Chapter 199
“The west? Towards the manor?” Vandill turned, feigning surprise with a sly grin. “The game
begins,” he thought. “Oh, vin, do you really believe a little victory can change everything? How
naive. Cobalt Strike rules thesends, and the Grand Elder rules Cobalt Strike.”
“Why would there be a fire there?” Lucan furrowed his brow, noticing the mes growing fiercer,
spreading rapidly. This was no ident.
Could it be bandits? Or mercenaries?
“Arm yourselves, to battle!” Lucan bellowed, his body erupting in fierce mes. The roar was
deafening as the bright firelight baked the night sky.
“It might be bandits. Attack!”manded Godfred, as his thousand-strong guard sprang into action.
“Hold on!” Vandill raised his hand to stop them.
“What? Any longer, and it’ll be toote!”
“Let’s be clear on the situation. What if this is merely a distraction?”
“Have you taken leave of your senses? If it’s bandits, they''re after your manor''s treasure, not to
draw anyone away.” Lucan cared not for treasure; his worry was for the stone cottages next to the
manor, where thedies of the Mallister family resided. If the raiders were indeed savage bandits,
thedies were in peril.
Vandill’s expression darkened. “Are you blind? Our treasures have already been secured. You all
stay here and ensure our safety.”
The Cobalt Strike Protégés jostled the bundles on their backs and sneered at the guards. “We’ve
taken what we want. The manor can be plundered.”
Lucan felt a chill; these people cared not for the lives of the Mallister family. “I’ll leave five hundred
men. The rest wille with me.”
Vandill shook his head. “Five hundred is too few.”
“Are your own men that worthless?”
“How dare you! Know your ce. Azure Mountain is mine tomand, and you are but an armed
ve!” Vandill blocked Lucan’s path, shouting loudly, “Without my order, none shall move.”
Godfred and the others cried out in agitation, “The Mallister family is in danger. We must rescue
them!”
Vandill chuckled darkly. “I believe there’s no need. By the time you arrive, they might well be dead.”
Lucan was so furious he nearly cleaved Vandill with his de, ring menacingly before yelling
again, “Move out!”
“How many do we leave behind?” Vandill blocked him again.
“Five hundred.”
“At least eight hundred.”
“Fine, eight hundred will stay. The rest muste with me.” Lucan, short on time, pushed past and
led his three hundred guards in a mad dash westward.
Vandill chuckled lowly. It was toote, fool.
At that moment, the manor was engulfed in mes. The fire roared through the luxurious towers and
gardens. The night sky lit up, smoke and heat waves billowed, and the sound of cracking and
popping echoed through the inferno. Cobalt Strike Protégés, disguised as bandits, shouted brazenly
as they piged the estate. Vandill might have taken the most valuable treasures, but valuables
remained.
Not too far away, in the stone cottages, fifty bandits burst in, encircling the women of the Mallister
family with sinister grins.
Exclusive ? material by N?(/v)elDrama.Org.
Einr and his people retreated into the courtyard, herding the frightened women into a corner as
he shouted nervously, “The manor has everything. Take it and leave. There’s nothing for you here.”
“But there is. We want money, goods, and women,” the bandits sneered, eyeing the terrifieddies
with growing restlessness. The women were allely, each more delicate than thest.
“I urge you to leave now. The guard is on its way, and soon, it''ll be toote for anyone to escape.”
Einr’s heart raced. Where did these banditse from, and why now? If these madmen charged
in, he doubted he could hold them back.
The women, tense and fearful, huddled together, retreating further into the corner as Oda and
others took cover in the back. Oda did not want to hide, but Helna covered her mouth, pulling her
back, silently pleading for silence.
“Get out! Now!! Our people will be here shortly. Leave or none of you will escape,” Einr kept
shouting. The guards clenched their swords. They could handle ordinary bandits , but these
disyed a fearsome demeanor, and their presence alone was intimidating.
The fifty bandits leaped into the yard. Their masked faces were twisted with malice. “Choose your
pick, brothers, there are beds inside, haha.”
“Heh, I prefer the mature ones.”
“I like them soft.”
“Shall we shout and grab?”
“Haha!”
Beneath the bandits'' cruel fa?ade, their aura turned sharp, like unsheathed swords. Their
murderous intent was focused on the ten guards as they were determined to dispatch them first.
“Aren''t you afraid of Cobalt Strike’s vengeance!” Einr tensed, turning to whisper urgently, “Miss,
get out in the chaos, and find a ce to hide!”
Helna pressed firmly over Oda’s mouth, nodding for her.
Tears filled Oda’s eyes as she shook her head in struggle. The hundred or so women of the family
huddled together in panic.