Baron Todd nodded, indicating he understood.
Because that was indeed the truth; the Red Dragon before him disdained to deceive him.
As the thirteenth son, overlooked in the family, and having angered his father by meddling with power in Northwind Fortress, he was enfeoffed to the remote Sige Town.
It was less an enfeoffment and more an exile.
This sparsely populated town, adjacent to Stormwind Highlands, without sufficient military strength, would face utter destruction if it encountered any external invasion, be it giants or true dragons.
It would be better to seek out stronger external forces nearby to maintain his power, develop his influence, and then find an opportunity to break free, compete with his brothers, and gain his father's attention.
Thinking of this, Todd said ingratiatingly, "Thank you for your sincerity, Lord Flying Flame. I am delighted that we can cooperate with you—the great Red Dragon."
Ke Xiu Si nodded slightly:
"Baron, please firmly remember that acknowledging Ember Nest's full sovereignty over Stormwind Highlands and compensating for your rash actions are the prerequisites and foundation of our cooperation."
Todd said, "I will bear that in mind."
Ke Xiu Si's tone gained a hint of playfulness:
"Then please take your loyal subordinates and return to the Baron's manor. I hope to see what I want tomorrow."
"Yes, Lord Flying Flame."
Baron Todd looked at Hart not far away, the hatred for his betrayal deeply hidden in his eyes, almost uncontrollable.
But he thought of the Red Dragon before him and dared not immediately flare up, only managing to force out a stiff, insincere smile on his pale face.
Seeing this, Hart's forehead dripped with large beads of sweat.
But then he remembered that with the Red Dragon backing him, his life was safe, and he would even serve as a spy for Ember Nest to keep the Baron in check, so he also smiled in a defiant manner.
"Let's go, Baron."
Hart's last four words were uttered through gritted teeth.
Ke Xiu Si watched the two, mutually hateful and each with their own ulterior motives, walk away side by side, feeling a sense of perverse satisfaction.
The conditions he proposed seemed "equal" but were actually ill-intentioned. He believed Todd had likely seen through this to some extent, but he had no room to refuse.
Stationing troops, managing trade.
When a region's military and financial power were entirely in his hands, Baron Todd would merely be a puppet. And in his plan, after the players arrived, even the Baron would become dispensable, to be replaced by him.
The Red Dragon looked at Baron Todd's gaunt back.
This Baron had not become his Dependents after making the pact.
Because he was a Vampire spawn—a greedy creature filled with the Vampires' bloodlust and controlled by its Vampire creator.
And when Vampires performed the evil "Ascension Ceremony" to become Ascended Vampires unafraid of sunlight, these spawns would all become sacrifices, turning into blood.
However, if a Vampire allowed its spawn to drink its blood, the spawn would also become a true Vampire, no longer controlled by its creator, though only a very few Vampires would do this.
In the previous life's Vampire-related quests, Duke Brad had ultimately performed the Ascension Ceremony, but fortunately, he was stopped by players, with hundreds of people storming the castle's basement in a chaotic bombardment, resolving the crisis.
"Tsk tsk."
"A Vampire spawn attempting to gain its master's attention."
"What a pathetic fellow."
Ke Xiu Si's pupils flickered slightly in the darkness, then vanished.
The next morning.
A rather large caravan, laden with goods, departed Sige Town.
The townspeople were long accustomed to caravans, even though the guards of this particular caravan wore heavy armor that concealed their faces, were cloaked in black robes, and were inexplicably tall.
But leading them was Hart, whom the townspeople knew and who had not appeared for many days.
Since Hart was leading, it must be the Baron's order.
And coveting the "Bloody Baron's" treasures was undoubtedly a foolish act.
Therefore, the townspeople quickly restrained their curious children, deliberately ignoring the caravan, fearing they would be taken as slave labor.
Hart rode his horse in the middle of the convoy.
Tall guards walked on both sides, emitting heavy breaths.
Although Hart could not see their faces, since they were troops from Ember Nest, he could probably guess they were Earth Goblin or Goblin, but he was not overly panicked by this. These monsters were, in fact, his means of survival.
After returning to the Baron's manor last night, the enraged Baron Todd had threatened him multiple times, even uttering vicious curses, but ultimately did not dare to harm his life, which also showed him the Baron's bluster.
Baron Todd dared not anger the Red Dragon.
This was the conclusion Hart reached.
And the goods carried by this caravan were armor, weapons, and a full twenty incredibly precious magic scrolls, which clearly showed Baron Todd's desire to curry favor.
It was less a transaction and more a tribute.
"Whoosh."
Anzetta's winter was just that cold. Hart exhaled a puff of white mist, and he couldn't help but pull his thick fur coat tighter.
Snowflakes continued to fall, and the heavily laden carriages left deep ruts in the pristine snow. The sizable caravan became a string of black dots in the snowy landscape.
"Owoo—"
A strange sound came from the snow-covered Mountain slope.
The sound was long and shrill, like a mournful cry.
The guards transporting the goods thought it was the wind and paid little attention.
But Hart was experienced; he listened carefully for a moment and immediately became alert.
"Maintain vigilance! That's not the sound of wind!"
Hart shouted.
On the distant Mountain slope, several figures with snow-white fur moved like specters in the white, snowy environment, rushing towards the caravan, emitting terrifying howls like laments.
"It's Yetis!"
Hart recognized these monsters at a glance.
These hulking creatures strode proudly on the Mountain peaks, constantly hunting and foraging there.
Even in blizzard conditions, Yetis would traverse the bitter cold and snow, lured by the scent of prey.
Hart inwardly lamented. Encountering Yetis in snowy weather, there was nothing worse. A slight misstep could lead to complete annihilation.
He instinctively thought of calling for the caravan to flee, but then he saw that the "guards" had removed the black cloth covering themselves.
These "guards" were nearly two meters tall, large and strong, with protruding fangs in their mouths and cloudy yellow eyes filled with battle frenzy and bloodlust. Their reddish skin was particularly striking against the snow, and it was even covered with sparse scales.
—Those were Earth Goblin.
This was Dolo's most elite unit.
"I almost forgot... we're all monsters here too."
Hart's expression was stunned, and he muttered to himself.