Charles thought that Count Auden had lured the enemy into a detour and had not yet reached the Seven Forks Fortress.

So he asked Lord Andrew to divide his forces to search.

After sending a warning message to the Seven Forks Fortress and asking it to light a beacon to summon reinforcements, Andrew divided the royal city guards into several teams and searched for them in the direction of Serenmis.

Andrew behaved righteously, and he asked Charles to follow one of the armed men and lead the way to the place where he and Count Auden had met the enemy.

However, whether or not Count Auden or the enemy's army was found, all the troops had to meet at the Seven Forks Fortress the next day.

This is not because of righteousness, but because of responsibility.

In the event of such a major military situation, it is necessary to send more scouts to try to find the whereabouts of the Bacchus Empire's army.

To the north from the Seven Forks Fortress is a vast wilderness with a radius of hundreds of miles—the terrible no-man's-land through which Leon and Sarah had passed in the first place.

Sandwiched between two large rivers and surrounded by nearby mountains, the wilderness is perennially foggy, making it difficult to find even a large army.

Charles took dozens of armed servants from the Lion Realm and turned around for a whole day, but he didn't find anyone. The royal guards had to follow the military orders to return to the Seven Forks Fortress, and Charles had to go back with them.

At this time, three days had passed since Count Auden met the enemy.

When Charles returned to the Seven Forks Fortress with the guards, he saw from a distance that the banner of Eldred, the lord of the Seven Forks Fortress, had dropped halfway......

Charles naturally knew what this meant - only when a respected and famous person died, he would be treated at half-mast.

And at present, near the Qicha Fortress, the only one who can meet this condition is probably the 'brave shield' that has been protecting the northeast of the kingdom for almost thirty years with the power of a city, Count Oden!

He frantically rushed into the Qicha Fortress, but as soon as he entered the city, he was surrounded by the garrison, and he was disarmed, along with the Lion Realm subordinates who belonged to the royal city guards.

Charles cried out, "I am a servant of the Count of Auden!" Let me go! ”

Although no one knew that Charles was Auden's son, many people had seen him in the House of Nobles, and he often traveled to various places to give orders, so many people knew him and knew that he was indeed Auden's cronies.

So he was indeed released quickly, but the Lion Realm servants were still detained.

Charles rushed straight into the castle hall of Baron Eldred, just in time for Baron Eldred to pay his final respects to the body of Count Oden.

Charles collapsed instantly.

He has been with Auden since he was a teenager, and although he is an illegitimate child, Auden has been very good to him, and the relationship between father and son has always been deep.

But despite the heart-wrenching grief, despite the fact that God could not even walk, Charles could still sense that something was wrong.

- He didn't see Count Auden's men, and none of the troops at Fort Shield were there!

He shuddered and asked Eldred with tears, "How can this be?" He carries the elite of the Shield Castle with him! There's no way he's going to die at the hands of the Bacchus Empire! Where are the troops at Fort Shield? ”

In the Lion Kingdom, a commoner who dares to speak to a high-ranking nobleman in this way usually ends up being beaten half to death and thrown into the river.

But Eldred had also met Charles in the House of Lords, and seeing him so sad, he probably thought that he was too loyal to Count Auden, and that such a loyal obedience to the rude offense after losing his mind was forgivable.

Therefore, Eldred showed generosity and even patiently explained a few words.

"Count Auden returned to the vicinity of the Seven Forks Fortress last night with a few hundred royal city guards, and I saw the banners of him and Lord Andrew on the city wall."

"But I don't know why, they seem to have a conflict outside the city, and I can't see the specific situation from too far away, only that they fought."

"By the time I left the city to meet me, the Earl had already been killed, and the royal city guards had run away...... If I wasn't blind, it was Lord Andrew's team who attacked him. ”

"I have too few cavalry to pursue Andrew, so I have to bring back the body of Lord Earl first."

"You are a close confidant of Lord Earl, what you should do now is not to cry, but to hurry to the Lion City and Fort Brave Shield to report the news."

Subsequently, Charles was driven out of the Seven Forks Fortress.

Because he didn't believe Eldred's words - Andrew was found by him, and he met him halfway, how could he kill Earl Auden for no reason?

But as soon as Charles said "You lied", Eldred ordered him to be thrown out of the Seven Forks Fortress.

Charles was bitter and angry, but helpless - he himself was the most polite chamberlain of the noble house, and he knew that he had been so rude to the high nobles in a row, and Eldred had already seen the Count of Auden's face if he did not beat or even kill him.

But Baron Eldred's words are clearly not very credible.

Charles is now beginning to suspect everyone.

But the problem is that he is only a commoner - no one knows that he is the son of Count Auden, and when Auden is dead, no one will take him seriously.

This is the sad thing about bastards......

Charles had to hurry as fast as he could—this was the last word Earl Auden had given him, asking him to come to Leon.

Only Leon knew that he was the son of Auden, so he listened to him carefully.

"Lord Leon, I don't know exactly what happened, but Baron Eldred certainly didn't tell the truth."

"He captured Lord Andrew's royal city guards, but easily released me who went back with the guards, and I'm not stupid......"

After two days of running, Charles has calmed down a lot and sorted out the biggest problem.

"He's really unscrupulous...... Even if he's not the mastermind, he's going to have to be the number one accomplice......"

The lord had already gritted his teeth at this time, and the father and son, Rainier and Eldred, really had a father and a son.

"But what should I do now? I can't even take my father's body with me......"

Charles clasped his hair tightly in his hands, helpless and frustrated, probably distraught.

He hadn't eaten for three days, and his face was as shallow as an old man.

Leon handed him a bowl of water, motioned for him to drink it, and then said slowly, "Charles, you'd better not do anything now...... Let's have a good rest here first, let me think. ”

fo

The first thing the lord thought of was the starting point of this matter.

Why was Count Auden killed?

This was after he had stepped down from the House of Lords and had settled the affairs of the army - he was already old and had decided to return to Fort Brave to guard the border, so why was he killed?

Considering that Eldred is the father of Rainier...... Is this also a plan of the Bacchus Empire?

Was it because Oden accidentally ran into the cavalry army led by the governor of Kairos that caused a chain reaction to be killed?

No, the timing is not right......

It is now January 12, 355 A.M.

On 1 January, the two countries withdrew their troops from Fort Sava River.

On the 3rd, Leon completed the investiture ceremony and met Count Auden for the last time on King's Road in Lion City.

On the 6th, Leon returned to Mai Xiangling; On the same day, Oden encountered the Bacchus Imperial cavalry; Charles went to ask for help.

On the 8th, McHal was attacked by Rainier, and Fort White Hart was besieged by Bacchus' army. On the evening of the same day, Oden died outside the Seven Forks Fortress.

On the 9th, Leon kidnapped two governors and relieved the siege of White Deer Fort; On the same day, Charles learned of Oden's death and was expelled from the Seven Forks.

On the 11th, Ralph's rangers cleared the area around Fort White Hart, Lehman's lion knights settled in Fort White Hart, and the Bacchus Empire retreated.

On the 12th, the sentries of Changhe Town rushed to Mai Xiangling, and Charles also came to Mai Xiangling.

As early as January 6th, Auden encountered the cavalry legion of the Bacchus Empire, but at that time White Hart Fort had not yet been attacked!

Leon immediately found the governor of Justus, who was still a hostage: "Justus, when did your marshal Kairos lead the cavalry in the direction of Serenmis?" You'd better be honest with me now. ”

This was the first time that Leon had called Governor Justes by his name, without adding any honorifics.

"A week ago, after defeating Archduke Alma under the castle of Karen Deerburg, he went straight away."

Justes didn't know what was going on, but looking at Leon with an unkind face, coupled with the change in title, he could naturally realize that this lord was only in a bad mood.

So he didn't say anything, and directly gave a real answer.

Justus had previously said that Keros had gone to Fort White Hart and had arranged the siege before taking all his cavalry to Serenmis.

The governor was apparently spreading false news, for at this pace Keros would not have been able to reach the vicinity of Serenmis until at least 10 January, and Count Auden would not have met him.

The governor appeared to be extremely cooperative after being kidnapped, but he still didn't tell the truth, and he was still thinking about the military situation of the empire, covering up Kairos's movements.

Since it was a week ago, it was January 5th, and that was right.

Keros was armed with all cavalry, and he was indeed able to travel from Karen Deer Fort to the point between the Seven Forks and Serenmis in one day.

So, was Kyros here to attack Serenmis, or was it to stop Count Oden?

Or ...... For something else?

"What is the purpose of Keros? The offensive on the side of White Deer Fort, is it a sheep attack or the main attack? ”

Leon's expression suddenly froze, and he realized that the Bacchus Empire was also using the two-headed snake tactic!

It's just more hidden, it's more dangerous, and it's probably not one city or one place......

But this time, Justes just looked at Leon quietly and shook his head: "I really don't know, I was just ordered to attack White Deer Fort." ”

He may not really know, or he may be hiding it.

But 'I don't know' is actually a useful answer for Leon.