Chapter 329: News from Rebecca
November 20.
Overcast.
A chilling wind howled, sweeping across the land.
It yellowed the vegetation and chilled the open fields.
The heavy-armored soldiers marched into the city gates in formation.
Their mithril-forged broadswords cut through anything in their path.
The poorly equipped orc soldiers had nothing to withstand these deadly blades.
Blades snapped, clubs shattered.
No matter how tough, flesh could not withstand these sweeping strikes.
Ordinary orc soldiers fell with a single slash.
Elite orc soldiers couldn't last beyond two moves.
As for the leading high-ranked orcs, they'd already been turned into pincushions by poison-laced crossbow bolts.
With blood soaking their armor, the soldiers grew ever stronger.
Each ruthless swing cut through the orcs like leaves in the wind.
The orc soldiers fell one after another, their wails and screams fading.
Other soldiers poured in, ignoring loot for now and securing strategic positions, clearing out remaining orcs.
Some soldiers silently watched the panicked orcs attempt to flee.
The moment they spotted any orc spellcasters, they would immediately shoot with specialized crossbows.
These crossbows, coated with a special sedative, had extraordinary penetration, effective even against magic barriers.
Each squad operated with precision, like a well-oiled killing machine, swiftly bringing the entire town under control.
Except for a few spellcasting orcs, all others were cleared out, their bodies burned outside.
The adventurers watching nearby looked on with both awe and relief.
"Only Bay Territory could take down a place with over 2,000 orcs in under an hour…"
"Haha, to Bay's soldiers, that's probably not 2,000 orcs but 20,000 gold coins!"
"True enough. But I'm curious—why doesn't Bay take orcs as captives?"
"Simple: Bay only captures those who are obedient. Brutal orcs like these? They don't even want them as slaves."
"Good point! The kobolds of Dark Forest and murlocs of Misty Swamp are both quite docile…"
"Don't forget the ogres from Troll Valley!"
"Right! I almost forgot about that funny little ogre."
"…"
The newcomers stayed quiet, listening to the chatter with interest.
They thought these guys were just bragging.
They'd seen arcanists tame magical creatures or followers before.
But that was usually one or two at a time, not in numbers like in Bay Territory.
The veteran adventurers noticed the disbelief on the newcomers' faces and chuckled inwardly.
They enjoyed this moment; it gave them an advantage over those unfamiliar with Bay Territory.
Only by staying ahead in understanding could they survive the growing competition.
While the adventurers outside prepared to track down more orcs,
Matthew entered the castle, his eyes gleaming at the spoils in the storeroom.
Most orc soldiers only cared about looting food and weapons, sometimes humans for slaves or sacrifices.
They also took currency, though it was useless to them, for trade in weapons.
Some people, after all, would trade with them for profit.
Now, aside from weapons, gear, and some food, everything—including coins—was left in the storeroom.
Like in the other territories, Matthew gladly claimed it.
With resources becoming scarce, certain supplies were now invaluable.
He recalled a hint from Knight Harley during their recent communication.
"Heh, Lord Annie might need mithril badly, but I need it more."
Matthew didn't mind sharing profits but wasn't about to capitulate entirely.
He and Bay Territory owed nothing to Bloodmoon City or Lord Annie!
"Let's go check the hidden chamber—hopefully, there's something good in there."
Following him closely, Beelzebub remained vigilant.
Though Lord Matthew always saw through enemy positions, Beelzebub never relaxed his guard.
343 followed Matthew, observing his excitement with a strange feeling.
"He kills enemies without flinching, remains calm in victory."
"But why does he get so excited here in this ruin?"
"Could it be he knows there's something valuable here?"
Curious, 343 trailed Matthew.
She didn't understand the joy of players finding loot after battles.
She sensed Beelzebub's caution but paid it no mind.
Emotions baffled her; her responses were more memory-based.
Practicality mattered most, and until Matthew said otherwise, gathering information was her priority.
Matthew found traces of a hidden chamber within the castle's basement wall and activated it, triggering a magical alarm.
But no one remained to respond to such an alarm.
343 watched as Matthew disarmed the magically trapped door with ease, as if it were second nature. Her curiosity about his background deepened.
He must be more than just the heir to the Ser Family…
As the chamber opened, Matthew sent in a golem first, ever cautious.
Another label of prudence and caution was added to his profile.
"20 kilograms of mithril, 50 kilograms of silverite, 3 kilograms of pure gold, 123 types of rare magical materials…"
"7 high-tier magical artifacts, 22 spatial items…"
"Three centuries' worth of resources, all condensed in here…"
Watching Matthew tally the haul, 343 felt relieved that Lord Annie hadn't discovered this.
Lacking money but needing magical resources, the lord would have certainly joined this hunt.
For arcanists, research was only half of their expenses.
"Leaving these treasures here would be wasteful; better they all come to me!"
Matthew accepted it all without hesitation, earning another "interesting" label from 343.
While browsing spellbooks and erasing their presence, a Communication Spell arrived.
"Rebecca sent a distress signal—Orcs are attacking Crescent Island!"