Chapter 420: Adamas

When the messenger withdrew, Gervas picked up the letter.

He opened it—the contents detailed the reasons behind his assignment to Carle Baron's Castle.

Carle Baron's Castle was the farthest among several checkpoints, over fifty li from Lindongcheng.

Naturally, the Commander-in-Chief had personally chosen it for Gervas—the greater the distance, the safer it was.

Besides, given the size of Gervas's contingent, another noble should have been assigned alongside him.

But the Commander-in-Chief feared more men would draw the orcs' attention and abandoned the idea.

After all, if Gervas could handle it alone, he didn't need help from lesser nobles—and he could still prevail.

But if he needed assistance, even a thousand peasant soldiers added wouldn't change a thing.

"The Stonecrack Duke?" Gervas hadn't expected that such a minor viscount as himself would draw the attention of a duke.

"Gervas, what does the letter say?"

Mil and the others had been watching Gervas's expression; seeing him frown while holding the letter, they couldn't help pressing him.

Gervas handed the letter directly to them.

After reading it, Mil and the others stared wide-eyed.

"Targeted by the Stonecrack Duke? How is this possible… such a powerful duke, going after a minor noble like us!"

"Yes! This is utterly shameless!"

None of them could believe a duke was targeting Gervas.

"Gervas, what will you do now?" After their shock, they all looked at him with concern.

"What else can I do? Follow orders—head to Carle Baron's Castle!"

"But… Gervas, if you go there, won't you get no credit at all?"

"No need to worry—the orcs won't be driven off so quickly, so there'll be plenty of chances for glory later!" Gervas remained undeterred.

He vaguely felt the orcs' sudden retreat was suspicious.

Besides his own intuition, the system's daily intelligence had also offered some clues.

The system's exact words: "Upon learning the royal army had arrived at Lindongcheng, the orcs fled in panic, allowing the royal forces to savor their first victory without a single battle."

"Normally, even when severely wounded, the orcs would roar in fury—yet now they fled cowardly. Is this due to lingering trauma from past defeats?"

"Or do they harbor some secret? This remains unknown."

"But regardless, the royal army will never allow Lindongcheng to remain vacant—today, the royal forces will successfully reclaim it."

Though vague, the system's message made Gervas feel it hinted at something deeper.

So he believed the royal army's upcoming clash with the orcs' main force wouldn't go smoothly.

In short, everything must be watched closely.

Since Gervas had said so, Mil and the others had nothing more to say.

They resumed drinking.

Though they would depart early tomorrow for Carle Baron's Castle, Gervas's small force could leave at any moment—no burden at all.

Meanwhile, as Gervas drank freely, Adamas, having learned the orcs' main force was approaching, wore an excited expression.

"Father, this is a perfect opportunity! With Lindongcheng as our stronghold, if the orcs truly dare come, we'll teach them a brutal lesson!"

"Isn't that true? Adamas, let me reveal a secret to you: to trap more orcs, the army is dispatching several thousand troops to surrounding checkpoints."

"They'll serve as surprise forces to block the orcs' escape, making the orcs taste heavy losses themselves."

"By the way, you know Gervas, right? He's among the troops assigned. It's strange—others chosen for interception were left to their own discretion!"

"Only Gervas was specifically ordered out by the Stonecrack Duke."

"Though he claims it's because Gervas's subordinates are strong and better suited for interception, anyone with sense knows this is just an excuse!"

"I can't understand—what did that insignificant Viscount Gervas do to anger the Stonecrack Duke so much that he'd personally target him?"

"The… the Stonecrack Duke is targeting Gervas? This…" Adamas's smile vanished instantly, replaced by pure worry.

Austen immediately noticed his eldest son's unusual expression and froze. "What's wrong, Adamas?"

This reaction—it was as if Adamas himself had been targeted.

Adamas didn't care about appearances. "Father, what happened afterward? Didn't the Commander-in-Chief or Duke Hernade help Viscount Gervas?"

"After all, Viscount Gervas earned so many merits—sending him away now is no way to treat a hero!"

Marquis Austen frowned but held his temper. "You're right—the Duke Hernade and Commander-in-Chief immediately refused!"

"But the Stonecrack Duke seemed determined—he had another reason, one that absolutely required Gervas to leave Lindongcheng. Only he, the Commander-in-Chief, and Duke Hernade know what it is."

"So my fellow great nobles and I were forced to leave the meeting hall—we never learned the outcome."

"Even you and the counts couldn't hear it?" Adamas couldn't believe it.

His father and the counts were pillars of the kingdom.

What kind of reason could be so secret even they couldn't hear it?

"Adamas, tell me—do you know Viscount Gervas well?" Marquis Austen seized the moment to press.

Adamas now realized his reaction had been too strong.

But he couldn't reveal Gervas's true identity to his father. "Father, I do know Viscount Gervas quite well."

"Because… he's connected to Lord Harry—yes, roughly the same relationship I have with Lord Harry."

"He's connected to Harry too? No wonder!" Marquis Austen exclaimed.

He didn't doubt his eldest son's words.

After all, the explanation made perfect sense.

For a minor noble like Gervas to possess such unusual ability, he must have powerful backing.

He just never expected that backing came from Harry himself.

So who exactly was Harry, to wield such influence?

"Father, I want to visit Gervas—to find out the details!" Adamas, now slightly uneasy, sought an excuse to leave.

And he genuinely worried for Gervas—he wanted to go to Gervas's camp.

"Go, Adamas!" Marquis Austen had no objection.

He immediately granted his eldest son's request.