Evolving My Undead Legion In A Game-Like World

Chapter 446: Chapter 446 Situation of Thornvale [1]

One of the soldiers stepped forward from the ranks—tall, broad-shouldered, with a steel breastplate that gleamed faintly in the late morning light. He removed his helmet as he approached, revealing a square jaw, cropped black hair, and sharp eyes that betrayed experience.

He stopped a respectful distance from Michael, then offered a crisp salute.

“My lord,” he said, voice deep and clear. “Knight-Captain Roran. I’ve been assigned to command your escort unit.”

Michael nodded once.

Roran hesitated for a second, then continued, “If I may, would you like me to send a rider ahead to the manor? We could have them prepare to receive you. It’s customary, especially for newly appointed nobles arriving to claim their seat.”

Michael arched a brow, folding his arms across his chest.

“Is that how it’s usually done?”

Roran gave a slight nod. “Yes, my lord. At least, in most territories. A bit of ceremony helps remind the people who they’re serving.”

Michael glanced toward the winding path that led into the trees. A part of him considered it—it would make sense to be welcomed formally.

But another part of him… hesitated.

He turned his gaze back to the land. The fields, the hills, the distant haze of smoke from a village in the far west. This place didn’t need a parade.

“No,” Michael said finally. “Let’s not.”

Roran blinked. “My lord?”

Michael’s voice remained calm, but there was an edge of clarity to it now. “I want to see the territory as it is. No rushed clean-ups or forced smiles because they were warned in advance.”

He glanced over his shoulder at the soldiers preparing the carriages.

“People already know I’m coming. That much is inevitable. Let’s see how they react when I arrive without fanfare. That tells me more than any prepared feast.”

Roran didn’t argue. He simply bowed. “Understood, my lord.”

The flying ship, its purpose fulfilled, began to hum once more.

Michael watched in silence as the ship lifted gracefully into the air.

Within moments, it vanished into the sky, heading back toward the capital.

With its departure, the surroundings grew quieter.

Now, it was just them—Michael, his people, and a land waiting to be claimed.

The soldiers were already efficient in their next task: readying the horses. Tethered and unhitched, the steeds were led into neat lines. Michael had expected ordinary riding horses, but it quickly became clear that these mounts were far from average.

Every knight began saddling up, their movements crisp and fluid, a reflection of their training.

Lia, wide-eyed and unsteady, hesitated near one of the horses, clutching the reins like they might explode. Ace wasn’t much better—he had one foot in the stirrup and was already wobbling as if the ground had betrayed him.

One of the older knights stepped forward with a faint grin. “Need a hand, lad?”

Ace flushed, but nodded. “Yeah… that obvious, huh?”

“Don’t worry,” the knight said, helping him adjust his footing. “We’ll make sure you don’t break your face.”

Another helped Lia, guiding him through the steps with the patience of someone who had done this for squires a dozen times over.

The knights, it seemed, had already picked up on the closeness between these two and their lord. Their tone was friendlier, their actions more considerate.

Lyra, on the other hand, mounted with graceful ease. She did so without asking for help or waiting for instruction, slipping onto her horse like someone born to ride. She sat tall and steady.

Michael, meanwhile, was handed the reins of his own steed.

The creature was unlike any of the others.

It stood a full head taller, with a hide the color of midnight ink and a faint shimmer that hinted at something unnatural beneath the surface. Its eyes gleamed an eerie silver.

Michael arched a brow.

Roran stepped forward again. “That one’s yours, my lord. Specially chosen by the Duke. It’s part monster-blooded.”

Michael raised an eyebrow. “oh?”

“Don’t worry,” Roran said with a small grin. “The monstrous instincts were bred out. What’s left is stamina, speed, and resistance to most low-grade spells. Loyal and incredibly hard to spook.”

Michael ran a hand along its neck. The horse didn’t flinch—just let out a low snort, as if acknowledging him.

“A gift,” Roran added, “from Duke Evermoon himself. These were part of a new batch, only a few dozen in the entire kingdom. Yours is one the best of them.”

Michael nodded slowly. “I’ll take good care of it.”

As he said this, he couldn’t help but wonder what its evolved form would look like.

Without realizing it, Michael was already thinking like an obsessed addict.

The next thought came just as naturally—would he tame it… or kill it and raise it as an undead?

The others were already mounted now, waiting at attention.

Michael took one last look around.

He mounted the hybrid steed in one smooth motion.

“Let’s ride,” he said.

And with that, the new Lord of Thornvale set off into his territory unannounced.

As the group began to move out, hooves thudding softly against damp soil, Michael’s thoughts drifted to the information Duke Evermoon had shared with him before the departure.

Thornvale.

A territory tucked into the highlands, bordered by untamed wilderness and the edge of the Everlong Forest. Its population hovered around twenty thousand—not a massive number by kingdom standards, but not insignificant either. Whether that was considered large or small depended on who was asking. For a viscountcy, it was respectable.

The real value of Thornvale, however, lay beneath the surface.

Mining.

The land was rich in ore and rare minerals, a blessing and a curse. The mines accounted for most of the territory’s income, while farming supported the rest. But it was the unique metals—mana-reactive in nature—that gave Thornvale its true strategic worth.

Aside from the population, there should have been a standing force of around one thousand soldiers—men loyal to the title of Viscount Thornvale. But that loyalty was more theory than practice.

*****

Please vote to support the novel!

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!