CHAPTER 401: CHAPTER 347 BIRTHDAY BANQUET_1

Yan Xing, after some consideration, said to Erelado, "In a few days, Count Theodore of Nuta City will be holding a birthday banquet. You should set the attack on Frostleaf City for that night.

"Someone will help you clear out the Orc scouts and blow open the south gate of Frostleaf City.

"All you need to do is to march into the city quickly and seize control of it as fast as possible.

"Can you do that?"

In the cold wilderness, Orc scouts patrolling outside were the most obvious targets under the drone’s infrared scanner.

Yan Xing planned to send Donna to lead a group of special forces, using night-vision goggles and drones to eliminate any Orc lookouts and hidden guards the Elves might encounter on their march.

Then they would use bombs to breach a city gate, enabling the Elves to storm into Frostleaf City in the shortest time possible.

For Donna, who was increasingly becoming like an "Allied Tanya," such a mission was very much a walk in the park.

"We can do it," Erelado immediately assured him, having secured Yan Xing’s help. "As long as we can enter the city smoothly, Frostleaf City is still our home field, and we can drive the Orcs out of our city in the shortest time.

"Thank you, my lord!"

Yan Xing smiled and said to Erelado, "I’ll be waiting in Nuta City for your triumphant news."

Erelado left the Lord’s Mansion immediately and headed for Bloodcrown Mountain City.

The time Yan Xing had given him was not plentiful; he had to gather his troops immediately to prepare for the counterattack on Frostleaf City.

The day of Count Theodore’s birthday was drawing near.

The weather in the Wildwind Highlands was getting warmer by the day.

It was as if the early winter was also ready to depart early.

The armored military vehicle Yan Xing was riding in, under the escort of ground vehicles and aerial drone fleets, advanced toward Nuta City.

Throughout the journey, the entire view was an expanse of green wheat seedlings.

The soil of the Wildwind Highlands was inherently very fertile, and further nourished by the winter snowfall, the wheat thrived in dense clumps.

In a few more months, it would be time for harvest.

The Eternal Domain would no longer need to purchase food in large quantities from the real world and could save a substantial amount of expenditure.

Yan Xing was not in a hurry.

He traveled at a leisurely pace, stopping from time to time to inspect the condition of the wheat fields.

Sometimes, he would turn onto a side path to visit a farmstead and inquire about the needs of the farmers and militia members living there and tending to the fields.

When passing by the encampment of the Merchant Guild’s Mercenaries, Yan Xing also took the time to tour every part of the camp.

Most of the Eternal Domain’s farmlands were within the Nuta City control area. It was impractical for the Eternal Domain’s own troops to be stationed there directly, so the Guild’s Mercenaries were needed to protect these food supplies.

The number of the Eternal Commerce Guild’s Mercenaries had reached 8,000 after two expansions.

Half of these forces accompanied the Guild’s merchants to protect their trade routes. The other half were dispersed in various camps in the suburbs of Nuta City, protecting the farmlands while also remaining prepared to enter Nuta City at any moment.

Yan Xing had placed great importance on this force from the very beginning.

Aside from equipment for the air force and special units, the Eternal Domain prioritized supplying the Guild’s Mercenaries with weapons from its active military inventory.

It could be said that the Guild’s Mercenaries functioned as an independent division-level force outside the Eternal Domain’s formal military structure.

Concerns about equipment leaking to Storm City were valid. There were certainly instances of equipment loss, and the mercenaries surely had infiltrators from various parties. However, the benefits of having the mercenaries far outweighed such relatively minor security breaches.

Even if Marquis Anderson got his hands on some firearms, he would not be able to replicate them.

After surveying the situation with the mercenaries and ordering them to prepare for war, Yan Xing proceeded towards Nuta City without further delay, finally entering the city before nightfall.

Count Theodore, who enjoyed organizing banquets, held a grand birthday party for himself every year, inviting all the influential human figures, great and small, from across the Wildwind Highlands.

The celebration was as bustling and lively as a festival.

This time, Count Theodore hosted an event of immense grandeur, and the entire Lord’s Mansion was as bright as day.

The dazzling lights drew envious glances from the guests.

The Eternal Commerce Guild’s electric grid had not yet been fully deployed throughout the city; only a small part of the urban area was electrified.

Only the Lord’s Mansion and the embassy could boast lighting so brilliant it seemed to illuminate the sky.

Hearing the guests’ compliments, Count Theodore laughed as happily as when he had received the Ice Jade Porcelain dinnerware.

At the banquet, an air of extravagant wealth and luxury prevailed.

In the ballroom, men and women in formal attire danced the Royal Court ring dances.

Count Theodore stood on the balcony, looking at the grandeur within his mansion, with Yan Xing to his left and Marquis Anderson to his right.

Neither of the latter two had spoken a word from beginning to end.

"I wonder if I’ll still be able to hold the same birthday feast here next year," Count Theodore mused, his words tinged with emotion. "This winter makes me feel truly old. I really want to return to my ancestral domain, to live a quiet life of fishing and drinking."

His words seemed to carry a deeper meaning.

Yan Xing, also looking down at the ballroom, responded with a smile, "With your good health, Tutor, as long as there are no worries, you can drink, fish, and host banquets anywhere."

Yan Xing was expressing his disinterest in conflict.

Marquis Anderson, however, countered, "From the moment we set foot on the Wildwind Highlands, we knew that only by taking complete control could we live the life we desire in peace. Theodore... I promise that day is not far off. Next year at this time, you can host an even grander banquet here."

Anderson was determined to fight.

Count Theodore maintained his composure and said to Yan Xing, "The alchemical weapon you gave me, called a firegun, is as exquisitely crafted as a piece of art; I like it very much. All soldiers in your army use these fireguns, don’t they?"

"Yes, Lord Earl," Yan Xing glanced at Anderson, knowing he was listening, and said, "The firegun I gave you was specially selected for its accuracy.

"With a scope mounted on it, it can hit a hare’s head from 800 meters away.

"Let’s go hunting outside the city tomorrow; I guarantee you’ll quickly learn how to use the firegun."

Count Theodore, upon hearing that Yan Xing had equipped his soldiers with such powerful weapons, hastily asked, "That firegun can really shoot that far?"

Yan Xing laughed and said, "You’ll know if you try it tomorrow. The best record achieved by my soldiers is hitting a target at a distance of 1,200 meters."

Marquis Anderson’s expression finally changed. He knew the Eternal Domain’s fireguns possessed long range, but range didn’t equate to accuracy; at 400 meters, a person was merely a small dot. If the Eternal Domain’s fireguns could indeed accurately hit targets at 800... or even 1,200 meters, their effective killing range would be three times that of a Charged Magic Wand. How many of his soldiers’ lives would be needed to bridge that distance?

Anderson couldn’t help but ask Yan Xing directly, "Such powerful, long-range alchemical weapons must be very expensive to make."

"Expensive? Of course, they’re very expensive," sighed Yan Xing. "The weapons accumulated over many years in the Thunderous Swamp have all been brought out by me.

"All our resources are exhausted.

"I wonder if Marquis is interested in purchasing some? They are 2,000 gold apiece, with a minimum order of 1,000.

"I’ll even include 20 bullets with each one..."

This time it was Count Theodore’s turn to be taken aback; he looked at Yan Xing in surprise.

And Marquis Anderson’s eyes widened even more.