Yuriko's lips curled up uncontrollably, and his handguard tapped lightly against the hilt of his sword.
He cleared his throat and announced in a deliberately low voice, "In the name of the King's younger brother and Grand Master of the Knights of the Nation, I, the Prince, declare that I accept your allegiance!"
Yurga's ears perked up, and his rough fingers secretly pinched his thigh behind his back—the result was even better than he had expected.
He immediately fell to the ground, his forehead slamming heavily against the mud: "Merciful Your Highness!" His voice trembled dramatically, "You are more radiant than the sun of the grasslands!"
Brok and the other orc warriors exchanged bewildered glances. Shaman Goruk was the first to react, quickly prostrating himself, the bells on his bone staff jingling.
Taking advantage of the moment, Yulga growled in Orcs, "Kneel down, all of you!" The Orcs behind him immediately collapsed to the ground, creating a rather spectacular scene.
"From this day forward, you are an affiliated force of the Knights of the Nation!" Yurico announced triumphantly, completely oblivious to the twitching lips of the knight captain beside him.
The prince even personally untied Yurga's ropes—a gesture that made the guards grip their muskets tightly in fear.
Yulga flexed his wrists, which were marked with blood from being strangled, and suddenly grabbed Yuriko's boots, pressing his face against the cold metal: "Your Highness's kindness will never be repaid by the Ubone Tribe!"
He secretly pinched his thigh, forcing out two murky tears. "I am willing to immediately lead my warriors to charge into battle for Your Highness!"
Yurico was caught off guard by the sudden enthusiasm, his face flushed red under his visor. It was the first time he had ever experienced such a scene, but it was indeed quite exciting.
He nodded with feigned authority: "Very...very good!"
The captain of the knights finally couldn't help but lean closer and remind him, "Your Highness, shouldn't we consult Lord Harrison first..."
"We are the Knights of the Nation!" Yurico interrupted him impatiently, flicking his cloak. "We are not officially part of the Kingdom's New Army!"
Yulga maintained a grateful posture, but his fangs secretly bit into the inside of his mouth—this foolish prince was easier to fool than he had imagined. He noticed that Brock was looking at him with a ghostly expression, so he quietly blinked his right eye.
The shaman, Goruk, had already cleverly begun to help the knights gather their scattered weapons, appearing very attentive.
The prince looked at the orc chieftain and said, "You must swear an oath of faith to be forever loyal to the Aldor and His Majesty Rodney XVIII."
Yulga immediately knelt on one knee, mimicking the human knights, and scooped up a handful of soil with his rough hands, shouting in an exaggerated tone: "With the spirit of the grasslands and the soul of our ancestors as witness, the Ubone tribe pledges allegiance to the great Aldor and the noble Rodney!"
He deliberately smeared mud on his forehead, leaving several comical marks.
The newly arrived artist quickly set up his easel, the charcoal pencil scratching across the paper. Yuriko adjusted his cloak with satisfaction, deliberately posing his sword at a more imposing angle.
At this moment, Emerson Wilder squeezed through the crowd, his gleaming breastplate still stained with some gunpowder ash.
"Your Highness!" he bowed urgently, "Please allow me to lead the attack on Bradley's mansion!"
Yurico's eyes lit up, and he patted his friend on the shoulder: "Great idea! It's a good opportunity to let these newly surrendered warriors prove their loyalty."
He turned to Yulga, his tone suddenly serious, "You are familiar with the layout of the city, so lead the way for Sir Wilder."
Yulga immediately pounded his chest and bowed, saying, "I am willing to be Your Highness's vanguard!" He turned and winked at his people, and Brock and the others picked up the weapons that had just been returned to them.
"Painter, follow along!" Yurico shouted excitedly. "I want to leave a triumphant portrait in the traitor's lair!" The servants scrambled to pack up their paint boxes, afraid of missing this historic moment.
Emerson drew his sword, the tip nearly piercing Yurga's nose: "Lead the way, you hairy bastard, don't try anything funny!"
Shaman Goruk quietly approached Yulga and muttered in Orcish, "Are you really going to help them?"
Yulga's lips curled into a bitter smile as he replied in beast language, "Let's be patient for now and find a chance to slip away later. By the way, have we buried all the gold coins?"
The shaman nodded. "They're all buried!"
Yulga deliberately raised his voice and shouted in broken human language, "Warriors of the Ubone Tribe! Clear the way for His Highness the Prince!"
The procession marched haphazardly toward the inner city.
After a while, Harrison Abbott followed the new army into the breach in the city wall. Several knights who had stayed behind came to report, excitedly discussing the prince's subjugation of the orc tribes.
Harrison jerked the reins, and his horse reared up on its hind legs, kicking up a cloud of gravel.
"What did you say?" His voice was like ice. "The prince followed those orcs into the city?"
The captain of the remaining knights nodded: "Reporting to the general, His Highness said... said he wants the orcs to lead the way to capture Lemester..."
Harrison gripped the reins tightly, turning to look at the plumes of smoke rising from the city. His Adam's apple bobbed violently. "Gather your forces, follow me immediately!"
As soon as the messenger sounded the assembly call, Harry's forehead broke out in a fine layer of cold sweat.
Looking across the rubble-strewn street, he saw several orcs diligently helping the knights of the kingdom carry their spoils—their fawning manner only made him more uneasy.
The hostile forces within the city had completely collapsed, and under Harrison's command, the Royal Army's First Infantry Regiment quickly arrived at the town center.
Harrison reined in his horse in front of the square and saw Yuriko standing unharmed by the fountain directing the soldiers. His tense shoulders finally relaxed.
"Your Highness!" Harrison approached and lowered his voice, "It's too dangerous! You should wait for the main force…"
"Ah, Harrison is here!" Yurico, unusually, didn't argue, his visor slightly lowered: "It was indeed my oversight, I accept your criticism!"
He lifted his visor, his young face still flushed with excitement. "But look, these orcs are actually quite useful—"
Before the words were finished, a commotion suddenly broke out at the side gate of the castle.
Emerson Wilder strode over, dragging along a woman dressed as a peasant, with Yurga following closely behind, carrying a battle axe.
As the woman struggled, the moment her coarse cloth headscarf slipped off, Lemester Bradley's pale face was revealed.
"Your Highness!" Emerson smugly ripped off the prisoner's coarse outer robe, revealing a silk shirt embroidered with gold thread underneath. "This bastard tried to sneak away among the maids!"
Yulga added a timely kick, sending Lemester crashing to his knees: "I smelled his scent, that's how I prevented him from succeeding!"
He grinned obsequiously at Yuriko, his fangs stained with someone's blood.
"Well done!" Yurico patted Emerson on the shoulder, then turned to the artist and shouted, "Quick! Draw this scene!"
He deliberately held his sword across Lemester's neck, striking a victorious pose.