Chapter 340 War
The inn room was filled with the musty smell of stale wood. Emilia Carleton stood by the narrow window, with the heavy curtains only slightly opened.
The noble girl's gaze passed through the gray glass and fell on the street below, which was almost unlit and had an extremely depressing atmosphere. The heavy footsteps and occasional scolding of the patrolling soldiers were like persistent hounds, forcing every household to close their windows and doors.
Emilia wasn't sure how the gentleman would contact her, as the brief communication had only asked her to go to White Moss Slope. Now, it seemed that this town on the front line had been frightened by the shadow of the ghost.
For the sake of personal safety along the way, the warlock lady among the mercenaries she hired at a high price was busy setting up warning spells everywhere, while the warrior man stood at the door with his arms folded, motionless, as if he was listening to the movement outside the door.
"Miss Carleton, the spell is set up." Charlotte breathed a sigh of relief and clapped her hands. "I hope we can sleep well tonight."
Emilia came to her senses and no longer had the arrogance she had shown in front of the soldiers. She responded politely and softly, "Thank you for your hard work, Miss Charlotte. I hope tonight will be as you wish."
"It's difficult." Ethan on the side suddenly spoke.
"A lot of people are watching," he said succinctly, looking at the looks from everyone. "I'm afraid something is going to happen in the next few days."
"Huh?" Charlotte frowned. "It can't be 'over there'..."
"Be careful what you say," her companion interrupted, shaking his head, a deep frown forming between his brows. Charlotte let out a soft "ah" and immediately covered her mouth.
But after a while, she asked Emilia again with a guilty conscience: "Do you really want us to leave you at White Moss Slope tomorrow?"
Charlotte blushed. She knew she was being long-winded, but it was rare to find a noble employer who wasn't annoying. She didn't want to let such a young girl die alone in the wilderness. "I mean, it's very desolate there, and the area around is very chaotic. The nearest town is Eagle's Nest, and you are, after all..."
An ordinary person, and a young woman.
"Well, it's okay," Emilia shook her head gently, smiling slightly at the kindness. "Someone will come to pick me up. It's a very reliable person. Please go and rest. We have to get up early tomorrow morning."
But my wish for a good dream tonight was ultimately dashed.
As fate would have it, this time it was the former night visitor's turn to be the unlucky one whose good sleep was interrupted. If the professor were here, perhaps he would make some very cold jokes - but Emilia Carleton did not have such a good attitude. She was awakened by a dull noise that seemed to shake even the earth.
"Boom—"
A deafening explosion completely shattered the previously dead silence of Eagle's Nest. The old wooden floors and doors of the inn groaned, and the glass vibrated and trembled, instantly illuminated by the orange-red glow of the flames. Sharp whistles, distorted roars, and the roar of gunfire erupted in a boiling, boiling explosion on the street.
Emilia suddenly turned over and quickly took out a short dagger from under the pillow. The small cloth bag containing various potions had already been carried tightly to her waist - but under the huge deterrent created by the artillery fire, these exquisite glass bottles used to deal with humans were really a drop in the bucket.
The doors were almost knocked open at the same time. Ethan's tall figure blocked the entrance, his face as cold as steel. Charlotte followed him nervously, pursing her lips nervously.
"It's the Limin Army." The warrior, sword already drawn, said in a deep voice, "I don't know how those people got in here. It seems there was an explosion in the southeastern arsenal and grain depot. They're probably behind this, trying to divert attention and attack from the east."
Emilia's heartbeat began to accelerate violently - even if one of the parties was Mr. Nova's army, the people's army probably didn't have the energy to listen to her, let alone protect her safety.
As if to confirm Ethan's words, even more intense gunfire and cries of killing surged from the west side of Eagle's Nest Town. Even with their day and night defenses, the Imperial defenders were clearly caught off guard by the unexpected explosion. Some exhausted Imperial soldiers didn't even have their pants on.
The civilian army, having successfully infiltrated Eagle's Nest, expertly ambushed the streets and alleyways, dragging the Imperial soldiers into brutal urban combat. Muzzle flashes and magical light scatter across the streets, illuminating each other's distorted and hideous faces. One side appeared exhausted, terrified, and bewildered, while the other was filled with a rage and determination bordering on insane.
"Stop them!" The hysterical roar of the Imperial officer was drowned in the chaos: "Reinforcements! Where are the reinforcements?!"
"For fairness! For freedom! For dawn!" Roars from the other side came one after another, mixed with local accents, and it was obvious that there were many locals among them.
"Miss Caledon, hurry!" Charlotte dragged Emilia out, saying anxiously as she ran, "Stray bullets could hit us at any time. This hotel is very close to the walls of Eagle's Nest Town, with a good view. Soon the civilian army and the local army will come to fight for control. We have to get out of here!"
Thick smoke billowed through the corridor, and the pungent smell of gunpowder and a faint scent of blood could be smelled. Downstairs came the innkeeper's terrified cries and the sound of things falling to the ground. Ethan suddenly grabbed the two of them and dodged into the narrow passage leading to the back door. From the front door, a loud bang of a door being kicked open was heard, followed by a gunshot, and the innkeeper's cries abruptly stopped.
The three hid in the gap of the railing and looked down, only to see a dusty officer in imperial uniform with smoking muzzle, and then he kicked the innkeeper's body away.
"Search! The People's Army must have sneaked in here!" He shouted sternly, "Kill everyone who's not wearing a uniform. Go up to the third floor rooftop and cast a spell to blow up those bastards down there!"
"...This is too much!" Charlotte muttered indignantly, but Ethan was in no mood for justice. He held onto the two of them tightly and quickly slipped away through the back passage they had scouted, nimbly dodging both sides along the way. The warlock, on the other hand, set up a barrier to protect the three from bullets and artillery fire. Surprisingly, they had managed to find a way out of the city.
"Run towards White Moss Slope," Ethan said hurriedly, his voice low. "I remember there was an abandoned outpost along the way. The terrain there is complex and it's not easy to be discovered—"
"Understood," Charlotte replied calmly. As she chanted, the runes on the dim, translucent barrier shone brightly again, barely resisting the debris and heat waves thrown up by stray bullets and explosions. The warlock's face was extremely pale, clearly exhausted from maintaining the barrier all the way.
“—lower your head!”
Ethan suddenly pinned the two girls to the ground, one in each hand. A blinding ball of light grazed their scalps before being deflected by the suddenly radiant barrier, crashing directly into the houses behind them. The stone wall suddenly collapsed with a rumbling sound, and several isolated Imperial soldiers immediately ran out from behind, quickly seeking cover and firing back.
"Damn Imperial lackeys!"
A warlock dressed in civilian clothes rushed towards Emilia and the other two. It was obvious that he was already bloodthirsty and thought that these three sneaky people were in cahoots with the imperial soldiers behind them - especially since one of them was a noble woman.
Emilia hadn't gotten up from the ground yet. She raised her head and explained in a panic, "Wait, wait! We're not—"
Ethan's eyes glared fiercely. Without further ado, he lunged forward before the other man's second spellball could form. With a flash of his sword, he precisely slit the warlock's throat. Blood gushed out, staining most of his face red. Then the warrior vanished like a ghost, and soon the few remaining Imperial soldiers also died, their eyes wide open.
"Let's go." Ethan shook the blood off the sword and said gloomily to the two girls.
...It would be a huge loss. If he was found to have killed people from both sides, he would probably be retaliated by either side. But in this situation, he had to take action in order to survive.
By this time, the three of them had largely left the city walls. Beyond them lay the inky darkness of night, the outlines of the wilderness barely visible. Behind them, the blazing Eagle's Nest Town had been reduced to a complete inferno. Shouts, explosions, and the whistling of bullets seemed to tear the town to shreds.
"Come with me," Ethan whispered. He stopped looking at the sea of fire behind him and quickly scanned the dark wilderness and the starry sky, trying to match his memories from the day with each other and discern a path to escape. Charlotte clutched Emilia's hand tightly, dragging her forward, her forehead covered in sweat and her face as white as paper.
The wind is blowing.
The night wind blew the sweat-soaked hair of the three fleeing people. In addition to the smell of war coming from the direction of Eagle's Nest Town, there was also a hint of danger from the wilderness.
Ethan's pupils suddenly shrank violently, and he remained motionless with his head tilted back.
A drop of cold sweat slid down his extremely tense chin.
The clouds hung heavy and low in the night sky, obscuring the moon so that it was hard to see clearly. But from the thin gaps in the pale light, something seemed to be faintly visible - a huge shadow passing through the clouds.
"Ethan?" Charlotte looked at him warily. Her companion always kept a poker face and never showed his emotions. She had never seen him show such an expression, not even in the most critical situations.
...That seems to be, fear?
But soon the two girls discovered what had caused the powerful and experienced mercenary to freeze in place with a pale face: the huge shadow from the sky was not a shadow created by the clouds, nor was it a flock of bats or birds at night - it was a giant dragon, silently poking its head out from the low clouds towards them.
Even more terrifying was the sudden appearance of a figure leaping directly from the dragon's back. Even from such a great distance, the figure was still incredibly light, and when they landed on the grass, their indigo cloak, which draped to their ankles, didn't even flutter.
The sounds of fighting from Eagle's Nest suddenly grew distant and indistinct. The smoke and dust gradually dissipated, and moonlight pierced the murky air, illuminating the approaching figure. The man was tall and slender, his face obscured by a wide hood and collar, making his features unclear. Only a few strands of golden hair cascading over his collar reflected a soft, dazzling light. But Ethan and the others remained pinned to the spot by the inexplicable, terrifying pressure, not daring to move.
Dragon Rider.
There are currently only two dragon riders on the continent of Ambrose, one of whom is Saint Salvatore of the Far North nation of Ferros, but he is still in the northern borders. Furthermore, White Nightmare is a giant frost dragon, said to be taller than the city walls. Although this dragon is also large, it is clearly not big enough.
The other dragon knight was even more mysterious. Few had ever seen his true form, only occasionally glimpsing his shadow across the sky. Even to this day, he had never personally participated in battle. Many speculated that he was also a saint, but had chosen to abide by Saint Barrod's "non-war agreement."
What's even worse is that this man is a high-ranking member of the Kuomintang and a subordinate of Ghost - and they just killed a soldier of the People's Army.
...dead.
Now there was only one thought in Ethan's mind.
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