"Ah..."
"Watch out..."
Screams of agony rang out continuously. Most of the knights charging at the front were struck by arrows and fell. The knights behind them felt a lingering fear and didn't dare to rush forward.
"Have them retreat," Duke Kerrac ordered. He saw the knights charging at the front falling one after another, and the morale of the knights behind plummeting, leaving him no choice but to order a retreat.
He couldn't bear to part with his foundation. These knights were all cultivated by him; they were his direct lineage, and some were even his own relatives.
"Retreat... retreat..." Tove shouted. Seeing so many knights struck by arrows, no matter how great his anger, he could only suppress it.
Step, step, step...
Hearing this, the knights stumbled as they retreated. Some were only shot in the arms and thighs, while others were killed with a single arrow.
"Captain Aiden, more than a dozen of their knights have been shot in the thigh and cannot retreat," A soldier reported.
"Capture them and lock them up," Aiden ordered. "Although we easily repelled the attack, seeing these knights unable to walk away inevitably chills the heart. Nobles truly are cold-hearted people, completely disregarding their injured subordinates. As expected, Lord Lucas is still the best."
"Yes," The soldier replied respectfully. He then led a squad of men, opened the city gates, and captured the enemies who were unable to resist or retreat.
Kerrac's group had already retreated to the forest where they originally camped. Kerrac and Tove rested in the main tent, which had not been dismantled.
"Dammit, how could the bows and arrows they just used possess such massive lethality?" Kerrac glared angrily.
"Father, we lost nearly three hundred men this time," Tove responded.
He had originally intended to vent his pent-up anger from the past few days, but he never expected to lose three hundred men instead, without even breaching the city gates.
"Dammit. Losing three hundred men right at the start of the siege truly makes my heart ache," Kerrac said with a gloomy face.
Direct lineage knights were different from recruited ones. If he went all out to recruit knights, he could gather at least three thousand men. He had planned to recruit more once he reached the Western Region, but today had completely poured a basin of cold water on him.
"Father, let's continue to force an attack. We've already lost three hundred men; we cannot give up," Tove urged, occasionally touching the sword at his waist.
"Of course we will continue. I just didn't expect them to have such formidable bows and arrows. In all my time in the capital, I've never seen anything like them," Kerrac said, then fell deep into thought.
"Then are we going to launch a night raid this time?" Tove asked.
"No, the knights won't be able to see clearly at night; going would just be seeking death. We will rest and regroup, and continue the attack tomorrow," Kerrac waved his hand and said seriously, "Slaughter a few horses and give everyone an extra meal."
"Yes." Tove replied, and then walked out of the main tent.
...
At this time in Sedona City, it was exactly noon. Lucas and the others had already finished lunch.
Bursts of melodious music drifted from the castle study. It was Catherine playing one of the new instruments—the violin.
"That sounds beautiful," Lucas clapped his hands and said after listening.
"N-no... not at all!" Catherine blushed.
"It seems it's about time to hold a performance for you," Lucas said with a smile.
"Really? Will many people come to watch?" Catherine was a bit worried. Ever since leaving the capital, she hadn't performed in front of a crowd for a long time.
"Really. When have I ever lied to you?" Lucas smiled.
"Then I'll play another piece. I just learned the new sheet music you gave me a couple of days ago," Catherine said in a crisp voice.
"Alright," Lucas agreed.
Knock, knock...
Just as Catherine was about to pick up the violin to play, a knock sounded at the door.
"Come in," Lucas said.
Creak... The door was pushed open, and Mina walked in, her expression a bit serious, holding a piece of newly acquired intelligence.
"Mina. It seems there is news from Liberty City," Lucas roughly guessed.
"Yes, Master. This letter was just sent from Liberty City." Mina handed the letter to Lucas.
Lucas took the letter, read it carefully, and chuckled lightly, "Interesting, very interesting."
Seeing Catherine's confused look, he couldn't help but hand the letter to her, saying evenly, "Take a look. This matter has a bit to do with you as well."
"Can I really read it?" Catherine had lived in the castle for a while and knew some of the rules.
"You can," Lucas nodded.
Catherine took the letter suspiciously and quickly skimmed through it. After reading, her expression became unpredictable—filled with loss, sadness, and helplessness...
"Heh... as expected, in his eyes, I am nothing but a piece of merchandise." Catherine's face was pale.
"Are you alright?" Lucas asked gently.
"Lucas, you don't need to worry too much about me. Do whatever you want, it's just... just..." Catherine pursed her lips, unable to continue, her eyes filling with mist.
"I will spare his life." Lucas nodded slightly, knowing what Catherine wanted to say.
"Thank you." Catherine lowered her head, the tears finally slipping down uncontrollably.
Anyone treated like this by their closest kin would cry in heartbreak.
In truth, she had anticipated that her father would come to deal with Lucas, she just hadn't expected it to happen so quickly. On one side was the man she secretly loved, and on the other was her father, who treated her like merchandise.
In the end, she wasn't a heartless person. Even if her father had broken her heart several times, he was ultimately still her father; she couldn't just stand by and watch him die.
Perhaps, as he grows older, living as an ordinary, leisurely old man would be quite nice.
"Rest well for the next few days. You'll perform on stage in a few days; I will have a grand stage built," Lucas said, changing the subject.
"Alright." Catherine gave a slight nod, wiped away her tears, stood up weakly, and said, "I'll take my leave first."
"Alright." A trace of pity flashed in Lucas's eyes.
Creak...
The study door was closed.
"Master, this Kerrac is truly heartless." Mina was indignant, feeling the injustice for Catherine.
"Nobles place profits above all else; even familial affection is mixed with interests," Lucas sighed.
"Master, are we still going to train the troops?" Mina asked coldly.
"Forget it. We can train the troops anytime. This time, let's invite Duke Kerrac to visit Sedona City," Lucas said evenly.
He lowered his head and began to write, then handed the paper to the cat-eared girl, saying indifferently, "Send this to Liberty City via expedited delivery."
"Yes." Mina took the slip of paper; she would arrange for the best carrier pigeon to deliver it.
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