Ulriel left, taking fewer than three thousand people with him, not looking back at Heim City.
This time, he had suffered a not-so-small setback. The Duke had assigned him two tasks: bring Hel back and turn the people of Heim City into cannon fodder. He had failed at both.
Glancing angrily at the city behind him, remembering how Hel and her group had completely ignored him, Ulriel's fury only grew.
"You ignorant brat… only relying on outside forces. Sooner or later, those outsiders will turn on you."
"Lord Ulriel, what do we do now?"
Ulriel's guard, the burly bearded man, quickly rode up beside him, also looking grim:
"Our mission has failed. How will the Duke respond?"
"Ah… there's nothing we can do; we can't move against her."
Thinking about the Duke's scolding once they returned, Ulriel sighed:
"The Mandrake family cannot afford scandals, so we cannot use covert methods to frame or sabotage her. And in direct combat, we might not win. Besides, we're already in the wrong here. If this escalates, it will be bad for the Duke's reputation. Looks like we'll have to find another plan."
Even Ulriel, cunning and experienced as he was, felt unusually troubled.
One of the guards, who had remained silent until now, rode over and said:
"I might have a method we can try."
"What method?"
"Use someone else's hand to do the killing."
The other two with them froze for a moment, and Ulriel immediately understood, asking:
"You mean, find a reason for that noble from the Kingdom stationed in Golden City to act against Hel?"
The burly guard immediately began shouting:
"How dare you! If that noble finds out he's been manipulated, do you think we'll survive? And what about the Duke's troubles?"
"No, they will agree," Ulriel waved his hand, signaling the man to be quiet, and explained:
"When we passed through Golden City, the undead there were already difficult to hold back. Without reinforcements, that noble's subordinates would suffer heavy casualties.
"So sending some cannon fodder is necessary, and Heim City is the only option left in Mandrake territory.
"The only problem is Hel's reckless nature; she might anger that noble, who could then take it out on the Duke.
"No, maybe I can talk to him, explain the pros and cons. Surely he will understand that the Duke is on his side. If so, we'll head to Golden City."
"Lord Ulriel, isn't it inconvenient for so many of us to go to Golden City together?"
"No, no, no, it's very convenient. Visiting such a distinguished guest from the Kingdom, how could we go empty-handed?
"Let these few thousand be our gift to him. After all, I don't like traitors either."
…
Time passed slowly. Ulriel's large group couldn't travel quickly. By nightfall, they had crossed Ashton Bridge and arrived at the Ashton Count's territory.
To reach Golden City quickly, they would still need over half a day of travel. If they pressed on overnight, they might reach Golden City in time for breakfast the next day.
But Mandrake territory was far from safe, full of undead and small beastmen. By day, the small beastmen were cautious due to the size of Ulriel's group, but by night, it was the undead's domain.
To avoid losing the people he had painstakingly gathered, Ulriel changed course and stayed the night at the ruins of Ashton Castle. At least a few walls remained, offering some psychological comfort.
What Ulriel didn't notice was that atop the castle, a small skeleton, less than half a meter tall, coldly watched the approaching group.
"Ke ke ke… so you finally arrived."
The little skeleton cackled, then leapt back into the castle, leaving only two clear skeletal footprints. Beyond that, there was no trace of its presence, as if it had never been there.
Meanwhile, Ulriel's group, seeing the ruins of Ashton Castle, let out a sigh of relief. They had barely arrived before nightfall. Though most of the castle walls had collapsed, the central keep was mostly intact. Repairing the main gate would make it a decent stronghold.
"If that brat Fourth Young Master had let us stay one night in Heim City, we wouldn't have to settle for this broken place," the burly guard muttered, looking at the decaying corpses around the castle.
"Having a place to stay is enough," Ulriel scolded, then instructed the nobles:
"Clear all the corpses from the castle, and assign 200 of your people to guard it with my men."
The nobles dared not refuse and responded meekly. Their journey had been difficult. The small beastmen of Mandrake territory had been scattered, but not exterminated, and they had faced several attacks along the way.
Without Ulriel, a fourth-tier expert, they would never have made it. And having chosen to follow the Duke's orders, they had no way back. To survive to reach Mandrake City, they depended on Ulriel.
Besides, guarding the castle was not a choice for them personally; there was no reason to refuse. So the task fell to the civilians who had come with them—mostly soldiers, servants, and family members of the nobles, with a few being people previously expelled by Hel.
Since there were still outsiders present, the nobles' subordinates no longer had to risk themselves in the cold.