Charlotte's adventurers did not include any extraordinary individuals, so when a determined fourth-order knight attempted to flee, it was impossible for ordinary people to catch up.
Moreover, if Winterburn managed to escape, by the time he returned with reinforcements, Charlotte would be long gone.
As Charlotte prepared to conclude and continue deceiving his adventurers, he suddenly heard a sharp whistling sound. A knight's lance, like a celestial dragon, descended with tremendous force, piercing through Winterburn's body. The spear continued its momentum, carrying the fourth-order knight's body several steps forward before pinning it to the ground.
Witnessing this, Charlotte felt a chill run down his spine. The strength of the person who had acted was beyond anything he had ever seen.
If this person was an enemy, even with over a hundred adventurers fighting to the death, it would likely end in a massacre.
The adventurers were also stunned. While they were low-level adventurers, accustomed to the wilderness and frequent combat, they still recognized strength when they saw it. Many exclaimed in shock, "High-level extraordinary!"
Charlotte took a deep breath, knowing that hiding or running would be useless. Holding his blood-draining axe in one hand and a magic rapier in the other, he strode forward and shouted, "Who is there?"
A calm voice responded, "This time, the Empire's plans cannot afford any mistakes. Fortunately, I happened to be here. Otherwise, if this man had escaped and leaked the Empire's plans, you would be the one to blame."
"State your name and rank, and I will report this to the military."
These words were spoken in Byronian. Most adventurers did not speak Byronian, but given that both Farse and Byron were among the five great empires of the old continent, they could tell the speaker was Byronian. Many felt a sense of despair—after all, they had just pretended to be Byronian spies!
And now, they had encountered a real Byronian!
The outcome was almost too easy to predict.
Charlotte silently thanked the goddess, Sheffield University, and higher education before responding in flawless Byronian, "Apologies, I am on a secret mission and cannot disclose my identity."
Charlotte Meklen was fluent in seven languages, including Byronian. His response was perfectly spoken, with no trace of a Farse accent.
One of the differences between him and the adventurers was that he had truly received the highest education in the Empire.
A tall, handsome middle-aged man with two attendants emerged from the darkness. His skin was fair, and his eyes had a faint reddish hue—traits typical of a bloodline vampire. He said approvingly, "Not bad. You don't abandon your principles for authority. I may consider not reporting this."
"You use Bloodflame Qi! Are you from the Adonis clan?"
Charlotte breathed a sigh of relief and replied, "Yes!" Then he threw the blood-draining rapier that had pierced Winterburn's body and shouted, "I need everyone to finish off these Farseans."
"Those who do so will be considered one of us."
"For those who don't... I'm afraid... you know too much."
"Sorry!"
The mysterious Byronian noble glanced at the adventurers, and an oppressive aura emanated from him. It was as if an ancient beast had its eyes on a group of rabbits, filling them with fear.
The adventurers exchanged glances, and soon someone made a smart decision, stabbing one of the captured Red Horse detectives.
Charlotte's plan was simple and reminiscent of "Water Margin," where new members were initiated by committing to a blood oath. This group of adventurers came from various places and was divided into over ten small adventuring parties, with no real cohesion. They could abandon him at any moment.
Using the mysterious Byronian high-level extraordinary's pressure, Charlotte forced them to submit a "blood oath," greatly enhancing team cohesion and his own authority. It also served to explain why a "Byronian spy" would have a group of Farsean adventurers following him.
Charlotte mastered the "Bloodflame Qi" and Byronian language, allowing him to pose as a Byronian. These adventurers who couldn't even speak Byronian had no choice but to be seen as his temporary "blood servants," a long-standing tradition among Byronian vampires.
Under the oppressive presence of the mysterious Byronian high-level extraordinary, over a hundred adventurers, whether they liked it or not, reluctantly came forward, each stabbing one of the seven captured Red Horse detectives—some with knives, some with swords, some with daggers, and some with maces.
Even the already dead Aidison and Winterburn, as well as the two detectives killed in the fight, were not spared.
The three captured detectives met particularly gruesome fates.
Charlotte then pulled out the blood-draining rapier and handed it to the mysterious Byronian noble before ordering the search of the dead detectives' bodies.
The search yielded just over seven gold coins, with five gold coins found on Aidison. This was not surprising—only someone like Charlotte, who was on the run, would carry their entire fortune with them.
He distributed the seven detectives' equipment, valued at a fair price, along with the cash to the adventurers.
By offering rewards after threats, he managed to ease the adventurers' tension.
This kind of approach—balancing threats with rewards—was common sense on Earth.
Sure enough, the adventurers relaxed a little, easing the tension.
The tall, handsome middle-aged man nodded slightly, a satisfied smile appearing on his face. He said to Charlotte, "Not bad! You have some of Byron's military spirit."
"I am Lord Leo, and like you, I am on a special mission. I will temporarily requisition you and your men. Please report your name."
Charlotte breathed a sigh of relief and replied, "Qiannan! You can call me Qiannan."
Lord Leo casually touched the knight's lance, and it transformed into a rapier, which he skillfully sheathed at his waist.
Having recently encountered such a high-level weapon, Charlotte couldn't help but exclaim, "Sanlon's spear? You're from the Arthur clan!"
Lord Leo's knight's lance was even more ornate than the one owned by Louis Simi, likely worth at least 1,500 gold coins.
The Adonis clan was one of the six royal clans, but Arthur was one of the three imperial clans, with a naturally superior status among all bloodlines.
Lord Leo nodded slightly, his pride well-hidden. He said, "Grand Duke Ferdinand of Behemoth is heading to Strasbourg to meet Julius VI. I need his route and detailed information."
"Qiannan, you arrived in Farse before I did."
"Do you have any information to provide?"
Charlotte was startled and thought, "What are these Byronians planning by wanting to know the route of Grand Duke Ferdinand entering Strasbourg?" He casually replied, "I was just heading to Machubi, which is only 200 kilometers from Strasbourg. It's said that Grand Duke Ferdinand will pass by the ruins of this ancient orc kingdom fortress."