Chapter 491: That's Pretty Strong

Chapter 491: Chapter 433: That’s Pretty Strong

Leech handed the book back, and Isis took it, silently inserting a bookmark before carefully closing it.

Her passion lay in her role as an “assistant.”

Leech’s movement snapped the other two out of their daze, and they averted their gazes from Isis.

“Yarrn, Lord.”

The two greeted Leech in unison.

Tonight, ‘Desert Pearl’ was dressed rather differently. She was a combination of wildness and elegance, her skin tanned by the sun. If not for her short hair, she would have looked exactly like the Cleopatra from Leech’s memories.

She was like a beautiful leopardess adorned with gold. One moment she seemed to want to submit, but the next she would bare her fangs without hesitation, stirring an endless desire to conquer her.

He admitted he was tempted to test his weakness again. ‘But with so much trouble on my plate, I should postpone that particular trial for a later date.’

Seeing Leech look her way, Desert Pearl said, “I’ve sent letters out to some of them. The lords’ replies have been ambiguous.”

News of the war against the Half-Beastman army was bound to spread. The minor lords and chieftains who witnessed his power would surely shift from their steadfast support for the Count to a more ambiguous position.

For Leech, this was huge progress. It meant they acknowledged his power.

Once Leon City on the banks of the Sapphire River was completely taken, Lisu Muma would be the genuine Princess Sophia.

“There’s no need to rush.” Leech picked up a wine glass from the table and took a sip of the tart wine. He swallowed, the astringent taste making his tongue feel a little numb. “Mama City must expand its forces as quickly as possible, and also breed warhorses.”

He raised an eyebrow slightly, not averse to the sour taste.

But if the grapes were crushed into a pulp in the glass, with added ice, sugar, and a straw, it would surely become one of his favorite summer drinks.

Mama City’s primary task was to provide warhorses. Leech would later arrange for people to supply Life Herbs to aid in their breeding and increase the fertilization rate.

Mama City could even provide superior Cavalry.

It had to be admitted that in terms of cavalry, the Eastern Gorge was not particularly outstanding.

“I’ll have Hahn contact the suppliers for the grain and feed we’ll need.” He set down his glass and looked at Hahn. “Hahn, you’ve seemed a little distracted ever since you walked in. Are you too tired, my friend? I can give you half a day off.”

“No, Lord!” Hahn snapped to attention.

He had been kicking himself for ruining his Lord’s good time earlier, and being called on so suddenly made him flinch.

“Just work hard for a little while longer,” Leech said. “The situation in Mama City is far from optimistic. We may have won the battle, but our losses were severe.”

Hahn nodded.

On the surface, Leech had successfully defended Mama City, that was true. But that horde of Half-Beastmen were all paupers. Besides their filthy, stinking corpses providing food for the beasts roaming the desert, they brought no benefits at all.

Leech, on the other hand, had lost nearly all of his Transcendents, and his soldiers had suffered massive casualties.

To say the losses were disastrous would be no exaggeration.

He had suffered a catastrophic loss for little gain.

To the outside world, Leech was hanging by a thread. It seemed that just one more push from any other power would be enough to annihilate him.

But secretly? ‘Let anyone who isn’t afraid to die come and try their luck.’

Leech looked at Desert Pearl. Her hesitant expression suggested she had something else on her mind.

Desert Pearl said, “Between Leon City and us lies a territory. Its lord, Black Thorn of Hawthorn, has been a vassal to Princess Sophia’s line for generations. His army is very strong. If we could make him swear fealty to us, we’d have a much greater advantage against the Count.”

But she quickly sighed. “However, I wrote to him and received no reply. It seems he doesn’t believe I am who I claim to be. The Count has tried to recruit him many times, but the Hawthorn Lord is loyal only to Princess Sophia. My impersonating the princess might infuriate him and push him into the Count’s arms.”

She wasn’t the only one he didn’t trust. The other minor lords and chieftains had only been willing to send ambiguous replies because they feared Leech’s power.

Leech had never heard of the Hawthorn Lord. But given the Count’s methods—turning Knights like Buerwell into Wandering Knights—the fact that the Hawthorn Lord had managed to protect himself and his territory proved he was a force to be reckoned with.

“I’ve heard of that Black Thorn.” Hahn noticed the confusion on Leech’s face and stepped forward to explain. “Before the Count and Princess Sophia were married, their family was already on that Hawthorn land. Their territory is about the size of two Porcupine Territories, and it’s filled with hawthorn berries. According to the Mercenaries, Black Thorn has at least five Transcendents and 800 elite Soldiers under his command.”

Leech: “…”

‘That’s pretty strong.’

Hahn’s expression also turned grim. If not for the Half-Beastman army’s attack, Leech’s dozen or so Transcendents wouldn’t have had any reason to fear this force.

But as he saw it, absorbing five Transcendents and 800 elite Soldiers would be a massive boost to the Lord’s strength.

Hahn didn’t know what to make of it. Leech, however, was thinking to himself, ‘Who could have guessed that the more I fight, the stronger I get?’

‘One moment I was fighting a brutal battle against the Half-Beastman army, and just a few days later, all of my enemy’s strength has become my own.’

Just when everyone thought Leech was at his most vulnerable, his power had actually undergone its most outrageous enhancement since he’d crossed over to this world. According to Isis’s calculations, in addition to the fourth Palace Level Corpse Ghost, he would soon command 110 Extraordinary Level Half-Beastman Corpse Ghosts.

This number already accounted for the fact that some of the Half-Beastman corpses were too mangled to have their Extraordinary substance extracted.

“Never mind the Hawthorn Lord for now,” Leech said. “Hahn, I believe you have something more important to report.”

“Yes, Lord.” Hahn began his report.

By the time he finally finished reporting everything, his throat was parched.

Leech stood up, personally poured a glass of wine, and handed it to Hahn.

“Thank you, Lord!” Hahn took the glass, pleasantly surprised, and gulped down a large mouthful.

The cool, sweet wine filled his mouth, quickly followed by an astringent tartness, but he found it incredibly refreshing. ‘And the Lord poured this for me himself!’

“You’ve worked hard,” Leech said.

…

「Sapphire River, Leon City.」

After a brief inspection by the guards at the gate, a company of riders passed quickly into the city.

“Black Thorn, do you really think we should swear allegiance to the Count?” a young man on a warhorse asked, looking at the stern-faced man beside him.

“What, and swear allegiance to that fake Princess Sophia?”

Black Thorn scoffed. “Besides, according to my sources, a huge battle just took place at Mama City. It’s at its weakest right now. They want to recruit us? Isn’t it obvious they’re just afraid the Count will come to crush them?”

News didn’t travel very fast. He only knew that the Wild Boar Mercenary Corps had attacked Mama City, but was unaware of the subsequent Half-Beastman army.

Even if he had heard, he probably wouldn’t have believed it anyway. A horde of Half-Beastmen suddenly charging over from the other side of the sea was simply too unbelievable.

The young man pondered for a moment, then nodded. “You’re right.”

“Don’t overthink it, my brother,” Black Thorn said, pulling on his reins. “The Count will welcome us with open arms, if only for our family’s Transcendents and elite Soldiers. I heard that the Wild Boar Mercenary Corps he just recruited fought Mama City to a standstill, with both sides nearly wiped out. Doesn’t that make Mama City a perfect new territory for us?”

The young man understood his brother’s meaning.

“The family’s territory hasn’t changed in decades,” he said, voicing his concern.

“Now we have a chance to make it bigger,” Black Thorn said. “We need warhorses, and victory!”