Otherworldly Affairs Office-Chapter 573: The Surprise Came Too Quickly (Requesting Subscription)

On the day of the meeting, the Demon God's exceedingly respectful attitude towards that foreign individual aroused the confusion and disbelief of many Demon Race clan leaders. As if worried that these words were not sufficient to garner the attention of his subordinates, before the special task force set off, Vashak entrusted Dieterma, the team's leader, with the storage necklace that the Demon God usually carried. He specifically conveyed that if the individual was unwilling to come to the Holy City, then this object should be handed to him. Upon seeing it, he would understand the Demon God's intentions, and everything afterward would follow that person's wishes without coercion.

This stance undoubtedly dropped a heavy bombshell in the already scheming hearts of the various Patriarchs, and among them, numerous speculations about this individual's origins began to proliferate wildly. Some, in private, even jested about adding another chair in the Demon God Hall.

However, Kane Samikina, at the center of this event's maelstrom, couldn't muster any interest. Compared to others, the detailed intelligence he received from his brother and granddaughter led him to intuit that this person might not be the Demon God's offspring left outside. Despite their ruthless demeanor and style of action, which seemed more like the Demon Race than the Demon Race itself, the details revealed a greater degree of manipulation rather than genuine assistance towards the Demon Race. As for why the Demon God favored this person, what secrets lay behind this, these were matters beyond his concern.

What truly worried him now was the life and death of his brother and granddaughter. This wasn't because Old Kane valued family ties greatly, but because the outcome of this battle was tied to the future fate of the family. Fritz had made a unilateral decision to stake everything, and as a brother and Clan Leader, he could only offer his full support.

Yet, from the special task force's departure list, it was clear that Friedrich blatantly planted two-thirds of the task force with personnel from emerging noble forces, while only less than one-third of direct lineage nobles took part. More importantly, this list was implemented without a single alteration after being reviewed by the Demon God, indicating that the Demon God had not entirely sided with any party. The success or failure of this conflict would hinge on the battle's outcome.

Thinking of this, Kane couldn't help but sigh deeply. It had been more than half a month since the meeting, and the special task force had set off days ago. Regardless of the outcome, news should have been relayed back by now.

Shaking the empty wine glass that he didn't know when he finished, Old Kane, who had always considered himself full of energy, now felt a tinge of fatigue and loneliness creeping in. Placing the glass back on the table, he steadied himself on the chair to rest briefly when suddenly hurried footsteps echoed from the corridor. Who could be so unruly?

With his eyebrows furrowed, Kane's eyes sparkled as he anxiously looked towards the door. Before long, the door was pushed open with a bang, and the ever-polite and unflappable butler, Bunian, entered, beaming as he reported to his master: "Master, the messenger sent by Lord Fritz has arrived!"

"Let him in quickly!" Kane trembled with excitement as he extended his hand.

"Yes!" Bunian stepped back and gestured out into the corridor, and following the clatter of armor, a travel-worn Demon Race Knight was led into the study. Upon seeing Kane, the knight kneeled with one knee and performed a grand salute.

Kane left his seat, quickly paced forward, and urgently inquired, "What is the outcome?"

The knight looked up and grinned, "Reporting to the Patriarch, victory! A great victory!"

Upon hearing the words "great victory," Kane felt a rush of blood to his head, and all prior fatigue vanished in an instant. Pacing back and forth in the room, he couldn't help but mutter, "Great victory! Great victory!" Turning back to ask for details, he noticed the knight's parched lips. Kane quickly gestured and ordered, "Bunian! What are you waiting for? Prepare food and drink for our warrior! Bring out the best wine!"

Moments later, an overjoyed Kane poured himself another glass of wine. Having received confirmed news, he didn't mind waiting a bit longer; he wanted to savor the joy of victory slowly. After taking a sip of wine, he glanced up at the knight in front of him, who had been ordered to not stand on ceremony, as he devoured the last piece of smoked meat on the plate. Kane, kind and amiable, asked, "Is it enough? If not, tell Bunian to bring another dessert for this warrior!"

"Enough! My lord, this is the most delicious food I've had in a while," the honored knight said as he stood and bowed respectfully.

Kane waved his hand with a smile, signaling the knight to sit down, and asked with amusement, "Then tell me about the battle's outcome and process."

"Certainly, my lord. Under the leadership of Lord Fritz and Lord Shitang, we completely annihilated the enemy's fifty-five thousand Red Armored Warriors and vassal army, at the cost of just twenty-seven thousand of our own. Not only did we destroy the three Disaster Pillar camps belonging to Snow Peak Ridge, but we also successfully rescued Lord Star Lord during the battle." The knight, puffing up his chest with pride, reported.

"What did you say? Are you sure these figures are accurate? You sacrificed less than thirty thousand to annihilate the fifty thousand Red Armored Warriors!" Although Kane trusted his brother immensely, the casualty figures were difficult for him to accept. This was not the elite forces of the Holy City, equipped with a complete Vassal Army. With only the remnants from the shelter and the incomplete Vassal Army, achieving results comparable to the three major legions at their peak was too good to be believed, so good it exceeded Kane's imagination, so good he dared not believe it.

Taking a deep breath, Kane adjusted his mindset and calmly said, "Tell me the truth, what is the actual casualty ratio? This ultimately has to be reported to the Demon God. The results can be exaggerated in external propaganda, but the reported figures must be accurate."

Upon seeing the battle achievements of his comrades being doubted, the knight, who was initially respectful, stood up from his seat with an indignant look and, feeling wronged, said, "My lord, how can you question your brother? This is the accurate outcome. In the twenty-seven thousand casualties, nearly nine thousand were retired old soldiers. If we exclude them, our elite losses were just over ten thousand." The knight had half of his words stuck in his throat, unspoken: among these over ten thousand, quite a few were accidentally killed by Pei Yan during the subsequent battle with Lelajin.

It's fortunate that the Star Lord had a durable life. Not only did Lelajin and the many Disaster Legions have no time to return and finish him off once the battle broke out, but even amidst the ensuing battle damage, he somehow managed to survive, albeit severely battered. Yet, even so, when people dug him out from layers of ruins, he was already gravely injured and barely clung to life.

"There were also nine thousand retired old soldiers!" Kane, looking at the knight's earnest expression, realized the man was not exaggerating. Suddenly feeling dizzy, he sat back into the chair, rubbing his forehead, as this unexpected joy came too quickly, too incredibly.

"Are there any other achievements?" Given that such results had already been achieved, Kane did not have higher expectations. Taking a sip of wine to calm his excited mood, he casually asked.