Chapter 1253 - 1178
Lakunio tightly gripped the reins, his body rising and falling with the saddle.
The warhorse beneath him snorted white breath, treading over the softest soil of the plains in the dawn light.
He dismounted, grabbing a clump of earth and squeezed it.
The black soil was moist and sticky, the light plows from Falan couldn’t begin to turn this heavy earth.
One must use a very heavy wheeled plow, paired with iron plow heads to cultivate this land.
Lakunio stood up, his gaze involuntarily drifting into the distance.
The distant horizon blurred in the light mist, with only a few low hills dotted against the southern sky, shadows close to the Thorn Garden border of the Falcon Mountain Range.
Hawks in the sky circled the mountains like fish swimming.
At the foot of Falcon Mountain, the Sen River - the mother river of the Bear Castle People, coiled like a silver snake, converging towards the southern Nao’an River.
The fertile black soil underfoot mixed with the scent of early spring’s dry grass and the moist river mud.
It’s a pity that this is barren land.
Evidently, the Norn People didn’t spread the use of wheeled plows, not to mention the Holy Alliance’s newly produced horse-drawn harvesters.
The vast Roaring Corridor plain before him, flat as a mirror as described by the knight elders.
The knight elders’ judgment was not wrong, according to the El Scholars’ geographical books, the average height of the Roaring Corridor hills is less than 200 meters.
In the Thorn Garden’s northern mountains and Furnace Plateau like two long walls, a flat land is caught in between.
The roaring north wind passes through here, hence the name Roaring Corridor.
The Roaring Corridor, unlike Thorn Garden or Shattered Stone Plain, it is not a regional term but a geographical one.
This is a very narrow and very vast piece of land, stretching from Golden Horn Bay to the Dragon Sleep Mountain Range.
Living on this land are those from the civilized Great Monarch Norn’s domain and the barbaric Norn Tribe village societies.
The Imperial People have always viewed the Norn as a whole, yet in fact, Norn is a derogatory term used by the El People after crossing east for the East Continent’s barbarians.
Meaning people who do not hold scriptures.
Yet in fact, within the Norn People, there are countless tribes, even languages are mutually unintelligible, let alone culture.
This is why in the elective monarchy of the Divine Ael Empire, the Norn Kingdom still has elective monarchs.
Because they simply do not submit to each other!
Although economic and geographical factors divide the Norn People into north and south, it does not mean their internal centrifugal force is nonexistent.
To Lakunio, who was in charge of northern invasion affairs, this situation was most advantageous for divide and conquer.
Due to this centrifugal force, and after a few battles to establish deterrence, as long as the position of the local Great Monarch is assured, their surrender hardly needs any psychological preparation.
Even though Lakunio is a Leia, he grew up on the border, counting as half a Norn.
Throughout the changing times, as a former Grand Master of the Knight Order, he managed to persuade the honorable Border Knight Order to surrender, while launching fierce attacks on his Norn brethren.
But he had no choice.
Falan’s development was too smooth.
Originally, when King Jiji was captured, he led Prince Kongdai’s two sons, scheming to restore the Leia throne.
He thought the Holy Alliance would kill King Jiji in anger, so he could finally bring Prince Kongdai’s posthumous son, Laslow, onto the Leia throne.
As long as Laslow sat on the throne, placing the crown on his head, he could finally retire.
But the hateful Holy Alliance, not only did not kill King Jiji, they even released him.
Now Leia has a regent, Falan has a captive king, the throne is just too crowded.
In that crowding, they squeezed Laslow out of the succession rank.
Not only was he moved from the lavish palace to a wild monastery, but his living conditions were increasingly reduced.
As for that monastery, no need to mention, there are more soldiers than monks.
Isn’t the meaning obvious?
Your usefulness has run out, if obedient your lives may be spared, but if not, even monks can take up swords.
Lakunio was initially somewhat desperate.
But the situation changed three years ago, when a Blood Servant found him and mentioned a deal.
Until today, the scene remains clear in Lakunio’s mind.
It was a quiet evening, Lakunio was cooling off in the courtyard.
That Blood Servant appeared hauntingly before him, like a demon from Fire Prison, proposing a deal:
"Pledge allegiance to the Royal Court, I’ll help you escape and restore the Golden Flower’s kingdom, meanwhile the Royal Court only wants Golden Horn Bay and the Roaring Corridor."
Lakunio intended to loudly refuse, but Charles VIII left him no room to not gamble, he could only wager on this chance.
This deal seemed like a political trap of "successfully picking generals and ministers at will," but upon reflection, it had some feasibility.
After all, the Royal Court’s source blood is limited, sustaining the race’s existence is already challenging, let alone expanding the race.
This is also the foundation of the Empire’s confidence that the Royal Court won’t expand massively.
As for the Roaring Corridor and Golden Horn Bay, they are already very big targets for the Royal Court, reaching the expansion limit.
After capturing these lands, the Royal Court surely needs a buffer zone.
At that time, letting Laslow recognize Serafe as a godmother and become a son king of Leia isn’t impossible.
Lakunio was getting old, if he didn’t act now, the Golden Flower might truly find its way into the homes of common folk.
"Why me?"
"You’re the only one who has dealt with the Holy Alliance to a certain degree suppressing them." The bald Blood Servant’s voice was ethereal, "You’re familiar with the Roaring Corridor and know much about the Border Knight Order, I need your insight.
Don’t worry, we are not like that foolish Prince Kongdai, under Serafe’s great leadership, we value insights and endure scrutiny!
...You may not know, the great Eternal Lord has descended, Serafe is His eternally chosen."
To be able to lead the bloodline of the Golden Flower dynasty’s escape, this condition alone was enough to make Lakunio consider.
Moreover, in the Empire now, no one was willing to take in this former prince’s child, they had nowhere to go.
The Royal Court instead harbored a glimmer of hope for restoration.
So Lakunio wagered, but didn’t entirely gamble.
Prince Kongdai’s deeds taught him, whatever he does, always keep a backup.
Thus, he left behind Laslow’s brother, Stickar, to at least continue the bloodline of the Golden Flower dynasty.
Taking advantage of the soldiers and guards’ shift change, combined with external assistance, Lakunio quickly took Laslow out of the monastery and boarded a ship headed for the Royal Court.
Arriving at the Blood and Flesh Royal Court, Lakunio thought he’d have to linger to adapt for a while.
But a miracle happened, on the day he arrived in No Light City, he was informed, "Her Ladyship Serafe has already decided, you will be the commander of the Royal Court’s Northern Route Army."
He settled Laslow, met with Serafe, and under the overseer’s arrangement, met with many vampire commanders of the Northern Route Army.
Lakunio took command of the Royal Court’s Northern Route Army.
Next, in Lakunio’s hands extremely familiar with the Border Knight Order, the Knight Order was repeatedly defeated, unable to break the tactics.
It wasn’t long before they advanced all the way to Tielu Castle.
Tielu Castle initially needed a siege, but that devilish bald Blood Servant moved once more, directly persuading Emmerick to surrender.
The next year’s warfare was Lakunio’s few consecutive major battles, driving the Bear Castle People to flee in panic, surrendering upon sight.
Occupying Tielu Castle, Golden Soup Castle, and Fat Cow Castle, the Roaring Corridor’s defense line was broken, leaving only some areas needing tidying up.
Once those local areas are cleared, estimated facing the Holy Alliance is next.
Every time he thought of this, Lakunio felt his scalp tighten, his breath constrict.
"Cough, cough, cough—" The constricted breath caused him to inhale deeply, causing him to cough uncontrollably.
"I say, Lord Lakunio." A hoarse, lazy voice came, a three-meter-tall obese man with large gold earrings approached, "Is your body still fine? Otherwise, perhaps consider transformation into the Blood Race?"
"No need for your concern, all is well, Marshal Shanluan." Lakunio straightened his frame.
"Why bother? Is human identity that important?" The Ogre named Shanluan chewed on human thigh meat.
Lakunio didn’t answer, just turned his head not to look at the compatriot’s white bones: "Lord Marshal, have all the army commanders gathered?"
Feeling ignored, Shanluan discarded the white bones: "All are here, take a few more steps and you’ll see them."