aircannonsinc Chapter 75 Bad News
Chapter 75 Bad News
Tiberius walked out of the tent with a gloomy expression.
Vito, who had been waiting outside, caught up and shook his head, his voice filled with mockery and disbelief:
"Tiberius, did you see our commander's face just now? Hah... his face was as black as if it had been trampled by an elephant from Valentis!"
"Yeah, my uncle practically has 'I'm not doing this' etched on his forehead." Tiberius mimicked Jules's puffed-out expression, then his smile faded and his tone turned sarcastic.
"I really don't understand what Lord Lisandro is thinking. Does he really believe that the story of Valantius is like the epic legends of Westeros sung by the bards at his banquets? Knights charging, heroes dueling, and then a glorious victory?"
Tiberius spat on the ground.
"Perhaps it's because the mountains of wealth in Port Lisbon and the delicate bed slaves in the perfume gardens have finally blew his once-shrewd mind out of control! He thinks that throwing his precious son into that meat grinder is to gild him rather than send him to his death."
The Valantians are powerful, and there is no doubt that the Kingdom of the Three Daughters is destined to face a fierce battle.
However, Vito glanced at Tiberius, sighed again, and softened his tone slightly:
"However, to be fair... what you said to Young Master Lisangluo before wasn't entirely false. Putting aside all the flattery, Young Master Lisangluo... he really might be the only one among the noble youths of Ries who truly 'understands' even a little bit of the art of war."
Seeing Tiberius's questioning look, Vito grinned, revealing his yellow teeth, and added the cruel premise:
"Of course! The premise of this 'only' is that the other young masters of Ries, at most, engage in knightly duels or go hunting with guards. Or, in the 'army' they form, the soldiers are just showing off their fancy moves."
"Someone like him, who invested real money to build a force of several hundred men, trained them to fight tough battles, participated in the formation and training from start to finish, learned how to command them, and actually fought a bloody war—he's truly the only one in all of Reese!"
"Although he's a bit stupid, he listens to you and is hardworking during training, so he's not a complete waste."
"At least he's... well, a fairly diligent student."
This "praise" sounded incredibly harsh, and Tiberius could only manage a wry smile.
Because it's an indisputable fact, after all, those second-generation Rieslings aren't as good as Risanro!
Tiberius finally stopped, gazing at the forest of masts of warships gathering in the distant harbor. His voice was low and suppressed as he spoke the most crucial, and most unfortunate, reality:
"Vito, I understand everything you're saying. Uncle's anger, Lisandro's foolishness, Lisanro's naivety... we see it all clearly."
He took a deep breath; the salty sea breeze seemed to carry a faint, almost imperceptible, pungent smell of blood.
"But we can't refuse."
"Lisandro is our financial backer, one of the most powerful figures in Reese. The price he offered..." Tiberius paused, as if the number itself carried weight.
"...So generous that Jules the Keeper of Faith, and the entire White Legion, could not refuse. He offered not only gold coins, but also a series of privileges in Ries after the war, trade licenses, and even...he promised a farm comparable to a count's estate, our own land! Something that mercenaries like us could never earn in several lifetimes."
His gaze shifted slightly, glancing towards a certain direction outside the tent—the tent where Miss Johanna Swin was temporarily housed.
Tiberius lowered his voice even further, his voice carrying a complex emotion, "Such a price... is so generous that even the 'Keeper of Faith' cannot remain unmoved."
Upon hearing this, Vito let out an undisguised, vulgar laugh as he retorted:
"Hey! Why don't you just say it directly? That price is enough for our captain to marry that Sven girl in style, and then live comfortably for the rest of his life with that Stonehelm girl in the tent, while also leaving each of the future Morde a manor and vineyard!"
Tiberius truly felt that he had shot himself in the foot.
Originally, one reason for buying Joanna was to arrange a marriage for her uncle Jules, since a count's niece was of noble blood and a good match for her uncle.
On the other hand, this girl has experienced the hardships of family betrayal and being trafficked and sold into slavery, yet there is still a tenacious spirit in her eyes that refuses to give up, which is invaluable.
Moreover, this girl was quite clever, and Tiberius liked clever people.
At least, my uncle won't act stupid just because his stupid wife says a few things to him in bed.
Just like Sir Mormont in the original book, he was first treated as an ATM by his vain and gossipy foolish wife. Later, when he ran out of money, he was easily swayed by her words and not only squandered his family fortune but also actively engaged in the slave trade, violating the laws of Westeros.
After the car accident, he could only go to Essos. In the end, his wife ran away with someone else, and he lost his title and land, becoming a cuckold.
He had originally thought he was finding a good wife for his uncle; but now, because Jules was planning to marry Miss Johanna, he quickly agreed to Lisanzhuo's request.
If it weren't for Johanna, Jules the "Keeper" would never have agreed to send Lisanro to the front lines, because that would be no different from sending him to his death.
So in the end, Tiberius dug a huge hole for himself.
"Damn it..." Tippi cursed under his breath.
I don't know if I'm cursing Lissandro's greed, Jules's "love-struck" mindset, or my own self-inflicted trap.
Vito patted him on the shoulder, his tone returning to the rough and realistic tone of a veteran.
"Alright, kid, stop looking so gloomy. That's how Essos is: everyone talks with gold coins and swords. Since you can't avoid it, figure out how to make your way out of this hellhole."
He tried to find something to comfort Tiberius.
"At least, that kid Lisanro listens to you, and the commander is still that capable 'Keeper of Faith,' plus our White Legion is much more united than other legions! If we stick together, we might not necessarily die under the hooves of the Valantis elephants!"
Tiberius looked up at the leaping flames before him, and the hesitation and anxiety in his eyes were gradually replaced by a familiar, cold calculation.
Yes, complaining is useless. Since we can't refuse, we can only find a way... to survive and win.
At least, after the war, we should be able to establish ourselves in Essos and not have to return to Westeros.