My Computer Leads to an Instance Dungeon-Chapter 159 - 134: Redstone Town’s Armament! Found Support

The five corpses had been dead for some time. They were discolored and decomposing, skin sloughing off as flies buzzed around them.

Fang Zhen looked for a moment and noticed that one of the corpses seemed a little familiar.

It was the fat mercenary who had survived.

Among Rex's group that had tried to ambush Fang Zhen, a fat mercenary had been shot in the leg with an arrow and tied up in the woods.

After returning to town, Fang Zhen had told Town Mayor Ande the mercenary's location, and Ande had taken men to capture him.

Now, the fat mercenary's face was horribly swollen, but he could tell it was the same man.

Seeing that one of the corpses was the fat mercenary, Fang Zhen relaxed slightly.

'It must mean no major disaster had struck the town.'

He rode his motorcycle into the town.

The town was empty. The streets were deserted, giving it a desolate air.

He rode his motorcycle all the way to the Redstone Tavern.

He had just stopped his motorcycle when he heard someone cry out from inside the tavern.

"Fang Zhen! That's the sound of his mount!"

At the sound of the voice, the tavern door was pushed open. Town Mayor Ande, Father Matthew, Quade—who had once fought alongside Fang Zhen—and several others poured out one after another.

Seeing Fang Zhen, tears welled up in Quade's eyes. "Sir, you've finally returned!" he cried.

Town Mayor Ande was also visibly moved.

Seeing that his acquaintances were all there, Fang Zhen parked his bike, dismounted, and asked, "There are corpses hanging north of town. What's that about?"

"It's a long story. Let's go inside and talk," Matthew said.

A few minutes later, they were inside the Redstone Tavern. The place wasn't crowded—just Fang Zhen's table and a few other scattered patrons.

Fang Zhen sat at the table, listening as Town Mayor Ande recounted what had happened in Redstone Town during his absence.

Ande spoke methodically and quickly clarified the situation.

After Fang Zhen left, Redstone Town had faced a minor crisis.

Routed soldiers from Viscount Ashton's Territory had tried to plunder Redstone Town.

The war was going poorly in Ashton Territory.

Viscount Ashton's army was no match for Viscount Montagu's. After several defeats, they were at a severe disadvantage, and Montagu's forces had already penetrated Ashton's domain.

Montagu's army had besieged Viscount Ashton in his castle, leaving Ashton to rely on his fortress's sturdy walls for defense. Fortunately, the castle was well-stocked with food and water, so it became a war of attrition to see which side would break first.

Ashton's army had collapsed. Some of the routed soldiers fled, and a group of them ended up in Redstone Town, hoping to plunder it for loot. To intimidate the townsfolk, they immediately killed two residents.

However, the Redstone Town of today was a far cry from what it once was.

After Fang Zhen wiped out the Dogman Mine, a large number of the kobolds' weapons were salvaged, including heavy and iron armor.

After the incident with the kobolds seizing the mine, and following the subsequent celebration, the people of Redstone Town learned a painful lesson. They realized that being unarmed was a major disadvantage. Thus, Ande distributed the salvaged weapons and armor to the town's strong, able-bodied men in their prime.

Although the townsfolk lacked formal training, they had the advantage of years spent mining. By the standards of this world, they were strong and sturdy. They were also resilient and willing to be organized.

The routed soldiers only managed to act menacingly for a short while before they were surrounded by the armed townsfolk.

The Kobold equipment included plenty of crossbow arrows, and Quade even had a suit of heavy armor. The routed soldiers, their morale completely gone, surrendered once they were surrounded.

After capturing the routed soldiers, and persuaded by Matthew, Ande made the grim decision to hang them, along with the fat mercenary.

"That's what happened," Ande said, looking a bit apprehensive. "And it's not just routed soldiers from the direction of Ashton Territory. From the direction of Baron von Klei's Territory, Leon and some others have seen small squads of armed men passing by, spying on Redstone Town."

"Father Matthew believes they are Baron von Klei's soldiers."

"Baron von Klei failed in his last attempt to use the kobolds to seize Redstone Town's mine. Now, he's having his soldiers disguise themselves as mercenaries, or even bandits, to spy on and harass us directly. His goal is still to annex Redstone Town."

"We hung gallows and corpses on both ends of town to intimidate those soldiers, to show them that the people of Redstone Town are not to be trifled with."

"But that will only deter ordinary soldiers. We can't stand against a true Knight."

When Ande finished, he looked at Fang Zhen with hope in his eyes.

"Sir, your martial skill and strength are among the greatest I've ever seen. Only you can contend with Baron von Klei or other Knights. You will protect Redstone Town, won't you?"

Fang Zhen was currently thinking.

'The situation is getting worse, but Redstone Town's tenacity is surprisingly impressive.'

'The armed townsfolk have become a decent militia.'

'Redstone Town's existence is beneficial to me. At the very least, it can serve as a reliable base for supplies and repairs. Plus, the organized militia can take some of the pressure off.'

Fang Zhen said, "I won't promise to protect you."

"You must protect and decide Redstone Town's fate for yourselves."

"But I will be in Redstone Town for a while. If von Klei or Montagu attacks, I can consider helping you fend off their Knights. But as for the other soldiers, I won't be able to handle them all. You'll need to learn to protect yourselves." 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

"Sir, thank you for your kindness!" Ande was thrilled. "I understand. It's a kind of tough love for Redstone Town. Even though you won't promise to protect us, you're still willing to help us face our most powerful enemies."

"I understand your ways, sir. I will prepare the Magic Divine Oil we talked about last time as your payment."

"Good," Fang Zhen nodded.

"Sir, I have something I'd like to discuss with you privately," Father Matthew suddenly said.

Fang Zhen nodded.

Matthew stood up and said, "Please come with me."

Fang Zhen grabbed his gear and followed Matthew upstairs.

On the second floor, they stopped outside the door to the room where Fang Zhen had spoken with Matthew and Ande before.

"KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK"

Matthew stood before the door and knocked.

A moment later, the door opened.

Standing before Fang Zhen was a one-eyed Female Warrior.

The Female Warrior was around thirty years old and stood about 1.6 meters tall, which was considered towering in this world—taller than most men.

She had some muscle on her forearms, but it wasn't excessive—just the normal definition a woman would develop from regular training.

She had plain features and wore an eyepatch over her left eye, which was presumably blind.

The Female Warrior nodded to Matthew, then her gaze fell on Fang Zhen, her brow furrowing as if she felt threatened.

"This is Knight Fang Zhen, the one I mentioned. He's trustworthy, so there's no need to be tense," Matthew said.

The Female Warrior nodded and moved aside, clearing the doorway.

Matthew led the way, and Fang Zhen followed him into the room.

Inside, Fang Zhen saw there was another woman.

The woman was in her mid-twenties, with a remarkably dignified and elegant bearing. Her long, jet-black hair cascaded over her shoulders like silk. Her eyes were as clear as a lake, and her skin was as fair and delicate as fine porcelain. In this Nameless World, she was a rare beauty.

She had a slender, well-proportioned figure with a slim waist. She wore a long gown adorned with intricate black patterns, its skirt flowing lightly like a blossoming flower.

The woman was sitting in a chair, and her gaze was fixed on Fang Zhen.

Fang Zhen thought she looked somewhat familiar.

He glanced at Matthew.

After a moment's observation, Fang Zhen looked thoughtful.

'No wonder she looked familiar. There was a strong resemblance between her and Matthew.'

'It wasn't that they were identical, but the proportions of their eyes, the arrangement of their features, and details like their eyebrows and the bridge of their noses were very similar. It was clear they were related. In terms of pure appearance, however, their gender differences were distinct; he didn't look effeminate, nor did she look masculine.'

"Allow me to introduce you. This is Viscountess Ashton, Dalia," Matthew said.

'Fang Zhen had already guessed Dalia's identity, but he had been wrong about her relationship with Matthew.'

'He had originally assumed Matthew was romantically involved with Viscountess Ashton, which would explain why the priest wanted to find a safe escape route for her.'

'But now, it seemed that wasn't necessarily the case.'

'Dalia and Matthew looked too much alike; the family genes were clearly dominant. Even if they weren't siblings, they had to be close relatives.'

"So you are Fang Zhen, the Wandering Knight my brother spoke of?"

"Your build and physique make me inclined to believe you have the strength to match a true Knight."

Dalia said.

Her voice was gentle, and she spoke with a slight aristocratic accent.

'As Fang Zhen interpreted it, she had the voice of a mature, sophisticated woman, though it was a little affected.'

Fang Zhen nodded slightly. "Father Matthew mentioned you need to cross Baron von Klei's territory to reach safety?"

"Where is your destination? What do you want me to do?"

"I need to cross Baron von Klei's Territory, continue north to Viscount Perrington's Territory, and then proceed to the Royal Capital," Dalia said.

'It was clear Dalia had planned her route thoroughly, or at least had gone over it many times.' She said, "I need you to escort me through Baron von Klei's Territory. To reach Viscount Perrington's Territory, we must pass by von Klei's castle. Both entering the Baron's Domain and passing the castle will be extremely dangerous."

"I need you to protect me through this part of the journey. If we fail, both of us will face a grim fate."

Fang Zhen narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Did Father Matthew tell you about my terms?" Fang Zhen asked.

"He did," Dalia replied, rising to her feet. "You want Extraordinary Items. I have such things and am willing to give them to you as payment. However, I can only hand them over after we reach Viscount Perrington's Territory."

"I don't know you well, but based on what my brother has told me, I am willing to place a certain amount of trust in you. However, I expect you to adhere to the principles of a decent man. I advise you not to get any ideas about the Extraordinary Items in my possession."

"I'm not bragging or exaggerating, but I do have some ability to protect myself. While I can't fight for extended periods like a Knight, for a short burst of time, my power might even surpass that of a typical Knight."

"I am not questioning your character. Rather, I want to reach an understanding. I accept your terms, but I don't want any unnecessary trouble to arise from human greed or foolish desires."

"Do you understand and agree to this?"