Chapter 155
Page 155
"Look at you! You've lost all semblance of what orcs should be like. I told you to learn from humans, to learn their intelligence and wisdom, but what have you done? You bunch of good-for-nothings haven't learned the good stuff, but instead, you've thoroughly learned the dregs. You've disappointed me greatly!"
The orcs who were being reprimanded by Ramon all lowered their heads, none daring to meet his gaze.
Some couldn't withstand the pressure of death and suffered a mental breakdown, crying and begging the Beast King to spare their worthless lives in memory of the past.
However, some of the men, whose faces were ashen, knew very well that their conspiracy was unforgivable, so they had nothing more to say and only asked Ramon to act quickly.
They attempted to assassinate the king and rebel, while also colluding with foreign enemies. If they had succeeded, it would have been fine, but the problem was that some of them were more trouble than they were worth, allowing Ramon to learn of their plans in advance and strike first, wiping them all out in one fell swoop.
Without wasting any more words with these scoundrels, Ramon killed them one by one, and soon the hall was awash in blood.
After the killing, Ramon, carrying his sword, walked back to his throne and sat down, speaking wearily to his loyal guards.
"You should all leave too. The human army has been firing cannons for a whole day and night. Once the cannon fire stops, their army will attack. While there's still time, you should be able to leave through the secret passage."
"Your Majesty! And what about you?"
"I can't leave. The humans won't give up until they see my head."
"That's right, I can't sleep soundly if I can't see your head."
As soon as Ramon finished speaking, a powerful hurricane suddenly ripped a large hole in the ceiling of the hall. The orc guards looked in the direction of the sound and saw a half-elf boy hovering in mid-air, accompanied by a large group of human experts exuding the aura of power.
Upon seeing Dick, whom he had just fought, arrive with such a large group of powerful warriors to take his life before the artillery fire had even ceased, Ramon couldn't help but laugh.
"A dozen Saint-level experts came to kill me. Should I feel honored by the attention I've received?"
"After all, you are the Beast King, so we should give you this much treatment."
As Dick spoke, he slowly descended. Several orc guards roared and rushed forward to fight, but before they could get close, they were instantly killed by Black Gunner beside Dick.
Ramon knew he was going to die today, but his expression remained calm and composed.
From the moment the Northern Alliance launched its full-scale offensive, he realized that this battle was almost impossible to win. The humans were coming with the intention of annihilation. Even if they abandoned the orc capital and retreated to the ice plains, all that awaited them was a slow death.
Therefore, in order to ensure the survival of the orc race, Ramon made two preparations, one overt and one covert.
On the surface, Ramon was actively preparing for war, putting on a show of being ready to fight the humans to the death. His real aim was to drag the leaders of the various tribes together to engage in a war of attrition with the human army. He wanted to use the humans as a weapon to weaken these conservative factions who had been holding him back.
Meanwhile, Ramon had secretly sent away a group of loyal orc elites and thousands of orc children.
These orcs will serve as seeds, leaving behind hope for the revival of their orc race.
From beginning to end, Ramon's original intention was to enable the orcs to rise up, and in order to achieve this great goal for the orcs, nothing was not worth sacrificing, including himself.
Therefore, Ramon was not upset about his failure. He firmly believed that his descendants would be able to do better than him in the future, and that the orcs would surely rise again and one day replace the humans as the new overlords of this continent!
"Come on! Half-elf boy, my fine head is right here. If you want it, you'll have to come and take it yourself!"
Looking at Ramon, who was calmly facing death, Dick suddenly sighed, then slowly reached into his pocket and took out a plaque carved from animal bone.
The moment Ramon saw that sign, his composure vanished without a trace.
"you……"
"Don't worry, I'm not as cruel as you orcs. I won't throw children into a pot to boil, nor will I let soldiers rape those female orcs... They passed away peacefully."
As Dick spoke, he threw the dominoes on the ground, and they shattered into pieces, shattering Ramon's hopes in the process.
As Dick had said before, the only way to show the highest respect to a powerful man like Ramon, who had the ability to lead the entire orc race to rise to power, was to exterminate him!
The elven spies who had been planted in the enemy camp not only revealed the escape route of the Deadwood Party, but also Ramon's secret plan.
Those insidious Restorationist elves not only abandoned their allies and fled alone when the orcs were in peril, but also maliciously targeted these orc orphans, intending to capture them and control them through slave contracts, turning them into puppets who would obey the elves' every command.
After all, the Elven race has a low birth rate and an unusually slow development cycle, so population has always been the biggest problem restricting their military strength.
The situation of orcs is the exact opposite of that of elves. Although their intelligence and elemental affinity are far inferior to those of elves, their fertility is off the charts. So the elves of the Dead Tree Party thought of using these half-orcs to form a slave army to fight against humans in place of the elves.
In front of Ramon, Dick revealed the Dead Tree Party's evil plan, and he played along, becoming the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind it all.
After listening to Dick's story, Ramon suddenly burst into laughter, the laughter growing louder and more manic...
Chapter 333: A Time of Celebration
Ramon is dead! In his final moments, Dick gave this Saint-level expert the dignity he deserved, not allowing anyone to desecrate his body.
As planned, the Northern Alliance rescued the human prisoners held in the city and then burned the orc city to the ground. Only a small number of orcs managed to escape, and they were no longer a threat.
It is no exaggeration to say that this battle by the Northern Alliance directly ensured that the entire northern border would be free from the possibility of "beast infestation" for the next few decades or even hundreds of years.
After the battle, it was customary to reward the troops.
The soldiers below only need to pay money, while Dick, who has acquired the Best family's property, has no shortage of money now.
The officers and minor lords in the middle were more eager to get land. They had just defeated the opposition nobles led by Marquis Richard, and Dick confiscated the fiefdoms of these lords without hesitation, rewarding those who had contributed to the cause.
This act was undoubtedly an act of usurpation. Imperial law only allowed lords to use their own land to reward the knights under their command, and prohibited nobles from seizing other people's land through private fights.
However, the empire today is like a giant that has fallen into brain death, and it has no control over what is happening in the north.
Dick's move was tantamount to sending a signal to his other allies that he intended to create a "new empire."
Instead of thinking he was crazy, his allies became even more excited!
There's no way around it! Everyone's just too eager to improve!
Soon, news of the great victory at the front reached the rear, and the whole city of Lagug was filled with jubilation. People took to the streets to celebrate the victory, praising their lord's wisdom and prowess with the most effusive words.
However, the people, who were immersed in their excitement, did not know that their lord was currently using his body to "reward" his meritorious subjects.
In this battle, Laguge deployed its best troops; everyone contributed, so it was only natural for them to ask their leader for a reward.
This made Dick feel like he was both Yuwen Chengdu and Li Rongrong, with his subordinates being a group of well-mannered female hooligans lining up at the entrance of his tent!
No...am I the commander-in-chief or the battalion commander?
So the girls under his command started coming to Dick in batches and groups according to their merits. The first group to arrive gave him a "big job".
What are you doing here?
"This introverted girl has always been a loner, so as her best friends (seriously), we naturally have to lend her a hand!"
In front of Dick, Jeanne Alter and Alter Alter, who were best friends because of their shared quirks, used a snake-patterned rope that was clearly not an ordinary one to tie Jeanne Alter up like a dumpling, and then presented her to Dick like a treasure.
Although Bai Qiangdai, who came in with them, looked helpless, he did not stop them.
As an early veteran who joined the team, White Lancer Artoria has seen a lot of battles. Although she felt that the two "black guys" forcibly bringing her here was a bit inappropriate, replenishing mana with her master was undoubtedly a pleasant experience, and the efficiency was much faster than relying on natural regeneration on her own.
Dick, on the other hand, scratched his head awkwardly. He admitted that he was indeed a lecher, but he believed that such things should be done on a voluntary basis. Apart from occasionally playing bondage with Shizuka Marikawa, he had never forced the girls under his command to do anything they did not want to do.
So he hurried forward, wanting to untie the ropes binding Bai Zhen, only to find that this thing seemed to be a real artifact. Moreover, when he got closer, he discovered that the ropes were bound in the manner of a turtle-shaped binding, making Bai Zhen's already voluptuous body appear even more fleshy!
"Hmm...where did you get this rope?"
"It was sponsored by Miss Lucoa. She said she put a spell on the rope that could not be broken without sex."
"..."
Hearing Black Gun's words, Dick was completely speechless, while Bai Zhen, whose mouth was gagged, could only make indistinct whimpering sounds, while casting a resentful little glance at Dick.
"Um, sorry!"
"Honestly... if Master really wants to do this kind of thing with me... couldn't he have just come and invited me properly?"
"Ok?"
Suddenly, Dick seemed to hear Bai Zhen's voice ringing in his mind. Only then did he belatedly realize that the members of the Heroic Spirits in his family were all capable of communicating with him telepathically.
But that's not the key point. The key point is that Bai Zhen's shy tone just now seemed to be complaining about being tied up, rather than resisting "replenishing magic" with Dick!
Startled, Dick couldn't help but look down at Bai Zhen. Their eyes met, and Bai Zhen's rosy cheeks and her sea-blue eyes were full of spring fever, revealing a look that was both helpless and expectant.
Dick suddenly had a flash of inspiration and felt that he understood everything.
As it turns out, no heroic spirit can resist replenishing mana.
Dick's "magic" was of the highest quality, not only pure but also imbued with a touch of divinity due to the blessing of the Winter God. Bai Zhen was completely captivated almost the instant it was injected, clinging to Dick like an octopus even after the ropes binding her had automatically disengaged.
"C-Can we do it again?"
"Hey! Don't try to eat it all by yourself!"
Seeing that Bai Zhen, who had been sunk by a chicken, was ignoring her teammates who were waiting and trying to eat alone, the other heroic spirits immediately objected and rushed forward. The scene was as "bloody" and "cruel" as a group of lionesses "dividing up" a poor and helpless lamb.
And this is just the first group that Dick needs to reward tonight; there are many more heavyweight contestants who are eager to compete.
Meanwhile, within the territory of Lagug, a group of people dressed in warm robes and with their families, resembling ordinary refugees, had just arrived near the main city of the territory.
They were then stopped by a patrol of scouts. The squad leader stepped forward and, in a serious but polite manner, asked them to verify their identity.
At this moment, an old man in the group got off the caravan, went straight to the cavalry squad leader, took out a waist tag from his pocket and handed it to him.
The squad leader recognized the sign immediately; it was the lord's token, and whoever possessed it was either a confidant of the lord or a close friend.
The old man lifted his hood and said in a calm tone.
“I am Grandor Wayne, the vice-principal of the National Academy of Magic and your lord’s tutor. The people behind me are the academy’s teachers and students who came with me from the capital. They wish to stay in your territory for a while. Please inform them.”
Chapter 334: The Little Prince and the Loyal Minister
"What?! My mentor is here! And he's brought almost all the magicians from the national academy with him!"
Hearing the message sent by Ruby Eyes from behind the scenes via magical communication, Dick, who had just been cosplaying as a baby and assisting the Emperor and Dong Ma with "breastfeeding practice," suddenly sat up from his cozy state.
Dick still had a deep affection for his mentor, Grandor.
Back in the capital, this master was one of the few elders who genuinely cared for him. Now that the capital is in chaos, the master has brought a large group of fellow disciples to seek refuge with him. It can be said that, both morally and logically, Dick has no reason to turn these people away.
Dick then handed over the cleanup work at the front to a few reliable generals, while he himself led a small number of trusted men back to the main city overnight, where he met his mentor.
"Teacher! What brings you here?"
"Those bastards in the capital have all gone mad! They've practically punched their brains out of their heads. If we don't get away, are we just going to wait to get splattered with blood?"
In the castle's drawing room, Grandor, with a helpless expression, recounted to Dick the series of events that followed the civil war in the capital.
After the emperor and Grand Duke Best perished together, the various forces that had been maintaining a semblance of peace suddenly stopped pretending and started fighting fiercely! The flames of war almost engulfed the entire ancient capital, and even with several Saint-level Archmages in charge, the National Archmage Academy still couldn't escape unscathed.
To prevent the academy from being destroyed in this catastrophe, the Grand Dean personally stayed behind to cover the retreat, leaving Vice Dean Grandor to lead thousands of teachers and students, along with a large number of magical texts, to move north. This was because the north was currently the only relatively stable part of the entire empire; although threatened by the wasteland orcs, at least the human race hadn't engaged in internal conflict.
Moreover, Dick, who led the Northern Alliance, was Grandor's prized student, so it's unlikely that the other party would stand by and watch his mentor and fellow disciples die.
And so, the academy's refugee group continued northward, receiving news from the north along the way.
First, an internal strife broke out in the North, leading the fleeing groups to believe that the North was doomed. However, the strife quickly ended with an overwhelming victory for the Northern Alliance. Subsequently, Dick, on behalf of the Northern Alliance, issued a telegram to the entire nation, stating that the lords of the North had no intention of participating in the chaos in the capital, but were instead preparing to march north to annihilate the Wasteland Orcs, the true enemy of humanity.
Regardless of what the various factions fighting in the civil war thought after this statement was issued, it at least reassured the college's refugee group, allowing them to continue their journey north.
When they finally crossed the Central Mountains and entered the north after a long journey, the Northern Alliance was engaged in the final battle in the Orc capital. They arrived at the main city of Ragug along with the news of their victory from the front lines.
In short, that's the gist of the matter, and that's the situation. Dick naturally welcomed the group from the National Academy that his mentor had brought with him.
This group can be said to be the elite of the entire Empire's magical world. Dick is more than happy to have them come, so how could he possibly send them away!
So, under Dick's careful arrangements, the teachers and students of the National Magic Academy were properly settled. However, out of necessary caution, Dick secretly instructed Tia that the necessary screening should not be omitted, lest any "sand" sneak in.
As a result, Tia's investigation led to some unexpected discoveries!
"What did you say? The missing Fifth Prince has been found? Is that true?"
"It should be right. Should we send someone to make contact with them?"
"Hmm... If that's true, then I'll go see them in person."
Intelligence quickly confirmed that the target was indeed the Fifth Prince Roman, who had gone missing during the civil war in the capital. He was using the alias "Elliot," mingling among a group of magic apprentices, accompanied only by an elderly servant.
At first, the intelligence officers thought the old servant might be some kind of hidden master, so they were particularly cautious. But after confirming it again and again, they found that the old man was just an ordinary person with no special skills, and he was even a little deaf!
After confirming that everything was correct, Dick, accompanied only by Lucoa, knocked on the door of the other party's room.
Good evening, Your Highness the Fifth Prince.
As expected, when Dick suddenly arrived and revealed his true identity on the spot, the Fifth Prince's face showed visible panic.
As the former most favored prince, the fifth prince Roman, who is not yet fifteen years old, is not a shrewd and ruthless person who can remain calm even when Mount Tai collapses before him.
After all, in the eyes of that beastly old emperor, all his offspring were just "backup shells," and this fifth prince was his favorite.
If the Duke hadn't killed the old emperor, this kid would probably have already been possessed!
For Dick, the child was even more useful.
I, "Di Mouren," am a loyal subject of the empire. How can I sit idly by and watch the young prince fall into misfortune?
Meanwhile, in the southern part of the empire, the Third Prince Bailey, supported by the southern nobles, had expanded his army to nearly 500,000 men after repeated expansions, claiming to be a "million-strong army." It was the most powerful force on paper among all the forces in the empire at present.
With his command of a large army, Pele's confidence soared, and he felt he had a great advantage!