Chapter 228 - 109: Shocking! That Bastard Lynch Has Committed Treason!?

Chapter 228: Chapter 109: Shocking! That Bastard Lynch Has Committed Treason!?

A chill ran down Angus’s spine.

Horn Solar. Even within the Draenei Brotherhood, his name was infamous. The man was powerful, and his methods were bizarre and cruel. He was especially skilled in various curses and wicked sacrificial rituals.

’To think the commander of the Blue Scarves besieging Red Ridge Castle is actually him!’

While lost in thought, Angus led his troops toward the outer picket line. They were soon stopped by an elite squad of Blue Scarves in polished armor.

"Halt! What unit are you with? State your name!"

"Angus Fisher, commander of the Rock Fortress garrison, here to rendezvous with the main force," Angus replied in a low voice, presenting his identification token and seal.

The captain who stopped them examined the items, then looked over the troops behind Angus. Though they were exhausted, their formation was intact and their numbers were considerable. The captain’s expression softened slightly.

"Wait here. I will report to Lord Solar."

Before long, the captain returned with orders from above. "Lord Solar commands Angus Fisher to enter the camp alone for an audience. The rest of the troops are to encamp in the open area west of the assembly point. They are not to move without authorization and will await reorganization."

"Understood."

Angus acknowledged the order, then turned and whispered to his Personal Guard captain, Barton, "Take the men to the designated area and make camp. Stay alert and keep everyone in line. I’m going to see Lord Solar."

Although Barton’s eyes showed a hint of concern, he accepted the order and began to assemble the troops, leading them toward the west side of the assembly point.

Angus straightened his armor and cloak, then followed the guiding soldier toward the main command tent alone.

Meanwhile, Barton led the three hundred or so men a short distance to the designated open area.

The terrain here was slightly elevated, with its back to a partially collapsed stone wall, making it a decent spot for a temporary camp.

"Quick, pick up the pace! Get the tents set up, post sentries, and have the cooks prepare some food!" Barton commanded loudly.

Though their future was uncertain, they were at least safe for now. And since it looked like they would soon be integrated into a "friendly" force, the soldiers worked with gusto.

In the crowd, a tall and sturdy young Personal Guard member wearing chainmail, with an honest-looking smile on his face, was working with particular efficiency.

He was quite strong, helping to raise tent poles and carry supplies with great energy and enthusiasm.

After making his rounds, Barton clapped the strapping young man on the shoulder in approval. "Good lad. You’re Brad, right? You’re a hard worker, and strong too. No wonder the commander took a liking to you and had you transferred to the Personal Guard. Following that dead bastard Scarface around was a real waste of your talent."

Lynch, under the alias "Brad," winced from the force of Barton’s slap but put on a foolish, flattered smile. "Captain Barton, you... you praise me too much. My bit of strength is nothing compared to yours. It’s my good fortune to be able to follow the commander and you."

Barton roared with laughter, amused, and clapped him forcefully a couple more times. "Not bad, not bad at all. An honest lad. You’ve got a good build. Once we’re settled in here and the situation stabilizes, I’ll teach you a few real battlefield combat techniques and a Combat Qi Skill! How much you learn and what you make of yourself in the future will be up to you!"

"R-really? Thank you, Captain! Thank you!" Lynch’s eyes lit up instantly as he expressed his gratitude again and again with a sincere expression.

Barton nodded in satisfaction and went to inspect another area.

Lynch rubbed his sore shoulder, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly. He couldn’t help but curse inwardly: ’Barton, is it? I’ll remember you. Just you wait until you’re under my command, hmph...’

After finishing his work, Lynch went to meet up with his "old comrades-in-arms."

Near the tents, a dozen or so travel-worn people had gathered by a campfire. They wore mismatched armor of various types, and their weapons were a hodgepodge of everything imaginable.

There were men and women among them, young and old...

Like Lynch, they were all former subordinates of the late Scarface.

Fortunately, the five hundred men Scarface had brought from Sardinia were an extremely mixed bunch, consisting of bandits, adventurers, and even a few small mercenary groups looking to strike it rich. It was perfectly normal for them not to know each other.

One of them, a woman with short blonde hair, her face covered in grime and dressed in old leather armor, glanced around. Seeing that no one was paying attention, she used the pretense of adding wood to the fire to move closer to Lynch and asked in a hushed voice, "My lord, what do we do next?"

Her attire was that of a typical down-on-her-luck female mercenary.

Female soldiers were rare in the regular Imperial army, but among the motley ranks of the Blue Scarves, women made up about a tenth of the force. Having two or three women in this group of a dozen or so didn’t attract much attention.

"Sena, call me Brad."

Lynch corrected her in a low voice, then deliberately raised his volume and said to the others around them with a hint of smugness, "Don’t you worry, brothers! Once I’ve secured my position under Captain Barton, I’ll bring you all along. We’ll share the good fortune!"

It was quite obvious that this short-haired blonde woman called "Sena" was none other than Catherine Adela, who had been a one-woman army on Water Bridge just a few days ago.

Besides Catherine, Avril had also infiltrated the group. At the moment, she was dressed in rogue’s leather armor with a dark cloak over it, the brim of her hood pulled low, making her look just like a petty thief...

Lynch hadn’t originally planned for her to come, but she had insisted, saying that her "healing support and a Spear of Holy Light at a critical moment could both come in handy."

After thinking it over, Lynch had relented.

After all, the Ring of Holy Radiance that the Angel had given her stored three charges of [Spear of Holy Light]—a weapon powerful enough to turn the tide of battle.