Holding that greasy pie in his hand, Nidesar’s body trembled slightly.
He didn’t understand how such an utterly ordinary pie, the staple food he usually avoided at banquets, could be so alluring now.
Yet at this mont, this seemingly plain beef pie exuded an indescribable fragrance, an intoxicating at aroma he had never encountered in his life.
While gripping the pie, despite the persistent hunger pangs, Nidesar resisted, "You have a bite."
"? This is your food, how could I casually eat it?"
"I said eat it, so eat it, what’s all the fuss about?"
A damp sweat stain appeared on Donico’s thin vest, "Sir, I don’t eat beef, my wife makes it too gay."
Nidesar nodded in realization, tore off a piece from the pie, about to take a bite when he suddenly lunged beside Donico.
His move was like lightning as he grabbed Donico’s chin.
Donico opened his mouth wide in pain, and Nidesar forcefully stuffed the pie into his mouth.
Although Nidesar was still in a weakened state, a skinny cal is bigger than a horse. His power as a Titled Knight was more than enough to suppress Donico, who had beco a Square Banner Knight through bribery.
"Swallow it!"
With Nidesar gripping his chin, Donico’s eyes welled up with tears from the pain, but he still used his tongue to forcefully swallow the pie.
Releasing his grip, Nidesar waited for about ten minutes, but apart from Donico’s increasingly dark face, nothing changed.
"Sir, I’ve already said, the at is too gay, I don’t like it, and there’s no poison." Donico rubbed his bruised face, "Even though my wife hates , she wouldn’t go that far."
Nidesar, seeing Donico showing no adverse reactions and speaking properly, had his doubts greatly alleviated.
The tantalizing aroma of at overwheld him, and he could no longer resist, tearing into the pie ravenously.
He couldn’t recall ever eating such a delicious at pie, goat at indeed, was it because he was starved for too long, or was the at genuinely this good?
"Sir, what shall we do next? Have you thought about it?"
With his now satiated stomach, Nidesar’s mood improved considerably, and he began detailing his plan to Donico.
"Gather all the Knights together, so will infiltrate enemy territory for pillaging, while others will defend the Red Copper Fortress...
According to the latest intel, two groups of reinforcents from Kasha County have been crushed, and they’re currently sheltering in Rapids City...
Xiaochi City is even more on high alert, they’re just, just, hmm, what’s happening?"
Nidesar’s body swayed, trying hard to shake his head, but everything before his eyes doubled.
Was it a side effect of the transformation, or the lethargy post-al?
"Sir Nidesar? What’s happening to you?"
In the endless visions and overlays, Nidesar vaguely saw Donico rising from the ground and walking towards him step by step.
"Don’t co any closer... I told you not to co near!"
Nidesar attempted to stand, but his whole body refused to obey, supporting himself on his knees, he barely stood.
Glancing up, he blinked, only to find Donico’s apparition had vanished.
Did he leave? Sothing felt wrong to Nidesar. He tried to turn his head, but his body wouldn’t listen.
"Thud!"
Nidesar’s body collapsed uncontrollably, a searing pain surged in his once numbed head.
After the piercing pain, his vision cleared abruptly.
His cheek pressed against the damp ground teeming with centipedes, he saw the tilted world and Donico’s riding boots.
He regretted not wearing a helt before eating that at pie!
In his regret, Nidesar realized he couldn’t control his body below the neck.
A long iron nail drenched in Holy Water had been driven into his spine, wedged between his chest cavity.
Seeing Nidesar down on the ground, Donico rushed aside without uttering a word.
Gripping a water jug, hugging the mountain wall, he kept forcing himself to gag, making retching noises.
Lying on the ground, Nidesar painfully shut his eyes. He should have thought of this earlier, the sand sculptures couldn’t even recognize him, how could they possibly find him?
Obviously, Donico and the Kush Knight Group behind him found him, even specifically using the sand sculptures to allay his suspicion.
What were they trying to do? Usurp power? Or surrender to the Salvation Army?
"When did you poison , and how could you eat before and still be fine?" Having lost all sensation in his limbs, Nidesar desperately raised his head, yelling at Donico.
Donico continued to puke frantically, not responding to Nidesar’s query in the slightest.
"Because there was no poison in the pie at all." The old grandmother leaned on a cane, steadying herself against the mountain wall, wobbled out from behind the vines, "What’s in it is..."
"Ugh—"
Before the old grandmother could finish her sentence, Donico’s ear-shattering retching interrupted her.
The elderly woman cast a disdainful look at this grandson of hers, "Enough, it’s just a bit of an Extraordinary Knight’s at, stop being squeamish."
"Easy for you to say when you’re standing, ugh!" Donico retorted while vomiting.
Bam, the old woman struck him on the back with her cane, "During the siege of Tielu Castle, your great-grandfather and I were besieged by Saisihe Khan for two years, do you think I hadn’t eaten human flesh?"
"Ugh—" Donico vomited even louder.
"Go puke outside."
"Human flesh?" Nidesar mumbled blankly, not understanding, "They, they never said human flesh is prohibited."
The old woman wobbled, while an attendant brought a folding stool for her to sit upon.
"During the transformation phase, of course, human flesh can be consud. Especially the at of a High-tier Knight mixed with a secret spice recipe, it’s an unparalleled alchemical tonic.
This is a closely guarded secret of the Vampire Dukes, only, considering the human Warriors within the Royal Court, they naturally won’t disclose this. You were starved for too long, unable to handle the nourishnt, hence the dizziness and weakness from consuming this tonic."
It dawned on Nidesar, but he soon raised his head in horror, "How do you know such a secret recipe?"
The old grandmother looked at the ashen Nidesar kindly, but she didn’t answer his question.
Two tall guards stepped forward, holding down Nidesar’s limbs, and the old woman gently lifted Nidesar’s chin with her cane.
Her voice was low and raspy, mysterious in the flickering firelight, "I ask you, has the Holy Artifact of the Sorrido Clan been found yet?"
......
After vomiting a few more tis, and cleansing his stomach with clean water, Donico leaned weakly against the mountain wall, his face sallow.
For the next four to five years, he surmised he probably wouldn’t be able to stomach beef at all.
After another bout of retching, he looked up to see the old grandmother glaring at him with revulsion.
Wiping his mouth with a handkerchief, Donico queried, "Grandmother, Nidesar?"
"There, take it." The old lady covered her nose with a handkerchief, signaling a guard beside her to pass a box to Donico.
Suspiciously opening the box, he almost dropped it with a start; inside was Nidesar’s head.
"Hold it steady, don’t smash the face."
Donico forced a smile, "Grandmother, why did you kill Nidesar?"
"I didn’t kill him, you did." The old lady shut the box’s lid with her cane, "Only by your hand, and presented to the Salvation Army does it hold value."
Looking down at the box, Donico realized, pondering for a few seconds before speaking with a troubled expression, "Grandmother, the Salvation Army has the upper hand right now, they might not agree."
"They will agree." Carried by a few strapping n in a palanquin made of peach wood, the old lady reclined comfortably on a silk-draped wicker chair, "It’s a win-win, for them and for us."
Signaling the burly man with a tap from her cane to start moving, she looked up at the bright moon; "What are Rapids City and Kasha County thinking now?
Langsande County is practically indefensible, acting for self-interest without considering the bigger picture, he can’t possibly prevail against them."
"""
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