Section 155 Design

"Lord Duke," the guards at the gate came in. "Mistress Essien has returned. ”

"Let him in!" Byron finally suppressed his anger and turned his attention to the latest news. Previously, he sent people out of the city to inquire about the news, which was a dangerous task, and among his subordinates, only Esin took the initiative to ask for help.

A few minutes later, Essien came to Byron. Essien had apparently rushed to report to Byron as soon as he returned, so he was dressed like an ordinary mercenary, wearing a rusty suit of chain mail.

"Your Excellency. Essien bowed and saluted Byron.

Byron nodded.

From an objective point of view, Essien had put forward the correct opinion at the military conference before, and now that the facts have proved Esin's inference, then Byron should reuse him. Even if it's not important, at least look at him a few times, and ask him for advice on military issues. But in fact this is not the case. Out of the despicable instinct of the human heart that refuses to admit his mistakes, Byron did not make any moves to value Essien. In other words, Essien's current situation has not changed, and he is still the petty officer who has been excluded and marginalized.

If it weren't for the fact that Essien had once again come forward to ask for this dangerous mission, he would not have been qualified to enter the council hall of Byron at all.

"How's it going?" asked Byron. I don't know why, when he saw Essien, he remembered the previous incident when Esin retreated from Eagle Falcon City, and took the initiative to ask for the aftermath. This young man is actually still very loyal, and when this major officer is all gone, maybe it is an opportunity to promote him?

No, the next moment, Byron himself denied the idea. Although Essien is loyal and has some ability, now is not the time to promote him...... The current military situation is urgent, and because of the collapse of the main force, there are no suitable vacancies for Essien.

Essien looked at Byron, and he noticed that Byron's eyes were flickering, probably thinking about something. If it was in the past, Essien would have thought carefully about what Byron was thinking, or would have found a way to find out by tapping on the side. But now, Essien is too lazy to bother with this brain.

"As far as I know, the Lauder family has betrayed you. Essien said. The old man knelt before the queen, who was younger than his granddaughter, and cried and kissed her boots while holding her feet. That scene has become a big joke that people talk about. ”

"What ......," Byron himself wondered if he wasn't angry or surprised. Lauder was one of his subordinates, and owned two fortified family castles, and the territory was also located in a traffic hub. He originally thought that Lauder would not be able to rebel, because the Lauder family was technically a distant relative of Byron and a branch of the Byron family. "So...... What kind of verdict did that little girl make?"

She forgave him. Lauder kept his domain, title, and wealth for the time being. Essien replied. "It was an unsightly scene, but it worked. The little queen personally promised not to pursue his crimes for the time being, and asked him to make meritorious contributions for his crimes. Many people thought that she would not let Lauder go, but she did it anyway. Lord Duke, I think that little girl...... I'm afraid to concentrate all the hatred on you alone. ”

Byron took a deep breath to calm his mood. Although he had known the outcome for a long time - the rebels would either succeed or perish, and there was rarely a third way to go - he still felt a surge in his heart at this moment.

"Is the way out still smooth?" asked someone on the side. "How's their defense?"

"When we went out, the enemy was still in chaos, and there were still many loopholes to exploit. Essien replied. "A few of my men and I, disguised as a squad of mercenaries, slipped out smoothly. But when they returned, they were much more guarded. I had to be separated from my subordinates. I found a merchant who provided military quarters for the army, and for a sum of money I was offered the position of caravan guard, so that I could return again. ”

"What about the others?" Byron frowned.

"I don't know," Essien replied. "I came to see you as soon as I got back to the city, without making any stops. ”

Byron nodded, it was an acceptable loss in order to get information from the outside. He had enough eyeliner and money in Eagle Falcon City to be able to use magical communication to convey all kinds of news back. But in his own realm, he did not make such a thoughtful arrangement. It's not that Byron didn't have a manpower, but he couldn't keep the eyeliners loyal in this situation. and his most trusted vassals have defected, and those eyeliners have also fallen apart.

Even if those eyeliners are still loyal, it's useless, and now it's under siege...... Keeping things informed inside and outside with magical communications can be a staggering expense (teleportation scrolls don't come cheap). Things changed so quickly that Byron didn't arrange the money.

"Is there any other big news besides the Lauder family? I mean, how many people are still loyal to me?"

"Lord Duke, according to the results of my inquiry, your two castles still hold high the banner of loyalty. ”

What Essien was talking about was the Frontier Castle, the territory that Byron had been fortifying before. It was the battleground where Byron had planned a decisive battle with the little queen - but of course it wasn't anymore. Both castles had thousands of elite defenders, stockpiled enough grain, grass and supplies to hold out under siege for a long time. It's just that at present, the little queen directly ignores these two castles. She had a small force there to keep an eye on the defenders. And the defenders, because of Byron's previous order to "hold the castle as the first priority", did not make any field attempts.

"Good, good. Byron breathed a sigh of relief. He still has the capital.

Actually, he really didn't expect the situation to be so bad. At the beginning, Byron knew the news of the demise of his main force, although he gritted his teeth, although he was full of anger and hatred that was teased, but he did not have that real sense of crisis. This is because his strength is really strong. Even if his main force of 60,000 disappeared from the world, if he could gather his vassals and gather his other remaining troops, his army would still have no less than 25,000 men. In addition, due to the full preparation of the war, all the castles and cities in his territory, including the city of Fornoros, have abundant defenders and supplies, and the little queen can be dragged to death by defensive combat alone.

Purely from the military numerical point of view, even if Byron's main force is destroyed, he still has a certain advantage. Unfortunately, war is never a game of numbers alone. The news of the defeat directly shattered the morale of his subordinates - because in any case, the little girl was the public, legitimate monarch of the country, and Byron was just a traitor. They used to support Byron solely because they thought Byron had the strength to win the victory.

But once that concept changes...... One immediately overestimates the power of the Queen. In the logic of ordinary people, there is no chance of winning against the queen with a city of Fornoros. No matter how strong and loyal the city is, it is still just a city. That's right, the city of Fornoros is a big city. But in Gruny's country, there are still more than a dozen cities that can compete with Fornoros City.

"For the rest of the stuff, I've written a report for you to access at any time. Essien said.

"Essien, you're doing a great job. Byron approving.

"It is my pleasure to serve you. Essien bowed again.

"Alright, you can step down. Presumably you're tired, go and take a break. Byron replied. Essien was slightly stunned by this reply, then came back to his senses and looked around. He saw Byerheim, Byron's eldest son, who was looking at him with a mocking smile.

Carried out such a dangerous mission, only in exchange for a "well done" evaluation...... Presumably this one is behind the scenes. But who made them father and son? Essien, though capable, could he be compared to Barn Heim in Byron's heart? The answer was clearly no.

Essien smiled, saluted again, and turned to leave.

"That's right, Lord Duke. "Essien seemed to have something in mind before heading out. "I forgot one thing just now. ”

"Oh, what else?"

"Lord Duke, I met an old acquaintance in the barracks during my journey into the city. ”

"Old acquaintances?" Byron was intrigued. He knew that Essien was born as a mercenary, so he knew that Essien's "old acquaintance" meant a friend he had met in his mercenary career. For mercenaries, it's not uncommon for two friends to be on different sides of the battlefield. This will hardly affect their loyalty, but it will allow them to connect in the intervals of war.

"Yes, an old friend. He served as a mid-level officer under the Little Queen. Essien said. "I think it could be an opportunity. ”

"What kind of opportunity?"

"Hmm...... Lord Duke, he owes me a great favor. Essien said. "If it's possible, I'm sure ...... He'll let me go. In other words, if you still need someone to go out and ask for news, you can let me go again. I'm sure he'll let me go to the barracks. ”

"Oh......" Byron pondered the new gain, considering the possibilities.

"If it's a small amount of supplies, I don't think it will be a problem with his help. ”

"I see. Byron nodded to Essien and motioned for the other to step down.

When Essien left, Bairheim immediately spoke, "Father, I think there is something wrong with this Esin. ”

"Why?"

"A whole squad of people went out, and now he is the only one who has returned. Bairheim said. "There is no such coincidence in the world. He may have betrayed, as a counter-......"

"Beyer, there's not much to think about in this regard. Byron said. "Essien's reliability is unquestionable. ”

"Why are you so sure!"

"Before, he was the little girl's personal bodyguard. But I sent him...... There was also a guy named Clio, who was in charge of going to the palace to arrest the little girl. There was no turning back for Essien, as it was impossible for the queen to forgive him...... The others are fine, but Essien ...... I'm afraid that little girl will hang him directly when she sees him, and she won't even give him a chance to speak. ”