"After listening to the faltering battle report for so long, let me summarize it." The lazy voice echoed in the spacious combat conference room, "You are commanding an entire 30,000 Sophia's elite troops to defend the entire The most famous city on the mainland, but a mere 3,000 people came in and out of the defense line casually, broke through our prison, and let go of 2,000 dangerous death row inmates."
The speaker has long curly black hair, one strand of which is still swaying in front of his forehead, making his handsome face look full of cynicism. If it weren't for the exquisite knight armor, most people would probably regard him as someone from a dance party. Playboy. In fact, this person did rely on his huge family power and "friendship" with Prince Ed to become the supreme commander of the Blood Rose Knights. Fearing this, facing this obvious ridicule, the nobleman They still dare not show too much dissatisfaction - just like before.
"Not only that, but there are even more exciting things." The frivolous knight continued to say to himself, ignoring the audience's increasingly ugly faces, "In order to catch a certain unlucky guy, you actually fell into the trap of the magician in the middle of the night, The loss of more than 1,500 elite combat forces... really..."
"This kind of accusation is really ridiculous," a gorgeously dressed nobleman finally couldn't bear it anymore, "Anyone can make sarcastic remarks, but when we were fighting hard, where were you?"
"Fighting hard? Don't be joking. According to the correct information, you were all asleep in the palace at that time. Instead of arguing here, you might as well celebrate first. You didn't die under the knife of that magic swordsman." The other party shrugged his shoulders, and the sarcasm in his voice was even worse, "Fortunately, His Majesty Arhanzo was on vacation in the countryside at that time, and His Highness Ed's counterattack made the rebels afraid to go forward, otherwise the consequences would be unimaginable~!"
The atmosphere in the entire hall stagnated in an instant, and the faces of the people suddenly darkened. Several timid nobles among them could not help but shrink their necks subconsciously, as if they remembered the bloody scene they saw after waking up yesterday—the powerful Prime Minister Shagru The body and head were separated, and the most powerful Prince Caribeo in the empire was pierced through the heart with a sword. The blood flowing from the two people not only stained the floor red, but also cast a layer of fear in the hearts of all the nobles— It turns out that in the cruel reality, the defense of the Sophia Empire is as thin as paper.
"So, I was lucky to not be able to attend the ball due to military affairs, otherwise I would have ended up dead without a whole body, just like those two..."
"Enough is enough, shut up. Fapello, don't blame them anymore." The ruler of Sofia, Alhanzo Linnot, interrupted the exchange of words between the two sides with a slightly trembling voice—this is really It wasn't because he was afraid of anything, but because of the exhaustion caused by excessive indulgence.
"Yes, Your Majesty the Emperor." The head of the Blood Rose Knights, Fapello De Litan bowed respectfully—his skills in flattering horses are first-rate and timely, "At this time, we can rely on Only your wisdom is left."
"Then," Arhanzo thought for a while, "you will lead the Blood Rose Knights to chase down those rebels~!"
At present, the main force of the Blood Rose Knights stationed 50 kilometers north of Great Lourdes has a total of 45,000 people, which is definitely more than enough to deal with the 4,000 or so rebels who fled. However, there is an inestimable magician in the enemy team. If Fapello, who doesn't understand tactics, attacks the enemy lightly, it may cause heavy losses to the Knights. Thinking of this, several nobles couldn't help secretly happy.
"Yes, Your Majesty." When Fapello replied, Ed, who had been silent until now, suddenly gave him a wink. With the long-term "friendship" with the other party, the head of the Knights immediately understood.
"However, I have a piece of advice that may be helpful to your rule and the prosperity of the Sophia Empire."
"Oh? Let's hear it?" The emperor narrowed his eyes.
"The opponent's strength is not even a fraction of ours. I believe that victory in the battle is just around the corner. In this case, can you allow me to capture that magician alive?" Fapello's voice was full of undetectable temptation, "If If we can obtain the secrets of magic and the power of the Sophia Empire, we will definitely be able to dominate the entire continent~!"
Arhanzuo's eyes lit up immediately, and then, the emperor who was very happy but only knew about sex and sex immediately nodded repeatedly: "Very good~! Your proposal is very good~! Yes, catch that magician alive~ !"
This passage swept away the haze on Prince Ed's face, and he couldn't help smiling when he thought of Oluha's attractive figure.
Well, since you don't want to obey me, then this time you will be tough~! Not only that, I want to kill all your companions, especially that elf guard~! Ed made his determination viciously, then gestured "well done" to the stern Fapello, and the prince's confidant smiled back.
"Please rest assured, at the cost of my life, I will surely fulfill your Majesty's wish~!" Blood Rose Knight lowered his head deeply, letting the long hair on his forehead cover his expression.
Half a day later, Fapello, who was in a hurry, had returned to the camp where the Knights were stationed. According to the plan formulated by the palace military meeting, he will set off immediately and start a carpet search with the garrisons from all over the country to intercept the rebel army fleeing north. However, after sending away several ministers who wanted to curry favor with him, the eager expression on the face of the knight leader suddenly faded away, replaced by a strange calmness.
There was only Knight Blood Rose in the entire tent, and there were several high-ranking knights guarding the door, not even a bee could fly in. However, Fapello turned to face the darkness, and then slowly confirmed: "Are you here?"
"Yes." A low voice answered. Then, a ghostly silhouette emerged from the shadows beyond the reach of daylight, so empty that it seemed to be darkness itself, "Feel it?"
"No," Fapello curled his lips unwillingly, "I just speculated that you would come. By the way, where is your master?"
"At present, he is not suitable for wandering around." The other party hesitated, as if thinking about how to describe it, "According to that person's instructions, the master is now responsible for acting as an assistant...and a monitoring role. After all, our friend is moody, and it is a good idea to leave." unwise."
"Perhaps." The knight nodded, "Let's get down to business, what information did you bring?"
"The group of free soldiers are now hiding in the ruins of Winfield College. According to inside information, they will take the Dark Forest, and the first stop will be the Castle of the Windchaser." Shadow replied word by word, "On the other hand, our The prey didn't change course."
"That is to say, those lovely liberators actually ran to the crater that is about to erupt. It's a pity." Fapello laughed, "For the stability of the situation, I will wipe them all out too of."
"I understand, I will convey your plan." Shadow nodded. Accompanied by the low love for Nayin, a breeze passed by Fapero's side, and when the knight came back to his senses, the ghost's looming outline had completely disappeared, and the darkness in the corner of the tent returned to tranquility
"...still not his opponent." After a while, the Blood Rose Knight sighed softly. Then, he yelled loudly: "The orderly soldier~!"
"Yes, my lord." When the soldier entered the door, he still saw the powerful nobleman with a cynical face.
"Call the Chief of Thousands and the Archmages, we are ready to go." The playboy said, knocking on the table impatiently with his knuckles, "Destination, the city of the Windchaser."
Under the silver moonlight, the seven dilapidated towers are connected together, covering the silent land with a cold and damp atmosphere. Hundreds of years ago, as the most famous landscape of Winfield College, they symbolized the principles of magic and represented the pinnacle of power, but today, they can only be regarded as one of the countless forgotten relics in this world.
But sometimes, the ruins can also serve as a temporary shelter—the Sophia Freedom Army, which has escaped from the pursuit, is now hidden in this huge building complex. For a college with many buildings, it is not difficult to accommodate four thousand people without being discovered. More importantly, due to a legend that has been passed down for hundreds of years, few people dare to approach this gloomy land, including The timid scouts of the Sophia Empire.
"That's from the era of Reynas." Guerrero took a sip of the spirit, and then lamented tactfully, "The stupid necromancer opened the door to the Twisting Nether, thinking he could gain the power of demons , but the first one was slaughtered."
"What kind of demon is that?" asked the fascinated audience curiously.
"Parasitic feathers." The orc replied in a low voice, trying to create a terrifying atmosphere, "They have extremely powerful power and are good at cursing and infection, but it is difficult for the magic power of mages to cause harm to these demons. Once it comes out, it infects all the mages around it, turning them into its own puppets, and once you are bitten by these puppets... then you will also walk on the same path."
"If the facts are as you said, it is indeed a plague that is difficult to control." Weaver commented on the side, biting the bread with satisfaction—compared with the food in the prison, the taste of the Freedom Army's supplies is much better.
"So later, the ruler at that time immediately sent a large army to blockade the entire academy. The mages trapped inside had to face terrifying demons and were forced by the army to be unable to leave the academy. The situation was very critical." Guerrero continued vividly, "Fortunately, a couple of outstanding mages stepped forward and found a way to kill the demons and restore the minds of the puppets."
"However, that beautiful female mage paid the price with her life. The other person who survived sadly left this place of right and wrong. Although the famous academy managed to solve the crisis by chance, it has since declined and can no longer Grab the pinnacle of power." A voice like a silver bell suddenly cut in.
"Hey, you should take care of my audience and don't say the ending casually." The orc looked at the elf girl with great dissatisfaction.
"Reality is always cruel, isn't it? This story is really sad." A trace of melancholy flashed across Oluha's eyes, she sighed, then walked out of the room slowly, and quickly disappeared from everyone's eyes .
"There seems to be something wrong with her?" The orc tilted his head and looked at Weaver.
"Yeah, since Roland came, she has been a little out of her mind." The other party turned her questioning gaze to the elf swordsman, and that tall figure has been acting as a silent audience, "But I guess Miss Oluha is not concerned about Roland. looks and swordsmanship, don't you, Alberta?"
Alberta just shook his head noncommittally, and didn't say much.
When the magician walked through the square in the center of the academy, Roland just finished a whole set of swordsmanship practice and was drinking water with his head raised. The appearance of Oluha made him choke. It wasn't until the other party approached that the young man finally adjusted his expression.
"Hi." The elf girl greeted first, "Why do you want to practice sword alone now?"
"There's nothing else to do. They should be discussing the future countermeasures, right? That has nothing to do with me." Roland hesitated for a moment, and then confessed his thoughts, "And actually, I'm not interested in the Sofia Free Army's proposal... just …”
"It's just that I'm afraid of loneliness, so I can't leave alone, right?" Alluha finished the rest of the sentence for him, and then sat next to the young man. The distance was so close that Roland could even smell the elf's hair fragrance.
"Perhaps. As a wanted death row prisoner, the chance of surviving with the Free Army will be higher." The young human swordsman also sat down, stroking the cold weapon in his hand, "I feel that I am the same as this sword, Sharpened by a craftsman and thrown into the world, ignorant of the past, with a sharp edge but no purpose."
"Losing the past doesn't mean the end of everything." The elf looked at each other intently, then turned his head, and cast his eyes on the deep night sky.
"My hometown is Brainas, the land of elves far away across the ocean. Nearly ten years ago, a terrifying mutation occurred there... A mysterious force infected the elves, pulling out their souls and making their bodies fall into In eternal sleep. Even though I am a magician, I am still helpless. With the whole country being torn apart by this force, we can only flee to the north of the mainland."
"However, that escape was a nightmare no less than a mutation." Oluha couldn't help closing her eyes in pain, "When the elves have a country behind them, everyone wants to please you, but when we lose After the homeland, the whole world has changed. Many nobles have racked their brains to capture my people, turn them into their own slaves, and then do whatever they want. At first, there were hundreds of people who escaped from Blainas, but after two years , there are only me and Alberta left."
"Later, we wandered for another three years, and finally found an opportunity to cross the endless sea and come to the continent of Canados." Aurha's tone gradually relaxed, "I originally hoped to get the protection of the elves here, but In the end, by accident, we became members of the Sofia Free Army, but that didn't matter... what matters is that we found our own shelter."
"Actually, I'm the same as you." Oluha paused, then looked at the silent Roland, "I'm not interested in human disputes, and I don't have any so-called political opinions... But, I hope I can become someone This can prove the value of my existence. As it is now, rather than saying that I am fighting to liberate the Sophia Empire, I am fighting to protect my companions."
"It's very difficult to find the ultimate goal of life, and it's even more impossible for us long-lived elves." The girl blinked, "Instead of swinging the sword in such a confusion, it's better to find something worthy of your attention first." ,What do you think?"
"That's right." Roland's water-colored eyes lit up in an instant, his expression shining brightly.
The next moment, the young man's eyes showed a hazy and subtle wave: "Thank you...but why do you care about me so much? And yesterday, the leader of the Freedom Army told me that your actions were completely..."
"Don't ask the girl why she decided." Oluha smiled and stood up, then stretched out her hand, "Let's go together until you find your goal."
"Yes~!" The young man nodded seriously, and took the girl's hand.
The City of the Windchaser, established by wise elves in the magical city of Ofina, has a mysterious dark forest on its east side, the majestic White Stone Mountains on its north side, borders on the territory of the Sophia Empire to its south, and Riddell on its west side. empire borders. In the distant past, the books and wisdom carefully collected by the elves have attracted the most famous sages of Canados. At that time, the city of the Windchaser was even as famous as the great Lourdes games.
However, hundreds of years have passed. The city in the center of the mainland, which is also the center of power competition, has gradually faded in the baptism of war, and has become a silent city that no one cares about. The knowledge and wisdom that once attracted attention have also been buried under rubble and dust. The magic towers and palaces still standing have witnessed the passage of time.
However, it is clear that the Sophia Free Army is not interested in exploring the ruins. Their goal is to enter the dark forest as soon as possible, and use the intricate jungle terrain and the interference of the Western Riddle Empire to get rid of the large number of pursuers behind them.
"But... After entering the Dark Forest, we still need to look for the ruins?" Roland couldn't help asking during the march.
"Those are facilities repaired by the Freedom Army and can be used permanently." Alberta explained lightly—the elf swordsman's attitude towards Roland was very subtle, "Besides, we are not death knights. Compared with a solid city wall, Supplies are the most important thing. Unfortunately, in this regard, the ruins of the Windchaser City cannot provide us with any shelter."
"Yes, I understand." Roland nodded, secretly regretting why he had forgotten the supply issue. In order to divert his attention, he tried to find another topic, "But no matter what, there are quite a lot of ruins on this continent."
"Who told the goddesses to go to the other side of the sea." Weaver also stepped in, educating the recruits with the elves, "The Canados rely too much on the power of the gods, so that when we were abandoned , I don’t know how to do it at all. For more than two hundred years, no matter whether it is the Riddle Empire, the Sophia Empire, or other forces such as the alliance of small countries, none of them can gain an advantage.”
"And if you can't protect yourself, who has the financial and military power to occupy and develop these ruins?" He said, playing with the dagger in his hand, "maybe wait a few hundred years, when the goddess returns to the land, the mainland will Only then will they be unified again... However, that is just a coward's daydream."
"In short..." Weaver seemed to be addicted. However, before he continued his spitting speech, a scout with a nervous expression rushed over.
"A large number of enemies are found in front of them, they are the Blood Rose Knights~!" The soldier said in a low voice, revealing anxiety in his tone.
"What~!?" Several leaders shouted in unison.
Guerrero's face darkened at first, and to be cautious, he asked the scouts again: "Are you sure they have occupied all the paths leading to the dark forest in the west and north?"
"Yes." The other party replied in an affirmative tone, and at this moment, the other two scouts also brought the same news. After realizing the seriousness of the situation, the troops in the process of marching could only stop and wait on the open plain.
"It seems that we are surrounded." Weaver briefly summed up the current crisis, "They ambushed 25,000 people on the outskirts of the Dark Forest, and 20,000 pursuers followed us. 4,000 troops It is impossible to break through the defense line at all, and I am afraid that there is only annihilation."
"Damn it... the action plan has been leaked." A fierce light flashed across the orc's eyes, and he subconsciously clenched his fists. "I'm afraid the free army has been planted with the opponent's eyeliner."
"Yes, this matter must be properly resolved." Oluha nodded, "But Guerrero, the first thing we have to do now is to overcome the difficulties in front of us." The elf girl said and looked at the vast grassland, but All he got was disappointment. The Blood Rose Knights on the edge of the horizon were gradually approaching, but there were no defensive obstacles around them.
Except for the city of the Windchaser, which has been forgotten for hundreds of years.
"Lord Fapero, all the rebels have been forced into the Castle of the Windchaser." A high-ranking knight captain walked into the temporary tent and bowed, "The ambush troops and the main force have all been prepared. All ready, shall we attack?"
"Have they entered the city yet? Very good." The head of the Blood Rose Knights leaned comfortably on the couch, as if what was going on at the moment was a pleasant hunt rather than a cruel war. The ambushing troops on the other side continued to consolidate their defenses, while the main force retreated to the command post."
"Retreat, retreat?" The knight was so surprised that he even forgot the etiquette. He stared straight at his superior for a long time with eyes as big as copper bells, obviously thinking that he was crazy.
It was hard to get such accurate information, but the head of the regiment took out half of his troops to ambush instead of intercepting, so that the rebels fled into the fortified castle. And now, he would actually issue the ridiculously unbelievable order of "retreat" when victory is within easy reach~! Although I have never dismissed the rumors from the outside world, it seems that this idle noble boy really knows nothing about war.
"But, my lord..."
"Don't worry about it." Fapero interrupted the other party roughly. "Immediately carry out my order, and then call all the thousand leaders. I will arrange the tactics myself."
Although the commander was very lacking in demeanor, the efficiency of the Blood Rose Knights was not affected. Five minutes later, all the high-ranking captains of the knights had entered the camp of the Chinese army, all with ashen faces, but the playboy turned a blind eye to this. He stood up, spread out the top view of Windchaser City, and then began to explain.
"Everyone, I believe you must be very strange. Why did I pursue this rebel army with only 4,000 people with all my strength? Why did I plan to retreat after forcing them into a siege?" Blood Rose Knight smiled smugly, " The answer is actually very simple - the goal of our expedition is not to wipe out the rebels."
"The real target is something hidden in the city of the Windchaser. Although we can't get it with our own strength, but..." Fapello's eyes flashed a strange look, "Soon, someone will Solve the riddles in the ruins instead of us. The only thing we have to do is to snatch it after they get it, so we must retreat now, so as not to overwhelm the enemy."
The commander of the most famous knight order in the empire actually had such a bandit mindset. The knights couldn't help but looked at each other, not knowing how to answer.
"Also, maybe they will replace us to clean up those small rebels. Although these guys are rare in number, they are extremely powerful. You must be careful when fighting."
"The Blood Rose Knights have retreated?" Guerrero was once again confused by the new information brought by the scouts, and several others also shook their heads—the enemy's strategy of using troops is beyond common sense, and it is difficult to speculate.
However, the black line on the horizon has indeed disappeared. Although the road to the dark forest is still blocked, the free army has a lot of options—at least, they don't have to fight ten times more in this ruins. Fight your own enemies to the death.
"So, where should we go next? I'm afraid they have some conspiracy, so they retreat..." Guerrero said, glanced casually. From the towering walls of the City of the Wind Chaser, one can clearly see the vast prairie. The pursuers of the Sophia Empire cannot lay ambushes and traps.
However, immediately after, the dazzling sunlight reflected by the sharp blade suddenly reflected into the orc's eyes. Accompanied by the reflection of Xiao Sha, a group of knights galloped from the far west side, the speed was so fast, it was almost as if they were gliding.
"That's~!?" Guerrero couldn't help exclaiming when the distance was close enough to see their silhouettes clearly. Weaver lay on the battlements, staring at the uninvited guests. But the two elves from Lorentan kept their own thoughts and said nothing. Roland was the only one watching carefully with curious eyes.
Those people straddled the black nightmare running like the wind, wearing exquisite armor made of bright silver, and their eyes were burning with an icy cold flame that would never go out. Their march completely ignored the laws of physics, and they jumped over various obstacles like that; their whole bodies exuded a breath of death and trembling, and everything they passed was covered with a layer of frost; perhaps, they The existence itself is the product of the combination of inconceivable and obsession.
They are the spokespersons of Ishutori in this world, the embodiment and executor of the goddess' will.
Death knight.
Now, the free soldiers finally understand why the Blood Rose Knights retreated so quickly—maybe the disparity in numbers can make human beings invincible, but without paladins and priests, the commander's safety is fundamental. Can not guarantee.
"Those are the legendary death knights who can defeat one hundred?" Roland asked.
"Yes." Oluha carefully observed the other party's reaction, as if trying to see something from those water-colored eyes. But no matter in his eyes or his tone of voice, the young man's expression was very calm, the only thing revealed was the instinctive restlessness and excitement when facing a strong enemy.
"What should we do now?" Guerrero asked gravely.
"There are only about two hundred of them." Wei Wo briefly counted the approaching undead, and then drew his longbow, "With the protection of the city wall, we may have a chance of winning."
"Don't~! There's no need to fight them~!" The elf girl immediately blocked him, "Although they are death knights, there is room for negotiation... Besides, I don't think their goal is the Sofia Free Army." She said , looking at his companion beside him for help.
"Death knights don't like to kill indiscriminately, and the city walls are absolutely unable to stop them." Alberta took the conversation, "It is better to avoid confrontation."
"I understand." Guerrero nodded, and then loudly issued orders to the surrounding Freedom Army fighters, and they loosened their grip on the bowstring. However, as the dark cloud-like array gradually approached the city wall, people's hearts became more and more tense. The death knights also noticed the humans at the head of the city, but they did not pick up the longbows next to the saddles or the weapons in the sheaths. After the entire column changed into a triangular formation for assault, the undead continued to move forward at the same speed. , and soon arrived at the foot of the city of the wind chaser.
"My God..."
When the opponent galloped up the vertical city wall, even the most experienced fighters turned pale. It wasn't until now that they discovered that the original idea of relying on castle defense was useless in front of this mysterious power.
Just when the Free Army was determined to negotiate—or thought it was determined to negotiate—when dozens of sharp arrows flew out of the city without warning, and shot straight at the galloping Death Knight~!
"Oops~!" Oluha and Alberta exclaimed at the same time. Then the orc's angry growl drowned out the elf's voice. Guerrero turned his head angrily, and shouted desperately: "Who? Who shot the arrow?"
No one answered. Apparently the arrows were fired by Imperial spies lurking among the Freedom Army, but before the orc could find the hidden archers, he found himself facing the death knight's wrath.
Dozens of flying arrows could not harm the undead at all, and the only result they brought was to ignite the flames in the eyes of the dead. In the next instant, the death knights leaped to the top of the city wrapped in icy sword wind, and the free soldiers were beheaded before they even had time to resist. Blood splattered in all directions, screams came and went, and a section of the city wall hundreds of meters long was quickly dyed red. Then, a death knight rushed in front of Alberta, slashing down with a heavy battle axe.
The elf hurriedly jumped back, the moment the blade wind passed over his head, out of the corner of his eye, he found that another death knight had pushed away the sharp arrow and was urging his horse to rush towards Oluha.
"Oops~!" The magic swordsman showed a rare panic on his face, he turned around quickly, but the icy cold light stopped in front of him again.
"Elf, your opponent is me." A voice as deep as gold and iron slowly sounded, and the huge double-edged battle ax blocked Alberta's way like a copper wall. He could only watch helplessly as the sharp long sword cut towards Oluha, but he was helpless.
Then, the crisp sound of metal collision penetrated people's eardrums—before the death knight slashed the elf girl, Roland inserted in time from the side, blocking that powerful blow. The young man passed by the undead, even though the two-handed sword he was holding tightly was broken in two, his water-colored eyes were still shining brightly.
"You bastard..." The death knight turned his horse's head, and once again assumed the posture of a knight charging. However, when the burning sight of the undead came into contact with the young and handsome face of the other party, he was immediately stunned by the familiar and unusual appearance.
"Are you~!?" At that moment, the deceased seemed to be petrified and unable to move.