forest's terrain is complex and the environment harsh; its interior is too dangerous for ordinary people, so it remains undeveloped and scarcely trodden.

When the Zhuogeng Castle dynasty still existed, this forest served as the hunting ground of the great dragons belonging to the Dragonborn.

Hence it is called the Great Dragon Forest.

The Great Dragon Forest is split in two; the northern part belongs to the Zhuogeng Castle family, the southern to the Laobodi Er family. Now the Laobodi Er family has lost one third of its northern territory and no longer borders the forest, so the entire Great Dragon Forest now belongs to the Zhuogeng Castle family.

After ceding land comes compensation.

The six living vassal lords and three nobles about to inherit lordships were summoned to the hall; after haggling, Lei En used the Soul Eye to covertly aid Ding Laji and Waluogen, probing whether they spoke truthfully and easily extracting their family assets.

The Laobodi Er family together with nine lords paid a ransom of over 12.2 million golden dragons.

This sum will belong entirely to the Weizelan Wizards.

Aimeilis announced the decision; Kaidejia and Thus line: Kelaoaosi, the two Speakers, both showed satisfied smiles, and to show support, they spent two days setting up a long‑range teleportation array in Windrage Castle, linking to Dragon Crystal Island.

Upon seeing the teleportation array, Dilan's thoughts were all extinguished.

The Dragonborn army stayed in Windrage Castle for five days before continuing onward; Dilan dared not defy orders and, with the newly subjugated Transcendent Army, marched north into the Great Dragon Forest.

Lei En had long monitored the Great Dragon Forest, because the mithril mine he needs lies in its northern part.

(End of Chapter)