Chapter 36 - The Necromancer (Part 6)
Charlotte had been dragging her feet, refusing to take the initiative to attack, all to wait for sunset, for the temperature to drop, and for the sea breeze to shift to a land breeze.
The wind blowing against them mercilessly scattered Regba Dando's desperate final strike. His maniacal, twisted grin gradually stiffened on his face.
Under the flickering light of the torches, Charlotte smiled faintly, but to Regba Dando, that smile was undoubtedly mocking him, ridiculing his incompetence and stupidity.
Thud.
Finally, Regba Dando knelt down. He raised his hands above his head and shouted, "I surrender, I truly surrender. Lord Viscount of Lanwan, I am willing to serve you. If you can forgive my mistakes, I swear by Ig that I will pledge my lifelong loyalty to you."
Rayne Nazares walked up to the kneeling Regba Dando, raised his shield, and slammed it into the necromancer's face with a loud thwack.
Regba Dando was nearly sent tumbling to the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood that contained two broken teeth. Even so, he continued to mumble, "I am a four-winged necromancer. I am willing to serve the Viscount. I can help the Viscount achieve immortality. I am of great use to you..."
Seeing this scene, both the southern and northern knights were momentarily stunned they had actually hunted down a four-winged sorcerer. In their previous understanding, a two-winged sorcerer was already considered a master, a three-winged sorcerer was a significant figure, and a four-winged one was practically an unattainable existence.
Yet now, that four-winged necromancer was lying on the ground begging for mercy, like an old dog whimpering after being beaten.
Rayne Nazares stepped on Regba Dando's back, pulled out a dagger, and made a cut on the necromancer's thigh to let his blood flow.
Bloodletting was a common method in this world to restrain sorcerers. Generally, as a sorcerer lost a significant amount of blood, their supernatural powers would rapidly weaken. This method was effective against most schools of sorcerers, which was why many believed that blood was the carrier of supernatural power within a sorcerer's body.
At the same time, Charlotte spoke up, "Who are you? Why have you come to my territory? Why did you kill my people?"
"My name is Regba Dando. I am not only a four-winged sorcerer but also a former elder of the Feidi City-State..." Regba Dando spilled his story like beans from a bamboo tube. He explained how he had been hunted by the Inquisition, blocked at the Lanwan Viscount's checkpoint, smuggled into the Lanwan Viscount's territory, and then mistreated by the villagers of Qingyu Village, which ultimately led to his rage and killing spree.
He particularly emphasized how the ignorant villagers of Qingyu Village had treated him horribly, trying to justify that his disruption of the Lanwan Viscount's peace was all a misunderstanding.
"You're from Feidi?" Charlotte nodded slightly. "I heard Feidi is at war with Delmo. How is the recent situation on the battlefield?"
"The war situation?" Regba Dando wasn't sure why Charlotte was asking this, but he quickly replied, "Recently, the most significant battle would be the Battle of Etuo. You must know that Etuo is the southernmost city-state of the Sokya Peninsula. It originally belonged to our Aiyue Alliance, but it has now been captured by the Delmo Alliance. Of course, there are also reports suggesting that the defenders of Etuo voluntarily laid down their weapons to the Delmo Alliance, as Delmo had besieged Etuo for two years. After losing Etuo, we have almost completely lost the Liuyun Strait. Even though I am from Feidi, I must admit that the scales of victory are tipping towards Delmo..."
The Liuyun Strait was located to the south of the Sokya Peninsula, at the southernmost tip of the Eagle Continent. Beyond the Liuyun Strait lay another continent, the Wolf Continent, making its geographical importance self-evident.
To prove his worth to Charlotte, Regba Dando held nothing back. For example, he revealed that the Feidi City-State's Council of Elders was already considering peace talks with Delmo. Such news was almost impossible for outsiders to know, and if it were to spread, it would undoubtedly be a bombshell that could shake the entire Sokya Peninsula.
The war between the Aiyue Alliance and the Delmo Alliance had been going on for many years. Both sides were exhausted, but neither was willing to admit defeat. What had started as a simple territorial dispute between a few city-states had now evolved into a full-scale conflict involving economics, politics, culture, history, resources, and more. To anyone observing, it seemed like a fight to the death.
Yet now, the Feidi Council of Elders was saying, "We want peace talks."
Feidi was undoubtedly the leader of the Aiyue Alliance. The other city-states in the alliance had to pay an annual "membership fee" referred to as the "war tax" to Feidi to support its military efforts against the Delmo Alliance.
This "membership fee" was not cheap. It often accounted for one-fifth, or even one-third, of a medium-sized city-state's annual income. Some smaller city-states had to reduce subsidies for their citizens to raise the annual war tax, leading to widespread discontent. Some citizens, returning from the battlefield with severe injuries or disabilities, found that their post-service benefits had been cut. How could they not feel resentful?
Even so, the other members of the Aiyue Alliance had supported Feidi's leadership in this war for over a decade.
And now, you're saying you want peace talks?
Charlotte didn't need to think hard to imagine how the morale of the Aiyue Alliance would waver if news of Feidi's desire for peace talks got out. If the news were confirmed, the entire alliance could collapse overnight.
Seeing Charlotte's detailed questioning, Regba Dando thought he had a chance to win her favor and began promoting his talents: "Not only can I share my knowledge of necromancy with you, but I can also help you govern your territory. The Dando family has served as elders in Feidi for three generations. My father was Feidi's most renowned reformer. If you appoint me as your territory's steward, I can make your land as prosperous as Feidi."
"Oh? Is that so?" Charlotte snorted lightly. "There's something I don't understand, Mr. Regba Dando..."
Regba Dando sensed something off in Charlotte's tone and tensed up, lying on the ground.
"I don't understand, Mr. Dando," Charlotte's voice gradually turned cold. "I truly don't understand why you're begging for mercy. Before invading my territory, didn't you prepare yourself to die here? Or did you think my Lanwan Viscount's territory was some place where any stray dog could come and go as they pleased?"
"Please, please forgive my offense, my lord. I only killed a few lowly commoners..." Regba Dando felt as if he had fallen into an icy abyss.
"Execute him publicly tomorrow," Charlotte waved her hand dismissively.
"No! Don't kill me! Please don't..."
Regba Dando struggled frantically, and as he did, the zombies began to move again.
Thwack.
Renn swung his heavy shield once more, smashing it into the necromancer's head and knocking him out cold.
"Should we hang him or behead him?" Rayne Nazares asked Charlotte.
After a moment of thought, Charlotte chuckled lightly. "Since I'm new here, I suppose many people aren't yet aware that the Lanwan Viscount's territory has changed hands. Let's use this four-winged sorcerer to remind our neighbors..."
Charlotte gave Rayne Nazares some instructions, which he noted down before arranging the execution for the next day. The other knights and squires began cleaning up the battlefield.
With the necromancer unconscious, the zombies didn't immediately revert to corpses. In fact, even if the necromancer died, the stronger zombies could still move for a while. However, without command or control, the zombies would wander aimlessly. If there were living people nearby, the zombies would instinctively show strong aggression towards them.
But this aggression was something the knights welcomed. At this point, the zombies no longer knew how to dodge attacks, protect their vital points, or use tools or weapons. They simply attacked like wild beasts, using their teeth and hands to bite and scratch no, even wild beasts were more sophisticated than this. The knights simply stood there, waiting for the zombies to come one by one and have their heads smashed by war hammers.
Young knights like Costa and Adams were having a great time, releasing the frustration they had felt during the early stages of the battle.
However, Celine, who had been remarkably impressive at the start of the battle, was now blocked by a particularly fierce zombie.
Curious about what kind of zombie could be so formidable, Charlotte dismounted and went to take a look.
There, she saw a little girl zombie with a topknot, using her small hands to repeatedly tap and scratch at Celine is large shield.
Against the iron-clad shield, the little girl's hands posed no threat.
Celine raised her greatsword several times, but each time she saw the little girl's face, which couldn't have been older than five or six, she lowered the sword helplessly.
"Just leave her be," Charlotte suggested.
"But..." Celine hesitated.
"Then prop your shield up," Charlotte offered another suggestion.
"Alright," Celine followed Charlotte's advice, propping her shield in front of the little girl and planting her greatsword in the ground to support it.
Sure enough, the mindless little girl zombie continued to scratch at the shield. Her nails and fingertips had already worn away, exposing the white bones beneath.
Celine stood nearby, finally free from the little girl's "restraint," but she suddenly lost the desire to fight.
"I..." Celine hesitated.
"Does it feel too cruel?" Charlotte asked with a smile.
Celine remained silent, but her tightly pursed lips betrayed her feelings.
Charlotte looked up at the moon and let out a soft sigh. "But this is the true face of the world ugly and cruel."
---
The next morning, the Lanwan Isthmus was still blocked by checkpoints, and the number of merchants and travelers stuck there continued to grow. Information traveled slowly these days, and many caravans only learned of the blockade when they reached Anbulatu. Having come all that way, they naturally wanted to see for themselves what if the news was false?
But the news was true.
As the crowd grumbled in front of the checkpoint, the barricades were suddenly moved aside. Five knights on horseback emerged, followed by a squad of fully armed squires escorting a pale, bloodless prisoner who could barely walk.
"Kneel!" one of the knights commanded.
The prisoner refused, so the squires rained down blows with their clubs, sending him rolling on the ground.
Then, several squires stepped forward and tied five ropes around the prisoner's neck and limbs.
The prisoner struggled desperately, wailing, "Don't kill me! Don't kill me! I'm a four-winged sorcerer! I'm an elder of Feidi! I'm willing to serve the Lanwan Viscount! Spare me, please!"
The curious merchants and travelers, hearing this, were shocked. They crowded closer to get a better look at the prisoner. Most of them were from Sokya, so how could they not know the name of Feidi?
Once the ropes were securely tied to the prisoner's neck and limbs, the other ends were attached to five horses.
The squires pushed the onlookers back.
Then, the five knights spurred their horses in five different directions, lifting the prisoner off the ground.
Before the onlookers could fully grasp what was happening, a piercing scream echoed as the prisoner was torn in half at the waist.
Blood, intestines, and organs spilled from the severed torso, splattering across the ground.
Rayne Nazares, still on horseback, frowned as he looked at the still-twitching necromancer. Charlotte had told him that drawing and quartering was meant to separate the head and limbs from the body. But whether it was due to incorrect methods or their inexperience, they had only managed to tear the man in half.
What should they do now?
Charlotte's method couldn't be wrong. This punishment was unheard of, likely a secret technique of the Melefield family.
It must have been their execution that was flawed!
They should have practiced beforehand.
With a sense of regret, Rayne Nazares ordered the already bisected necromancer to be torn apart again, finally separating his head and limbs.
Regba Dando was no more.
Meanwhile, the knights' sweep of Niuling Village and Qingyu Village was nearly complete, and they prepared to return. After all, deep within the Lanwan Viscount's territory, thousands of zombies still roamed. Cleaning them up would be another troublesome task.
"Aren't you leaving yet?" Charlotte asked Celine as she mounted her horse.
"I... alright," Celine turned to retrieve her shield and greatsword.
The last zombie in Qingyu Village, the little girl with the topknot, was still scratching at Celine is shield. Her fingers had completely worn away, and her finger bones lay scattered on the ground. Yet she continued to attack the shield with her bare, skeletal hands.
Celine raised her greatsword, biting her lip, determined to put the little girl to rest.
Suddenly, the little girl stopped. Her lifeless eyes seemed to regain a hint of clarity. She turned her head slightly, looking at Celine, and her lips moved silently.
Celine thought she heard the girl say, "Daddy..."
Celine is sword didn't fall. The little girl collapsed onto her back, returning to a lifeless little corpse.
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