Everyone Wants Me Dead: The Villain Lord's Survival Diary-Chapter 33 – Source of the Wilds
If Talamb were given another chance, he surely wouldn't waste it on so much nonsense.
But there's no medicine for regret in this world.
Talamb died very discreetly. It wasn't until Sylvie's knights had taken control of the entire Blackriver Keep that Talamb's subordinates realized what had happened. However, they surrendered swiftly, with none daring to avenge Talamb.
Sylvie's knights escorted all of them to the open ground outside the castle. When Sylvie left the Blackriver Territory, they would be loaded onto carriages and transported back to Eaglehold, where they would be arranged to become freemen or laborers as deemed appropriate.
After a battle that was nothing short of a twisted journey, the players quickly became familiar with Sylvie's soldiers and the friendly, straightforward Minotaurs. They gathered together, watching the captives and chattering away.
One player pointed at the nearly naked Doug and quietly asked a soldier, "Who is that guy, and why is he only wearing a loincloth?"
"That's Doug, Baron Talamb's butler. We found him just as he was about to take a bath."
"Doesn't he wash his pants? They're so dirty."
"Actually, it's not that bad. We usually wash every six days. His are still wearable."
"Oh, well... from light armor to reverse armor..."
...
"Brother Bull, with your build, you'd definitely be a 5A grade back in my hometown!"
"What does that mean?"
"It means you're awesome!"
"Thank you for the compliment, you have a good eye, Outsider brother!" A Minotaur said, flexing his muscles, making the surrounding players drool.
...
In the council hall of Blackriver Keep, the knight who killed Talamb removed his helm.
He was a handsome young man with somewhat delicate features and a few cute freckles on his face, his hair a shade of flaxen.
"Sylvie, it's been a while. This time, I saved your life."
"Ahrens, I knew it was you. I recognized you when you were explaining the map to me."
Sylvie smiled and shook Ahrens' hand. Ahrens was a childhood friend he hadn't seen in a year or two, and he hadn't expected to meet him here.
"What brought you to Blackriver Territory, and why haven't you visited me at Eaglehold?" Sylvie gestured to a chair, inviting Ahrens to sit.
"I didn't want to stay here. You have no idea how Talamb sings all day and forces us to listen. His singing is atrocious... I can't even think about it without getting a headache..."
"I'm here on the Duke's orders, as a hidden line to be activated when needed. But now, this hidden line is pretty much useless."
Ahrens slouched in the chair, shrugging helplessly.
"A hidden line? What's Father up to?" Sylvie asked, puzzled.
"Sylvie, the King is getting old."
When the King was mentioned, Ahrens' gentle gaze turned sharp.
Sylvie looked at Ahrens, silent for a moment, and then said cautiously, "Even if the King is old, he's still a legendary knight. Father... preparing now seems a bit premature."
"Sylvie, you're not in the Royal Capital, so you don't know. All the dukes are making choices. If Duke Manhattan keeps wavering..." Ahrens didn't finish, but he believed Sylvie understood his meaning.
Sylvie sighed helplessly. This was why he had to run to this border territory in this life.
The waters in the Royal Capital were too deep. One wrong step could lead to an abyss, and sometimes, someone might even push you forward.
He hoped his father, Duke Manhattan, wouldn't mess things up. After all, he treated Sylvie quite well, not favoring his elder brother just because Sylvie was the second son.
"In that case, I have important information to tell you. Pass it on to Father; he should know what to guard against." Sylvie's expression turned serious.
He paused, gathered his thoughts, and then recounted what he had seen and heard in the cathedral basement to Ahrens.
"How is that possible?"
It wasn't that Ahrens didn't believe Sylvie, but what he described was too outrageous.
The blood of a demi-human girl used as a medium to cultivate Templar Knights!?
Ahrens found it hard to believe, but seeing Sylvie's serious and earnest expression, he cautiously said:
"Young Master, your information is very important. I'll return to the Royal Capital immediately to to the Duke. But what about you? How will you handle things here at Blackriver Keep?"
"Logically, in my situation, Blackriver Territory should be handed over to the King, who would then appoint another lord to take over, and I would receive some compensation."
Sylvie paused, thought for a moment, and added, "Of course, there's another possibility. Considering the Orc Warchief's head, the King might directly grant me this small Blackriver Territory."
"Your Eaglehold is almost as large as a marquisate now... But the Orcs are also unstable. Behemoths have only appeared in the Northern Lands before." Ahrens was a bit speechless at Sylvie and quickly reminded him not to get carried away, though Sylvie clearly didn't catch his drift.
"What are you afraid of? Haven't you seen those ten Minotaurs under my command? They can crush Behemoths like toys!"
"Though I don't know where you got those Minotaurs, as long as you know what you're doing."
Ahrens knew Sylvie wasn't blindly arrogant, so he didn't continue to persuade him.
He glanced at the night outside the window, stood up, donned his armor, and bid farewell to Sylvie.
"Then I won't linger here any longer. I'll take Baideng Bloodfang's head to the King for you on my way back to the Royal Capital."
...
Ahrens left, and Sylvie watched as he and his horse disappeared into the night, silently wishing his old friend a safe journey.
Now, Sylvie needed to tally his real gains this time.
First was Talamb's wealth. That scoundrel had been pretending to be poor all along.
Though Blackriver Territory was indeed a small place, the Spotted Blackfish was delicious and sold nationwide. The entire Blackwater River was within Blackriver Territory, so how could Talamb be short of money?
They found over twelve thousand gold coins, more than three hundred sets of armor, and various gems and famous paintings.
These items filled seven or eight carts, making Sylvie click his tongue in amazement. No wonder they say unexpected wealth is the only way to get rich.
It seemed he needed to raid the neighboring lords more often. His Eaglehold was so poor, and the people so miserable, it was only fair they help him out a bit, right?
With matters in Blackriver Territory settled, Sylvie prepared to return with his troops and supplies.
The players followed the carts filled with gold, gems, and armor, drooling. Since the first beta, it was the first time they'd seen so much money; many players hadn't even seen a gold coin.
"I think we're the most miserable players in gaming history. I can't believe I'm poorer than an NPC..."
"That's nothing. If you're really upset, just think about Seria, the itchy mouse's card pool, and your unlucky pulls on the continent of Teyvat."
"...Stop, I'm having a heart attack."
"Do you think if I took one, the Eaglehold Lord wouldn't notice?"
...
Sylvie chuckled at the players, whose eyes gleamed with greed. Others might share some gold with the players, considering their contributions.
But Sylvie wouldn't. He knew these players were the type to take a mile if given an inch. Give them gold, and they'd immediately figure out how to take you down.
Sitting on horseback, Sylvie shook his head, dismissing these trivial thoughts, and called upon the system in his mind.
"System, draw!"
"Ding! The host has completed the Daily Villain Quest. Would you like to claim your reward now?"
"Next time, just go ahead without asking."
The system didn't respond verbally, but a vibrant red wheel appeared.
Before Sylvie could speak, it began spinning on its own.
The pointer finally stopped on a relic.
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining the relic: Breath of the Wilds... Ding! This reward has triggered a lucky critical hit. Congratulations to the host for obtaining the Source of the Wilds! The reward has been automatically integrated into the host's body. Please experience it yourself."
Chapter 33 – Source of the Wilds
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