Chapter 492

Curtis steadied himself by holding onto the corridor pillar. Beneath his sweat-soaked brocade robe, a sinister light suddenly ignited in his eyes.

He looked at the black shadows darting through the courtyard and suddenly burst into maniacal laughter. “You think this is enough to make me submit? You underestimate the very foundation of Aeridon!”

“Your Highness! The cannons are here!” Two burly soldiers carried the heavy cannon barrel, running over, surrounded by more than ten soldiers.

The dark muzzle shone with a cold light, and the cannon body was cast with hideous animal patterns. It was the very weapons that Curtis had secretly built for five years.

The commander of the guards’ expression suddenly changed, and he said to Ansel, “Lord Grimes, quickly find cover!”

They knew how powerful these cannons were.

Once, pirates robbed and killed fishermen on their boats at sea, injuring countless people.

Relying on their familiarity with the waterways, they had been fighting against the imperial court.

It was Curtis who pursued and sank the pirate ships with cannons.

Since then, there had never again been pirate raids disturbing the people.

Curtis also gained a firm foothold in Aeridon with these cannons, and the Blumenfeld family’s foundation grew stronger and stronger.

The deathsworn guards quickly formed a shield wall, protecting Ansel in the center.

Ansel looked at the cannons. He said coldly, “He actually dares to use these deadly weapons.”

“Load the cannons!” Curtis stepped forward himself and kicked away the panicked soldiers.

He patted the cold cannon body, laughing loudly, “I like to see if your shadow guards are faster, or are my iron cannonballs faster?”

The soldiers dared not delay, pouring the dark brown powder into the barrel, ramming it down with a long rod.

The fuse was lit with a fire starter, crackling with a faint blue spark.

For a moment, the sound of fighting ceased, and everyone’s eyes fixed on the cannons.

“Listen up, people inside!” Curtis shouted arrogantly. “You will live if you surrender now! Otherwise, this courtyard, along with your guards, will be blown to smithereens!”

Ansel looked up at Curtis and uttered, “Don’t even think about it.”

He suddenly threw the porcelain bottle in his hand out of the courtyard. It exploded with a bang, and an acrid smell instantly filled the air.

The Aeridon soldiers smelled the odor and immediately took out wet cloths from their pockets to cover their mouths and noses.

“Fire!” Curtis was livid with anger. They were still resisting at this point.

He waved his hand violently, and a deafening roar tore through the night sky.

Flames burst forth as iron shot trailed smoke, hurtling toward the courtyard.

The fence shattered in the blast, and roof tiles and wooden shards flew as the eaves were ripped away.

Ansel was knocked to the ground by the blast wave, and his forehead hit the stone steps, instantly causing blood to flow.

He struggled to raise his head and saw two gaping holes, each several feet wide, blown open in the courtyard wall.

The shadow guards raised their shields to block the flying debris, but two had already been grazed by cannonballs and fell with muffled groans.

“Again!” Curtis roared, pointing at the courtyard, “Blow up all the shadows under that eave!”

A second volley came immediately, striking precisely at the corridor where the guards were taking cover.

The crisp sound of shattering wood beams mingled with screams. The once orderly defense line collapsed in an instant.

The captain of the guard split a flying stone with his sword and said anxiously, “Lord Grimes, it’s too late if we don’t leave!”

Ansel stared at their ever-shrinking space, gritting his teeth. “We cannot retreat. The Nexalasia army hasn’t arrived yet. I must hold Curtis here.”

And besides, Xander and Athena were still missing. He couldn’t abandon his post. He was their way out.

The captain asked, “What should we do then? Staying here is certain death.”

“I have my own way.” Ansel tore off the bloodstained hem of his long robe, revealing the short musket hidden at his waist. “If Curtis likes playing with fire, then I’ll play with him.”

By this time, the third round of cannon fire was being loaded. Curtis proudly looked at the chaotic scene in the courtyard.

Suddenly, he saw a figure darting out from the smoke, crawling quickly along the wall toward the cannon line.

He had just opened his mouth to give the kill order when the man hurled a clay jar full of lamp oil.

The jar shattered on the cannon, the oil instantly ignited by the burning fuse, fire racing up the barrel.

The soldiers exclaimed and retreated, only to hear a few loud bangs.

The yet-unfired cannons exploded in the flames, their molten shards sweeping in all directions.

Curtis was thrown to the ground by the blast, half of his body scorched by the sparks.

He was dazed for a moment before his guards pulled him up. “Your Highness, one of our cannons has been destroyed.”

Blood flowed from Curtis’s head, but he wiped his face carelessly.

Looking at the people in the courtyard, his eyes became even more fierce.

He shouted, “Continue! Continue! I refuse to believe they can withstand this much longer!”

Ansel had indeed destroyed one cannon, but he was severely injured himself. Shrapnel had pierced his leg, leaving him unable to move, and his body was covered with wounds.

The guards guarding him all looked lifeless.

In this battle, they had no chance of winning, and staying here would only turn them into mincemeat.

“Sir, you are seriously injured.” The guard helped Ansel bandage his wounds.

Ansel smiled nonchalantly. “Brothers, we might perish here today. I apologize to you all.”

The atmosphere was a bit solemn, and several secret guards all looked sad.

But soon, they cheered up. “Don’t say that. If we go to the underworld, we will still be brothers. We’ll fight other fallen heroes in the underworld together.”

Ansel grinned. “Okay. Let’s do it together.”

He held out his hand, and the few remaining people put their hands on his, clasping them tightly.

Another shell exploded, shattering the blue bricks on the courtyard wall, and gravel fell like hail.

Ansel was pinned to the ground by the secret guard, and shrapnel flew past his ear, raising a string of blood beads.

He gritted his teeth and looked outside the courtyard. The figure of Curtis loomed in the fire, like a wild beast out of control.

“Lord Grimes, the northwest corner has collapsed!” A shadow guard pounced over, using his body to block the splashing wooden thorns. His back was instantly cut open, revealing a deep, visible wound.

Ansel struggled to get up, but the severe pain in his leg made his eyes go dark.

Suddenly, a firework exploded in the sky not far away.

Ansel’s eyes lit up with joy as he pulled out a signal flare from his waist, bit off the fuse, and threw it into the air with all his might.

“The Nexalasia army is here! The Prince has come to save us!”

“Don’t waste your energy!” Curtis’s maniacal laughter carried over the gunfire. “Even if Prince Regent arrives, he can only collect your corpses!”

He wiped the blood off his face, his eyes maniacal and ferocious like a demon. “Load the shot! Flatten this courtyard!”

Just then, an icy voice came from behind Curtis, “Everyone, stop.”

Everyone turned back and saw Athena holding Frieda hostage, standing not far away.

“Father, save me, save me…” Frieda cried out, her eyes full of pleading as she looked at Curtis.