"I’m not going. I’m not going. Unless you help me get revenge. No one gets to bully Count Pig."

Haimei’er’s bean-sized eyes concealed a vicious glint. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"We would be honored."

The priest bowed.

"My lord, please offer your strength to the True God."

"I’ll allocate two million gold coins for military expenses. You can pick any Tier Three divine artifact from my treasury. Uh, and food too. I’ll cover all of it."

Haimei’er counted on his fingers.

"Kill those blind rats for me. Bring back their heads so I can make soup out of them. I’ll give you even more money."

"Yes, dear Count. You will surely receive the favor of the gods."

After Haimei’er was escorted away to rest, Sistina finally staggered to her feet and straightened her disheveled clothes.

"Jamie and her lord were complete freaks. They actually tolerated that beast. I wanted to kill him myself."

"You can’t do that. That’s the honorable Count. There are only a handful of real power-holding counts in the entire Empire, even if he’s a bit stupid."

The priest shook his head.

"His influence is overwhelming. Do you understand? A little olive oil leaking through the gaps of his fingers is enough to let us fry steaks for years."

"That inbred bloodline monster. Back then, Count Porcupine was a wise and heroic protector of the Empire. Unfortunately, his son fell in love with watching his own mother. That’s how this thing came into existence."

Spitting on the ground, Sistina finally felt slightly better.

"Shh. He’s our money tree."

The priest narrowed his eyes.

"What exactly happened? How did Jamie die?"

Divine Chosen were notoriously difficult to kill. As long as they dissolved their artifacts, escaping was usually possible.

"The Imperial Border Army reopened the armory. They have an army of around a thousand soldiers and a Tier Three Divine Chosen. Especially that Tier Three Divine Chosen. Their combat strength was so overwhelming that I couldn’t even understand it. I suspect they’re one of the ten strongest Tier Three Divine Chosen in the Empire."

"Oh?"

The priest’s expression darkened.

"If that’s the case, then the enemy force can’t be small. They must be after the Resurrection Array beneath the Border Fortress. Some of the Empire’s great noble houses are interested in reviving the Destroyer Divine Chosen as well."

A trace of deep wariness flashed through his eyes.

"I didn’t expect the Empire to react like this despite pressure from all directions. Someone powerful must be guiding them. Who exactly is leading this operation? Wouldn’t it be better if everyone just made money together instead of taking risks like this?"

Sistina sneered.

"You probably didn’t bribe enough people. You must have neglected some major noble family, so now they’re coming to put pressure on us."

"Don’t act like a resentful wife. I know you’re dissatisfied with your lord, but you have to accept that no one is perfect."

The priest immediately tried to calm her down.

"Should we inform the Four Guardian Knights? Only a Tier Four Divine Chosen could eliminate them quickly."

"No."

The priest shook his head.

"The Guardian Knights cannot be moved lightly. What if this is bait? If we fall for it, our entire frontline could collapse in an instant."

War wasn’t some game where you simply compared combat statistics. The bigger picture always mattered. Otherwise, every bandit hunt would require a Tier Four Divine Chosen.

Spreading out a map, the priest pointed at it.

"Sistina, I’ll assign three thousand-man legions to you. Go to Bull Territory. Join forces with Miss Polly and that insect monster. Wipe them out."

"Will that be enough?"

Sistina still sounded uncertain.

"We’ll adjust according to the situation. Contact me if anything changes."

The priest shrugged.

"I believe I’ve already been cautious enough. Three Divine Chosen are more than sufficient. Besides, we still have the magnificent Border Fortress."

"Understood. I’ll depart immediately."

Meanwhile, Phield arrived at the border of Bull Territory and occupied a strategic high ground.

Using the terrain displayed on his minimap, he ordered Ophelia to spread out the speed-type First Tier Corpse Soldiers as scouts to monitor the major roads and passes throughout Bull Territory.

"Ophelia, move all Corpse Soldiers to concealed positions around the Border Fortress. I’ll take the human legion to Bull Fort."

"If we’re going to besiege a city, we should gather all our forces and attack with both the Corpse Soldiers and the army."

Somehow, Ophelia had found a stick. She smacked Phield on the head with it.

"Dummy. A siege is not a joke. You can’t use a piecemeal strategy. Either attack the Border Fortress or attack Bull Fort. How can you split your forces and do both?"

"Don’t hit my lord!"

Gherlos immediately pulled Phield into her arms and rubbed the bump on his head.

"If you want to hit someone, go hit your own lord."

Thunk.

Ophelia smacked Gherlos on the head as well.

"Phield is my lord too. Go play somewhere else. We’re discussing important matters."

"Pfft."

Rosalia couldn’t hold back her laughter and nearly spilled her tea.

Thunk.

A moment later, Rosalia got hit too, and her tea splashed everywhere.

"Lady Rosalia, stop fiddling with that broken teacup of yours. Take the high ground and stay alert. That Divine Chosen from before could launch an attack on us at any moment."

"Waaah..."

Ophelia was nearly furious.

"War requires discipline. No slacking off. That applies to Tier Three Divine Chosen too."

"Ahem. Little Chubby Dragon, hear me out first."

Rubbing the lump on his head, Phield unfolded a paper map.

"Bull Fort is easy to defend and hard to attack. Even if Richard has taken most of his army away, we still won’t be able to hold it against a counterattack from the Shadow World Sect."

"What are you suggesting?"

"Heh."

A cold light flashed in Phield’s eyes.

"Let’s give Richard a taste of our traditions. Looting and killing."

"Ophelia, go from village to village and carry out some de-urbanization. I’m going to prepare a little surprise for Richard."

"Oh?"

The two Corrupted Divine Chosen immediately lit up at the mention of "de-urbanization."

"The entire Bull Territory has sided with the rebels. We can barely protect our own people, let alone the enemy. Kill them. That’s all there is to it. Corrupt every village in Bull Territory and turn them into corrupted lands."

"Yay! Finally, something to eat."

Ophelia’s glossy tail wagged wildly.

"Remember, leave around a hundred survivors. Have the Corpse Soldiers drive them toward the Border Fortress. Move quickly."

"Yes, my lord."

Licking her lips, Ophelia immediately departed.

"I want something to eat too."

Rosalia rubbed her stomach and pouted adorably.

"I’m hungry. Don’t you want my belly to grow bigger?"

"Stop fooling around. You’ll get your share."

Phield patted her backside to comfort her.

Gherlos stared in shock.

"They’re actually Corrupted Creatures? I thought it was some kind of Divine Skill or talent."

"It’s a long story."

Phield gestured toward the marching army.

"I’ll explain it to you slowly."

Leading the human army onward, he continued advancing toward Bull Fort.

The moment they arrived outside Bull Fort, the sentries spotted them.

Signal beacons ignited across the region. The sky itself seemed to burn as warning fires lit one after another. Horns for reinforcements echoed throughout the territory.

"Enemy attack!"

"Enemy infantry spotted. Estimated strength: around one thousand!"

"It’s the Imperial Border Army! Notify all nearby territories immediately! Request reinforcements from the Border Fortress!"

Farmers and workers employed by Bull Fort rushed back into the city.

Soldiers manned the walls and prepared for defense.

Meanwhile, reconnaissance cavalry scattered in every direction, and groups of light horsemen continuously approached to gather intelligence on the approaching force.