Since Aldor signed a peace treaty with Steppe Royal Tent, the kingdom's northeastern territories, including Nerodan Corridor and Yellow Earth Land, have fallen into the hands of the orcs.
However, the situation varied from region to region. Military strongholds like Nerodan Corridor were declared as lands directly belonging to the Royal Tent, while places like Yellow Earth Land were nominally still the fiefdoms of the original Aldor lords, except that their allegiance had changed from the Aldo Royal Family of Crystal Radiance to the Orc Royal Tent of Great Prairie.
The highest-ranking of these lords was the Bradley Family. During the war between the Kingdom and the Orcs, it was the Bradley Family who secretly colluded with the Orcs and dealt a heavy blow to the Kingdom Army from behind.
But after the war ended, those nomadic tribes did not leave Yellow Earth Land.
Duke Bradley's eldest son, Joanne Bradley, was now seated in the main seat of the hall, directly in front of a kneeling middle-aged man. A tattered hat was placed on the ground beside him, and he appeared to be a commoner.
"I understand. Go back now. I will definitely handle what you asked for!" Joanne Bradley said coldly to the middle-aged man kneeling on the ground.
The man picked up the hat and carefully placed it on his head. He stood up, walked slowly to Joanne Bradley, knelt down again, and gently kissed the noblewoman's boots.
"Thank you, sir!" He then stood up and carefully withdrew from the hall.
Once the footsteps were completely out of earshot, Joanne Bradley could no longer maintain her composure; the trembling of her facial muscles betrayed her inner rage.
*Smack!* He slammed his hand on the table next to him.
"My brother, what has made you so angry?" Joanne's brother, Lemoster Bradley, appeared in the hall.
"Didn't you hear me behind you?" Joanne said angrily. "This is the tenth incident this month! Those long-haired bastards are simply unscrupulous, trampling on our farmland time and time again. What do they think that is? Do they think it's just some worthless wasteland on the prairie?!"
Lemoster frowned. "We should protest! Protest against those barbarian leaders!"
"Completely useless!" Joanne said irritably, "I just said, this is the tenth incident this month! You know, last month I talked to Kalem and Arroyo and others, and even sent a letter to Abar. I earnestly asked them to restrain their subordinates and stop trampling on our farmland and bullying our people. But look, this month they have not only failed to stop those evil deeds, but even more civilians have come to me to complain!"
The eldest son of the Bradley family paced angrily in the hall, repeatedly expressing his dissatisfaction with the orcs.
Lemoster frowned and thought for a moment, then suggested, "Perhaps we should ask Father to talk to Abar about this matter himself."
Joanne shook her head and said, "It's not very useful! I've already figured it out. These seemingly simple-minded guys are actually carrying out a sinister plan!"
"What plan?"
"Their brazen acts of wickedness were intentional, not because they were unfamiliar with our culture and customs. The orcs wanted to use these atrocities to show our people: Look, the cowardly Bradley Family is no match for you! They are undermining the prestige our family has built up over generations and forcing our people to make a choice: to seek the protection of the stronger—the orcs—if they want a peaceful life!"
"This is too dangerous!" Lemoster exclaimed, feigning sudden realization. "We can't let this continue, or the Bradley Family will become universally despised. Brother, we must get a proper explanation from the orcs!"
"The official statement?"
Lemoster nodded: "Protesting alone won't do any good. Let's start with this incident, catch that scoundrel who trampled the farmland, and make him receive the punishment he deserves!"
"But...but...the orc army is still here!" When her younger brother gave the most direct answer, Joanne, who had been furious just moments before, shrank back.
A certain emotion flashed across Lemoster's eyes: "Then you wait here, I'll go!"
Joanne was spurred on by her brother's momentary disappointment. "I am the eldest son of the Bradley Family. It's not your place to take risks."
...
" Battelle! Lady Joanne accuses you of destroying the crops! What do you have to say about that?"
At the orc army's encampment, Commander Kalem summoned the culprit for questioning, while the Bradley brothers glared angrily at Battelle.
"I request that Lady Joanne provide evidence!" To the brothers' surprise, the barbarian did not start by shouting and yelling, but calmly demanded evidence.
"Yes, where's the evidence? I can't just believe one side of the story!" Kalem looked at Joanne with an impartial expression.
Joanne was furious. He was the heir of the Bradley Family and the future lord of this land. How could she speak without any authority?
How dare a mere Centurion brazenly challenge me!
"Evidence? The fields are covered with your horse hoofprints, isn't that evidence?"
Battelle retorted, "Don't humans have horses? What makes you say it was us who trampled them?"
"you..."
The two sides were locked in a dispute, and what Joanne found even more unbearable was that Battelle challenged her to a duel, claiming that she had damaged his reputation.
"I'll go!" Lemoster stepped forward, bypassing Joanne.
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But his brother immediately pulled him back.
"Alright, let's have a fair duel!"
Joanne, feeling somewhat awkward, agreed.
The setting sun dyed the arena blood red, and sparks from the clash of two sharp blades fell to the sand like meteors.
Joanne is a highly skilled swordswoman with agile movements, but the orc warrior Battelle is also a seasoned warrior and has the advantage in strength.
As the battle intensified, Joanne somersaulted backward to avoid a whistling battle axe. The hem of her silver armor was torn open by the blade's wind, revealing a shirt soaked with cold sweat.
He spun around and unleashed three sword flourishes, his longsword leaving a winding line of blood on the orc Battelle's scarred right arm. The orc warrior seemed to feel no pain, and his battle axe slammed down.
Joanne flashed forward, her longsword piercing the orc's throat like a venomous snake, but she failed to notice that the orc warrior's left foot was quietly kicking up the sand.
Just as the longsword was about to pierce the opponent's throat, Battelle suddenly threw her head back and let out a scream, the axe slipping from her hand and crashing to the ground.
"I won?"
Unfortunately, this was a very realistic performance by Battelle, which even caused Alger's sword strike to falter for half a second.
At that very moment, a cascade of dust rushed into Joanne's eyes as Battelle's powerful right leg struck his knee like a battering ram.
The cracking sound of bones breaking was swallowed up by the orc's wild battle cry, and by the time Joanne staggered to her knees, the battle axe was already back in Battelle's hands.
The last thing Joanne saw in her pupils was her own distorted reflection on the axe blade, and the sinister smile on the orc's lips that was so incongruous with his savage appearance.