Blood Emperor Throne

Count Chris of Dorn, who was once full of vigor, was now trembling with his fat face, and his beady eyes, which were sandwiched between fat, were now full of bloodshot veins.

The floor, covered with a luxurious woolen carpet, was littered with steaks and salads that the count had swept off the table, and broken wine bottles mixed with scarlet wine were scattered everywhere.

Several maids were kneeling on the ground, trembling with fear, carefully wiping and tidying the gray wolf wool carpet that was worth as much as they could buy.

At this moment, the once luxurious and prosperous Earl's castle was shrouded in gloom. The guards and maids were silent as cicadas in winter, even controlling their breathing to a very low level, for fear of making the slightest sound and disturbing the Earl, who was like a raging beast.

After all, the recent events have infuriated this count.

Chris was no longer the spirited man he once was. His bloodshot eyes were filled with rage, and his greasy face trembled with fury.

He used to control the wealthy Earldom of Dorne. Relying on the slave trade of the neighboring Drow elves, the rich income from the gladiatorial arena, and the exploitation of the people, even this fat, bloated Earl held an overwhelming advantage over the surrounding territories.

With this advantage, he has taken over many neighboring wealthy territories. Recently, he is about to take over the territory of Castella and the beautiful Countess Osalia, whose mere thought of her makes him feel hot and bothered, and her noble and aloof daughter, Catherine. Everything is developing in a positive direction.

The thought of having the elegant and beautiful Countess Osalia and her cold and noble daughter Catherine pressed together under his greasy body and wantonly ravaged and trained into docile mother and daughter flower slaves made him feel a surge of heat in his body.

However, since the slave arena riot a month ago, everything has started to slip out of his control.

First, the countess Osalia, whom he coveted, somehow hired a knight commander to wipe out all the beastmen calamities in her territory. Even the Castellan rebels he sponsored were wiped out by the centaur horde.

In just half a month, not only did Osalia miraculously revive Castella, which was on the verge of being acquired, but she also purged the internal rebellion.

Upon receiving this news, he was enraged and immediately prepared to disregard the agreement of the noble contract and mobilize the Knights of Dorne to seize Castella, but the unexpected happened even earlier than he had anticipated.

Almost as soon as he was about to mobilize the Knights of Dorne, swift centaur rangers and savage, inferior hordes of horned beasts suddenly stormed into the Earl of Dorne's territory from who knows where, plundering all the trade, caravans, and the property of the marginal nobles.

The nobles' estates, along with their wealth, noblewomen, maids, and knights, were all looted.

At that moment, a steady footstep came from outside the Earl's door. Knight Commander Castelli, wearing full-length silver armor adorned with gilded patterns, pushed open the lord's door. His proud and indifferent golden eyes swept over the messy lord's room. He casually waved for the maid to leave and stepped forward, his hand on the longsword at his waist.

"Your Excellency." He nodded his proud head slightly and gave a bow.

“Caslett,” Chris said, snapping out of his rage. He straightened his lace collar, which was stained with wine and gravy, and frowned as he asked, “What brings you here so late?”

As the Grand Master of the Knights of Dorne, Caslett's status and prestige within the Earldom of Dorne were even greater than his.

If this person hadn't been personally promoted by him and upheld the code of chivalry, anyone else would probably have replaced him.

So, despite being in a fit of rage, he suppressed his agitation and poured him a glass of purple wine from the Duchy of Bordeaux.

Caslett raised his hand to decline the wine offered by the Earl, and said calmly, "I have come here to report two pieces of news. First, the outlying noble territories of the Earl of Dorne have been out of control. One-third of the nobles have refused to fulfill their contracts to provide soldiers and money to support the war, citing the rampage of the Beastmen as an excuse."

Upon hearing this, Chris's already unpleasant expression immediately darkened further.

Initially, these centaur cavalry and roaming herds of unicorns merely looted and attacked caravans and the assets of minor nobles. Although this was quite troublesome, it ultimately did not pose a significant threat to the power of the nobility.

Anyway, these inferior beastmen and centaurs are unlikely to directly attack a manor guarded by knights and noble private armies, so let them loot as they please.

As for the lowly commoners at the bottom? Who cares whether they live or die?

Therefore, the nobles of the Earl of Dorne would only mention these roaming beastmen and centaurs in casual conversation after drinking, without taking them seriously at all.

Until five days ago, the estate of Viscount Bolot was captured by these centaur cavalry and herds of unicorns.

From then on, the raids by the Beastmen within the territory of the Earl of Dorne became more and more frequent and fierce, and the noble territories on the periphery fell one after another and were completely looted.

“And the second piece of news came from the Count of Castella,” Castella continued.

"According to my recent information, Castella is expanding and training a new army on a large scale, and the number of plate-armored knights in Castella has increased sharply in the past few days. The number of the Purple Nightingale Knights under the direct command of Countess Osalia has reached sixty-six. Although the increase is all princess knights, in terms of numbers, it is not much less than the number of the Dorne Knights."

"Where did that bitch gather so many female knights?" Chris asked in a deep voice.

"It's unclear. They might have been annexed and retrained from rebellious nobles, or they might have submitted during territorial consolidation. In any case, the threat posed by Castella is undeniable."

Castelli replied, "In my opinion, we should ignore the beastmen and those strange bloodhounds roaming the territory, and instead gather the knights and all our military forces to launch a preemptive attack on Castellia."

“But if we ignore it, the nobles will complain.” A cold glint flashed in Chris’s beady eyes hidden beneath his fat. “Let’s wait until we’ve quelled the beastmen in the territory before we talk about this.”

Castellet glanced at him, pondered for a moment, and then nodded slightly: "Very well, but there is something that concerns me."

"what's up?"

"Judging from the scene of the looting of the nobles, these centaur raiders and beastmen seem to be very well-equipped. They not only have steel spearheads that can pierce armor, but also crossbows that can penetrate chainmail. It's strange, as this contradicts my understanding of beastmen."

“They probably looted it.” Chris was already showing some impatience. He waved his hand and said, “Alright, I’m going to rest now. Castile, you should go and rest early too.”

“Then I shall take my leave, Your Excellency.” Castelli glanced at him indifferently, nodded, bowed, and left the room.

Only after he left did Chris angrily smash his wine glass on the ground, muttering curses under his breath: "What preemptive strike? It's nothing but an attempt to seize power! Don't think I don't know what you're up to, Castile!"

It's no wonder he was wary; Castellé's power and prestige were simply too great. The Knights of Dorne were practically entirely under Castellé's control, and even in terms of prestige, it was only with Castellé that the nobles could be convinced.

He dared not even imagine how much Castellay's prestige would soar if he were to take over the Count of Castellay's territory as well.

Just as he snorted coldly, preparing to vent his anger on his mistress's voluptuous body, Castile, who had already left, suddenly pushed the door open again, startling Chris so much that his fat body trembled violently.

"Yes, what's the matter?" Chris asked, trying to remain calm.

“I think we shouldn’t be considering whether to first clean up and eliminate the Beastmen or to launch a preemptive attack on Castella.” Caslet held a parchment scroll with a Castella wax seal in her hand, her proud golden eyes meeting Chris’s guilty green bead eyes.

"The newly appointed Duchess of Borot, Veranica, has declared Borot's annexation to Castellania. Castellania, citing the need to protect its territory and the pretext of the Bloodhounds rampaging within the Earl of Dorne as heretics, has declared war on us."

Chapter 36 The Last Banquet

If Castella's declaration of war against the Earl of Dorne meant only one thing to other nobles and Earls of Dorne: suicide.

One side has a territory of only 30,000 acres, of which 20,000 acres are covered by forest.

In terms of population, having just survived a ravages of beastmen, the population was only seven thousand after the invasion of the beastmen.

Militarily, having just quelled an internal rebellion, the only troops currently available are two hundred newly trained soldiers and about sixty-six female knights.

The Earldom of Dorne, which Castellania declared war on, had more than 50,000 acres of fertile land suitable for cultivation, with the Luva River flowing through it, providing abundant water resources. It had a population of 20,000 and was a very wealthy territory.

In military terms, the Earldom of Dorne possesses the Dorne Knights, which overwhelm Castellania. They can assemble up to eighty-seven knights equipped with basic plate armor, lances, maces, longswords, and flails. Each knight is a nobleman, and they have an abundance of horses, equipment, and weapons.

Any Dornish knight is superior to a female knight in terms of endurance, strength, combat prowess, and resilience.

Each knight of the Order of Dorne would be accompanied by two to four knights in chainmail and longswords, and three to five noblemen in iron armor, linen robes, and longswords and shields.

Even though the Earldom of Dorne is currently in chaos due to the rampage of demon hounds and beastmen, it is not something that Castellaia's current military strength can easily challenge.

Whether in terms of population, military, economy, or size, the Earl of Dorne completely overwhelmed Castellania. The nobles watching and even the Earl of Dorne himself believed that this was nothing more than a crushing war.

It wasn't until the new Lady of the Viscount Bolot openly rebelled against the Earl of Dorne and announced the annexation of the Viscount Bolot into Castellane that these nobles and the Earl of Dorne realized the seriousness of the situation, but it was too late.

Borod, located in the more prosperous northern part of the Earldom of Dorne, is a large plain with few forests. The soil is fertile and a tributary of the Ruva River flows through it, making it a natural arable land.

The vast plains and open terrain with few forests and no mountains or hills make it very easy to attack but difficult to defend. It is hard to resist the iron cavalry of the knights, and once a group of knights charges, it is very difficult to defend against.

However, this easy-to-attack but difficult-to-defend situation was an excellent springboard for attack for Count Dorne, and for Castella, whom no one had high hopes for.

Almost the day after Castella declared war, Castella's Knights of the Purple Nightingale marched out from Viscount Bolot's territory and, within two days, completely divided and devoured the main grain-producing areas in the north of Earl of Dorne.

Meanwhile, the Earl of Dorne and the nobles of Dorne were still fiercely debating in their castle who should pay for the war and who should send knights to deal with the invasion of Castellania.

Within the Earldom of Dorne, the Beastmen's invasion is still raging, and Demon Hounds hover over them like bloodthirsty ghosts. No one dares to withdraw military forces from their territory at this time.

What if my territory is attacked by beastmen? What if those demon hounds suddenly appear in my manor?

No one dared to gamble their own safety and that of their territory on this probability, because if either of these two things happened—withdrawing military forces from their own territory—it would be an absolute dead end.

For this reason, no one paid any attention to the north until the news of the fall of the northern territories reached the Earl of Dorne's council chamber on the third day.

The nobles and Earl of Dorne, who had been arguing and pushing each other, fell into a deathly silence as they stared at the blood-stained letter.

In their past understanding of warfare, the noble knightly system of Castile, with its fiefdoms, considered assembling military forces to be a very complicated matter.

As a Countess of the lord, she must first gather the nobles, demand that they fulfill their contracts, and provide soldiers, knights, and war funds before she can even begin to fight. But right now, even if Castella is the well-prepared attacker, this speed is far too fast.

Riding on the fall of the north and Castelli's decisive influence, the nobles of the Earl of Dorne finally began to take Castellia, a seemingly weak earldom, seriously and started to gather knights and soldiers to march to the front lines.

Thanks to the prestige and combat skills of the Knights of Dorne over the years, even though the Knights had been busy clearing out the Beastmen and hunting down the Bloodhounds these past few days, they still displayed extremely strong military power when faced with a real crisis.

In just one day, the entire Order of Dorne, consisting of seventy-six men equipped with basic plate armor and wielding lances and maces, led by their Grand Master Casterly, along with two hundred and forty-two knights and five hundred noble private soldiers armed with shields, leather armor, and longswords, marched in orderly steps toward the northern front.

Only twenty-four knights and nearly one hundred and thirty of the Earl's guards remained in the Earl of Dorne's capital castle to protect the safety of the fat Count and prevent the poorly defended Earl's territory from being attacked by the Beastmen as soon as the knights set off.

However, just as this knightly order finished assembling and set off for the front lines amidst the morning frost, several pairs of eyes in the shadows of the woods took in the entire order's movements.

Almost at the same time that the Knights of Dorne set off, in the north, on the banks of the Rue River, in the fishing town of Catolus.

The once tranquil and prosperous fishing industry of Catorus has now been plunged into war.

"In the name of the Countess! Charge!"

The steady, orderly footsteps of the battle formation shattered the clamor of the battlefield and the tranquility of the town. A square formation of two hundred soldiers, raising a golden double-headed eagle banner and holding three-meter-long steel spearheads, formed a spear wall and advanced with neat and steady steps!

The chilling spearheads, gleaming with dazzling golden light in the early morning sun, swept through the blood and bone fragments of the densely advancing spear formation, crushing the noble line in front of them, which had already been divided and devoured by the Purple Nightingale Knights, step by step!

Leading the group was a noble and beautiful, dashing silver-armored female knight who reined in her warhorse. Her beautiful, cool, golden eyes quietly swept over the war-torn Catorus and the defeated noble private army before her.

This place is already in the heart of the Earl of Dorne. If we continue forward and cross a forest and hilly terrain, we will reach the location of the Earl of Dorne Castle.

Just then, the sound of swift hooves interrupted Sera's thoughts. A graceful and agile female knight reined in her horse in front of her and quickly reported.

"The Knight Commander has given the order! The Knights of Dorne and their soldiers have assembled and are advancing. The Knights of the Purple Nightingale and the Golden Vulture Formation are to retreat and rest immediately, and await guidance to their ambush points after nightfall!"

The same order was transmitted everywhere at almost the same time, carried by the swift hooves of horses.

In the shadows of the woods, the rapid hoofbeats of beasts, accompanied by low, bloodthirsty roars, echoed everywhere.

Furious herds of horded beasts, their eyes flashing with crimson light, converged on the advancing lines of the Knights of Dorne, led by centaur rangers.

The bloodhound, hidden in the shadows, also opened its beastly eyes, which gleamed with crimson flames, from the pile of flesh and corpses deep in the forest.

Seven fleshhounds, twice the size and size of their predecessors, converged on the Knights of Dorne, led by Karanak, a fleshhound that stood over two meters tall when its hooves were up, and whose physique and size were even more robust and massive, almost like a second head.

Meanwhile, Chris was already fantasizing about how he would enjoy the mother and daughter flowers that he had long coveted after conquering Castellania.

In his eyes, no matter how bad the situation in his territory was, everything would be alright as long as the Knights of Dorne launched an attack.

Driven by pent-up frustration and unbearable heat, this fat Count, no sooner had the Knights of Dorne set off than he began organizing a victory banquet, inviting numerous charming noblewomen and leading a large group of his mistresses in a lavish feast.

Luxurious wines and delicacies filled every table in the lord's castle banquet hall. Pure and beautiful maids in revealing dresses strolled through the banquet with their shapely white silk stockings. The melodious sound of a piano mixed with a light rhythm played in the air.

This bloated, fat count quickly became intoxicated by the alluring charm of his mistresses and the elegant allure of the noblewomen he had invited.

Unbeknownst to them, a tall, strong, and handsome knight, with a blood-dripping longsword slung across his shoulder, joined the lavish banquet from a shadowy spot in the castle.

Chapter 37 The Alluring Mature Lady: Orisa

The deep night sky, like ink spreading on rice paper, spreads across the cloudless sky, dotted with stars and a crescent moon.

However, tonight's moonlight, cast by the crescent moon in the summer heat, is as hazy and dark as a rainy night before a storm.

The once sweltering summer breeze was no longer unbearably hot; instead, it carried a chilling undertone, causing the soldiers guarding the lord's castle to shiver inexplicably.

"What a damn weather."

At the entrance to the lord's castle for the banquet, two guards, each holding a spear and with a short sword at their waist, muttered curses under their breath, "Why is there a cold wind blowing in the summer?"

"Who knows? Besides, now that you mention it, it's really quiet tonight."

"Yes, there are no beastmen, no demon hounds, and even the lord has started to hold banquets."

"They've probably all gone to raid other territories, so let's—"

The conversation between the two guards was abruptly halted by the sound of hooves. They stared at the silver-white carriage that had slowly come to a stop at the entrance of the banquet hall, and the group of noble and beautiful, extremely graceful and voluptuous female knights in platinum plate armor accompanying the carriage. Their breath caught in their throats.

When they saw the emblem on the carriage—a white lion wearing a laurel wreath and holding a rose and a longsword—their pupils contracted sharply. They immediately lowered their spears, knelt on one knee with their short swords at their waists, and bowed, not daring to raise their heads even slightly, for fear of offending this guest who was far more distinguished than the Earl of Dorn.

The elegant and beautiful female knight commander, with her haughty and alluring peach-colored eyes, ignored the two guards and casually glanced at the banquet hall in front of her.

She reined in her white horse, clad in platinum and rose armor. The dignified silver armor accentuated her ripe, almost radiant figure, highlighting her alluring curves and exuding a haughty, aloof knightly charm that made the two guards dare not even raise their heads to look at her.

The female knight captain's plump, firm, and mature long legs, adorned with high-heeled silver boots decorated with platinum roses, lightly spurred her horse to the carriage, causing the two lowly guards to secretly swallow.

If those plump, firm, mature, fleshy long legs were wrapped in sexy, fleshy pantyhose, I doubt any man could withstand the strain.

"Madam, we have arrived at the castle in the Earl of Dorn." The female knight commander came to the white gauze curtain of the carriage, dismounted, and leaned down to her plump, firm waist wrapped in silver thread close to her body, and said softly.

"Hmm, thank you for your hard work." A seductive voice, alluring and charming, emanating the youthful allure of a mature noblewoman, came from inside the carriage.

That soft, seductive voice was so enchanting that it made the two kneeling guards and the passersby around them gasp for breath and feel their blood boil. Even the maids entering and leaving the banquet couldn't help but have their eyes filled with lust.

As the snow-white carriage door slowly opened, a pair of voluptuous, plump black stockings, exuding the elegance and mature allure of a noblewoman, languidly draped over a pair of exquisite, elegant, and alluring light blue strappy peep-toe crystal stiletto sandals. With a crisp, dry thud, they landed on the path of the Earl's castle, which she considered rather inferior.

Under the moonlight, the glossy black stockings, gleaming with a mature and oily sheen, revealed a touch of alluring black-red rose lace trim on the smooth, snow-white thighs of this sophisticated lady. The trim slightly constricted her smooth, mature, white thighs, creating a ring of tender, mature flesh that could drive any male creature mad.

As two exquisite, elegant, mature, and alluring women in glossy black stockings, clad in light blue, open-toe, stiletto-strap high-heeled sandals, stepped off the carriage,

A dignified and charming noblewoman with a curvaceous figure and a honey-moon-like bust, exuding a captivating and alluring spring charm, slowly stepped down from the carriage, supported by the Knight Commander Ji.

The elegant and graceful light blue spaghetti strap high-slit silk gown accentuated her voluptuous and alluring figure, which seemed ready to drip with spring honey, creating an extremely voluptuous and seductive silhouette.

The silk dress was cool and elegant. Her plump, white breasts, which resembled ripe, creamy peaches, were held together by only two thin silver ribbons that barely covered her fair neck.