Chapter 290

"Surprised? Delighted, Lord Japas?"

The newcomer needed no introduction—it was Gervas.

He hadn't expected this fellow to be so lucky; both White Silver Knights had been wiped out, yet he still escaped.

Of course, his own luck wasn't bad either—this guy had been directly "delivered" to his feet!

Japas's face shifted through several expressions, then suddenly broke into a delighted smile. "Lord Gervas, this is truly wonderful! Just moments ago, dark creatures attacked our party!"

"Seeing you means I'm safe!"

"By the way, I can now confirm with certainty that the attack on Lord Parker's castle was real—this border truly is dangerous!"

One must admit, Japas's ability to gain the Second Prince's trust wasn't without reason.

His speed of thought and reaction was truly astonishing!

Of course, Gervas clearly wasn't fooled by this act.

"Heh, Envoy, you've only just figured it out—too late!"

Without Gervas speaking, Migen stepped forward and seized Japas by the back of his robe, lifting him off the ground.

A gleaming longsword was instantly pressed against his throat.

This time, Japas was truly terrified.

"Lord Gervas, I know I was wrong—please, spare me!"

"Lord Japas, don't be afraid. I personally fully support your investigation into the attack on Lord Parker's castle—after all, the coincidences truly are suspicious!"

"So I want you to investigate this matter thoroughly. Perhaps you can clear my name!"

"Huh? Lord Gervas, you really want me to investigate?" Now it was Japas's turn to be stunned.

Because Gervas's expression didn't seem fake at all.

"Yes! I sincerely want you to investigate!"

Japas immediately sighed in relief—perhaps Lord Parker's castle really wasn't Gervas's doing, so he too wanted to clear his own name.

"Lord Gervas, rest assured—once I return, I'll launch the investigation immediately and prove your innocence!" Japas patted his chest in assurance.

"No need to return—it's easier to begin your investigation right here, Lord Japas!"

"Begin right here?"

"Exactly. My men will assist you. And the best way to investigate is for you to question Lord Parker himself—surely the victim himself can tell you all the truth."

"But isn't Lord Parker missing?"

"He's not missing—he's already dead," Gervas corrected.

"Dead? Then how can I… ah!"

As he spoke, Japas suddenly realized something—his face turned ashen, and he let out a cry of horror.

But it was too late.

Plop!

A longsword pierced through his chest and emerged from his back.

"Lord Japas, I said my men would help you—you'll meet Lord Parker soon. Don't forget to send my regards!"

"You… I… the Second Prince will avenge me…" Japas's eyes filled with bitterness and hatred.

"Perhaps he will avenge you—but he'll be avenging you on the dark creatures," Gervas smiled.

Japas trembled with rage.

But his life had reached its end.

His head tilted sideways, and Japas took his final breath, his eyes wide open.

Japas, dead!

With Japas's death, the Second Prince's delegation was now completely wiped out.

Of course, Gervas still needed to make some arrangements.

First, erase all traces of the setup, and fake Japas's death as caused by dark creatures.

Gervas assigned the former task to Lei Meng and the others—to recover all the beast corpses and check the route for any leftovers.

The latter was simpler: have the Magic Swift Eagle carry Japas's body back to the previous riverside.

While the dark creatures hadn't left yet, drop him right in.

The dark creatures were very interested in this fresh, warm corpse—soon, Japas's body was reduced to pulp, with only scraps of fabric left to identify him.

The rest of his flesh and organs were nearly impossible to find.

…

After arranging everything, Gervas returned directly to the castle.

As he stepped into the inner keep, Old John hurried forward to meet him.

"My lord, just now, Magistrate Thomas reported that the Tulip Caravan has arrived in Stormhold—but regarding your request to procure warhorses, they say northern tensions have severely restricted horse purchases."

"For one or two horses, they might still manage to secure them at a premium—but more than five, they simply can't get them!"

Old John's face showed worry—after all, his lord had previously stressed the importance of forming a cavalry unit.

"John, I'm aware of this. Don't worry—I already have a better solution. I was planning to tell you anyway."

"My lord, what solution?"

"I heard word that a noble family in the north is selling their entire cavalry unit—I plan to go and purchase them."

"The north? That's too far! My lord, are you planning a long journey?" Old John immediately deduced Gervas's intent.

He didn't ask how Gervas got the information.

After all, his lord now carried an air of the extraordinary—something his servants could no longer fathom.

Perhaps his lord had connections they didn't even know about.

"Correct. So, John, you must prepare sufficient funds for me—start with three thousand gold coins."

Gervas estimated each cavalryman might cost at least one gold coin.

After all, they were trained by a Hou Jue family.

Of course, compared to the warhorses and equipment needed, the cavalrymen themselves might be the cheapest part.

First, armor: top-quality light cavalry gear must be better than that of guards.

It must be light and highly flexible—three to five gold coins per set is necessary.

But even that's minor—the real expense is the horses.

For example, a well-trained ordinary fast horse starts at three to five gold coins.

Higher-grade ones are warhorses.

Low-grade warhorses start at ten gold coins.

High-grade warhorses can cost twenty to thirty gold coins.

Of course, Gervas wasn't planning to be that extravagant yet.

High-grade warhorses were usually reserved for true knights.

So he aimed for low-grade warhorses.

Two hundred low-grade warhorses equal two thousand gold coins.

Add the cavalrymen and their gear—a thousand gold coins budget.

Altogether, three thousand gold coins wasn't too little, nor too much.

Of course, for safety, Gervas would also bring a supply of Glow Pearls.

"My lord, how large a caravan should I prepare?"

Since the exact distance was unknown, Old John couldn't determine how much supplies to ready.

"No caravan needed—I'll take only four or five men, riding Magic Swift Eagles."

Gervas planned to go fast and return quickly—the Marquis Darwin's auction banquet was in three days.

If they traveled by land, the banquet would be long over.

Besides, Yueyue and the Magic Swift Eagles were the most convenient transport in this world.