The poisoned broth was served in a wooden bowl, emitting an enticing aroma.Louis took the soup from the knight, slowly raised it to his mouth, but suddenly stopped, turned, and handed the bowl to Roy."I have no appetite, you drink it for me."Roy's expression stiffened, and he forced a smile, saying, "My Lord, this is not proper. You should have it first.""I order you, drink it," Louis's tone suddenly became serious.Roy's lips turned slightly pale, and cold sweat seeped from his temples.He knew very well what was in that bowl of soup; if he drank it, he would surely die.Lambert, the Knight Captain, also noticed the anomaly and gave a look to the surrounding knights. Several of them immediately stood up and surrounded Roy."Drink it," Lambert said in a deep voice.The scalding hot broth was forcefully brought to his lips.Seeing that he could no longer feign compliance, Roy suddenly flipped over, attempting to escape, but was held down firmly.Only then did the other knights truly realize—there was poison in this bowl of soup!Louis stood up, looking down at Roy who was pinned to the ground: "You know the consequences of harming your lord, don't you?"Roy's eyes were filled with terror; he certainly knew the consequences."Who told you to poison it?" Louis's voice was neither hurried nor slow.Roy stammered in reply: "It was... it was Lord Benjamin. He ordered me to poison it."Benjamin was Duke Calvin's second son, Louis's own older brother.The knights' gazes all turned towards Louis.They were all knights of the Calvin Family, well aware of the open and secret struggles between the brothers.However, to be backstabbed by a family member before the lord had even found his footing still sent a chill down their spines.Roy continued intermittently: "He promised... that as long as I poisoned you, he would let me return to the South, and he would arrange a new position for me, at least a Knight Captain..."At these words, the faces of the knights surrounding him grew even uglier.Louis, however, let out a low chuckle.If he guessed correctly, his brother was trying to completely eliminate future contenders for the ducal title.The Calvin Family's ducal succession was not based on primogeniture, but on the strongest heir.No matter how useless Louis was now, as long as he was alive, he was still of Duke Calvin's bloodline and still had a claim to the inheritance.Moreover, if he died on the way to the Northern Reaches, the family would surely send another brother to take over and complete the mission to the Northern Reaches.In other words, Benjamin could not only eliminate one competitor but also continue to deplete the other brothers in the family, killing two birds with one stone. What a shrewd plan.Roy still held a sliver of hope, and he looked at Louis pleadingly: "My Lord, I... I was forced!I am just a knight. Lord Benjamin ordered me, and I dared not disobey... Please spare my life, I am willing to pledge my loyalty to you!""Lambert," Louis said in a calm tone."Yes," the Knight Captain stepped forward, drawing his longsword.Roy completely panicked, struggling desperately: "My Lord! Mercy! I will never again...""Pfft!"A flash of silver, and blood splattered on the snow.Roy's pleas for mercy abruptly ceased, his head rolled to the ground, his eyes wide open in death.Lambert sheathed his sword, saying indifferently: "The traitor has been executed."But in the camp, the atmosphere was somewhat subtle.The surrounding knights were silent, and a complex emotion even appeared in their eyes.Roy betrayed his lord; he deserved to die. This was an indisputable fact.But were his actions truly only due to greed?He wanted to return to the South, not to be trapped and die in this cold wasteland.And what about them? Weren't they the same?Everyone knew what it meant to go to the Northern Reaches to open up territory.This was a place of exile, the territory with the highest mortality rate.No one came voluntarily, and no one didn't want to go back.At this moment, no one dared to look at the rolling head on the ground, afraid to see their own face on the severed head.Confusion and helplessness, like a tide, slowly washed over their hearts.Under the dark night, the bonfire burned, clearly reflecting the emotions in their eyes.Louis saw it and then stepped forward: "Those who wish to return can leave now."Everyone was startled and looked up at him."I will personally write a letter to the family, exonerating you," Louis paused, his gaze sweeping over each person's face, "But after today, anyone who leaves will meet the same fate as Roy."No one spoke, and no one dared to move.They were not fools; even with a letter from Louis, the family might not forgive them for deserting their posts, and what awaited them would probably be an even more brutal punishment.Staying in the Northern Reaches might be a dead end, but returning might not offer a way out either.Louis looked at these silent knights and suddenly let out a soft laugh.He put away his previous murderous aura, and his voice became calm: "You all think that coming to the Northern Reaches is a death sentence.You also know why you were sent here. Isn't it because you have no backing within the family, so you can be discarded like trash at will?"Louis paused, his tone suddenly firm and powerful: "But I don't think so! You are not trash!You were able ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) to become Apprentice Knights, and even Formal Knights, through talent, effort, and real battles!And those who sent you here? They are nothing but a bunch of parasites hiding in castles, eating, drinking, and indulging!"He slowly scanned the crowd; at this moment, a hint of wavering appeared in everyone's eyes."Have you ever considered, is there a possibility that we could survive in this frozen land? What if we gain a foothold here?Perhaps the darkness before dawn will be very long.But the sun will always rise!I don't know if we can all wait for that moment, but I swear by the Dragon Ancestor—If that day comes, I will share the glory brought by the sun with all of you!"Louis slowly scanned the crowd; a hint of wavering appeared in everyone's eyes."To the Calvin Family, you are insignificant beings, pawns that can be sacrificed at any time.But in this land full of opportunities, anything is possible.Someone among you may become a Baron, a Viscount, or even an Earl in the future!Of course, you can continue to wallow in the arrangements of fate, continue to lament all day long, treating yourselves as people with one foot in the grave;Or, you can join me in this abandoned land and firmly grasp the future in your own hands."Silence.A deathly silence.The night wind howled, and the bonfire flickered slightly, illuminating complex faces.Suddenly, a low thud broke the night with a "bang!".Knight Captain Lambert knelt on one knee, his right fist slamming hard against his chest!"I swear to follow my Lord to the death!"Immediately after, the second person, the third person, the fourth person... "I swear to follow my Lord to the death!""I swear to follow my Lord to the death!"...The knights knelt one after another, their right fists slamming hard against their chests.

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