173: Chapter 173 The Four Ma Brothers

"As you command, Commander Sir!" Huang Yichen raised the cup of wine in front of him, downed it in one gulp, and replied respectfully to Wei He.

Just as Wei He and the others were drinking, Spike had already arrived at the military camp outside the city. Within the camp, in several particularly tall tents, lived the Rhinoceros Beastmen. Their massive figures stood out conspicuously compared to the other beastmen troops; they could be spotted from a great distance.

Surrounded by the Deer-headed Beastman, Spike passed through the tent flaps and entered the large tent. The Rhinoceros Beastmen leader, Mars, who was seated in the center of the tent, immediately stood up upon seeing the arrival of the First Prince Spike and hurried forward to greet him. With every step he took, the ground shook. Spike clearly felt the tremor beneath his feet.

"Your Highness, First Prince, why have you come in person? You could have simply sent a message to us brothers for any instructions! Why bother making the trip yourself? Hahahaha!" Mars, bearing his enormous rhino horns, displayed a simple and honest smile.

The First Prince Spike smiled faintly, looking at Mars's massive rhino horns with a touch of emotion, but he still spoke calmly: "It's nothing, I was just passing by here. I thought I'd stop by to see you all and bring you some local specialties!"

As soon as the First Prince Spike's voice fell, a group of Deer-headed Beastman carried in several heavy chests—eight large chests in total. Each one was so heavy that the wooden poles on the shoulders of the Deer-headed Beastman were bent.

Under the instruction of the First Prince Spike, the Deer-headed Beastman opened the eight large chests. The contents of each chest were different, ranging from gold to jewels, from Magic Crystals to heavenly materials and earthly treasures—they had everything.

Mars stared at the dazzling array of treasures, his eyes almost popping out. He exclaimed: "Your Highness, First Prince, are all of these gifts for us brothers?"

"Of course. You guard the military camp and protect the capital; your efforts and contributions are immense. As the Minister of Military Affairs, this Prince must naturally show consideration for his subordinates. These items are merely a small token of my appreciation. I hope you won't find them lacking!" the First Prince Spike said with a smile.

"We won't find them lacking, not at all! Hahahaha! Your Highness, First Prince, you are too kind! We will certainly work hard and live up to your expectations!" Mars's hearty laughter echoed throughout the entire tent, shaking it until it hummed.

"In the last couple of days, several uninvited guests arrived in the city. They seem to be from the Magic Empire. You also know that the Magic Empire just installed a new King. They are being extremely arrogant this time, relying on their status as envoys of the Magic Empire to openly slander me in front of Father King for committing murder. It's utterly laughable!" The First Prince Spike wore a beaming smile, as if the matter had nothing to do with him, speaking about it very casually.

"What? There's such a thing? They've gone too far! I don't care if they are from the Magic Empire or the Devil Empire. If they dare to frame Your Highness, First Prince, I will never let them off!" Mars's voice boomed like a great bell, his face full of rage, as if the incident had already occurred.

"Hahahaha, good! With those words from you, this King is relieved. Oh, right, you brothers have been stationed in the military camp for so long; you must be a bit weary. How about this: I'll grant you a month of leave so you brothers can rest properly. What do you say?" Upon hearing Mars's words, the First Prince Spike showed a satisfied smile, saying happily.

"Thank you, Your Highness, First Prince!" Mars and his brothers knelt on the ground to thank the First Prince Spike.

"Mm, good. Rise now. This King still has some matters to attend to, so I won't keep you company!" After speaking, the First Prince Spike turned and left the tent.

"We respectfully see off Your Highness, First Prince!" Mars and his brothers stood up and shouted respectfully.

"This is great, Big Brother! We can finally leave here and relax properly!" After the First Prince Spike left, Mars's second brother, Marcus, said very excitedly.

"Do you really think he gave us leave so we could rest? Hmph!" The third brother, Matthew, looked at Marcus as if he were an idiot and said.

"Huh? Didn't he say he was giving us a month off? Isn't that for us to rest?" Marcus looked at Matthew with confusion.

"Hahahaha, alright, Third Brother, stop lecturing Second Brother. He's just that kind of person; his brain isn't quite enough!" The fourth brother, Martin, stroked his rhino horn and laughed proudly.

"Uh, Big Brother, Third Brother, what does this mean? Didn't His Highness, the First Prince, say he was giving us a month off?" Marcus looked at Mars with his round, clear eyes, asking in confusion.

"Hmph. This Spike never comes without a purpose. He sought us out this time and brought such heavy gifts; he must have something he wants us to do. Besides, hasn't he killed enough people? Does he need others to slander him?" Mars snorted coldly, looking at Marcus with disdain.

"This time he came, he definitely wants us to kill those few envoys from the Magic Empire. He himself is unwilling to act, not wanting to bear the responsibility of violating the alliance between the two nations, which is why he came to ask us brothers for help!" Matthew held his wine glass between two fingers. The normal-sized wine glass looked like a toy in his hands, appearing particularly comical.

"Martin, go to the First Prince's residence and find out the detailed situation for me. If we succeed this time, we brothers will have secured a connection with the First Prince. If we fail, Spike will certainly absolve himself completely, and we brothers will be utterly ruined!" Mars pointed at Martin and spoke with a serious expression.

"Yes, Big Brother, rest assured. I will definitely find out the details. Since we have made the decision, there is no turning back for us brothers!" Martin nodded, looking at Mars with very determined eyes.

"Mm, that's good. Go then!" Mars waved his hand in dismissal.

Three days later, in the First Prince's mansion, Lance was tied to a torture rack, covered in wounds. Blood dripped drop by drop from his fingertips onto the ground. The Deer-headed Beastman who had been torturing him had just finished their work and walked out, leaving Lance alone in the entire dungeon.

Feeling pain all over his body, Lance struggled to open his eyes. He looked at the moonlight filtering through the narrow gap onto the dungeon floor. His heart was filled with complex emotions. Originally, he was heavily invited from the Lingshu Kingdom by the First Prince Spike to come to the Magical Beast Empire, enjoying boundless glory for a time. At that moment, he never imagined he would face a day like this.

Thinking this, Lance couldn't help but sigh, slowly forcing a bitter smile, as if laughing at how pitiful and tragic he was. What had he been doing all these years? What had he been pursuing? In the end, he realized everything was just futile, everything was just an empty illusion.