Axel swallowed hard, shock written all over his face. He had always known the Draken Guardians were formidable, but he had never expected them to be this lethal.
He had pushed himself to his limit just to hold his own against Connor and Dave, only to end up seriously wounded.
Yet, when the Draken Guardians arrived, they wiped them out-along with several dozen Red Legion soldiers-without losing a single man.
If Axel hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he would never have believed that the Red Legion, a force renowned for its elite soldiers, could be so easily crushed. Or perhaps it wasn’t that the Red Legion was weak, but that the Draken Guardians were far stronger than anyone had imagined.
Even their most ordinary members were strong enough to become a mighty general. As for those at the level of captain, their strength was far beyond Axel’s. The lethality of a team made up of such skilled experts had reached the point of being an overwhelming force.
“Mr. Cruz, please arrange some people to clean up the scene. I need to hunt down Warrick.” Jaxon stepped forward and spoke briefly.
After giving his orders, he led the Draken Guardians away, leaving behind a field of corpses and a stunned enforcement team.
Those who made it into the enforcement team were elite warriors chosen from a pool of hundreds. Each of them had exceptional combat skills and had triumphed in countless battles against overwhelming odds.
But after witnessing the Draken Guardians in action, they realized there was a clear gap even among elites. If they were one in 100, the Draken Guardians were one in 10,000.
“Mr. Cruz, is this what the Draken Guardians are like? They’re on a whole different level, aren’t they?” exclaimed one of the enforcement team members as he stared at the Red Legion soldiers’ bodies.
Just moments ago, they had been locked in a fierce battle with the Red Legion, but the Draken Guardians had ended it in seconds. The gap between them was staggering.
“Only one or two hundred people were selected from hundreds of thousands of Black Dragon Army soldiers. Of course they’re strong.” Axel took a deep breath, retracted his gaze, and said helplessly, ” Stop staring. There’s nothing left for us to do here. Clean up the mess.”
With the Draken Guardians dispatched, the task of capturing Warrick was no longer Axel’s responsibility. For the enforcement team, though, their mission was an absolute failure.
The manhunt continued throughout the night. By dawn, every last Red Legion squad that had scattered in the chaos had been rounded up. Not a single one escaped.
As the first light of dawn broke over the castle courtyard, Austin sat under the magnolia tree playing a game of chess by himself.
Two maids stood nearby, holding lanterns to illuminate the board. Occasionally, a fragrant magnolia blossom drifted down, adding to the serene atmosphere.
Then came the sound of hurried footsteps.
The maids looked up to see Axel and a group of enforcement team members marching into the courtyard while escorting three captured Red Legion rebels.
“Your Highness.” Axel dropped to one knee and placed his fist on his chest in salute. ” The resisting Red Legion forces have been eliminated, and the remaining rebels have been captured. These are three of their assistant generals. Your Highness, what is your decision on them?”
Austin didn’t look up from the chessboard. His voice was calm as he asked, “Where’s Warrick?”
“Sir Prescott and several of his soldiers are still at large. Right now, General Steele is tracking them down.” Axel lowered his head. “Tonight’s operation was a complete failure, Your Highness. I take full responsibility and await your punishment.”
“He managed to escape even after being dosed with Tranqurin. He’s more capable than I gave him credit for. This isn’t your fault. Get up.” Austin placed a white piece on the board, his expression unreadable.
“I dare not, Your Highness. I have failed in my duty.” Axel remained on his knees and didn’t dare to raise his head.
Just as families had their own way of doing things, the military had its code. No matter the reason, failing to capture Warrick was Axel’s mistake. For that, he deserved to be punished.
“Since you enjoy a beating so much, go receive 50 lashes,” Austin said coolly.
“Thank you, Your Highness.” Axel let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Without punishment, he wouldn’t feel at ease. Now, at least, he could put the matter behind him.
Austin spoke again. “There’s something else I need you to do after your punishment.”
Axel lowered his head again. “I await your command.”
“I’ve heard that Prescott estate is quite extravagant, with treasure piled high. Take the troops and raid the place. Arrest the guilty, lock up the criminals, and enforce the law to the letter. Everything must be handled impartially,” Austin ordered.
“I understand, Your Highness.” Axel rose to his feet and left.
Austin finally set down his chess piece and turned his gaze to the three traitorous assistant generals bound before him. He asked coldly, “How long have you served under Warrick?”
The three kept their heads down and said nothing.
“I’m giving you a chance to live. The first one to answer my questions will be spared. “Austin’s face was unreadable.
The assistant generals exchanged uneasy glances, and their expressions were a mix of hope and suspicion.
“Your Highness… Do you really mean that? “the assistant general on the left, Auron Repa, asked cautiously.
“Shut up! Are you planning to betray Sir Prescott?” the assistant general in the middle, Viggo Bloom, snapped.
Before he could say another word, a member of the enforcement team stepped forward and slapped him hard across the face.
“The choice is yours. It’s up to you if you want to believe it.” Austin took a sip from the teacup. “My patience is limited. I’ll only give you 30 seconds to consider. After that, even if you want to talk, I won’t care to listen.”
