Chapter 226 - 109: Shocking! That Bastard Lynch Committed Treason!?

Chapter 226: Chapter 109: Shocking! That Bastard Lynch Committed Treason!?

Every word he spoke struck Angus’s frozen heart like a hammer, sending tumultuous waves through him.

Suddenly, Aus extended his hand, his tone exceptionally solemn.

"Knight Angus Fisher."

"Are you willing to take up the sword and shield of a Knight once more?"

"Not for me, Augustus, personally. And not for some corrupt and decaying aristocracy."

"But rather—"

"For the people of the Empire who, like your wife and daughter, ought to be protected, yet are now suffering."

"Are you willing—with me, and with Lynch—"

"to try... and change things?"

The sunlight fell upon Augustus just then, illuminating eyes that shone with idealism and resolve.

Tears streamed down Angus’s face as he knelt on the ground. With a trembling hand, he raised his powerful grip and clasped Aus’s hand tightly.

"Your guilty servant, Angus Fisher..." he choked out, yet he spoke with all his might, "is willing to follow Your Highness, loyal until death!" 𝑓𝑟ℯℴ𝓂

Watching this awkward, tear-filled scene of a lord and his new vassal unfold, Lynch tried his best to hold his tongue, but finally couldn’t take it anymore. "All right, all right, that’s enough," he cut in. "We’re all busy people. Ceremony’s over."

Aus let go, looking slightly embarrassed. He cleared his throat and spoke to Angus with a serious expression, "Knight Angus Fisher, if that is your wish, then from this day forward, you will answer to Lord Lynch. His every command represents my will. Do you have any objections?"

Without hesitation, Angus turned to Lynch and knelt on one knee again. "I am willing to follow Lord Lynch’s command. Your command of the troops is godlike, your strategies profound. I was utterly and completely defeated. To be able to serve under you, my lord, would be my greatest honor."

Lynch waved a hand for him to rise, then leaned in close to his ear and whispered a series of instructions.

Angus listened respectfully at first, but as Lynch continued, his eyes grew wider and wider. By the time Lynch finished, his face was a mask of utter disbelief.

"M-my lord..." he stammered. "This... this... I... I don’t know how to do that!"

He had assumed the next step would be simple: he would switch his allegiance and have his men join Lynch’s command. He had even mentally prepared the speech he would use to persuade them.

But Lynch’s plan was completely beyond anything he could have imagined.

"You don’t know how?" Lynch said irritably. "If you don’t know how, then figure it out. Once things have settled down a bit, I’ll have His Highness arrange for the Holy Light Church to use the Great Prophecy Skill to help find your daughter."

"At the very least, you’ll have a clear answer, whether she’s alive or dead. That’s better than having your heart in your throat all the time, unable to even find peace in your dreams."

’The Great Prophecy Skill!? To find my daughter!’

Angus felt a hot rush flood his senses.

"My lord...!" His voice choked with emotion as he tried to speak.

"Enough. We’re short on time, so cut the chatter," Lynch cut him off, pulling out a dagger and shoving it into his hand. "Stick to the plan."

Angus clutched the dagger, his eyes filled with a complicated mix of emotions. "My lord, aren’t you afraid I’ll actually go through with it?"

"Heh." Lynch chuckled dismissively. "Then I, Lynch, will have been blind for trusting the wrong man. Now come on, stop dawdling."

In truth, Lynch didn’t believe Angus would actually betray him.

A man who still tried to restrain his men and hold onto his principles even when mired in filth, a man willing to sacrifice his own dignity to beg for his subordinates’ lives—such a man would cherish this chance for a complete reversal, a new beginning, more than anyone.

’Betrayal!?’

’That would be like snuffing out the only light in his world with his own hands.’

A flicker of emotion, of being deeply moved, appeared in Angus’s eyes.

"Very well! Since you place so much faith in me, Angus, I swear to the heavens today that I will never betray your trust, even if it costs me my life."

The words had barely left his lips.

Angus shot to Lynch’s side, whipped an arm around him, and pressed the dagger to his throat.

Then, holding Lynch hostage, he backed away bit by bit toward the open, where his men could see them from a distance. He shouted repeatedly, "Lynch, make your Undead Corps fall back! If you don’t, don’t blame me for what happens next!"

The tables had "turned" in an instant!

Down at the mouth of the gorge, Angus’s men had watched their commander go forward to "negotiate" alone, their hearts in their throats.

Now, seeing their commander had actually taken the enemy leader hostage, they were all overcome with joy.

"Our commander is magnificent!"

"The commander has the Necromancer! We have a chance!"

Yet even with a blade to his throat, Lynch remained perfectly calm and composed. "Angus," he said, unruffled, "if you so much as touch a single hair on my head, I’ll immediately order the Undead Corps to attack. Even if I die, they will carry out my final command!"

The Soul Fire units under Lynch’s command now possessed a fair degree of intelligence. Even if they would ultimately descend into infighting, they would still carry out his final order.

Indeed, the Undead Army was already growing restless. The Soul Fire in the units’ eye sockets pulsed violently, and the zombies let out a series of low growls, looking as if they might attack at any moment. But under Lynch’s strict command, they made no move, their killing intent only growing stronger.

"Lord Lynch, I’m just trying to secure a path to survival for my men," Angus said, his tone softening into a plea. "You’ve won this time. I just want to lead my brothers away from here."

"And why should I trust you!?" Lynch’s voice boomed in reply.

After a moment’s thought, Angus declared loudly, "I, Angus Fisher, swear on the souls of my departed wife and my missing daughter! All I seek today is a path to survival!"

"You must swear in the name of the Nether God and the God of Contracts to let us go, and promise not to attack my unit for the next ten days."