45: The End of Duke Rubick

“Everyone, I apologize for the trouble, but Duke Rabick is on his way. I'll need your help in a bit.”

Sigri said sincerely to the Soldiers of the company.

“Leave it to us. If that Eighth-Level Mage is present, you'll do this...”

The company commander, who was leading the team, leaned close to Sigri's ear and quietly explained his plan.

“Alright, alright, alright, rest assured, I will handle it!”

Sigri nodded repeatedly, his eyes filled with determination.

After the plan was arranged, the company's Soldiers quickly sprang into action, each picking up their weapons and stealthily ambushing various corners of the City Lord's Mansion, standing by in full readiness, quietly awaiting Duke Rabick's arrival... In a short while, Duke Rabick arrived at the City Lord's Mansion with a group of people, full of imposing momentum.

“Duke, you've come with such a large display and mobilized so many people; is there something urgent?”

Sigri, with a fawning smile, quickly stepped forward.

“Hmph, cut the nonsense. I heard you went to the Adi Forest to investigate the whereabouts of my youngest son? You're back so soon... I suppose you've found a trace of him, then...”

Duke Rabick said with a stern and unfriendly tone.

“You're right, I did find a trace of your youngest son in the Adi Forest.”

Upon hearing Sigri say this, Duke Rabick was somewhat surprised. He really found the whereabouts of my youngest son!

After all, for Duke Rabick, he had originally only intended to push Sigri forward as a scapegoat to vent his anger, but if he could truly find his youngest son, then the identity of a scapegoat could naturally be written off.

“Is that true? Then where is my son?”

Duke Rabick asked impatiently, his eyes full of anticipation.

“My apologies, Duke, I didn't find your youngest son, but I found this...”

Saying this, Sigri raised his hand and pointed to an armored vehicle nearby.

Following the direction of Sigri's finger, Rabick then noticed that there was a strange, never-before-seen behemoth placed on the open ground.

“What is this thing?”

Duke Rabick looked curious, walking straight to the armored vehicle, touching it here and there.

“Duke, this is something I found in the Adi Forest. Because I've never seen it before, I suspect it's related to your youngest son's disappearance, so I went to great lengths to drag it back.”

Sigri explained cautiously from the side.

“It is indeed a novel item. Could it be some new type of magic puppet?”

Duke Rabick frowned and muttered to himself.

“Sir, why don't you have your Eighth-Level Mage take a look? Perhaps he can discern something.”

Seeing that Duke Rabick was still utterly bewildered and clueless after observing for a long time, Sigri subtly induced him.

Duke Rabick glanced at Sigri, and after a moment of thought, he still waved his hand, signaling his Eighth-Level Mage to step forward and inspect it.

“There's no magical aura, but its hardness far exceeds most metals on the market...”

As soon as the Eighth-Level Mage appeared, he waved his hand to cast a magic array, enveloping the entire armored vehicle.

“Strange, I sense signs of life from inside, and more than one... How peculiar?”

Upon hearing this, Sigri and the Soldiers inside the armored vehicle couldn't help but subconsciously hold their breaths, not daring to make a sound, fearing accidental exposure.

“Sir, perhaps that pipe on top can show what's inside.”

Sigri quickly jogged to the Eighth-Level Mage, pointing at the armored vehicle.

“A pipe?”

Following Sigri's gaze, the Eighth-Level Mage then saw a slender pipe on top of the large object.

“What's in here?”

The Eighth-Level Mage gently waved his sleeve, and his entire body floated gracefully, slowly flying towards the pipe.

Completely oblivious to any approaching danger, the Eighth-Level Mage unsuspectingly brought his face close to the pipe.

“Good opportunity! Now, fire!”

With a command from the company commander, who had been observing from outside.

Before the Eighth-Level Mage could react, the 30mm autocannon on the armored vehicle instantly spat out a tongue of fire. With powerful firepower, in the blink of an eye, the Eighth-Level Mage's entire head was shattered by this terrifying force.

Without the support of his head, his entire body fell straight from the air, collapsing onto the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust.

“What happened?”

Seeing this horrifying scene, Duke Rabick was greatly alarmed, looking fearfully at Sigri, trying to get an answer from him.

“Attack!”

Seeing that the most threatening Eighth-Level Mage was dead, Sigri decisively shouted.

The Soldiers ambushing all around instantly rushed out from all directions like fierce tigers descending from the mountain.

Without even giving Duke Rabick time to speak, the Soldiers pulled their triggers.

“Bang bang bang!”

A continuous burst of deafening gunshots suddenly erupted.

In just a brief moment, the entire scene was littered with corpses and rivers of blood. Only Sigri and the Soldiers remained standing; all of Duke Rabick's entourage lay in pools of blood, none spared.

As for Rabick, he still had a breath left and had not completely died, which only showed that he was indeed a bit harder to kill due to his thick skin.

“You...”

Watching Sigri slowly walk towards him, Duke Rabick's eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief.

He never imagined that he would fall into the hands of this small City Lord whom he had always underestimated.

“Duke, please rest in peace...”

Looking at Duke Rabick, who was still gasping for breath, Sigri bent down, picked up a long knife from the ground, raised it high, and aimed it at Rabick's neck.

With a swift motion of the knife, Duke Rabick's head was separated from his body, and he completely ceased to breathe.

“Let's go, everyone, only the garrison remains to be dealt with.”

...