"Emperor Marius? Ask me for help? This young lady, are you here to entertain me? If I'm not mistaken, it seems that the Bacchus Empire and the Lion Kingdom are not allies......

The lord was a little skeptical that he hadn't woken up.

I was almost cheated by Emperor Marius with a letter to become a traitor, if this is not a grudge, at least it can be regarded as a festival......

Moreover, the Lion Kingdom and the Bacchus Empire were still fighting to the death some time ago, and although they are not fighting anymore now, they have always been hostile.

Running to a hostile country to ask for reinforcements?

That's a rarity......

"Lord Leon, I'm Alina. Maybe you don't know me...... But I suppose, you should remember the knight captain of Loris? Sir Loris will tell you what is going on."

Alina looked quite tired, probably on the road, covered in ash and with thick dark circles under her eyes.

But she didn't care about her appearance at all, but nodded at Leon very seriously, stretched out her finger and pointed at a knight of the Radiant Cross, and went straight to the point.

"Lord Leon, we meet again...... We are indeed here to ask for your help."

The Knight of the Radiant Cross stepped forward and bowed.

Leon did know him, this is the Radiant Knight who led the team to blockade the village when he encountered the Red Death in the village of Buyulin.

"Sir Lloris, since you're here on behalf of Emperor Marius, you should go to the Lion City to find His Majesty Ulrik, right? What's the point of asking my local lord for help?"

"Lord Leon, we have already been to the Lion City before coming to your territory. Sadly, King Ulrique is currently too busy to help us...... But he had already signed a non-aggression pact with the Empire. To tell you the truth, we are not willing to go back empty-handed, so we thought of you."

As he spoke, Loris reached out and untied the white cloak behind his back, flipped it over and spread it on the floor of the lord's hall, "We're not just here for the Empire, Lord Leon, we're here for the safety of the entire continent......

This was quite a big statement, and the attitude of everyone in the entire lord hall became serious.

Leon stepped forward and looked at the cloak.

On the inside of the cloak is a map.

It was supposed to be Bacchus' map, which also included the southern and eastern parts of the Lion Kingdom and the eastern part of the Duchy of Dexia.

The borders of the countries are separated by a thick black line, and many places within the Bacchus Empire are marked with red circles.

The villages and towns marked in red cover almost half of the Bacchus Empire, stretching from Dilin Harbor to Karen Deer Castle.

"These red-circled ......"

Leon realized that something was wrong, the red mark made by the Glorious Cross Knight of Loris definitely couldn't be a military deployment map......

"These marked places are places where the blood-colored plague has been confirmed, the same you have seen...... The Red Death!"

Loris pointed to the location next to the Imperial Harbor, "Do you remember the village of Buyurin? The village was under control in time, but it was too close to the port of Dilin, and the plague in the village dragged us too many doctors...... As a result, two months later, the Red Death in the village of Buyulin was brought under control, but the Red Death was found in the northeast of the entire empire! It was a conspiracy, a deliberate attempt to draw all our attention to the vicinity of the Imperial Harbor!"

Lloris's hand pointed to more red circles—from Marasburg to Eddie City, to Warweynburg and Karen Deer Castle, and all the way north...... Then he ordered a little bit at the Seven Forks Fortress.

"The Red Death has also been detected in the Seven Forks Fortress, so King Ulrique can't get out of it at the moment."

Lloris explained.

"But I don't seem to have received a summons from the Lion City?"

Leon turned his head to look at his men.

"Perhaps we have rushed to the messenger of the message...... Lord Leon, we've been on our way and haven't stopped for a moment...... To be honest, the administrative efficiency of Lion City is much lower than I thought.

」

Alina shook her head, "I thought you had received a message from Lion City."

Leon nodded, and smiled cheekily, "Maybe...... They probably haven't seen much of the plague."

But the lord already understood in his heart that King Ulrik either did not intend to pass on the news to himself, or did not pay too much attention to it......

If it is an eight-hundred-mile urgent message, and the gallop of changing horses and not changing people, it will not be slower than the Radiant Cross Knights.

Leon didn't doubt Alina and Loris's words, he could see that Lloris wasn't lying, and the red circles on the map were indeed not meant to fool people.

Because the color of each red circle is darker or lighter, the circle between the village of Buyulin and the port of Dilin, and the date marked next to it, are even brown, apparently painted several months ago.

Loris's finger still moved around the map, eventually pointing to Serenmis, a village under the town of Long River, which was now the domain of the mediocre but good-natured knight Morgan.

"You mean the Red Death spread to my territory?"

Li Ang stood up and frowned.

"Maybe not yet...... But sooner or later. We had informed the Lion King of this, so he immediately signed a non-aggression pact with the Empire. As for the village of Serenmis...... Thankfully, there aren't many people living here, and we haven't found any cases. But we've found a snake worshipper in the village - I've killed him, and I think you can understand what it means for the snake worshippers to be there."

Loris nodded and said what he knew, apparently they had stopped by to investigate when they came from Lion City.

"Lord Leon, you've probably heard about the current situation in the Empire. In the midst of war and plague, many civilians are bound to flee north into your territory...... Perhaps we should be glad that you burned down the Shieldwind Fortress in the previous war."

Alina added.

"In that case, I need to make sure my territory is safe first...... Anson, divide your medical team into three teams and follow the three Noldor patrols to make sure there are no signs of plague in your territory. Eric, immediately declare full military control along the border, and any suspicious object is directly arrested, and those who resist or forcibly enter the country are killed on the spot! Go now!"

The lord didn't delay for a second, and after understanding the situation, he directly sent the manpower out.

"Lord Leon, I have to say that your reaction is much faster than that of the Lion King...... We would like to ask you for something that is also related to the Red Death......

Alina gave her lord a chest salute, then pointed to the castle, "This is my hometown, the castle of Hiroshi, which is currently besieged by a large rebel army, and I think you've heard of it......

Leon nodded, "It's extremely rare for such a large-scale slave revolt to occur, I heard about it two months ago."

"Originally, Governor Justes was able to control and recruit them. But the problem is that there was a bloody plague in Bozhi City during this time, and the Red Death caused a large area of panic, coupled with the lack of food reserves in Bozhi City...... As a result, the slave rebels lost control and besieged the city again......

Alina quickly explained the current situation.

"I can understand your intentions...... The Red Death was raging in the city, and there was not enough food, and there were tens of thousands of slave rebels around it. In other words, the Red Death in this place must be uncontrollable......

Li Ang also frowned deeply, this matter is indeed quite difficult to handle, if the Red Death breaks out in a densely populated large city like Bozhi City, it will almost inevitably affect the entire continent.

The city of Bozhi, which lacked food and military strength, was estimated to be difficult to blockade, and the sick people would definitely want to flee, and it was difficult to determine whether the Red Death had broken out among the slave rebels outside the city.

"Yes...... Governor Justus is still holding out in the city of Knowledge, and has sealed off the entire city. But with the Red Death inside and the rebels outside, the situation is very critical."

Alina saluted Leon again, "I was originally going to Karen Deer Fort to seek the support of General Creon, but Karen Deer Castle

The Red Death broke out, and General Creon did not dare to take his troops out of the city, he had to blockade Karen Deer Castle...... So we came to the Lion Kingdom, and then we found a plague near the Seven Forks Fortress as well. That's how it all goes......

Leon nodded in understanding, then pointed to the map and asked Lorris, "Are you sure there is a red death in the entire eastern part of Bacchus?"

"Yes, Lord Leon. Not all of them, but all of them fell into the plague...... Our Order is exhausted. Only the situation of the Imperial Harbor is probably better, but the Imperial Harbor is under attack by the fleet of the Serpent Cult......

Loris replied helplessly.

"Your Excellency Leon, with your wisdom, you will surely understand that when the Red Death is contracted on a large scale in the city of Knowledge, where will the next place of harm be?"

Alina sighed as she spoke, "Those gladiators and slaves will definitely not go to the infected place......

Indeed, if Justus could no longer control the city, or if the army of slaves had fled because of the Red Death, then the inhabitants of the city and the slaves would have fled to a place that had not yet been ravaged by the Red Death—all the way north, to the Lion Realm, to the town of Long River...... And gradually spread the Red Death throughout the continent as well.

"I heard that there are wars going on all over the Bacchus Empire now, and that Emperor Marius has encountered the Dread Legion?"

Leon looked at the map again, then turned back to his seat.

"Yes, His Majesty the Emperor can't get out of Siyuan City at the moment, otherwise we wouldn't have asked you for help."

Alina nodded, "As long as there is a group of elite troops like the Knights of the Radiant Cross who are not afraid of the Red Death, plus a large amount of food, the current situation can be solved. As far as I know, you have both, and you are the only one who can lead the Noldor into battle - the Noldor Elves will not be affected by the Red Death."

Indeed, Leon had both the elite troops of Noldor and countless grains in his hands.

But Alina apparently only came with a try-and-see attitude, and her hesitant eyes already revealed her lack of confidence in this request for help.

"I see, Miss Alina, please let me think about it......

Leon turned around, looked at the map hanging behind his seat, and was silent for a moment.

"Count Leon, we won't let you pay for nothing, what do you ask ......for?"

Seeing that Leon didn't speak, Alina seemed a little impatient.

Loris next to her reached out to stop Alina and shook her head at her.

This Knight of the Radiant Cross is probably not as smart as Alina, but is clearly better at bargaining than Alina......

"It's better for you two to go to the official post to rest first, it's not a trivial matter, I have to discuss it with my subordinates. Miss Alina, it takes time to mobilize vehicles, food, and troops, and you look too tired......

Leon turned around and motioned for the guards at the door to take Alina and a few Radiant Cross Knights to rest, but he didn't say anything about any demands or conditions.

"My lord, do you really intend to help the Bacchus Empire?"

Risa Dilan emerged from the shadows in the corner.

"It's not for Bacchus...... It's for my own territory, but to be honest, I'm a little hesitant......

Leon sighed, "I know they're not alarmist, if a place like Bozhi City can't be controlled, the Red Death will inevitably spread throughout the continent...... But ......"

"However, if you help the Bacchus Empire at this time, the Lion King and many lords of the Lion Kingdom will probably see you as a great enemy...... You have not received any orders from the Lion City, not even a notice of a truce with Bacchus, and King Ulrik's intentions are clear."

Wentilph stepped out from another corner and helped the lord take the unspoken words that had been left behind.

"yes......"

Leon sighed.

The king's intentions were indeed obvious, he wanted to sit back and watch the Bacchus empire fall into chaos, but he probably didn't know the severity of the Red Death, and he didn't quite understand the horrors of the snake worship......

After all, it is true that the Lion Kingdom has rarely been attacked by the Red Death for more than a hundred years, and the Snake Worship Sect has rarely entered the Lion Realm to cause chaos.

"Ugh...... Risadiran, go and send a message to Fort White Hart, and ask Vendatil and Noyer to bring the Noldor forces over."

Li Ang frowned, and gave an order with some hesitation.

"You've decided? It's dangerous, my lord...... And if Ardarian finds out about this, he'll be a huge obstacle......

Wendy tilted her head, a little surprised that the Lord had been able to mobilize the Noldor forces so quickly.

Ardarian had been intent on watching the vast majority of humanity die, and he would have loved to see the entire continent fall into the Red Death......

Leon's previous bomb intimidation, coupled with the safety of the Noldor tribe and the charm of Vendatil, finally made Ardalian stop, and now that the Serpent Cult has created a large-scale blood plague, Ardalian is afraid that he will think about it again.

- Even if he wouldn't contribute to the plague, he would certainly not be happy to see Leon mobilize the Noldor forces to fight in Bacchus.

"No, I haven't decided yet...... But in any case, it is necessary to prepare in advance."

Leon really hadn't thought about it yet.

No matter how this matter is decided, it will have a huge impact on him, and no matter how he decides, he will have to pay a huge price......

"Risa Dilan, you've been in the South, and you should have seen the Red Death...... Is it true that the Noldor elves are not affected by the Red Death?"

Just as Rizadilan was about to go to give the order, Leon stopped him.

"My lord, as far as I know, most of the time it doesn't. Probably because of our stronger vitality, we rarely get other diseases...... Actually, I've met humans in the south who weren't affected by the Red Death, and I've seen humans who have recovered from the disease, and they're all strong samurai. So I think that no matter what kind of plague, as long as the vitality is strong enough, it should be able to resist it...... But with the life force of most human beings, it is indeed more difficult to deal with the Red Death......

Risa Dilan gave a very scientific answer.

Indeed, no matter what virus causes the epidemic, as long as the body's immunity is strong enough to recognize and defeat the virus in the body, then it will naturally heal itself.

It's just that Risardiran looks at it as "vitality", which is actually true.

The Noldor elves apparently possess an energy that humans do not possess, and this energy makes them far more resistant to disease than humans, and their lifespan is far greater than that of humans.

This kind of energy, of course, is the real magic power, the magic power that only the immortal race possesses.

Therefore, in the traditional concept of elves, all non-magical races that do not have a long lifespan are regarded as inferior creatures, which can be regarded as a certain reason.

……

The next morning, the town of Long River was fortified.

Alina had come to the Inner Fort early to look for Leon, and outside the Inner Fort, she was pleasantly surprised to see a large number of carriages.

Horse-drawn carts with grain.

Outside the inner fort is the headquarters of the Long River Express, and now most of the carriages of the entire Long River Express have been gathered, and many people are still loading.

"Where's Lord Leon?"

Alina asked the guard at the gate of the inner fort, trembling with excitement.

"Miss, you should probably go to the Lord's Hall, your Excellency is not in the Inner Castle."

The guards at the door obviously didn't know about Leon's whereabouts.

"I've been there, he's not in the Lord's Hall......

Alina looked left and right, and found Eric, whom she had seen in the lord's hall yesterday, at the door of the headquarters of the Long River Express.

"You're Mr. Eric, where's Lord Leon? These are the ...... of Lord Leon."

Alina ran up to Eric with her skirt in her hand.

"Honorable Miss, you actually remember my name?"

Eric was surprised: "Lord Leon is probably in the barracks right now, you can wait for him at the inn, and the Lord will look for you when he is done."

Yesterday Leon just called when he gave the order

Eric's voice, Eric himself didn't even say a word, this young lady from Bacchus actually remembered people?

Unforgettable?

Eric himself didn't remember the young lady's name, so he could only call them "Honorable Miss."

Alina let out a long breath, looked at the sky, and muttered, "Damia is above......

It seemed that Leon was indeed going to agree to her request, but after returning to the inn, Alina became a little restless.

She kept pacing back and forth, thinking nervously.

"Miss Alina, what's wrong with you? His Excellency Leon seems to have agreed to our request, which is obviously a good thing......

Loris, the Knight of the Radiant Cross, shook his head vigorously, probably because his eyes were glazed by Alina.

"Of course it's a good thing, but it's also too good and smooth...... This success often means a greater price, Lloris, and I don't know what to exchange for his help now......