Chapter 264: The Reinforcements from the Sky


    Duke Rickman led his army to rest briefly inside the castle.


    An enraged Joyce, after aggressively interrogating several peasants, finally realized that his wealth had been distributed to the poor within the castle by Raydell. Some had even fled with Raydell before their arrival.


    Joyce, furious, immediately gathered the remaining peasants within his territory, demanding they return everything they had taken. Additionally, he ordered an extra twenty silver coins as punishment. Those unable toply would face a whipping!


    Initially, Joyce personally carried out the punishments, leaving several peasants bruised and bloodied before handing the task to the guards.


    The peasants who were reluctant to abandon theirnd or houses, or those who mistrusted Raydell, now regretted their decisions deeply. Their resentment towards Joyce grew stronger.


    Meanwhile, the nobles and wealthy who had hidden in tunnels or secret rooms, evading everything, were jubnt. They formed a spontaneous militia of five hundred men, rallying under Joyce''smand, aiming to eliminate the wretched mine ves and reim their treasures.


    For Joyce, this unexpected turn was a delight. He had been contemting conscripting more peasants to form a temporary force to bolster his numbers, fearing he''d have no one else to rely on except the Duke''s guards.


    Now, with this militia, he found it more convenient. No longer would he have to deploy his troops carrying hoes and mining tools into battle, a sight unfitting for nobility.


    During the night, scouts he had dispatched earlier returned with news. Several kilometers from the castle, they spotted traces of the mine ves, a scattered multitude estimated to be several tens of thousands strong."It seems they haven''t gone too far!" Rickman sighed in relief. His biggest worry had been their dispersion, vanishing without a trace, hindering the Prince''s orders—a real hassle.


    "Continue tracking them, but don''t alert them!" Rickman instructed. He had no intention of pursuing them under cover of darkness, opting instead to rest here for the night.


    The previous encounter had taught Rickman about their cunning. A midnight pursuit might result in a dreadful oue.


    Their n was to intercept the ves in the ins ahead, revealing all their vile schemes!


    Thinking this, Rickman shook his head, scoffing, "These foolish mine ves. If they had held onto this castle, they might have posed more of a challenge, requiring us to spend more time dealing with them."


    "They must have heard of your reputation, which frightened them into a hasty retreat. Despite having a fortress to rely on, they couldn''t ovee their inner weaknesses!" Joyce ttered.


    Rickman burst intoughter. The assembled nobles chimed in, fantasizing about the rewards they would receive after this victory from generous Prince Harold.


    "Oh, by the way, where is the Second Prince? I didn''t hear any news about his actions when I was in the capital," someone queried amidst the boasting.


    Listening to the boasting, Rickman suddenly remembered this matter. He felt somewhat uneasy; this issue was crucial in determining the heir to the throne, something the Second Prince should be very concerned about.


    "I heard that His Highness Hatar had disagreements with several counts regarding troop deployments. That might be why there have been dys," a baron spected.


    "At such a critical juncture, internal discord—this Second Prince seems unsuitable for the throne..." Rickman mocked, finally letting go of his worries.


    Earlier, scouts had reported that a count supporting Hatar led a vanguard force, not very numerous, trailing them from a distance. It seemed they were discontented, which was why scouts were observing their movements closely.


    "Let them witness how we crush those mine ves!" Rickman dered firmly, raising his goblet. "For our victory and for King Harold!"


    The others raised their sses, echoing, "For King Harold!"


    ...


    Early the next day, as the sky began to brighten, Duke Rickman assembled his army to chase after the mine ves, eager to prevent their escape. He also dispatched a cavalry unit to drive them towards a suitable location.


    Rickman was ambitious; not only did he aim to crush the rebellious mine ves, but he intended to annihte thempletely! Such a resounding victory would be the best gift for the new king!


    However, things didn''t go entirely as nned. Pursued by the cavalry, Raydell led his people to a valley, fortifying themselves there. Contrary to Rickman''s expectations, due to unfavorable terrain, the cavalry ceased their pursuit.


    "If we knew we''d be trapped here, we might as well have defended ourselves in the castle. Perhaps there would have been some chance," Hamined. They were now trapped in this valley, with no escape route.


    "That fortress belongs to Count Joyce. Who knows if he has left any traps behind? It mightplicate things if we end up trapped inside and outside," Raydell exined, then added with a chuckle, "Besides, our waiting hasn''t been in vain; the reinforcements have arrived, haven''t they?"


    "Reinforcements? Where?" Ham asked, puzzled.


    "Right above us!" Raydell asserted confidently.


    Ham and the others gazed bewilderedly at the sky, but there was nothing there.


    Even Raydell saw nothing, yet he firmly believed that the reinforcements had arrived. A wizard had personally assured him of this.


    In the next moment, the ground beneath the mine ves seemed to tremble fiercely, followed by a surge of light in the empty valley. Airships materialized before their eyes.


    Ham and the others stared dumbfounded at these marvels, beyond theirprehension in their limitednguage. Each ship stood over twenty meters tall. Remembering Raydell''s im about reinforcementsing from the sky, someone immediately shouted loudly.


    "These must be creations of the gods! The gods havee to rescue us!"


    To these desperate mine ves, unfamiliar with magic, these airships suddenly appearing in the valley seemed like divine intervention!


    In an instant, shouts reverberated throughout the valley. Many mine ves fell to their knees, worshipping these colossal beings towering higher than houses.


    >


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