Chapter 551 The Last Knight of the Knight's Land
"...By Saint Sith! That box contains rifle bullets, not your grandmother! Be gentle!"
"You idiot over there! Get out of the way! The carriage can't pass!"
"Quickly! Get moving!"
Rough shouts tore through the sweltering air outside Crow City as military wagons carrying supplies drove into the expanding military camp.
This is the northeastern border of the Principality of Campbell.
It was also the newly designated front line.
The citizens of Crow City were whispering and discussing the matter. Some were nervous, some were confused, but most were excited.
These border people had long harbored resentment towards the rats from the north. Their hatred for the ratmen was roughly equivalent to the hostility the villagers of Silverpine Town felt towards the imps—
One put rat droppings in their granary, while the other urinated on their heads.
In comparison, the ratmen pose a significantly greater threat. After all, the imps live in the maze and are limited in number.
The carrion clan of ratmen is not only numerous, but they also repeatedly test the boundaries of the human world.
Unfortunately, Count Spinor had no interest in this remote region, and the Baron was unable to bear the costs of expanding northward on his own.
This is also the biggest drawback of feudalism: the interests of different families cannot be aligned. Some want to solve the problem, while others want to appease them. No one really cares what the old farmers are thinking; they only occasionally share the same thoughts as them.
It still took the renowned "White-Haired Duke" to make a move.
Although Edward didn't really know what they were thinking, that didn't stop the people of Raven City from regarding him as a savior sent by Saint Sith.
Interestingly, the nickname "White-Haired Duke" was originally given to Edward by traditional nobles to satirize his "political showmanship," but it took on a completely different meaning when it reached the common people.
After all, commoners had no access to news from high society and mostly believed the version of royal harmony reported in the Thunder City Daily.
On the high slope, Edward squinted as he looked down at the slowly unfolding military camp, handing the telescope back to Sir Wesley beside him.
"We mobilized twice as fast as ever, Sir Wesley, that's thanks to you."
Sir Wesley smiled as he took the telescope.
"You flatter me, Your Majesty. I believe this is more due to the railway."
“Haha, it’s undeniable that His Highness Colin’s railway has indeed done us a great favor,” Edward grinned, turned around and walked down the hill. “Let’s go, there are some details about the specific strategic deployment that I need to discuss with you.”
Sir Wesley nodded respectfully.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Although Edward has decided to cede the "glory" of the main battlefield to the lizardmen of the Swamp City and the dwarves of the Mountain Kingdom, this does not mean that the Duchy of Campbell intends to stand idly by.
This is, after all, our own border.
More importantly, this was a once-in-a-lifetime "learning" opportunity that His Highness Colin had secured for the Campbells.
After the military conference, Sir Wesley, the Grand Marshal of the Duchy, offered Archduke Edward a supplementary suggestion—
Instead of observing from the sidelines, learn through practical experience.
Therefore, a new type of force called the "Mountain Corps" was created.
A mixed force of 10,000 adventurers and Ryan refugees will undergo a radical transformation here.
They abandoned the thousand-man unit tactics brought from Oslo and instead adopted a new organization more suitable for the Roxay 1054 bolt-action rifle – “battalion” and “corps”.
This theory originated from the dragon god's people of the Kingdom of Gutaf.
The loudest lizardman can roar at a force of about ten lizardmen, which constitutes a "platoon".
A lizardman with good eyesight, fast running speed, and a loud voice can unite three squads within his sight, which constitutes a "platoon".
Why three?
Because the lizardmen have three of the most useful toes on their forepaws, and coincidentally, the Campbellians' phalanx also has three rows.
3 and 4 are a very scientific “command multiplier”. Although scientific ideas were a new thing for the people of Austronesian continent, “empiricism” had been passed down for thousands of years on this land. Therefore, the Campbellians quickly adopted this advanced tactic.
The three mountain regiments each consisted of three battalions, each with 600 to 800 men.
The newly established organization will serve as a pilot for the Duchy's military reforms. From now on, the Duchy's army will no longer be mainly composed of conscripts, but will instead establish a more modern standing army with professional soldiers as the main force.
The reform of the military system was another major weakening of traditional feudal forces, following the recovery of land and religious status.
To fill the manpower gap, conscription notices bearing the Campbell family crest were posted all over the streets and alleys of Thunder City.
Those adventurers who had risked their lives on the edge of death went completely mad. What attracted them was not only the military pay, but also the "citizenship" of the Principality of Campbell.
It is worth noting that although the "nationalization of church membership" occurred in 1054 AD, the nationality legislation of the Principality of Campbell did not take place during Edwardian's reign.
Long ago, the Thunder City Council enacted a similar bill, which distinguished between "the Grand Duke's subjects" and "outsiders," and for the first time legally differentiated who could inherit land in the Duchy of Campbell, who was protected by the council's legislation, and who needed to pay additional taxes to His Majesty.
This is fundamentally different from nationality in the information age.
In 1054, the Principality of Campbell had only just entered the stage of a society where citizens were "born subjects." Citizenship was mostly for tax exemption and inheritance rights, rather than "permanent residency" and free benefits.
However, this can still be understood as a rudimentary form of nationality.
For adventurers in Thunder City, this is almost the best shortcut to obtaining legal citizenship in this rich land, aside from marrying a local.
Just as this enormous war machine roared to life, an incongruous carriage slowly drove into the dusty military camp.
The carriage, painted in an elegant black lacquer and with cork wheels for shock absorption, stood out conspicuously in the chaotic camp.
It's like a poodle that has wandered into a pack of wolves.
The carriage door opened, and a gleaming leather shoe stepped onto the muddy ground. Sir Dickbin stepped down from the carriage with a look of disdain, seemingly annoyed that there was no red carpet.
He was the special envoy of the Kingdom of Ryan stationed at Campbell Castle, his jet-black hair meticulously combed, as if licked by a cow's tongue.
Although time has left its mark on the corners of his eyes, it has not taken away the greasy look of a life of luxury from his skin.
Seeing the ushers approaching, he shoved one of them aside, took out a comb from his pocket, combed his hair, and muttered curses.
"Get your filthy hands off me! I don't want to hear a single word of your nonsense! Let me see your Emperor! Now! Right now!"
The concierge staff looked completely bewildered.
He wondered why he hadn't even reached out, yet he'd been inexplicably shoved. Nevertheless, he politely nodded slightly, determined not to be as rude as the nobleman Ryan.
"Yes, sir."
Inside the military tent, Edward was discussing the details of the frontline deployment with Sir Wesley and a group of officers.
Their priority was to establish a supply line to the Mountain Kingdom so they could reunite with their dwarf brethren there.
It is far more sincere to convey a principality's resolve through the sound of gunfire than to send an envoy with a cold, impersonal document.
The dwarven scouts must be observing the movements on the duchy's borders right now, and their messengers should arrive soon.
At that moment, the tent flap was lifted, and a messenger jogged in.
"Your Majesty! Sir Dickbin has come to visit."
Sir Wesley frowned.
"Who let that guy in?"
The messenger stammered for a long time, unable to explain clearly.
It wasn't that anyone let that guy in; the main problem was that no one dared to stop him. After all, nominally, the Kingdom of Ryan was still Campbell's overlord, and that envoy was a nobleman.
Edward raised an eyebrow, but instead of making things difficult for the messenger, he smiled and said...
"Let him in."
He hadn't expected that Ryan's envoy would act even faster than the dwarves living on the next mountain, arriving at the front lines only one day later than him.
When he sent troops to the Dusk Province, Sir Dickbin didn't utter a single word.
"yes!"
The messenger breathed a sigh of relief and jogged away.
Not long after, the tent flap was lifted again, and Sir Dickbin strode into the tent, bringing with him a scent of perfume.
Several officers frowned.
It wasn't because of the other person's perfume, but because of the envoy's rudeness. Instead of showing proper politeness, he was perplexingly arrogant, merely bowing slightly with a condescending air about him.
"Your Excellency, on behalf of the great His Majesty Theodore, I extend my greetings to you!"
That smooth, high-pitched voice sounded more like a lizard than a lizard could be; Mr. Sack Windsor's voice was probably even more pleasant.
Edward didn't look up; his gaze remained fixed on the map. He replied casually.
"On behalf of the Campbell people, I send my greetings to you and the thing behind you."
Upon hearing this, Sir Dickbin's fake smile froze instantly, and a hint of anger flashed across his oily face.
"Is this how you treat your suzerain state? Lord Edward, I thought the Duchy of Campbell was a model of chivalry, but I never expected it to be so ill-mannered."
"Knights in the land of knights will only show respect to true knights."
Edward finally looked up and threw the pencil in his hand onto the map.
"As for you... Sir Dickbin, if you've come to reminisce with me on behalf of Theodore, that's unnecessary; my patience with him has long since run out. But you've come at the right time. I hope you'll bring those crippled Lane people outside Raven City back home; after all, they are your people."
“Your Excellency, I have no time to play this hypocritical game of loving the people like your own children. You don’t need to put on an act in front of me.”
Dickbin snorted coldly, straightened his collar which was not wrinkled, and his tone became aggressive.
“I have come here on behalf of the Devalo family to hold the Campbell family accountable. Your army has violated the ancient covenant and marched into the Ten Thousand Mountains without authorization. This is an inhumane and unjust act.”
Being unkind and unjust is acceptable.
Sir Wesley chuckled softly, and the surrounding officers joined in the laughter, while Sir Bertrand remained silent before letting out a soft sigh.
Ever since he killed General Hannor, the "Spear of the Duchy," with a single sword strike, he had felt a deep sense of guilt, believing that he had personally destroyed the honor of the land of knights.
However, upon seeing the envoy from the land of knights, his guilt lessened considerably... Behind Count Derek stood such an ugly creature.
Fortunately, he did not show any mercy or hesitation.
Unaware that he had utterly disgraced the land of knights, Sir Dickbin, enraged by the laughter, stepped forward and continued aggressively.
"You bunch of foolish brutes are still laughing! The Ten Thousand Ren Mountains are within the sphere of influence of the High Mountain Kingdom. This is determined by the ancient covenant of the Second Era. Do I need to remind you?"
"Your army's amassing on the border will not only trigger a serious diplomatic dispute and anger our dwarven allies, but may even provoke a warning from the Empire! For the sake of regional stability, I, on behalf of the King, demand that you immediately cease your foolish actions, or else—"
"Otherwise, His Majesty Theodore wouldn't have stood idly by?"
Edward picked up where he left off, speaking in a tone as flat as if he were reading an outdated newspaper, leaving Sir Dickbein speechless.
After a long while, he managed to squeeze out a sentence, his face flushed.
"Of course... The Lionheart Knights will not stand idly by!"
He clearly still has some sense of shame; otherwise, he wouldn't have said such a shameless thing without batting an eye.
The Lionheart Knights, who had been stationed in the Twilight Province for a year, not only did not advance any further towards the Ten Thousand Blades Mountains, but instead turned around and returned in triumph towards Roland City.
Edward chuckled, his gaze growing increasingly cold as he looked at the neatly combed knight as if he were an insect.
To be honest, he didn't have good intentions in inviting this guy in. He just wanted to show the newly rich nobles around him the ugly behavior of the Ryan nobles and unite the people around him... However, the guy's ugliness disgusted him first.
Throughout the entire ordeal, the gentleman didn't ask a single question about the Ryan people lying on stretchers outside, nor did he mention the atrocities committed by the ratmen in the cave. Instead, he showed concern for the dwarves in the Ten Thousand Mountains.
Even as he walked into the tent, the horrific scenes were right before his eyes.
He started pretending to be blind.
“Then let your Hagmer and his knights come and take these people home.”
He sneered, walked around the table, strode to the tent entrance, and yanked open the heavy curtain.
Whoosh—
With a crisp, light sound, the hot June wind, carrying the stench of rotting wounds, instantly filled the tent.
Dickbin instinctively took a step back, pulled out a silk handkerchief sprayed with perfume, and covered his nose with a furrowed brow.
"What are you doing? Turn it off now!"
“Open your eyes and look, Sir Dickbin.”
Edward pointed at the refugees outside the tent and shouted angrily.
"The people illuminated by the Holy Light are treated like livestock by the Ratmen, kept, tortured, and slaughtered... Those who don't know the situation might think they are sardines in a can!"
"And you, a coward who calls himself a nobleman, are here talking to me about some ancient covenant and dwarves! Sir Dickbin, I don't want to ask if you still have any piety for the Holy Light in your heart, because even demons would laugh at you. I just want to ask where your shame and dignity have gone?"
Dickbin only glanced briefly at the hellish scene before quickly averting his gaze as if burned by a cigarette butt.
His face flushed red, not from shame, but from the shamelessness of the Campbellians who were reopening his wounds right in front of him.
"Your Excellency, please don't get angry! And don't try to change the subject! I'm... talking about your problem now!"
“Once the ancient covenant is broken and the sacred obligations are no longer fulfilled, the corruption of chaos will come upon our land! Can you bear this responsibility?”
"As for these commoners... in this chaotic era, it is common for a few to die. We cannot let the happiness of good people be ruined because of these lowly lives. Your Excellency, you are too young. If it were your father, he would never have done such a rash thing!"
The air inside the tent suddenly became quiet.
All eyes were on him. Sir Wesley suppressed his smile, while Sir Bertrand narrowed his eyes.
This bug...
How dare they speak so presumptuously of the name of the late King Ticcampbell!
Dickbin seemed to sense that something was wrong, and his Adam's apple bobbed slightly.
"What...what are you going to do?"
They did nothing; they just looked at him like he was trash.
Even the most traditional nobleman, Sir Bertrand, felt nothing but pure disgust at this moment.
No morals, no bottom line, no faith...
Is this the last knight of the "Land of Knights"?
Edward suddenly laughed, a cold laugh devoid of any warmth, only chilling to the bone.
He turned his head and looked at Sir Wesley beside him.
“Look at this, Wesley, this is our Earl Derek’s old friend… The backbone that the land of knights has lost, it even needs me, the least knightly of all, to pick it up for them.”
Sir Wesley sighed softly.
"It's a real shame that the tulips are fading."
Edward turned around and glanced at Sir Dickbin, who was retreating in fear, before looking at the two guards standing at the door.
“Give this friend a gun and take him to the Mountain Legion’s ‘Ryan Camp.’ I think Marshal Wesley is right; the Ryan people should be rescued by the Ryan people themselves. He can take the gun and talk to the ratmen about that ancient pact, and while he’s at it, go look for Ryan bones in their caves…if there are any left.”
Two guards standing at the door stepped forward to arrest the man, but Sir Dickbin jumped up like a squirrel whose tail had been stepped on. He clearly hadn't expected the "White-Haired Devil" to be so unreasonable.
He no longer cared about responding to that mocking insult; he only cried out in panic.
"You! How dare you! Wait, I am a special envoy... I am a nobleman! Get your filthy hands off me! For Saint Sith's sake, let me return to Roland City. I need to explain this matter to His Majesty!"
The two fierce guards ignored his explanations and grabbed the screaming knight from either side, dragging him out like a dead dog.
"There's no rush. You'll have your chance to see His Majesty eventually. Remember to give my regards to Theodore."
Edward picked up the pencil that had been thrown on the map, too lazy to even glance at the jazz being dragged outside.
"By the way, tell him for me that he still owes me two debts."
I'll settle things with him sooner or later!
...
The scorching June sun burned the outskirts of Raven City and the forests further north.
At the same time that Sir Dickbin was dragged out of the camp like a dead dog, a fully armed squad of thirty men was silently moving through the forest beyond the northern border of Earl Spinor's Grove.
They are the most elite warriors in the Duchy, each soldier possessing at least the strength of the Steel-level, and many of them are even Silver-level powerhouses!
The silver-haired girl at the head of the group has even entered the diamond-level realm.
"Your Highness Colin."
With her longsword clearing away the waist-high thorns in front of her, Eileen slowed her pace, turned her head to look at Colin beside her, and still had a hint of apology in her eyes.
“...You really don’t need to risk your life with me. This forest is full of ratmen traps and ambushes. If something happens to you, how will I explain it to the people of the Principality of Colin? Protecting the people of the River of Flow is a responsibility given to me by the Light of Praise, and this responsibility does not belong to you.”
"What about protecting you?"
"..."
Eileen didn't speak, but her ripe ears betrayed her racing heart.
Seemingly sensing the teasing in those deep purple eyes, she showed a slightly angry expression and glared at him irritably.
"Your Highness, please don't do this. I'm serious. You've already helped us so much; I can't let you risk your life for me again—"
“I’m not joking, I’m serious.”
Luo Yan smiled faintly, waved his magic wand, and caused the thorns that were wrapped around him to automatically tilt to the sides.
“The Colin family is also blessed by the gods. You have a duty to protect the people of the River Run, and I have a duty to protect the land that is illuminated by the Holy Light... This is also my duty. As for worrying about me, there is no need to worry at all.”
"The Principality of Colin is an adventurer's paradise. I opened my eyes in the jungle, and it felt like home to me. And if anything were to happen to me, the adventurers wouldn't have to grieve for me; they would simply pass on my story."
People grow old every day in this world, but not everyone truly lives.
Luo Yan wanted to say that, but Eileen's expression was just too delicious, so his flirtatious words took a different turn.
"Of course, I must admit... these high-sounding reasons are all excuses I made up on the spot. You are the main reason I'm here."
All that remained around was the rustling of insects.
Eileen, who was engrossed in chopping thorns, fell silent again.
However, Luo Yan, who was walking beside her, could see clearly that the ear that extended beyond the hair was like a red-hot key inserted into a silver treasure chest.
He could even guess what she was thinking—
As expected of Prince Colin.
So kind, brave, and heartwarming, hehehe...
Admiring the rare and beautiful scenery, Luo Yan smiled faintly, stopping his flirtatious remarks without continuing to express his inappropriate tenderness.
Poor Princess Eileen had no idea that the Demon King was lying through his teeth again.
He wasn't a follower of Saint Cecil at all; he was just curious. His old friend from Xuebang had secretly come up with some incredible black technology again...
Or rather, black magic.
The group continued to advance rapidly through the forest.
Suddenly, Sarah, who had been silently following behind Luo Yan, stopped in her tracks. Her expressionless face lifted slightly, and her amber pupils turned sharp.
There's something ahead.
Theresa, standing next to Sarah, glanced at her in surprise. As a fellow Gold-level superhuman, she hadn't sensed anything.
Is this the strength of a "prince's bodyguard"?
Indeed, unfathomable!
Not daring to be careless in the slightest, she immediately drew her long sword from her waist, turned around, and shouted to the warriors behind her.
"Prepare for battle!"
"drink!"
Campbell's young men responded in unison, drawing their swords and unleashing their powerful "divine energy" to its peak, creating a dazzling golden glow beneath the green shade!
Luo Yan glanced approvingly at Sarah, whose perception had improved again, and then pulled out a slender wand from his sleeve.
He actually discovered it earlier, but he deliberately concealed it to maintain his image as a prince.
"Holy Shield!"
With a soft chant, intricate runes appeared in the air, then transformed into bright silver light, precisely covering each soldier and adding a layer of sacred radiance to their already gleaming armor.
Feeling the power infused by the prince, the crowd's morale soared, and they gripped their knight's longswords even more tightly.
Just then, a chilling, sharp roar suddenly came from the depths of the dense forest ahead.
"roar--!"
The earth trembled violently, and several oak trees that required two people to encircle were snapped in half like fragile matchsticks!
Amidst the flying sawdust, a giant, stitched rat, as tall as five people, charged forward like a runaway chariot.
Its body was stitched with the limbs of various monsters, and dark green pus flowed from beneath its rotting flesh, emitting a nauseating stench.
That terrifying pressure was enough to make even the most elite adventurers tremble, yet none of the people standing here even frowned.
"Haa—!"
With a shout, Eileen moved with lightning speed, taking the lead in meeting the attack.
The "Light of Praise" in her hand drew a perfect semicircle in the air, and the dazzling sword light instantly swept across the giant rat's massive body.
Pfft—!
That was the sound of flesh and blood being torn apart!
The roaring, charging beast didn't even have time to let out a scream before it was neatly split in two by a bolt of lightning, its foul-smelling entrails spilling out like an avalanche across the ground!
However, this is just the beginning!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Suddenly, a dense twang of bowstrings rang out from the surrounding bushes, and hundreds of poisoned, dark green crossbow bolts rained down like a storm, their target Eileen, who was charging at the forefront.
However, those arrows, powerful enough to pierce steel plates, did not touch Eileen at all.
Just as they were about to strike, a gentle breeze swept by, and the arrows that filled the sky transformed into fluttering green leaves and scattered away.
"I told you, I'm serious." Luo Yan smiled slightly, his calm smile unchanged, as the pale golden light at the tip of his staff switched to dark green.
That was the magic of the Life School; it made the flying arrows sprout green shoots again.
"Thanks!"
Eileen turned back and gave Luo Yan a grateful look, her feet never stopping, her whole body like a silver meteor shuttling through the forest, straight into the heart of the enemy formation.
The strength of a diamond-level expert was displayed to its fullest extent at this moment!
Not a single ratman could withstand even a single round against the Echoing Light in her hand!
Having adapted to her vampire identity, Eileen is even stronger than before, simply because she has a continuous source of life force that the Light of Praise can draw upon!
Luo Yan, standing at the back, was not idle either. He casually twirled his magic wand and lightly touched the ground with the tip.
Buzz—
A pale blue ripple spread rapidly outwards from him, crossing the lines of his own foot knights.
The ripples spread silently for more than ten meters, and when they came into contact with the ambush troops hidden in the bushes, they suddenly turned into scorching flames and rose up!
boom--!
"ah!"
"My tail! My tail!"
Hundreds of clan rats screamed, writhing and trampling each other as they fled in the firelight, bringing death and fear back to the ratmen's ranks.
Campbell's group of young men were dumbfounded.
Such formidable strength!
Although they had long heard that His Highness the Prince was a powerful magician, they had always thought he was the kind of scholar who only sat in a high tower studying magic books.
Unexpectedly, when it came to a real fight, his skills were in no way inferior to those of battle mages, and even surpassed them!
Luo Yan manipulated the burning flames, not burning the ratmen to death directly, but controlling the temperature to just the right level.
He actually had more efficient black flames at his disposal, but there was no need to use them here, since he was surrounded by servants of the Holy Light.
The morale of the ratmen is crumbling.
However, just as they were about to collapse, a dozen rat-man priests dressed in black robes stepped forward, chanting sinister incantations.
A dark green light poured into the ratmen's pupils, then turned into a red thicker than blood. As if controlled by some force, their eyes filled with bloodshot veins, but they regained their rat courage and screamed as they continued their charge.
"Human wretch! Die! Die!"
Wielding rusty swords and battle axes stolen from the dwarves, they clashed with the Campbellian knights on foot like a black tide.
Then--
Like waves crashing against rocks, they were the first to die.
The fighting behind her continued, and in just a few breaths, Eileen killed two more stitched giant rats that were trying to sneak up on her.
Her silver hair danced in the wind, her body was spotless, not a drop of blood stained it, and even her breathing was perfectly steady.
Just then, a dozen sneaky elite clan rats climbed up the towering oak tree.
They set up several thick, long rune-inscribed ballistae, their dark muzzles aimed at Colin, who stood in the very center of the group.
There was nothing wrong with taking out the mage first, but they clearly overestimated their own strength and the power of those rune crossbows.
Luo Yan saw them, but didn't even bother to lift his eyelids, as if they were just a few annoying flies.
The very next second, a black phantom flashed past the treetops, and a flying dagger silently sliced across the necks of more than a dozen rats.
Pfft—!
Corpses fell from the trees like dumplings being dropped into a pot, and the howling wind only belatedly blew the leaves off the treetops after Sarah jumped down from the tree.
Sarah twirled the dagger in her hand like a saw blade, landing lightly without stopping. Her amber vertical pupils narrowed slightly as she locked onto the rat-man priest standing behind the swarm of rats.
The oppressive aura emanating from the superior predators hung over the ratmen, an aura that terrified them even more than superhuman power.
"squeak--!"
The rats, whose courage had just been bolstered, were on the verge of collapse again, and they fled in all directions as if their lives depended on it, trying to get away from the cat.
Sarah didn't even look at them. Her lithe figure transformed into a blur once more, and the short sword at her waist appeared in her hand. In the blink of an eye, several more ratman priests who were casting spells had their throats slit.
As the strong members of the clan fell one after another, the remaining clan rats and slave rats completely collapsed.
They fled in disarray, chattering as they went, leaving behind only corpses and broken weapons.
Less than ten minutes!
A fully-organized squad of a thousand ratmen was completely wiped out by this small squad of thirty, leaving behind a trail of mangled corpses in the dense jungle!
In reality, the ratmen on Burial Peak were far from being that weak, but unfortunately, the cave spiders of Shadowweaver's Nest had already exhausted too many of the Shrek warlords' manpower... That happened the night before last.
The flames burning on the corpse died out silently.
After shaking off the sticky black blood from "Utawarerumono", Eileen sheathed her sword.
Her gaze swept past the corpses scattered on the ground and landed in the direction the ratmen had fled, her delicate brows furrowing slightly.
"It seems there is something extraordinary hidden behind them... Those stitched giant rats don't seem to be the product of natural mutation, but more like the creation of some kind of alchemy."
"Yes, that's what I think too..."
Luo Yan slowly opened his eyes, a ripple of magic flashing in his deep purple pupils.
"The firebird I summoned saw something interesting in the sky... It looked like a mouse hole, but I couldn't see any further inside."
In fact, he didn't need to summon any firebirds at all.
His "Butterfly of Myriad Phenomena" has always hovered above the forest, like a satellite overlooking every move of this land.
"Let's go and see what they've hidden in the rat hole."
Eileen took a deep breath, turned around, and looked at Theresa, who was walking towards her.
"Take a three-minute break, then continue!"
"Yes, Your Highness!"
Theresa gave a standard knightly salute, then loudly commanded the soldiers to regroup and check their equipment and supplies.
Sarah approached Luo Yan and quietly handed him a dozen or so magic stones engraved with runes; these were spoils she had seized from the ratman priests.
Luo Yan threw most of the magic stones into his storage ring, leaving only one to examine between his fingers, a look of deep interest on his face.
"The magic of the Soul School."
A milky white mist appeared beside him, and Youyou muttered a surprised whisper.
"No wonder the players said they encountered spells that could strike straight to the soul... Turns out it was something from the Soul School."
"I hope that's all there is to it."
Luo Yan pondered for a long time, glanced in Eileen's direction, and ultimately did not give the item to her, but instead threw it into his storage space.
Let's put the matter of Xuebang on hold for now. He wasn't sure if the Great Sage was involved, and if so, how deeply.
That guy probably still misunderstands that he is an arrogant "ally," the chosen one of the mysterious mist... He sincerely hopes that the great sage will continue to misunderstand.
The hero only needs to swing his sword, but the demon king has many more things to consider.
He will have to decide the extent of this battle based on the situation.
(End of this chapter)
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