Chapter 115: A Pleasant Surprise

“Victor’s intelligence was accurate. We were all startled by the sheer number of Antmen. They differ from any monsters we’ve known; each group is ruled by an Antman leader. The invading Antmen in the Centaur Hills number no more than 300 groups,” Sylvia said, lifting a cup of coffee and taking a gentle sip. Her leisurely, languid demeanor eased the atmosphere in the room, prompting smiles from the six Grand Knights present, including Trisly.

That morning, the Grand Knights of the York family had witnessed Sylvia’s assault on the ant swarm firsthand. The Antmen’s weakness was now clear. Although their numbers were intimidating, killing the Antman leader would quickly quell the infestation.

“But don’t be careless,” Sylvia warned, setting down her coffee and addressing the eager knights. “These special Antmen possess strength comparable to ogre leaders; they are all Silver-tier monsters.”

The six Grand Knights’ smiles faded, their expressions turning serious. Ogre leaders were formidable foes—ordinary knights stood no chance against them, and only Silver-tier Grand Knights could slay such creatures. Yet, an ogre leader could also kill a Silver Knight, meaning the Antman leaders were capable of matching each of them in battle.

Sylvia noticed the knights’ solemn faces, but their fighting spirit burned even brighter, causing her a slight headache. Knights were inherently confident, and Grand Knights possessed indomitable will.

She was determined not to let the family’s elite forces suffer losses in such times. For the current situation, she already had a rough plan in mind.

“Victor’s claim that the commander Antman won’t attack proactively—that’s false intelligence,” Sylvia declared solemnly. “The Antman leaders will actively attack Silver-tier beings, including us knights. If you display Silver-tier strength before an Antman leader, it will surely strike first.”

“Of course, we can’t blame Victor for the misinformation. His power level is too low to provoke the Antman leader’s aggression—much like a tiger wouldn’t deliberately hunt a frog. This likely explains why Antmen don’t pursue civilians.”

While verifying the intelligence, Sylvia’s extraordinary psychic senses had detected the Antman leaders’ aggressive intent. To prevent her Grand Knights from taking unnecessary risks, she emphasized, “I don’t believe any of you can single-handedly kill an Antman leader surrounded by hundreds of Antmen. Without the cooperation of at least three comrades, do not attempt to eliminate an Antman leader. It’s extremely dangerous!”

Her grave tone silenced the room. Giles tapped his head and suddenly exclaimed, “No wonder Vicount Briart died in the ant swarm—he became a target of an Antman leader’s hunt!”

Sylvia’s mind stirred. The outbreak had been sudden, and she had been occupied with defensive matters, paying little attention to territories beyond her own. But now Victor had become a crucial part of her plan, and the Briart Vicounty bordered Victor’s lands. She grew curious about the situation of Victor’s neighbors.

“Tell me the details.”

“Over ten thousand Antmen invaded the Briart Vicounty, coinciding with the vicount’s convoy. To cover the retreat of his wife and son, Briart led his men to distract the swarm but was unfortunately killed in battle. His guards and two knights were wiped out as well. Now, Briart’s brother organizes the defense in Wildwillow City. The Antmen’s assault heavily damaged Briart’s lands, destroying many crops. It looks like the Briart family has tough times ahead.”

Giles shook his head in sorrow. Though he had no personal ties with Briart, hearing of a Grand Knight killed defending his family stirred sympathy in the fellow Silver Knight.

“What about the Chebman family?” Sylvia frowned and inquired.

“The Chebman Count faces even greater pressure; more Antmen have entered their lands than Briart’s. However, they prepared in advance, abandoning several small castles and concentrating forces at Blue Goose Fortress. The Count currently holds the fortress firmly,” Giles paused, then chuckled. “That old miser Count Chebman will likely be heartbroken. The Antmen can’t breach Blue Goose Fortress, so they’re devouring his crops instead.”

The knights’ teasing brought a faint smile to Sylvia’s lips. This lightheartedness stemmed from confidence—knowing the Antmen’s weaknesses and her own strength. Even if hundreds of Antman leaders were Silver-tier monsters, they were no match for Sylvia. The power gap was vast; they couldn’t block or chase her, and killing a few each day would eventually wipe them out. Of course, this was also thanks to the family’s castles providing her rest—without them, even a Golden Knight would be worn down. As for the loss of food, the kingdom and church would surely compensate the family, as long as they could hold the Centaur Hills. Many conditions could be negotiated. Present were all Silver-tier Grand Knights, wise enough to surmise Sylvia’s plan.

After a moment’s thought, Sylvia asked, “Where is Marquis Goron now?”

“He’s already at Redleaf Town, reportedly recruiting lords’ armies. It seems he intends to garrison there,” said Viscount Fred with disdain.

Sylvia smiled lightly. “It’s better that Goron isn’t here.”

Several Grand Knights nodded in agreement. The York family and the Gambis royal family distrusted each other. Even if the family needed military aid, they would never want the Swift Dragon Knights to come. Marquis Goron’s garrison at Redleaf was partly for this reason—he didn’t want to provoke the York family’s suspicion while defending against both the Antmen and any desperate moves from the Yorks. This was why Sylvia initially chose to fight the Antmen first, then lead civilians to retreat. But now, circumstances had changed.

“I plan to negotiate with the Antmen and take control of the Centaur Hills!” Sylvia glanced at the excited knights, then added, “Let Terlanden hold Longstone Fortress until Baron Velpan collapses. This will force the Prince faction to withdraw completely from Centaur Hills. Until then, the Antmen’s weakness must remain a secret!”

Sylvia’s eyes gleamed with brilliant light. The Golden Knight’s indomitable will tightened the Grand Knights’ hearts. In unison, they said, “As you wish, Your Highness!”

“Very well. You may withdraw now. Trisly and I have matters to discuss,” Sylvia said calmly.

After the five Grand Knights filed out, Trisly smiled at Sylvia. “Your aura just now was terrifying.”

“Sorry to scare you,” Sylvia rolled her eyes, then sighed. “To fully control Centaur Hills, several key issues must be resolved. The first, of course, is quelling the Antman infestation—that’s no longer a problem. The second is population resettlement, which isn’t difficult. Over 120,000 refugees have gathered in Blackfort Town; as long as we accept them, the church and other lords will gladly cooperate.”

“The most important issue is building a fortress at the entrance of the Great Swamp,” Sylvia said thoughtfully.

Trisly was surprised. “Since we’re defending against the Antmen here, the kingdom and church should support fortress construction. That should be part of the negotiations, right?”

Sylvia arched an eyebrow. “Why would we let them build the fortress for us? If they do, what control would we have over Centaur Hills?”

Trisly was momentarily speechless. Fortress construction demanded vast manpower and resources, inevitably allowing infiltration by the kingdom and church. In truth, neither the church nor the Gambis royal family trusted the York family to hold Centaur Hills alone. Once the fortress was built, they would surely insist on stationing troops there. The family needed to demonstrate its own strength—and fortress construction was the ultimate proof.

However, building a fortress was no simple matter, mainly due to material shortages. Even dismantling all the castles left by the Prince faction wouldn’t suffice to build a fortress like Blackfort. The Centaur Hills lacked stone—unless... Trisly’s mind raced, and she realized Sylvia’s implication.

“Those bricks Victor has?”

Sylvia smiled radiantly, her face blooming like a flower. “Exactly! The key is my little man!”

“Most of Victor’s subjects have arrived in Blackfort Town. Our people have secretly investigated and tested them, but none knew about this brick. It seems we must find Victor to solve the problem,” Sylvia leaned back, sighing. “In fact, this entire situation owes Victor. He provided knowledge of the Antmen’s fear of fire and their weaknesses. He also holds the crucial brick-making technology. We must find him!”

“You want me to meet him?” Trisly nodded, asking seriously.

Sylvia forced a smile. “It’s not that simple. Since Victor can send messages to us through the Dust Hawk, he must be safe. He could have come to Blackfort to seek refuge but hasn’t. Victor doesn’t want to give up that land. If he knows we want his territory, it’s nearly impossible to find him.”

Trisly sighed. Victor controlled the Great Swamp’s entrance, and the family was determined to claim that land for security reasons. Sylvia clearly intended to compel Victor’s departure, forcing him to relinquish ownership. But Victor possessed the technology the family desperately needed. This contradiction was difficult to resolve.

“I never expected my little viscount, so weak yet so steadfast in defending his land. He acts like a true lord. I’m liking him more and more. When he arrives, I’ll treat him well,” Sylvia said brightly.

Trisly mocked, “Don’t be so infatuated. If Victor refuses to come, how can we find him? His domain spans 12,000 square kilometers!”

“I’m not infatuated, just appreciating the fruit of my cultivation,” Sylvia’s eyes sparkled as she chuckled. “Victor’s little maid is still at Rose Manor. Have her write a letter saying Nicole came looking for him. Victor won’t risk letting Nicole face danger alone; he’ll come out to see her!”

“Trisly, take Nicole and Bruce to Victor’s lands—bring Victor back for me!”

——

At dawn, Victor opened his eyes to find green eyes staring at him all around, causing him to bolt upright. Squinting, he realized he was surrounded by alchemical war mastiffs, tongues lolling.

“You scared me to death! You stupid dogs! Didn’t I order you to guard outside? Why are you all around me?!” Victor scolded, then angrily grabbed one mastiff’s head and rubbed it hard.

“Sir, these newly joined mastiffs haven’t received your orders yet, so they’re following the rally command to stay near you,” militia Jack explained.

Victor’s mind reeled. Counting, he saw eleven mastiffs surrounding him. They were different from the ones before.

“How... how did these guys get here?” Victor stammered.

He clearly remembered that after he killed that commander Antman, the Alchemy Tower had supplied seven more mastiffs. He should have had sixteen in total. How did eleven more appear overnight?

“Lord Victor, they came from the Hill Camp,” Jack answered seriously.

Victor groaned, slapping his forehead. “I’m asking where the Alchemy Tower got the money to produce all these! Forget it, you’ll probably say you don’t know!”

“Sir, I really don’t know!” Jack nodded in agreement.

Victor frowned. “Fine, take these guys hunting!”

Jack responded with a whistle, and the eleven huge war mastiffs followed him out of the valley.

After the beasts left, Victor calculated that producing eleven mastiffs cost 13,200 Gold Sols and took a full day. That meant the Alchemy Tower had been continuously producing mastiffs since yesterday morning. To feed them, Victor had moved to the western mountains of his territory, allowing free hunting. The newborn mastiffs had taken a long detour to find the main force. But the question remained: where was the Alchemy Tower getting the money?

Unable to figure it out, Victor gave up and headed toward Reno, who was roasting wild boar legs. With 27 war mastiffs now, his strength had grown—a pleasant surprise.

The golden-brown boar legs smelled irresistible, yet Victor had no appetite. Eating roasted meat and wild vegetables every day was torture, especially for breakfast! Suddenly, the bushes outside the valley rustled. Victor, surprised, put down his meal as another mastiff ran to him.

Two hours later, a second mastiff arrived. When a third wagged its tail excitedly beside Victor, he suddenly stood up.

“This is bad! We need to return to Hill Camp!”