Lei Luo took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.
Now was not the time for excitement.
He had to continue playing the role of the abandoned, good-for-nothing second son with a bleak future, just as he always had.
The corridor was still empty, with only the slightly hurried sound of his footsteps.
He walked towards the family’s Knight Order barracks.
The air was filled with the smell of damp earth and weapon oil.
In a corner at the edge of the training ground, a tall, resolute-faced Knight was sweating profusely alone.
Sweat soaked his brown short hair, trickling down his chiseled face.
It was Elliot.
The “unfulfilled” Great Knight mentioned in the system intelligence.
Elliot stopped his movements, and upon seeing the newcomer, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, quickly replaced by calm. He bowed slightly and saluted, “Young Master Lei Luo.”
His voice was deep and powerful, with the crispness characteristic of a soldier.
“Knight Elliot.”
Lei Luo stood still, looking directly at him. “I am no longer a Young Master.”
He raised the pioneering order in his hand. “I am now the pioneering lord of Blackstone Territory.”
Elliot’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly; he had clearly heard about the events at the ceremony.
But he didn’t ask further, just waited in silence for what Lei Luo would say next.
“The Duke ‘generously’ bestowed upon me two Great Knights and twenty Knights as my pioneering team.”
Lei Luo’s tone carried a hint of self-mockery. “I need a captain for my personal guard. Knight Elliot, are you willing to come with me to Blackstone Territory?”
Elliot suddenly looked up, his eyes flashing with disbelief.
Go to Blackstone Territory?
He knew very well what that place meant.
But… a captain of the personal guard?
For someone who had stagnated in a squad leader position for nearly a decade, this was undoubtedly a huge temptation, an opportunity to break free from his current situation.
“Blackstone Territory has a harsh environment and an uncertain future.”
Lei Luo continued, his tone flat. “Following me, you might endure a lot of hardship, and perhaps…”
He didn’t finish, but the meaning was clear.
Elliot was silent for a moment.
Going to Blackstone Territory was exile.
But staying here, wasn't it another form of prison?
“My Lord.”
Elliot’s voice was resolute. He changed his address, knelt on one knee, and placed his right hand over his chest. “Elliot Farn, I am willing to serve you!”
A weight lifted from Lei Luo’s heart.
Soon, the other assigned Great Knight and twenty Knights also assembled.
That Great Knight was named Bolin, a bit older, slightly plump, with a hint of laziness and worldliness in his expression. His gaze towards Lei Luo was far from respectful, more of a perfunctory, business-like attitude.
The rest of the Knights mostly had blank expressions, clearly resistant to being sent to the godforsaken Blackstone Territory.
Lei Luo didn’t mind this.
It was only human nature.
“Captain Elliot, take the men to check the supplies and prepare to depart. Knight Bolin, assist Captain Elliot.” Lei Luo issued his first command.
Elliot immediately acknowledged the order and left. Bolin slowly responded and followed him.
Lei Luo, using the excuse that he needed to prepare some “personal items” alone, quietly left the Knight Order barracks and, braving the rain, walked towards the east gate of Lei Long City.
Outside the east gate, three hundred steps south.
The rain had turned the road muddy.
Following the system’s prompt, Lei Luo quickly found the abandoned thatched hut.
The house was dilapidated, and the door panels were nowhere to be seen.
In front of the house, there was indeed a broken water vat, half-buried in the mud, its opening filled with murky rainwater.
Lei Luo looked around, confirming no one was present.
He rolled up his soaked sleeves and reached into the cold rainwater, fumbling around the bottom of the vat.
Soon, his fingers touched something hard, wrapped in oilcloth.
The package wasn’t large, but it was heavy.
Untying the wet oilcloth, inside were several heavy money bags.
One thousand seven hundred gold dragons!
This money, for him, who had been “kicked out with nothing,” was undoubtedly a godsend.
That unfortunate Captain Klee probably never dreamed that the wealth he had painstakingly embezzled and hidden would so easily fall into the hands of this “good-for-nothing.”
After carefully hiding the gold coins, Lei Luo quickly returned.
An hour later, at the east gate of Lei Long City.
A group of people slowly rode out of the city gate in the drizzling rain.
Two carriages loaded with basic supplies, and over twenty Knights, surrounded Lei Luo and Elliot, who were walking at the very front.
Above the east gate tower, his elder brother Elliot, hidden beneath a black cloak, watched his retreating figure completely disappear.
The sky was gloomy.
Although the rain had stopped, the heavy clouds hung very low.
The north wind, carrying the smell of grass from the wilderness, unceremoniously burrowed into people’s necks.
The pace of the procession was not fast.
The horses provided by the Duke’s mansion were not excellent, and the packhorses carrying supplies stumbled even more.
Most of the Knights were taciturn, and their occasional conversations were filled with complaints and confusion about the future.
Elliot truly lived up to the system’s evaluation of being a “righteous and powerful” Great Knight.
Since becoming the captain of the personal guard, he had meticulously performed his duties.
From planning the marching route, selecting campsites, setting up guard posts, managing supplies, to even comforting the Knights’ emotions, he handled everything in an orderly manner.
Under his restraint and example, although the team’s morale was not high, at least no major incidents occurred, and marching discipline was maintained quite well.
During the journey, Lei Luo received updated intelligence from the system.
Most of it was gossip about Lei Long City’s noble circles, information about new mineral veins discovered somewhere, or merchant caravans being attacked, which was not very helpful to his current situation.
More than ten days later, the team finally reached the border of Blackstone Territory.
In stark contrast to the lush scenery of the south, the land before them appeared barren and desolate.
“My Lord, ahead should be Blackstone Town, the only large settlement in Blackstone Territory.”
Elliot rode up beside Lei Luo, pointing to a blurry black dot on the distant horizon. “Should we enter the town directly, or set up camp outside the town?”
According to custom, a newly appointed lord should first go to the town within his territory to announce his arrival and establish his rule.
Many Knights in the team showed a hint of anticipation on their faces when they heard the words “Blackstone Town.”
After days of continuous marching in the wilderness, they had long wanted to find a place that could shelter them from the wind and rain and offer a hot meal.
Lei Luo reined in his horse, but his gaze was not directed towards Blackstone Town. Instead, he looked towards the continuous, desolate mountains to the east.
Lei Luo’s answer was simple and direct, surprising everyone.
“We are not going to Blackstone Town.”
“Not going to town?”
Bolin’s voice rose a few octaves, with obvious confusion and dissatisfaction. “My Lord, then where are we going? This wilderness…”
“We are going east.”
Lei Luo pointed towards the mountains in the east. “We are going to survey the mountains in the eastern part of the territory. Find a suitable location to establish a temporary camp.”
This decision immediately caused a stir.
The Knights whispered among themselves, their faces filled with confusion and resistance.
Ignoring an existing town, they were going to set up camp in those even more godforsaken mountains?
“My Lord, this…”
“Execute the order, Knights!”
Lei Luo made the decision in an unnegotiable tone.