I was a knight in the Middle Ages

Chapter 493 Entrustment

"Block the news; no one is allowed to leave the camp."

His dark cloak fluttered in the wind, and thirty-two personal guards followed him like shadows. The sound of his boots crushing dry leaves was deliberately suppressed to the lowest level.

The bronze door of the underground ruins was half-open, emitting a faint blue glow.

Perov's hunched figure emerged from the shadows. The goblin engineer's glasses were covered in dust, but it couldn't hide the fanaticism in his eyes: "Lord Alpha, we've found it! The core blueprints for the ancestral creation of the Godslayer Armor! The precision of those gears meshing... look at this!"

Perov eagerly unfurled the yellowed parchment scroll; on the intricate mechanical diagrams, the dark patterns shimmered with a flowing golden light under the dim glow.

Alpha's pupils suddenly contracted.

Alpha certainly knew why the Vatican had placed nine seals on this ruin—the "mechanical chaos" that occurred thousands of years ago.

The goblins used steam colossi to overturn seven holy cities, and it wasn't until the Pope personally sent down divine punishment that all the forbidden technologies were permanently buried.

At this moment, what is leaping on the parchment scroll is not only the manufacturing diagram, but also a Pandora's box that is enough to overturn the entire power structure of the continent.

"This matter must remain buried in our hearts." Alpha's voice was as cold as ice as he pressed down on Perov's agitated, waving arm.

"From today onwards, your research team will be stationed in Misty Valley. The necessary mithril veins and alchemical catalysts will be transported by caravan overnight. But remember—" Alpha crept closer, his breath brushing against the goblin's terrified face, "If any word gets out, we're all doomed."

The clattering of gears could be heard in the distance as Darwin helped the exhausted Frena out of the passageway.

When Alpha turned around, he had regained his usual composure: "You two have worked hard. Has the hidden door deepest in the ruins been opened?"

After receiving a negative reply, Alpha stroked his chin and pondered for a moment: "Explore for three more days. If nothing is found, seal the passage completely with dragon's blood resin. Remember, all exploration records must be destroyed."

As the footsteps of the crowd faded into the distance, Alpha stood alone at the entrance to the ruins.

Sunlight streamed through the cracks in the dome, casting fragmented patches of light onto the Alpha Armor.

The Holy Knights have been frequently moving around the border lately, and the pirate alliance in the north is also getting restless. He can't afford to lose any chips in this gamble that concerns the survival of the mining city and even Alpha.

"Pass down the order," Alpha whispered into the void, "Starting tomorrow, a one-week curfew will be imposed on the mining city. Those who disobey...will be executed."

……

The crimson sunset stained the marble floor of the council chamber a dark red, and Kabuschi's spurs clattered sharply against the stone steps.

"Lord Alpha, we have found the lost knights, but your men have locked them in the dungeon." Kabuschi's deliberately softened voice couldn't hide the anxious tremor.

Alpha twirled the gilded quill in his hand; the ink on the parchment was not yet dry.

"Good that you found it." Alpha, without looking up, stuck the quill into the ink bottle. His amber eyes finally lifted, but they were like poisoned daggers. "In my dungeon, I never mistreat those who have rendered meritorious service."

Kabuschi suddenly looked up, his face flushed red beneath his helmet: "Lord City Lord, you clearly promised to release them!"

The candlelight in the council chamber suddenly flickered violently, making the war scenes on the surrounding tapestries seem to come alive.

"A promise?" Alpha sneered, his fingertips slamming heavily on the table, making the bronze paperweight on the desk vibrate.

"When your knights, under the banner of 'rebellion,' slaughtered three villages outside my town, did you ever consider the word 'promise'? Now it's merely exchanging prisoners for resources; you're guaranteed to profit from this deal." The guards behind Alpha simultaneously gripped their sword hilts, the metallic scraping sound particularly jarring in the deathly silent hall.

"Alpha!" Prince Hales suddenly kicked open the carved wooden door, his scarlet robe sweeping across the shattered porcelain. "Do you know that detaining knights from two nations is tantamount to declaring war on the entire continent? The wrath of Bulgaria and Romania is enough to burn your city-state to ashes!"

Alpha, however, leisurely got up and took down a huge sheepskin map from the wall.

On the yellowed blueprints, the territory of the Ottoman Empire spreads like ink stains, while the lands of the two empires are being eroded and riddled with holes.

"Your Highness," Alpha's fingertip traced the red dot marking the location of the uprising, "the secret report I received last night indicated that your two countries currently have less than 20,000 troops remaining. Those knights who have become bandits are nothing but pitiful wretches who can't afford to eat."

Kabuschi's Adam's apple bobbed violently, and cold sweat trickled down his spine.

He was well aware, of course, that the last silver coin in the national treasury had been used to repay the Ottoman usury.

The common people were gnawing on tree bark, while the nobles' banquets were filled with mead.

"I can give you food, cloth, and weapons." Alpha suddenly rolled up the map into a tube and slammed it heavily on Kabuschi's shoulder.

"But your mineral resources must be shared with me." Alpha's voice suddenly lowered. "I've heard that your silver mines pay a monthly tribute of three thousand tons of ore to the Ottomans?"

Prince Hales flew into a rage: "Those mines were already under contract! This is a blatant breach of the Imperial agreement! We will face severe punishment from the Empire!"

"That's why I said cooperation." Alpha unfolded the second blueprint, which depicted the intricate structure of a steam train and its tracks.

"I'll provide the technology, you provide the manpower. Build a railway from the mining town to Thrace. I'll have the operating rights for ten years, and the profits for the next thirty years will be split equally. As for those prisoners..." Alpha's lips curled into a smile, "Let them buy their freedom with their sweat."

As Kabuschi trembled as he signed the sheepskin contract, the moon outside the window had already climbed high in the sky.

On the three documents soaked in wax, the double-headed eagle emblem and the wolf head insignia of the Alpha family finally overlapped, casting shadows of varying lengths in the candlelight.

No one noticed that Alpha's left hand, hidden in his sleeve, was tightly clutching a piece of encrypted military intelligence—the pirate alliance's iron cavalry was approaching the Greek border.

Inside the council chamber, candlelight flickered on bronze candlesticks, casting the shadows of Alpha and Hales onto the mottled walls, like two wild beasts facing off.

Alpha slowly twirled the gilded scepter in his hand, the wolf's head carving on the scepter gleaming coldly in the light and shadow. "Your Highness Prince Hales, Kabuschi has made a wise choice; now, it is your turn to speak."

Hales abruptly stood up, his brocade robe sweeping across the table, causing several gilded wine glasses to fall to the ground.

Hales, his eyes wide with rage, pointed at the railway plan on the table and roared, "You want to build this railway, connecting the mining city with Thrace? What can you do to me if we Bulgaria disagree?"

Alpha calmly unrolled a yellowed parchment document, stamped with the bright red sealing wax of the Ottoman Empire.

"Your Highness, you may not yet know," Alpha's voice was deep and cold as he pressed his fingertips heavily on the Ottoman territory marked on the map.

"This railway not only leads to Thrace, but it's also a vital channel for transporting supplies from the mining city to the Ottoman Empire. If anyone dares to obstruct it..." Alpha paused, his gaze sharp as a knife towards Hales, "I'm sure the Imperial Knights would be happy to speak with you personally."

Hales' face turned deathly pale instantly, and veins bulged on his forehead.

Hales was well aware of the Ottoman Empire's methods. Those nobles who dared to defy the empire's will were either nailed to stakes or enslaved, never to rise again in the mines.

After a moment of silence, Hales suddenly revealed a meaningful smile and sat back down in the carved chair.

"I can sign the agreement, but Lord Alpha," a greedy glint flashed in his eyes.

"You have to help me seize the Bulgarian throne. The current emperor is incompetent and foolish; only I can lead the empire to glory. If you can't, this agreement..." Hales reached out as if to tear up the document on the table.

Alpha stared at Hales, a barely perceptible smile playing on his lips.

Alpha had anticipated that the ambitious prince wouldn't give in easily, "No problem."

Alpha's answer was concise and firm, as if it were about a trivial matter.

"But before that, you'd better get your supporters ready." With that, Alpha summoned the stars, "Prepare pen and ink immediately; we need to draft a new agreement."

Outside the window, dark clouds obscured the moonlight, and distant thunder rumbled faintly.

……

The gilded candlesticks cast an ambiguous glow through the carved bed curtains. Frena's hair, like silk, cascaded over Alpha's chest. Her warm breath carried a hint of anger: "Those parasites, Orff! They demand 50% of the profits, yet they expect us to fill the hole left by the mine collapse. Do they think we're easy targets?"

Frena's fingernails unconsciously traced across the other person's well-defined chest, leaving faint red marks on the skin.

Alpha rested his head on his arm, his gaze piercing through the tent ceiling and looking into the void.

Outside the window, torrential rain pounded against the glazed tiles, mingling with the distant roar of steam engines from the mine.

Alpha was well aware of the Allison faction behind the Orff family, those puppets of the pirate alliance, who were simply trying to sabotage the mining cooperation with exorbitant demands.

"Ignore their outrageous demands." Alpha suddenly grabbed Frena's restless wrist. "How's the clearing out of the spies in Balor City going?"

Frena swayed her hips like a cunning cat: "I already had Kunze lead his assassins to infiltrate, and I also allied with the city lord, Rawls."

Frina's fingertips traced the lines of Alpha's abs. "Tomorrow at noon, those treacherous guild leaders will taste the bitterness of betrayal."

Before she could finish speaking, Frena suddenly rolled over and pinned Alpha beneath her, her rosy lips brushing against his ear: "But now, shouldn't we talk about something more important?"

"Be serious." Alpha flipped over, pinning the man to the quilt, his palms still bearing the calluses of battle. "Six forces have entered the game; how will the shares be divided?"

The candlelight flickered suddenly, casting a violently swaying silhouette of the two intertwined figures on the wall.

Frina bit her lower lip, pondering for a moment, her warm breath brushing against the other's Adam's apple: "Rowles and I each want ten shares, but the nobles behind Havel and Guston have bigger appetites, wanting to swallow twenty."

Flint's fingers suddenly probed deep into the blankets, her voice growing increasingly seductive, "But Orff and Allison... they're clearly trying to get something for nothing."

"Each of the four major families has fifteen branches; you and Rawls will remain the same." Alpha suddenly grabbed the mischievous hand and gave it a light slap on the buttocks.

"This way, we can both check and balance the powerful nobles and stabilize the smaller powers." Before he finished speaking, there was a knock on the door.

"Lord Alpha, Young Master Tony and Captain Alice request an audience." The voice of the star came through the carved wooden door.

Frena chuckled, wrapping her legs around Alpha's waist: "Looks like someone's getting impatient and wants to ruin our plans~"

Frena deliberately dragged out her voice, but Alpha pressed her down onto the pillow.

"Go to the meeting room to prepare tea." Alpha pecked Frena's burning cheek and then slapped her buttocks twice.

"If you dare to cause trouble again, you'll be in for a world of hurt tonight." Alpha rolled over and put on a robe embroidered with a wolf's head emblem. The silver dagger at his waist swayed slightly with each step, gleaming coldly in the dim light.

Outside, the storm intensified, and the power dynamics of the mining city were being stirred up anew by the downpour.

The crystal chandelier in the conference room cast dappled light over everyone's heads. Tony unbuttoned his leather cape, revealing the mottled bullet holes in the lining.

The smoke of battle from this month still seemed to linger on Tony's brow and eyes; his once sharp, youthful features had been sculpted by the ravages of war into cold, hard edges: "Brother-in-law, the Grand Duke of the North has suddenly recalled all his elite troops. The situation is unpredictable, and we may have no choice but to set off."

Alpha stroked the tactical sandbox on the table, his fingertips pausing for a moment on the black pieces representing the enemy's territory.

The roar of loading and unloading cargo from the mine came from outside the window, mixed with the hum of steam engines in the distance, like the panting of a giant beast.

"I'll have the logistics department prioritize allocating a batch of new magic guns and tempered armor." Alpha suddenly raised his head, his gaze sweeping over the magic gun wrapped in red silk at Tony's waist.

That was a weapon Linda had personally crafted for her brother. "If you encounter any misfortune on the road, you can seek refuge at the Jade Merchant Guild's stronghold."

Tony suddenly stood up: "Brother-in-law, this trip is fraught with danger, I have a favor to ask!"

Tony looked up, his eyes burning with a fierce light. "I implore my brother-in-law to allow Alice to stay. She's an excellent marksman; staying in the mining city will not only assist you, but also..." His Adam's apple bobbed laboredly. "It will also provide a way out for our family."

"Nonsense!" Alice suddenly stood up, her leather breeches rustling as they rubbed together.

The usually stern female gunslinger's eyes were now red-rimmed, and the silver rose pendant on her holster swayed gently with Alice's movements. "When did I become a burden who needs protection?"

But the trembling at the end of her voice betrayed Alice's forced composure.

"Sister, the wound you took to save me from that crossbow bolt during the last raid on the mine hasn't healed yet!" Tony suddenly stood up, his tall frame almost blocking the light from half of the floor-to-ceiling window.

"The werewolf tribes of the northern snowfields, the bandits along the way... This time, we don't need the city defense forces to support us in the mining town!" Tony suddenly grabbed his sister's wrist, the force so strong that Alice gasped. "You stay. If we really perish on the road, at least someone will carry the flames of revenge!"

Alpha silently watched the siblings, his memory suddenly flashing back to many years ago—when he was still a useless low-ranking knight, and Linda's adventures against the vampires...

The flickering candlelight made Tony's profile look even more like Linda's.

"Stay." Alpha finally spoke, his voice steady and unwavering. "Once the situation calms down, I will personally escort Alice back to Linda."

Alice bit her lower lip and turned her face away, her hair falling down to cover her reddened eyes.

Alpha stood up and walked to the tactical map, pressing down heavily on the red flag representing the sniper position with a bronze paperweight: "The Demon Sniper shouldn't be getting into close-quarters combat."

Alpha's fingertips traced the winding valley on the map. "Tony, deploy the Magic Gun Team on high ground, using their range advantage to suppress the enemy. Alice, I need you to form a special team—"

Turning around, his gaze was as sharp as a hawk's; "Taking the enemy's head from 500 meters away is not only a test of skill, but also a contest of will."

Tony took a deep breath, put his fist to his chest, and gave a military salute.

As dusk deepened outside the window, white steam billowed from the mining city's steam pipes, turning the sunset into an eerie purple.

"Alice is entrusted to you." Tony's voice, mingling with the distant train whistle, carried a resolute determination, "Once we've resolved Father's crisis, we'll definitely return to celebrate with Brother-in-law!"