Duke Tarrenno’s army appeared south of Nottingham City, marching steadily toward it.

Fang Zhen picked up the military-grade telescope at his side and looked through it.

He saw that from their weapons and uniforms to their other equipment, as well as the composition of their infantry and cavalry, this army far surpassed any other he had seen in this era.

The soldiers in Grand Duke Tarrenno’s army mostly wore pale yellow robes, and more than half were equipped with full sets of leather armor. They were divided by weapon type into spearmen, melee soldiers, Archers, and slingers carrying tanned leather slings.

In addition, Fang Zhen also saw a formally organized cavalry contingent.

This army numbered around four thousand in total, and within it was a cavalry squadron of at least three hundred riders.

Within the cavalry squadron, a closer look revealed more than ten Heavy Armored Knights and over twenty Light Armor Knights. The latter were likely Quasi-Knights or Knight’s Squires.

With these thirty Knights as the core, there were also more than two hundred and seventy other cavalrymen, including Light Cavalry and Cavalry Archers.

Furthermore, at the head of the army were more than a dozen mounted figures, completely hidden within their cloaks and looking quite mysterious.

From their attire, Fang Zhen immediately knew. ’This must be Duke Tarrenno’s Mage Corps.’

The composition of Duke Tarrenno’s army was unprecedentedly lavish. The Mage Corps alone numbered more than a dozen. One could only imagine what a terrifying and hopeless experience it would be to be targeted by their concentrated Magic.

Seeing this army’s composition, Fang Zhen thought for a moment that Grand Duke Tarrenno’s money had been well spent.

It was a stark contrast to Henry, who had probably spent most of his money on extravagant luxuries. Henry’s Army was poorly led and, aside from their uniform clothing, was nothing special.

But this Duke Tarrenno, it seemed his money was all spent where it counted most.

This core legion—whether in terms of equipment, supplies, the soldiers’ morale, or even their physical condition—was stronger than any army Fang Zhen had ever seen by more than just a small margin.

Take height, for example. In a world where the average height for adult male recruits was 1.5 meters, Tarrenno had clearly been selective. The average height of his soldiers was around 1.6 meters, an absolute case of picking the best of the best.

With such quality, the Tarrenno Legion was truly imposing.

Besides the soldiers, the army also had several strange beasts.

These strange beasts had bodies like lizards magnified countless times over, but their heads were not reptilian. Instead, they were more bestial, and their weight probably exceeded that of a full-grown elephant. Their four legs were as thick as pillars.

These strange beasts pulled several pieces of heavy equipment, each step they took producing a sound like the beating of war drums.

The army’s advance was not slow. Before long, they arrived several hundred meters before the gates of Nottingham City. Horns sounded, and they fell into formation.

"Quite the impressive military bearing," Fang Zhen remarked with a glance.

The few Knights beside him shot him strange looks.

Agatha, Tahar, and Finn all felt that the new lord they followed thought differently from other people.

’The Tarrenno Legion is the enemy, aren’t they?’

’When the enemy is strong, a normal person’s reaction should be to turn pale with fear and anxiety, right?’

’So why doesn’t our lord seem nervous at all? How can he have the composure to praise the enemy’s discipline?’

They all thought this, but none of them dared to say it aloud.

After the Tarrenno Legion formed up, the sound of horns echoed once more.

From within the legion, a tall Knight in pure black armor, riding a mount clearly different from a normal horse, emerged from the ranks, followed by two Light Cavalrymen.

Fang Zhen’s brow twitched slightly as he watched the Black Armored Knight emerge.

This person was perhaps half a head taller than Fang Zhen and was concealed entirely within black armor. The armor was nearly twice as wide as that of other Knights, a clear indication of his unusually large physique.

This suit of black armor was no ordinary plate mail. It was forged in the shape of a roaring black dragon and was covered in numerous patterns that looked like runes carved with Extraordinary Power. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

The Black Armored Knight’s mount was also unusual. While its overall shape resembled a horse, it was clearly something else. The creature was purplish-red, its body naturally covered in scales. A row of barbs like a demon’s teeth ran along the top of its head, forming an irregular, multi-pointed crest.

The mount was massive, only a little shorter than Fang Zhen’s Red Hare Horse, and its eyes glowed with a deep, blood-red light.

Seeing this man and his mount, Fang Zhen had already made his judgment.

’This man, in all likelihood, is Tarrenno himself.’

’Of everyone in the entire legion, his appearance is the most eye-catching.’

’Only Duke Tarrenno could be this openly domineering.’

As Fang Zhen was sizing up the Black Armored Knight, the Black Armored Knight was also looking at Fang Zhen.

There was no special reason for it; those accustomed to the battlefield will always instinctively seek out opponents who could pose a threat.

In Fang Zhen’s eyes, the Black Armored Knight was too conspicuous, making his identity easy to pinpoint.

And in the Black Armored Knight’s eyes, wasn’t Fang Zhen the most striking figure among the Nottingham Garrison—the one who stood out the most?

Before Fang Zhen and the Black Armored Knight had even spoken, sparks were already flying between them, ignited by their gazes and auras alone.

"Listen up, Nottingham Garrison! This is the noble Duke Tarrenno. He is passing through on campaign and requires provisions."

"Count Henry owes the Duke a great sum in Gold Ropes. It is now time for Nottingham City to provide the Duke with some materiel as interest on that debt."

"Our Quartermaster will provide you with a list of the materiel the Duke’s army requires. You have until nightfall to gather sufficient provisions. Otherwise, should you anger the Duke, the price Nottingham City pays will be far greater than this."