Chapter 190: 101 Ann: Keeping to Oneself (Please Subscribe~Vote for Monthly Tickets~)
The long-haired man's smile froze on his face.
He stiffly lowered his head to look at the long sword protruding from his chest, instinctively turning back.
He saw the middle-aged man holding the long sword, smiling slightly.
"Why?"
The long-haired man growled.
"Why?"
After seriously considering for a moment, the middle-aged man raised his hand and pointed at the crystal in the long-haired man's grip, saying as if it was the most natural thing in the world, "Because it's too tempting!"
Such a tone made the long-haired man clench the crystal in fury.
Subconsciously about to say something,
But the middle-aged man's sword was extremely fast.
Whoosh!
Thud!
The long-haired man's hand holding the crystal was severed from the wrist.
The hand, along with the crystal, fell to the ground.
Along with them fell the long-haired man.
As he saw the crystal so close by, the long-haired man crawled towards the crystal with one arm, but the middle-aged man was one step faster and took the crystal in his hand.
The light from the crystal shone on the middle-aged man's face, filled with greed and ferocity.
"Anne!"
"You actually betrayed the covenant!"
"The lord will not let you go!"
The long-haired man roared.
"That's a matter for later..."
"You won't see it,"
"Farewell, 'Bonecrusher' Kronin!"
"It's a pity that this time, you cannot be resurrected!"
As his words fell, Earl Anne swung the long sword in his hand.
Thud!
The former captain of Taor's 'Dark Guardians' truly died this time.
His head rolled to the ground, eyes wide with disbelief.
"Hahaha."
Lady An Lu, watching this scene, laughed out loud.
"The people of the New Federation actually still want to, and dare to, trust someone who betrayed his own brother?"
"Utter fools!"
Towards the end, Lady An Lu was glaring furiously at Earl Anne.
Hatred in her eyes, murderous intent almost tangible.
Feeling such hatred and murderous intent, Earl Anne, who had betrayed his own brother, the Duke of Fort Swallow, just shrugged his shoulders, then…
Smack!
Another slap.
This time, Lady An Lu's other half of teeth were knocked out as well.
Without a doubt, Earl Anne had used considerable skill.
He had knocked out her teeth without damaging a single bit of her skin.
"Fool?"
"He's no fool."
"He only seeks the greatest benefit!"
"Loyalty?"
"Honor?"
"Dignity?"
"He scorns all of those."
"And me?"
"The same."
Earl Anne looked at Lady An Lu with a smile, then his right hand wielding the sword, left hand holding the crystal, pointed the sword in his right hand at the body of 'Bonecrusher' Kronin, and the crystal in his left at the teeth on the ground.
"Sacrifice him,"
"Heal her."
As his voice fell, the dazzling light from the crystal burst forth.
It probably lasted for about a second.
When the light disappeared, Lady An Lu, who had had her teeth knocked out, was completely restored.
Meanwhile, the body of 'Bonecrusher' Kronin, withered as if it were feces, turned to sand and was blown away by the sea breeze.
Looking at Lady An Lu's shocked face, Earl Anne laughed.
"Do you understand now?"
"This is what I wanted to have."
"'Fort Swallow' is too small."
"So small that you are blinded, unaware of how big the world is!"
"Even the Federation?"
"What does it count for?"
"He's merely a ruler in name."
"With the north in chaos, Gerard to the south, and further south the islands and deep sea, which one will heed his commands?"
"I'm afraid his orders wouldn't even make it out of Golsai."
"A bunch of incompetents occupying Mobius Palace!"
"I..."
"Why can't I?"
Earl Anne said, throwing open his arms and howling at the sky.
Lady An Lu watched her husband's brother in a daze.
For the first time, she felt he was so alien to her.
The shock was even greater than when he had opened the gates of Fort Swallow.
"You, you want the entire Federation?"
"Don't delude yourself!"
"Neither Lord Gerard nor Aymodun III will let you succeed."
Lady An Lu shouted.
"How would I know without trying?"
"Since it could capture Gerard's five hundred soldiers without bloodshed, and it could heal you,"
"Then it,"
"Can do even more!"
Earl Anne's Swordfinger pointed toward Dres, his crystal targeting Lady An Lu.
"Use him as a bargaining chip, tell me the legacy of Fort Swallow."
"Answer truthfully, and he remains unharmed."
"Deceive, or give no answer, and he dies immediately."
Earl Anne said indifferently.
The crystal flickered once more.
Seeing the crystal, Lady An Lu's face showed hesitation.
"My lady, you must not tell him."
"Let me die if I must."
"Remember to avenge me."
The old butler of Fort Swallow shouted while struggling to rise and charged at Earl Anne with his head down.
Regrettably, he was easily dodged by the other man.
The scarred old butler fell to the ground.
Yet, he struggled to rise once more, glaring furiously at Earl Anne.
"Don't you dare threaten Fort Swallow!"
As his shout ended, the old butler dashed towards the bay.
Cliffs and rocks, towering dozens of meters high, the old butler leapt down.
The waves churned, and in an instant, he was nowhere to be seen.
"Don't you dare threaten Fort Swallow!"
The demoralized soldiers behind Lady An Lu, one after another, got up and rushed towards the distant sea.
Wave after wave crashed ashore.
The roar of the sea was relentless.
Lady An Lu kept her mouth tightly shut.
Tears flowed ceaselessly down her face.
"Hahaha!"
"Fools!"
"A bunch of fools!"
Earl Anne laughed heartily.
His piercing laughter made the bound soldiers of the Harbor Defense Army in the distance pause.
Then, they seemed to realize something.
One by one, these soldiers of the port began to struggle.
They showed no concern for their own safety.
Because they knew very well.
Staying here would only burden Lord Gerard.
They firmly believed that Lord Gerard would return.
Only...
They would not see it.
The hemp ropes had long been soaked with blood, cutting deeply into their flesh.
But these soldiers didn't care.
They didn't care.
They only hoped to free themselves from the ropes and rush to the sea.
They could not become a bargaining chip to be used against Lord Gerard.
Watching the struggle of the soldiers from the Harbor Defense Army, Earl Anne shook his head.
"You can't die."
"You are key to my victory this time!"
As Earl Anne spoke, his long sword pointed towards several chests filled with Jing coins, his crystal targeted the struggling soldiers of the Harbor Defense Army.
"In exchange for these."
"Put them to sleep."
The crystal radiated its light once more.
The chests filled with Jing coins, one after another, disappeared.
The struggling soldiers of the Harbor Defense Army fell to the ground, asleep.
Immediately, the bay became quiet.
What remained was only Earl Anne, holding his long sword and crystal, and Lady An Lu, who bit her teeth to keep from crying aloud.
And...
In the distance,
A tall figure walking slowly, leading a horse.