Giant Dragon Lord: Starting from Daily Intelligence-Chapter 69: Unifying Thoughts

Marcus detailed the situation in Red Leaf Territory.

"Red Leaf Earl’s Domain has a standing Knight Order of about five hundred men. Of those, around two hundred have clearly pledged their loyalty to Lord Gao Wen. The remaining three hundred are currently neutral, and both sides are trying to win them over."

"However, Alan Rickman has also secretly raised a private force of about one hundred men. In addition, it seems the First Prince has also dispatched an elite squad of about fifty men to secretly infiltrate Red Leaf City to support Alan Rickman."

"Right now, the two sides are in a standoff. But Lord Gao Wen is worried that as soon as the Lord Earl passes... Alan Rickman will make his move immediately."

"Of course, Lord Gao Wen is not without support. His maternal grandfather, the Viscount of Blue Lake Territory, has already sent a reply. He will soon dispatch an Earth Knight to lead a hundred-man Knight squadron to Red Leaf Territory to support his succession."

Raylo nodded. He had a general idea of the situation.

Gao Wen wasn’t without a chance of winning; he just lacked the decisive Power needed to break the stalemate.

"Knight Marcus, you’ve had a long journey. This is a serious matter. I need to consider it carefully and discuss it with my subordinates."

Raylo looked at Marcus.

"Return to Red Leaf Territory for now. I have an appointment with Viscount Baker in Red Maple Territory, which I’ll be traveling to in a few days. The two territories are adjacent, so I will then go to Red Leaf Territory to discuss this matter in person with Lord Gao Wen."

Marcus was overjoyed. He knew that Raylo’s willingness to go to Red Leaf Territory in person meant he was already inclined to get involved. He likely just had some concerns about the reward or other matters that required a face-to-face discussion with Lord Gao Wen.

"Thank you, my lord. I will return at once to report to Lord Gao Wen."

After Marcus left, silence once again fell upon the study.

Bolin looked at Raylo’s grave expression and asked worriedly, "My lord, are we... going to intervene in the affairs of Red Leaf Earl’s Domain? That involves the First Prince..."

"Go get Ed and Barrett."

"Yes, my lord." Bolin acknowledged the order.

Soon, there was a knock on the study door. A moment later, Ed and Barrett walked in, one after the other.

"My lord."

The two men bowed.

Raylo nodded and gestured for them to sit.

"Bolin, tell them what just happened."

"Yes, my lord."

Bolin complied, concisely recounting how Marcus had come seeking aid and how Gao Wen had promised half the rights to the copper mine. He also made sure to mention that the matter involved the First Prince, Eliot.

After Bolin finished his summary, no one in the study spoke for a moment.

"My lord, a medium-sized copper mine is of immeasurable value and would be a huge boost to the territory’s development. But the struggle for succession in Red Leaf Earl’s Domain has the First Prince behind it. Our Black Stone Territory’s foundations are not yet stable. If we get drawn into a vortex of this level so early, I’m afraid..."

Barrett weighed the pros and cons before stating his opinion.

He didn’t state his opposition outright, but his reservations were obvious.

Rashly confronting the First Prince, a successor to the Kingdom’s throne, would put too much pressure on the developing Black Stone Territory.

Listening from the side, Bolin also chimed in quietly.

"Yes, my lord, the First Prince... We must be cautious."

Ed remained silent the entire time, his eyes downcast as if he were still deep in thought.

Raylo’s gaze swept over the faces of the three men, taking in each of their expressions.

"Barrett, Bolin, do you remember the Blood Wolf Corps?"

Bolin started, then replied, "Of course I remember, my lord. Those hyenas invaded our Black Stone Territory twice, and we beat them so badly they ran pissing their pants."

As he spoke of it, his tone held a hint of pride. It was one of the most brilliant battles he had ever participated in.

Raylo gave a slight nod.

"The first time, they suffered heavy losses. Why did they regroup and launch a second attack so soon after? Was it merely for revenge?"

"Would a gang of bandits entrenched on the border really pay such a heavy price again, just for so-called ’revenge’? Would they really try to chew on a tough bone like us?"

At these words, Barrett’s brow furrowed once more.

Ed also raised his head, looking as though he wanted to speak but was holding back.

Indeed, there was something strange about the Blood Wolf Corps’ actions.

They were bandits, after money, not a fight to the death.

They were crippled the first time, yet they charged forward even more frantically the second. It defied common sense.

The atmosphere in the study grew somewhat subtle after Raylo’s remarks.

Watching their pensive expressions, Raylo said, word by word, "They... are First Prince Eliot’s men."

No one spoke. An eerie silence fell over the room.

After a long moment, Ed, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke.

"I suspected as much for a while. But since you never said so explicitly, my lord, I didn’t dare say more."

"Bolin, Barrett, you both lived in Thunder Dragon City for a long time. You must have heard a thing or two about the First Prince’s character."

"It’s not surprising that Eliot would do something like this."

In the end, Ed didn’t even use the First Prince’s honorific, instead stating his name directly.

Bolin and Barrett both nodded. It wasn’t strange that the First Prince, Eliot—insidious and narrow-minded as he was—would do such a thing.

"My lord, since the First Prince already sees us as a thorn in his side, then there’s nothing left to hesitate about!"

Barrett said in a deep voice.

"We have to wade into the murky waters of Red Leaf Earl’s Domain! Not just for the profits from that copper mine, but for the very survival of our Black Stone Territory! We absolutely cannot let the First Prince’s scheme succeed. Otherwise, once Red Leaf Earl’s Domain falls into his hands, our Black Stone Territory will never have a day of peace on its northern border!"

Ed nodded in agreement as well.

"Barrett is right. My lord, as things stand, helping Gao Wen isn’t us proactively provoking the First Prince. It’s a counterattack we are forced to make. If we can help Gao Wen succeed, we’ll not only gain a huge source of income but also a reliable ally, disrupting the First Prince’s plans in the Northern Territory. The advantages of this course of action outweigh the disadvantages."

he analyzed calmly.

Bolin looked at Raylo, then at the indignant Barrett and the calm but resolute Ed. The worry in his heart was replaced by a shared sense of indignation toward a common enemy.

"My lord... I understand."

Seeing his most important aides reach a consensus, a faint smile appeared on Raylo’s face.

This was exactly the result he had wanted.

A unified front would be of great benefit to their subsequent operations.

"Excellent."

Raylo stood up, walked to the window, and gazed at the distant, sprawling Black Stone Mountain Range.

The sky outside the window was as clear as if it had been washed. A few crows with dark red feathers streaked across the sky, finally landing on a withered old tree outside Black Stone Town and letting out several hoarse caws.

Just then, the study door was knocked on again, this time urgently.

"Come in."

A travel-stained Knight strode in and knelt on one knee. "My lord!"

The Knight’s voice was filled with irrepressible excitement.

"As you commanded, our squad has been taking turns patrolling the edge of the Mist Forest. In an Alfalfa Meadow near the Black Stone Mountain Range, we discovered a herd of Pegasi! There are more than a dozen of them!"

Although Black Stone Territory had already formed a Pegasus Knight Squad, the number of mounts had always been stretched thin, severely limiting the development of their aerial forces.

Raylo had arranged for men to patrol the edge of the Mist Forest daily, and today, good news had finally arrived.