Chapter 17: No Good People in Wildfire Town
"No good people in Wildfire Town, no good people in Wildfire Town..." The fatty's forehead pounded heavily against the table as he muttered to himself.
After a moment, the fatty suddenly lifted his head, revealing a red forehead that made anyone who saw it burst into laughter.
"Qingyin, is Wildfire Town really like what you described?" The fatty asked Qingyin with a mournful expression.
"Wildfire Town is located at the junction of the Holy Roman Empire, the Alsace Empire, and the Orc territory. Its special location makes it basically a no-man's land, but nominally, it still belongs to the Alsace Empire. It's a paradise for hooligans, robbers, and second-rate mercenaries," Qingyin explained to the fatty with a hint of worry.
"Hooligans, robbers, second-rate mercenaries..." The fatty repeated these words in a dazed state, thinking that Wildfire Town was simply a den of thieves.
Could anyone who came out of there be a good person?
"Although it's nominally a territory of Alsace, it still belongs to the Alsace Empire. Therefore, His Majesty Ruby did send some officials to oversee Wildfire Town. However..." Qingyin took a deep breath, her white face looking at the fatty filled with sorrow.
"However, what?" The fatty asked Qingyin weakly, though he already knew the fate of those officials, he still wanted to confirm it.
"There were three officials sent to Wildfire Town. The first one fell and died on the way. The second one, although he reached Wildfire Town, unfortunately got hit by a meteorite when entering the town. The third one was the luckiest; he oversaw the town for a month, but in the end..." Qingyin hesitated before looking at the fatty.
"But what?" The fatty asked again.
"He went mad, completely mad..." Qingyin shook her head and said to the fatty.
"Robbers, meteorites, madness..." Upon hearing these words, the fatty's face turned pale. Based on his past experience, he knew that the deaths of those officials were abnormal. The fatty couldn't help but doubt if he was really the grandson of the old duke, and the only one...
※※※
In the duke's study...
The old duke was still flipping through the records of the fatty's entrance exam, occasionally marking on them. His serious expression was like he was dealing with a battle report.
After a while, there was a knock on the door, and Armand walked in.
"Duke, those students have left. But it's probably better for the young master to stay out less recently. After all, the Warlord's Order is enough to drive anyone crazy," Armand said with a smile.
"Alright, Armand, I plan to designate Wildfire Town as Blackgold's territory..." The old duke raised his head slightly and said to Armand.
"Wildfire Town?" Armand was slightly taken aback and then shook his head. "Duke, you should know the situation in Wildfire Town. Even if Sir Heil went there, he might not be able to manage it well. Moreover, Blackgold is still just a child."
"Armand, do you remember how old we were when we went to the battlefield?" The old duke slowly put down the document and smiled faintly.
"Nineteen. At that time, the empire was already riddled with problems and in a precarious situation, so we had no choice..." Armand seemed to recall something and smiled at the old duke.
"Yes, nineteen. At nineteen, we were already risking our lives on the battlefield, so why can't Blackgold manage a small town?" The old duke asked back.
Upon hearing the old duke's words, Armand understood his meaning and shook his head. "Duke, this is not that time anymore. Moreover, even if we were nineteen, we would be at a loss for what to do facing the current Wildfire Town."
Upon hearing Armand's words, the old duke suddenly laughed. "Armand, a fledgling eagle that has not been baptized by the storm will never soar high. In these seven years, Blackgold has owed too much, so he must hone himself in harsher environments than others. Even if he fails, it's also an opportunity, isn't it?"
Armand smiled, and now he finally understood the meaning of the Lionheart Duke. Perhaps from the beginning, the old duke never expected Blackgold to manage Wildfire Town well. But Wildfire Town was an indispensable training ground for Blackgold.
"Duke, what do you plan to prepare for Blackgold before he leaves?" Armand asked the old duke.
"A few guards should be enough..." The old duke said frankly to Armand.
This sentence immediately left the wise Armand speechless.
"I won't go, even if you kill me. Is this about management? This is clearly suicide..." The fat man looked at the sky with a desperate expression on his face.
Qingyin, who came out of the old duke's study with the fat man, remained silent for a long time. They didn't give any money or troops, just a few basic guards. Not only the fat man but even Lord Hale would frown if he went to Wildfire Town now.
The sky was as clear as washed, devoid of any adornment apart from its deep blue hue.
Looking at the sky, the fat man felt increasingly tragic. What could a few guards do? He feared that he would be killed by those gangs before even reaching Wildfire Town.
The fat man's face darkened as he thought more about it. Why did he always encounter unlucky things in this world? In war game simulations, he was forced to be the one on the receiving end. Now, going to Wildfire Town meant going to die.
His dream of enjoying a comfortable life was shattered like a soap bubble.
"I want to live, I want to enjoy life..." The fat man muttered in a daze, and then his eyes suddenly sparkled with determination.
"Qingyin, do you know where Warlord Hell lives?" The fat man suddenly turned his head and asked Qingyin.
"Yes..." Qingyin looked at the suddenly motivated fat man with hope in her eyes.
But this hope didn't last long.
"No matter what, saving my life is the priority..." The fat man muttered to himself.
※※※
"..."
The carriage with the lion emblem was slowly moving along a winding and uneven road. The driver was an old man with wrinkles on his face like knife cuts, exuding an air of vicissitudes. He held the reins lightly with both hands, glancing into the carriage occasionally, with a very kind smile on his face.
"Blackgold has finally recovered..." The old man murmured with a smile, his glances into the carriage revealing an exceptionally kind expression.
"Qingyin, who is that old man, and why wasn't he driving last time?..." The fat man asked Qingyin next to him in the carriage.
"I... I don't know either, but it's said to be an old man who came with Countess Hale," Qingyin said to the fat man.
"Countess Hale? My mom?" The fat man murmured to himself, then his face darkened. The countess that Qingyin mentioned was no longer alive.
The fat man was an orphan in his previous life. Although he had a family in this world, it was still incomplete. Hale's wife, the fat man's current mother, had left this world five years ago.
In his previous life, although the fat man had reached the position of a general, he was only in his early twenties. A young man, even if he lived again, would still hope to fill in the gaps of his past.
Seeing the fat man's darkened face, Qingyin's face, which was as bright as the moon, also revealed a trace of sadness. Countess Hale was such a kind and benevolent woman, but...
"Qingyin, if possible, let's not talk about this again, okay?" Qingyin suddenly remembered something and said to the fat man.
"Why?" The fat man looked surprised.
"It's a taboo. Maybe the duke will tell you when you can enter the Famous Generals' List one day," Qingyin pursed her lips and said to the fat man.
Listening to Qingyin, the fat man instinctively felt that there must be something hidden behind it. But he didn't ask any more questions.
"Famous Generals' List... Huh..." The fat man said disdainfully to himself. He had already made up his mind to get to the bottom of this matter.
"Qingyin, can you tell me about my mother?" The fat man suddenly said sincerely to Qingyin.
"Countess Hale was a very kind person. In my childhood memories, no matter who she was facing, whether it was civilians, nobles, or even those poor slaves, her face always carried a kind smile..." Qingyin murmured to the fat man as she recalled the past.
There was a longing on Qingyin's face, as if she was describing a holy angel at that moment.
The fat man was listening intently, paying close attention to every word. He was trying to imagine what his mother looked like.
While listening, the fat man's face always wore a simple and lovely smile, a smile that conveyed a heartfelt sincerity.
The carriage's soundproofing was not very good, so the old man outside the carriage could hear everything clearly. Listening to the conversation inside, the old man suddenly smiled, so happily. But then he seemed to think of something, and his face turned extremely cold. His old hands suddenly clasped tightly, and a golden aura flickered, turning the reins into ashes.
"Xiaoci, Blackgold has recovered now, but he's still very fragile. I'll take care of him for a while..." The old man said softly.