The so-called "Invincible City" Lihe was easily taken, and the clear sky gave no hint of any incoming rain.
The city's commander, upon hearing that Menachel had entered the city, had already surrendered with the remaining 200 knights. He knelt before Menachel, his face full of flattery, which Menachel observed with blatant disdain.
"Speak."
Menachel drove his great sword into the ground, interlaced his hands on the hilt, and sat in a stone chair, looking down from a higher vantage point at the kneeling commander. His tone dripped with mockery. "What do you have to say?"
Though Artoria had repeatedly instructed Menachel not to kill prisoners, it was clear that he had no time to personally interrogate them. At most, he would confiscate their weapons and lock them up in some distant warehouse — that way, if the prisoners made any moves, a quick fire could resolve everything.
However, the deputy commander claimed he had crucial information.
"Not long ago, Sir Bart, my former superior, sent a letter asking for aid from Lynchester, planning to trap the remnants of the Camelot army from both sides and annihilate them," the deputy commander said.
As he said this, he stole a glance at Menachel's expression. Seeing no signs of anger at his slip of the tongue, he sighed in relief and continued, "Lynchester replied agreeing to the plan, saying they would lay siege the day after tomorrow. So, you only need to set up a knight squadron to show your miracle and destroy their support troops."
"Write another letter telling them that Lihe is about to fall and that they need to send more troops."
The deputy commander froze for a moment at Menachel's command, but quickly nodded.
Menachel observed the man carefully, narrowing his eyes in slight interest as he looked down at him.
"Do you have family in the city?"
Menachel asked abruptly. The deputy commander lowered his head, silent. Seeing this, Menachel's voice grew colder, and a murderous aura spread around him, pressing down on the man like an invisible weight.
"If you dare lie, I'll start by removing both your legs and serve them up for dinner tonight. After all, all it takes to write a letter is a hand."
The chilling intent was like the fangs of a venomous snake, coiling around the man's neck, and faint traces of blood could be smelled from his armor.
"I… I have family in Lihe City! Please, just spare my son! I'll do anything!" the deputy commander cried, his voice breaking as he slammed his head to the ground, blood pouring from his forehead.
"Don't worry, don't worry." Menachel smiled lightly. The previously oppressive atmosphere vanished like a mirage. He stood up and walked over to the kneeling man, patting his shoulder in a comforting gesture. "As long as you don't try anything clever, I won't harm your family. In fact, I'll even let you continue being a knight."
He turned to his side and signaled to one of his guards. In front of the deputy commander, Menachel ordered, "Go, have someone protect his family. Don't let anyone come near them."
The knight, called to action, wasted no time and immediately left the room. Menachel's gaze shifted to Gawain, and he spoke again. "Gawain, I'll need you to take care of this messenger."
"I'll do my best," Gawain replied with a smile. He had been one of the few who remained calm under Menachel's heavy aura. Perhaps it was no surprise since he was one of the knights chosen by Artoria herself.
Although still somewhat inexperienced, Gawain was already showing promising talents.
After watching Gawain take the man away, Menachel returned to his stone chair.
"All of you, leave."
The room grew quiet, leaving only Kay behind.
"Hey, Menachel, do you really trust him?" Kay asked urgently. His tone was full of impatience as he voiced his concerns. "What if he was deliberately showing his concern for his son to lower your guard?"
Menachel, still somewhat immersed in the aftershocks of the battle, glanced sideways at Kay before closing his eyes to calm himself. He then replied calmly, "It doesn't matter. Whether it's a calculated move or genuine surrender, as long as Lynchester sends troops out of the city, I can take it. The worst case is that Lynchester gives up entirely on the rescue, but that doesn't really affect me."
Menachel spoke with such nonchalance because he was certain that even if Lynchester did send reinforcements, it would only be a small group of cavalry. Lynchester, a well-known horse-producing city in the Stark region, didn't have a natural defense like a river or mountain. However, their cavalry was considered the strongest, and as long as it was cavalry, Menachel didn't consider it a challenge.
That said, Menachel still decided to take precautions. "Have Gawain read through that letter once it's done, and let me see it before sealing it."
Two letters almost simultaneously arrived in Menachel's hands.
He tossed aside the deputy commander's letter and opened the confidential one from Camelot. His eyebrows raised, and his expression changed as he glanced at Kay, who was curious about his reaction.
The letter contained a lot of information, but Menachel didn't make any gestures. He simply tossed the letter to Kay. After counting to himself, Menachel knew that Kay had probably finished reading it and immediately began summarizing to another knight.
"The king has decided to entrust Lihe City to Duke Cornwall. We don't need to leave any soldiers behind. In a few days, Duke Cornwall will come to take over, and we'll continue our march northward."
Duke Cornwall was a major noble. From his title, it was clear that he held significant power. He was a noble from Camelot, and it was no surprise he had survived the purge of the nobles. He was the royal family's relative, as the previous king, King Uther, had married Cornwall's sister. This alliance helped Cornwall rise to the position of duke.
Ignoring the resentful look Kay gave him for wasting time reading the letter, Menachel carefully read the brief message from the deputy commander.
The entire letter only contained one line.
"Lihe City is in danger. Send reinforcements immediately."
Menachel raised the letter and looked at it again but found nothing more in the words. After a moment of silence, he tossed the paper to Kay.
He turned to Gawain and asked, "He didn't pull any tricks, did he?"
Gawain shook his head, and Menachel didn't probe any further. He spoke again. "Send him back, have him rewrite the letter, and swap the order of the two sentences. Don't allow him to add a single extra word."
After all, Menachel is the commander who controlled Camelot's remaining forces. The weight of this responsibility made him cautious, and if not for the fear of the handwriting being too similar, he wouldn't have trusted a newly surrendered enemy to handle this task.
The choice of messenger was also worth considering. Menachel had originally thought of going himself, but hearing that his name had already spread through Lihe, he quickly abandoned that idea.
Instead, his gaze shifted to the silent Lancelot.
Lancelot couldn't help but shiver.
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