The battle that had just ended had fulfilled Commander Rocky’s mission, so he did not plan to stay here a minute longer. However, there were two things he had to take care of before leaving.
The first was to collect his rightful reimbursement, consisting of ten thousand Gold Coins, five hundred pounds of Yellow Scale Mine, and all the bodies of the Demons. These were Rocky’s dues, and the very reason he had undertaken this mission, so he had to take these items with him before departing.
The second matter was Rocky’s plan to reveal his identity to Lin Feng and Old Jack and to persuade them to lead the villagers of Backhill Village to leave with him.
Thus, upon leaving the camp, he went directly to meet Lin Feng. However, as he just arrived at Lin Feng’s residence, he saw several carts of ore parked outside the house, which indicated that Lin Feng had already prepared the reimbursement without needing a reminder.
Indeed, that was the case. When Rocky entered Lin Feng’s residence, he not only met Lin Feng but also Old Jack.
“Commander Rocky.”
Upon seeing Rocky, Old Jack was the first to stand up and warmly thanked him, then said, “Commander Sir, we have prepared the commission for this mission, ten thousand Gold Coins and five hundred pounds of Yellow Scale Mine all loaded onto carts.
As for the bodies of the Demons, I had Captain Lin Feng send people beyond the high wall to retrieve them as much as possible, and it should be ready by tomorrow.”
“Thank you, village chief.”
Rocky nodded and did not offer thanks because these were his entitlements, earned through the blood and lives of he and the Guard Corps, no thanks owed to anyone.
After that, he cut short any further pleasantries and directly asked, “Village chief, and Captain Lin Feng, do you have any plans for the future?”
“Well…”
Upon hearing this, both Old Jack and Lin Feng furrowed their brows, and then Old Jack said with a laugh, “We are still considering it. Anyway, we truly thank you, Commander Rocky, as without your cooperation against the Demons, our village would not have known how to survive this ordeal.”
Old Jack was indeed a wily old man, skillfully bringing the topic to a close without any fuss.
This was actually quite normal, for the affairs of Backhill Village were really not something Rocky, a foreigner, should be concerned or meddling with. However, he had asked about it twice now, and if not for him and the Guard Corps indeed helping Backhill Village resist the Demon attacks, Old Jack and Lin Feng would certainly not have been courteous to him.
Yet, it seemed as if Rocky did not understand Old Jack’s hint and continued, “Gentlemen, do you really think you can withstand another attack from the Demons after I leave?”
With these words, Old Jack and Lin Feng’s expressions indeed began to sour—firstly because Rocky’s repeated probing annoyed them, and secondly, because what Rocky said was absolutely true!
It didn’t matter whether he was entitled to meddle, but his point was undeniable—that once he and his troops left, could Backhill Village withstand another attack from the Demons?
The answer was clearly no. After a series of brutal battles, Backhill Village had suffered much more than the Guard Corps, not only were there more injured soldiers, there were also many more deaths and even the high walls were riddled with holes.
The high wall had sustained severe damage during the Demons’ assault, especially during the initial charge by the armored bull demon, which caused extensive cracks in the wall. Had the battle not ended when it did, the wall might have collapsed!
So when Rocky led the troops away, Backhill Village could hardly gather effective defensive forces in a short period of time. It would take at least one to two months, or even up to six months, for them to possibly recover. However, in such a prolonged period, the demons would certainly not remain inactive and even a single attack by the demons could wipe out Backhill Village!
This matter also troubled Old Jack and Lin Feng. So, when Rocky made this issue clear, both their faces looked incredibly grim.
Even so, facing Rocky, an outsider, Old Jack still forced a smile and bared his teeth, “Commander Rocky, we naturally have…”
“Village chief, I actually have a suggestion.”
Not waiting for Old Jack to finish his words, Rocky interrupted, “Village chief, and Captain Lin Feng, my identity is not merely that of a Mercenary Group commander, or rather, I am not really a commander at all.”
Looking at Old Jack and Lin Feng, Rocky slowly said, “In fact, I am the City Lord of a Sky City.”
Just as expected, when Rocky revealed his identity, both Old Jack and Lin Feng gasped!
The two had indeed harbored doubts about Rocky’s identity before because as a City Lord, Rocky exuded a demeanor unlike ordinary people. Backhill Village had not hired mercenaries for the first time to help with defense, and they could naturally spot that this ‘Commander’ was different from other commanders.
However, the limit of their imagination was to think of him as a noble who had concealed his identity, but they had never imagined that he was the owner of a Sky City!
No wonder this was the case, for during the Sky Era, the status of a Sky City Lord was regarded as the most noble rank. No matter how noble you were or how long the suffix title of your nobility was, without being a City Lord, it was all nonsense!
Therefore, no matter how hard Old Jack and Lin Feng racked their brains, they could never have imagined that a City Lord would lead troops to carry out such a dangerous task! Were they insane?
In this context, the way they looked at Rocky changed, and it had to change, for the gap between them was far too great.
It was only after Old Jack and Lin Feng had regained their composure that Rocky continued to speak, “Gentlemen, I think you are well aware of the situation in Backhill Village. If the demons launch another attack, you definitely won’t be able to withstand it.”
“I understand that you have your own reasons to remain living on the land, and even your own beliefs, which I deeply respect. It is precisely your fearlessness in fighting the demons that has preserved the last sanctuary for people on the land and prevented the demons from completely overtaking it.” Explore more at empire
“However, I think not fearing death and waiting for death are not the same thing. What do you think?”
While speaking, Rocky looked at Old Jack and Lin Feng, waiting for them to absorb everything he had said before he continued, “Therefore, I hope you carefully consider the suggestion I am about to make for the sake of all the villagers in Backhill Village.”
“I suggest… moving all the people of Backhill Village to my Sky City.”
Looking at Old Jack and Lin Feng, Rocky slowly stated.
Upon hearing his words, both Old Jack and Lin Feng furrowed their brows tightly and simultaneously fell into silence.