Hundreds of knights stood silently under the torrential downpour. The rain stirring a thin layer of mist that enshrouded their once jet-black shields. One by one, their metal spears were placed forwards, forming a man-made steel fortress.
Sir Malocher, captain of the Seventh Swordsman Brigade of Ampere Seale’s coast guards, was to this moment still not relieved; he tried his utter best to not think of all the pale faces under those steel helmets along with their incredibly crooked formation. No matter what happened, they had to be readily armed within the expected time frame.
He then turned back, bowing down to the young man behind him, "General, it's done."
Owen had been staring at the harbor’s gloomy sky. The Black Blade Squad and the Holy Cathedral’s air force were at a disadvantage. Their opponents were too strong. The southern army always had the strongest Dragon Cavalry in Aouine. But it was also because of that power that they got abandoned by the Kingdom.
At the skies right now, there were two armies from the same Kingdom battling one another. Will such a thing happen again in the future? It would’ve been better to face other opponents, like the Kirrlutz, or the Madara. Those battles would be more glorifying, wouldn’t they?
He looked back. Did we just spend 30 minutes to form the defense line? Owen could not help shaking his head. such a line of defense would be useless in front of the White Lion Legion, like a thin sheet of paper, easily blown by the wind.
But this is, after all, the wealthiest part of the Kingdom, where the soldiers were free from fighting the Kirrlutz, and didn’t have to join the deadly battle with the Madara. They wouldn’t even to fight any barbarians or bandits. They should be able to manage themselves. Owen thought.
Owen was perfectly aware that this was the Kingdom’s second rated army and he nodded expressionlessly, "Okay."
Sir Malocher secretly wiped his sweat, relieved that he passed Owen's test.
He was a little unsatisfied. The Royal Faction was not foolish, why would they send themselves into the enemy’s den in the North? Especially when their opponents were the White Lion Legion’s officers? It was common knowledge that all of the White Lion Legion’s officers are bigshots in the Kingdom. If they were not geniuses, they would be the descendants of one. Definitely not people he would want to mess with.
Owen noticed his disapproving look, and it only annoyed him. Such narrow-minded people, he thought as he looked towards the other end of the rain, at the final hope of the Royal Faction: the Royal Cavalry Academy graduates. I wonder what sort of army they are?
I do hope they won’t let the people down, Owen thought to himself.
Maynild’s POV
Under the rain, Ampere Seale was still gloomy, with dawn just another moment away.
"Dulock, Melcon, and all the other fourth grade's knights come forward!" The young knights immediately raised their black flags to the sky. Like a totem standing under the wind and rain.
The young men from the Royal Academy were quickly divided, displaying their training through their uniform movement. Under the rain, the only sounds that could be heard were footsteps and the occasional scratch of a scabbard .
Across the rain on the other side, a knight reported back, "General, there are unidentified enemies straight ahead."
"They're blocking our way!"
Another knight pointed out, "They’re coming from all three directions!"
"Continue to scout, explore on both sides!" Maynild ordered coldly, pulling the reins on her horse to a halt.
Brendel stoped as well, looking forward. Droplets slipped down from his pale forehead like beads on a statue. He raised his hand and said, "The army is coming in from Lion’s Street, from the Hawksfin Inn to the Silversmith Bridge. Two teams of over 500 men are in front, and they have no backup. It seems like they’re are not experienced in war."
Just as his voice faded, someone yelled, "Spotted the Black Spider emblem! It’s the northern bastards! The northern noble’s private armies!”
"It’s the Rodu’s private army. These clowns sure are asking for death!" standing behind Maynild, Oberwei couldn't help but snort.
Suddenly, all eyes were on Brendel.
"How did you know?" Maynild looked back, wet hairs sticking on her forehead, her posture straight like a sword. Her eyes were cold and full of doubt, but it was all to cover up her trembling from the pain.
Brendel did not answer her and just stood motionlessly.
Suddenly, there was a sluggish sound and thousands of azure spiders appeared. They moved past Brendel and the others, their movements silenced by the sounds of hooves trotting.
"Wind Spirit Spiders! And so many of them!!" Amongst them, many are knowledgeable nobles freaked out when they saw the monsters.
"Shut up!" Mok, one of the three knights turned back and scolded the crowd. Mok was a young man with short gray hair, and short eyebrows that resembled two caterpillars crawling on his face that looked hilarious whenever he frowned.
Both Freya and Bennett couldn't hold back a smile. The girl in green just stared at Brendel in awe. And behind her, the Knight of the Lake was also staring at Brendel.
There was a hint of surprise in Maynild's eyes and she asked, "Are you using them to scout the enemy?”
"I can only give them simple commands to check out the position of our enemies. But..." Brendel looked into the rain and shook his head dismissively, "I'm too familiar with their tricks."
"Yeah, they can’t compare to the Madara people."
Brendel closed his eyes, and he saw Ironhorse Glacier before his eyes. A huge army of Undead rushed at him, and behind him was an abyss of flames...
There was no retreat route…
"Well, what will you do if you are the commander?" Oberwei he pulled out his sword and asked Brendel like everything was under control.
Although Princess Gryphine put Brendel in charge here, the power to command the Royal Cavalry Academy’s knights was still in his hands. He looked at Brendel with such a stern gaze anyone could perceive the power flowing within him.
"We don't have time to get tangled up with these people," Brendel opened his eyes, "There’s plenty of people surrounding us. We have to do something to let them give up.”
Kill the chicken to scare the monkey, Oberwei smiled, "It seems like you have confidence in these young people." [T/L: It’s a Chinese proverb to indicate dealing with something as an example to intimidate others.]
Brendel looked back at the hundreds of young faces behind him. Their uniforms were drenched in rainwater, their foreheads wet, but their eyes still glistened.
"I have confidence in people with strong beliefs" Brendel replied.
Of course, he did not really mean it. If it was not proven in history that they won, he would have never dared to say it. But he knew that he had to convince Oberwei. He was the princess's teacher, and also the pillar of the kingdom at the moment.
Oberwei looked at him with admiration and turned back to glance at the young people behind him. He had handpicked most of these people, such as Freya, Berrett, and some of the families most loyal to the Royal Family.
Although some of them were the descendants of the small noble families, they were often the best and had the most devout, like Mok.
These young men were the kingdom's last hope.
“First batch students from the Royal Cavalry Academy! Listen to my command!” Oberwei suddenly shouted, his voice traveled with the wind and spread far.
Brendel smiled.
“From now on, you will assist Sir Brendel with the siege until Her Majesty successfully escapes,” Oberwei coldly stated, “Understood ?”
Everyone set their eyes on Brendel. In their hearts, Princess Gryphine was the one they admired the most, followed by Maynild, the second in command. No one dared to object her decision anyways.
After that, it was Mok and Bennett, as well as Freya. After she obtained the Lionheart Sword, her fame and abilities soared, so many still regarded her as the deputy.
As for Brendel...
They never knew such a person existed until yesterday. They might have followed Makarov or Oberwei or any other bigshot in the Royal Faction, but not Brendel. He was barely past twenty years old, and looked like a spoiled brat. Just what qualifications did he have to command them?
Maybe if I displayed my abilities… Forget it, my strength has nothing to do with my commanding skills.
Proud and inexperienced as they were, they complied and waited for his commands.
Freya suddenly felt butterflies in her stomach; Berrett barely glanced at Brendel, while Mok was just staring at him coldly as most other people.
Brendel swung his horse forward and turned back stating, “The obstacles blocking Her Majesty in front are merely chickens. Your mission right now is to teach them an unforgettable lesson”
“But we don’t have much time, so you have to end your class quickly!
End the class quick?
Everyone was stunned at first, and later burst into an uproar. The knights from the Royal Cavalry Academy froze for a while before they understood what Brendel meant. This brat wanted to school them! How arrogant! Before he mentions just how he would do it, does he have an army that’s capable of doing that beforehand? they thought.
Brendel successfully piqued the knight’s curiosity, they all looked at Brendel with amusement, as if they couldn’t imagine how a narrow-minded knight like him could teach their enemies a lesson.
But Brendel never talked rubbish.
He turned back, unsheathing his sword and shouted, “Whoever wants to lead beside me, step forward !”
Silence…
Freya was the first to step forward. She gripped her sword so tightly her knuckles were turning white. In that instant, she imagined herself back in Fortress Riedon, in a similar situation, fighting alongside the same person. Only he can create such a miracle.
Two people.
Bennett hesitated before stepping forward, “Brendel, what the hell are you doing!” he whispered.
Brendel took a glance at him without answering.
Suddenly, the sound of a horse’s neigh arrived from the skies, and white particles coagulated together to form a bright light. Inside the light, Medissa could be seen walking alongside her steed towards Brendel.
Scarlet also came forward. She was holding a halberd, and though it was not the Elemental Power infused weapon she used the last time, her aura was still intimidating. Princess Gryphine and Oberwei just stared at each other in awe.
Ciel smiled. He patted his horse’s saddle lightly and the war house understood what he meant, slowly moving to Brendel’s side.
After that, Morpheus and Andrea followed suit. Andrea looking different than usual. Donning a long war cloak, she wasn’t with her normal dual blades, but instead was wielding a spear.
The two stood side by side.
Soon the Mercenaries of Lopez appeared, and the crowd burst into an uproar. Their reputation did not exist only in Brendel’s memories, but across the cities as well. With their special looking equipment, they caught everyone’s attention in an instant.
“This is impossible!”
“He summoned the Mercenaries of Lopez!”
“These mercenaries would never leave the Farnezain. Just how did he call them here?”
One Elemental Awakener, five Gold Rankers and multiple Silver Rankers. Although their numbers did not exceed thirty, everyone took a deep breath when all these people gathered by Brendel’s side.
This was already an army.
Even the princess was shocked.
“Although I heard about it before, never did I expect his subordinates to be that powerful,” the princess sighed in a low voice.
“Surprisingly though, he’s on your side,” Oberwei answered.
“It should be his ‘knight’s dignity’,” the princess sighed. “But do I and the House Covardo deserve this?”
Oberwei didn’t answer.
“It’s a Silver Elf!”
People were shocked. Medissa’s grey eyes, snow-white skin, and most importantly her striking armor resembled the ones the Silver Elves used to wear in the legends.
“The Silver Elves are back?”
“Am I blind?” everyone was stunned.
After the prophecy was announced, the Silver Elves promised to never appear until the day the four Holy Cathedrals fulfill their sacred pact with the Gods once more. On that day, they shall only appear to fight alongside the Black Dwarfs.
Although the Holy War was imminent, the time in which the four Holy Cathedrals fulfilled the pact still seemed far away.
Only Oberwei could tell Medissa’s difference, “She’s an Elite Elf.”
The princess simply nodded.
Brendel’s men gathered beside him.
No one dared to laugh anymore. Brendel’s strength was enough for him to take on the Dukes... was what everyone thought at that moment.
He raised Hairan Gaia, and the blade trembled slightly as it cut the rain.
“Listen carefully,”
“I don’t want anyone to be left behind,”
“Otherwise, I'm afraid you will have to go to heaven…”
As Brendel lowered his sword, the sound of horses galloping deafened the air.
Hundreds of knights stood silently under the torrential downpour. The rain stirring a thin layer of mist that enshrouded their once jet-black shields. One by one, their metal spears were placed forwards, forming a man-made steel fortress.
Sir Malocher, captain of the Seventh Swordsman Brigade of Ampere Seale’s coast guards, was to this moment still not relieved; he tried his utter best to not think of all the pale faces under those steel helmets along with their incredibly crooked formation. No matter what happened, they had to be readily armed within the expected time frame.
He then turned back, bowing down to the young man behind him, "General, it's done."
Owen had been staring at the harbor’s gloomy sky. The Black Blade Squad and the Holy Cathedral’s air force were at a disadvantage. Their opponents were too strong. The southern army always had the strongest Dragon Cavalry in Aouine. But it was also because of that power that they got abandoned by the Kingdom.
At the skies right now, there were two armies from the same Kingdom battling one another. Will such a thing happen again in the future? It would’ve been better to face other opponents, like the Kirrlutz, or the Madara. Those battles would be more glorifying, wouldn’t they?
He looked back. Did we just spend 30 minutes to form the defense line? Owen could not help shaking his head. such a line of defense would be useless in front of the White Lion Legion, like a thin sheet of paper, easily blown by the wind.
But this is, after all, the wealthiest part of the Kingdom, where the soldiers were free from fighting the Kirrlutz, and didn’t have to join the deadly battle with the Madara. They wouldn’t even to fight any barbarians or bandits. They should be able to manage themselves. Owen thought.
Owen was perfectly aware that this was the Kingdom’s second rated army and he nodded expressionlessly, "Okay."
Sir Malocher secretly wiped his sweat, relieved that he passed Owen's test.
He was a little unsatisfied. The Royal Faction was not foolish, why would they send themselves into the enemy’s den in the North? Especially when their opponents were the White Lion Legion’s officers? It was common knowledge that all of the White Lion Legion’s officers are bigshots in the Kingdom. If they were not geniuses, they would be the descendants of one. Definitely not people he would want to mess with.
Owen noticed his disapproving look, and it only annoyed him. Such narrow-minded people, he thought as he looked towards the other end of the rain, at the final hope of the Royal Faction: the Royal Cavalry Academy graduates. I wonder what sort of army they are?
I do hope they won’t let the people down, Owen thought to himself.
Maynild’s POV
Under the rain, Ampere Seale was still gloomy, with dawn just another moment away.
"Dulock, Melcon, and all the other fourth grade's knights come forward!" The young knights immediately raised their black flags to the sky. Like a totem standing under the wind and rain.
The young men from the Royal Academy were quickly divided, displaying their training through their uniform movement. Under the rain, the only sounds that could be heard were footsteps and the occasional scratch of a scabbard .
Across the rain on the other side, a knight reported back, "General, there are unidentified enemies straight ahead."
"They're blocking our way!"
Another knight pointed out, "They’re coming from all three directions!"
"Continue to scout, explore on both sides!" Maynild ordered coldly, pulling the reins on her horse to a halt.
Brendel stoped as well, looking forward. Droplets slipped down from his pale forehead like beads on a statue. He raised his hand and said, "The army is coming in from Lion’s Street, from the Hawksfin Inn to the Silversmith Bridge. Two teams of over 500 men are in front, and they have no backup. It seems like they’re are not experienced in war."
Just as his voice faded, someone yelled, "Spotted the Black Spider emblem! It’s the northern bastards! The northern noble’s private armies!”
"It’s the Rodu’s private army. These clowns sure are asking for death!" standing behind Maynild, Oberwei couldn't help but snort.
Suddenly, all eyes were on Brendel.
"How did you know?" Maynild looked back, wet hairs sticking on her forehead, her posture straight like a sword. Her eyes were cold and full of doubt, but it was all to cover up her trembling from the pain.
Brendel did not answer her and just stood motionlessly.
Suddenly, there was a sluggish sound and thousands of azure spiders appeared. They moved past Brendel and the others, their movements silenced by the sounds of hooves trotting.
"Wind Spirit Spiders! And so many of them!!" Amongst them, many are knowledgeable nobles freaked out when they saw the monsters.
"Shut up!" Mok, one of the three knights turned back and scolded the crowd. Mok was a young man with short gray hair, and short eyebrows that resembled two caterpillars crawling on his face that looked hilarious whenever he frowned.
Both Freya and Bennett couldn't hold back a smile. The girl in green just stared at Brendel in awe. And behind her, the Knight of the Lake was also staring at Brendel.
There was a hint of surprise in Maynild's eyes and she asked, "Are you using them to scout the enemy?”
"I can only give them simple commands to check out the position of our enemies. But..." Brendel looked into the rain and shook his head dismissively, "I'm too familiar with their tricks."
"Yeah, they can’t compare to the Madara people."
Brendel closed his eyes, and he saw Ironhorse Glacier before his eyes. A huge army of Undead rushed at him, and behind him was an abyss of flames...
There was no retreat route…
"Well, what will you do if you are the commander?" Oberwei he pulled out his sword and asked Brendel like everything was under control.
Although Princess Gryphine put Brendel in charge here, the power to command the Royal Cavalry Academy’s knights was still in his hands. He looked at Brendel with such a stern gaze anyone could perceive the power flowing within him.
"We don't have time to get tangled up with these people," Brendel opened his eyes, "There’s plenty of people surrounding us. We have to do something to let them give up.”
Kill the chicken to scare the monkey, Oberwei smiled, "It seems like you have confidence in these young people." [T/L: It’s a Chinese proverb to indicate dealing with something as an example to intimidate others.]
Brendel looked back at the hundreds of young faces behind him. Their uniforms were drenched in rainwater, their foreheads wet, but their eyes still glistened.
"I have confidence in people with strong beliefs" Brendel replied.
Of course, he did not really mean it. If it was not proven in history that they won, he would have never dared to say it. But he knew that he had to convince Oberwei. He was the princess's teacher, and also the pillar of the kingdom at the moment.
Oberwei looked at him with admiration and turned back to glance at the young people behind him. He had handpicked most of these people, such as Freya, Berrett, and some of the families most loyal to the Royal Family.
Although some of them were the descendants of the small noble families, they were often the best and had the most devout, like Mok.
These young men were the kingdom's last hope.
“First batch students from the Royal Cavalry Academy! Listen to my command!” Oberwei suddenly shouted, his voice traveled with the wind and spread far.
Brendel smiled.
“From now on, you will assist Sir Brendel with the siege until Her Majesty successfully escapes,” Oberwei coldly stated, “Understood ?”
Everyone set their eyes on Brendel. In their hearts, Princess Gryphine was the one they admired the most, followed by Maynild, the second in command. No one dared to object her decision anyways.
After that, it was Mok and Bennett, as well as Freya. After she obtained the Lionheart Sword, her fame and abilities soared, so many still regarded her as the deputy.
As for Brendel...
They never knew such a person existed until yesterday. They might have followed Makarov or Oberwei or any other bigshot in the Royal Faction, but not Brendel. He was barely past twenty years old, and looked like a spoiled brat. Just what qualifications did he have to command them?
Maybe if I displayed my abilities… Forget it, my strength has nothing to do with my commanding skills.
Proud and inexperienced as they were, they complied and waited for his commands.
Freya suddenly felt butterflies in her stomach; Berrett barely glanced at Brendel, while Mok was just staring at him coldly as most other people.
Brendel swung his horse forward and turned back stating, “The obstacles blocking Her Majesty in front are merely chickens. Your mission right now is to teach them an unforgettable lesson”
“But we don’t have much time, so you have to end your class quickly!
End the class quick?
Everyone was stunned at first, and later burst into an uproar. The knights from the Royal Cavalry Academy froze for a while before they understood what Brendel meant. This brat wanted to school them! How arrogant! Before he mentions just how he would do it, does he have an army that’s capable of doing that beforehand? they thought.
Brendel successfully piqued the knight’s curiosity, they all looked at Brendel with amusement, as if they couldn’t imagine how a narrow-minded knight like him could teach their enemies a lesson.
But Brendel never talked rubbish.
He turned back, unsheathing his sword and shouted, “Whoever wants to lead beside me, step forward !”
Silence…
Freya was the first to step forward. She gripped her sword so tightly her knuckles were turning white. In that instant, she imagined herself back in Fortress Riedon, in a similar situation, fighting alongside the same person. Only he can create such a miracle.
Two people.
Bennett hesitated before stepping forward, “Brendel, what the hell are you doing!” he whispered.
Brendel took a glance at him without answering.
Suddenly, the sound of a horse’s neigh arrived from the skies, and white particles coagulated together to form a bright light. Inside the light, Medissa could be seen walking alongside her steed towards Brendel.
Scarlet also came forward. She was holding a halberd, and though it was not the Elemental Power infused weapon she used the last time, her aura was still intimidating. Princess Gryphine and Oberwei just stared at each other in awe.
Ciel smiled. He patted his horse’s saddle lightly and the war house understood what he meant, slowly moving to Brendel’s side.
After that, Morpheus and Andrea followed suit. Andrea looking different than usual. Donning a long war cloak, she wasn’t with her normal dual blades, but instead was wielding a spear.
The two stood side by side.
Soon the Mercenaries of Lopez appeared, and the crowd burst into an uproar. Their reputation did not exist only in Brendel’s memories, but across the cities as well. With their special looking equipment, they caught everyone’s attention in an instant.
“This is impossible!”
“He summoned the Mercenaries of Lopez!”
“These mercenaries would never leave the Farnezain. Just how did he call them here?”
One Elemental Awakener, five Gold Rankers and multiple Silver Rankers. Although their numbers did not exceed thirty, everyone took a deep breath when all these people gathered by Brendel’s side.
This was already an army.
Even the princess was shocked.
“Although I heard about it before, never did I expect his subordinates to be that powerful,” the princess sighed in a low voice.
“Surprisingly though, he’s on your side,” Oberwei answered.
“It should be his ‘knight’s dignity’,” the princess sighed. “But do I and the House Covardo deserve this?”
Oberwei didn’t answer.
“It’s a Silver Elf!”
People were shocked. Medissa’s grey eyes, snow-white skin, and most importantly her striking armor resembled the ones the Silver Elves used to wear in the legends.
“The Silver Elves are back?”
“Am I blind?” everyone was stunned.
After the prophecy was announced, the Silver Elves promised to never appear until the day the four Holy Cathedrals fulfill their sacred pact with the Gods once more. On that day, they shall only appear to fight alongside the Black Dwarfs.
Although the Holy War was imminent, the time in which the four Holy Cathedrals fulfilled the pact still seemed far away.
Only Oberwei could tell Medissa’s difference, “She’s an Elite Elf.”
The princess simply nodded.
Brendel’s men gathered beside him.
No one dared to laugh anymore. Brendel’s strength was enough for him to take on the Dukes... was what everyone thought at that moment.
He raised Hairan Gaia, and the blade trembled slightly as it cut the rain.
“Listen carefully,”
“I don’t want anyone to be left behind,”
“Otherwise, I'm afraid you will have to go to heaven…”
As Brendel lowered his sword, the sound of horses galloping deafened the air.
