148: Chapter 148 Unexpected Situation! City Guard Intelligence! Vanessa's Visit!

The winter morning light was lazy and pale.

A subtle aura still lingered in Cecilia's room.

Rowan had already risen, casually draped in a bathrobe, leaning back in a large recliner by the window.

He watched the young girl dressing by the bed with great interest.

With her back to him, Cecilia was struggling slightly as she fastened the complicated clasps on her back.

She did not seem very skilled at wearing this type of clothing.

The daylight outlined the supple curves of her waist and her slender neck.

Her movements were somewhat sluggish, and her fingertips occasionally trembled slightly.

But to her surprise, aside from the initial memory of pain, the intense physical discomfort she had anticipated did not occur.

A gentle, peaceful warmth was nourishing and repairing her body.

The physical pain had been minimized, but the surging waves of emotion in her mind were difficult to calm.

Cecilia could sense the gaze from behind her—calm, direct, and carrying an evaluative scrutiny that made her feel as though she were sitting on pins and needles.

Rowan was certainly not idle either.

He activated his [Drain] skill as naturally as breathing, absorbing the lingering emotions radiating from the girl. Shame, confusion, anxiety...

These delicate emotional fluctuations, though scattered, were of high quality.

[Free Attribute Point +2]

[Free Attribute Point +1]

...

However, just at that moment—

"Knock, knock, knock."

The clear and restrained knocking abruptly broke the silence in the room.

Rowan frowned slightly.

At this hour, under normal circumstances, no one would come to disturb him, especially not at a time like this.

But since the door was being knocked upon, it meant that a truly urgent matter had occurred.

He swept his gaze over Cecilia, and seeing that her clothes were mostly on, he said, "Enter."

The door was gently pushed open.

The head maid, Elise, walked in.

Her gaze first fell upon Rowan, a faint trace of reproach flashing in her eyes.

She then looked at the slightly uneasy Cecilia by the bed, and the red plum blossom in the center of the messy bed.

Then, she curtsied slightly and said, "My Lord, Deputy Commander of the City Guard, Portia West, requests an urgent audience in the parlor downstairs."

Upon hearing this, Rowan's pupils constricted slightly.

The City Guard?

If the City Guard came to find him, it could only be a matter related to military affairs.

Thus, he nodded at Elise to indicate he understood.

He then stood up and began to change his clothes without any hesitation.

"Tell her to wait in the parlor; I will be there immediately."

"Yes," Elise replied. She glanced once more at the silently bowing Cecilia, then turned and hurried away, closing the door gently behind her.

...

On the first floor of the castle, in the parlor.

Portia West did not sit down but stood straight in the middle of the hall.

She was a woman of about forty years old.

Her features were proper but not beautiful, with somewhat rigid lines, and her skin was a healthy wheat color from years of exposure to the wind and sun. She wore a crisp City Guard officer's uniform.

When Rowan stepped into the parlor, Portia immediately clenched her right hand into a fist and struck her left chest, giving a standard military salute: "The Count!"

"At ease. Deputy Commander Portia, what is the urgent matter that brings you here?"

Rowan walked to the main seat and sat down, getting straight to the point.

Portia lowered her hand, her voice steady, but her speaking speed was much faster:

"My Lord, an hour ago, we received an urgent report from the northern border patrol."

"An elite headhunter squad from the Blood Barbarians somehow breached the northern defense line, snuck in from the southeast rift of the Calenda Plains, and raided the Frostleaf Valley territory of the Marquis Lance family."

"The territorial guards suffered heavy casualties, the granaries were burned, and according to survivors who escaped, the Blood Barbarians are fleeing north into the Mess Mountains."

"Blood Barbarians?" Rowan's gaze sharpened.

They were a significant force of the Calenda Tribal Alliance, living by bloody sacrifices and plunder, and especially fond of heading south to raid in winter.

The Bloodthirsty Knight he had killed previously was a high-ranking member of one of these Blood Barbarian tribes.

But how could they bypass the conventional defense lines and precisely attack the territory of Marquis Lance?

Portia continued: "The Marquis Lance family reacted quickly and has urgently recalled a full-strength knight squad and two hundred light infantry from the main force guarding the Mess Mountains winter beast tide defense line to return for defense."

Hearing this, Rowan understood the current situation, and at the same time, a sense of foreboding rose in his heart.

The Mess Mountains span the northern border and are the base camp for the northern magical beasts, facing varying degrees of beast tide pressure every winter.

As a landed noble of the North, the Marquis Lance family bears a considerable portion of the defense.

Withdrawing troops from the defense line would inevitably lead to weak points in the defense.

Sure enough, Portia's voice became even heavier:

"Less than a day after the Marquis Lance family's reinforcements were withdrawn from the line, the intensity of the beast tide impact in the middle section of the Mess Mountains, around the Howling Wind Gorge, suddenly intensified."

"The defense line, originally co-defended by the Lance family, Black Mountain Territory, and Purple Thorn Territory, is under doubled pressure."

"Especially the forward-most Black Mountain City and the flanking Purple Thorn City, which both sent out high-level smoke signal requests for reinforcements this morning!"

"Scouts report that small vanguard groups of beasts have already appeared on the outskirts of both cities, and deeper within the mountains, the roars of beasts are continuous; it seems a larger-scale beast tide is gathering!"

Black Mountain City?! Purple Thorn City?! After hearing this, Rowan frowned slightly.

He had only just sat on the seat of The Count, his garden plan had only just begun, and he hadn't even started to enjoy himself properly before running into this kind of trouble?

He was inclined to focus on managing his garden and improving his strength, letting the City Guard send some reinforcements.

But on second thought, that probably wouldn't work.

If it were that simple, the other party wouldn't have come to the castle to find him in such a rush.

The position of a lord is not just about enjoying the offerings of the subjects; it also carries corresponding responsibilities.

Moreover, Black Mountain Territory is currently under his administration; if Black Mountain City were lost, he would be hard-pressed to absolve himself of blame, and it would severely damage his prestige.

And Purple Thorn City is the territory of Vanessa Bryce; the Bryce Family is a staunch ally of the Church.

Both publicly and privately, he could not sit idly by.

"I see. I understand." Rowan's voice betrayed little emotion. After thinking for a moment, he asked, "What is the estimated scale of the beast tide? What is the current status of the garrisons in Black Mountain and Purple Thorn cities?"

Portia clearly understood the details well. Without much thought, she replied directly:

"According to reports from the watchtowers and forward rangers, this beast tide is much stronger than in previous years. The number of Ice Magic Wolves, Frost-maned Wild Boars, and even the occasional Snow Giant Apes gathered around the Howling Wind Gorge far exceeds the norm."

"More importantly, the leading magical beast has not yet appeared, and we do not know what kind of beast it is."

"If it is a Great Knight-level magical beast with intelligence, then we are in trouble."

"Black Mountain City has over a thousand garrison troops, and combined with the magic arrays within the city, they can hold out for a period of time."

"And as for Purple Thorn City, after the Viscountess of Purple Thorn took over, the current defensive strength is unknown."

"Both cities may require reinforcements."

After hearing this, Rowan fell silent and began to ponder.

He already understood why she had come to find him.

Just then, footsteps were heard again outside the parlor door, and a servant hurried in, bowing to report:

"My Lord, the Viscountess of Purple Thorn, Lady Vanessa Bryce, requests an audience."

Vanessa? She came too? Rowan's eyes flashed slightly, and he roughly guessed her intention.

"Show her in."

Then he said to Portia, "Deputy Commander Portia, I have a general understanding of the situation."

"Return to the City Guard immediately, tally the provisions and armaments, and be prepared to set out at any time."

"I will arrive at City Hall later to discuss the specific strategy with everyone."

"Yes! My Lord!" Portia saluted again, without any hesitation, and turned to stride away, brushing past Vanessa who was just entering the doorway.

Vanessa's attire today was completely different from her usual lazy and charming style.

She wore a deep purple hunting outfit that was cut neatly and sharply, with a leather waist cincher that accentuated her slender and tense curves, and her long boots were polished to a shine.

The slightly wavy long hair that usually flowed over her shoulders was completely pinned up, with only a few stray locks hanging carelessly by her ears, adding a touch of liveliness.

At this moment, the heroic bearing characteristic of her military noble background was striking.

"I presume The Count has already heard some intelligence. Was that Deputy Commander Portia of the City Guard just now?"

Vanessa stopped in front of Rowan, performed a graceful curtsy, and then walked to a chair on the side to sit down.

She observed Rowan calmly.

The first thing he did after taking office was to hold a beauty pageant.

When she first heard this news, she was absolutely stunned.

At the very least, when she was in the Western Territory, she had never heard of such an outrageous lord.