Chapter 100

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Chapter 100: The Man Remembered by the Duchess

"So, Mr. Leo, ahem." The Duke of Tersk coughed twice. "Where do you think my army has come from?"

Hearing this, Leo realized that the old duke was testing him. He nodded slightly and said the answer he had prepared, "I think it’s hidden in the path inside Ice-snow Mountain?"

From Mary Ann’s Great Wall to the royal city, only the path through Ice-snow Mountain did not have the Night Demons, so this answer was not hard to guess.

"Yes, that’s true, but it’s not the whole story." The old duke stood up and walked to the map in the tent, pulling out his sword and pointing to the top right corner where Ice-snow Mountain was located. "The Black Cavalry I lead is a heavily armored cavalry with about thirty thousand men. The path in Ice-snow Mountain cannot hold so many soldiers."

"Even if it could, the noise of the march would alert the Night Demons."

Listening to the Duke of Tersk’s words, Leo nodded unconsciously, his heart racing as he thought of a bold idea, "So… you have hidden the army directly inside Ice-snow Mountain?"

Upon hearing this, a look of surprise appeared on the Duke of Tersk’s usually serious face. He chuckled softly and stroked his beard, "Good, very good. You guessed correctly, I have indeed hidden the army inside Ice-snow Mountain."

"For eight years, I have sent people to create a pathway through the valley of Ice-snow Mountain, allowing us to go directly from the royal city to the south side of Mary Ann’s Great Wall. This path is also the route for my current march."

"I see now, the duke has been preparing for this operation for a long time."

"Yes, it has been a long time, a very long time." The old duke covered his mouth and coughed twice, "Ahem, Leo, to win a war, we need more than just quick thinking on the battlefield. We also need long-term vision, proper preparation, and necessary sacrifices. Do you understand what I mean?"

Leo could tell that his dear father-in-law was trying to teach him, so he nodded quickly, "I understand."

"Hmm, you have great talent and belong on the battlefield. You need to learn and observe more, do you understand?"

"I understand, thank you for your guidance, duke." Leo nodded, and his thanks came from the heart.

Others may see him as an unbeatable star of the battlefield, but he knows himself well. Leo has a clear understanding of his own knowledge.

His achievements in battle are merely borrowed strategies from great warriors of the past, and his foundational skills are still quite weak.

In terms of fighting, the undefeated Duke of Tersk is undoubtedly the best teacher. If he is willing to guide me, my progress will surely be rapid.

"By the way, Leo," the duke’s voice rang out again, "about my business here, no one else knows except for my Black Cavalry captain."

A start.

Leo’s heart suddenly raced as he slowly lifted his head, meeting the half-smiling face of the Duke of Tersk.

As expected, what was meant to come has come.

No matter how many achievements he had made, or what his relationship with Kalian was, as long as he was still an Order Cultist, such a test would surely come.

Sure enough, the old duke raised his hand and placed it on his shoulder, "Leo, what does the Order Church mean to you?"

"What are you loyal to?"

"What is it that you want?"

This was a sharp question.

As an Order Cultist, Leo should be loyal to the church, both in feelings and in reason, but this cannot be the answer the duke wants.

If the one who answers loyalty is the duke, it would make people think he is someone who flatters others and forgets his principles for profit.

This answer is very difficult; one wrong step could lead to many more, eventually falling into an abyss of no return.

Fortunately, Leo had already prepared his response.

"I am loyal to the Northern Princess, Kalian Tersk. I fell in love with her at first sight and am willing to give everything for her," he said.

Of course, this was a lie; the truth was that Kalian was loyal to him.

"Hahaha, good boy, cough cough," the duke laughed, and the gloom on his face lightened a bit, "You say you are loyal to my daughter in front of me, you are quite clever."

"Alright, you can go now."

The old duke waved his hand to signal him to leave, while he settled into his bed and closed his eyes to rest.

Leo knew he had passed the test and bowed before leaving.

As he stepped out of the tent, a strong woman emerged from the shadows.

The woman wore soft armor and had a noble appearance, her golden hair flowing like a waterfall. With every smile and frown, she showed the fierce spirit of a knight and the elegance of a noble.

"Joanna, what do you think?"

"Disloyal and unjust, full of lies. Is there any reason to keep a man like this? Taylor." Joanna walked over to the old duke, sat beside him, and began to massage his temples.

Taylor is the old duke’s name.

"Disloyal and unjust? Ha, Joanna, do you believe he is disloyal to the church, or do you think he is disloyal to Logan?" The old duke curled up slightly.

Joanna is the second wife of the Duke of Tersk and the only one among all his wives who is a general on horseback, a fourth-tier Paladin.

At the same time, she is the mother of the Marquis of Logan.

"I think if he can betray the church today, he might betray Kalian tomorrow, and maybe betray North Land the day after." Joanna continued, "Taylor, I know you value talent, but you need to think more about… Some tigers can never be tamed."

"Hmm, I understand." The old duke remained calm, "By the way, how is Logan? If this plan succeeds, he will get the most credit."

"You are saying that." Joanna said with dissatisfaction, "There’s no way it should be like this.

Here you are with the powerful Black Cavalry, yet you let your son lead a group of new recruits to face the Night Demon directly. Aren’t you afraid Logan might really die on the battlefield?"

"A woman’s perspective is shorter than a long-haired cat’s tail." The old duke sighed, "Wasn’t I once in the same situation? If my son can’t even pass such a test, how can he be the future lord of North Land?"

"You…"

"Alright, it seems he is still alive." The duke waved his hand, "Let him find a way to the royal city; the rest will be up to his father."

"You can go too; I’m tired."

……

After a while, Joanna walked out of the duke’s tent and headed towards Kalian’s tent.

Along the way, all the Black Cavalry members bowed to her.

This lady general has such great respect in the army, not only because of her outstanding fighting skills but also because of her title as duchess.

The duke is old, and the Marquis of Logan, as his only son, is very likely to inherit the title.

By then, the lady general’s status will only be higher.

Standing outside Kalian’s tent and watching Leo’s back, a malicious expression appeared on Joanna’s face.

"Leo, you made the wrong bet, in every sense."