Dragging his exhausted body, Talinnam walked on the barren land. Without attendants, he could not take off the heavy armor on his own, which made hunting a luxury. Without a war horse, he moved like a snail, clumsy and bloated.
.From a distance, it looks like a pile of scrap metal, clanging and clanking along the country road. Even the crows and hyenas stayed away from this "monster" when they saw it.
But with strong perseverance, Talinnam dragged his half-broken body back to Bretonnia from Death Valley.
Along the way, he saw the land destroyed by the greenskins, the burnt land, and the dismembered corpses of farmers. This made him even more anxious, whether his territory had also fallen under the tide of greenskins, no! He couldn't!
The people of Gray Tree Castle must be saved. This became a huge motivation for him to rush back to his homeland.
Yes, unknowingly, Talinnam has regarded Gray Tree Castle as his home. Since the day he became the lord, since he took over the will of the old knight Bertol, he has voluntarily taken over this place.
He has a heavy responsibility, and he lives for this responsibility everywhere. Even if he gives up love, he must protect this responsibility and vow.
Now, after he narrowly escaped death, he must let the people of Gray Tree Castle know that he was still alive as soon as possible, so that they would have the courage to take up arms and resist the invaders.
Talinnam knew very well that the king had no reinforcements to resist this green-skinned army, and could only rely on the local lords to save themselves.
He was exhausted, but continued on his way. When he was hungry, he picked wild fruits and vegetables to satisfy his hunger. Finally, after stumbling for a week, he found an occupied farmhouse in Tarinnam.
He knocked on the door very politely. As a commoner, he did not have the arrogance of a noble knight. What's more, this was not his territory, and he had no right to order the local farmers to serve him.
However, when the farmer who opened the door saw a knight in heavy armor right in front of him, he immediately knelt on the ground and made a big salute. The deep sense of hierarchy and inferiority still made these farmers dare not speak out. A high-ranking knight
, unexpectedly appeared in person at their doorstep. To them, this was like a master coming from heaven, and the power of life and death rested with the knight's thoughts.
However, seeing that the knight in front of them did not seem to have any arrogance, but was very kind. Looking at the injuries on his face, hands, and the blood-stained armor on his body, the farmer and his family immediately understood that the knight in front of them was not here.
The one who punished them was the one who rushed back from the battlefield alone.
However, there were no big battles happening around here during this period of time. Where did the knight in front of me come from?
With doubts, the farmer cautiously invited Talinnam into the house.
"Help me take off my armor first, thank you."
The tired Talinnam said in a semi-command tone. Although he is not a subject of his own territory, his long life in Bretonnia has gradually made him adapt to the etiquette and customs here. That is, knights and nobles are naturally taller than ordinary farmers.
Create a level. Even if they are people from different regions.
After the farmer's busy work, Talinnam's knight armor was finally taken off. He exhaled a heavy breath, as if a beast was released from a cage, and the feeling of relaxation and freedom returned again.
It comes to yourself.
Looking at the panting master knight in front of them, the two peasant couples did not dare to say a word, but looked at Talinnam with a puzzled look. This made Talinnam feel a little weird, and he adjusted his sitting posture.
He quickly asked about news from the front line——
"Greenskin, greenskin passed here?"
"Sir, are you talking about the group of green-skinned monsters that burned, killed, and looted two months ago?"
The farmer asked tremblingly.
"Two months ago?"
Talinnam was shocked by the farmer's question. In his memory, the tragic Battle of Death Valley seemed to have happened yesterday. Even though he had been trekking along this road for only two weeks at most, why did the farmer in front of him say that the greenskins had already passed by?
It's been two months.
Moreover, judging from their expressions, they are not very scared or surprised, which proves that perhaps the Bretonnian lord has resolved this crisis, otherwise, these farmers would not live so unscrupulously on this land.
"I wonder which greenskins you are talking about? Two months ago, a large number of green-skinned monsters passed through the countryside and burned down the villages. According to the refugees, these greenskins came from the Death Valley...
…We just moved back here a month ago…”
The farmer answered honestly.
After some questions and answers, most of Talinnam's doubts have been dispelled. It seems that the greenskins they mentioned are the same group. However, Talinam did not expect that he had missed two whole months without knowing it.
"Then where is this green-skinned army now?"
Talinnam asked further.
"My lord, those monsters have been eliminated, and they were eliminated in Bohemund. Lord Philip and Sir Lyon came back with the chivalrous expeditionary force. It is said that the battle lasted for three days and three nights. In the end, Sir Lyon slashed with his sword.
Take the head of the green-skinned monster leader..."
The farmer hesitated to speak. He saw the very different expression on the face of the knight in front of him. Indeed, Talinnam was thinking deeply at this moment, so many things had happened in Bretonnia in just two months.
The Chivalrous Expeditionary Army unexpectedly turned back midway. With the speed of information dissemination, this was definitely not an order from the king. It would take at least a month and a half for the messenger to mount the fastest horse and go south from Cologne to catch up with the Chivalrous Expeditionary Army.
After receiving the news, the army turned back. It would take at least a month and a half to reach the territory of Bretonnia and catch up with the greenskins with a tired army. This would take at least several weeks. This would also require there being no storms on the sea and no accidents on the road.
.So, based on the above analysis of all the circumstances, Talinnam concluded that Lord Philip must have made the decision without authorization and turned back midway with the legion.
So, since victory was achieved without the king's order, the situation became weird. Should King Victor reward this local army for disobeying the order? If he rewards Philip, it does not mean telling the world that he
Incompetence allowed a local lord to save Bretonnia, not to mention this man blatantly disobeyed orders.
However, it seems unreasonable not to reward them. After all, this legion saved a city. It also saved half of Bretonnia in disguise.
"So, is there any news about Gray Tree Castle?"
Talinnam continued to ask.
"My lord, are you talking about the land of gray trees next to the land of Ashenvale?"
The farmer stuttered and asked, in fact, Gray Tree Castle is not a large territory, but because the two lords are mavericks, Gray Tree Castle has gradually become known to the people of Baator.
Talinnam nodded, his eyes becoming more urgent.
When the farmer saw this, he quickly replied——
"It is said that Gray Tree Castle was not ravaged by the green-skinned orcs, but their lord was killed in battle and the king has confiscated the land..."
"What!"
After hearing the news, Talinnam shouted loudly and stood up by slamming the table.
The two farmers were so frightened that they immediately fell to their knees and begged for their lives.
Feeling that he had lost his composure, Talinnam recovered from his anger and motioned to the farmer to stand up, "Where did you hear the news?"
Talinnam pressed in a stern tone.
"Bohemund City, my lord... we passed there... heard it in the market..."
"Sir, I didn't lie to you... We dare not lie to you..."