Chapter Eleven: Final Arrangements

If one treats a dog well, others will say, “Look, this person is so kind!” Victor was the person, andNeo was the dog. Whether consciously or unconsciously, hierarchies exist in people’s hearts, like the mechanism in a clock that signals the hour—triggered once the conditions are met.
So when Victor publicly forgaveNeo’s “recklessness,” not only the Fang Wolves but also the people of the migration group subconsciously thought, “Ah, see? The brother of the grand duke, a member of the royal family, admitting his mistake—what a magnanimous and noble man! Especially at such a young age…”
Before losing his temper,Neo had already realized his own inferiority compared to Victor, but he hadn’t expected Victor to be so adept at maintaining appearances.
After his impromptu speech, Victor said toNeo, “The soldiers of the Fang Wolves did misunderstand my orders. Let’s just say I didn’t express myself clearly enough. Also, I understand your anger—traveling all the way east, facing life and death with no support. But there are two things I must mention. First, your harsh words toward the Fang Wolves’ soldiers. I must say fairly that they’re excellent; a soldier’s highest duty is to follow orders. They’ve done very well. Even if I were their commander for just one day, I have the responsibility and duty to uphold their honor. Second, my adjutant does have some personal relationships. So, even if she makes mistakes, she shouldn’t be insulted—not because of my status, but because I’m a man. What do you think?”
Such accountability seemed to undermine his “perfect image,” but it brought something more important—authenticity. Compared to perfection, people are more willing to accept an obvious but harmless flaw. They wouldn’t wonder if this notorious noble was acting. They would simply say that though he was notorious and persistent, he performed well in major matters and in handling key issues.
Neo received 3 lashes—2 for calling the Fang Wolves dogs, and 1 for calling his beautiful adjutant a chicken. He really didn’t care about the pain of the lashes; what concerned him was that Victor had used this to boost his authority among the people and the Fang Wolves’ soldiers. This had two negative effects: first, it reduced the people’s wariness; second, his authority would wane when facing Victor, as people might think, “Is he upset about those 3 lashes and looking for revenge?”
Victor kept watching everyone’s expressions secretly. When the incident was over, he was sure he had won this round, and won beautifully. He couldn’t help but recall a saying by an emperor of the ancient Euro Empire: “Those who know how to use their authority, who skillfully control and guide the thoughts of the people, will still be loved and supported by them—even if they bring death upon them!”

Of course, Victor also had his frustrations. This Neo, who annoyed him greatly, was a very clever opponent. Though beaten with a military stick, he won everyone’s favor with just a few words and his strong demeanor, giving them the impression of being reckless yet honest and upright, willing to defy power for the sake of his people…

“The knife is in my hand, the power is in my hand—you’ve already lost at the start! Hmph, what a shame…” Victor glanced at Neo, who was limping toward the camp, greeted like a hero by the people, with a hint of regret in his eyes. He knew that even without all those complicated distractions, someone like Neo was destined not to be under his control.

At that moment, a guard came to report that three Sky Knights had lost track of their target. “Useless!” Victor cursed viciously in his heart. He had intended to find out the whereabouts of the Swift Wind Team, only to be told by his subordinates that elite scouts from the Free Wings had been tricked by a bunch of country bumpkins!

The entire afternoon, Neo spent it in anxiety and sorrow. He racked his brains but couldn’t come up with a way to save the people. He knew that without proof, no one would believe him, not even the Clawed Werewolves. He only knew Victor’s motive for killing the migrating people—so what if that motive was clear? Motive alone wasn’t enough for a conviction; otherwise, those who coveted the throne would have been executed long ago.

As the sun set, large amounts of food and wine were unloaded from the airship. Some meats that needed to be stewed in advance were already in the pot, and a group of chefs and cooks were busy preparing dinner, creating a lively atmosphere. The children enjoyed rare candies and played happily in the open fields, while the adults wore smiles, feeling a long-overdue sense of relief. After all, the powerful army of the duchy had arrived, and there was no need to fear anymore. After this night, they might leave on the airship, and everything would become better.

Neo limped along. Though many people greeted him along the way, he still appeared gloomy and desolate, out of place among the camp’s lively atmosphere. “Neo seems a bit upset…” “If you were the one who got beaten, you wouldn’t be happy either.” “Maybe it’s because the days of being a hero are coming to an end…” “Shut up! Neo isn’t as despicable as you say. As long as you have a little conscience, you should know he’ll always be a hero in our hearts!” “Y-yes! I was just guessing randomly. After all, after suffering, happiness should come. In terms of rewards, most of Neo’s merits can be attributed to Lord Valerius, but what’s left is enough for a generous reward and great honor.”…

Neo heard much of the chatter about him, but he was no longer affected by it. All he saw was profound helplessness. Death was approaching, and there was very little he could do.

Pulling back the fur curtain, Neo entered the main tent amid the wind and snow. Ebut, Jigeff, Woodrow, and the others were there, eating fruit and drinking wine, chatting animatedly. When they saw Neo enter, they stood up to greet him and invited him to sit. McCann even said, “The wound on your butt still isn’t fully healed, is it? How about we bring a table so you can lie down?”

Neo had no mood for small talk and got straight to the point: “The Gale Team needs a shipment of supplies delivered there. Who’s willing to make the trip?”
“I!”
“I!”
David and Gail rushed to volunteer, both feeling that they were younger and had less experience and contributions than the others, yet they wanted to see what the Gale Team was like, so they competed to go.
“Go all of you!” Neo thought he should leave a few successors for Mathuya. “Rijef, you’ll have to make the trip—you know the way to the Migration Team.”
“What’s there to be hard about? We should reward the Gale Team.” Rijef knew the true situation of the Gale Team well; as people from the common folk, they had sacrificed far more during this eastward migration than those in the Migration Team.
Neo nodded. “There’s no time to lose. Let’s set off now to avoid traveling at night.”
“Guys, sit back. See you tomorrow,” Rijef said with a smile as he bid farewell to everyone.
Macken joked, “Tonight is a day of celebration. It would be a shame to miss it.”
“We’ll celebrate with the warriors of the Gale Team. You can’t envy that, haha.”
Neo instructed, “Choose the strongest brothers. It doesn’t matter if there are many. There are Claw Wolves to keep watch here, but the road isn’t safe. Also, let me know before we leave—I have some personal matters to discuss with you.”
“Sure!” Rijef left the tent with David and Gail, full of enthusiasm.
Neo sat down, took a large wooden cup filled with wine, and drank it in one gulp. “More!”
The cup was refilled.
He drank it again in one gulp. “More!”
He drank five or six times in a row, leaving Macken and the others staring at each other in shock. It was the first time they had seen Neo act so recklessly. Usually, not to mention toasting, even his drinking was very limited—never more than half a cup. Always vigilant, always sober—such was Neo.
Wiping the wine from the corner of his mouth with his sleeve, Neo glanced at each person’s face in turn. His eyes were slightly red as he sniffled and slowly said, “Listen to me—tonight, keep your knives under your pillows!” Without waiting for their reactions, he stood up, staggered outside, and at the tent entrance, he turned back and said, “Or maybe just get drunk and lose consciousness.”
After Neo left, the atmosphere in the tent became strange and awkward. There were quite a few people here, but hardly any fools. Everyone could more or less understand what Neo meant, though they were all in disbelief—it was too shocking! And it was something that made it impossible even to think of resisting!
A guard rushing by happened to meet Neo and said cheerfully, “We were just looking for you! Miss wants to go to Asia with Miss Rodricks. She asked if you have anything or any message to give to Danny.”
Danny was Valentina’s knight, who had gone to the Valley of Refuge with her and then to Asia. Millien asked this guard to convey this message, clearly intending to subtly express that she had nothing to do with Danny.

Nio was slightly surprised upon hearing this. He had thought Rodricks would be the witness to the events, ensuring that Millien and Xavier’s lives would at least be safe. He never expected the Phoenix Lady to be in such a hurry to leave.

“Good. That way we avoid getting involved in the mess and ending up in a passive position…” With that in mind, Nio said, “Go tell the young lady to wait a moment. I’ll write a note and gather some things; ask her to give them to Danny.”

The guard, trusting him completely, replied and went to relay the message. Nio then hurried back to his tent, fetched paper and pen, and wrote a letter in one go—filling three large sheets completely.

After folding the letter, he took out some items from a previously hidden bundle, placed them in a small leather pouch along with the letter, and carried it out of the tent.

Aurora, the Iris Knight, held a noble status and a renowned reputation. She held a military position, and half a year ago, the birthday gift her father gave her—a fossilized phoenix egg—had undergone a transformation. Aurora went alone to the dangerous region south of Titan’s Capital, heavily corrupted by darkness, in search of ancient celestial fire relics. After enduring great peril, she finally obtained a powerful sacred beast companion, a phoenix. As soon as she returned to Phoenix City, she heard about the events in the Erdrit domain and the actions taken by Dave and the others. The Rodricks family had its own information channels, which was why Aurora could arrive so promptly. However, this trip was merely “on the way”—she had official business in Asia, and the phoenix was actually a projection, a protective measure by the phoenix clan for their newborn offspring. To preserve this power for as long as possible, necessary facilities were required. Continuing like this wasn’t feasible. Moreover, Xavier had long planned to keep Millien away, and Victor didn’t want Aurora drawn into the situation, adding unnecessary trouble. His urging led to this hasty departure.

“Miss, please deliver this bundle personally to Danny and have him open it in front of you,” Nio said earnestly as he handed the small leather pouch to Millien. Then he turned to Aurora with a smile and said, “Respected Miss Rodricks, my young lady has a poor memory. Could you please remind her early tomorrow morning?”

Aurora nodded slightly, while Millien frowned, clearly displeased. She had intended to use this farewell as an opportunity for her friend to meet Nio up close. With Aurora’s extraordinary energy at the moment, perhaps with her help, the path of love between her and Nio could become smoother. But Nio had clearly messed things up. He hadn’t understood her intentions, not only making people wait but also appearing unusually sloppy—disheveled hair, a strong smell of alcohol on his breath, stains on his clothes and collar. He even said strange things like having Danny open it personally and needing Aurora’s reminder. Did he even know what he was talking about? Good heavens! How had her lover turned into an alcoholic? Was it because of those three whips? Or the indulgence after the victory in the eastern campaign? But the Nio she knew was never such a frivolous person. Was it true, as her father said, that people change—especially after going through real ups and downs…

Millien’s bad mood ruined what should have been a warm farewell.

“I’m leaving then. With Aurora here, it’s safe.”
Nio pursed his lips and nodded. There were so many words he couldn’t express. Staring at Millien’s retreating figure, he finally couldn’t hold back and spoke, “Millien…”
Millien and Aurora both turned to look at Nio. Millien was puzzled, surprised, and slightly annoyed—there were others nearby. How could Nio just call her name? It was too careless; he must really be drunk.
Aurora was also surprised. Before, no Phoenix had ever allowed her to travel such great distances in an instant. She and Millien mainly communicated through letters, with Millien mentioning her love life and her beloved in those letters, though never specifying who he was. Today, she sensed something unusual in the relationship between Millien and Nio. More importantly, she had never seen a man with such a gaze—full of deep affection, a hint of sadness, along with blessings and encouragement, along with other complex emotions. Combined with his hesitant expression, it left a deep impression.
“Take care…” Those were Nio’s only words of farewell.
Millien nodded and turned to leave. Aurora glanced back after taking a few steps at the figure standing in the snowstorm. For some reason, her eyes grew moist—perhaps she was too sensitive. She could sense the taste of farewell…
Meanwhile, Xavier agreed to the proposal of sending supplies to the Wind Team as a reward, his face tense. It wasn’t that he was reluctant to part with the food and drink, nor because it was brought by Victor and he felt it was disrespectful. It was because Nio was becoming increasingly presumptuous, ordering things without going through him, leaving him in a passive position once again. Was it only Nio who cared for his subordinates? Didn’t this lord care about his meritorious subjects? How unreasonable!
“Warriors like the Wind Team should be recalled, rewarded, and celebrated together!”
Xavier naturally had to uphold Victor’s reputation. “It’s getting late today. Send them some food and drink, and return to the team with them early tomorrow morning.”
“Yes!” Rajef took orders.
Rajef saw Nio again at the camp gate. The convoy had already set off, and the two of them trailed at the back, chatting as they walked.
“You didn’t let the duchy’s people come along—wise choice. But that won’t help you shake off pursuers,” Nio said, pointing at the sky.
As the most experienced veteran in the migration group, Rajef immediately understood Nio’s implied meaning. “You mean…”
Nio raised his hand to make a “shh” gesture, and Rajef realized he had unconsciously spoken too loudly.
“The Carban Eagles don’t have night vision, but they’re surely aware of their weakness and must have other preparations. So your real chance is to take advantage of the dim light at dusk. I’ve calculated it—if you move steadily, you’ll arrive at the Wind Team’s camp just as dusk falls. The Wind Team went to the bandit lair in the morning, but the terrain there is decent and suitable for hiding. Don’t make a fuss either. Just claim it’s an exercise drill; otherwise, it might backfire.”
Rajef was smart. He knew if things were as serious as Nio thought, the migration group’s hopes of escaping were just a dream. “Then you…”

“Save one if we can; I and the members of the migration team will protect Lord Lord and see if we can escape. You don’t need to worry about that. Focus more on making this exercise as exciting as possible—that’s what truly matters. Maybe it’s really just an exercise.”…
In Neo’s heart, there was indeed a bit of a alpha wolf mentality. As the alpha, he had to take the lead, be brave in assuming responsibility—especially when the team was still in its “juvenile stage.” It was his duty to be the first to charge and the last to retreat. Even though the situation was extremely dangerous, with little chance of survival, Neo still thought about how to survive against all odds and carve out a path through the chaos.
However, Neo didn’t realize that some people didn’t appreciate his efforts. Not only that, but they even saw it as an attempt to win over people’s hearts for his own ulterior motives. Just as Neo prepared to face another life-or-death trial, schemes and actions targeting him personally had already begun…