Deposed Crown Prince: After three years of service on the frontier, the entire court knelt and begge

They then headed towards Alliance City...

Meanwhile, after hosting a banquet for the foreign kings, Nie Bing didn't rush to take them to negotiations the next day...

Instead, Ed White first showed them around Lingas City, and then told them about the immigration policy of the Alliance City.

The goal is for the alliance to continue recruiting talent...

At first, the kings of these countries were not very interested, but then Ed White said something according to Xiao Ce's method.

"Your Majesties, while these individuals may appear to be working for the alliance, they are ultimately working for you. In the future, Chairman Nie Bing will not be able to manage this alliance; it will be up to you to manage it. And if you manage it... wouldn't the more talented individuals your countries have, the better...?"

Ed White's words, once they were out of their depth, made everyone realize the truth.

Everyone immediately indicated that they understood; Ed White could tell from their expressions that they had changed their minds...

So, they all knew what to do...

Moreover, once they learn about the benefits here, it would indeed be a good thing if some people invested here.

According to their understanding, even if they wanted to come, joining wasn't guaranteed; there was still a screening process involved...

Therefore, they became increasingly polite and enthusiastic towards Ed White, after all, he was one of the key personnel in the review process.

So, these days they've been thinking about how to bring their own people in...

They weren't worried because Nie Bing hadn't approached them to discuss further cooperation or the alliance.

While Nie Bing was sizing them up, they were also sizing her up, since such cooperation was mutual.

Although the twelve families had already explained things very clearly...

However, if others don't move, they naturally won't move either.

...

On the other hand, Nie Bing's decision not to approach them for discussion was also understandable...

That is, he needed to confirm the situation with Viktor King.

If everything is as Victor King said, then the situation in the entire British Empire has already stabilized.

Once the British Empire is stable, negotiations with the kings of these Western countries will naturally proceed much more smoothly...

If Victor King's words were false, then he should also consider the kings' opinions.

So, everything still depends on Viktor King arriving and determining whether this Viktor King is real or fake...

The following day, the twilight in Alliance City was tinged with a rusty, dark red.

When Victor King's troops appeared at the end of the main road outside the city, the sight was extremely impactful.

There was no boisterous celebration of a victorious return, nor brightly colored flags; instead, there was a heavy and somber atmosphere.

The warhorses puffed out white steam wearily, and the knights' armor was covered with marks from sword cuts and axe strikes, as well as dried, blackened stains—the marks of a meticulously planned battle.

Several heavy carts were tightly covered with tarpaulins, and an indescribable smell emanated from the gaps, causing the residents of New Union City along the roadside to whisper among themselves with a mixture of curiosity and fear.

The soldiers were silent, their faces etched with exhaustion and lingering fear from the fierce battle. Some of them wore blood-soaked bandages, silently testifying to the terrible price of their "victory."

They escorted another batch of captured weapons and supplies, equally scarred by battle, slowly through the city gate.

The people at the city gate had already received the news, so after confirming their identities, they let them pass!

Ed White came to greet them after hearing the news.

Although the two of them were mortal enemies before, that's all in the past.

Ed White smiled when he saw Victor King: "You're finally back..."

Victor King saw Ed White's smile and smiled wryly: "Do you want me to come back... or don't you want me to come back...?"

Ed White said to Victor King, "Of course we'd like you back...we're old friends, aren't we?"

Victor King looked at Ed White and gave a wry smile, then nodded.

"Alright, let's go into town... I don't want to be stared at by so many people..."

Ed White said to Victor King, "Why did you decline the chairman's offer to host a welcome dinner for you?"

Victor King said to Ed White, "I don't think I've done anything particularly meritorious... Let's go back..."

Ed White nodded, without saying anything more.

Ed White discovered that Victor King had changed a lot.

Viktor King himself rode on a tall, equally dusty horse. He had shed his former arrogance and sharpness. Although his back was straight, a deep gloom and an inescapable, almost shameful sense of heaviness were gathered between his brows.

He deliberately avoided the gazes of those around him, his eyes lowered as if bearing a heavy burden. This posture perfectly captured the image of a general who had first committed a major offense but later managed to salvage some of his reputation through a bloody battle.

The news swept through Alliance City like the wind and instantly reached Sunburg.

"President, Vice President Victor is back." One of Ed White's confidants hurried into Nie Bing's study, his voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible tension.

"Judging from the situation... it is indeed as the battle report said, a fierce battle has taken place. In the ranks... there are the remains and coffins of fallen soldiers, as well as captured rebel supplies and... some special 'spoils of war'."

Nie Bing was standing in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at the Alliance City bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun.

Upon hearing this, she slowly turned around, her cold face revealing little emotion, but her eyes were sharp as knives: "Have him come directly to the council chamber. Mr. Sean, you come along too."

Her gaze swept over Sean (Xiao Ce), who was standing quietly to the side.

Xiao Ce bowed slightly: "Yes, Chairman."

Ed White's confidant nodded and then left...

After a while.

The council chamber of Sunburg was brightly lit, illuminating the towering dome and murals in a magnificent golden glow.

Nie Bing sat upright in the main seat, with Xiao En (Xiao Ce) standing behind him. A Tie and several other Iron Man Guards stood like statues on both sides of the gate, creating an invisible pressure...

Ed White stood slightly to Nie Bing's left.

The heavy oak door was silently pushed open.

Victor King appeared at the doorway. He was not wearing any of the fancy clothes that indicated his status as vice president, but only a dark, dusty suit, and he was not even carrying a weapon.

He strode into the hall and stopped a few meters away from Nie Bing's seat.

Then, under Ed White's slightly astonished gaze and Sean's (Xiao Ce's) watchful eyes...

Victor King made an unexpected move.

He bent his knees and knelt down with a thud!

The sound of knees striking the hard stone surface was exceptionally clear in the empty hall.

Victor King bowed his head deeply: "Chairman! Victor King... has come to apologize!"

The council chamber was deathly silent, save for the heavy breathing of Viktor King.

Nie Bing's pupils contracted imperceptibly. She didn't speak immediately, but instead cast a cold, scrutinizing gaze over the person kneeling below.

"Crime?" Nie Bing asked in an icy voice, devoid of any warmth.

"What crime has Vice President Victor committed? Didn't he just deliver an exhilarating victory? The monarchs of all nations are cheering for you."

The sarcasm beneath those calm words struck Viktor King's heart like a whip. He shuddered and lowered his head even further.

"Chairman! That so-called 'great victory' cannot wash away Viktor's initial shame, nor can it make up for the heinous mistake I made!"

His voice suddenly rose, filled with painful self-reproach, "I...I have failed your trust, I have failed the Illuminati's trust! The inescapable trap personally laid by Mr. Sean was actually...actually breached by that rabble as if they were nothing! Tens of thousands of refugees disappeared right under my nose, on the Illuminati's most elite blockade line!"

He abruptly raised his head, his facial muscles contorted, his eyes bloodshot, a look of utter humiliation and anger.

“This is my disgrace! The biggest stain on my career, Viktor King! It is a trampling on the dignity of the Illuminati! It is a contempt for your authority, Chairman! It is also a failure to live up to Mr. Sean's plans! I... I have failed your appointment, Chairman!”

His voice choked with emotion as he slammed his forehead heavily against the cold ground with a dull thud.

This performance, filled with extreme pain and self-blame to the point of near collapse, was incredibly impactful.

Even Ed White couldn't bear to watch. Nie Bingbing's cold expression also softened slightly.

She wasn't entirely cold-blooded. The profound pain and self-blame of her subordinates, especially the humbly pleading for forgiveness from someone as proud as Victor King, was itself highly persuasive.

Moreover, the battlefield is ever-changing... especially since he was facing Morgana, and even the cunning Xiao Ce...

Although I was somewhat moved, I still had to apply pressure.

"So?" Nie Bing's voice was still cold, but it seemed to have lost a bit of its icy chill!

"You think you can wash your hands of this with just one victory?"

Viktor King slowly straightened up, his forehead bruised and purple. His voice was still hoarse, but it carried a ruthless edge, a desperate gamble.

"Shame can only be washed away with blood! Whether it is the enemy's or my own!"

His eyes gleamed with an almost insane light!

"After the refugees escaped, I had no face to face the chairman, let alone live on in this world! I handed over all affairs to my adjutant and used all the personal resources and connections I could to mobilize, and sent out all the informants I could still trust!"

Jack... that surviving squad leader of the scout unit, leading the few remaining loyal scouts, volunteered to infiltrate behind enemy lines, prepared to die!

He spoke faster, as if he were once again immersed in that desperate hunt:

"They tracked them like shadows for three days and three nights! Without sleep or rest! Finally... finally, they found traces of the traitors in the Black Rock Rift in the northwest! It was a formidable place, easy to defend and difficult to attack. Morgana, thinking she had succeeded, rested there!"

Viktor King's eyes flashed with a resolute light as he continued, "The opportunity is fleeting! I have gathered the two thousand most loyal elite cavalrymen from my headquarters who are still available, and we are marching day and night! No supplies, no rest! Everyone knows that this is our last chance, and the only chance to wash away the shame we have been slain!"

He described the battle in Blackrock Rift, deliberately obscuring the details, but conveying an extremely tragic atmosphere:

"It was a hellish battle! The ravine was narrow, the rebels held the high ground, and stones and logs rained down! Our brothers... fell in droves! Blood stained the stones at the bottom of the valley red! But no one retreated! That shame burned in our hearts!"

"They must be torn to shreds! I charged ahead... My personal guards were almost wiped out trying to shield me from arrows... I saw Frank! That rebel executioner! He was commanding like a beast!"

Viktor King suddenly reached into his robes and pulled out a heavy two-handed greatsword stained with dried, dark brown blood and chipped in several places.

With a loud crash, he slammed the sword down onto the smooth ground in front of him.

At the end of the hilt, a faint but clearly discernible "F" shaped engraving is clearly visible, a variant of the initials of Frank's name.

Upon seeing this sword, Nie Bing's expression softened considerably...

"This is the sword! I used it...to personally behead Frank! Just as he was leading the rebel counterattack! And Jones Snow...that cunning lackey of Xiao Ce, trying to flank us, was killed by my captain of the personal guard, who lost an arm and was impaled on the cliff by a spear!"

His voice trembled slightly with excitement and memories.

"We were in a frenzy! We tore the rebel lines apart! Their core members... those bastards... were either dead or wounded! Morgana... that bitch! I saw her being blown away by the explosion... flames soared into the sky, debris flew everywhere... she definitely didn't survive! Her loyal followers fought desperately to drag her away... but she was only half alive! The main force of the rebels... completely scattered! Like frightened mice, they scurried into the mountain crevices, never to rise again!"

He was panting, his face a mixture of exhaustion, pain, and a near-exhausted frenzy:

"We won... Guild Master, we won! But the price we paid... was too heavy! More than half of my elite troops... were lost! Of those loyal scouts... only one in ten survived in their mission to bring back intelligence! Many of my elite troops... were also seriously injured and unconscious!"

He lowered his head again, his voice becoming low and filled with a deep sense of defeat!

"But... Xiao Ce! That devil! He's not there at all! We've searched every corner of the Rift Valley, but there's no trace of him..."