202: Karl's Question

Grand Duke Karl cast a glance at the few people spying from outside the Red River Territory camp, a faint, indiscernible smile playing on his lips, before he strode directly into the camp.

Upon seeing this, Horn immediately jumped out and followed behind Grand Duke Karl.

Without turning his head, Karl remarked, "What a coincidence, Count Horn!"

"It certainly is a coincidence, Your Highness. I didn't expect you to come and visit Viscount Raine as well."

"Heh!"

Karl chuckled, offering no further response.

After Horn jumped out to follow, several others emerged in the blink of an eye, trailing behind and entering the Red River Territory camp together.

What was originally just Karl alone had instantly transformed into a group of nearly ten people.

Raine was momentarily stunned when he saw Karl's party arrive. He had sensed the prying eyes near the camp earlier, but he hadn't paid them any mind; being watched was quite normal.

It was just that Raine hadn't expected Karl to come, and not only did he come, but he also brought a whole group of people with him.

"Your Highness, why have you come?"

Karl scanned the surroundings, took a long, deep look at Reck lying to the side, and then took his seat in the main position.

"They say your Magic Wolf Knights are mighty and extraordinary, so I've come to take a look at the warriors of my Rage Bear Territory."

"I just took a look, and they are even more elite and formidable than what my subordinates described. You are even a cut above the Derrick of the past!"

Grand Duke Karl looked at the young Raine. This young man exceeded his expectations every time; both his talent and his abilities were excessively strong.

"Look, not only am I curious, but they are all curious too. They also want to see how you managed to train so many elites."

As Karl said this, he gestured toward Horn and the others who had followed him in.

"Viscount Raine, if I recall correctly, a year ago the Red River Territory had just suffered a devastating blow from the Fel Orcs. At that time, the Derrick Family's Magic Wolf Knights were completely wiped out in the war against the Fel Orcs."

"How did you manage to rebuild the Magic Wolf Knights in just one year? And from what I see, the current Magic Wolf Knights are far more powerful than they were in your father's time."

A noble standing behind Horn spoke up to ask, genuinely curious about how Raine had achieved all of this.

Karl glanced at the noble who couldn't wait to ask, then smiled and said to Raine, "See? I told you they were all curious."

Raine naturally understood what these nobles were thinking.

"Your Highness, I put in quite a lot of effort to train these knights."

"To train these knights is actually not particularly difficult. First, I taught the Wild Wolf Breathing Technique, inherited by the Derrick Family, to every soldier in the Red River Territory."

Raine's very first sentence stunned Karl and all the other nobles from the Rage Bear Territory.

Horn asked in shock, "You taught your family's inheritance to these people?"

"Of course. Otherwise, how could they have such strength?" Raine said, as if it were only natural.

"Teaching the Breathing Technique was only the first step. Afterward, I personally taught and instructed these soldiers, selecting the ones with good natural talent to focus on training."

"I personally hunted magical beasts in the Black Mountain Range, feeding these selected soldiers with magical beast meat and magic cores to help them rapidly improve their strength."

"In addition, I shamelessly begged Master Capdo for some low-level magic potions for these knights."

"They are all geniuses I selected from among all the soldiers in the Red River Territory, and with my careful guidance, they have attained their current strength."

What Raine described left Karl and the others silent.

"Viscount Raine, aren't you afraid that your family's heritage will be leaked? Aren't you afraid that these people will betray you? How could you teach your family's heritage to these commoners?"

One noble shouted, his emotions running high.

"Apologies, I didn't think that much at the time. A year ago, the Red River Territory was in ruins, Fel Orcs were lurking near the territory, and the Alien Tribes were eyeing us covetously. The Red River Territory had no defensive strength. If I hadn't done this, the Red River Territory would have perished long ago."

"Leaving the past aside, even now the Red River Territory is still surrounded by danger. Let alone the Alien Tribes, the Dragon Worship Cult active on the outskirts of the Black Mountain Range is enough to destroy the Red River Territory."

"These Magic Wolf Knights and elite cavalry I've trained may seem powerful, but there's no telling when they might die on the battlefield. The Dragon Worship Cult members are extremely powerful, and my knights cannot withstand them."

"As for betrayal, I made them take an oath. They and their descendants must forever be loyal to me and my family. If they betray me or spread the Breathing Technique I taught without permission, I will personally cut off their heads, no matter to the ends of the earth they flee."

"I believe I have the ability and the strength to fulfill my promise; they will not risk their own lives."

The content of what Raine said was a mix of truth and falsehood; one could not say he was lying, as many things had indeed happened.

He said all of this primarily for Karl, to let His Highness the Grand Duke know the difficulties he and the Red River Territory faced.

Karl did not respond to what Raine said, instead shifting the topic to the Magic Wolves.

"Are those Magic Wolves also something you trained recently?"

"They are not. These Magic Wolves are all descendants of Senior Anatolis. He has lived on the outskirts of the Black Mountain Range for over a hundred years and raised a clan; these are basically his offspring or subordinates."

"Is that Gold Rank white wolf also Anatolis's offspring?"

Karl pointed to Reck, who was lying in the corner. Only then did Horn and the others suddenly realize that the Magic Wolf crouching in the corner was actually a Gold Rank magical beast.

Horn stared wide-eyed at the white wolf not far away. When he first entered the door, he had felt that this white wolf was extremely extraordinary, but he hadn't thought of it as a Gold Rank magical beast.

How could a Viscount from a remote region train a Gold Rank magical beast? Normal nobles would not think in that direction.

Once Karl pointed it out, they were shocked to realize they had overlooked a powerful magical beast.

Horn looked at Raine again, a hint of wariness appearing in his eyes.

A Gold Knight with a Gold Rank magical beast mount—the result of adding the two together was not just one plus one equals two. In Horn's eyes, Raine's combat power had risen to another level.

"Reck is not Senior Anatolis's offspring, but his promotion is thanks to Senior Anatolis. It was precisely because of Senior Anatolis's bestowal that Reck was able to break through his own limits and reach the Gold Rank."

"Senior Anatolis does have a Gold Rank offspring, but unfortunately, it was attacked by Dragon Worship Cult members during the Dragon Calamity and suffered some injuries that have yet to fully heal."

Reck and Anatolis were not even of the same species, so how could Reck be Anatolis's offspring? Although what Raine said was a mix of truth and falsehood, he was definitely not trying to fool Karl like a fool.

The people in front of him were all big shots of the Rage Bear Territory, a bunch of wily old foxes; trying to fool them was very difficult.

After hearing Raine repeatedly mention the Dragon Worship Cult, Karl asked a question.

"Is the Dragon Worship Cult so active in the Red River Territory?"

Karl knew a bit about this organization. It was founded by that Red Dragon Queen at Dragon Peak and had been established for several hundred years; the strength of the Dragon Worship Cult was not to be underestimated.

It was common knowledge that the leader of the Dragon Worship Cult was a powerhouse in the Legendary Realm.

"There were once Dragon Worship Cult members who wanted to recruit Senior Anatolis and his Wolf Pack into the Dragon Worship Cult. Anatolis was unwilling to join, so these cultists have been hounding Senior Anatolis relentlessly."

"After the Dragon Calamity descended, the Dragon Worship Cult members became very active, and a group of them attempted to capture Senior Anatolis."

"Now that Anatolis is staying in the Red River Territory, these cultists have been active in the Black Mountain Range area near the Red River Valley, threatening the Red River Territory."

"So that's it!"

After hearing Raine's explanation, Karl nodded in sudden realization, and Horn and the others also understood.

The strength of the Dragon Worship Cult was well known; being targeted by them was no good thing.

A few nobles looked at Raine with a hint of schadenfreude in their eyes.

"The Dragon Worship Cult is indeed difficult to deal with, but His Majesty has already warned Dragon Peak. With His Majesty around, these lackeys of the dragons dare not be too presumptuous."

Karl offered Raine a few words of comfort.

"Although the Dragon Worship Cult members are powerful, as long as that Legendary leader does not make a move, and it is only harassment from scattered lower-level cultists, the Red River Territory will not be in too much danger."

"Please rest assured, Your Highness. As long as I, Raine, am alive, I will not let these Alien Tribes take a single step into the Rage Bear Territory!"

Raine's righteous declaration left Karl extremely satisfied.