《The First Vampire》 Chapter 1 Spring always came late in the Northern Territory of the Glorious Empire. It was not until early April that the blizzard that had been raging for half a year finally unwillingly receded. The warm sunlight once again fell on the Northern Territory, bringing life to all living things. However, not everyone took kindly to the bright and beautiful sunlight. For example, this man who had just walked out of Graycastle. He was wearing a leather hat with a triangular brim. The brim of the hat was tipped low, completely covering his eyes. However, he seemed to still find the sunlight glaring, so he raised his hand and pulled the brim down a little. This man looked to be about 17 or 18 years old. He was tall and handsome. He was wearing a black shirt with a red pattern on the bottom. The red cross-patterned knight boots were wrapped around the knee, making his already slightly fluffy black pants bulge; he looked very noble in his knee-length burgundy coat. However, his face was especially pale, as if he had just recovered from a serious illness. ¡°Young Master Colin!¡± ¡°Young Master Colin!¡± Along the way, the servants in Graycastle saluted and greeted the man one after another. However, Young Master Colin seemed to have a lot on his mind, so he gave a perfunctory response to the greetings of the servants. After a while, he finally stopped in front of a small house. It seemed like he was hesitating whether he should go in or not. ¡°Meow¡­¡± In the corner, a kitten was meowing in dissatisfaction. It seemed to blame the man for blocking the sunlight. Colin came back to his senses. He looked at the kitten by his feet and relaxed. A smile appeared on his face. He crouched down and brought the kitten to him. ¡°Meow!¡± The kitten struggled for a while, but it could not break away from Colin¡¯s grip. It decided to give up and just stared at the stupid human in front of it. Colin rubbed the kitten¡¯s neck with his fingers. It seemed like he was hesitating. ¡°Ci!¡± Seeing the human in front of him slowly reveal his sharp canine teeth, the kitten did not want to be outdone and bared its teeth at him. The human and the cat stared at each other for a moment, and Colin suddenly laughed and set the kitten back on the ground. ¡°Meow! Meow! Meow!¡± The kitten appeared to feel as though it had successfully defeated the foolish human in the confrontation and meowed a few times proudly. Then, it skillfully lay down, turned over, and exposed its belly, indicating for the ¡°defeated general¡± to quickly come and serve its master. Unfortunately, the stupid human ignored it and got up and walked into the small house ahead. The maids who were busy in the house were a little surprised when they saw Colin. They hurriedly stopped what they were doing and asked carefully, ¡°Young Master Colin, Why are you here? Dinner will take some time. If you are hungry, we can prepare afternoon tea for you.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m just looking around.¡± Colin glanced around the kitchen and saw the reindeer in the corner. ¡°Is it venison for dinner?¡± ¡°Yes, young master. Venison stewed with carrots, vegetable soup, butter bread, and wine.¡± Colin touched his dry lips and said, ¡°No need for wine. Prepare a cup of deer blood for me.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± The maids were a little surprised, but they still nodded and replied. In their knowledge, among the masters of the Kingdom of Graycastle, only the Baron enjoyed drinking deer blood, and Young Master Colin¡¯s taste had always been very light. After Colin finished his instructions, he turned around and left. However, when he reached the door, he seemed to have thought of something, so he turned around and ordered, ¡°Add another serving of garlic, raw.¡± ¡°Yes, young master,¡± the maids hurriedly replied. At the same time, they secretly cursed in their hearts. Young Master Colin¡¯s taste was getting increasingly stronger. As night fell, the dining hall on the top floor of Graycastle was illuminated by a row of candles and the flames in the fireplace. The decorations in the hall were quite luxurious but also had a somewhat rugged atmosphere. A kite shield carved with the head of a roaring bear was hung above the fireplace. It was decorated with paintings of various styles and taxidermied animal heads used to show off the strength of its owner. ¡°Young master, a few days ago, a few barrels of white wine from Winst Manor were added to the wine cellar¡¯s inventory. Would you like to try some?¡± After the maids had finished setting the table, the butler, Eamon, stood behind Colin with his hands folded and recommended in a low voice, ¡°Winst had a short rainy season last year, and the sun was shining. The wine should be of good quality. It should pair well with the venison tonight.¡± Eamon was a bit worried after learning that Young Master Colin was acting strangely in the kitchen. The rude Baron Angele was already hopeless in Eamon¡¯s mind, but he had high hopes for Young Master Colin, who was trying to improve the family¡¯s taste. He did not expect that Young Master Colin would ask the kitchen to prepare deer blood and garlic! Eamon felt that he had to do something. The Angele family had to become more elegant! ¡°Alright.¡± Colin nodded after hearing what the butler said. Eamon smiled and poured a glass of white wine for Colin. ¡°Do you need anything else?¡± Colin waved his hand. ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. Go ahead.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± The butler¡¯s footsteps disappeared and Colin was the only one left in the empty dining room. His father, Baron Angele, was fighting in the war. His mother had passed away many years ago and his sister was married. Therefore, Colin was the only one sitting at the empty dining table. However, he did not feel lonely at all. After finishing the food in front of him, Colin drank the white wine while staring at the remaining deer blood and garlic in a daze. After finishing the glass of wine, he picked up the cup of deer blood and raised it to his mouth with a frown. It did not smell as bad as he had expected, nor did it make him nauseous. Colin finished the wine in one gulp. It was slightly sweet. Colin licked the corner of his mouth. He didn¡¯t know whether to be happy or sad. ¡°Could it be that I really transmigrated into a vampire?¡± Colin muttered softly. Then, he put down the cup, took out a roll of parchment from his pocket, and spread it across the table. He recorded in words that didn¡¯t belong to this world: [ Normal food can not produce a feeling of fullness. ] [ Drinking deer blood can bring a significant sense of satisfaction and restore physical strength. ] [ Other blood, to be tested¡­ ] Putting down the quill pen, Colin sighed. What he most wished for was to have something like a beginner¡¯s guide to crossing over and a vampire survival manual for him to refer to, without him having to make wild guesses. Even if he didn¡¯t have these, he would at least have to cross over to become an existing species in this world, so that Colin would know exactly what he was, what sort of upgrade route he had, and even be able to find a teacher or something. Unfortunately, there were no records of vampires in this foreign world that was akin to the Western Middle Ages. This world had elves, orcs, trolls, nagas¡­ and dragons that once ruled the world but were now extinct. But there were no vampires. Colin felt that he might have become the first vampire in this world. This made him a little worried because,in his previous world, vampires were simply creatures that existed only in fantasy. How powerful they were, and what weaknesses they had, were all imaginary. And the settings in different works were not exactly the same. So, in order to fully understand his new body and new role, Colin now had to experiment on himself. From what he had seen, he found that he was truly like the legendary vampire. Light-fearing, bloodthirsty, immortal¡­ Yes, immortal. Just this morning when he transmigrated here, he found¡­ there was a dagger in his chest. Chapter 2 In the dark and empty restaurant, Colin carefully unbuttoned his shirt and examined the wound on his chest by candlelight. The wound had not yet healed, and no treatment had been done. However, not a single drop of blood flowed out from the wound. That was because he could now control all the blood in his body. Perhaps, this was also one of the vampire¡¯s innate abilities. Colin pressed on both sides of the wound and gently pulled to both sides. ¡°Hiss!¡± a tearing pain made him suck in a breath of cold air. However, Colin was somewhat happy. At least it meant that his nervous system was still functioning well. This made Colin feel that he was not too different from a regular person. The wound was pulled open into a small hole. Through the hole, Colin could clearly see his own heart. It was no longer beating. Well, this was a little different from the average person. Colin was a little sad. ¡°Sigh.¡± With a sigh, Colin released his hands and let the wound slowly close under the pull of the muscles. Since there was no blood, there was no need to bandage it. He just needed to observe how long it would take to heal¡­ if it could still heal. To be honest, when Colin woke up this morning and found the dagger in his chest, he panicked momentarily. At that time, he felt that he was probably the most failed transmigrator in history; he died as soon as he arrived. However, he then found that he couldn¡¯t die. His heart was pierced, but he still couldn¡¯t die. As for who stabbed his heart, Colin had no clue at the moment. He had succeeded in inheriting the memories of his predecessor. From these memories, he couldn¡¯t find out who had wanted him dead. However, he had some ideas on how to lure out the killer hidden in the darkness. But there was no rush. What he was more interested in now was the new body he had inherited that looked like a vampire. He buttoned his shirt and looked at the last piece of food on the long table¡­ garlic. It was said that vampires were susceptible to garlic. In his previous world, Colin didn¡¯t know much about the vampires in novels and movies, and he didn¡¯t know what rules of nature the vampires in this world followed. He had no choice but to experiment slowly. Colin cut a piece of garlic the size of an ant with a knife and carefully put it into his mouth. ¡°Urgh!¡± Colin threw up on the ground. It seemed that the vampires in this world were also susceptible to garlic. ¡°Young Master Colin, are you okay?¡± The maid guarding the door heard the noise and quickly came in to check on him. ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­ Urgh!¡± ¡°Young master, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re sick. I¡¯ll go look for Pastor Miguel right away¡­¡± ¡°No!¡± Hearing the word ¡°pastor¡±, Colin was so shocked that he almost jumped out of his skin. He hurriedly stopped her, ¡°No need¡­ I¡¯m fine¡­¡± ¡°Really? But¡­ But your face was really pale today, and you¡¯re vomiting now¡­¡± ¡°I said, there¡¯s no need!¡± Colin rubbed his stomach and forcefully suppressed the urge to vomit while glaring at the maid at the door with a fierce gaze. As if frightened by Colin¡¯s stern gaze, the maid dared not insist. She could only leave with the words, ¡°Then take care of your body.¡± Then she scurried out. ¡°Phew.¡± Colin heaved a sigh of relief and leaned against the back of the chair, gasping for breath. A vampire seeking treatment from a priest? What the hell! Although the priests in this world might not necessarily detest vampires, Colin did not dare to experiment with his own life. At least not now. Perhaps in the future, when he was fully prepared, he would test the churches of this world. However, it was definitely not the time now. After a long while, Colin finally calmed down. He picked up the quill and continued to write on the parchment: [ I hate garlic. Eating it will cause vomiting. ] Carefully feeling the changes in his body, Colin added on the parchment: [ But it¡¯s not fatal. ] Staring at the words on the parchment, Colin frowned. That¡¯s not right. Colin looked at the garlic in front of him and suddenly realized that he had just eaten a very small piece. It was a matter of dosage. A small amount of it might not be fatal, but if he ate too much¡­ Colin looked at the entire piece of garlic in front of him, and his face turned a little green. He dared not test his theory. Forget it, just stay away from garlic in the future. After hesitating for a moment, Colin decided to stop this dangerous experiment. He rolled up the parchment and put it into his pocket, then stood up and left the dining hall. The maid guarding outside the hall hurriedly bowed when she saw Colin. ¡°Tidy up.¡± Colin glanced at the maid who lowered her head and didn¡¯t dare to look at him. ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone about this.¡± ¡°Yes, young master!¡± After passing through the dark corridor, Colin returned to his bedroom. It was still early, so Colin sat down in front of his desk. There was a book open on the desk, The Chronicles of the Glorious Empire. Colin had read this book when he was young, but he had no memory of it. Now that he had transmigrated here, in order to better understand this world and find out some clues about the existence of vampires, Colin decided to study it again. However, it was futile. There were no records of vampires in the book. Fortunately, Colin did not come up empty-handed. He could be considered to have reviewed the entire history of this human empire. More than 1,500 years ago, the legendary paladin who served the Lord of Glory, Gunnar Lorenzo, completed the unification of the human race and established the Glorious Empire, becoming the first emperor. In order to resist foreign enemies around the empire, Gunnar conferred the six Holy Knights under his command as dukes. He ordered them to guard the four cardinal directions as they gradually expand their territory. After thousands of years, only four of the six great dukes were left. The Northern Territory where Colin was located was currently the territory of Duke Hilde, one of the four dukes. The Northern Territory was originally the territory of the trolls, but they had been driven to the frozen land further north by the Hilde family. The trolls did not give up so easily, they wanted to take back the fertile land. They would march south almost every year. This year was no exception. Colin¡¯s father, Baron Angele, was on the front lines of the war. It was getting late. The candles on the desk were extinguished, and the bedroom was still with silence. Colin¡¯s breathing was slow and steady, and the owl¡¯s voice came from outside the Kingdom of Graycastle. When the dark clouds blocked the moonlight, a black shadow suddenly appeared by Colin¡¯s bed. He looked at Colin, who was sleeping soundly, and a confused expression appeared on his face. He vividly remembered that last night, he had stabbed a dagger into Colin¡¯s chest. How did he not die? The black shadow was very confused, buthe did not hesitate. He silently pulled out the dagger and slowly placed it above Colin¡¯s chest. At this moment, he suddenly remembered that someone had told him, ¡°Although most people¡¯s hearts were on the left, there were people who were born with it on the right.¡± Hence, this time, he quietly moved the dagger in his hand to the right for a distance. ¡°Chi!¡± The dagger stabbed into Colin¡¯s chest. The immense pain woke Colin from his dream. He was about to scream when a pair of large hands covered his mouth tightly. ¡°Wu¡­ Wu¡­ Wu¡­¡± Colin¡¯s eyes widened in horror as he stared at the assassin in front of him. He recognized him! After a moment, Colin¡¯s struggle gradually subsided. However, the black figure did not let down his guard. He waited for a full ten minutes before he moved his hand away from Colin¡¯s mouth. Then, he pulled out the dagger in Colin¡¯s chest and stabbed him in the throat again. This time, you should stay dead. Chapter 3 [ A lord has the right to receive the support of his subjects, but at the same time must carry the responsibility of protecting his subjects from all evil. ] In this world that was fraught with danger, although humans occupied the most fertile land in the center of the continent, they also received the covetous gazes of the other races around them. Hence, the Glorious Empire established a Lord¡¯s Law at the beginning of its establishment, clearly defining the rights and obligations of lords. According to this law, nobles who lost their territories would be stripped of their titles. Knight Carter was a victim of this law. Their family¡¯s title was stripped because their territories were invaded by trolls. As a result, Carter became a wandering knight. Without the support of his territory, the knight lived a miserable life. He could barely afford to maintain his armor and weapons. Fortunately, Baron Angele took him in. Carter offered his loyalty to the Angele family. However, his loyalty was not tested. Just now, Knight Carter personally drove the dagger into the chest of the son of Baron Angele. Twice. Carter looked at Colin¡¯s dead body. Guilt flashed in his eyes, but he quickly regained his determination. Thinking of the promise that the man had made to him, Carter felt that his dream of reviving the family was just around the corner. However, just as Carter stood up from the bed and was about to leave, he suddenly stopped. Turning around abruptly, Carter only saw a cold light coming toward him! ¡°Chi!¡± A sharp pain came from Carter¡¯s chest, making him unable to help but roar in a low voice. Even so, the physical pain could not mask the fear in his heart¡­ that Colin, who should have died, had actually come back to life! Was he a devil? As he was angry and frightened, Carter subconsciously picked up the dagger in his hand that had not been put away and thrust it forward. ¡°Ah!¡± A muffled groan came from the other side, followed by Colin¡¯s gritting laughter. ¡°It hurts, doesn¡¯t it? You bastard, you stabbed me twice! Oh, no, three times!¡± ¡°You¡­ you¡­¡± Carter felt all the strength in his body quickly drain away, and his consciousness began to blur. ¡°Say it! Who sent you?!¡± But before Colin could ask anything, Carter¡¯s body had already gradually weakened, and fresh blood flowed out of his mouth uncontrollably. Colin moved closer and heard Carter¡¯s dying voice, ¡°Monster¡­ monster¡­¡± Did he die just like that? It was too easy to stab him! Colin looked at Carter, who had lost all signs of life, and suddenly regretted; he should have avoided Carter¡¯s vital points. Now, the only lead he had was lost. Looking at the bloody corpse in front of him, Colin panted a few times, but he did not panic. Firstly, it was self-defense and he did not carry any psychological burden from this. Secondly, this was not actually his first time killing someone. Of course, the ¡°him¡± here referred to the former owner of the body that Colin was currently occupying. In his previous life, Colin was a law-abiding citizen. He didn¡¯t even fight much, let alone kill people. However, the owner of this body had been on the battlefield. In his memories, there were many scenes that were a hundred times more bloody and terrifying than what was in front of him. Therefore, after the fusion of the memories, the scene in front of him could be considered normal to Colin. The candle on the desk was lit. Colin once again spread out the parchment and recorded: [ Attacks aimed at the heart and throat are no longer fatal injuries. ] Thinking of the legend that vampires seemed to be afraid of silver weapons, he added: [ Normal weapons only, silver weapons to be tested¡­ ] Writing to this point, Colin was a little troubled. How was this to be tested? He couldn¡¯t stab himself with a silver weapon, right? What if he really stabbed himself to death? However, Colin immediately came to his senses. What kind of normal person would use a metal like silver to make weapons? Therefore, unless he deliberately exposed this weakness of his, no one would especially make silver weapons to deal with him. Therefore, he did not dwell on this point. Putting down the quill pen, Colin picked up the wine glass on the table and went to the corpse of Knight Carter again. ¡°Puff!¡± The dagger on the corpse¡¯s chest was pulled out, and blood gushed out. Colin¡¯s expression was calm as he placed the wine glass under the wound. The flickering candlelight reflected Colin¡¯s pale face. Coupled with the smell of blood in the air, it looked particularly strange and horrifying on this dark night. ¡°Gulp, gulp¡­¡± He took a small sip. It was very sweet. Colin smacked his lips, somewhat wanting more. Then, he closed his eyes and carefully felt the changes in his body. It seemed to be no different from the reaction after drinking deer blood. Apart from this, there were also signs of a slight fever. Colin thought that this was the aftereffect of the fierce fight just now, so he did not care too much about it. He decided to drink animal blood in the future. Colin was still a bit worried about drinking human blood, so he did not want to make things difficult for himself. Colin put down the wine glass that was stained with blood and looked at the dead body in front of him. Although he had already killed the person who tried to assassinate him, Colin knew that Knight Carter was nothing more than a chess piece. Someone else must have instructed him to kill Colin. The reason was simple: Carter would be hunted down by the Angele family, and he would not get any benefits. Also, there was no personal grudge between him and Carter. Someone must have paid a lot of money to hire Carter to assassinate him. Who could that person be? Colin searched through his memory, but he did not find anyone suspicious. He had no choice. There were too few clues. It was hard for Colin to believe that his enemy was in the dark. Also, if this man could bribe Carter, he could also bribe other people. Was Simon involved in this? What about the others? Colin suddenly realized that Graycastle was in great danger. Especially when Baron Angele was on a mission. He did not want to deal with multiple assassinations. After all, he was not sure if he could not be killed. Although his current body was not fatal, if someone cut off his head, he wondered if he could grow another one. Also, even if he could not die, if the secret was leaked, he would be in a terrible situation. Therefore, looking at the flickering candlelight on the desk, Colin gradually made up his mind. Two to three hours before sunrise was the time when people slept most soundly. Even the guards on duty could not help but doze off now. However, they were quickly awakened by a scream. ¡°Fire! Fire!¡± In the darkness, Graycastle instantly became lively. The servants and guards rushed to Colin¡¯s bedroom with buckets of water, trying to put out the raging fire. At the same time, Colin quietly jumped down from the window on the other side of Graycastle, rolled on the ground, and then rushed into the distance under the cover of the night. Suddenly, Colin suddenly stopped and held the hilt of his sword by his waist with his right hand. With a series of rustling sounds, a kitten emerged from the bushes in front of Colin. ¡°Meow, ¡± the kitten seemed to have recognized the stupid human that it had just defeated, and immediately became arrogant. Colin heaved a sigh of relief, grabbed the kitten by the scruff of its neck, and brought it in front of him. He smiled and said, ¡°Heh, since you¡¯re here, then come with me.¡± ¡°Meow.¡± ¡°Hmm, perfect. You can be my mobile blood bag.¡± ¡°Meow?¡± Chapter 4 When the first ray of sunlight shone on Graycastle in the morning, the fire in Colin¡¯s bedroom had already been put out. Fortunately, most of the building materials in Graycastle were non-flammable rocks. Otherwise, the fire would not have only burned down this room. In the messy room, the butler, Eamon, stood with his hands behind his back, staring at the charred corpse in front of him in a daze. Thud, thud, thud.. With heavy footsteps, a tall figure appeared in the room. ¡°Eamon, I¡¯ve already ordered people to seal off the castle. At the same time, all the entrances and exits of Graycastle Town have been put on high-alert. Humph, I don¡¯t believe that the murderer will escape this time!¡± The man was three meters tall and as strong as a black bear. His entire body was clad in heavy armor, but he did not wear a helmet. Instead, he had an exposed round, bald head. Coupled with his fierce face, stern expression, and the huge blood-stained battle-ax in his hand¡­ it was terrifying enough to bring all the children in Graycastle town to tears. ¡°Thank you for your hard work, Knight Rego.¡± Eamon did not turn his head. His eyes were still fixed on the charred corpse, but his focus was a little loose as if he was thinking about something. Seeing this, Rego thought that the old butler was sad about the death of the young master. He sighed and said, ¡°Hey, let¡¯s rearrange the young master¡¯s body and bury it once the old master returns.¡± Eamon did not respond. Rego touched his big bald head, thinking that the old butler was blaming himself, so he took a few steps closer to Eamon and whispered, ¡°Eamon, I didn¡¯t see Knight Carter today, I suspect¡­¡± Hearing Carter¡¯s name, Eamon¡¯s eyes instantly focused, then he turned to the servants who were in the midst of tidying up the mess in the room and ordered, ¡°There¡¯s no need to tidy up here, you guys can go.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± After the servants left, Eamon slightly raised his head to look at the tall Rego and asked, ¡°I remember that three years ago, you and Carter had a competition at the Knight Championship held by Earl Oman.¡± Rego was a little puzzled. He did not understand why Eamon would suddenly mention the previous Knight Championship, but he still replied, ¡°Was that three years ago? I think so. Hehe, I beat him up badly that time!¡± Eamon smiled. ¡°Yes, he was stabbed off his warhorse by you. He broke his arm and lost two teeth.¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± Rego was a little embarrassed when he mentioned his glorious record, but at the same time, he was also very confused. ¡°Why are you saying this now?¡± Eamon didn¡¯t answer. Instead, he continued to ask, ¡°Do you still remember whether Carter¡¯s two teeth were on the left or the right?¡± ¡°How would I know!¡± Rego was a little anxious. Eamon¡¯s reaction made him very confused and dissatisfied. Eamon did not care about Rego¡¯s attitude. Instead, he revealed a mysterious smile and pointed at the charred corpse on the ground. ¡°If you can¡¯t remember clearly, you can go and take a look yourself now.¡± Rego frowned and stared at Eamon with his bell-sized eyes for a long time. Seeing that he did not seem to be joking, he finally squatted down and reached out to pry open the corpse¡¯s mouth. ¡°Crack!¡± Eamon saw Rego, who had thick hands and feet, pry off the corpse¡¯s jaw, and the corners of his mouth twitched. Rego was also shocked, and then hurriedly tried to put back the fallen jaw. ¡°Okay, stop it. Look at his teeth carefully.¡± Eamon looked at clumsy Rego and was a little speechless. ¡°Oh, okay¡­ Hey! There are two gaps in his lower left gums!¡± Rego turned his head with shining eyes and asked anxiously, ¡°Did Carter lose his left tooth?¡± Obviously, this boorish man also realized that something was wrong with this corpse. Unfortunately, Eamon shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know which two teeth Carter lost.¡± Rego frowned. Just as he was about to speak, Eamon said slowly, ¡°However, I know that Young Master Colin has never lost a tooth.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Rego stood up abruptly and shouted excitedly. Then, he seemed to realize that his voice was too loud. He quickly lowered his voice again. ¡°So, this corpse is not Young Master Colin, but that bastard Carter!¡± ¡°No.¡± Eamon smiled and shook his head. ¡°The young master has been killed by Carter. You must now take people to capture this evil traitor.¡± ¡°What?¡± Rego¡¯s eyes widened again. ¡°Are you stupid?¡± Eamon sighed and explained patiently, ¡°Think about it, why did the young master set this fire? And why did he leave without saying goodbye?¡± Rego touched his big round bald head and seemed to understand. ¡°You mean, the young master deliberately burned this corpse to let others think that he was dead?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Why did the young master do this?¡± ¡°Maybe he wanted to see who was behind Carter? What was his purpose? Or maybe he wanted to hide¡­ In short, since the young master has his own plans, then we need to help execute them and carry out this trap.¡± ¡°Alright, I understand.¡± Rego walked out with his head lowered. ¡°I¡¯ll send out an order to capture that bastard Carter.¡± Eamon watched Rego¡¯s tall figure disappear outside the door, and silently added in his heart, ¡°It¡¯s also possible that young master doesn¡¯t dare trust us anymore¡­¡± ¡°How can I not trust you?¡± Colin smiled and said to the old mercenary in front of him, ¡°What I mean is, I¡¯ll pay you half of the commission first, and the remaining half will be given to you after you help me introduce a caravan to Fallen Eagle City.¡± ¡°Then what if you refuse to pay the remaining money after I introduce you to a caravan?¡± The old mercenary was obviously not satisfied with this arrangement of paying the deposit first before the final payment. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m the one who needs that little money?¡± Colin took out a gold coin and tossed it up and down in his hand. The old mercenary¡¯s eyes instantly widened as his gaze followed the gold coin up and down. There was nothing he could do. For a person at the bottom of society like him, copper coins were the currency that was used every day. Silver coins were rare, but gold coins, that was something that only nobles and big merchants possessed. ¡°Then I want thirty copper coins!¡± The old mercenary realized that the person in front of him was wealthy and immediately began to raise the price. ¡°20 copper coins. Any more and I¡¯ll find someone else.¡± ¡°Deal!¡± The old mercenary happily took the 10 copper coins that Colin threw and began to lead the way. A moment later, the two arrived at the western district of Graycastle town and walked into an old tavern. ¡°Big Beard Tavern.¡± After stepping through the door, Colin found that the name of this tavern really lived up to its name. Almost all the people drinking in it were big beards at a glance. The old mercenary was obviously very familiar with this place. As he greeted everyone, he led Colin inside. The two of them came to a long table in the corner of the tavern. The old mercenary bent his back and muttered to a bearded man sitting in the main seat for a moment. The bearded man looked at Colin in the direction the old mercenary pointed and then waved his hand, indicating for Colin to go over. ¡°This is the leader of the Firefox mercenary group, Lord Saru. Lord Saru is a tier 2 warrior, and he happens to be heading to Fallen Eagle City. You will definitely be safe following their team!¡± The old mercenary first introduced the bearded man to Colin. Then, he turned to the bearded man, and his attitude was clearly much more attentive. ¡°Lord Saru, this is my nephew. Don¡¯t think he¡¯s strong, but his martial skills are quite good¡­¡± ¡°He is your nephew?¡± Saru sneered and interrupted the old mercenary. ¡°Yes¡­ Yes!¡± The old mercenary was slightly stunned, and a trace of panic flashed in his eyes. Then, he quickly explained, ¡°Don¡¯t be shocked that he doesn¡¯t resemble me, he mainly takes after my brother-in-law. Moreover, all these years, I have been running around outside, and this old face has long lost its appearance. You must know that when I was young, I was also handsome and carefree, and my temperament was extraordinary¡­¡± Saru sneered and once again interrupted the old mercenary, ¡°Your nephew is a knight?¡± Upon hearing the word knight, the old mercenary felt as if someone had suddenly strangled his neck, and his words immediately got caught in his throat. Colin¡¯s pupils instantly contracted. Chapter 5 The atmosphere in the bearded tavern was still noisy and lively. However, the atmosphere in the corner where Saru and the others instantly tensed. ¡°Knight¡­ knight?¡± The old mercenary opened his mouth wide and looked at Colin in surprise. He knew that Colin was not your average joe, but he never would have thought he was a knight. One had to know that the knights in this world were fundamentally different from the warriors you would find on the streets. Any well-developed commoner who could afford to eat meat would be able to learn the method of activating combat aura in the Warrior Union and become a warrior apprentice as long as they could fork out a few silver coins. However, knights were different. To become a knight apprentice, one must first have a certain level of talent. Moreover, one must accept the baptism ceremony presided over by the priests of the Church of Light. It was completely different from the baptism on Earth, which was only symbolic and could be performed by sprinkling water. In this world, the baptism ceremony was performed by the priests of the Church of Light to communicate with the Lord of Light, and the baptists were engraved with the holy brand. This process permanently drains a lot of a priest¡¯s energy. Therefore, every priest could only perform a limited number of baptisms in their lifetime. Therefore, the baptismal quota was extremely valuable. The nobles already had a monopoly on the number of baptismal slots, so it was nearly impossible for commoners to have access to them. It was easy to imagine how rare the number of knights was. For example, Baron Angele only had three loyal knights under his command. Including the baron and his son, Colin, there were only five knights in the Baron¡¯s territory. Colin was not even a Rank 1 knight yet. He was only a knight apprentice. The class holders in this world were divided into nine tiers according to their strength. Tier 1 was the weakest and tier 9 was the strongest. Of course, there was still an apprentice level below tier 1, which is considered to be the level for rookies who had yet to advance to the next tier. The difference in combat strength between knights and warriors of the same tier was not too big. Knights did have a slight advantage, but they might not necessarily be able to win against warriors in a head-on confrontation, after all, they still had to consider factors such as martial skills, willpower, weapons, and equipment. The real reason why nobles flocked to the knight class was because of its potential. The peak of the warrior class was tier 6. That¡¯s right. Throughout the entire continent, there had never been a tier 7 warrior, whether it was humans, trolls, orcs, elves¡­ According to the first pope of the Church of Light, His Holiness Peter Messier ¡ª ¡°When mortals enter the holy region, they need the blessings of the gods.¡± Tier 7 and above was the holy region, so level seven knights were also known as holy knights. Therefore, according to this saying, warriors who had not been baptized could not receive the blessings of the gods, so they were not fated to be level seven. At present, there were only five professions that could break through to the sixth tier. And without exception, all were professions that believed in a god. They were human knights who served the Lord of Light, trolls who served the God of War, elf rangers who served the Goddess of Fate, naga royal guards who served the God of Storm, and beastmen who served the God of Destruction. Even spell casters who claimed that they didn¡¯t believe in gods and only believed in arcane truth couldn¡¯t break through to the sixth rank. However, they could cast forbidden spells with the power of the seventh rank or above. However, casting such a forbidden spell required the caster to pay a terrible price, and it wasn¡¯t a conventional attack. Of course, the holy region wasn¡¯t easy for knights to enter. Once a holy knight was born in a family, the entire family would become extremely illustrious. And all families that had given birth to a Holy Knight would receive the honor of having the word ¡°Holy¡± before their family name. For example, the owner of the Northern Territory of the Glorious Empire, the Hilde family, was the descendant of the founding holy knights of the empire. Hence, they were respectfully known as the Saint Hilde family. In the entire history of the radiant empire, there had only been seven holy knight families. One could see how difficult it was to be a part of the saint realm. As for the eighth rank, it was known as the legendary realm. The founding emperor of the Glorious Empire, Gunnar Lorenzo, was a holy knight in the legendary realm. He was also the only one recorded in history. In the thousand years after him, there had never been another holy knight in the legendary realm. Not to mention a tier nine. Tier nine was also known as the demigod realm. It was said that only the dragons that once dominated this world could reach it. After they went extinct, no other race was able to give birth to a demigod powerhouse. As for above tier nine, that was the realm of gods¡­ In short, the righteous and rare job of a knight would more fittingly put them in a place like the Bearded Tavern. Usually, no knight would choose to follow a mercenary group to another city. After all, they had their own retinue, servants, and even an army. Therefore, Colin¡¯s appearance was particularly strange. Just as the atmosphere in the corner became increasingly serious, a furry little head suddenly popped out from Colin¡¯s coat. ¡°Meow,¡± as if dissatisfied with his good sleep being disturbed, the little cat growled at the bearded man. Colin smiled and stuffed a certain guy who was rather angry in the morning back into his clothes. Then, he asked the bearded man, ¡°How did you know I¡¯m a knight?¡± Colin felt that he was more than discrete enough. He did not have any armor on him. His sword was just a standard one-handed sword that he casually held in his hand. His clothes were also ¡°borrowed¡± from the uniform of a guard who had a similar figure to him. Moreover, according to the memories of his predecessor, although warriors and knights would have different battle performances, there would not be obvious differences outside combat. Moreover, an apprentice knight like Colin who had not entered the advanced stage would be no different from a warrior apprentice. Mainly since he could not activate the Holy Light to assist him in battle. Could it be that there was really a way to distinguish the two classes at a glance? Colin felt that this might be the blind spot of his predecessor¡¯s knowledge. Unexpectedly, Saru smiled slyly. ¡°I guessed it.¡± I¡¯ve been fooled! Colin immediately reacted. He had been fooled by this seemingly reckless and unassuming big beard. Colin¡¯s subconscious reaction allowed the other party to confirm his identity as a knight. The main reason was that Saru¡¯s appearance was too confusing. That was why Colin didn¡¯t have much vigilance, and in the end, the other party tricked him into revealing his real job. The Firefox mercenary group. Hehe, no wonder it was called this name. They looked like a violent bear but were more akin to that of a cunning fox. ¡°I¡¯ve been in the mercenary world for more than forty years, and I¡¯ve seen countless people with these eyes. Hehe, kid, you may be wearing plain clothes, but you don¡¯t look one bit like a commoner. As expected, you¡¯d be exposed just like that!¡± Colin took a deep breath and kept reminding himself that he had to be very careful when dealing with an experienced veteran like Saru. However, on the surface, Colin appeared calm and composed, without any nervousness about his identity being exposed. He first took out ten copper coins and threw them to the old mercenary in front of Saru, indicating that he could leave first. Then, he pulled the chair beside Saru and sat down naturally. ¡°I admit that the little lie was inappropriate, and I apologize to you. But, you won¡¯t refuse a knight to go with you, right?¡± ¡°Your name?¡± Saru stopped smiling and stared into Colin¡¯s eyes. Colin looked directly into Saru¡¯s eyes and replied in the most sincere tone, ¡°Kahn, Kahn Surdo.¡± Chapter 6 ¡°Surdo?¡± Saru stroked his beard and a figure suddenly flashed in his mind. ¡°So the Viscount Surdo of Ice Rock City is¡­ ?¡± ¡°Yes, my father.¡± Colin recognized his new father without changing his expression. He realized that the leader of the Firefox mercenary group in front of him was not easy to fool. Colin understood that if he were to lie again, he would have to play his cards right. He could not be as unreliable as the old mercenary whom he had paid off with twenty copper coins. Kahn Surdo was a real person. Of course, Colin was not familiar with this guy at all. He only learned of this name from his sister Caitlin¡¯s recent letter, as well as his recent encounter. The reason why Colin chose to impersonate this person was precisely because of Kahn¡¯s recent tragic encounter. It made it seem very reasonable for him to appear in a place like the Bearded Tavern as a knight. ¡°Is it true that Ice Rock City was breached by trolls three months ago?¡± Saru very naturally thought of the news that he had previously heard. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Colin nodded somewhat disappointedly, and at the same time, his eyes were suffused with unwillingness, hatred, anger¡­ and other emotions that should have been there. The acting skills that erupted at this moment made him somewhat surprised. Saru seemed to have been deceived as well. He sighed and said, ¡°I heard that your father would rather die than retreat. He would die with the city¡­ he is indeed a knight worthy of respect!¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Colin seemed to be holding back his tears. His eyes were red as he asked, ¡°You knew my father?¡± ¡°Oh, no. I have simply admired Viscount Surdo for a long time.¡± Colin heaved a huge sigh of relief. One was a viscount and the other was a leader of a mercenary group. They were not from the same world. If they knew each other, it would spell bad luck for Colin. ¡°Mr. Saru, may I go to Fallen Eagle City with your mercenary group?¡± Colin wanted to go to Fallen Eagle City because his sister Caitlin Angele was there. In such a dangerous situation, only family members could be trusted. Since his father was still fighting on the frontlines, Colin had to ask his sister for help. ¡°Of course.¡± Saru finally believed Colin¡¯s story. He even thought that he knew why Colin wanted to go to Fallen Eagle City. ¡°I remember that the wife of the lord of Fallen Eagle City, Oman, is Viscount Surdo¡¯s sister. Are you going to join your uncle?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± In fact, Colin had learned from his sister¡¯s letter that the real Kahn Surdo had already arrived at Fallen Eagle City and became a knight under Earl Oman¡¯s command. Currently, he was discussing with the earl how to regain the Surdo family¡¯s fiefdom. However, Saru clearly did not know about this news. He no longer had any doubts about Colin¡¯s false identity. A down-and-out knight who had lost his fiefdom and lost his family wanted to go to Fallen Eagle City to ask for help from his uncle. This was incredibly reasonable. ¡°Tomorrow morning at eight o¡¯clock, the caravan that hired us will gather in front of Big Beard Tavern.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be there on time.¡± ¡°Haha, then now, Honorable Knight Kahn, let me treat you to a glass of ale!¡± ¡°It would be my honor.¡± The next day. The weather was gloomy, and the gray fog made the road even more difficult and hazardous. This was actually the reason why Colin had to find a caravan to travel with him. If he were to travel alone with his Knight Apprentice¡¯s strength,he would have surely been killed by bandits or wild beasts along the way. It was not known whether it was because of the large number of people in this group or because of the fame of the Firefox mercenary group. In short, there were no accidents on the first day¡¯s journey. At night, the experienced Captain Saru found a place that was backed by a small hill and not far from the water source to set up camp. Colin built a fire, boiled some water, and stuffed the hard bread into his stomach after it was soaked and soft. Anyway, he couldn¡¯t taste it now, so it didn¡¯t matter whether the food was good or bad. The kitten had long disappeared. It must have gone hunting for food. Sure enough, after a while, it came back with a mouse in its mouth. At this time, Colin had already taken out the sheepskin scroll that he carried with him and added another sentence to it: [ Human blood can help you advance. ] That¡¯s right, Colin realized that he had advanced, from an apprentice knight to a tier 1 knight. One had to know that the hurdle from apprentice to formal advancement had taken a total of three years for Colin! And the reason for the sudden advancement, Colin now very much suspected that it was the blood of the assassin that he had consumed the night before last. After drinking the blood that night, Colin noticed that his body had started to heat up slightly. However, because of the critical situation at that time, he did not pay too much attention to it. The fever continued for the next two days until noon today. Then, he discovered that he had advanced. Because there was no such reaction after drinking deer blood, Colin guessed that it was because of human blood. Of course, he had another guess. The assassin Carter who was killed by Colin was a tier 1 knight. Therefore, perhaps only the blood of a professional would help him advance. In short, this guess still needed further verification. ¡°Is this Elvish language?¡± Colin turned around and saw a fat middle-aged man standing behind him, staring at the words on the sheepskin scroll and making a self-righteous guess. ¡°Yes.¡± Seeing the other party poking his head out, Colin felt a little displeased, so he put away the sheepskin scroll and said casually. He recognized the fat man as the owner of the caravan. His name was Oliver. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Knight Kahn to be so knowledgeable that he even knows the Elvish language!¡± Oliver immediately flattered him and then sat next to Colin. ¡°Just a little bit.¡± Colin frowned slightly. He didn¡¯t have a good impression of a businessman like Oliver. In his opinion, these businessmen who pursued profits had too strong a purpose in doing things. Now that they took the initiative to curry favor with him, they must have some ulterior motive. ¡°Is this your pet?¡± Oliver looked at the kitten who was competing with the dead mouse and began to look for something to say. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You really have a taste of life!¡± Oliver¡¯s bright smile resembled a chrysanthemum. ¡°Does it have a name?¡± Colin was stunned. He did not seem to think that there was a need for a name for this ¡°mobile blood bag¡±, but then he said on the spot, ¡°It¡¯s called Whitey.¡± ¡°Whitey?¡± Oliver looked at the pure blue short-haired cat beside the bonfire. The smile on his face was obviously stifled, but it immediately returned to normal. ¡°What a good name!¡± ¡°Mr. Oliver.¡± Colin also smiled. ¡°You¡¯re so sarcastic.¡± ¡°Thank you very much for your praise!¡± Oliver did not mind at all. His thick skin was amazing. The two of them chatted casually. After getting to know each other a little better, Oliver suddenly lowered his voice and said, ¡°Knight Kahn, if you want to take back the Surdo family¡¯s fiefdom, I might be able to provide you with some help!¡± Colin, who had been drowsy, suddenly jolted awake. He turned his head and looked at the fat merchant beside him with a half-smile. ¡°Do you know what you¡¯re saying?¡± Chapter 7 According to the Lord¡¯s Law of the Glorious Empire, nobles who lost their fiefs would be stripped of their titles. However, there was also a way to restore their original titles. That was to regain their fiefs by relying on their own strength. Otherwise, even if their fiefs were reclaimed, they would be rewarded to the newly born nobles who had rendered meritorious service in the war, instead of returning them to the old lords. Such a rule of survival of the fittest ensured the metabolic function of the empire¡¯s noble system, preventing the appearance of noble scumbags who would wait for their ancestors to die before sliding in to take their place. The real Kahn Surdo chose to go to Fallen Eagle City to look for Earl Oman after his family was destroyed, and not to look for the Surdo family¡¯s feudal lord, the Duke of St. Hilde. It was precisely because of this point that he thought of it. If he went to look for the Duke of St. Hilde, even if the duke sent troops to recover Ice Rock City, he would not return it to the Surdo family. It was different to look for his uncle, Earl Oman. Although Earl Oman would not help Kahn without asking for something in return, he would certainly consider his relationship with the Surdo family and take care of them. At least, Ice Rock City would return to the hands of the Surdo family. Right now, the real Kahn still didn¡¯t know how his discussion with his uncle was going, but Colin¡¯s fake knight Kahn already had a sponsor. ¡°Mr. Oliver, thank you for your kind intentions. However, forming an army that can conquer a city is different from recruiting a mercenary group that can escort a merchant group. The costs of the two are completely different concepts.¡± ¡°Of course I understand.¡± Oliver chuckled, his eyes flashing with a strange light, ¡°My father was once a quartermaster. Later on, he was¡­ dismissed because of some mistakes. However, I also know a little about the cost of a real army.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Colin finally looked at the fat merchant beside him. If Oliver was a crazy speculator who didn¡¯t know the immensity of Heaven and Earth in Colin¡¯s heart before, now he had become a crazy speculator who was extremely daring. Although he knew that he was a fake, Colin was still interested and wanted to find out the background of this unremarkable businessman: ¡°Then, how many gold coins can Mr. Oliver sponsor?¡± ¡°Hehe, well, of course, I don¡¯t have that much money to help you build an army. Actually, our chamber of commerce is interested in sponsoring you.¡± ¡°Chamber of commerce?¡± ¡°Yes. Allow me to reintroduce myself. I am one of the stewards of the Tulip Chamber of Commerce. ¡°If Knight Kahn is willing to accept the sponsorship of the chamber of commerce, I can file an application to the president. ¡°After that, the chamber of commerce will take into account your strength and the cost of recovering Ice Rock City to determine the size of the sponsorship. Of course, there will also be the return after the matter is completed.¡± ¡°Tulip Chamber of Commerce?¡± Colin suddenly felt that the name of this chamber of commerce was somewhat familiar. After searching for a while in his memory, he asked, ¡°Ice Lake City from two years ago?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±Oliver puffed out his chest and nodded proudly. ¡°Two years ago, Baron Billy received the sponsorship of the Tulip Chamber of Commerce to reorganize the army and take back Ice Lake City.¡± The status of merchants in this world was not high. After all, no amount of money could buy a title. However, it was obvious that some sharp and bold merchants had begun to use the gold coins in their hands to expand their influence. The Tulip Chamber of Commerce seemed to be one of the best. ¡°So, what kind of reward did Baron Billy give to your chamber of commerce?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Knight Kahn. That is a trade secret. Please forgive me for not being able to reveal it to you.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Colin touched his chin and changed the way he asked, ¡°So, what do you want from me?¡± ¡°Hehe, the specific conditions can be discussed in detail when you meet our president,¡± Oliver replied watertight. ¡°I need to think about it.¡± ¡°Of course, come and find me whenever you¡¯re ready.¡± Oliver narrowed his small eyes and added with a smile, ¡°However, I can assure you that neither the Duke of St. Hilde nor the Earl of Oman can offer you more favorable conditions than our Tulip Chamber of Commerce.¡± ¡°But the help you provide will certainly not be comparable to the duke or the earl.¡± ¡°Of course, but our appetite is also much smaller.¡± Colin nodded, suddenly feeling that this Tulip Chamber of Commerce was quite interesting. Although he was an imposter and did not need the other party¡¯s sponsorship, he still asked, ¡°Does your chamber of commerce have a station in Fallen Eagle City?¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s right next to the slave market in the western district of Fallen Eagle City. We welcome you at any time!¡± Colin secretly noted down this location for future use. Then, he changed the topic and began to chat with Oliver everywhere. Oliver had been doing business outside for a long time, so he could be said to be very knowledgeable. In addition, he was deliberately trying to please Colin. The two of them immediately began to chat passionately, as if they hated each other for not meeting sooner. Unknowingly, the night gradually deepened, and the camp gradually quieted down. Most of the mercenaries had already rested. Oliver tried his best to invite Colin to his tent to rest. Colin declined slightly, and when he saw that the other party¡¯s tent was indeed rather luxurious, he nodded in agreement. Just as everyone was sleeping soundly, Colin was suddenly awakened by a series of small sounds. He immediately stood up and listened carefully for a while. Then, he suddenly shook Oliver, who was beside him, ¡°Wake up, wake up! Someone is approaching our camp!¡± Oliver was also quite alert. He quickly got up, but after listening carefully for a while, he asked in puzzlement, ¡°Really? Why didn¡¯t I hear anything?¡± ¡°Listen more carefully,¡± Colin said confidently. He found that his hearing had been greatly strengthened during the night. Even a small movement from a kilometer away could not escape his ears. ¡°Enemy attack! Enemy attack!¡± Sure enough, the mercenaries in charge of the night watch also noticed the enemy and immediately shouted. ¡°Calm down, don¡¯t panic! Light the torches, find your companions, defend and be on alert, don¡¯t leave the camp!¡± Firefox mercenary group leader Saru¡¯s rough and loud voice immediately sounded, causing the chaotic camp to instantly stabilize. ¡°I¡¯ll go out and take a look.¡± Oliver was worried about the safety of his goods. After hesitating for a moment, he ran out of the tent. Colin followed him out. Then, he saw that the enemies who had rushed into the camp had already engaged with the members of the Firefox mercenary group. He did not join the battle group. After all, Oliver did not pay him a commission. He did not have to work for this fatty. However, after watching for a while, Colin was relieved. The attackers should be a group of bandits. Their strength was very weak. There was not even a single advanced warrior. There were not many of them. There were about seventy to eighty of them. Where did they find the courage to charge into the camp of the Firefox mercenary group, which housed more than a hundred people. After the initial panic, the Firefox mercenary group quickly stabilized its position and defeated the bandits. In less than half an hour, the group of bandits finally broke down and fled in panic after losing more than thirty units. ¡°Don¡¯t chase, don¡¯t chase!¡± Saru shouted calmly, stopping those who were hot-headed from chasing into the deep forest. After the bandits ran out of sight, Saru began to arrange for people to clean up the battlefield. Oliver also quickly went to check his own goods and take stock of the losses. Colin quietly walked to a remote and dark corner, squatted in front of a bandit¡¯s corpse, and took out a dagger and a kettle. ¡°Chi!¡± ¡°Gulp, gulp¡­¡± Chapter 8 The early morning sun dispelled the darkness in the forest and took away the worries that lingered in everyone¡¯s hearts. After the battle last night, everyone was busy cleaning up the battlefield. At the same time, they had to look out for the enemy¡¯s return, so most of them did not sleep. After the sun came out, everyone finally heaved a sigh of relief. Some who were really tired and sleepy began to catch up on their sleep. A portion of the mercenaries began to prepare breakfast, while the leader, Saru, was still arguing with the merchant, Oliver, about the compensation. In fact, both parties had already agreed on the compensation standards before they set off. They were arguing now because of an unlucky guy who was accidentally killed by one of their own people. Oliver insisted that this guy was the responsibility of the Firefox mercenary group and that he should not be the one to pay the compensation, so he started arguing with Saru. At this moment, Colin was sitting beside a bonfire, leisurely drinking the ¡°water¡± in the kettle. The rising sun was a little dazzling. Colin lowered the brim of his hat, almost completely covering the top half of his face. Then, he took out a sheepskin scroll and crossed out the sentence he wrote yesterday: [ Human blood can help advance ] Due to the revelation that the fresh blood he had secretly taken from a thief¡¯s corpse last night did not affect his strength growth. Just like deer blood, other than satisfying his appetite and replenishing his energy, it did not have the same effect as knight Carter¡¯s blood. Perhaps the fresh blood of ordinary people did not have any effect. Only the fresh blood of professionals could help advance. Moreover, it would probably require the blood of professionals of a higher tier than him to be effective. Thinking of this, Colin unconsciously turned his gaze to the only tier 2 warrior here, Commander Saru. Then, he shook his head. Let¡¯s not talk about whether he could defeat Saru. Even if he could, he did not want to kill an innocent person in order to advance quickly. Colin felt that he still had a bottom line. As his thoughts ran wild, Colin found that the dispute between Oliver and Saru had finally ended. The chubby merchant was walking toward Colin with an unhappy expression as if he didn¡¯t have the upper hand in the dispute just now. ¡°That guy is unbelievably troublesome!¡± After walking closer, Oliver glanced at Saru¡¯s figure and complained to Colin. Colin looked at this businessman who had boldly said yesterday that he would sponsor his army, but now he was being petty because of a mercenary¡¯s pension. He suddenly burst into laughter. ¡°Forget it, just take it as comforting people. After all, there is still a long way to go before falling Eagle City. It is not a wise choice to quarrel with the Firefox mercenary group at this time.¡± ¡°I know. If I hadn¡¯t considered this, I wouldn¡¯t have given in to that old fellow, Saru!¡± Oliver clearly understood this, but he was still unwilling and complained in a low voice. ¡°Do you want to try the jerky I brought? It¡¯s much better than bread.¡± Then, the fat merchant became generous again. Colin smiled and accepted Oliver¡¯s good intentions, and casually chatted with him again. After everyone finished their breakfast and rested for another two hours, the caravan put away their tents and prepared to set off again. At this moment, Saru suddenly stopped everyone. Then, he lay down on the ground and pressed his right ear against the ground. Seeing this, Colin frowned slightly. His hearing during the day was far inferior to at night. At that moment, he did not hear any abnormal movements. On the other side, Saru suddenly jumped up from the ground and roared, ¡°Horse! The sound of horse hooves! Quick! Everyone, be on alert immediately!¡± Following Saru¡¯s roar, the entire camp was instantly thrown into chaos. Oliver¡¯s face instantly turned pale. He knew the seriousness of the matter. This was different from the attack last night. The bandit gang could not afford to raise horses. If the people who came now were enemies, it would be spell trouble. ¡°Thump, thump, thump¡­¡± As time passed, Colin finally heard the rapid sound of horse hooves. The Earth began to tremble slightly, which made the mercenaries in formation even more panicked. Even the growl of big bearded Saru could not calm them down. Colin narrowed his eyes and saw a thin gray line suddenly appear in the forest not far away. It rushed toward the camp like a sharp arrow. It was a cavalry unit! There were not many cavalry units, only about twenty people. However, judging by their overwhelming momentum, Colin had no doubt that the Firefox mercenary group would immediately collapse should they choose to charge. Rumble! The earth rumbled. The cavalry was approaching. The mercenaries were trembling. Oliver closed his eyes in pain. Saru was holding a huge half-body shield, planted at the front of the defensive line like a rock. Colin paid no attention to the glaring sunlight. He sighed helplessly, lifted his triangular hat, and drew the one-handed sword on his waist. Just as everyone was prepared to fight to the death, the surging cavalry suddenly came to a sudden stop about 30 meters away from the camp. ¡°Squeak¡­¡± A series of horse neighs sounded, and 20 warhorses reared up on their hind legs. Incredible horsemanship! Colin couldn¡¯t help but exclaim in his heart. At the same time, his tense mood relaxed slightly. The other party did not appear to be a threat. However, seeing how they didn¡¯t slow down and rushed over, as well as the sudden stop at the end, it was clear that they wanted to display their might to the Firefox mercenary group. Therefore, the other party might not have much goodwill. This point, Oliver, this shrewd merchant, obviously also saw it. Thus, he didn¡¯t take the initiative to go forward but instead motioned for Saru to go and negotiate. Saru was helpless. After all, he had received a commission and had the obligation to help Oliver solve any problems he encountered along the way. Thus, he could only put down his half-body shield and greatsword and go forward empty-handed. At the same time, he shouted loudly, ¡°Friend on the other side! I am the leader of the Firefox mercenary group, Saru. I am currently escorting some goods from the Tulip Chamber of Commerce to Fallen Eagle City. I wonder if there is anything I can help you with?¡± The cavalry team on the other side did not react at all. It was as if they had suddenly become statues. The forest was silent. The wind seemed to have suddenly stopped. The air was so heavy that it was suffocating. Saru suppressed the fear and unease in his heart. He braced himself and continued to move forward. After a few more steps, he finally saw the badge on the armor on the chest of the leader of the cavalry. He was so shocked that he sucked in a breath of cold air. ¡°Sir, are you a knight of the Saint Hilde family?¡± Saru¡¯s loud voice was also heard from behind. As a result, a small commotion broke out among the mercenaries. However, at the same time, everyone could not help but lower the weapons in their hands to the ground. It was as if the name ¡°Saint Hilde¡± possessed a terrifying magical power that made people not dare to be enemies with it. Yes. In the northern region of the empire, the name ¡°Saint Hilde¡± was a symbol of absolute authority. Even the imperial family did not have such terrifying appeal and influence here. ¡°Crack.¡± The leading knight finally made a move. He lifted his helmet and mask, revealing a pair of cold eyes. He nodded at Saru, tacitly acknowledging his identity. Then, he took out a roll of parchment from the cloth bag in front of the saddle and threw it at Saru¡¯s feet. At the same time, he announced in an unquestionable tone, ¡°By order of Marquis Charles, son of the Duke of St. Hilde, you have been urgently recruited.¡± Chapter 9 ¡°Marquis Charles?¡± ¡°Marquis Charles is the eldest son of the Duke of St. Hilde, the first-in-line heir¡­¡± ¡°Nonsense! Of course I know who Marquis Charles is, but why would his knights appear here? And why is he recruiting us so urgently?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t Marquis Charles fighting with the trolls at the border? Are we going to the border?¡± ¡°How is that possible? This place is so far from the border. Even if it¡¯s an emergency call-up, he wouldn¡¯t come here to recruit soldiers. And look, the call-up order clearly states that we are to gather at Mirror Lake in two days.¡± ¡°Where is Mirror Lake?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not far from here. Follow this small river to the north for more than 50 kilometers, and we will probably reach it.¡± ¡°Then should we go?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to go to the battlefield!¡± ¡°But¡­ but this is the emergency conscription order of the St. Hilde Family!¡± ¡°But it¡¯s not personally signed by the duke.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t Marquis Charles going to be the duke of the Northern Territory in the future?¡± ¡°That will have to wait until he actually inherits the title of Duke¡­ Besides, I don¡¯t want to die!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not necessarily going to be death. Maybe this is a good opportunity to make a contribution.¡± ¡°Ha, idiot!¡± ¡°Who are you scolding?¡± ¡°What if I scold you?!¡± ¡­ When Saru brought the emergency conscription order of Marquis Charles back to the camp, everyone immediately went into an uproar. Some agreed, some opposed, and there was a big argument. This situation arose because the emergency conscription order came from Marquis Charles, not his father, the lord of the northern territory, the Duke of Saint Hilde. The title of Marquis Charles of St. Hilde was an empty title. There was no actual weight to it. It was just a confirmation of the first line of succession. It was somewhat similar to the position of the crown prince in ancient China. However, although the crown prince¡¯s identity was noble, he was not the emperor after all. Therefore, if it was the Duke of St. Hilde who issued the emergency conscription order, no northerner who received the order would dare to resist. However, if it was Marquis Charles who issued the emergency conscription order¡­ One could see the instability of the Firefox mercenary group, which was now in a heated argument. ¡°Enough! All of you, shut up!¡± Saru shouted irritably, stopping his subordinates from arguing. Then, he turned to Oliver and asked, ¡°Does Marquis Charles have the power to issue an emergency conscription order?¡± ¡°I remember that Marquis Charles doesn¡¯t have the power to¡­¡± Oliver was a little uncertain. He turned to Colin and asked for help, ¡°Knight Kahn, am I right?¡± ¡°According to the law, Marquis Charles indeed doesn¡¯t have the power.¡± Colin searched the memories in his mind. ¡°However, there has been a similar precedent in the history of the Northern Territory.¡± Oliver¡¯s face, which had just recovered, instantly darkened again. He absolutely did not want the Firefox mercenary group to be urgently recruited at this time. Without the escort of the mercenary group, his caravan would be like lambs waiting to be slaughtered. It was impossible to safely arrive at Fallen Eagle City. ¡°Then, leader Saru¡­¡± Oliver¡¯s tone was a little conflicted. ¡°Are you ready to accept this recruitment order?¡± Saru¡¯s brows were tightly knitted together. Obviously, he was also very dissatisfied with this emergency conscription order. After thinking for a while, he slowly shook his head and said, ¡°No.¡± As soon as he said this, Oliver¡¯s face immediately showed joy, but the mercenary leaders behind Saru immediately exploded. ¡°Captain, you can¡¯t outright refuse Marquis Charles¡¯ conscription order like this!¡± ¡°Yeah! The Saint Hilde family won¡¯t let this go!¡± ¡°And that group of cavalry¡­ I doubt they have a problem killing people!¡± Saru suddenly turned around and fiercely glanced at the noisy mercenaries behind him. The scene instantly became quiet again. ¡°Do you know what we will face if we accept this conscription order and head to Mirror Lake?¡± Hearing Captain Saru¡¯s question, the mercenary leaders looked at each other and replied, ¡°We should be preparing for war. Although it is dangerous, it is better than disobeying the order of the Saint Hilde family.¡± ¡°War?¡± Saru sneered, ¡°We are going to die!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Captain, why?¡± ¡°War doesn¡¯t necessarily mean death. Besides, if we win, we might get some military merits¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re dreaming!¡± Saru mercilessly interrupted his subordinates¡¯ delusions. ¡°Think carefully! Why did Marquis Charles¡¯ army appear at Mirror Lake?¡± The mercenaries looked at each other. Colin¡¯s eyes flickered as he understood Saru¡¯s meaning. Oliver directly shouted, ¡°That¡¯s right! I also suspect that Marquis Charles was defeated at Mirror Lake!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°How is this possible?¡± ¡°How can the Marquis lose?¡± The mercenaries expressed their disbelief. It was not their fault for trusting Marquis Charles so blindly. In recent decades, the trolls were completely suppressed by the northern army. Five years ago, even the trolls¡¯ royal court was forced to move north under the threat of the northern army. A large area in the southern part of the firmament ice field had nearly become the hunting ground of the northern army. If it were not for the harsh climate on the ice field, which was not suitable for growing crops and building manors and castles, the territory of the northern front would probably have extended further northward. Under such circumstances, no proud northerner would have thought that the Saint Hilde family would actually lose the war. However, when they thought about it carefully, Saru and Oliver¡¯s guess was very reasonable. In recent months, there had been no good news from the front line. Instead, a few towns at the border had been broken through one after another, and several families had lost their fiefdoms. At first, everyone thought that it was just a desperate troll who sent a small force to bypass the front line and enter the Northern Territory to attack. Although the private armies of several families had been temporarily pushed back, as long as Marquis Charles led the main northern army to return, they would be able to wipe out the invading troll army and recover the lost land. But now it seemed that this might not be the case. Because Marquis Charles¡¯ army had already appeared at Mirror Lake¡­ That place was no longer considered a border, but a hinterland. In the memories of this generation of northerners, trolls had never had the ability to go deep into this place. Most of the mercenaries fell silent. It was obvious that they were afraid. Though there were also people who did not think much of it. They encouraged him, ¡°Even so, we can go to Mirror Lake and help Marquis Charles defeat the invading trolls¡­¡± ¡°Idiot!¡± Saru snapped, ¡°You still want to turn the tide when the army is defeated? With just us mercenaries who were urgently recruited?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just us. The mercenary groups nearby must have received the urgent recruitment order¡­¡± ¡°They¡¯re just a bunch of cannon fodder!¡± Saru knew very well what kind of people his subordinates were. These guys could accidentally kill their own people when they were fighting with the bandits. It was a bit of a compliment to say that they were a ragtag group. They still wanted to go to the battlefield and fight with the regular army? They were really courting death! Saru finally made up his mind. He ignored the objections of his subordinates and resolutely turned around, walking toward the cavalrymen of the Saint Hilde family. The knights looked at each other after Saru left. Colin suddenly realized that his father, Baron Angele, had not written to him for several months. It seemed like something was wrong. It seemed like someone was trying to block the news from the front line. Was the situation at the front line really bad? ¡°How dare you reject the Marquis¡¯ order?¡± The leader of the knights of the Saint Hilde family shouted angrily. ¡°Sir Knight, I just want to know¡­¡± ¡°Enough! Rejecting an emergency conscription order is treason!¡± The knight rudely interrupted Saru¡¯s explanation, he said to the members of the Firefox mercenary group who were gathered in front of him, ¡°Anyone who kills this traitor will receive the rank of centurion immediately!¡± ¡°Hua!¡± The mercenaries instantly burst into an uproar. Some were filled with righteous indignation, some sneered disdainfully, but there were also some whose eyes flickered with greed. ¡°Sir Knight!¡± Saru did not even turn his head and confidently showed his back to the people behind him, he continued, ¡°I respect the Saint Hilde family and Marquis Charles, but we also have the right to know what kind of situation we¡¯re heading into¡­¡± Saru stopped halfway. Because a long sword pierced his chest. ¡°Pfft!¡± Saru spat out blood and tried to turn his head. When he saw the face of the young man behind him, the expression on his face suddenly became perplexed. ¡°Thud!¡± The body fell to the ground. ¡°Very good!¡± The knight on the horse nodded with satisfaction and looked at the young man holding the blood-dripping sword. ¡°Tell me your name.¡± ¡°Respected knight, my name is Sal.¡± ¡°Sal? What¡¯s your relationship with this Saru?¡± ¡°He is my father, respected knight.¡± Chapter 10 ¡°Are you willing to be mercenaries for the rest of your lives? ¡°Are you willing to live a life where you are constantly on the brink of death? ¡°Are you willing to fight for money in place of honor? ¡°Right now, there is an opportunity in front of you! ¡°An opportunity to change your fate! ¡°An opportunity to make a name for yourself! ¡°A chance for you to get rid of your status as commoners, become nobles, and even be awarded a fief! ¡°So, take your swords and follow me, Marquis Charles, the St. Hilde family, and defeat the trolls!¡± Looking at the mercenaries who were excited by the speech, Colin suddenly smiled and said to Oliver beside him, ¡°You don¡¯t say. His son is really quite the speaker. I was almost incited by him.¡± ¡°He¡¯s just a despicable person.¡± Oliver¡¯s expression was extremely ugly. The current situation put him somewhat at a loss. ¡± What should we do? Do we really have to go to Mirror Lake?¡± ¡°Do we still have a choice? That kid even dared to kill his biological father.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Oliver was very unwilling. However, he also knew that he had no other choice. Without the escort of the Firefox mercenary group, he wouldn¡¯t be able to bring these goods safely to Fallen Eagle City. However, if he really followed them to Mirror Lake, then there was a high chance that these goods would be seized as military supplies¡­ in this aspect, he didn¡¯t need to overestimate the conscience of the army. Especially during the war. Also, according to his speculation, the Marquis¡¯ army was probably defeated. If that was true, it would be more dangerous to go to Mirror Lake. Compared to Oliver, who was hesitating, Colin changed his mind and wanted to go to Mirror Lake. Baron Angele went to Mirror Lake alongside Marquis Charles. If the Marquis¡¯ army was defeated, Colin would be able to find his father there. Since his father was right there, there was no need for him to go to Fallen Eagle City and seek help from his sister. As for the danger of the battlefield¡­ Colin could pretend to be dead. Besides, no one could pretend to be dead like him. Sal had the situation under control. He appointed the leader of the team and told them to pack up and leave. The cavalry of the Saint Hilde family had already left. They were probably continuing to search for other unlucky people in the surroundings, leaving behind only horse manure and Saru¡¯s lonely corpse. Colin suddenly stepped forward. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Oliver shouted from behind. He was currently extremely on edge. He felt that Colin was the only person in the entire camp who could make him feel at ease. ¡°To bury Mr. Saru,¡± Colin said without turning his head. ¡°You¡­¡± Oliver¡¯s eyes widened. He could not understand why Colin wanted to collect Saru¡¯s body. Are you that close to Saru? Aren¡¯t you afraid of angering Sal? After some contemplation, Oliver chose to not follow. Therefore, Colin walked to Saru¡¯s body alone and began to dig a hole. Ever since he advanced, Colin found that his strength had greatly increased. Moreover, he could already control the holy light energy to move around in his body, thus accelerating the recovery and a small increase in his strength. Taking the opportunity to dig a hole, Colin happened to experiment and adapt to his new strength. Soon, a hole about a meter deep was dug. Colin saw Sal¡¯s expressionless face when he climbed out of the hole. ¡°Shall we lift him together?¡± Colin pointed at Saru¡¯s body and suggested. Sal stood still and said coldly, ¡°Collecting the body of such a traitor will damage your reputation, Knight Kahn.¡± ¡°Haha, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m just a wandering knight who has lost his territory. I don¡¯t have any reputation left.¡± Colin dragged Saru¡¯s body into the hole after seeing that Sal was not willing to help. ¡®What does the reputation of Kahn Surdo have to do with me?¡¯ He pondered. With a loud slam, the body fell into the pit and the dust was blown into the air. ¡°Knight Kahn, you¡¯ll be heading to Mirror Lake camp, right?¡± Sal¡¯s voice came from outside the pit. ¡°Of course. It¡¯s my responsibility as a knight. Also, this is the best chance to restore the honor of the Surdo family,¡± Colin replied in a serious tone. ¡°Very good! We will set off in half an hour. I look forward to continuing to travel with you.¡± ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be right there.¡± Colin squatted in the pit and wiped his sweat. After the footsteps from above gradually faded away, he quietly took out his dagger and water bag. ¡°Chi!¡± ¡°Gulp¡­ gulp¡­¡± When the people of the Firefox mercenary group saw the military camp by Mirror Lake in the distance, the sky had already completely darkened. The sentries on patrol at the periphery had already noticed this group of people. After seeing the emergency recruitment order in Sal¡¯s hand, they gave them directions to the gathering place. Oliver followed the group and walked forward, looking as if he had nothing left to live for. As Colin walked, he drank the ¡°water¡± in his water bag. He did not seem to be in a good mood either. This was because he realized that the blood of the tier 2 warrior, Saru, was actually unable to help him increase his strength. The effect of drinking it was actually exactly the same as the deer blood and that useless thief. It could only restore his stamina. As for the effect of the blood, Colin felt that there were two possibilities. One possibility was that the previous advancement was just a coincidence, and not because of Knight Carter¡¯s blood. This was clearly the worst-case scenario, which meant that the blood did not have any effect on his strength. There was another possibility. That was, not all the fresh blood of high-level professionals had an effect. Perhaps, only the fresh blood of high-level knights could help Colin increase his strength. Therefore, he still needed to conduct further experiments. Thinking of this, Colin suddenly had a headache. After all, compared to the warriors on the street, this number of knights was rare, and most of them had noble statuses. Their fresh blood was not easy to get. After entering the military camp, Colin found that this place occupied a huge area, and he could not see the end of it at a glance. The camp was crowded with people, and he did not know how many people had gathered there. However, Colin could see that the people gathered in this camp were obviously not regular soldiers. They should be temporary recruits like the Firefox mercenary group. Their weapons and equipment were not uniform. Some of them even had farming tools like hoes, which made people wonder if they were farmers who had been urgently recruited from the fields. It seemed that the people gathered here were nothing more than cannon fodder. After settling down in the camp, Oliver came over again. ¡°Knight Kahn, have you seen the situation in the eastern camp?¡± ¡°That should be the official camp of the St. Hilde family.¡± The camp by the Mirror Lake was divided into two parts. Unlike the messy camp on the west side where Colin and the others were, the camp on the east side was obviously well-organized and heavily guarded. ¡°That¡¯s right! I tried to take a few steps over there, but before I got close, I was blocked by the patrolling soldiers.¡± This was not strange. The regular army¡¯s camp definitely would not allow people to casually enter. Colin looked at the eager Oliver and immediately understood what he meant. ¡°You want to go to the eastern camp?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Oliver nodded repeatedly. ¡°You have also seen the situation on our side. Once we start fighting, we will definitely be used as cannon fodder! ¡°Therefore, we had better think of a way to sneak into the main army¡¯s camp in the east. That would be safer. Alas, I can¡¯t get in there, but you¡¯re different. If you tell them you¡¯re part of the Surdo family, you can get in.¡± Colin hesitated. He knew that the fake Kahn Surdo could fool the Firefox mercenary group and Oliver, but if he went to meet the real nobles in this world, he would be exposed. Of course, he could also use his real identity to go there. It would be easier for him to find his father, Baron Angele, if he was in the camp. However, if Baron Angele was not here¡­ ¡°Knight Kahn, please inform the Marquis that I am willing to give all the goods I brought to the Saint Hilde family for free!¡± Colin looked at the fat merchant in front of him in surprise. He admired the merchant¡¯s decisiveness. ¡°You are so generous.¡± ¡°What can I do if I¡¯m not willing¡­¡± Oliver forced a bitter smile and encouraged him again, ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t forget the help you¡¯ve given me. If I survive this time, I, as well as the Tulip Chamber of Commerce, will definitely thank you greatly!¡± Looking at Oliver¡¯s solemn and enthusiastic gaze, Colin could only nod and say, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll give it a try.¡± After leaving the tent, Colin headed east. Just as he was hesitating whether or not he should reveal his true identity, a voice suddenly sounded: ¡°Young Master Colin, is that really you?¡± Chapter 11 ¡°Master Colin, it¡¯s really you!¡± Colin was surprised. He turned around and saw a group of patrolling knights gathered behind him. The leader of the knights dismounted and took off his helmet, revealing a familiar face. Raymond Moben. He was one of the three knights who were loyal to Baron Angele. ¡°Master Colin, why are you here?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Colin looked at Raymond who was bowing to him. He did not know how to explain the situation to the knight, so he changed the topic. ¡°Where¡¯s my father? Is he in the camp?¡± Raymond¡¯s expression changed and he looked sad. ¡°Didn¡¯t you receive the letter I sent you?¡± ¡°What letter? How long ago did you send it?¡± ¡°About a month ago¡­ the messenger crows should have arrived at Graycastle a long time ago.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t receive any letters.¡± Colin frowned, thinking that his previous guess was right and that someone was really blocking the news on the front line! ¡°How could this be?¡± Raymond was also a little surprised. ¡°What did you say in the letter?¡± Raymond lowered his head, his tone became low and sad, but also full of guilt. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Young Master Colin. I wrote to tell you that the baron died in battle¡­ Unfortunately, more than a month ago¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± Colin was stunned. Although Colin would not have any emotional feelings for his cheap father, he was still caught off guard by this sudden bad news. The protection he had expected disappeared just like that. And it would be gone forever. However, wouldn¡¯t the baron title fall to him? No! Baron title! Colin suddenly realized something. After Baron Angele died and Colin was assassinated, the Baron title should fall to¡­ His sister, Caitlin Angele! Colin suddenly realized that Caitlin was the one who benefited the most from the assassination! Therefore, she was the prime suspect. Colin suddenly felt cold. His sister was trying to kill him! It was fortunate that he did not go to Fallen Eagle City. Otherwise, he would be walking straight into a trap. Also, Colin noticed another problem. His sister must have heard about his father¡¯s death, or she would not have tried to have him killed. After all, if Baron Angele returned to Graycastle alive and found out that his only son was dead, he would not let the matter go. Caitlin might be found innocent and the baron might not find the killer, but he was still in his prime. He could marry and have more children, and Caitlin might not become the next baron. Caitlin would not risk her life to kill her brother under these circumstances. Caitlin must have learned that her father died on the battlefield through some means, and that was why she wanted to kill him. Just as Colin¡¯s thoughts were running wild, Raymond pulled out the long sword from his waist and knelt down on one knee in front of Colin. He held the long sword in both hands and said, ¡°I failed to protect the baron and broke my oath. Young Master Colin, you have the right to judge me!¡± Colin came back to his senses and looked at knight Raymond who was half kneeling in front of him. He suddenly asked, ¡°Where is Knight Valla?¡± Raymond was a bit surprised. He did not understand why Colin would ask such a question, but he answered honestly, ¡°Knight Valla was separated during the battle. I¡¯m afraid¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you didn¡¯t see Valla¡¯s body.¡± ¡°No.¡± Valla Oman was the husband of Colin¡¯s sister, Caitlin, and the illegitimate son of the lord of Fallen Eagle City, Earl Oman. Baron Angele was against the marriage. Valla was the illegitimate son of the Earl, but his bloodline was not pure and his status was low. Baron Angele was not the kind of person who would want his daughter to marry an illegitimate son. However, the way Caitlin and Valla looked at each other. It seemed like they were willing to sacrifice everything for love. The story of Romeo and Juliet almost happened in another world. Later, the Baron could not do anything about his daughter, and he saw that Valla was indeed outstanding. He was already a tier 2 knight at a young age, so he nodded and agreed to their engagement. During this expedition, Valla had also gone to the front line. Moreover, he had actually disappeared during the battle. This time, Colin was ninety percent sure that Valla was the one who had sent the news to his sister. As for why the message was not sealed, it was likely that Earl Oman was involved. Perhaps, Oman was the mastermind behind the assassination. After all, Caitlin and Valla¡¯s child would be the next in line after she inherited the title of Baron. The title of Baron of the Angele family would then be transferred to Oman¡¯s family. ¡®Earl Oman¡­¡¯ Colin was thinking about the powerful name in the Northern Territory. The anger in his eyes dissipated. He took the sword from Knight Raymond who was kneeling in front of him and slowly swung it at his neck. Raymond closed his eyes and did not move. The sword landed on Raymond¡¯s shoulder. However, he did not move forward. ¡°Knight Raymond Moben, are you willing to pledge your loyalty to me?¡± Raymond suddenly raised his head and looked at Colin. His eyes were mixed with shock, guilt, and a trace of relief that he had survived a disaster. Of course, Colin would not kill Raymond. Through the test just now, he had confirmed Raymond¡¯s loyalty. A traitor would not expose his neck to his master¡¯s longsword. Colin appreciated Raymond¡¯s loyalty. After witnessing the betrayal of Knight Carter and the death of his father, Knight Raymond was an honest man. *Bam* Raymond raised his fist on his chest over his heart and kneeled on the ground before saying,¡±I, Raymond Moben, pledge my loyalty to the Great White Bear, Baron Colin Angele! ¡°Your will shall be my command for the rest of my life. My sword is yours! ¡°I swear by the sacred name of the ancestors of the Moben family that I will forever be loyal to you!¡± The White Bear was the badge of the Angele family. The title of Baron had not been given to Colin yet. After all, he still needed to be recognized by the Duke of Saint Hilde. However, as the first successor of the Angele family, Raymond was not wrong to address Colin as such after the death of the old Baron. After all, as long as the territory of the Angele family was not lost and Colin did not betray the country, the Duke of Saint Hilde would not be able to stop him from inheriting the title of Baron. ¡°Get up.¡± Colin smiled and asked Raymond to stand up. He returned the sword to Raymond and asked, ¡°Where is Marquis Charles¡¯ tent? I want to meet him and find out about the current situation of this army and the next step.¡± ¡°Marquis¡­¡± Knight Raymond¡¯s expression changed. ¡°The marquis is not in the camp.¡± ¡°What?¡± Chapter 12 ¡°The marquis is not here?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then where is he now?¡± In the center of the east side of the Mirror Lake camp, in the largest and most luxurious tent, a man and woman were talking. If Colin was here, he would immediately recognize that the man who was half-kneeling on the ground was the knight of the Saint Hilde family who had issued the emergency recruitment order to the Firefox mercenary group. That arrogant knight from before was now bowing to him. ¡°The marquis, he¡­¡± facing the woman¡¯s question, this knight seemed a bit hesitant. ¡°Knight Bliss, if this question involves military orders, you don¡¯t have to say it.¡± The woman didn¡¯t make things difficult for the knight as she said in a low voice. This was a tall woman wearing a slightly loose snow-white fox fur coat. Her beautiful golden hair hung down from her shoulders and back. Her hair flickered with lights and shadows as if she had some kind of magic power. It was hard for people to look at her closely, but they could not help but be entranced by her. A translucent black veil covered her face, but the elegance and nobility that lie deep in her bones could not be hidden. Her every move carried a distinct temperament. This kind of authoritative temperament could only be possessed by a true noble. However, the mage hat on her head and the purple magic staff in her hand indicated that she was a mage. This was a little strange. In the human empire of this world, although the nobles and wizards were not mortal enemies, they were still incompatible creatures. The reason was very simple, the wizards did not have faith. In the eyes of these spell casters, only the arcane truth was the eternal pursuit. And their gods were just powerful mortals who had mastered the arcane truth. Therefore, in the eyes of the noble knights who believed in the Lord of Glory, these mages were complete blasphemers and heresy who should be burned to death on the stake. However, in the Glorious Empire, where the nobles held absolute power, although the mages were not welcomed, they did not suffer much persecution. The reason was simple, the mages were powerful enough. Of course, mages who did not believe in gods were the same as warriors. The ceiling of their strength was tier 6, and there had never been a saint-level mage before. However, it was a little different from warriors. Even if mages could not enter the saint-level, they had a way to display the strength of a saint-level or above. This method was a forbidden spell. With sufficient preparation, expensive casting materials, and an extremely terrifying price, a tier 6 mage could cast a forbidden spell. During the period when the Church of Light and the Wizard Council were at their most intense, ten tier 6 wizards had once cast a forbidden spell known as Falling Stars. This terrifying forbidden spell had wiped a city with a population of over a million off the map! Of course, the wizards had also paid an extremely heavy price for this forbidden spell. Seven of the ten tier 6 wizards died on the spot, and the remaining three died one after another within the next five years. However, their sacrifice also allowed the church and the nobles to deeply understand the horror of mages. In the end, the two sides reached a certain degree of reconciliation. However, the enmity left behind by a thousand years of struggle could not be easily resolved. In addition to the irreconcilable contradiction in their beliefs, the nobles and mages were two different forces; strangers to one another. Therefore, the female mage who was able to make the knights of the St. Hilde family treat her respectfully and was suspected to be a great noble acted particularly strangely. Seeing that the female mage did not continue to ask about Marquis Charles¡¯ whereabouts, Knight Bliss was relieved. But after hesitating for a moment, he reminded her, ¡°Miss Vera, you¡¯d better leave this camp as soon as possible. It¡¯s¡­ not safe here¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as safe on the battlefield.¡± The female mage looked at the knight strangely and said indifferently, ¡°Since I¡¯ve come here, I¡¯m already prepared for battle.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t understand what I mean.¡± Knight Bliss said in a slightly more serious tone, ¡°What I mean is, this place is extremely dangerous!¡± The female mage¡¯s expression changed. She stared at the knight who was half-kneeling in front of her through the black veil and asked in a serious tone, ¡°Knight Bliss, what exactly is the mission given to you by the marquis?¡± ¡°My mission is to patrol the camp on the west side and maintain order,¡±Knight Raymond said to Colin. The two of them walked into the camp on the east side. Compared to the messy camp on the west side, this place was much quieter and more solemn. However, it was a little too quiet. Colin frowned as he looked at the situation in the camp. The unease in his heart grew more and more serious. ¡°Only patrolling and maintaining order? I didn¡¯t ask you to stand guard around the perimeter?¡± ¡°No.¡± Raymond shook his head. It was obvious that he had the same doubts. ¡°It¡¯s not just our squad. I haven¡¯t seen any cavalry squad spread out to stand guard.¡± Colin¡¯s brows furrowed even more tightly. The importance of vision in war was self-evident. However, now, this battalion stationed by the Mirror Lake had actually given up on probing the surrounding situation. This was tactical suicide! Other than the possibility that Marquis Charles was an idiotic commander, it could only mean that the importance of this camp was very low. Though it could be that they were meant to act as bait! ¡°I¡¯m afraid that the main force of the army has long been out of the camp.¡± Colin looked at the overly quiet eastern camp and asked Raymond. ¡°Yes, Young Master Colin. These days, there have been troops leaving the camp, but they haven¡¯t returned.¡± ¡°So, the main force of the regular army has long left quietly. Now, there are only the mercenary groups and commoners who were summoned by the emergency recruitment order. Of course, there are also knights like you who have lost their lordship.¡± ¡°Yes, our real mission is actually to keep an eye on the untrained soldiers and prevent them from running around.¡± ¡°It seems that¡­¡± Colin was halfway through his sentence when he saw a group of cavalry coming out from the center of the camp. The one in the lead who was riding a white horse was actually a woman. Moreover, Colin recognized the knight who followed closely behind her at a glance. It was the one who issued the emergency recruitment order to the Firefox mercenary group. This was a big chance to escape! Colin, who had already realized that he was in a dangerous situation, immediately walked over. Since he could not find Marquis Charles, then he should be able to escape his fate of being cannon fodder bait by finding this important figure in front of him. However, Colin had only taken a few steps when he was frightened by the ear-piercing sound of the bugle call. Colin suddenly turned his head and saw a flock of birds startled from the woods in the north. Then, amid the trembling of the earth, a thin black and white line appeared on the horizon. The trolls were coming! Like water dripping into a boiling pot of oil, the entire Mirror Lake camp immediately erupted. ¡°Enemy attack! Enemy attack!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t run around! Fall into formation! Stand up to face the enemy!¡± The shouts of the officers were of no use at all. The motley crowd gathered in the camp on the west side was completely thrown into chaos by the sudden shock. This was the consequence of not keeping watch. When the enemy attacked, there was simply not enough time to react. In fact, even if there was enough time to react, it was impossible to resist the regular army of the trolls just by relying on the group of soldiers that had been carelessly recruited in this camp. Colin was very clear that what was going to happen next would definitely be a one-sided massacre! Therefore, he pointed at the woman who had rushed to the east and said to Raymond in a deep voice, ¡°Let¡¯s go, follow her closely!¡± Chapter 13 ¡°Kill!¡± The huge troll army was like the dark waves from hell, carrying the power to crush everything as it swept toward the Mirror Lake camp. For a moment, it was as if the sky was falling and the Earth was splitting, and it was also like the waves were crashing onto the shore. The fragile defense line that the Mirror Lake camp had barely managed to form collapsed upon contact with such an attack. ¡°Plop!¡± ¡°Plop!¡± The collapsing human army was pushed into the ice-cold lake by the onslaught of the troll army. Only a small number of human soldiers who recognized the imminent danger managed to escape in two directions. ¡°Awoo!¡± Amidst the wolf howls, the Earth began to tremble. Two wolf cavalry units split out from the two wings of the troll army, one from the east and one from the west, respectively chasing after the human battle-deserters. ¡°Huala!¡± Huge waves suddenly surged up from the surface of the calm Mirror Lake, charging toward the troll wolf cavalry unit on the east side of the battlefield. ¡°Stop moving forward!¡± The leader of the wolf cavalry unit roared. However, the wolf cavalry units that were charging forward could not control their momentum enough to maneuver out of the way. The huge waves were like a terrifying hand that smashed down ruthlessly. ¡°Bang!¡± Over a hundred wolf cavalry units were instantly devoured. There wasn¡¯t a single drop of blood, nor was there any broken flesh or bones. The surging huge wave immediately froze upon contact with the ground, forming an ice wall that was over ten meters tall, standing in front of the wolf cavalry. Within the ice wall, the wolf cavalry soldiers were still in their charging poses. It was lifelike. Such a terrifying turn of events frightened the wolf cavalry soldiers behind them, causing them to stop in their tracks. They couldn¡¯t advance in front of the ice wall, and their faces were filled with panic. Seeing that the human deserters were about to run further and further away, a bright red spear shot out from the center of the troll army, leaving a long bloody mark in the sky before finally piercing into the ice wall. *Kacha!* A crack appeared on the ice wall. Following that, more cracks extended out from where the spear had pierced, instantly covering the entire wall like a spiderweb. *Bang* The ice wall shattered. Countless pieces of ice fell down along with the remains of the wolf cavalry. ¡°Chase on!¡± With the command of the leader, the wolf cavalry regrouped and once again charged to the east. Only this time, the wolf cavalry no longer had the arrogance they had in the beginning. ¡°There¡¯s a mage among the human deserters?¡± Stepping on the broken ice, a troll general on a white wolf picked up the blood-red spear on the ground. Obviously, he was the one who broke the ice wall. ¡°Quick1, you should go after them too. This should be a big fish,¡± another troll riding a white wolf walked over and said to the troll general who picked up the spear. The troll race¡¯s mount was the dire wolf. This ferocious beast, which was larger than a normal warhorse, was typically gray in color. However, there were a few dire wolves with white fur. Such white wolves were sacred in the eyes of the trolls. They were the incarnation of the god of war (also known as the White Wolf God of War) in the world. Therefore, only the trolls with noble status were qualified to use the white wolves as mounts. ¡°Yes! Lord Gambik!¡± Quick bowed and then led a team of wolf cavalrymen to the east. The ice wall spell here was only a small interlude. On the battlefield, the lousily assembled human army had long been defeated. They either knelt down and begged for mercy or were chased into the Mirror Lake by the trolls like ducks. Only a few people were still struggling, trying to fight their way out of the encirclement. In fact, there were quite a number of human soldiers who successfully charged out. As the troll army seemed to have some misgivings, they did not throw all their forces into the encirclement to stop the scattered human soldiers. Instead, they left more than half of their elite troops behind as reserves, as if they were on guard against something. The killing continued. Blood flowed into the Mirror Lake, dyeing half the lake crimson. The suffocating smell of blood attracted groups of vultures. They hovered above the battlefield anxiously, ready to rush down for a meal at any time. The sun gradually set in the west. The sunset began to burn in the sky, but the sounds of killing by the Mirror Lake showed no signs of stopping. At this moment, a commotion suddenly came from the rear of the troll army. A troll messenger rushed to Gambik and reported loudly, ¡°General! There are about 40,000 to 50,000 human soldiers behind!¡± Gambik was not surprised but was happy. He laughed, ¡°Good! That little lion finally dares to show his face! Haha, Let¡¯s teach him a lesson!¡± The emblem of the Lord of the Northern Territory, the Saint Hilde family, was a golden lion. The ¡°Little Lion¡± that Gambik was referring to was obviously the son of the Saint Hilde Duke, Marquis Charles. The marquis was supposed to be the supreme commander of the human side in this battle. He was supposed to stay in the Mirror Lake camp and fight the trolls to the death. However, he was obviously unwilling or didn¡¯t dare to fight the trolls head-on. Instead, he issued an emergency recruitment order and recruited a group of mercenaries and militia to fill the mirror lake camp as bait. He himself led the real army and sneaked an attack from the rear while the trolls attacked the Mirror Lake camp. Although the whole plan was a little cruel, it was still a good plan. If he could really catch the trolls off guard and eliminate them before they have time to resist, he might be able to win the battle. Unfortunately, for some reason, the commander of the troll army had clearly seen through this plan in advance and was prepared to deal with it. Therefore, when Marquis Charles led the army to charge to the rear of the troll army, the terrain was not as flat as he had expected. Instead, they bumped into a barricade of iron head-on. A fierce battle began. The night was dark. Half a bright moon hung in the sky, and the cold light scattered in the forest. A team of human cavalrymen was setting up camp in the forest, but they did not dare to make a fire to cook, for fear of exposing their target and attracting the pursuers behind them. Three days had passed since the defeat at the Mirror Lake. After three days of fleeing, killing, and bloodshed, this team of more than five hundred people was now only left with more than one hundred people. Under the encirclement and interception of the troll wolf cavalry, it was indeed a miracle that they were able to hold on until now. Of course, this was also because their combat strength was indeed formidable. Moreover, there was also a spell caster among them. Although in a head-on duel, a mage would be easily defeated by a knight of the same level or even a warrior. This was because no one would foolishly stand in place and wait for the mage to finish chanting without interrupting or dodging. However, on the battlefield, a mage¡¯s effect far exceeded that of a knight of the same level. The ice wall that blocked the wolf cavalry was a good example. It was a tier 3 spell that instantly ended the lives of hundreds of wolf cavalry soldiers. However, if a tier 3 knight faced hundreds of wolf cavalry soldiers, even if there were no professionals among the wolf cavalry soldiers, he would die under sheer outnumbering of his opposition. At most, he would drag dozens of them down with him. The forest was quiet. There were only the occasional neighs of horses and the faint howls of owls. In the camp, most of the people were eating hard bread in silence. Only a few leaders gathered together and discussed in low voices how to shake off the pursuers behind them. ¡°Meow!¡± ¡°Whitey, don¡¯t run around!¡± Colin chased after Whitey¡¯s figure and came to the center of the camp. ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s a little naughty.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± The female mage grabbed the kitten that was trying to climb on her body and hugged it to her chest to pet it. Seeing this, Colin took the opportunity to sit down and did not treat her as an outsider. The female mage seemed to have noticed Colin¡¯s little scheme, so she did not chase him away. Instead, she asked, ¡°Which family are you a knight from?¡± Colin raised his head and looked at the female wizard. Most of her face was covered by the black veil, revealing a pair of deep blue eyes that seemed to reflect the deepest desire in everyone¡¯s heart. ¡°My name is Colin, Colin Angele.¡± Chapter 14 This time, Colin used his real name. He knew that the people in front of him were not from the Firefox mercenary group. If he used the fake identity of Kahn Surdo, he would be exposed. Also, he did not know who was trying to kill him. Now that he knew who the murderer was, there was no need for him to hide anymore. The only thing he wanted to do right now was revenge! ¡°Angele?¡± The female wizard¡¯s brow furrowed. It seemed like she had heard this name before, but she could not recall where. ¡°Baron Angele, Lord of Graycastle town, Roaring White Bear,¡± Knight Bliss reminded. ¡°That¡¯s right, he¡¯s my father.¡± Colin put his left hand on his chest and bowed. The female wizard hesitated for a second, then stood up and bowed. She pressed her right hand on her abdomen and held the hem of her robe with her left hand. ¡®Sure enough!¡¯ Colin¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡®This female wizard is a true noble.¡¯ ¡®Hehe, she¡¯s a wizard among nobles.¡¯ ¡®Interesting.¡¯ Moreover, looking at the respectful attitude of the knight beside him and the way she fought to the death to protect him along the way, this female mage probably had close ties to the Saint Hilde Family! However, Colin did not have any intentions of probing to uncover her true identity. Now, the relationship between the empire¡¯s aristocrats and the Mage Council was cold. This female mage who came from an aristocratic background was naturally an extremely awkward existence. And she had been hiding her face all this time because she obviously did not want others to know her true identity. Colin had used Whitey¡¯s help to get here. He only hoped that he could establish a relationship with the true master of the Northern Territory¡­ the Saint Hilde family. This was the key to his revenge for his predecessor and completely getting out of this crisis. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that Knight Colin would actually be in the Mirror Lake camp.¡± Bliss looked at Colin expressionlessly, his indifferent gaze carrying a trace of scrutiny. ¡°It was just a coincidence,¡± Colin answered vaguely, then changed the topic and asked the purpose of this trip, ¡°May I ask, what are we going to do next?¡± ¡°I wonder what Knight Colin¡¯s suggestion is?¡± Bliss didn¡¯t answer but asked back. Although Colin¡¯s identity gave him the right to join the discussion, it didn¡¯t mean that he could automatically gain the trust of Bliss and the others. Colin did not pay attention to Bliss¡¯s vigilance. He simply picked up a branch and drew a simple map on the ground: ¡°If I remember correctly, the nearest big city is Fallen Eagle City. It¡¯s in the southeast direction, about four or five days away. According to the current direction, that should be our destination, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Seeing that Colin was so familiar with the surrounding geographical environment, Bliss did not deny it anymore. Colin smiled slightly, and the branch in his hand continued drawing circles on the points that represented Fallen Eagle City. ¡°Then, do you think we can make it to Fallen Eagle City?¡± Bliss did not speak. However, Colin still caught a hint of insecurity in his eyes, which were pretending to be stoic. During their escape, the cavalry unit left behind by the Saint Hilde family in the Mirror Lake Camp suffered heavy casualties, but the pursuers behind them seemed to be endless, and they were getting closer and closer. Bliss was beginning to feel that the situation was not good. ¡°I wonder what Knight Colin¡¯s suggestion is?¡± This time, it was the female mage who asked. Colin smiled and drew a big cross on the dot representing Fallen Eagle City. He said firmly, ¡°We can¡¯t go to Fallen Eagle City. That¡¯s a dead-end!¡± The female mage frowned, seemingly displeased with Colin¡¯s assertion. However, Knight Bliss next to her asked, ¡°Then, which direction do you think we should go?¡± Seeing that Bliss did not deny his words, Colin immediately understood. Bliss should have also noticed that a large net was quietly forming around them, waiting for them to crash into it. Since Fallen Eagle City was their most likely escape route, then the trolls would definitely set up layers of barricades in that direction. ¡°Head north!¡± Colin drew a huge arrow on the ground, pointing directly to the north. ¡°North?¡± The female mage immediately cried out in surprise, ¡°Then aren¡¯t we turning back again!¡± That¡¯s right, if we head north, it would be in the direction of the Mirror Lake camp. Bliss did not say anything, staring at the map on the ground in a daze. Colin raised his hand and pressed down, gesturing for the other party to calm down. Then, he explained, ¡°If you also think that going north is an impossible option, then doesn¡¯t that mean that the trolls won¡¯t expect us to turn back?¡± ¡°But¡­ but isn¡¯t that¡­ walking into a trap?¡± ¡°There is indeed a large net around us, and it is closing down on us as we speak.¡± Colin opened his right palm and clenched it in an instant, ¡°But, the weakest part of this net is the north! If we want to break free from the shackles, the best choice is to turn back and head north!¡± ¡°And¡­¡± Colin paused. ¡°Marquis Charles¡¯ true army should also be in the north.¡± Knight Bliss¡¯ eyes flashed, but he remained silent. The female mage did not have any misgivings about this, and she was not surprised that Colin could guess Marquis Charles¡¯ battle intent. Instead, she asked directly, ¡°Do you think Marquis Charles has a chance to defeat the troll army?¡± Colin spread his hands and shook his head. He did not know how many troops Marquis Charles had, how strong they were, how well they respond on the battlefield¡­ and so on. How could he guess the outcome of the battle? ¡°Whether Marquis Charles wins or loses, it doesn¡¯t matter to us. The first thing we need to do now is to find our way out of this situation. After we jump out, we can send out the sentries to inquire about the Mirror Lake battlefield, and then make further plans. That way, there will be more room to maneuver.¡± The female mage thought for a moment and felt that what Colin said made sense. However, she had been focusing on Arcana since she was young and had not received any military education. Therefore, she could not make up her mind about Colin¡¯s bold suggestion, so she could only look at the Knight Bliss beside her for help. Bliss pursed his lips and thought for a long time. Finally, he nodded and said, ¡°I agree.¡± Colin instantly heaved a sigh of relief. Although turning around and heading north was indeed the best chance to break free from the snare, he did not reveal the reason why he did not want to continue moving forward: Further ahead was Fallen Eagle City, and the biggest suspect in the murder of his predecessor, his sister Caitlin, was right there! If it was just Caitlin¡¯s conspiracy, then Colin was not too afraid. However, if the lord of Fallen Eagle City, Earl Oman, was also involved, then if he went over now, he would truly be walking into a trap. ¡°Alright! Then we¡¯ll turn around tomorrow and head north!¡± Seeing that Bliss had also agreed to Colin¡¯s plan, the female mage also made up her mind. Then, she returned the kitten in her arms to Colin and asked, ¡°Why do you call it Whitey?¡± Colin smiled and took the pure blue short-haired cat. ¡°Is Whitey a bad name?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just¡­ a little unexpected.¡± ¡°Hahaha,¡± Colin laughed and replied meaningfully, ¡°Is it a good thing that I know what you really think?¡± The female mage also laughed, her big eyes instantly curved into crescent moons. ¡°That makes sense!¡± Chapter 15 By a stream in the forest, a gargoyle wolf rider was fetching water. Around him, there were four companions on alert. Those who were experienced in the wilderness knew the importance of water, but because it was so important, it became a natural trap. A wolf rider finished fetching water and signaled to his companions to rotate. At this moment, he suddenly smelled a hint of unease and immediately drew the scimitar at his waist. The other four wolf cavalry soldiers were shocked by their companions¡¯ actions and instantly began to look around nervously. However, nothing happened. The forest was silent, with only the rustling sound of a gentle breeze blowing through the treetops. The wolf cavalry soldiers did not let down their guard. Instead, they became even more nervous. It was too quiet! ¡°Whoosh!¡± ¡°Whoosh!¡± ¡°Whoosh!¡± The whistling sound of arrows suddenly broke the suffocating silence. Following that, there were two miserable screams. The remaining three trolls did not have the time to check if the two companions who were shot were alive or dead. They quickly turned over and climbed onto their dire wolves, turning around and running away. ¡°Chase!¡± Knight Bliss shouted loudly and took the lead to rush out. Behind him, hundreds of human cavalrymen galloped out. The peaceful morning was completely broken, and the bloody prelude to slaughter sounded again. The dire wolves were generally better than warhorses at short-distance sprinting, but when it came to long-distance sprinting, their endurance was relatively poor. Therefore, after the three troll wolf cavalrymen charged out a distance, they were losing ground incredibly quickly. Moreover, after closing the distance, the human arrows struck again. Not long after, two more wolf cavalrymen were killed by the arrows. When the last remaining wolf cavalryman saw this, he stabbed the dire wolf¡¯s buttocks. ¡°Awooo!¡± Under the pain, the dire wolf instantly increased its speed and pulled some distance away from the pursuers behind it. However, the acceleration buff from self-injury did not last long. The dire wolf finally bled out too much and gradually lost its stamina. Inevitably, the human cavalry caught up with it and shot it with an arrow, causing it to roll on the ground. The troll rolled a few times on the ground and then climbed up in a sorry state. It actually wanted to continue running forward. ¡°Chi!¡± Bliss patted his horse and caught up, cutting off the troll¡¯s head with a single slash. Before he could catch his breath, the forest in front of him started to move, and more troll wolf cavalry jumped out! They were still one step too slow! Bliss sighed to himself. He knew that he wasn¡¯t fast enough to deal with this batch of trolls, which attracted even more enemies. ¡°Formation!¡± After taking a look at the distance of the opposing wolf cavalry, Bliss knew that he couldn¡¯t avoid this battle, so he ordered loudly. ¡°Advance!¡± The human cavalry that had just attacked for a while took a short breath, and under Bliss¡¯s order, they pulled down their masks again, ready to face the enemy. ¡°Speed up!¡± Fortunately, the wolf cavalry that attacked did not have too many people, so they could fight. ¡°Charge!¡± As the distance closed, both sides began sprinting at the same time. They did not retreat, did not dodge, and did not show mercy. The brave would win when they collided on this narrow path! ¡°Kill!¡± ¡°Kill!¡± ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°Bang!¡± Amidst the loud collision sounds, blood and broken bones splattered everywhere. It was bloody, barbaric, and tragic. Life became the sacrifice, and blood was the embellishment. The quiet forest instantly turned into a terrifying altar. After a fierce battle, the humans still gained the upper hand in the end. This group of knights from the Saint Hilde family was indeed elite. Moreover, Colin¡¯s guess was right. The trolls didn¡¯t deploy any heavy troops in the direction of the north. Obviously, the other party didn¡¯t expect that this group of human deserters would dare to return to the main battlefield. ¡°Chase!¡± Seeing that the remaining trolls wanted to escape, Bliss immediately gave the order to chase. He could not let these guys escape, or else he would definitely attract more pursuers. At this moment, a ball of blue light suddenly bloomed in the forest. The direction in which the trolls retreated seemed to have suddenly changed seasons. A layer of frost covered the ground and treetops at a speed invisible to the naked eye. Then, it instantly enveloped the dire wolves, making it difficult for them to move. ¡°It¡¯s magic!¡± The leader of the wolf cavalry let out a miserable cry, and despair appeared in his eyes. Yes, the female mage who was hiding at the back had finally completed her chant. A tier 3 spell, Frost Nova, was cast at the perfect time, slowing down the speed of the wolf cavalry¡¯s escape. ¡°Kill them all!¡± Bliss took the opportunity to charge forward with his army, easily beheading the idle trolls one by one, as if someone had frozen them in place. Colin rushed to the front of the leader of the wolf cavalry and chopped off the other party¡¯s right hand that was holding the weapon. However, he did not kill him. ¡°I¡¯ll try and see if I can get any information out of him.¡± Colin dragged the half-dead leader of the wolf cavalry and shouted at Bliss. ¡°Alright, but you¡¯d better hurry up. We can¡¯t stay here for long.¡± Bliss nodded and then ordered his subordinates loudly, ¡°Hurry up, hurry up! I¡¯ll give you ten minutes to clean up the battlefield!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Young Master Colin, do you need help?¡± Knight Raymond came over. ¡°No need, I can do it myself.¡± Colin rejected Raymond¡¯s good intentions. He dragged the leader of the wolf cavalry behind a big tree alone and asked, ¡°Tell me, are there any other troll armies nearby?¡± ¡°Bah!¡± The leader of the wolf cavalry spat out a mouthful of bloody spit and rebuked angrily, ¡°I won¡¯t tell you even if I die!¡± Colin tilted his head and nimbly dodged the saliva. Then, he pulled out his dagger and cleanly cut the other party¡¯s throat. ¡°Alright, then you can go to hell.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± the leader of the wolf cavalry widened his eyes, as if in shock! After the other party had completely stopped breathing, Colin raised his head and looked around. Seeing that no one was paying attention to him, he quietly took out his water bag. ¡°Gulp¡­ gulp¡­¡± That¡¯s right, Colin¡¯s real goal wasn¡¯t to interrogate him. In the previous battle, he had noticed that the leader of the wolf cavalry was a warrior. Similar to human knights, warriors were a unique profession of the trolls. They served the God of War, and thus had the potential to advance beyond tier 6. After discovering that the blood of warriors didn¡¯t have any special effects, Colin felt that he should try to see if the blood of trolls could help him increase his strength, just like human knights. Moreover, this wolf cavalry leader¡¯s strength should be between tier 2 and 3, which was higher than Colin¡¯s current level. Therefore, if the warrior¡¯s blood really had an effect, he should know about it very soon. Ten minutes passed in a flash. Colin hid the water sacks that were filled to the brim and returned to the team. The battlefield had been cleaned up. All the trolls and their mounts had been killed, and their corpses were casually laid out in the forest. Meanwhile, the human casualties had been hastily buried. After this battle, there were less than a hundred people left on this team. Colin roughly counted, and there were only seventy to eighty people left. With a sigh, Colin got on his horse and prepared to set off. At this moment, Bliss led the female mage¡¯s warhorse to Colin¡¯s side. ¡°Knight Colin.¡± ¡°Madam, what can I do for you?¡± The female mage lowered her head slightly as if she was avoiding Colin¡¯s gaze. There was a hint of shyness in her words: ¡°May I¡­ ride on the same horse as you?¡± Chapter 16 Through the black veil, Colin could still see a red glow forming on the female wizard¡¯s face. At this time, he also noticed that the female wizard¡¯s blonde hair had turned completely white! Moreover, strands of frost aura were condensed. She couldn¡¯t control her arcane energy anymore! No wonder she needed help. ¡°Of course, it¡¯s my honor!¡± Since it was the woman who suggested it, Colin would not be unreasonable. Moreover, he also understood that the reason why she chose him was not that she suddenly took a fancy to him, but because he was the highest-ranking noble on the team. That¡¯s right, class discrimination. It was so natural in this world. Even if Knight Bliss was powerful, he could kill Colin with one hand. Though as long as he did not officially receive the title of nobility or become the heir to the title, in the eyes of the real nobles, he would only be looked as second-class. He would not be treated as their equal. There was a sentence that could describe the knight¡¯s awkward situation very well: In the eyes of the commoners, they were nobles, but in the eyes of the nobles, they were commoners. Therefore, the female mage who came from a noble background would rather choose Colin than let the more familiar and trusted Bliss get close to her. Of course, it could also be because Bliss needed to lead the team and could not be distracted. As Colin¡¯s thoughts ran wild, he got off the horse and rode on the female mage¡¯s warhorse. There was no soft jade or warm fragrance, only bone-chilling coldness. In an instant, the little wildfire that rose in Colin¡¯s heart was completely extinguished. The female mage somewhat stiffly shrank into Colin¡¯s embrace, as if she was looking for warmth and support. Bliss gave Colin a deep glance with a slightly warning look, then turned around to reorganize the team and prepare to set off. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Knight Colin. I¡¯ve been using magic too frequently these past few days, and I¡¯m a little exhausted. That¡¯s why I need to trouble you¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that. You¡¯re doing this to help us get out of danger. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take good care of you.¡± The team set off again. As they advanced at a high speed, the horse¡¯s back was very bumpy. The female mage¡¯s body was weak and weak, and she almost completely relied on Colin¡¯s embrace to not fall down. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Colin felt the female mage in his arms tremble slightly, so he leaned close to her ear and asked, ¡°Do you need me to slow down?¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, there¡¯s no need.¡± The female mage gritted her teeth and said, ¡°We have to leave this place as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± The journey was bumpy, and the two of them stuck close together, so there was inevitably some friction. Then, Colin awkwardly discovered that the blood in his entire body was actually converging toward a certain part. It seemed that vampires also had that male urge. When he was free, he had to write it down. Fortunately, Colin could now freely control the flow of his own blood, so he took the initiative to disperse the blood in a certain part of his body again to avoid causing embarrassment. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± In order to distract his attention, Colin asked. The female mage hesitated for a moment, but still answered, ¡°Vera.¡± She did not say her surname. Colin raised his eyebrows. ¡°Flower of Truth?¡± ¡°You know Elvish?¡± Vera sounded surprised. ¡°Of course. It¡¯s a necessary skill for a noble,¡± Colin said. In fact, the butler, Eamon, was trying to improve the pedigree of the Angele family. He was trying to force some cultural knowledge into Colin¡¯s mind. However, Colin only learned a little bit, and he was just a half-baked wizard. ¡°Ainu coimas cuivie, Laurelin Leuca Miule.¡± Another string of Elvish words came out of Vera¡¯s mouth. Elves were the first race to learn how to use arcane energy. Many spells had to be changed in the Elvish language, so this was the language that wizards had to learn. ¡°Huh?¡± Colin was confused. ¡°Hehe¡­¡± Vera was in a good mood after catching Colin¡¯s embarrassment. ¡°Arrogant woman!¡± ¡°What?¡± Vera¡¯s slender eyebrows suddenly furrowed. ¡°Which language did you just speak?¡± ¡°Guess.¡± Colin smiled proudly. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t tell her that he just spoke Chinese. ¡°It¡¯s a bit like Kunya,¡± Vera guessed, but then she shook her head. ¡°That¡¯s impossible.¡± Kunya was the special language of the High Elves, but it had long disappeared from the world like the High Elves. The current elf race and naga race were actually the descendants of the former High Elves. Therefore, whether it was to follow the footsteps of their ancestors or to explore the ancient arcane books that no one understood, Kunya had always been the focus of the research of these two races and mages. Unfortunately, the research results of thousands of years had only pieced together the pronunciation of dozens of words. Therefore, Vera felt that Colin, who could not even speak Elvish fluently, had no chance of speaking Kunya. Although, his pronunciation just now was actually very close to being correct. ¡°What language is Kunya?¡± It was the first time that Colin had heard this noun. Vera thought to herself, as expected. ¡°It used to be the language of the High Elves, but it has long been lost.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Colin replied casually, and then asked curiously, ¡°How did the High Elves disappear? Did your Mage Council find anything in their research?¡± ¡°No.¡± Vera shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s too long ago, and the only ancient book that could possibly record what happened back then was written in Kunya¡­¡± Colin rolled his eyes, seriously doubting the ability of these mages to decipher the language. ¡°But¡­¡± Vera wanted to say something but stopped herself. ¡°But what?¡± ¡°But, the Mage Council has some guesses.¡± ¡°Tell me about it.¡± ¡°The dragons and High Elves disappeared about five thousand years ago, and the God of Light, the God of War, the Goddess of Fate, the God of Storm¡­ and other gods all began to spread their faith in the world at about the same time. ¡°So, there might be a connection between the two¡­¡± ¡°You dare to make assumptions about the God of Light!¡± Colin interrupted brazenly. He had to do this. Although he felt that Vera¡¯s guess was reasonable and that he did not have much respect for the so-called gods, as a knight, he had to stand his ground. This was his ¡°persona¡±. Otherwise, he would be ostracized by the entire noble class. Vera obviously felt that she was a bit stupid to discuss such a problem with a fanatical knight. She sighed as if she had lost interest in talking. Colin also stopped talking, pretending to be offended. As time passed, Colin found that the body in his arms was gradually warming up. Obviously, the female wizard was gradually recovering from the loss of control of her arcane energy. However, in this way, the physical friction between the two became more flirtatious. Colin had to work harder to control his blood so it would not flow to an inappropriate place. Even so, wisps of a faint rose fragrance continued to enter his nose, stirring his restless heart. Finally, when the sky gradually darkened and the team stopped to rest, Colin felt relieved and left the horse. At the same time, he felt a little reluctant to leave. ¡°Thank you for today, Knight Colin.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome.¡± Colin bowed, and just after walking a few steps, he turned back and asked, ¡°By the way, what did you mean by that Elvish language you spoke today?¡± Vera hesitated for a moment. ¡°I believe in truth, not lies.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Colin nodded with a smile and turned to leave. Vera lied. Colin just happened to know the last word of the elvish word. Though, Colin didn¡¯t expose Vera because he knew that she lied to protect his feelings. The last Elvish word did not mean a lie, rather, god. So, Vera¡¯s Elvish words should really mean Believe in the truth, not god. Chapter 17 [ The blood of a troll warrior can not increase one¡¯s strength. ] Under the weak morning light, Colin recorded on the sheepskin scroll. That¡¯s right, he had drank all the blood of the troll warrior that he had secretly hidden last night, but he did not see any strange reactions from his body. Could it be that it had to be the blood of a knight? Colin was a little depressed, his gaze wandering around the camp. Knight Raymond was sitting not far from Colin, sipping water. This was not possible. After all, he was his loyal servant. Knight Bliss was urging everyone to pack up quickly and get ready to leave. This was not possible either. They could not win. Perhaps, they could go to the Mirror Lake battlefield to take a look. However, that battle had already been over for so long. Even if the corpses had not been eaten by the wild beasts, they would have already become mummies. A familiar fragrance came and interrupted Colin¡¯s wild thoughts. ¡°Good morning, Knight Colin.¡± ¡°Good morning, Miss Vera.¡± Colin looked at the female mage who was standing in front of him, and a smile involuntarily appeared on his face. ¡°You look much better today. How do you feel? Do you need any help?¡± ¡°No need, I should be able to do it by myself today.¡± ¡°Okay, if you need anything, just let me know.¡± During the conversation, Colin¡¯s gaze gradually shifted to Vera¡¯s fair and slender neck. He suddenly thought, he wondered if the blood of a mage would work¡­ Vera also noticed that Colin was staring at her neck. She was suddenly a little embarrassed and angry. She glared at him fiercely and said coquettishly, ¡°Let¡¯s go quickly, Knight Bliss is already urging us.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Colin mounted the warhorse and moved to Vera¡¯s side, walking side by side with her. Intimate physical contact was the best way to close the relationship between a man and a woman. Colin obviously knew this. After riding together with her yesterday, he was sure that he had already occupied a place in Vera¡¯s heart. This was probably something that even she did not realize. Vera was indeed not angry. She began to chat and laugh with Colin again. The group continued to head north. The road was indeed much more peaceful. They did not encounter the troll army again. There were only a few blind bandits and some reckless beasts, but they were all easily taken care of by Knight Bliss. It seemed that Colin¡¯s plan was indeed effective. They had temporarily shaken off the pursuers behind them. To preserve the horsepower, the team gradually slowed down. Colin also took the opportunity to quickly become familiar with Vera. However, he still did not find out the true identity of the other party. He only knew that she had just returned to the Northern Territory from Javier. When she passed by the Mirror Lake, she happened to meet a mercenary group that had received an urgent recruitment order from Marquis Charles, so she followed them to the Mirror Lake camp. Yewll, also known as the Arcane City, was located at the border between the eastern border of the Radiant Empire and the Radiant Moon Forest. It was once the territory of the elves, but since they retreated into the Radiant Moon Forest, it had been occupied by the mages. In name, Yewll belonged to the Radiant Empire, but the highest authority in the city was the Mage Council. Whether it was the duke of the eastern border or the emperor, they did not have much actual control over Arcane City. Through the conversation, Vera learned that she had gone to Yewll to learn arcane spells when she was very young and had not returned to the northern region for more than ten years. She was even less familiar with this place than Colin, who had received the memory of his predecessor. Moreover, from Vera¡¯s willingness to help the Mirror Lake camp when she saw the urgent recruitment order from Marquis Charles, it could be seen that she was very close to the Saint Hilde family. There were indeed some nobles who liked to find a mage to accompany them when they were in battle. After all, although a mage could not fight one-on-one, they were very useful on the battlefield. However, considering the conflict between the nobles and the mages, most of the arrogant mages would not pay attention to the nobles. And even if a few mages were willing to accept the employment of the nobles, they would usually offer a very high price. It was unheard of for someone like Vera to take the initiative to come to help when she saw the recruitment order. In the evening, the team once again set up camp to rest and reorganize. However, not long after, the sentries who had spread out to scout the situation hurriedly returned to report: ¡°Lord Bliss, there are traces of a small group of humans in front. They are suspected to be the defeated soldiers who escaped from the battlefield of Mirror Lake!¡± ¡°Defeated soldiers? Bring them here.¡± Hearing that there were defeated soldiers who escaped from the battlefield of Mirror Lake in front, Colin and Vera quickly followed. Now they urgently needed to know what the situation on the battlefield of Mirror Lake was like, and whether Marquis Charles¡¯ plan had succeeded or not. When this team of suspected defeated soldiers was brought to the camp, Colin found that there was an old acquaintance among them! ¡°Respected Sir Knight, do you still remember me? I am Sal of the Firefox mercenary group. It was you who personally gave me the emergency recruitment order of the marquis!¡± Bliss looked at Sal, who was in a sorry state, and immediately recalled who this person was. There was nothing he could do. After all, this ¡°filial son¡± had killed his father and joined the army. It was far too much. ¡°How¡¯s the situation in the Mirror Lake Camp?¡± ¡°Terrible! It¡¯s too terrible!¡± Sal immediately burst into tears, ¡°There are so many trolls all over the mountains and plains. They kill everyone they see. We can¡¯t beat them at all! So many brothers died¡­ Wu¡­ if I didn¡¯t jump into the lake at the right time, I might not have escaped death¡­¡± ¡°Did you see the army led by the marquis?¡± questioned. ¡°Marquis Charles?¡± Sal thought for a moment, ¡°Yes, yes, we did see a golden lion flag appear behind the troll army, but¡­¡± ¡°But what? Don¡¯t stutter!¡± Bliss berated impatiently. ¡°Yes, yes!¡± Sal did not dare to hesitate anymore and could only tell them directly, ¡°But the army led by the marquis seems to have¡­ also retreated¡­¡± Everyone immediately fell silent. Retreated? This was Sal sugarcoating. The real situation was that they fled in defeat. This bad news made everyone a little confused for a moment. They did not expect that they would have to face an even more terrifying troll army just after getting rid of the pursuers behind them. Just as everyone was still digesting this bad news, bliss suddenly asked, ¡°Are there any pursuers behind you?¡± Sal quickly replied, ¡°No. In the first few days, there was indeed a small army of trolls chasing us, but they gradually disappeared. Perhaps they didn¡¯t think we were important.¡± Bliss was finally relieved. He turned to look at Vera. ¡°Miss, what should we do next?¡± Vera was a little hesitant, and then she unconsciously turned her gaze to Colin. She had successfully helped them escape from the pursuers, and Colin had gradually become the person she relied on. Colin glanced at the group of miserable soldiers, he lowered his voice and said, ¡°We still need to find out the movements of the troll army so that we can make further plans. But now, the first thing we need to do is to get rid of these soldiers!¡± ¡°Why? They are also humans!¡± Vera exclaimed. Colin rolled his eyes and patiently explained in a low voice, ¡°The reason we were able to get rid of the pursuers before was that we are all cavalrymen and our mobility is extremely high. If we don¡¯t get rid of these two-legged defeated soldiers now¡­¡± ¡°Sir Knight! In the battle of Mirror Lake, our Firefox mercenary group was almost wiped out, but I am still willing to follow Sir and avenge our dead brothers!¡± Sal seemed to have realized something and immediately shouted loudly. Moreover, under his agitation, many of the defeated soldiers also began to shout: ¡°That¡¯s right! Avenge our brothers!¡± ¡°Sir, please lead us back to fight!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t abandon us!¡± ¡°Revenge! Revenge!¡± Seeing that many cavalrymen were also incited, Colin could only shut up and then looked at Vera with a serious gaze, hoping that she could make the right decision. However, Vera said to Colin with a righteous face, ¡°They are also companions. I will not abandon them!¡± Then, she turned around to comfort the agitated soldiers. Colin sighed helplessly and looked at the filial son with a frown. Sal just happened to look over. As soon as their eyes met, they immediately separated. Chapter 18 Colin felt that he was not exactly the Virgin Mary, thus he did not expect to meet someone that pure. However, although Vera was very powerful, she was still young. Most of her time was spent in the Viel Tower studying Arcana, so she had not experienced the cruelty of the world. It was not surprising Vera had a certain degree of naivete and purity to her. However, what made Colin feel helpless was that Knight Bliss knew very well that he should abandon these defeated soldiers. However, no matter how much Colin tried to persuade him, this knight of the Saint Hilde family was determined not to defy Vera¡¯s will. This made Colin angry and also a little confused. What was Vera¡¯s identity? In Colin¡¯s eyes, Bliss¡¯ strength was probably already that of a fourth-tier knight. A knight of this caliber could definitely be considered a core force even in the Saint Hilde family. His standing was definitely not low. Then why did he have to obey this female mage so obediently, even risking his own life for this? If he did not know that the Duke of Saint Hilde only had three sons and no daughter, Colin would have suspected that Vera was the duke¡¯s daughter. Although he was disappointed with the future of this team, Colin was not too panicked. After all, even if he was surrounded by the wolf cavalry, he could still pretend to be dead and escape. Presumably, there was no one in this world who could play dead better than him. Colin was very confident about this. As for the others, they could only hope for their own good luck. There was nothing he could do. In the next two days, everything was still peaceful. There were no trolls chasing after them, and they did not even encounter any blind bandits. On the contrary, they encountered a few waves of defeated soldiers that escaped from the Mirror Lake battlefield. Of course, the gracious Vera accepted them without hesitation. This time, the cavalry team, which originally had less than a hundred people, rapidly expanded to the size of more than a thousand people. Although the number of people increased, those who had some military knowledge knew that their combat strength actually didn¡¯t increase much. It was not good to have more people when marching to war, especially when carrying out a ¡°strategic shift.¡±. Obviously, Vera was a person who did not have much military common sense. Though now, under Sal¡¯s cajoling and flattery, after seeing the expansion of the number of people in the team, she became more and more confident. She even had the absurd idea to continue to gather the defeated soldiers and fight the trolls to the death. However, other than these bad things, there was also good news. The recently received wave of defeated soldiers told them that after the main troll army defeated Marquis Charles, they took the opportunity to continue north. Therefore, it was actually safe near Mirror Lake now. This news made everyone jump with joy and excitement. In this way, the escaping team only had to face the wolf cavalry unit that was chasing them previously. Although the wolf cavalry unit had misjudged the direction in which they had broken out of the encirclement, they should have already reacted after so many days. According to Colin¡¯s thinking, the wisest thing to do now was to abandon the fleeing team and continue to head north before the wolf cavalry unit caught up to them, searching for and hiding in the nearest human town. Instead of continuing to care for the fleeing team like this, which would slow down the speed of the army and eventually lead to the wolf cavalry unit catching up to them again. The development of the situation was indeed as Colin had expected. After another two days, traces of the troll sentinel cavalry were finally found just behind the escaping team. ¡°Young Master Colin, I¡¯m afraid that the wolf cavalry from before is about to catch up. Why don¡¯t we split off from the team and escape on our own!¡± Knight Raymond had obviously realized that the situation was not good, and quietly suggested. Colin, on the other hand, was no longer flustered. He even wanted to see the fate of these people who thought they were smart and did not listen to his advice. Perhaps, there was still a chance to obtain the blood of Knight Bliss and the mage. Colin did not feel much guilt about this.He did not directly kill these two people for the sake of the blood. On the contrary, he had already warned them, but these people insisted on seeking their own death, so he could only adhere to the principle of not wasting it and making use of them. However¡­ Colin glanced at Raymond who was beside him. He did not want this loyal knight to die here. ¡°Run yourself, I still want¡­¡± ¡°Young master! If you don¡¯t leave, I won¡¯t leave either!¡± Obviously, Raymond had misunderstood Colin¡¯s meaning. However, Colin could not explain. He could not tell the other party that he was very good at playing dead, so there was no need to worry, right? Just as Colin was thinking about how to trick the stubborn Raymond away, a soldier ran over to deliver a message. ¡°Lord Colin, Lord Bliss invites you over.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Colin had to temporarily calm himself down and follow the soldier to a tent in the middle of the camp. In the tent, other than Vera and Bliss, the filial son Sal was also there. In a matter of days, with his excellent eloquence, clever mind, and flattery, Sal had quickly become Vera¡¯s lackey. Colin could not help but admire his underhanded methods. But at the same time, he also felt a wave of disgust towards this annoying guy. ¡°Knight Colin, you¡¯re here.¡± Vera smiled and nodded at Colin as if there was no estrangement because of the dispute about taking in the defeated soldiers. Bliss nodded indifferently. Sal bowed and smiled warmly. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see you again, my dear Kahn¡­¡± A piercing snap could be heard. Colin swung his whip at Sal and interrupted the son¡¯s words. ¡°Knight Colin, what are you doing?¡± Vera was shocked by the sudden change and questioned. Colin sneered and pointed at Sal, who was lying on the ground. ¡°Mercenary boy, remember my name, Colin Angele!¡± Sal was stunned by Colin¡¯s whip. He still did not understand why ¡®Kahn Surdo¡¯ turned into ¡®Colin Angele¡¯. However, the burning pain in his body told him what to do. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Master Colin. I was wrong.¡± As a commoner, Sal could not question a noble, even if the noble had lied to him. ¡°Hmph! I¡¯ll punish you for misnaming Knight Colin!¡± Vera thought she understood the reason and did not blame Colin anymore. She even thought that the punishment was a bit too light. In this world where the hierarchy was strict, it was not an exaggeration for a commoner to be hanged for calling the name of a noble wrongly in front of others. Colin looked angry on the surface, but he was secretly laughing in his heart. He had long been unhappy with this filial son of his, so he could use the opportunity to take revenge. Of course, he could also prevent the other party from saying that he had previously used a pseudonym. ¡°Alright, Knight Colin. This time, we have called you here to discuss with you the direction of the future. I¡¯m sure you also know that the wolf cavalry behind us has caught up again.¡± Faced with Vera¡¯s inquiry, Colin did not immediately answer. Instead, he ordered Sal, who was still kneeling on the ground, ¡°You go out first!¡± Sal secretly clenched his fists, but he did not dare to refute Colin. He could only look at Vera with a pleading gaze. Clearly, he had overestimated his position in Vera¡¯s heart. ¡°Sal, you can leave first.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Sal had no choice but to get up and leave. Though at the same time, he buried his head deeply, not wanting the uncontrollable anger in his eyes to be discovered. Chapter 19 ¡°Why are you targeting a small mercenary like this?¡± After Sal left, Vera asked in a mischievous tone. Obviously, Vera also saw Colin¡¯s hostility toward Sal, but she thought that they were fighting over her. Thinking of this, her small face covered by the black veil was a little red, but she couldn¡¯t help but feel a hint of joy in her heart. Women always liked to see men fighting for themselves, even if they did not like any of those men. ¡°A person who dared to kill his own father is not worthy of my respect,¡± Colin said righteously and revealed Sal¡¯s background without any hesitation. ¡°What?¡± Vera was very surprised. ¡°Indeed, Sal is a poisonous snake. You need to be careful,¡± Bliss chimed in from the side. This knight obviously looked down on this filial son who killed his father. ¡°I got it.¡± Vera nodded and blacklisted this clever little mercenary. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get back to the main topic.¡± Vera began to introduce the specific situation that the sentinel cavalry had found out about. At this time, there were two wolf cavalry units that could be confirmed to have caught up with them. Each unit had about seven or eight hundred people. The total number was equal to the current number of people on their side. However, the other party was the most elite wolf cavalries in the regular army of the trolls. On their side, except for the less than one hundred cavalries that were considered elite, the rest were all defeated soldiers who had escaped from the Mirror Lake camp. Moreover, these defeated soldiers were mercenaries and civilians who had been summoned by the emergency conscription order. They were completely a motley crew. Under such circumstances, even Vera, who did not have any military common sense, began to panic. She hurriedly found Colin to discuss countermeasures. Colin sighed and made one last effort. ¡°It¡¯s still not too late to abandon those defeated soldiers now. We can take the cavalry and leave.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t there a better way?¡± Vera was still unwilling to give up. In Colin¡¯s opinion, this female mage¡¯s kindness was somewhat misplaced. He could only persuade her again: ¡°I know you don¡¯t want to abandon them, but even if we stay, we won¡¯t be able to save them. We¡¯ll only lose our lives.¡± Vera did not speak, but her eyes were still stubborn. Colin could only turn to look at Bliss, hoping that this battle-seasoned knight would be a little more rational. However, Bliss¡¯s eyes were filled with determination. ¡°I was the one who dragged these people into this battlefield, and I¡¯ve already abandoned them once. I don¡¯t want to abandon them a second time.¡± Only then did Colin realize that Bliss had not agreed to accept the defeated soldiers because of Vera¡¯s orders. Instead, it was because he felt guilty. Although in Colin¡¯s opinion, he was merely acting under the orders of the marquis. It was not his fault. Looking at the determined-looking Knight Bliss, Colin sighed in his heart. He was very clear that once a person with a firm will like Bliss made up his mind, it would be very difficult for him to be convinced by others. However, Knight Bliss also knew very well that this time, it was really a disaster. Therefore, he looked straight into Colin¡¯s eyes and earnestly requested, ¡°Knight Colin, I hope that you can take Miss Vera and leave first¡­¡± ¡°No! I¡¯m not leaving!¡± Vera immediately refused. ¡°Miss Vera¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not leaving! These are my people, I have the responsibility to protect them!¡± The atmosphere suddenly became emotional¡­ Colin only felt a headache, as if he was watching a melodramatic TV series. However, Vera¡¯s desperate words of ¡°my people¡± startled him. Because those who had the right to say such words must be members of the St. Hilde family, and they had to be direct descendants. But the Duke of St. Hilde did not have a daughter. Could she be an illegitimate daughter? That was not right. Colin thought again. Although the noble laws of this world were very similar to Earth¡¯s medieval times, there were still differences. In this world, illegitimate children, especially daughters, absolutely had no right to inheritance. The nobles here were particularly stubborn about the purity of their bloodline. Even if all the direct descendants died, the nobles would rather choose an heir from the collateral line of the family than pass the title to an illegitimate child. Therefore, even if Vera was really the illegitimate daughter of the Duke of the Northern Territory, she was not qualified to say such words as ¡°my people¡±. Just as Colin was questioning Vera¡¯s true identity, the argument between the two opposite parties had also subsided. Unsurprisingly, Bliss failed to persuade Vera to leave first. Although she could be slightly naive and dull, this female mage had indeed shown admirable courage. The tent fell into silence. After a long while, Bliss suddenly spoke: ¡°Knight Colin, you should leave this place. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard from Knight Raymond that your father, Baron Angele, died in the battle. You need to go back and inherit the title.¡± Colin raised his head and looked at Bliss¡¯s expressionless face. He asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you send the news back to Graycastle?¡± Bliss hesitated for a moment but still told the truth. ¡°Since the end of last year, the marquis has ordered that all news from the front line be blocked.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Bliss did not reply, butColin could guess the answer. It was because from then on, the situation at the front line had taken a sharp turn for the worse. Whether it was to save face or to prevent the people at the rear from wavering, Marquis Charles had a motive to block the news. However, he might not know that such a move had indirectly killed Colin¡¯s predecessor. Charles St. Hilde. Colin had already secretly put this name on the blacklist. ¡°Knight Colin, you¡¯d better return to Graycastle first. They need you there¡­¡± It was obviously the first time Vera had heard this news. She immediately felt sympathy for Colin and wanted to persuade him to leave first. However, Colin put on an impassioned attitude and righteously refused: ¡°I won¡¯t leave either! Whether it¡¯s to avenge my father or to protect the glory of the human race, I must stay and fight to the death with the trolls!¡± Of course, Colin would not leave at this time. However, it was not because of those noble reasons, but because he did not want to waste the blood of a high-ranking knight and mage. ¡°Colin¡­¡± Vera¡¯s beautiful big eyes were shining, ¡°You¡¯re a real knight!¡± Even Bliss was moved as if he suddenly looked at Colin in a new light. The three of them looked at each other for a long time, and the tent was filled with the atmosphere of a generous death. Unfortunately, Vera and Bliss did not know that Colin was already considering which posture he should use to pretend to be dead. When the three of them gradually calmed down, they finally began to discuss countermeasures. Since they had already clearly defined the principle of not giving up, with so many burdens, it was certain that they would be caught up by the wolf cavalry. A battle was inevitable. Bliss first began to explain his battle plan, where to meet the enemy, how to build a simple defense, how to coordinate the cavalry with the infantrymen, and so on. Vera listened very attentively. As for how much this female mage who lacked military common sense actually understood, only God knew. Colin listened absent-mindedly as he was thinking about something else. ¡°Knight Colin, Knight Colin?¡± ¡°What?¡± Colin came back to his senses and saw that the two people opposite him were staring at him. ¡°Do you have any objections to this battle plan?¡± Colin did not answer this question. Instead, he deliberated and said, ¡°Sorry, I was distracted just now. I thought that perhaps, we might be able to avoid this battle.¡± ¡°Really? How?¡± Vera asked hopefully. She did not want to be a martyr unless it was absolutely necessary. Moreover, the successful breakthrough before had given her confidence. It made her feel that Colin might be able to create another miracle. Colin calmly drew a simple map on the ground with his horsewhip, and then gently tapped on a bend in the river: ¡°We¡¯ll hide here!¡± Chapter 20 - 020 Suspected Soldier 1 Chapter 20 020 Suspected Soldier 1 As soon as dawn broke, everyone started to pack up and get ready to set off. As the traces of the wolf cavalry got closer and closer, anxiety began to spread among the fleeing troops. Sal wrapped up the remaining half of the hare that he had eaten yesterday and stuffed it into his arms. He did not pay attention to his companions who were constantly muttering beside him. Instead, he looked around the camp, looking for that beautiful figure. Soon, Sal locked onto his target. Though unfortunately, there was another man standing next to that figure. Sal touched his left cheek. The whip mark on it was still faintly aching. His companion, Bam, looked at Sal who was in a trance and could not help but laugh. ¡°Okay, Sal, stop looking. That noble lady is not someone a civilian mercenary like you can climb up to.¡± ¡°Who said that mercenaries can¡¯t like noble ladies?¡± Sal retorted impatiently. ¡°Haha, do you really understand the difference in status between commoners and nobles? Silly boy!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t call me silly boy again!¡± Sal turned his head and stared at Bam fiercely. ¡°Okay, okay.¡± Bam was so scared that his head shrank, and he quickly begged for mercy. Only then did Sal let go of the other party. His gaze followed the figure again, and he said in a deep tone, ¡°Bam, do you know Earl Oman?¡± ¡°Of course I do. He¡¯s the lord of Fallen Eagle City.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Do you know how Earl Oman got his title?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t his father pass it to him?¡± ¡°Yes. Then, do you know how his father got his title?¡± ¡°His grandfather passed it to him.¡± Bam felt that this question was a little silly. ¡°No.¡± Sal shook his head slowly. ¡°His grandmother passed it to his father.¡± ¡°So?¡± Bam scratched his bird-nest-like hair, his face full of confusion. ¡°Why was it passed down by his grandmother and not his grandfather?¡± Sal¡¯s eyes flashed with a strange light. ¡°Because Earl Oman¡¯s grandfather was actually a civilian mercenary!¡± ¡°How is that possible?¡± Bam exclaimed. ¡°But that¡¯s the truth. Earl Oman¡¯s grandfather married the daughter of the former lord of Fallen Eagle City as a mercenary. Later, the son of the lord of Fallen Eagle City died tragically, and his title was passed on to Earl Oman¡¯s grandmother, then it was passed on to the Earl¡¯s father, the mercenary¡¯s son!¡± Bam¡¯s mouth was wide open as if he was listening to a fairy tale. Sal¡¯s eyes flashed with a strange light. It was something called ambition. He moved closer to Bam and lowered his voice, as though he was making a vow, ¡°Thus, the son of a mercenary can also become a noble!¡± After saying that, Sal strode toward that figure. Bam stared blankly at his companion¡¯s back, his emotions complicated. However, what Sal did not tell Bam was that the mercenary who had married the daughter of the count was a tier 6 warrior. This was also the guild leader of the Northern Mercenary Union. Back then, he was known as the ¡°Number one person under the Saint Domain¡±. ¡°Lady Vera, good morning! Knight Colin, good morning! Please allow me to lead your horse for you, as an apology for offending you yesterday.¡± Colin looked at this submissive mercenary in front of him and felt a wave of annoyance. He waved his hand, as though he was shooing away a fly, ¡°No need.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want to accept my apology?¡± Sal immediately put on an aggrieved look and deliberately showed his left face. The whip mark on his face was still dripping with blood. ¡°Colin, a real knight should know how to forgive.¡± Vera seemed to have been deceived by the mercenary¡¯s pitiful appearance and actually spoke up to help him. Sal was happy, but at the same time, he felt pain. He was happy that Miss Vera would open her mouth to help him out. The pain was that she actually called Colin by his name, without adding the suffix ¡°Knight¡±! This was an extremely intimate way of addressing him. It was too unreserved! ¡°No, I think it¡¯s too much of a waste to let the leader of the Firefox mercenary group lead my horse. In fact, I happen to have a more important task to hand over to leader Sal.¡± ¡°You think too highly of me¡­¡± Sal instinctively sensed that something was wrong. ¡°What, you¡¯re not willing to help me with this?¡± Colin would not give the other party the chance to refuse. ¡°I¡­ Of course I¡¯m willing. It¡¯s my honor.¡± Sal could only force himself to agree, but in his heart, he was already beginning to regret it. ¡°Very good!¡± Colin grinned, revealing his sharp canine teeth. ¡°In order to shake off the pursuers behind us, we need to mislead the other party, so that they won¡¯t be able to figure out our true movements. ¡°So, in a while, please lead fifty people, pick the young and strong ones who are fast and head north quickly. After about twenty to thirty kilometers, you will reach the bank of the rushing river. ¡°At this time, you must deliberately leave some traces of crossing the river north, but in reality, you don¡¯t really need to cross the river. Instead, you quietly follow the rushing river all the way to the east. After about ten kilometers, you will be able to meet up with us. ¡°Of course, when you follow the river, you have to eliminate the traces of the march. You can not attract the enemy! ¡°Do you understand?¡± Sal was sweating profusely when he heard this. He felt that Colin was using his public image to seek personal revenge. He found an excuse to get rid of him. ¡°You, you are asking me to be the bait?¡± ¡°No, not the bait, it¡¯s the suspicious soldiers!¡± Colin said seriously. ¡°Moreover, we will also cooperate with your actions. As long as you strictly follow my instructions, there will be no danger.¡± ¡°How?¡± Sal was still worried. Colin immediately frowned. If this was in the regular army, if Sal dared to ask such a question, the commander-in-chief could directly chop his head off. This was because the commander-in-chief had no obligation to explain his overall strategy to every general under him. After every general received the military order, they only needed to act according to the military order¡¯s requirements. They did not have to ask questions, hesitate, and pick and choose. Even if the commander-in-chief really assigned you a mission to die, you could only carry it out. Military orders were like mountains. Even if they really wanted to crush you to death, you could not hide! Unconditional obedience was the first priority of a soldier. Though obviously, a mercenary like Sal could not have the qualities of a real soldier. Colin was very helpless and could only explain patiently: ¡°Our cavalry will all spread out and search for the sentries of the wolf cavalry behind us. We guarantee that the other party will not be able to see through our specific movements within a day or two. So, as long as you hurry up, you will not be caught.¡± Sal thought for a moment and asked, ¡°So, your plan is for me to lead a small group of troops to deliberately create the illusion of crossing the river to confuse the enemy, while the large group will find a place to hide?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Then how do you know the enemy will fall for it? No matter how carefully we clean up the traces of the march, as long as they investigate carefully, they will always find clues.¡± ¡°Because we will hide in a place that the enemy will never think of.¡± ¡°Where?¡± Colin gradually became impatient. ¡°Mr. Sal, have you been to the Riverrun area before?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then you won¡¯t understand.¡± Colin squeezed the horse¡¯s belly gently and moved forward slowly: ¡°Do as I say. After arriving at the south bank of the Riverrun, make some illusion of crossing the river and then go east along the current. You will come to the hiding place I mentioned and meet up with the large group. At that time, you will understand.¡± ¡°Knight Colin¡­¡± Sal chased a few steps and wanted to ask again. ¡°Mr. Sal, I believe that you¡¯ll definitely be able to complete this mission, right?¡± Vera said gently. Sal immediately held his head high and puffed out his chest. He patted his chest and said loudly, ¡°Of course! I¡¯ll definitely not let you down!¡± Unfortunately, this little mercenary who was lost in Vera¡¯s charm did not notice that Colin, who was a few steps ahead sported a mocking sneer. Chapter 21 - 021 Desperation 1 Chapter 21 021 Desperation 1 Under the brilliant glow of the sunset, a group of people were following the south bank of the rushing river, heading east. They walked very carefully, cleaning up the traces behind them as they walked. ¡°Sal, do you think this will fool the trolls?¡± Bam panted heavily, knocking on his sore back as he asked softly. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Sal looked impatient and disdainful. ¡°You have to ask Knight Colin about this.¡± Of course, Bam did not dare to go. He was not as bold as Sal. Whenever he met a noble, he was like a lowly civilian, never able to straighten his back. ¡°Move faster, don¡¯t be lazy!¡± Sal urged everyone. The western end of the rushing river was connected to Mirror Lake. The river was not wide, and the water flow was very fast, hence the name. However, Sal was a good swimmer. He looked at the rushing river in front of him and felt that it should not be a problem for him to cross it. Hence, a hint of viciousness suddenly flashed in the eyes of this ambitious young mercenary. When the moon was in the middle, Sal led his team and finally met up with the main force. He secretly heaved a sigh of relief. It seemed that Colin did not lie to him. He was not an abandoned child. However, Sal did not feel grateful toward Colin because of this. Instead, he looked at the knight who was standing on the shore and talking and laughing with Vera. His heart was filled with even more resentment. In his opinion, since Colin did not arrange such a mission to frame him, it must be to divert him away from Vera. What a despicable knight! ¡°Miss Vera, Knight Colin, I have completed the mission as you said.¡± ¡°Well done.¡± Colin gave Sal a playful look. Then, he pointed at the rushing river in front of him and asked, ¡°Do you know why the current of this rushing river is so fast?¡± Sal looked at the rushing river under the moonlight and suddenly realized that the current here was indeed faster and faster than what he had seen upstream! ¡°Why?¡± A sense of unease began to rise in Sal¡¯s heart. Following the shape of the rushing river, Colin drew a shape in the air, ¡°The rushing river made a big turn here. The silt accumulated and the river channel became narrower. Of course, the speed of the current became faster.¡± Colin pointed downstream and continued, ¡°Moreover, after this sharp turn, there is a waterfall downstream.¡± ¡°A waterfall?¡± Sal cried out; his tone already somewhat distorted. ¡°Yes, a waterfall.¡± Colin¡¯s smile was somewhat unfathomable. ¡°The drop is about seven or eighty meters. It¡¯s not too high, but it¡¯s enough to fall to death.¡± Sal¡¯s heart sank. ¡°So, we can¡¯t cross the river from this section of the river, right?¡± Vera suddenly felt that she finally understood Colin¡¯s intention, so she continued excitedly, ¡°In addition, the river here is like a pocket, wrapping us all up. There¡¯s only one way in and out of the south, it¡¯s a hopeless situation! ¡°The trolls would never expect us to hide in such a place, just like they didn¡¯t expect us to break out of the encirclement to the north last time!¡± ¡°Smart!¡± Colin praised with a smile, ¡°The most dangerous place is the safest place.¡± Vera¡¯s big eyes curved into crescent moons. After being exaggerated by Colin, she seemed to feel that her military ability had been greatly improved. ¡®n ¡°But¡­ but what if the trolls didn¡¯t fall for it¡­¡± Sal¡¯s voice was a little shaky. ¡°The possibility is extremely low!¡± Colin looked at Sal with a profound look, ¡°When they discover the traces of you crossing the river upstream, they will think that that is the direction we are fleeing in, and all the traces that point to this river bend will be suspected of being a trap.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Vera began to teach the little mercenary patiently, ¡°The trolls will think that we are so stupid to hide in a dead land. So, once they cross the river in the wrong direction to chase us, we can safely walk out of the river bend and turn south!¡± Vera was very excited. She felt that she had finally grasped the essence of war. Then, she looked at Colin with an expectant face, seeking the ¡°teacher¡¯s¡± approval. Colin held back his laughter and earnestly nodded his head to express his approval. Meanwhile, Sal¡¯s face was already pale. Fortunately, it was late at night, so no one noticed this. Except for Colin. ¡°Mr. Sal, when you came from upstream, you all did as I said and cleaned up the traces, right?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Sal said loudly. His slightly exaggerated performance was a little overt in the eyes of those who were concerned. Colin seemed to believe him. ¡°That¡¯s good. As long as we don¡¯t leave too obvious clues, we should be able to fool the trolls.¡± That night, Sal tossed and turned, unable to sleep at all. He wanted to escape under the cover of the night several times, but he was worried that he would bump into the approaching trolls. Then, he would curse Colin from time to time, blaming him for coming up with such a stupid countermeasure. After a while, he started to regret it. He regretted that he should not have acted so cleverly when he first went down the river. Of course, most of the time, he was thinking about Vera¡¯s graceful figure and fantasizing that he could convince her to use some magic on him. Perhaps to transport him to another land, free from war and death, where he would live a blissful life. ¡°Sal, Sal!¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Sal opened his eyes in a daze. The version of Miss Vera in his fantasy vanished into thin air, leaving only the big black ugly face of Bam in front of him. ¡°It¡¯s over, it¡¯s all over! The trolls have found us, they¡¯re turning around and coming this way!¡± Sal felt a chill all over his body, and the last trace of luck in his heart disappeared without a trace. At this moment, in the tent in the center of the camp, Vera, Bliss, and Colin were sitting opposite each other. ¡°Now, what should we do?¡± Vera suppressed her trembling voice. The female mage who had just felt that she had mastered the essence of war was instantly struck back to her original state by this blow in reality. Colin, on the other hand, was not flustered at all. ¡°What exactly did the sentinel cavalry find out?¡± Bliss was still calm. ¡°Two wolf cavalry units. One is crossing the river north upstream, and the other is coming toward us along the river bank.¡± ¡°It seems that the enemy is not sure if we are hiding here.¡± Colin smiled and asked, ¡°How many wolf cavalry units are coming toward us?¡± ¡°About seven or eight hundred.¡± ¡°Then what are we waiting for?¡± Colin spread out his hand, ¡°Then let¡¯s fight!¡± ¡°But¡­ But¡­¡± Vera¡¯s eyes were full of fear. Although there were more people on her side, even Vera knew that in terms of combat strength, they were definitely not as good as the wolf cavalry that was chasing after them. Although Vera had planned to die generously when she decided not to abandon the defeated soldiers. However, Colin¡¯s plan gave her hope. If one had some understanding of psychology, they would know that if a certain factor temporarily stopped a person who was determined to commit suicide, it would be difficult for them to return to a suicidal state of mind even if the hindrance disappeared.[1] This was Vera¡¯s current state of mind. She hesitated and was afraid. Meanwhile, a veteran like Knight Bliss, who had been in battle for a long time, was in a much better state of mind. He still had that cold expression, as if nothing in this world could move him. Suddenly, he opened his mouth and asked, ¡°Knight Colin, did you anticipate this situation from the beginning?¡± [1] This might not be scientifically accurate. Chapter 22 - 022 Last Stand 1 Chapter 22 022 Last Stand 1 ¡°Yes.¡± Colin wanted to deny it, but for some reason, he chose to be honest. ¡°What?¡± Vera widened her eyes as if it was the first time she met this young knight, ¡°Then¡­ What about the plan? The suspicious soldiers pretended to cross the river, but they hid in the most dangerous bend¡­ didn¡¯t you say that the most dangerous place is the safest place¡­¡± ¡°That was all a lie.¡± Colin looked into the female mage¡¯s eyes. ¡°Those wolf cavalry soldiers have already been fooled by us once before. How could they be fooled so easily?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Vera took a deep breath and gradually calmed down. She did not lack the courage, to begin with. She had lost her composure just now because her hope of escaping was suddenly shattered. ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± Vera¡¯s expression was complicated. The glorious image that Colin had built in her heart was crumbling. ¡°We won¡¯t be able to escape.¡± Colin sighed, and his tone gradually turned cold. ¡°From the moment you made the decision not to abandon the defeated soldiers, you should have had this realization. ¡°This is a battlefield of life and death. There is no room for mercy, and even more so, no room for naivety! ¡°Even if my trick fooled the pursuers and made them think that we have really crossed the river, how long can we fool them for? ¡°They are wolf cavalry soldiers, but we have a large group of infantrymen dragging us down. When they realize that something is wrong after crossing the river, they will only be able to catch up with us for one or two days at most. ¡°We can not avoid this battle! ¡°Therefore, since we can not avoid a battle, the only thing we can do is to choose the most advantageous location for the battle.¡± Colin pointed at his feet and said in a deep voice, ¡°This is the most dangerous place, but it is also where we have the best chance of winning!¡± ¡°Why?¡± Vera felt that she no longer dared to trust Colin. Before Colin could answer, Bliss had already said, ¡°Because here, we have no way to escape.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Colin looked deeply at Bliss. ¡°Only rabbits that are forced to the corner of the wall will turn around and bite people. The same goes for the defeated soldiers. ¡°If we are caught by the wolf cavalry in the open field, then there is no doubt that the soldiers that we have gathered will definitely break formation and flee in all directions. Therefore, we must make them have no way to escape. Since we are not willing to abandon them, we must not let them abandon us! Either we win the battle, or we die here together!¡± Colin¡¯s powerful words made Vera¡¯s heart flutter. She did not know how to evaluate the young knight in front of her. She did not know whether what he did was right or wrong. Whether it was her childhood in Winterfell or her studies in the Javier Tower, everything Vera met was simple and beautiful. Of course, it was also because she was well protected by her high status. However, Vera was not ignorant of evil. However, she had never met someone like Colin. A fearless knight? A genius who was full of wisdom? A gentleman who was elegant and polite? A devil who toyed with people¡¯s minds? She did not know which of these he was. Or was he all? Compared to Vera, who was not fully mature, Bliss¡¯s reaction was much simpler. The veteran knight was more pragmatic. ¡°Are you sure the plan will work? You know, Marquis Charles had a similar plan.¡± ¡°You are talking about the battle of the Mirror Lake, right?¡± Colin seemed to have known that Bliss would ask this question. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Yes, I have to admit that this plan of mine was inspired by Marquis Charles,¡± Colin said seriously, but in fact, he had already rolled his eyes in his heart. A last-ditch battle, going all out, putting one¡¯s life on the line to survive was not a new plan in another time and space. Though in this time and space, it had never appeared. Marquis Charles¡¯ arrangement in the Mirror Lake indeed had the structure of a last-ditch battle. And the details, however, determined the success or failure. Similarly, in a life-and-death battle, Han Xin was able to create a classic example of a last-ditch battle in Jingxing, while Ma Su could only be defeated and become a laughingstock in the street pavilion. Colin was confident that he would not become another Ma Su. Bliss obviously did not have such confidence. He continued to ask with a cold expression, ¡°Marquis Charles¡¯ plan did not succeed in Mirror Lake. Why do you think you can succeed here with a similar plan?¡± ¡°Because Marquis Charles made two big mistakes! First, his heart was not ruthless enough! Although the Mirror Lake camp had plenty of water too, it was not a dead-end situation. Just think about those defeated soldiers. Many of them jumped into the lake to escape. ¡°Therefore, I chose this bend of the rushing river. ¡°This place is surrounded by water on three sides. The current is rapid. Moreover, downstream is the waterfall cliff. There is no way to escape. It would create a dire situation. ¡°Here, they can only fight to the death!¡± Bliss¡¯ expression changed slightly, and he continued to ask, ¡°What about the second mistake?¡± ¡°The marquis¡¯ second mistake is that he did not leave behind anyone in the Mirror Lake camp who could lead those miscellaneous soldiers to fight to the death.¡± Colin waved his hand at Bliss, ¡°I¡¯m not saying that you don¡¯t have the qualifications¡­¡± ¡°I indeed don¡¯t have the qualifications. Moreover, I even fled in the face of battle.¡± Bliss did not seem to mind at all. Colin, on the other hand, admired this cold-faced knight more and more. He nodded and continued: ¡°Under the circumstances at that time, the Mirror Lake camp needed a noble with sufficient prestige and a lord with a noble title. Only then would they be able to stabilize those soldiers who were recruited at the last minute and let them resist with all their might, causing enough resistance for the trolls. In this way, Marquis Charles would lead the army to charge in from behind the trolls and attack from both sides. Only then would there be a slim chance of victory. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that the Marquis did not leave a powerful figure in the Mirror Lake camp¡­ ¡°But we won¡¯t make such a mistake!¡± At this point, Colin took a step forward and approached Vera, staring into her eyes. ¡°So this time, as the first heir of the Baron of Graycastle, I will stay and die with those soldiers. ¡°Miss Vera, I wonder if you¡­¡± ¡°Of course I will stay,¡± Vera said without hesitation. At this time, she had decided to trust Colin again. Of course, she had no other choice. In fact, all the people here had been plotted against by Colin. Colin nodded and turned to Bliss. ¡°Knight Bliss, please lead the cavalry to stay away from the bay for the time being. When the trolls attack us, you will lead the army to attack from behind!¡± Bliss¡¯ eyes flashed. ¡°Why don¡¯t I stay in the bay, and you lead the cavalry¡­¡± ¡°No!¡± Colin immediately rejected Bliss¡¯ suggestion, because he knew that Bliss was testing him. Those who stayed in the front were the most dangerous, and those who led the cavalry still had the possibility of escaping. Therefore, in order to make the other party believe in him, Colin could only choose to stay. ¡°Those who stay in the River Bay need to have enough weight, and I am more suitable to stay than you. Moreover, the cavalrymen are all your subordinates, and only by leading them can they better display their combat strength.¡± Bliss¡¯ gaze changed slightly, as if only now did he acknowledge that Colin had passed his test, and nodded in agreement. Then, Colin glanced at Vera again. ¡°I know that your identity is noble, so if you can reveal your true identity before the battle, then it will greatly inspire those soldiers. Of course, if you have any concerns, I won¡¯t force you¡­¡± Vera was stunned and didn¡¯t say anything. Just when Colin thought Vera was unwilling, he heard a clear and firm voice¡­ ¡°Okay!¡± Chapter 23 - 023 Battle of The Last Resort (1) Chapter 23 023 Battle of The Last Resort (1) ¡°Ta ta ta ta¡­¡± As Knights Bliss led the cavalry out of the River Bay, the entire camp was suddenly plunged into a state of panic. The news that the troll wolf cavalry was about to catch up had long spread. The people were already in a state of panic, and now they thought that Bliss and the others had fled at the last minute. This time, they had even stirred up a hornet¡¯s nest. Many people had already quietly gathered together, packing up their things and preparing to escape. At this moment, Vera and Colin appeared in front of everyone, allowing them to temporarily settle down. Seeing that the two nobles with the highest status in the entire camp had not left, everyone felt that there was still hope. They felt that they had not been abandoned. However, the news of the departure of Knight Bliss and the approaching troll cavalry still made everyone¡¯s faces fill with unease and anxiety. Everyone¡¯s nerves were stretched to the limit, and they could no longer withstand the anticipation. They stared at the figures of Vera and Colin, hoping to get some good news from them. The civilians of this era were mostly a group of confused lambs. They were dull, ignorant, and timid. They were unable to control their fate, and they did not even dare to control their fate. Therefore, they placed their fate in the hands of the nobles, hoping that the nobles would guide them toward wealth and glory. Though what they didn¡¯t know was that the nobles¡¯ guidance often came at the price of slavery. At this moment, Vera could see the confusion in everyone¡¯s eyes. Of course, she wouldn¡¯t let them down with this desire. She didn¡¯t speak. With just one move, she completely stunned everyone in the camp. She lifted her veil. The faint rays of the morning light scattered down, outlining the beautiful face under the veil. Time seemed to have stopped. The originally restless crowd held their breaths at this moment. It was as if they were afraid of disturbing the beautiful, determined, but also slightly shy girl. However, before the crowd could enjoy this beautiful scene, Vera spoke. The rushing sound of the river could not hide her gentle but steady voice: ¡°My name is Vera St. Hilde. I am the adopted daughter of the Lord of the Northern Territory, the Duke of St. Hilde.¡± Adopted daughter! So she was the adopted daughter of the Duke of the Northern Territory! Colin¡¯s eyes widened, and great waves rose in his heart. One had to know that in this world, adopted daughters had the right to inherit! Unlike those illegitimate daughters who were spurned by the nobles, adopted daughters were the legitimate heirs who had been approved by the empire¡¯s senate. Their inheritance rights are second only to those of the direct line of descent. Therefore, to be adopted by the nobles, one must first have a pure and noble bloodline. If either of their parents is a commoner, then he or she can never be legally adopted by the nobles. Secondly, if one wants to adopt an heir, one must pay an adoption tax to the senate of the empire in exchange for the senate¡¯s recognition of the adopted children. In order to prevent the nobles from abusing the right to adopt and disrupting the normal order of the succession of titles, the adoption tax was extremely high. Ordinary small nobles would not be able to pay this amount even if they were to go bankrupt. Even for a large noble like the Saint Hilde family, paying an adoption tax would be painful for a long time. Therefore, the nobles were extremely cautious about the adoption. Generally speaking, only nobles who were rich and had no direct descendants would choose a descendant that they liked as an adopted child in the family¡¯s collateral line. To prevent their titles from falling into the hands of people they did not like. Although Colin did not understand why the Duke of Saint Hilde, who had three sons, would adopt Vera and even send Vera to Javier to be trained as a mage. However, this did not affect Vera in the slightest in becoming the fourth successor of the Duke of the Northern Territory! That was why she had obtained the sworn loyalty of Knights Bliss. Sworn That was why she was qualified to say such words as ¡°my people¡±. That was why when she revealed her true identity at the bend of the rushing river, the soldiers who were originally panicking would be so shocked and excited. Most of them had even gripped the hilts of their swords tightly and were prepared to die on the spot for her! They were only waiting for her to say those words. ¡°I know that you are all very scared, very panicked.¡± Vera¡¯s gaze slowly swept across the crowd and looked at them one by one. ¡°I am the same. Scared, panicked. ¡°However, I did not despair, even if there was no way out now! ¡°I know that you will not abandon me. ¡°Just as I did not abandon you. ¡°No matter how critical the situation is, I will always remember my mission and my duty to you. ¡°As the adopted daughter of the Duke of St. Hilde, I have sworn to protect the people of the north forever! ¡°And as the people of the north, I hope that you will have the courage to take up arms with me and defend the north against the invading enemy! ¡°I promise that I will fight with all of you until my last breath!¡± ¡°For Lady Vera!¡± Colin saw the opportunity and stood out to shout. Originally, he had prepared a long speech to use his identity as the son of a baron to win over the hearts of the people, but now it seemed that it was no longer necessary. He did not even need to emphasize his identity anymore. Vera¡¯s identity was enough to arouse the fighting spirit of these soldiers. The St. Hilde family had ruled the northern region of the Empire for thousands of years, and their prestige was unparalleled. Vera¡¯s noble identity, her peerless beauty, and the kindness she showed along the way had made her the goddess in the hearts of these soldiers. They would never allow those dirty and ugly trolls to blaspheme this goddess! Even if they had to pay with their lives. ¡°For Lady Vera!¡± ¡°For Lady Vera!¡± ¡°Fight to the death!¡± ¡°Fight to the death!¡± ¡°Rumble!¡± A bolt of lightning tore through the sky, followed by the sound of thunder. Before the rising sun could wake up the sleeping earth, it was covered by dark clouds. At the bend of the rushing river, the human soldiers were ready for battle. They held their breath and looked forward, letting the raindrops fall on their bodies. They were motionless like statues. The rain was getting heavier. The wind was getting stronger. A gray line appeared on the horizon and spread out rapidly. Like a surging tide, it swept toward the human position at the bend of the river! ¡°Awoo!¡± The troll wolf cavalry arrived! ¡°Kill!¡± ¡°For Lady Vera!¡± ¡°For Lady Vera!¡± Facing the terrifying troll wolf cavalry, these human soldiers burst out with courage akin to that of the elite regular army. They knew that they had no way out. Since there was no way out, then they would fight to the death! Moreover, Vera¡¯s existence gave these confused soldiers a boundless fighting spirit and firm conviction. They believed that even if they died in battle here, tales of their heroism would still be spread in the Northern Territory. Everyone would know that they had sworn to protect Vera St. Hilde to the death! Even if the worst happened, they would be fortunate enough to return to the embrace of the God of Light with the goddess in their hearts. ¡°Kill!¡± Colin took the lead and stood at the forefront of the formation. At this moment, he could not back down. Hundreds of sharp spears were coming at him. It was like a suffocating forest of death. ¡°Bang!¡± Colin and the leader of the wolf cavalry collided heavily. Colin felt as if he had crashed into a tank. ¡°Argh!¡± Colin only felt his vision go black. The immense pain almost made him lose consciousness. He could even clearly hear the cracking sound of bones breaking all over his body, as well as the sound of a spear tearing through his chest. The world turned upside down. He did not know how far he had been sent flying. When he landed, he spat out a mouthful of blood. At the same time, he felt depressed, He originally wanted to pretend to be a hero, but he didn¡¯t expect what followed. He met a high-level troll warrior as soon as he arrived! F*ck! Wasn¡¯t this ¡°death¡± a little too fast! Chapter 24 - 024 Battle of The Last Resort (2) Chapter 24 024 Battle of The Last Resort (2) ¡°Master Colin!¡± ¡°Colin!¡± On the chaotic battlefield, only two people noticed that poor Colin was sent flying. One was Knight Raymond, and the other was Vera. Raymond was originally guarding beside Colin, but he did not expect Colin to be sent flying in a single move. It was too late to save him. Moreover, as he was at the front of the line, Raymond could not be bothered to check on Colin¡¯s situation. He could only grit his teeth and fight against the trolls that kept coming at him. As for Vera. She had not been paying attention to Colin. From the moment the troll wolf cavalry appeared, she had been hiding in the back row preparing spells. She had no time to care about the situation in the front row. Until she was shocked by Colin, who had fallen from the sky and landed at her feet. Fortunately, she had just finished casting a spell and was resting. Otherwise, she would have been frightened by Colin and stopped casting ¡°Colin! Are you¡­ are you okay?¡± Vera looked at Colin in front of her and was suddenly at a loss. Because Colin¡¯s injury looked really scary. A spear pierced through his chest and nailed him to the ground. With such an injury, even if Vera wanted to save him, she didn¡¯t know where to start. At this moment, Colin was grimacing in pain. The waves of sharp pain made his consciousness not very clear. He wanted to just pass out, but when he saw Vera beside him, he suddenly changed his mind. It was not the time to play dead. It would be a waste if he did not show off and leave a deep impression on Vera¡¯s mind. The young and beautiful mage was the fourth successor of the Duke of the Northern Territory! She was a strong woman. If Colin wanted to deal with Earl Oman, who was trying to steal the title of the Duke of the Angele family, this was the best opportunity for him. ¡°Miss Vera, help me.¡± ¡°How¡­ How?¡± ¡°Pull it out!¡± ¡°No! You¡­ You¡¯ll die¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll die standing up! I don¡¯t want to be nailed to the ground like an insect!¡± Colin¡¯s performance showed how strong a man should be. ¡°¡­¡± Vera was speechless. ¡°Hurry up!¡± Vera then used her trembling hands to hold the spear in front of Colin¡¯s chest. Then, she looked at Colin¡¯s eyes hesitantly. There, she didn¡¯t see any cowardice or fear of death, only determination. Affected by such a gaze, Vera took a deep breath, gritted her teeth, and pulled hard. ¡°Ah!¡± Colin screamed, hating himself for not being immune to pain. ¡°Colin!¡± Vera shouted with red eyes. At the same time, she quickly stepped forward to support Colin, who was barely standing but was on the verge of collapse. The familiar soft touch and fragrance, butColin was not in the mood to enjoy it. The intense pain made it impossible for him to stay calm, let alone stand alone. At this time, he realized that it was not so easy to be a hero. Forget it, it was better to lie down and pretend to be dead. ¡°Don¡¯t mind me!¡± Colin hissed, ¡°Hurry up and prepare the spells. Those warriors who are fighting in front of the formation need your help more than I do.¡± ¡°¡­ Okay!¡± Vera did not dawdle. First, she helped Colin to sit cross-legged on the ground, then she turned around and began to cast spells. At this time, both sides were in the middle of a fierce battle. However, Colin found that the troll wolf cavalry could not penetrate the human¡¯s formation. Instead, they were trapped deep inside and were tightly entangled by those fearless soldiers. This time, he could finally heave a sigh of relief. As long as the wolf cavalry fell into the formation and lost their speed advantage, then the humans would have a chance to win. Furthermore¡­ ¡°Ta ta ta!¡± The crisp sound of horse hooves rang out once again. It was the knight who led the cavalry and returned! This cavalry team of less than a hundred people appeared at the most critical moment. Like a sharp arrow, it pierced straight into the back of the troll army¡¯s formation. ¡°Reinforcements are coming! Kill!¡± It was unknown who shouted, but the human side suddenly erupted with an astonishing aura. Meanwhile, the troll side fell into chaos under the situation of being attacked from both sides. ¡°Whoosh!¡± Colin only felt a burst of icy aura suddenly erupt from behind him. Then, he saw countless raindrops falling from the sky instantly freeze into ice blades, smashing toward the center of the troll army. Vera also began to show her power. ¡°Kill that mage!¡± The trolls also realized Vera¡¯s existence and wanted to get rid of this long-range spell caster. However, how could the human soldiers who fought for this goddess ever let the trolls even get close to her? They surrounded her like crazy and formed a human wall in front of Vera, blocking the path of the trolls. Blood and bones splattered everywhere. The battle had reached its most tragic moment. All of a sudden, Colin only saw a flash of red light. A blood-red spear broke through the layers of the human wall and suddenly appeared in front of Vera. A good opportunity! Without any hesitation, Colin leaped in front of Vera. ¡°Chi!¡± The spear pierced through Colin¡¯s chest again. He seemed to feel that his heart, which had stopped beating, had been destroyed by the two consecutive strikes of the spear. ¡°Colin! Colin!¡± Vera pounced on him, tears flowing uncontrollably. ¡°Why? Why¡­¡± Colin wanted to be as sentimental as some melodramatic TV series, but the intense pain almost drowned his will. At this time, he knew that he had to use the simplest action to leave the deepest impression on Vera¡¯s heart! So, he said softly, ¡°I hope I can be buried with one of your personal belongings¡­¡± ¡°No, you won¡¯t die, you won¡¯t die¡­¡± Vera cried and shook her head. Colin didn¡¯t speak anymore but slowly reached out to touch Vera¡¯s earlobe. Vera did not stop him. She let Colin take off one of her diamond earrings. Colin held the earring tightly in his hand and slowly closed his eyes. It hurts so much! Colin roared in his heart. However, he felt that his performance just now was not bad. He believed that in this way, he would leave a lasting impression on Vera¡¯s heart. Moreover, through this rather ambiguous action, he even vaguely expressed his love for her. He believed that this would cause great damage to a naive girl like Vera! Poor Vera did not know that the guy in her arms was playing dead and used this to plot against her. However, after crying for a while, she immediately wiped away her tears. Now was not the time to be sad. Vera gently put Colin down, then turned around resolutely, raised the magic staff in her hand high, and chanted. Powerful arcane energy began to gather around her. The rain seemed to get heavier. The wind seemed to get more frantic. Vera¡¯s blonde hair turned pure white again, and even her blue pupils became pale, like solid ice that would not melt for ten thousand years. An invisible force slowly lifted her up into the air. The female mage stood proudly in the air, looking down at the battlefield in front of her like a god. At this moment, the extreme cold had arrived! Colin, who was about to faint, was shivering from the cold. He quietly opened one of his eyes, wanting to see what had happened. Due to the angle, he only saw Vera¡¯s mage robe fluttering in the air and the part that was exposed to him¡­ Pink¡­ ¡°Puff!¡± Blood spurted out both nostrils. Knight Colin¡¯s injury was even more serious now¡­ Chapter 25 - 025 Sleep 1 Chapter 25 025 Sleep 1 As night fell, the riverbanks lit up with bonfires. After a fierce battle, the humans finally obtained the final victory. This was a bitter victory. More than half of the 1,000-strong army had died in battle, and all the survivors were injured. However, after this battle. This group of soldiers had a qualitative change in their aura. It was as if after the baptism of blood and fire, they were showing signs of turning into a legitimate army. The camp was filled with the strong smell of blood, and the mutilated bodies had not been cleaned up in time. However, the survivors did not care. They enjoyed the rare hot food while bragging about their heroic performance during the day. Sal did not participate in the enthusiastic conversation of his companions. Instead, he picked up a bunch of roasted herring and walked toward the tent in the center of the camp. It seemed like his left foot was injured and he was limping However, the injury was nothing in the camp. There was a knight with bandages on his upper body standing guard outside the tent. Sal knew that this was a knight from the Angele family. His name was Raymond. The knight was holding a long sword. He had his head lowered and his eyes were closed. It seemed like he was praying. Sal passed by him, but he did not respond, as if he was a statue. ¡°Miss Vera, do you want to eat something?¡± ¡°No.¡± Vera did not turn around and softly refused. Sal quietly looked up, only to see Vera¡¯s graceful back and her snow-white long hair. ¡°You have to take care of your body, you have to eat something¡­¡± Sal was still trying to persuade her, but Vera still did not respond. She just stared blankly at the man in front of her who seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep. That man was, of course, Colin. However, at this moment, Colin was not playing dead to gain sympathy. Instead, he had fallen asleep. After all, the injuries he had suffered before were too severe, and he had lost too much blood. Of course, perhaps he was also stimulated by the last scene that was not suitable for children. In short, Colin fell into a deep sleep. If he was not still breathing, everyone would have thought that he was dead. With such terrible injuries, no one thought that Colin could survive. In fact, in the eyes of everyone, it was already a miracle that he could hold on until now. Only Vera was unwilling to give up. She continued to bandage Colin¡¯s wounds and took care of him meticulously. As if noticing that Colin¡¯s lips were a little dry and cracked, Vera quickly dabbed some water on the gauze and gently wiped Colin¡¯s mouth. Seeing this scene, Sal was filled with jealousy. He wished that he was the one being taken care of by Vera while he was lying on the bed. ¡°Miss Vera, let me take care of Knight Colin. You should go and rest.¡± ¡°No need.¡± Vera rejected Sal¡¯s good intentions once again. At the same time, she waved her hand, indicating for the mercenary to leave. Sal could only bury his disappointment deep in his heart and leave the tent. ¡°Meow.¡± Whitey came out of nowhere again and came to Colin¡¯s side. It gently licked his cheek as if it wanted to wake up its ¡°human slave.¡±. Vera put down the veil and stared at Colin¡¯s pale face for a long time. Then, she crossed her hands and clasped them in front of her chest, making a praying gesture. ¡°Almighty God of Light, please have mercy on this brave and fearless knight!¡± This was the first time Vera prayed in her life. Perhaps, this was also the first mage who prayed to the God of Light. ¡°If I can have the honor to witness your grace and mercy, then, in this lifetime, I will always serve you!¡± This female mage who had always pursued the arcane truth was willing to offer her faith to a god for a man! Did the God of Light listen to this mage¡¯s prayer? Was he willing to accept the conversion of such a heretic? There was no light beam that fell from the sky. No angel appeared. Colin did not wake up miraculously. It was as if nothing had happened. Only Knight Bliss who had just walked out of the tent suddenly stopped. He seemed to realize that he might have heard something that he should not have. After a long while, when there was no more sound coming from the tent, Bliss walked in again. This knight was also a seriously injured person. His entire right arm had been cut off, and his body was covered with bandages, which were still bleeding However, he still had that calm and indifferent expression, as if he did not care about his injuries at all. ¡°Miss, the casualty statistics have been preliminarily completed. In this battle, we lost 428 soldiers, and more than 350 people are seriously injured. The rest are minor injuries¡­¡± Vera did not have any concept of such casualty statistics and just listened quietly. However, for an old general like Knight Bliss, this battle was definitely a miracle. One had to know that such a loss ratio, even in the most elite regular army, was enough to cause the entire army to collapse. However, these miscellaneous soldiers of the River Bay camp stubbornly fought to the end and even won. Perhaps Vera had contributed to this, after all, her identity had enough appeal. However, Bliss was very clear that more of it was Colin¡¯s plan of going all out. Thinking of this, he looked at Colin on the bed with admiration and pity and continued to ask, ¡°Miss, what should we do next?¡± Hearing this question, Vera was a little confused. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°There were two wolf cavalry units that followed us to the river. Although we just defeated one of them, we are still not completely out of danger. ¡°Although the other wolf cavalry unit was confused by our arrangement and has already crossed the river, they will soon realize that something is wrong and turn back. ¡°However, the great victory we just obtained will make the other party hesitate. They won¡¯t be able to figure out our actual strength and won¡¯t be too quick to decide on chasing us. ¡°Therefore, my opinion is to continue to guard the river bend and send messengers to nearby cities to request reinforcements. ¡°As long as our reinforcements arrive before the trolls gather more pursuers, we will be safe.¡± Vera was a little silent. She could hear the uncertainty in Knight Bliss¡¯ words, but she could not come up with a better idea. At this time, she naturally turned her gaze to the sleeping Colin. If he could wake up, there must be a better way. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll do as you say.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± After leaving the tent, Bliss walked with his head lowered. He was considering which direction to send the messengers for help, and how he could avoid being intercepted by the trolls on the way¡­ ¡°Clatter clatter clatter¡­¡± The sound of horse hooves interrupted Bliss¡¯s thoughts. He looked up and saw two cavalrymen running toward the camp. He quickly recognized one of them as the cavalryman he had sent out to guard the surroundings, but he did not recognize the other person. However, he recognized the armor on the other person¡¯s body! This pure black standard armor was only equipped by one army in the Glorious Empire. The Black Knights! Bliss was ecstatic. He could not help but turn his head to look in the direction of Vera¡¯s tent. A thought flashed through his mind¡­ Did the God of Light answer her prayers? SV Chapter 26 - 026 Black Knights 1 Chapter 26 026 Black Knights 1 ¡°Did you hear? The Black Knights are nearby. They will send someone to pick us up soon!¡± ¡°Black Knights? Really?¡± ¡°Of course it¡¯s true! Last night, I saw a Black Knights¡¯ sentry enter our camp. Miss Vera even received him personally.¡± ¡°So, we are safe?¡± ¡°Nonsense! With the Black Knights around, do the trolls still have the guts to come?¡± Similar conversations were going on in every corner of the camp. The tension in the air was completely swept away. What replaced it was the excitement of having survived a disaster. It was as if the words ¡°Black Knights¡± had some special magic. As long as they were nearby, it meant that they were absolutely safe. The reason was very simple. The Black Knights army was the most powerful army in the northern region of the empire! Yes, the most powerful. This army actually did not have many people, only 50,000. However, it was an army made up of top-tier knights! This army made up of 50,000 Knights was undoubtedly the guardian of the Northern Region. It was also a nightmare that the trolls could not get rid of. ¡°Dong Dong Dong¡­¡± As noon approached, the Earth suddenly began to tremble. A black torrent appeared on the horizon and quickly rushed toward the river camp. However, the people in the camp did not panic at all because they had already seen the black lion flag that was fluttering in the wind! The badge of the Lord of the Northern Territory, the Saint Hilde family, was a golden lion. Therefore, no other family in the Northern Territory dared to use a lion as a badge. Naturally, the person who came was from the Saint Hilde family. However, the ordinary members of the Saint Hilde family did not dare to change the color of the golden lion to black. There was only one exception. He was the younger brother of the current Duke of the Northern Territory and the highest commander of the Black Knights army, Marquis Garcia of Saint Hilde.[1] Unlike Marquis Charles, the eldest son of the Duke, Marquis Garcia was a real lord. He was also the only marquis in the Northern Territory. His territory occupied almost a quarter of the entire Northern Territory. It was because of this vast land that Marquis Garcia was able to provide for the Black Knights, a tiger and wolf army composed of pure cavalry. As the army approached, Vera personally came out to welcome them. Behind her, there were excited, shocked, and even fanatical soldiers. In the Northern Territory, almost all ambitious young people regarded joining the Black Knights as the highest honor. However, the recruitment criteria of the Black Knights were extremely strict. It was so strict that it made people wonder if the Black Knights did not want any more recruits. ¡°Brrr¡­¡± Amidst the neighing of horses, the Black Knights began to slow down. The leader of the Knights in black capes lifted the visor on his helmet, revealing a dignified face. ¡°Uncle Garcia!¡± Vera could not help but shout, tears flashing in her eyes. The hardships, battles, and life-and-death separation that she had encountered on the way to escape had exhausted this young noble girl who was only eighteen years old. Now that she had finally met her backbone, she could not help but lose her composure. Marquis Garcia dismounted from his horse and walked in front of Vera, revealing a gentle smile: ¡°Welcome home!¡± Vera did not care about maintaining the etiquette of the nobles. She quickly walked a few steps and threw herself into Marquis Garcia¡¯s arms. ¡°Hahaha!¡± Marquis Garcia immediately burst into laughter. He reached out his hand and patted Vera¡¯s back gently. ¡°It seems that you are indeed frightened by those trolls. Don¡¯t be afraid, uncle will avenge you!¡± ¡°Uncle¡­¡± Vera suddenly felt a little embarrassed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, none of those trolls who invaded the Northern Territory will be able to go back alive!¡± The marquis looked at Vera¡¯s snow-white hair and a cold light flashed in his eyes. ¡°I give you my word!¡± When such arrogant words came out of Marquis Garcia¡¯s mouth, it seemed to be very natural. No one dared to doubt whether Marquis Garcia had the ability to fulfill his promise. This marquis, who commanded the Black Knights army, was a god-like existence on the battlefield! ¡°Greetings, Marquis!¡± Knight Bliss hurried forward and bowed. ¡°Knight Bliss.¡± Marquis Garcia noticed the missing right arm of the other party, ¡°I¡¯m sorry that you lost an arm¡­¡± ¡°My opponent is even more sorry that he lost a head!¡± ¡°Hahaha! Good! This is what a northern knight should look like!¡± Marquis Garcia hammered Bliss¡¯ chest a few times, not hiding his admiration at all. Facing this military god of the Northern Territory, the usually calm and even the typically indifferent Knight Bliss showed rare respect and even fanaticism. Not to mention the soldiers behind them. Most of them were seeing the legendary Marquis of the Northern Territory for the first time. They were so excited that their faces turned red, as if they were just waiting for Marquis Garcia¡¯s order, they would follow the trolls and kill them with their lives. Even the filial son, Sal, who had always been arrogant, was so excited that he almost could not control himself when he saw the tall figure of Marquis Garcia. ¡°I want to be like him!¡± Sal swore in his heart. After Marquis Garcia calmed down the fanatical soldiers, Vera finally had the time to go up and ask, ¡°Uncle, there are many wounded people in the camp. Please arrange for a doctor and a priest to treat them immediately! In addition, there is a knight who is seriously injured and dying¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. After I received the news, I specially brought the doctor and the priest who followed the army here.¡±Marquis Garcia pointed at an old priest with gray hair behind him and introduced him to Vera, ¡°Even Archbishop Raven was dragged here by me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my honor to be able to serve you!¡± Archbishop Raven bowed to Vera. ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to trouble you!¡± Vera heaved a sigh of relief. Although she did not know this Archbishop Raven, she knew that the position of the archbishop was not something that an ordinary priest could take up. In the entire Northern Territory, the Church of Glory had only arranged for three archbishops. Priests were not a primary combat class, and their combat strength was not strong. Their main job, apart from serving the Lord of Glory and spreading the sermon, was to conduct baptism and heal injuries. It could be considered a standard support class. Therefore, this class was not like the warrior, knight, or mage, which could be divided by strength. However, generally speaking, the higher the position of a priest in the church, the stronger his healing ability was. In Vera¡¯s opinion, this Archbishop Raven should be the Lord of Glory¡¯s response to her previous prayer. Therefore, she did not dare to hesitate and hurriedly led Archbishop Raven and the others to Colin¡¯s tent. Marquis Garcia also followed. He was very curious about the identity of the knight who could make his niece so nervous. Vera and Raven walked into the tent. However, Marquis Garcia stopped in his tracks. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± He noticed the man who was guarding the tent. When the crowd went to greet him, the man was the only one who was still guarding the tent. ¡°My Lord, my name is Raymond Moben. I¡¯m a Knight of the Angele family.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s the son of the Baron, Knight Colin Angele.¡± Marquis Garcia nodded and patted Raymond¡¯s shoulder to comfort him. He then walked into the tent. ¡°How is Knight Colin?¡± ¡°Not good¡­¡± Archbishop Raven¡¯s brow furrowed. ¡°It¡¯s a miracle that he¡¯s still alive.¡± ¡°Please try your best!¡± Vera pleaded on the side. Raven glanced at Vera, then turned back and exchanged a look with Marquis Garcia, and then took out a delicate small bottle: ¡°Then, I can only try the holy water.¡± [1] Garcia is DukeStHilde¡¯s younger brother which makes Charles his nephew. Chapter 27 - 027 Holy Water 1 Chapter 27 027 Holy Water 1 Colin had a dream. A very long dream. In the dream, he was entangled by a huge silver python. Moreover, the entanglement was getting tighter and tighter. The terrible pressure crushed his bones and internal organs, and his blood was gradually being squeezed out. He felt like an orange thrown into a juicer, and becoming a desiccated corpse was probably his inescapable fate. Of course, Colin did not want to give in, but his limbs were tightly bound and he could not move at all. So, he could only bite the body of the python, and suck crazily. ¡®You squeeze me, I will suck you dry!¡¯ This was Colin¡¯s plan. However, he found a serious problem¡­ he could not suck anything. The body of the python seemed to be empty, hollow. As time passed, Colin¡¯s consciousness gradually blurred. The python¡¯s body gradually tightened, and Colin was getting closer and closer to becoming a mummy. He didn¡¯t know how much time had passed. Just as Colin was about to give up resisting, he suddenly discovered that he could actually suck blood from the body of the python! It was like rain suddenly falling from a long drought. That sweet taste¡­was the taste of Life! However, there was only one mouthful. Colin used all his strength to drink it, but he could not absorb any more. ¡°Ah!¡± Under extreme anger, Colin woke up. ¡°That¡¯s great! Colin, you¡¯re finally awake!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Colin opened his eyes, but he could only see a blurry shadow. He could vaguely make out that it must have been Vera¡¯s voice just now. ¡°I¡­ What¡­am I drinking[1]¡­¡± Colin opened his mouth, wanting to drink more. ¡°You¡¯re drinking holy water.¡± Holy water?! Colin was stunned. You¡¯re giving a vampire holy water? Before he could catch his breath, Colin fainted again. ¡°Colin? Colin?¡± Vera was a little anxious, looking at Archbishop Raven for help. The archbishop unhurriedly pried open Colin¡¯s mouth and poured a few more drops of holy water into it. Then, there was no response¡­ The archbishop refused to believe it and poured a few more drops. There was still no response. The archbishop gritted his teeth and poured the entire bottle into it. Then, he looked at the empty bottle with a pained expression. One had to know that what he gave Colin was pure holy water. Usually, the church used holy water that was diluted a thousand times with water. Although there was only a small bottle in his hand, it was enough for a parish to use for an entire year after being diluted. Though even so, there was still no reaction. The archbishop checked Colin¡¯s breath, then pried open his eyelids to take a look¡­ after fiddling with it for a while, he said in an uncertain tone, ¡°His injury seems to be stable. He should be fine after a good rest.¡± Vera sighed in relief and thanked him. Marquis Garcia and the others left the tent and let Colin rest. Vera was the only one left. Marquis Garcia did not say anything. He just frowned. After leaving the tent, he turned to knight bliss and asked, ¡°Tell me about that Knight Colin.¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Bliss followed behind Marquis Garcia and explained, ¡°He¡¯s the son of the Lord of Graycastle, Baron Angele. He was on the way to Fallen Eagle City with a mercenary group. He came to the Mirror Lake camp because of Marquis Charles¡¯ emergency recruitment order¡­¡± ¡°A mercenary group?¡± Marquis Garcia was confused. ¡°He¡¯s the son of a baron. Why would he follow a mercenary group to Fallen Eagle City?¡± ¡°I think he¡¯s trying to hide his identity. I asked the son of the leader of the mercenary group. Knight Colin used the false identity of the son of Viscount Surdo to sneak into the mercenary group.¡± Bliss did check Colin¡¯s identity and background, but his son, Sal, told him the truth. ¡°Is the Angele family close to the Surdo Family?¡± ¡°As far as I know, the two families don¡¯t have much contact. However, Viscount Surdo¡¯s territory was recently conquered by the trolls, so Colin probably thought that the fake knight wouldn¡¯t be discovered easily.¡± Marquis Garcia nodded and made his own decision. ¡°Yes. The fake identity and the fact that the guards did not follow him¡­ something must have happened to the family.¡± Bliss thought for a second and provided another piece of information. ¡°Master, Baron Angele died in the battle with Marquis Charles.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Marquis Garcia smiled. ¡°It¡¯s probably because of the baron¡¯s inheritance. Haha, there¡¯s nothing new.¡± The fight for a baron¡¯s title was not unusual to Marquis Garcia, so he casually mentioned it, but did not ask further. Instead, he let Bliss continue his story. ¡°Miss Vera also happened to meet the recruitment order on her way back to the Northern Territory, so she also came to the Mirror Lake camp¡­¡± Bliss said while observing Marquis Garcia¡¯s reaction. Especially when he mentioned that Marquis Charles had used all the soldiers he had summoned as bait, he looked at Marquis Garcia with a slightly perturbed expression. Marquis Garcia was expressionless. ¡°We ran all the way south, but we couldn¡¯t shake off the wolf cavalry that was chasing us¡­ Knight Colin suggested that we turn around and head north, breaking out of the encirclement in the most unexpected direction of the wolf cavalry¡­ on the way north, we met the defeated soldiers who escaped from the battlefield of Mirror Lake¡­ After gathering the defeated soldiers, we were eventually caught again. Colin suggested that we hide in the bend of the rushing river and deploy the suspicious soldiers¡­ In the end, we had no choice but to fight with our backs to the water¡­ a great victory!¡± After Bliss finished speaking, he stood quietly at the side, waiting for Marquis Garcia¡¯s instructions. Meanwhile, Marquis Garcia looked at the surging rushing river in front of him and didn¡¯t say anything. After a long time, he finally asked, ¡°What kind of person do you think Knight Colin is?¡± Bliss was stunned, but he quickly said, ¡°Brave, loyal, and intelligent. He was born to be on the battlefield.¡± Garcia smiled noncommittally. ¡°It seems that you have a high opinion of him!¡± Bliss nodded solemnly. Before the recent battle at the river, Bliss¡¯ impression of Colin would not be too good. This was because although Colin showed a very good sense of the battlefield, he had lied and wanted to abandon those defeated soldiers. However, after the battle at the river, Bliss¡¯ impression of Colin changed completely. Whether it was giving up the last chance to escape and choosing to stay, fighting in the front row of the battlefield, or risking his life to block a bullet for Vera, the valiant image that he displayed made those small flaws from before seem insignificant. Therefore, Bliss was willing to put in a few good words for Colin in front of Marquis Garcia. He could see that the Marquis also had some admiration for Colin. ¡°He is indeed a general!¡± Marquis Garcia nodded, but he also frowned slightly. ¡°However, he went a little off course¡­ Fortunately, he is still young¡­¡± Looking at Bliss, who had a puzzled expression, the Marquis did not explain much about it but changed the topic. ¡°Well, let¡¯s not talk about him. I¡¯m here to clean up Charles¡¯ mess. So, I need you to do one more thing for me.¡± The marquis said. ¡°Please tell me!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you a team of cavalry. Go to Winter City to meet my brother immediately and ask him for a military order for me.¡± ¡°What military order?¡± ¡°Send troops to assist. The trolls are already at home, how can I just sit back and do nothing?¡± ¡°Send troops?¡± Bliss was a little puzzled, but he immediately reacted and his face instantly turned pale. ¡°You¡­ didn¡¯t you receive the duke¡¯s order to send troops to support us?¡± ¡°No.¡± Marquis Garcia looked at Bliss with interest. ¡°I sent troops on my own accord.¡± Bliss only felt a chill all over his body. A terrifying thought emerged uncontrollably in his mind, and he could not get rid of it no matter how hard he tried. However, he still lowered his head and said in a deep voice, ¡°Yes, Marquis Garcia! I will set off now!¡± [1] This is intentionally conjoined. ¡°What am I drinking¡­¡± is one sentence. Chapter 28 - 028, Wake Up Chapter 28 028, Wake Up Colin woke up. He looked around and found himself still in the original tent. He didn¡¯t know how many days he had been unconscious, but he could only tell from the surrounding light that it was night. Besides him, there was another person in the tent, Vera. She lay quietly on the edge of the bed, seeming to be asleep. Colin looked at Vera¡¯s snow-white hair, and a trace of warmth emerged in his heart. It could not be denied that his previous actions were indeed using his immortality to put on a show. However, it seemed that he had gone a little overboard. Thinking back now, when he was injured the first time, he could still control his injuries. Though the second time, when he took a bullet for Vera, he could not handle it. The intense pain and the overly severe wound made Colin unable to stop the bleeding in time. In addition, he saw some scenes that were inappropriate for children. In short, Colin felt that the accident was caused by excessive blood loss. It seemed that he had to stop the bleeding as soon as possible if he was injured in the future. Colin secretly warned himself. Then, he recalled that he seemed to have woken up once before. Moreover, there was a priest who was pouring holy water into his mouth at that time. However, the holy water did not seem to cause him any harm. Instead, it helped him recover. That was not right. It was not just recovering his injuries. Colin carefully felt the changes in his body. He found that his body was actually slightly warm, just like the situation after drinking Knight Carter¡¯s blood! Could it be that the holy water could also help him increase his strength? This was interesting. Colin suppressed the joy in his heart and decided to wait a few more days to see if his strength had really increased. If the holy water really had the same effect as the knight¡¯s blood. Then, it was either that the vampire settings in this world were a bit strange. Or¡­ It was the holy water of the Church of Light, there was a bit of a problem¡­ Also, the silver python that he had dreamed of while he was unconscious. It seemed to be more than just a random dream. He felt that the taste of the blood of the giant python was too real. It was so vivid that it did not seem like a dream. Colin lay on the bed, his thoughts running wild. He had just woken up from his coma, and he could not fall asleep either. Thus, he waited until dawn with his eyes open. ¡°Good morning, Miss Vera.¡± ¡°Ah, Colin, you¡¯re awake!¡± Colin felt a little guilty when he saw the genuine and undisguised surprise in Vera¡¯s eyes. Was it not good to deceive an innocent little girl like this? Though soon, Colin got rid of this idea. After all, although he had intended to play dead, he had almost made it real. So, Vera¡¯s good impression could indeed be considered that he had traded his life for it. According to the rhythm of the melodramatic TV series, Vera should have given herself to him by now. ¡°How long have I been unconscious for?¡± ¡°Three whole days!¡± ¡°That long?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s all thanks to Archbishop Raven¡¯s holy water.¡± Colin secretly memorized Raven¡¯s name and at the same time asked, ¡°Then I must thank him! I wonder how Archbishop Raven appeared here?¡± ¡°He came here with my uncle, Marquis Garcia. Oh right, my uncle came with the Black Knights to support us, so we are safe!¡± ¡°Marquis Garcia is here too! Then we are indeed safe.¡± ¡°Yes. You must be hungry, right? I will go find some food for you.¡± Vera said as she got up and walked out of the tent. Looking at the girl¡¯s graceful figure, Colin suddenly felt that he had made a worthwhile sacrifice this time. ¡°Meow.¡± Whitey also found that its ¡°human slave¡± had woken up. It excitedly came over and licked Colin a few times, then found a comfortable position on the bed and continued to sleep. Colin stroked the kitten¡¯s soft fur and began to search for relevant information about Marquis Garcia in his mind. Then, he found that his predecessor was, as expected, an admirer of Marquis Garcia. Well, who wasn¡¯t a young man of his age in the Northern Territory? However, Colin also found some interesting things in his memory. For example, although Marquis Garcia was the number one person in the Northern Territory army, the Black Knights army in his hands was also an invincible army. However, he had already retired from the front line of the battle against the trolls three years ago. At that time, Marquis Garcia had taken the initiative to retire from the front line. He even claimed that he wanted to take a vacation and let the soldiers of the Black Knights army rest for a while. However, in the eyes of a discerning person, this ¡°official story¡± was obviously not the truth of the matter. There was only one reason that really made Marquis Garcia retire from the front line, suspicion! Suspicion from the Duke of the Northern Territory Although there was no such thing as overpowering the Lord, the logic was the same. There was no difference in the hearts of the people. The prestige of Marquis Garcia and the strength of the Black Knights¡¯ army had already made the Duke of the Northern Territory restless. Even if Marquis Garcia was the younger brother of the Duke of the Northern Territory¡­ In the face of power¡­ Not to mention brothers¡­ Even father and son could not be relied on. A terrifying force like the Black Knights could make the trolls not dare to set foot in the Northern Territory or change Winter City¡¯s leader by force. Therefore, Marquis Garcia was transferred away from the front line. The sharp blade of the Black Knights was forced into its sheath. The one who replaced him in the front line was the eldest son of the Duke of the Northern Territory, Marquis Charles. The Duke of the Northern Territory obviously hoped that his son would be able to take on this burden and train a strong army for the Northern Territory at the front line. An army that truly belonged to the direct line of the St. Hilde family. It was done in order to balance the influence of Marquis Garcia. Unfortunately, Marquis Charles did not live up to expectations. He held on for three years at the front line, but in the end, he could not hold on. The trolls had charged in. So, Marquis Garcia had to be summoned again, butColin was a little worried. If Marquis Garcia did not disappoint the public this time and once again crushed the invading trolls like he had done countless times before, then how would the Duke of St. Hilde reward those who had contributed? It was impossible to advance in the rank of nobility. After the marquis, there would be a duke. And in the Northern Territory, there could only be one duke. As for the territory. Marquis Garcia¡¯s current territory size had already far exceeded the standard of an ordinary marquis. Moreover, more territory meant more taxes and population, which also meant greater military potential. Although the Black Knights were powerful, it was also costly to provide for them. Therefore, their size had never exceeded 50,000 people. However, if they were given more nutrients and allowed to continue expanding¡­ It would probably be even more difficult to deal with. At the thought of this, Colin suddenly felt some sympathy for Vera¡¯s adoptive father. Letting the Black Knights come to rescue showed that the situation at the front line was really critical, but it was also like drinking poison to quench thirst. Of course, if Colin knew that Marquis Garcia had simply sent troops on his own this time and had not received the duke¡¯s order, he would probably be even more worried. Chapter 29 - 029 Marquis Charles 1 Chapter 29 029 Marquis Charles 1 On the seventh day after Colin woke up, the Black Knights finally set off again. However, the speed of the advance of the army was very slow. It was so slow that it did not look like an elite cavalry unit at all. This speed of the march was very suitable for Colin, after all, his injury had not completely healed. Raymond had also gotten a flat trailer from who knows where and spread some grass on it as a buffer. Colin was quite comfortable lying on it. The spring sun was warm and warm, making people drowsy. Even though Colin, as a vampire, did not like the sun, he slowly dozed off as he basked in the sunlight. He was clearly in the most elite army in the Northern Territory, but Colin had the languid air of a leisure vacation. Vera was not nearby. After all, she was the adopted daughter of the Duke of the Northern Territory. Even if she had a good impression of Colin, she would not guard him closely. Otherwise, wouldn¡¯t she become a boot-licker? Even if she wanted to dote on him, it should be Colin who took the initiative. After all, Vera¡¯s status was much higher than Colin¡¯s. Though looking at Colin¡¯s appearance, it was clear that he did not have the intention to strike while the iron was hot. When it came to picking up girls, one had to be at a distance. This was a painful lesson that Colin had learned from his failed boot-licking career in his previous life. The army slowly moved northward. As they gradually approached the Mirror Lake camp, they encountered more and more defeated soldiers. Marquis Garcia did not reject them. He gathered them all and arranged them as auxiliary soldiers behind the army. From these defeated soldiers, Colin slowly learned more details about Marquis Charles¡¯ defeat. This war actually started last year. At the beginning of May last year, under the leadership of the Troll Prince, Gambik Walkin, 300,000 troll troops gathered at the border and prepared to march south. On the northern border, Marquis Charles led 200,000 soldiers to fight against the trolls. Of the 200,000 soldiers, 100,000 were from the direct line of the Saint Hilde family, the Golden Lion Legion. The other 100,000 soldiers were from the private armies of the lords of the northern border. For example, Colin¡¯s father, Baron Angele, personally led 3,000 soldiers to the front line after receiving the order from the Duke of Saint Hilde. Although they were outnumbered, the humans were not at a disadvantage. After all, the Northern Territory had never lost a war against the trolls in the past few decades. The commander of the trolls, Prince Gambik, had been beaten up by Marquis Garcia. Under such circumstances, the Northern Territory was not confident. Though most people did not realize, or rather, did not want to admit, that Marquis Garcia and the Black Knights under him were guaranteed the Northern Territory¡¯s victory on the front line. Now that the guarantee of victory had disappeared, could Marquis Charles alone shoulder the burden of guarding the border? Obviously, things did not develop as the northerners had expected. From the beginning of the confrontation, Marquis Charles seemed to be a little powerless. In the small-scale test battle between the two sides, Marquis Charles was overwhelmed and incapable of dealing with it. At this time, the troll commander, Prince Gambik, had already found out the truth about the son of the duke and understood that Marquis Charles¡¯ strategic ability on the battlefield was completely incomparable to Marquis Garcia¡¯s. Therefore, the troll side gradually increased their offensive and broke through the defensive line set up by the Northern Territory in one fell swoop last winter, charging in. Marquis Charles retreated in defeat, all the way to the vicinity of Mirror Lake. There, he issued an emergency call-up order, placing the soldiers he had recruited in the Mirror Lake camp as bait, while he led the main army to ambush nearby. Later, when the trolls attacked the Mirror Lake camp, Marquis Charles led the army to charge from behind. Unfortunately, he still failed. In addition to the two fatal errors in Colin¡¯s previous analysis, there was another important reason for Marquis Charles¡¯ crushing defeat, his plan had been seen through by the trolls! It was not known whether it was Prince Gambik who had predicted everything, whether he had discovered traces of Marquis Charles¡¯ army, or whether someone had leaked military secrets. In short, when the trolls attacked the Mirror Lake camp, they did not attack the entire army. Instead, they arranged their main forces at the rear, waiting for Marquis Charles to fall into the trap. Therefore, Marquis Charles suffered another crushing defeat. The 200,000-strong army was almost wiped out in this series of crushing defeats. Even Marquis Charles himself was being chased by the trolls, and his whereabouts were unknown. Oh, no. Knowledge of Marquis Charles¡¯ whereabouts was soon to change. On the 13th day after the Black Knights left Riverrun, they encountered a large-scale defeated army. There were about five thousand people in this defeated army, and the leader of the defeated army was Marquis Charles. Behind them, there was a troll army of more than eight thousand soldiers. However, when this army saw the flag of the Black Knights from afar, they decisively turned around and gave up the chase. They did not have the courage to try and attack. Marquis Charles was finally saved. However, his tragic fate had only just begun. After knowing that Marquis Charles was among the defeated army, Colin left the trailer and prepared to go and watch the show. Colin definitely did not have a good impression of this Marquis Charles. First of all, the death of his father was most likely caused by this guy¡¯s incompetence. This also led to the death of his predecessor and the assassination of Knight Carter later. Moreover, after he escaped from Graycastle town, he was lured to the Mirror Lake camp by Marquis Charles¡¯ emergency recruitment order as bait, followed by a series of pursuit and near-death experiences. Therefore, when Colin saw Marquis Charles¡¯ miserable appearance, he gloated. ¡°Uncle¡­¡± At this time, Marquis Charles was kneeling in front of Marquis Garcia with a gloomy expression. Although both of them were marquises, the contrast between them was like the difference between heaven and earth. Moreover, this series of tragic defeats also caused Marquis Charles to completely fall off the pedestal. Moreover, it also highlighted the importance of Marquis Garcia. ¡°You fought a good battle!¡± Marquis Garcia did not let Charles get up but scolded him with a frosty expression. ¡°Uncle, I, I was careless¡­¡± ¡°Pa!¡± Under everyone¡¯s watchful eyes, Marquis Garcia directly whipped Charles, who was trying to find an excuse, to the ground. The whole place was silent. Some of the timid ones even lowered their heads and did not dare to look anymore. Although Marquis Garcia was the elder of Marquis Charles, he was, after all, the first successor of the duke, the future Lord of the Northern Territory! He was publicly whipped in front of everyone. ¡°Bastard! A loss is a loss. Other than being incompetent, what other reason do you have?¡± When Charles heard this, his whole body trembled. He immediately rolled and crawled at the feet of Marquis Garcia and shouted loudly, ¡°Uncle, I was wrong! I was wrong. ¡°I have let down the Saint Hilde family, the soldiers who died, and the people of the Northern Territory. Sob¡­¡± The marquis, the future Lord of the North, in front of so many people¡­ He cried. Chapter 30 - 030 Bribe 1 Chapter 30 030 Bribe 1 After nightfall, the temperature began to drop. It was also quite cold at night in the spring in the Northern Territory. In the camp, the soldiers lit a bonfire, heated the water, and cooked. At the same time, they began to chat. The content was, of course, the meeting between the two marquises during the day, the whip of Marquis Garcia, and the cry of Marquis Charles. Colin quietly mingled among these soldiers and listened to their idle chatter. Then he suddenly discovered that the attitude of these soldiers toward Marquis Charles had unexpectedly changed. Before today, these soldiers, especially the defeated soldiers who had escaped from the battle of Mirror Lake, had a very bad attitude toward Marquis Charles. They despised, loathed, and hated him. It was not surprising for a defeated general to have such a bad reputation. Moreover, this Marquis Charles had also issued an emergency conscription order and used the conscripted people as cannon fodder bait. If he was not the eldest son of the duke or had the backing of the Saint Hilde family¡¯s fame in the Northern Territory, Marquis Charles would have been eaten alive by these angry soldiers. However, the cry of Marquis Charles during the day seemed to have changed public opinion gradually. Colin listened carefully to the discussions of the soldiers and gradually came back to his senses. He did not know whether the cry of Marquis Charles was a display of his true feelings or a political show. However, he seemed a natural at his craft. That person was the expert in this area. The more he cried, the more popular he was. Besides, when he thought about Marquis Garcia¡¯s whip, Colin now felt that it had a deep meaning At that time, Colin¡¯s first feeling toward this was a single word¡­ domineering! This whip was not only used to whip Marquis Charles but it was also used to whip Duke St. Hilde¡¯s face. Colin originally thought that Marquis Garcia was venting his dissatisfaction with the duke. After all, this crushing defeat was ultimately because the duke had shelved the Black Knights. Now that he thought about it, it also had the intention of helping Marquis Charles get rid of the blame. He had already flogged him in public, so there was no need to hate him anymore. That was probably its purpose. From the looks of it, Marquis Garcia was actually showing some concern for Marquis Charles. As Colin was indulging in his wild thoughts, a soldier suddenly came behind him. ¡°Sir Colin, Sir Charles is here!¡± Colin was a bit surprised. He did not expect the marquis to come looking for him. ¡°Alright, please lead the way.¡± Colin was trying to figure out why the Marquis was looking for him. He followed the soldier to a luxurious tent in the center of the camp. ¡°Greetings, sir!¡± As the first heir of the lord who was loyal to the Angele family, Marquis Charles had the right to accept Colin¡¯s kowtow. ¡°Knight Colin, Please stand up!¡± Marquis Charles quickly stepped forward and pulled Colin up. The marquis looked like he was in his thirties. His face was covered with frost and his upper body was covered with bandages. It was hard to tell if he was injured or just putting on a show. However, Colin did not care about that. He was not one of those soldiers who would easily forgive and sympathize with someone who was in a high position. ¡°What can I do for you, marquis?¡± Colin shook off Marquis Charles¡¯ warm hands and bowed. Marquis Charles did not respond immediately. He turned around and took a two-handed sword from the guard and handed it to Colin. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Knight Colin. Your father, Baron Angele, died on the front line¡­ it¡¯s all my fault¡­ This is his sword, please¡­ I¡¯m sorry for your loss!¡± Marquis Charles started sobbing again. Colin could not help but admire the man¡¯s acting skills; he could cry easily. ¡°Marquis, please don¡¯t do this! It was his honor to sacrifice his life for the country, it¡¯s not your fault.¡± Colin tried his best to squeeze out a few tears. ¡°I swear that I will kill all the trolls and avenge my father! Please give me such a chance!¡± Marquis Charles¡¯ eyes brightened up. He did not expect Colin to be so cooperative. He grabbed Colin¡¯s hands and shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Knight Colin! I promise you that I will kill all the trolls and avenge Baron Angele and the other soldiers of the Northern Territory!¡± Colin tried his best to hold back the disgust in his heart. ¡°Thank you, Marquis!¡± ¡°It¡¯s my duty, Sir Colin!¡± They held hands and looked at each other with tears in their eyes. The atmosphere was getting serious. After a long while, the two actors settled down. Marquis Charles relaxed and sat down with Colin. ¡°Sir Colin, I heard about your escape from the trolls from Vera. On behalf of my father and the Saint Hilde family, I would like to thank you for protecting Vera from the trolls!¡± ¡°This is what I should do.¡± Marquis Charles nodded, but his tone suddenly became a little ambiguous, ¡°Knight Colin, from my sister¡¯s words, I can clearly feel that she values you. Moreover, I heard that she personally begged Archbishop Raven to save you with pure holy water. Haha, in all these years, I have never seen my sister value other men so much.¡± ¡°I can not repay Miss Vera¡¯s kindness!¡± Colin now understood that the marquis must have seen his military talent from Vera¡¯s words, which was why he made this move to win people¡¯s hearts. However, if it was before this battle when Marquis Charles extended an olive branch to him, Colin would not hesitate to pledge his loyalty. However, Colin would not get on this ship that was about to capsize. ¡°But, Sir Colin, even if you inherit the title of Baron of the Angele family and want to marry my sister, I¡¯m afraid¡­¡± Marquis Charles continued. ¡°Marquis, how could I have such thoughts? Miss Vera is a goddess, I would never dare to disrespect her!¡± Colin would never admit that he had such thoughts. ¡°Haha, Knight Colin, You don¡¯t have to belittle yourself like this!¡± Marquis Charles waved his hand with a smile. ¡°With your talent, you will definitely be able to achieve great things on the battlefield, and it will not be difficult for you to advance to the rank of nobility.¡± ¡°Marquis, you flatter me. Fighting for the Northern Territory is my lifelong wish, I dare not hope for more.¡± Colin was a little disdainful in his heart. This marquis used his sister as a bargaining chip to buy people¡¯s hearts. No matter how he looked at it, it was a little underhanded. Moreover, regarding Vera¡¯s marriage, Colin did not believe that Marquis Charles would have much say in it. Of course, Marquis Charles might not really want to help Colin marry his sister. The promise of such a political figure was just as unreliable as the cliche of a boss promising promotion if his subordinate worked hard Therefore, on the surface, Colin was flattered and even showed some signs of attachment, but in his heart, he was secretly vigilant. Marquis Charles did not seem to see through Colin¡¯s perfunctory attitude and continued to treat him warmly. The two talked for a long time, and it seemed like they hated each other for not meeting sooner. It was not until late at night that Colin got up and took his leave. Marquis Charles personally sent him out of the tent. Just as Colin bowed and was about to say goodbye, Marquis Charles suddenly looked behind Colin and said in surprise, ¡°Eh? Sister, it¡¯s so late, you¡¯re still awake!¡± Chapter 31 - 031 Faith 1 Chapter 31 031 Faith 1 Colin suddenly turned around and saw Vera standing not far away. Under the cold moonlight, Colin was surprised to find that the adopted daughter of the Duke was not wearing the loose mage robe, but a pure white noble gown. Her long golden hair still had traces of moisture on it, as if she had just finished bathing. Her sea-blue eyes shone with a charming halo, revealing a trace of a surprise after seeing Colin. ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep, so I came out for a walk. Why are you awake too?¡± ¡°Haha, I just exchanged my experience of fighting trolls with Knight Colin.¡± Marquis Charles patted Colin¡¯s shoulder and gave him an ambiguous look. ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep first. You two talk.¡± After saying this, Marquis Charles decisively went back to his tent, leaving Colin and Vera alone. Colin suddenly realized that he had not seen Vera for a long time since his injury had improved. Looking at her exquisite face, Colin suddenly smiled and made a bold comment, ¡®Your outfit is much better than the wizard robe.¡± Indeed, the wizard robe was too loose to highlight Vera¡¯s graceful figure. Hearing Colin¡¯s rather explicit and slightly disrespectful remarks, Vera¡¯s face faintly blushed. She glared at Colin but did not rebuke him. Of course, Colin would not be scared off by a glance. Every weak attempt at resistance by a woman was actually a form of encouragement. Therefore, Colin went up and stood side by side with Vera. In the quiet night, only the faint sound of insects could be heard. Vera looked up at the bright moon as if she did not realize that there was a man beside her. Colin did not break the rare silence, and he also looked up at the moon. A faint fragrance penetrated his nose. It smelled like a rose. In the language of flowers, what was a rose supposed to signify again? Colin started to let his imagination run wild again. ¡°Did you know my elder brother before this?¡± Vera suddenly spoke, as if she felt that the atmosphere was too open for ambiguity and she was not used to it. ¡°No, this is the first time we¡¯ve met.¡± ¡°But you two seem to be very familiar with each other.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because we get along very well.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Colin stopped talking and continued to look at the moon in the sky as if it was something more attractive than the beauty beside him. The two of them fell silent again. Vera was waiting for Colin to speak, but Colin was waiting for Vera to speak. He deliberately made the silence awkward for women, so that they could not help but open their mouths to break the silence. This was a simple and practical trick to pick up girls. Never be afraid of angering a woman. As long as this trick was used appropriately, women would not get angry at him. Instead, they would find a man with such cool demeanor to be more attractive. Meanwhile, those men who always took the initiative to find a topic to talk about would appear to be long-winded. Women usually called these men¡­ simps. ¡°What¡¯s that in your hand?¡± Sure enough, Vera spoke again. Colin was delighted, but he put on a sorrowful expression and said in a deep voice, ¡°This is my father¡¯s legacy.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry!¡± Vera¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She quickly apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Colin heaved a sigh of relief. It seemed like he wanted to cry. However, he did not succeed. No matter how good an actor was, he still needed a good partner to continue the act. At that moment, Colin suddenly missed Marquis Charles¡­ ¡°I¡¯m fine. Dying on the battlefield is my father¡¯s lifelong wish. It¡¯s also the best home for the knights of the Northern Territory.¡± ¡°Baron Angele is a great knight!¡± Vera bowed slightly and looked at the sword in Colin¡¯s hand. ¡°May the God of Light protect his soul!¡± Colin was stunned. He almost thought that his ears were playing tricks on him. The mage was praying to the God of Light?! Was she still the heretic who only believed in the facts and refused to believe in gods? Vera raised her head and saw Colin¡¯s shocked face. She suddenly realized what he was surprised about and explained softly, ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve decided to serve the God of Light.¡± ¡°Really¡­ Really?¡± Vera nodded gently, her expression firm and pious. ¡°Why?¡± Colin still could not believe it. He knew that if a mage turned to worship the God of Light, it would cause great disturbances. The mages in Javier would go crazy! ¡°I¡­ I just felt that my escape was far too dangerous¡­ as if the gods were protecting me¡­ So, I decided to devote myself to the God of Light¡­¡± Vera¡¯s gaze was a little evasive, and a strange blush appeared on her face. This female mage was not good at lying and Colin saw through her immediately. However, he was not stupid enough to expose her. ¡°You made the right choice! The God of Light is worthy of being served by everyone!¡± Colin replied with a pious look on his face. At the same time, he could not help but doubt in his heart. Was this all planned by the Duke of Saint Hilde? Did he expect Vera to go to Yewll to study Arcana and then, return to the Northern Territory to serve the God of Light? If so, why? Was it a wise move to provoke the conflict between the nobles and the mages at this time? As though seeing through Colin¡¯s concern, Vera quickly explained, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t publicly declare that I¡¯ve switched to serve the God of Light. I don¡¯t want to cause unnecessary trouble.¡± Colin was relieved, but he could not help feeling curious about the real reason for Vera¡¯s conversion. Of course, Vera wouldn¡¯t tell Colin the real reason. At least not at this time. She seemed to have thought of something shameful, and her little face turned red. This of course attracted Colin¡¯s inquisitive gaze. Though before Colin could ask, Vera hurriedly said goodbye to Colin, and then rushed back to her tent. Like a frightened deer. Colin looked at her retreating figure and recalled Vera¡¯s cute and shy appearance at the end. He could not help but stroke his chin. Then, he thought coquettishly, ¡®Could it be that my charm has leveled up this much? ¡®It must be because of my face!¡¯ After being proud for a while, Colin also started to stroll back. ¡°Knight Kahn?¡± On the way, a shout suddenly sounded beside Colin. Of course, he did not respond, because that was not him. ¡°Knight Kahn?¡± The other person called again. ¡°You, there. Are you calling me?¡± Colin turned his head and saw a figure walking toward him. ¡°Of course.¡± The person was a young lady. However, the exquisite plate armor on her body, the silver longsword at her waist, and the knight boots on her feet all indicated that this was a female knight. A valiant female knight! However, Colin did not recognize her. ¡°You must have mistaken me for someone else. My name is Colin.¡± ¡°Really?¡± The female knight revealed a mysterious smile and stood in front of Colin. The faint fragrance of jasmine entered Colin¡¯s nose. Now, he could not help but wondercould it be that he was in luck with women today? His attractiveness must be too much for any woman to handle! In the next second, when the female knight announced her name, Colin¡¯s smug smile immediately froze on his face. ¡°My name is Cynthia.¡± The female knight¡¯s smile was unreadable. ¡°Cynthia Surdo!¡± Chapter 32 - 032 Cynthia Surdo 1 Chapter 32 032 Cynthia Surdo 1 What were the side-effects of lying? Pinocchio¡¯s nose would grow longer. Vera¡¯s face would turn red. Marquis Charles¡­ Well, for a guy like Marquis Charles, lying was like eating and drinking. Colin did not think he was as good an actor as Marquis Charles, but when he lied, it was hard for most people to tell. However, this did not mean that there would be no consequences if he lied. Well, now the consequences had arrived. When he heard that the female knight¡¯s surname was Surdo, Colin finally realized what happened. No wonder she called him ¡°Knight Kahn¡±. Back then, to conceal his identity and sneak into the Firefox mercenary group, Colin had used Kahn Surdo as his fake name! Now, the real Surdo had found the fake one. ¡°I think there might be a small misunderstanding¡­¡± Colin took half a step back, feeling a little guilty. ¡°What misunderstanding?¡± Cynthia took a step forward and asked aggressively, ¡°My good ¡®younger brother¡¯, I haven¡¯t seen you for a few months, but you¡¯ve changed quite a lot! I almost didn¡¯t recognize you.¡± Very well. So, this woman was Kahn Surdo¡¯s elder sister. At this time, the Black Knights went north and gathered a lot of scattered soldiers who were defeated at the front line. The Surdo family¡¯s Ice Rock City had long been occupied by trolls, and the family¡¯s army had long been defeated. So, it was not strange that Cynthia would appear here. What was strange to Colin was how Cynthia knew that he had once pretended to be her brother. There were only so many people who knew that he used a fake identity. Someone must have snitched on him! For some reason, the first figure that appeared in Colin¡¯s mind was Sal. This filial son had always been at odds with him. Moreover, his thoughts were shady and he liked to stir up trouble. Therefore, Colin felt that it was very likely that this fellow had incited Cynthia to mess with him. ¡°Miss Cynthia, please listen to my explanation¡­¡± ¡°Okay, go ahead.¡± ¡°Actually, the truth is like this¡­ Hey, hey! Why are you drawing your sword?!¡± Colin was so scared that he kept retreating. ¡°Didn¡¯t you agree to let me explain?¡± ¡°Yes, you can explain, but I won¡¯t listen.¡± Cynthia held her sword with both hands and assumed a charging posture. ¡°Mother said that you should never trust a man who has deceived you!¡± ¡°What nonsense!¡± Colin was suspicious. This woman must be out of her mind. ¡°Don¡¯t come any closer! This is a military camp. Private duels are not allowed!¡± ¡°For the reputation of the Surdo family, I want to fight you! Draw your sword!¡± Cynthia threw down a white glove and shouted. ¡°I don¡¯t accept!¡± Colin ignored the white glove on the ground. He was at a loss¡ªwhy did this woman insist on a duel before listening to his explanation? How bad was the enmity she had for him? ¡°Hehe, coward! I¡¯ll count to three before I attack!¡± Cynthia did not care about the military regulations that forbade private duels. These things were used to restrain lower-level soldiers. For nobles, they did not have much effect. ¡°One!¡± Cynthia¡¯s voice was as hard as iron. Cold sweat broke out on Colin¡¯s forehead. His right hand could not help but grip the hilt of his sword. He already understood that this woman was probably unreasonable.He was not afraid of battle. Having faced the charge of nearly a thousand wolf cavalrymen, Colin was fearless enough to stand in the front row. Now, there was only one woman. Of course, she would not be able to scare him. Moreover, thanks to Archbishop Raven¡¯s holy water, Colin had already advanced to a tier 2 knight. At his age, a tier 2 knight was already a rather high level. The crazy woman opposite him looked to be about the same age as him, so she should not be above this level either. ¡°Two!¡± Cynthia reported the count again with a cold expression. Colin took a deep breath and pulled out the longsword at his waist. Then, he saw the female knight in front of him immediately turn into a golden bolt of lightning and rush toward him! ¡°F*ck! Didn¡¯t we agree to count to three!¡± Bang! Colin only felt a huge force surging toward him. It was as if he had been hit by a tank, and his entire body was sent flying. Heck! This crazy woman was probably a tier 3 knight! ¡°God of Light, shine on the world!¡± Cynthia was still mumbling prayers. Coupled with the holy golden light that she was emitting, the scene looked somewhat comical. However, Colin did not have the time to complain, because the woman slashed at him again. Clang! Colin managed to block it, but the huge impact made his hands numb. He was barely holding onto the sword. ¡°My heart is pure, and it¡¯s cleansing evil!¡± Cynthia¡¯s pupils had become pure gold. Without a trace of human emotion, she was as stoic as a god. Bang! Colin was sent flying by a kick. This time, he flew quite far and directly knocked over a nearby tent. The soldiers in the tent ran out in a panic only to see Cynthia, whose entire body was emitting golden light. Then, they put away the swords in their hands in tacit understanding and obediently hid at the sidelines to watch the battle. The two knights were fighting, so the soldiers naturally did not dare to meddle in other people¡¯s business. ¡°Pfft!¡± Colin spat out a mouthful of blood. He felt that many of his ribs should have been broken, and the injuries that he had mostly recovered from before had also relapsed. ¡°Woman! Don¡¯t go too far!¡± Cynthia naturally did not take this threat seriously. She still resolutely raised her sword and charged over. ¡°Fearless, invincible!¡± The woman¡¯s unreasonable and arrogant attitude finally infuriated Colin. ¡°Ah!¡± Colin let out a beast-like roar. A wave of indescribable anger and hatred surged from his memories and instantly dominated his will. It was a will that did not belong to Colin, his predecessor, or even this world. It was as if it came from an ancient abyss that crossed ten thousand years of time and space and suddenly descended. Moonlight shone from behind Colin. There¡­ vaguely¡­it was as if a terrifying phantom had appeared. It was revealing its bloodstained fangs as it extended its huge black wings. A moment of astonishment appeared in Cynthia¡¯s golden eyes. She thought that she was hallucinating and her charging momentum was interrupted. Though very quickly, she gathered her thoughts again, ¡®Resolute and pious, cut through the thorns¡­¡¯ ¡®Cut through the t¡­!¡¯ Colin roared and instantly erupted with unprecedented terrifying power as he stabbed out with his sword! Clang! A large hole appeared in the armor on Cynthia¡¯s chest, and the scattered pieces of metal flew everywhere. Fresh blood dyed her shirt red, and a few buttons on her chest were torn off, revealing a beautiful scenery. However, Cynthia did not seem to notice it at all, nor was she scared by Colin¡¯s extraordinary performance just now. She calmly steadied her body and prayed again, ¡°Be firm and pious, and cut through thorns and thorns!¡± Then, she charged again. It was as if nothing could stop this woman. At this moment, Colin did not have enough momentum. The effect of that attack just now was terrifying, it actually allowed him to close their gap in power and suppress Cynthia. However, it also almost used up all of his strength. Thus, facing the crazy woman who charged again, a vicious look flashed through Colin¡¯s eyes. He made a decision. The longsword shone with a golden light as it stabbed toward Colin¡¯s chest like lightning. Colin did not dodge. Tsk! Cynthia watched as the longsword in her hand pierced through his chest, but her heart was filled with fear. Colin¡¯s sword¡­ was right at her throat. Chapter 33 - 033 Reasons 1 Chapter 33 033 Reasons 1 ¡°Let go!¡± Colin¡¯s mouth dripped with blood, but his tone was calm and unyielding. The golden color in Cynthia¡¯s eyes gradually faded, and her rationality gradually returned. So, facing this man with blood-red eyes in front of her, she was afraid. Madmen were always afraid of crazier madmen. So, Cynthia let go of her hands that were holding the sword. Colin did not care about the sword that pierced his chest, as if it did not exist at all. ¡°Who told you that I used your brother¡¯s name?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you need to take care of your wound first?¡± ¡°Cut the crap!¡± Colin exerted a little force, and the sword cut a small wound on Cynthia¡¯s throat, and the red blood started trickling down. ¡°I don¡¯t want to ask you again!¡± Lunatic! Cynthia cursed in her heart. In this world dominated by men, Cynthia, as a female knight, naturally had to bear more criticism and doubt. Therefore, she put on a thick layer of armor to give others the impression of madness. ¡°The lunatic of the Surdo family.¡± ¡°The fanatic of the church.¡± ¡°The bloodthirsty wild rose.¡± Although these titles were not pleasant to hear, it was true that no one dared to provoke Cynthia in Ice Rock City. However, now, as she stared at the man in front of her with an indifferent expression while having a long sword in his chest, Cynthia could only lower her arrogant head. ¡°Oliver.¡± Hearing this name, Colin was stunned. It was not the eldest filial son, Sal? It was the fat merchant who had once hired the Firefox mercenary group to escort the caravan to Fallen Eagle City! That guy did not actually end up dead in the Mirror Lake camp? He was really lucky. ¡°Where is he?¡± Just as Colin asked this question, he saw a fat figure flashing in the crowd, as if he was about to run away. ¡°Oliver! I see you! If you don¡¯t want to die, then get your ass over here!¡± The fat figure seemed to have been struck by lightning and immediately stood rooted to the ground. After struggling for a while, he finally walked over dejectedly. ¡°Tell me, how did you meet this crazy woman? And why did you betray me?¡± Oliver shook his head repeatedly. ¡°I didn¡¯t, I didn¡¯t betray¡­¡± ¡°Tell me!¡± Colin¡¯s voice was stern. Oliver was so scared that his fat was trembling. He finally began to tell the story in an honest manner. It turned out that when Oliver was attacked in the Mirror Lake camp, he decisively jumped into the Mirror Lake to survive. He was not a good swimmer. However, he had a lot of fat. As everyone knew, the density of fat was lower than water. Therefore, fat people could usually easily float on the surface of the water. Oliver floated in the lake for three days and three nights. Finally, when he was about to faint from hunger, he finally reached the shore. At this time, the main force of the trolls had already left the mirror lake. Therefore, Oliver dodged a disaster. Then, he encountered another wave of scattered deserters and ran south with them. On the way, they met Cynthia, who was rushing over from Fallen Eagle City to provide support. TO Cynthia had borrowed hundreds of people from her uncle, Earl Oman, to come and provide support after hearing the news that the Black Knights were heading north. In fact, after Viscount Surdo¡¯s death, Kahn Surdo, who was supposed to be his first successor¡ªthe guy that Colin had once pretended to be¡ªwas supposed to lead his army to recapture Ice Rock City. Only then would the Surdo family be able to regain their title and glory. However, not everyone could regain their confidence after a crushing defeat and step into the bloody and cruel battlefield again. Knight Kahn was, sadly, one of them men who got scared out of his wits. Therefore, his sister, Cynthia Surdo, had to lead the army into battle. However, the army of the Surdo family had long been defeated. Earl Oman obviously could not lend all his forces to the Surdo family. It was already quite generous of him to give his niece a few hundred soldiers. Therefore, Cynthia, who was extremely short of soldiers, naturally would not let Oliver¡¯s group of scattered deserters go. She took them in without explanation and forced them to continue fighting for the Surdo family. Strictly speaking, her action was illegal. However, the Surdo family had already lost their territory, so Cynthia could not care about these things. Moreover, she was a crazy person at heart. That also meant that Oliver was doomed. It was not easy for him to get away from the Mirror Lake battlefield, and now he was forced to do it again. He was already traumatized, and he did not want to be cannon fodder anymore. So, Oliver went to Cynthia and tried to persuade her to let him go. He was still somewhat confident about this. After all, he was convinced that he and the first heir of the Surdo family, ¡°Knight Kahn,¡± were old acquaintances who went through hardships together. However, when Cynthia saw this merchant claiming to have gone to Fallen Eagle City with her brother, she immediately exposed him. The real Kahn Surdo had fled to Fallen Eagle City with her. How could he be traveling with a caravan? Cynthia certainly thought this was a lie. Poor Oliver was beaten up and he stayed down ever since. However, after Cynthia led the army to meet with the Black Knights, Oliver saw a glimmer of hope again. He saw an old acquaintance among the Black Knights¡ªthe hugely filial son, Sal. From Sal¡¯s words, Oliver finally understood why he was beaten up by Cynthia. That ¡°Knight Kahn¡± was a fake! Oliver felt aggrieved, but he dared not say anything After all, as a commoner, how could he report a noble? However, under the instigation of Sal, who wanted nothing but chaos, Oliver still went to Cynthia and confessed everything. He claimed that he was not the one who lied, but Colin. Cynthia would not easily believe a commoner. In her opinion, why would the noble Knight Colin pretend to be her brother? The Surdo family was on the verge of falling apart. What good would it do to pretend to be their heir? Faced with Cynthia¡¯s question, Oliver panicked. He also could not understand why Colin lied. In his desperation, he suddenly remembered that he had promised Colin that he was willing to help him build a bridge and use the financial resources of the Tulip Chamber of Commerce to recruit soldiers for the Surdo family and recapture Ice Rock City. At that time, Colin did not agree. Of course, neither had Colin rejected the merchant. If he did not object to it, then it was basically equivalent to agreeing. Therefore, Oliver simply told Cynthia that Colin pretended to be the heir of the Surdo family to swindle the financial support of the Tulip Chamber of Commerce. This seemed to be the only reasonable explanation. Therefore, Cynthia was furious. There was actually someone who dared to use the name of the Surdo family to swindle others! Now that the Surdo family had fallen to the point of only having one name left, Cynthia naturally could not allow this name to be tarnished. After she asked Oliver to identify Colin from the camp, she took advantage of the fact that he was alone and went looking for trouble. After listening to Oliver explain the cause and effect of the matter, Colin felt a burst of anger in his heart. Sure enough, his guess was right. It was still Sal who had interfered! Colin glared fiercely at Cynthia. ¡°I can tell you clearly that there is a reason for using your brother¡¯s name, and I have never used the name of the Surdo family to plot anything. ¡°Now that I have taken your sword, this matter ends here!¡± With that, Colin withdrew the long sword that was pressed against Cynthia¡¯s throat. Cynthia snorted coldly and turned to leave. This crazy woman seemed to be very unconvinced, but this matter was Colin¡¯s fault, so there was no reason for him to punish Cynthia. However, Colin did not intend to let Sal and Oliver off easily. Thus, Colin turned around and ordered Oliver, ¡°Go find Sal and bring him to me. Tell him not to think about running away, or else he will bear the consequences!¡± ¡°Okay, but your injury¡­¡± Oliver looked at the longsword in front of Colin¡¯s chest and was shook to his core. ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­¡± As soon as Colin finished speaking, he heard Vera¡¯s anxious voice. ¡°Colin! Colin, what¡¯s wrong with you?!¡± It seemed that the commotion here had alarmed the female mage. At this moment, Knight Colin, who had been as steady as a mountain, startled wobbling. He pressed hard on his chest, and with a slightly exaggerated expression, he cried out in pain, ¡°I¡­ can¡¯t¡­ ah!¡± Then, he threw his head back and fell. However, the timing of his fall was quite coincidental, and he fell into Vera¡¯s embrace as she ran over. When he felt the familiar soft-touch, Colin tried hard to spit out a mouthful of blood. ¡°Quick! Go find Archbishop Raven¡­ Holy Water¡­¡± Vera looked like she was about to cry. ¡°But the archbishop¡¯s holy water was used up last time!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Colin was speechless. Chapter 34 - 034 Ice Rock City 1 Chapter 34 034 Ice Rock City 1 Spring was bright and beautiful, and there were no clouds in the sky. Last night¡¯s little farce did not have much of an impact on the army. When the sky brightened, the army set off as per usual, continuing to chase the troll tracks to the north. Of course, calling it a chase was not very appropriate. That was because the speed of the Black Knights was too slow. Colin could not help thinking that Marquis Garcia seemed to be waiting for something on purpose. Moreover, with such a slow speed, the troll army should have already left the Northern Territory. Perhaps this was Marquis Garcia¡¯s plan? Win without a fight? Although he was full of doubts, Colin did not dare to question the highest commander of the Black Knights. Moreover, here, even in the entire Northern Territory, no one dared to question Marquis Garcia¡¯s military orders. Behind the tortoise-like advancing army, Colin once again lay back on the flatbed trailer that he had just said goodbye to not long ago. His injuries this time might have looked scary, but there was no danger at all. Vera, on the other hand, was rather frightened. She once again found Archbishop Raven and asked him to personally cast a healing spell on Colin. The healing spell personally cast by the archbishop was indeed very effective. In just one night, Colin already felt that his wounds were itchy and even showed signs of healing. However, he was not too happy. After all, what he wanted was not a healing spell, but holy water! Unfortunately, the archbishop really ran out of holy water. Oh, well. What a waste of his wonderful performance! It seemed that he had to think of a way to get some holy water from the church in the future. After all, compared to the blood of a high-ranking knight, pure holy water was relatively easier to obtain even though it was still rather rare. Moreover, the process of acquiring it was safe and without risk. Just as Colin was lying in the trailer and starting to think about the church, Oliver rushed over and reported, ¡°Sir Colin, Sal, he¡­ He¡­!! ¡°He ran away?¡± Colin glanced at the fat man who was covered in sweat. A ferocious look flashed across his face. If Sal really dared to run away, then Colin would definitely charge him with desertion, making him unable to survive in the entire Northern Territory. ¡°No, no, he didn¡¯t run away.¡± ¡°Is he too scared to come?¡± This time, Colin was somewhat surprised. A mere mercenary actually dared to disobey the orders of a noble? Colin was about to let Knight Raymond kill that filial son, but Oliver shook his head and said, ¡°No, Sal has already joined the Surdo family¡¯s team. And when I asked Knight Cynthia for him, she¡­¡± ¡°What did she say?¡± Colin¡¯s voice was a bit cold. Oliver shrunk his head and whispered, ¡°She said¡­ You¡¯re not qualified to order the Surdo family¡­¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± Happiness flashed on Colin¡¯s face. This filial son was able to see the situation clearly. He managed to find another pillar of support so quickly. As for that crazy woman from the Surdo family, it seemed that she really intended to fight with Colin to the end. Taking a deep breath, Colin calmed himself down. He felt that there was no need for him to be anxious. The Surdo family that had lost their fiefdom was nothing more than a flower that had long past its prime. How long could that crazy woman protect Sal? Sooner or later, Colin would send that filial son to reunite with his father in hell. However, Colin seemed to have miscalculated this time¡ªin just a few days, Ice Rock City was reclaimed by the Surdo family. was Furthermore, the entire process was unbelievably simple. When the Black Knights slowly headed north, they realized that not only did they not encounter any troll army, the enemy even gave up on the cities that were once occupied. Yes, they gave up completely. The troll soldiers inside were all gone, as though they had never been there before. As a result, the noble lords who had been captured by the Black Knights along the way suddenly became spirited. They led their once defeated soldiers and ¡°slashed¡± their way back into the empty cities, announcing that they had regained their lost territories. This was because the Black Knights were maintaining order. However, there was no competition. The various lords tacitly only led their armies into their original fiefdoms and did not take over other people¡¯s cities. There were even a few clans that had lost all their heirs, but no one dared to take over their territories. After all, this victory was entirely built on the Black Knights¡¯ reputation. The other lords were all trailing behind the Black Knights¡¯ army to take advantage of them. If they still did not know what was good for them and took things that did not belong to them, Marquis Garcia would not be polite to them. In the eyes of the lords, those unclaimed fiefdoms naturally had to be handed over to Marquis Garcia to deal with. Therefore, no matter how Colin gritted his teeth and cursed the luck of the Surdo family, Cynthia still managed to take back Ice Rock City without bloodshed. The Surdo family seemed to be on the verge of revival. Following that, the Black Knights stationed themselves on the outskirts of Ice Rock City. Ice Rock City was the largest city in the Northeast region of the Northern Territory that was closest to the firmament ice plains. Marquis Garcia seemed to be prepared to stay here for a long time and did not have any intention of continuing his attack on the trolls from the north. Cynthia, who had recovered Ice Rock City, was feeling very pleased with herself. She immediately invited Marquis Garcia and the other nobles into Ice Rock City, announcing that a banquet would be held three days later to celebrate this apparent victory. Colin also received an invitation to the banquet, but he felt that the crazy woman had no intention to bury the hatchet with him. Although it was not considered a grand banquet, Colin felt that Cynthia would definitely not let him have a good time at the banquet. Of course, Colin would not be frightened. He also wanted to see what kind of plans that crazy woman had arranged for him. He hoped that he would not be disappointed. ¡°Oliver.¡± Colin put down the banquet invitation in his hand and called out. ¡°Sir, what are your orders?¡± These days, Colin had been ordering Oliver around like a servant as a punishment for revealing Colin¡¯s fake identity. ¡°I need a banquet attire. Do you know of any tailor in ice rock city who can make it?¡± Colin had snuck out at the beginning. To conceal his identity, naturally, he would not bring any formal attire with him. When Oliver heard this, he immediately put on a fawning smile. ¡°Lord Colin, our Tulip Chamber of Commerce has a base in Ice Rock City. There are definitely skilled tailors there who can help you make a beautiful formal attire!¡± Colin looked at Oliver with a faint smile and did not say anything. Until the fat merchant felt goosebumps all over his body and sweat started to form on his forehead. ¡°Okay, then go to the place you said.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Oliver let out a long sigh of relief. Ever since he witnessed Colin¡¯s ruthlessness in the battle with Cynthia that night, Oliver had been especially afraid of this ¡°baron¡¯s heir¡±. Even though Oliver had faced other nobles with higher ranks before, no one had ever been able to bring him such great pressure. When Colin did not agree with Oliver¡¯s suggestion, he immediately realized that he had said the wrong thing. The Tulip Chamber of Commerce was Oliver¡¯s territory, he had suggested finding a tailor there. Obviously, he wanted to take the opportunity to escape from Colin¡¯s control. However, Colin agreed. This made Oliver even more uneasy. The party was in three days, and time was of the essence. So, the two men went without delay to what Oliver called the Tulip Chamber of Commerce. Chapter 35 - 035 Armor 1 Chapter 35 035 Armor 1 The base of the Tulip Chamber of Commerce in Ice Rock City was located in the center of the east of the city. This base occupied a large area and was quite luxurious. ¡°Your Tulip Chamber of Commerce is developing well here.¡± ¡°Hehe. You flatter me.¡± Oliver could not hide his joy. ¡°This place is very close to the firmament ice field. Most of the transactions between our chamber of Commerce and the trolls have to be transferred from Ice Rock City. Therefore, this is actually a base second only to the headquarters of the Chamber of Commerce.¡± That was right. Although the Northern Territory and the trolls were about to blow each other¡¯s brains out, the trade between the two sides had never stopped. War was war; trade was trade. These were two different things. After all, the interests involved were too great. Even the nobles of the Northern Territory were unwilling to stop the trade with the trolls. Of course, not just any merchant was qualified to conduct such foreign trade. The Tulip Chamber of Commerce had to have obvious support to be able to get a share of the profits. ¡°Where is the headquarters of the Chamber of Commerce located?¡± ¡°Fallen Eagle City.¡± Oliver said a city name that Colin was very familiar with. Fallen Eagle City was the city where Colin¡¯s elder sister had married far away, and the lord there was Earl Oman. So, that meant the Tulip Chamber of Commerce was supported by this man. Colin¡¯s expression was a little contemplative. Colin had always suspected that Earl Oman was behind the assassination attempt on him. Since the great noble behind the Tulip Chamber of Commerce might also be Earl Oman, would it count as walking into a trap now that Colin had swaggered into Earl Oman¡¯s sphere of influence with Oliver? However, Colin was not too worried. Earl Oman would not be stupid enough to assassinate a baron¡¯s heir in his own territory. If that happened, he could never shake off being a suspect. ever ¡°Sir Oliver, it¡¯s great that you¡¯re alright! I heard that you went to the Mirror Lake camp, and I thought¡­¡± As soon as they walked through the door, a freckled little girl shouted excitedly at Oliver. Oliver nodded in a reserved manner. ¡°Of course I¡¯m fine. Go and find Jack. There¡¯s a sir who needs help to make a banquet attire.¡± The freckled girl revealed a troubled expression. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Lord Oliver. Mr. Jack has been recruited into the castle by the Surdo family. They said that they¡¯re going to specially design attires for the lords who are going to attend the banquet.¡± Oliver was stunned for a moment. He turned around and said to Colin, ¡°Sir Colin, I didn¡¯t expect the Surdo family to have already arranged it. I¡¯m afraid that you¡¯ll be invited to the castle to have your measurements taken very soon¡­¡± ¡°Really?¡± Colin sneered. He did not think that the crazy woman would be kind enough to hire someone to tailor his attire. He even had a premonition that this was Cynthia¡¯s little trick to get back at him on purpose. Thinking of this, Colin asked the freckled girl, ¡°Do you know how many tailors the Surdo family has invited to the castle?¡± ¡°I heard that all the remotely famous tailors in the city have been recruited. Many of the sirs attending this banquet were in a hurry and didn¡¯t seem to have brought their attires with them, so the Surdo family is making preparations to rush them out.¡± As expected. This time, Colin was finally convinced that the crazy woman was most likely trying to make a fool of him in the matter of the attires. Seeing that Colin was silent, the freckled girl kindly suggested, ¡°Sir, if you need to make attires, Mr. Jack¡¯s apprentice is still in the shop. He might be able to help you¡­¡± ¡°Apprentice?¡± Before Colin could say anything, Oliver shouted, ¡°Let that clumsy guy make an attire for a noble? Are you out of your mind?¡± The freckled girl shrank and did not dare to say anything. Colin would also be worried about leaving the production of the attire to a tailor¡¯s apprentice. Of course, neither would he go to the Surdo family¡¯s castle to beg that crazy woman. Then, how could he find a suitable attire in such a short time? Colin stroked his chin and thought for a while. Then, he suddenly asked, ¡°Do you sell armor in your shop?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± Oliver quickly said loudly, ¡°Please follow me.¡± Colin followed Oliver to a room. At a glance, it was full of all kinds of armor. ¡°My lord, this is the best collection in our Chamber of Commerce. There are plate armors, chain armors, and even enchanted armors¡­¡± ¡°Enchanted armors?¡± Colin¡¯s interest was piqued. The so-called enchantment was to draw a magic circle on the surface of the armor, and then ask a mage to enchant the magic circle so that the armor would have all kinds of arcane characteristics. It was not a simple thing. First of all, the complicated magic circle needed to be engraved on the armor. Secondly, the mage would have to be hired at a high price to enchant the armor. Therefore, a set of enchanted armor could be sold for an exorbitant price. The armor that Colin left in Graycastle was not enchanted, and the only enchanted armor in the Angele family was worn by his father. Unfortunately, the enchanted armor was lost to the trolls after his father died in the battle. Therefore, Colin followed Oliver¡¯s lead and arrived in front of the only enchanted armor in the room. It was a fully white armor with beautiful and mysterious lines engraved on it. The armor was emitting a cold aura. ¡°This armor is enchanted with a Rank 4 magic circle called Frost Blessing. It can release frost attacks when attacked, causing damage on the attacker,¡± Oliver explained. Rank 4 magic circle! Colin remembered that the enchanted armor that was passed down in the Angele family only had a Rank 2 magic circle engraved on it. ¡°How much is this enchanted armor?¡± Colin¡¯s interest was piqued. Oliver turned around and talked to an old blacksmith for a while. He then announced the price, ¡°50,000 gold coins.¡± 1 annou ¡°Come again?¡± Colin could not believe what he just heard. The taxes received from the lands under the Angele family were only 3,000 gold coins a year. In other words, the Angele family could not afford the enchanted armor even if they did not eat or drink for ten years. It was no wonder that the Rank 2 enchanted armor of the Angele family was considered a family heirloom. Colin glanced at the enchanted armor reluctantly and turned around. It was not something he could afford. Also, even if he sold everything he had, he would not be able to maintain it. ¡°What about this set?¡± Colin changed to another set of armor without enchantments. ¡°This one costs 2,000 gold coins.¡± Colin inhaled deeply, feeling a little pained. However, he also knew that this kind of exquisite armor would not be cheap. ¡°Can I pay a deposit first? I¡¯ll inform Graycastle to send the rest of the money over.¡± Hearing this, Oliver thought for a moment and gritted his teeth. ¡°Lord Colin, if you like this set of armor, I can give it to you for free!¡± ¡°Free?¡± Colin smiled playfully. He did not believe that there were free things in this world. Everything had a price, but some of the prices would not appear in the form of money. ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Oliver said in a low voice, ¡°Previously, I accidentally damaged your relationship with the Surdo family and injured you. So, you can consider this armor as my apology to you.¡± Sure enough, after returning to the Tulip Chamber of Commerce, the fat man was trying to get out of Colin¡¯s crosshairs. The free armor was actually Oliver¡¯s ransom fee. ¡°Alright! I¡¯ll accept your apology.¡± Seeing that Oliver was sincere, Colin decided not to pursue the matter anymore. He then found a pen and paper before drawing a bear¡¯s head roaring into the sky. On the back of the bear¡¯s head was a shield badge with thorns on it. ¡°Help me carve the emblem of the Angele family on it. Send it to my place in three days.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Colin was about to leave after finishing his words. ¡°Sir Colin, about the banquet attire¡­¡± Oliver reminded. ¡°I already have a plan for the attire. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Colin turned around and gave him an unreadable smile. Chapter 36 - 036 Banquet 1 Chapter 36 036 Banquet 1 Three days passed in the blink of an eye. The day of the Surdo¡¯s family¡¯s banquet arrived as scheduled. As night fell, the castle in the center of Ice Rock City was packed with people. A large number of nobles gathered to attend the banquet. It had to be said that the timing chosen by Cynthia Surdo was extremely ingenious. Originally, with the influence of the Surdo family, it was impossible to invite such a large number of nobles to attend the banquet. However, at this time, the troll army had withdrawn from the Northern Territory, and the lost castles had been taken back without much difficulty. Although it was a little self-deceptive, it could still be considered a victory. Moreover, the only two marquises in the Northern Territory were coincidentally in Ice Rock City. Under such circumstances, unless Duke Saint Hilde personally held a banquet in Winter City, Ice Rock City tonight was destined to become the focal point of the Northern Territory. The banquet started at six o¡¯clock, and Colin arrived at half-past five. He came alone. This was a high-level aristocratic banquet, so it was naturally impossible for the guests to bring in civilian servants. Knight Raymond was barely qualified to attend, but he had been sent back to Graycastle by Colin to report the news. Colin felt that he could now be considered someone who could establish a relationship with the two heirs of the St. Hilde family. Presumably, Earl Oman would not dare to act too ruthlessly either. Therefore, there was no need for him to cower and hide in the dark anymore. Thus, Colin sent Raymond back to inform the family, so that the family would not cause trouble thinking that he was dead. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir. Please show me the invitation letter.¡± When the guard at the castle gate saw Colin, his expression immediately became exceptionally interesting. He hurriedly stopped him and asked. Colin took out the invitation letter and handed it to the guard. The guard quickly took it and carefully checked it. After confirming that it was correct, he had no choice but to let him in. ¡°Sorry, Sir Colin, I¡¯ve troubled you. Welcome to the banquet! Please come in!¡± Only then did Colin slowly enter the castle. On the way, when everyone saw him, they all looked at him in surprise. Many of them even secretly pointed and whispered about something Colin did not care about the stares. He walked to the banquet hall with his head held high. ¡°Sir Knight, please wait!¡± Unfortunately, he was stopped by the butler of the Surdo family. The butler recognized the badge of the Angele family and smiled. ¡°You¡¯re Knight Colin, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Colin crossed his arms and was considering smashing the fake smile on the butler¡¯s face. Perhaps he had heard of Colin¡¯s fame, or perhaps he sensed danger, the butler took a step back and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Knight Colin, you can¡¯t wear armor to this banquet.¡± Yes, Colin could not find a banquet attire, so he simply wore the armor he had just bought. Logically speaking, this was indeed very rude. However, Colin was already mentally prepared. He calmly asked, ¡°Then, what ould I wear?¡± ¡°Of course, you should wear a formal attire.¡± The butler looked at him as if he were a fool. He had even begun to signal the guards beside him with his eyes, preparing to chase this rude knight out of the castle. ¡°Formal attire?¡± Colin sneered. Suddenly, he heavily punched his breastplate and said loudly, ¡°The Northern Territory has just suffered such a great humiliation, and the troll army has just retreated. Moreover, they returned unscathed with a full load of goods! ¡°How dare you still dress up and dance here? ¡°What about our counterattack? ¡°What about our revenge? ¡°What about our bloodlust? ¡°Why aren¡¯t we doing anything? ¡°I¡¯m just an insignificant knight. I don¡¯t have the right to question the decisions of the Lords! ¡°But..! ¡°I feel bad for my father, Baron Angele, who died on the frontlines! ¡°As his only son, I swear that I will not take off my armor until I get my revenge!¡± The crowd was silent! Colin¡¯s words acted like a pause button. Everyone was staring at the strange man in armor. Especially the old butler of the Surdo family. His brain was still ringing. He was not sure whether he was shocked by Colin¡¯s loud voice or by what Colin said. At this time, he also knew that he could not chase this disrespectful knight out of the castle as they planned. Colin was indeed disrespectful, but he was in the right! Strictly speaking, this banquet was indeed a bit of a whitewash. The lords and nobles who easily recovered their lost territories urgently needed a chance to cover up their past failures and publicize their current victory. Therefore, this banquet to celebrate their ¡°victory¡± appeared under the impetus of all parties. However, they did not expect that someone would step out and ruthlessly tear their facade apart and rub it in the faces of the nobles. Cynthia Surdo was also in the crowd. She wanted to see Colin, this annoying fellow, being chased out of the castle with her own eyes, but she did not expect that she would see this scene. Cynthia gritted her teeth so hard that she nearly shattered them, but at the same time, a trace of regret emerged in her heart. This banquet was supposed to be a great opportunity for the Surdo family to become famous, but now, it seemed to have become a joke. It was all because of one person. An originally insignificant person. A person who she wanted to humiliate with some petty tricks. Perhaps, she should not have taken this unnecessary move¡­ Colin did not know that Cynthia, that crazy woman, was also watching him. He still had that self-righteous look on his face. He ignored the gazes from the surroundings and strode forward as if there was no one else around. Bang! Colin knocked into the old butler who was still in a daze. However, the old butler did not dare to retaliate anymore. He watched helplessly as Colin, wearing that pure white armor, strode into the banquet hall. There were quite a number of participating nobles in the hall. When they saw Colin walking into the hall, everyone¡¯s expressions were different. They whispered to each other and started animated discussions. Colin¡¯s loud voice had already transmitted those heroic words into the banquet hall. Therefore, he naturally became the temporary focus of the banquet. However, no one came forward to him. Clearly, Colin was ostracized, but he did not care at all. His heart was even filled with joy. as e After all, this was a banquet that the crazy woman had planned in every possible way. She had originally wanted to make the Surdo family famous, but now, it seemed that it had been completely destroyed by Colin¡¯s words. There was still some time before the banquet officially began. Therefore, the nobles who participated in the banquet were still arriving one after another. The newcomers clearly felt that the atmosphere in the hall seemed a little off. They only found out that it was all Colin¡¯s doing after asking around. Therefore, more and more gazes were cast on Colin. Colin also felt a little annoyed, so he simply closed his eyes. As time passed, the status of the people arriving became higher and higher. That was until Marquis Charles appeared at the door of the hall. Then, the banquet suddenly became quiet again. This was not because of how high the prestige of Marquis Charles was among the nobles. On the contrary, because of the previous series of tragic defeats, his reputation among the northern nobles was horrifyingly low now. However, his appearance still made the whole place quiet again. That was because he was also wearing a suit of armor! Chapter 37 - 037 Banquet 2 Chapter 37 037 Banquet 2 When Charles stepped into the banquet hall, he was full of himself. When everyone looked at him in surprise, he was full of confidence. However, when the banquet hall fell into a long silence, he felt a little strange. Tonight¡¯s attire was one that he had specially prepared for a long time. In fact, he had prepared an impassioned speech, just waiting for someone to ask him, ¡°Dear Marquis, why are you attending the banquet in a suit of armor?¡± Yet! Why did no one ask? Marquis Charles was deeply disappointed. These people were too stupid, they could not even give him this opening. So, he coughed a few times and prepared to answer his own question. ¡°You must be very curious as to why I¡¯m not wearing formal attire, right? ¡°This is because I¡¯m too ashamed to wear one!¡± Marquis Charles took a deep breath and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, there were tears in his eyes! ¡°The troll army has retreated, but have we really won? ¡°Ask yourselves¡­¡± When Marquis Charles said this, he looked at the entire scene with a pained gaze. Though, at a certain point, he stopped abruptly. That was because he saw the unique figure in the crowd at a scan¡ªColin. That was when he knew things had gone awry¡­ At this time, Colin also saw Marquis Charles. ¡®I attend the banquet in a suit of armor because that crazy woman has forced my hand. What about you? What kind of show are you trying to have here?¡¯ Colin questioned in an unhappy tone. The entire banquet hall lapsed into pindrop silence. Ten seconds passed. Twenty seconds passed. Thirty seconds passed¡­ ¡°Knight Colin!¡± Finally, Marquis Charles roared affectionately, breaking the uncomfortable and awkward silence. He took a few quick steps and arrived in front of Colin. Faced with Marquis Charles, who wore matching attires with Colin, Colin instinctively panicked. He subconsciously withdrew his hands. However, much to his dismay,Marquis Charles quickly caught his hands! ¡°Knight Colin!¡± Marquis Charles held Colin¡¯s hands tightly. ¡°I knew it. There will always be warriors in the Northern Territory like me who don¡¯t want to indulge in false victories. Ones who dare to pick up weapons, put on armor, and fight the trolls to the death!¡± Colin resisted the urge to withdraw his hands. He quickly adjusted the expression on his face and put on an impassioned look. ¡®I, who should cooperate with your performance, can only try my best to perform.¡¯ However, when it came to Marquis Charles¡¯ ability to act, Colin was still a little ashamed of himself in comparison. For example, the man had exquisite control over his passionate tears as he fought against letting them flow. Colin knew that he could not do it himself. ¡°Marquis!¡± Colin¡¯s tone gradually became choked. ¡°As long as I don¡¯t avenge my father, I won¡¯t take off my armor! Please reorganize your army, Marquis Charles, and lead us on a counterattack immediately!¡± ¡°Please rest assured. I won¡¯t let you down!¡± The two best actors looked at each other affectionately. ¡°But you¡¯ve already let us down.¡± A calm voice came from the door of the hall. The voice was not loud, but it was sufficient to silence the entire hall. Moreover, this person¡¯s words revealed his blatant disdain for Marquis Charles, but no one present dared to refute him. Even Marquis Charles himself, although his meticulously prepared performance was forcefully interrupted, he only revealed an embarrassed and guilty expression when he heard that. At the same time, the crowd immediately shifted to both sides, creating a path for the person at the door. Marquis Garcia appeared at the door. Standing next to him was a marvelously dressed Vera. The two ¡°armored men¡± finally stopped looking at each other emotionally. They turned around and bowed to the two who had just entered the hall. Marquis Garcia was wearing a dark blue attire today. His face was cold as he walked quickly through the crowd. He did not stop when he passed by Colin and Marquis Charles. He did not even look at the two of them. It was as if he did not care about the farce that the two of them had caused. As the person with the highest status in today¡¯s banquet, Marquis Garcia¡¯s behavior was very important. Seeing that he did not pay any attention to the two armored men, the nobles who participated in the banquet heaved a sigh of relief. However, although Marquis Garcia was undoubtedly the focal point today, the real focal point of the banquet was someone else. At least, all the men present had their eyes on the slender and graceful figure behind Marquis Garcia. Colin was no exception. Vera was breathtakingly beautiful tonight. She wore a pure white dress with a slit. Her dazzling golden long hair fell on her smooth shoulders. Her azure blue eyes were as pure as the sea. Her height of 1.7 meters was excellently proportioned with the tight-fitting dress accentuating every part of her body, weaving her into a mesmerizing hourglass. What made the male nobles at the banquet even more unable to control themselves was that Vera had a near-perfect exquisite face. Moreover, the mysticism of a mage, the dignified elegance of a great noble, and the gentleness and grace of a young girl were perfectly integrated with her body, emitting a fatal attraction. ¡°Who is she?¡± Many male nobles had already begun to inquire about Vera¡¯s identity in whispers. This adopted daughter of the Duke was indeed rather mysterious. Colin had not found any information about her from his previous memories, as if the Duke of St. Hilde was deliberately concealing her existence. However, Marquis Garcia seemed to have all the intentions of introducing this beauty to the Northern Territory today. me ¡°Before the banquet begins, please allow me to formally introduce this beautiful lady beside me.¡± Marquis Garcia led Vera to the high platform in the front row of the hall and introduced her. ¡°Vera St. Hilde, the adopted daughter of the Duke of St. Hilde!¡± ¡°Wow!¡± Hearing Vera¡¯s true identity, the eyes of the male nobles in the audience shone even brighter. There was only one thought in their mindsmarry her! They had to have a dream, otherwise, what was the difference between them and salted fish? Marquis Garcia seemed to see through everyone¡¯s thoughts, so he did not delay any longer. He immediately picked up a wine glass and shouted, ¡°Tonight¡¯s banquet officially begins! Everyone, enjoy it to your heart¡¯s content!¡± ¡°Praise the marquis!¡± As soon as Marquis Garcia finished speaking, beautiful music began to play. The banquet officially began. As expected, Miss Vera was immediately surrounded by many male nobles of similar age. Regardless of their status, almost all the unmarried men present wanted to try and see if they had a chance to get the beauty. After all, a woman like Vera, whose appearance and status could be called a one-in-a-million, was the best marriage partner. Vera skillfully dealt with the nobles who came to flirt with her, as if this kind of scene was nothing special to her. Her every move revealed the bearing of the daughter of a duke, politely and firmly rejecting wave after wave of men. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to try?¡± Marquis Charles nudged Colin next to him with his elbow. ¡°They can go ahead.¡± Colin looked calm. ¡°You have to give others a chance to try first.¡± Marquis Charles heard the strong confidence in Colin¡¯s words and immediately looked sideways. ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t blame me for not reminding you. There are many young men at the banquet today who are above you in terms of status and appearance!¡± Colin shrugged and ignored Charles¡¯ warning. Instead, he picked up a glass of champagne from the tray of a passing waiter and sipped it carefully. Seeing this, Marquis Charles rolled his eyes and felt that he had really worried for nothing At this time, in the middle of the banquet hall, there were already many men and women dancing together. However, Vera had not accepted any invitation from any man. Finally, when the suitors around her had all retreated in disappointment, Colin put down his wine glass and walked toward Vera. ¡°Beautiful and honorable lady, may I have the honor of a dance with you?¡± Colin bowed slightly and extended his right hand to Vera. Vera¡¯s face was slightly flushed. She compliantly placed her right hand in Colin¡¯s hand. ¡°Okay.¡± Chapter 38 - 038 Banquet 3 Chapter 38 038 Banquet 3 As the melodious music resonated in the hall, many couples started dancing in the ballroom. They danced the most orthodox court dance in Radiant Empire. It was similar to the Viennese waltz on Earth. The male and female partners need to borrow each other¡¯s strength to complete a series of turns, swings, and spins while ensuring that they were in harmony and quick. The entire dance steps were light, smooth, and elegant. In such a fast rotation, everything around them would become blurry. Only the faces of the partners in each other¡¯s arms could remain clear. Spin, spin, and spin again. It was as if they were going to spin forever with the person in their arms. However, the music would eventually end. The song ended. Colin completed the final turn with Vera, who weighed nearly nothing. Then, he reluctantly withdrew his right hand that was supporting Vera¡¯s smooth back, stepped back slightly, and bowed. ¡°Thank you, Miss Vera. This is the most unforgettable dance I¡¯ve ever had!¡± Cove Vera¡¯s little face was still red, and she was slightly panting as if she had not recovered from the dance just now. Hearing Colin¡¯s flattery, she smiled slyly. ¡°Knight Colin, why do I feel that you¡¯ve said this to many girls before?¡± Colin raised his head, not flustered at all. He knew very well that at this time, what he should do was not to defend himself-he must make his move. Therefore, he smiled and said, ¡°Please believe me. From now on, I¡¯ll only say such things to you and only you!¡± Sure enough. Vera found herself unable to resist Colin¡¯s straightforward words. ¡°Sweet nothings!¡± Vera rolled her eyes at Colin angrily, but there was an embarrassed smile on her face. At this time, Colin could already feel the murderous gazes around him. Obviously, after successfully becoming Vera¡¯s first dance partner, Colin had naturally become the public enemy of all the male nobles present. However, he obviously did not care. He was not letting go of Vera, this thick pillar of support, anytime soon! That was because he had already seen Earl Oman¡¯s figure in the crowd. The fear of being assassinated instantly enveloped Colin¡¯s heart, forcing him to think of ways to raise his own status, so that the other party would not act rashly. After sending Vera back to Marquis Garcia¡¯s side, Colin politely took his leave. He understood the principle of going too far. At this time, it would be foolish to stick around Vera. However, before he could walk far, a young man stepped in front of Colin, blocking him. Huh? Who sent the supporting character to faceslap him so quickly? Colin¡¯s thoughts ran wild as he smiled politely. ¡°May I ask who are you?¡± The young man smiled coldly. ¡°Knight Colin, I heard that you used my identity before. Why? Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t recognize me?¡± Colin was slightly stunned and immediately realized who the person in front of him was. No wonder he looked a little familiar. He looked as annoying as that crazy woman. They were siblings; no mistake at that. ¡°So it¡¯s Knight Kahn Surdo! I¡¯ve long heard of you!¡± Colin said that he had long heard of him, but there was not a hint of respect in his expression. Obviously, Kahn was very unhappy with Colin. He said in a sarcastic tone, ¡°Knight Colin, tell me. If the honorable Miss Vera knew that the knight who just danced with her is actually a liar, how would she react?¡± Faced with Kahn¡¯s threat, Colin shrugged as if he did not care at all. ¡°Why don¡¯t you try that and see how it plays out?¡± Kahn¡¯s face suddenly darkened. He was not sure whether Colin really had nothing to fear or he was just pretending. However, before he could continue to probe, he heard Colin suddenly lower his voice and say, ¡°But if I were you, I¡¯d care for your good sister first.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with my elder sister?¡± Seeing that the man had taken the bait, Colin chuckled and tried to provoke him. ¡°You should know that the one who really leads the army to reclaim Ice Rock City is your sister, Knight Cynthia. Therefore, according to the laws of the Surdo family, shouldn¡¯t she be the one to inherit the title of the Surdo family, and not you?¡± ¡°Nonsense!¡± Kahn was like a kitten whose tail had been stepped on. He was instantly enraged. ¡°I¡¯m the first in line to inherit the Surdo family!¡± ¡°You¡¯d better save these words for the Duke of St. Hilde.¡± Colin spread his hands, indicating that this matter had nothing to do with him. This look of wanting to be beaten up made Kahn almost unable to control his anger. He stared fiercely at Colin and panted heavily. It was as if he wanted to beat up this extremely detestable fellow in front of him. Soon enough, Kahn quieted down because he felt a palm pressing down on his shoulder. Kahn turned his head, and his expression immediately became extremely respectful. ¡°Uncle!¡± Colin¡¯s pupils instantly contracted as he looked at the person who came. It was Earl Oman. ¡°Earl, sir.¡± Colin carefully lowered his head, not wanting Earl Oman to see the hidden fear in his eyes. Earl Oman was a mature and elegant middle-aged man. There was always a faint smile on his face as if he was polite to everyone. However, his wine-red eyes revealed a hint of coldness from time to time, which showed that this earl was not a kind and good person. ¡°Colin, I¡¯m so happy to see that you¡¯re okay!¡± Earl Oman patted Colin¡¯s shoulder gently, his face sporting a sincere smile. ¡°I heard that someone tried to assassinate you in Graycastle. What happened? Who is bold enough to do that?¡± Colin raised his head and put on a friendly smile. ¡°The assassin was Knight Carter. As for who was behind him¡­ It¡¯s still under investigation.¡± ¡°Carter?¡± Earl Oman snorted and said angrily, ¡°That ungrateful wretch is really a disgrace to the knights of the world! Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll send someone to investigate this matter. If there¡¯s any news, I¡¯ll definitely inform you.¡± ¡°Thank you very much for your help, Earl!¡± Colin looked at the righteous earl in front of him and suddenly felt that this earl¡¯s acting skills were probably not inferior to that of Marquis Charles. Earl Oman smiled and continued to chat with Colin for a while like a friendly elderly. Colin also handled the conversation carefully too, as though he had never suspected that his assassination was related to the earl in front of him. Before he left, Earl Oman lowered his voice again and asked, ¡°Did you and Marquis Charles agree to wear armor together to the banquet?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just a coincidence.¡± Colin was a little puzzled as to why Earl Oman would suddenly ask this. Earl Oman said meaningfully, ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good. However, you also have to be careful not to get too close to Marquis Charles.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Colin asked directly. Earl Oman did not answer, but Knight Kahn, who was beside him, criticized arrogantly. ¡°Idiot! Marquis Charles suffered such a terrible defeat this time and lost 200,000 Northern Territory troops. Do you want to take responsibility for this? You still dare to get close to him¡­¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± Earl Oman roared while attempting to suppress his voice. Knight Kahn immediately shrank and turned into a meek quail again. Earl Oman turned his head and said to Colin, ¡°Remember, the one we¡¯re loyal to will always be Duke St. Hilde, not some marquis.¡± Watching Earl Oman leave, Colin suddenly narrowed his eyes. Only then did he realize that tonight¡¯s banquet seemed to be brewing a dangerous undercurrent. Chapter 39 - 039 Abdication 1 Chapter 39 039 Abdication 1 There were many kinds of people in this world. The nobles were no exception to this rule. There were the respectable nobles, the minor nobles, and the knights who were nobles but not really. This banquet of the Surdo family was full of such distinct classes. Marquis Garcia, Marquis Charles, and Vera were the core of a small circle in the banquet. Countless people tried their best to get close to them, but they only dared to greet them briefly and did not dare to stay for long. Otherwise, they would be disrespectful and overstepping their boundaries. Outside the core of the small circle was a circle led by Earl Oman. There were three earls and the host of the banquet, the members of the Surdo family. Outside was a group of viscounts and barons. The last circle, which was also the most crowded, was the knights, where Colin was included in. Strictly speaking, Colin was also qualified to enter the circle of the barons. However, he had now realized that the banquet was not as simple as it seemed on the surface, so he deliberately reduced his sense of presence. He was prepared to be a qualified bystander. Colin and Marquis Charles might have looked like they appreciated each other. Yet, if the marquis really could not protect himself, then Colin would definitely not let himself be dragged down to help him. If it was Vera, then Colin might consider how to save the damsel in distress. As for Marquis Charles, who liked to hold hands, cry, and perform¡­ Good luck. The banquet continued, but the atmosphere seemed to have changed at an unnoticeable pace. The music continued, but the center part of the dance floor had long been empty. Even in the outermost circle of the banquet, Colin could already feel the atmosphere around him begin to become solemn. With his enhanced hearing at night, Colin eavesdropped on the discussions of the knights around him. At some point in time, everyone stopped talking about this victory that could be considered a fluke. Instead, they changed the topic to their own losses. Indeed, the series of defeats under the command of Marquis Charles had almost cost the Northern Territory¡¯s 200,000-strong army. Although half of them were the direct troops of the St. Hilde family, the other half were the private armies of the various lords in the Northern Territory. In addition, a large part of the territories near the front line had been conquered by the trolls. Even if they had recovered, the trolls would not return empty-handed. So this time, the lords of the Northern Territory suffered heavy losses. With such heavy losses, someone had to be responsible. Thus, the topic gradually began to be disadvantageous to Marquis Charles. Of course, the prestige of the St. Hilde family remained, so no one dared to rebuke them openly. They only dared to let out a few huffs of complaints discreetly. In Colin¡¯s opinion, such complaints could not hurt Marquis Charles¡¯ foundation. At most, it would only make his reputation worse. Perhaps it would make the St. Hilde family feel guilty about this fiasco enough to compensate the various lords a little, but that was all. If Earl Oman had not been bluffing before, this tiny intermission was still not the main course of this banquet. Therefore, Colin continued to wait. Sure enough, Colin soon received a truly explosive piece of news. ¡°Have you heard? The Black Knights that Marquis Garcia led to support the front line this time wasn¡¯t an order from the duke at all!¡± ¡°What do you mean? Don¡¯t tell me¡­ Marquis Garcia sent troops on his own accord?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! That¡¯s why the marquis did not move forward in Ice Rock City. He¡¯s waiting for the duke¡¯s military order!¡± ¡°Hmmph! He¡¯s already sent troops on his own accord. What¡¯s the point of waiting for the military order¡­?¡± ¡°Shh! Why are you so loud? Do you want to die?!¡± Colin was speechless. These people seemed to be discussing in a low voice, but in fact, they did not bother being discreet at all. Moreover, he had already discovered that this gossip had almost spread throughout the entire banquet. At this moment, he suddenly realized what was going on with this hidden undercurrent. Without a doubt, Marquis Charles was still the true target of these people. However, he was, after all, the eldest son of the Duke, and the prestige of the St. Hilde family was unparalleled in the Northern Territory. The lords and nobles who had suffered heavy losses only dared to be angry at Marquis Charles. However, it would be different if someone took the lead. This person had already made his position clear! The first time the man saw Marquis Charles after the defeat, he whipped Marquis Charles in public. Before tonight¡¯s banquet began, he once again interrupted a performance that Marquis Charles had carefully planned. This ¡°he¡± was naturally the commander of the Black Knights, the first person in the Northern Territory army, the duke¡¯s younger brother, Marquis Garcia! Only when Marquis Garcia clearly expressed his displeasure with Marquis Charles did the rest of the nobles dare to openly complain about him. Originally, complaining was the most they could do. However, when everyone learned that Marquis Garcia had secretly dispatched the Black Knights¡¯ army without the duke¡¯s order, the situation changed again. Although the Black Knights were Marquis Garcia¡¯s private army,this was the Northern Territory after all. Duke of St. Hilde was the real ruler of this territory. The Black Knights had already left Marquis Garcia¡¯s territory. It would make more sense that they gotthe duke¡¯s approval first. Therefore, this gossip that was widely spread in the banquet for some reason faintly revealed a signal. A dangerous signal. Marquis Garcia and the Duke of St. Hilde were not on good terms! A smart person should have been able to sense the duke¡¯s fear of his own elder brother from three years ago when the Duke of St. Hilde sidelined the Black Knights. However, at that time, Marquis Garcia did not disobey his elder brother¡¯s orders. Though now, could it be that after Marquis Charles¡¯ tragic defeat, Marquis Garcia finally became dissatisfied with his nepotistic brother and began to resist? Everyone knew that the Black Knights were extremely terrifying. Although there were only 50,000 people, no one doubted their capabilities to sweep across the Northern Territory under the command of Marquis Garcia. Moreover, due to Marquis Charles¡¯ series of terrible defeats, the military strength of the Northern Territory was now severely weakened. Knowing that, the Black Knights were even more terrifying Therefore, this ¡°gossip¡± had such a terrifying impact. Did Marquis Garcia really want to humiliate Marquis Charles again and again, or did he want to take the opportunity to express his dissatisfaction with the Duke of St. Hilde? Then, Colin thought of Earl Oman¡¯s hint and the undercurrent that was surging in the banquet. Colin suddenly realized that a terrifying storm was brewing. Once it took shape, it would have the terrifying power to engulf the entire Northern Territory! Just as the atmosphere in the banquet became more and more solemn, Knight Kahn Surdo suddenly appeared in front of Marquis Charles. He first bowed respectfully, then raised his head, and asked righteously, ¡°Marquis! I would like to ask this! Should someone be responsible for the Northern Territory suffering such a terrible defeat?¡± Marquis Charles was stunned on the spot. Marquis Garcia was expressionless. The entire scene was silent. The storm had officially arrived! Chapter 40 - 040 Abdication 2 Chapter 40 040 Abdication 2 Enjoying the attention of the crowd, Kahn Surdo felt a little smug. Especially Miss Vera¡¯s glimmering eyes which made Kahn so excited that his face turned red and his body trembled. The heir of the Surdo family suddenly felt that if he went to ask Miss Vera to dance at this time, perhaps he would not be rejected like before. He felt that he was a hero now. However, Colin looked at him as if he was looking at an idiot. He did not expect that this guy would be the one to try to stand out. All the nobles present were excited when they saw Knight Kahn step forward to question Marquis Charles. There was only one exception. This person was Kahn¡¯s sister, Cynthia Surdo, who Colin called a crazy woman. She looked at her younger brother with fear in her eyes! Why? Why did this banquet, which was supposed to make the Surdo family famous, turn out like this? If possible, she seemed to have wanted to seal her younger brother¡¯s mouth tightly, lock him in the basement, and never let him out. Cynthia knew this very well-perhaps Marquis Charles had really aroused public anger, but he was, after all, the first heir of the St. Hilde family. Her younger brother was just the heir of a viscount. What right did he have to question Marquis Charles? No, although her younger brother was stupid, he was definitely not a person with such courage. Otherwise, when Cynthia led her army to recover Ice Rock City, he would not have continued to hide in Fallen Eagle City. Thinking of this, she suddenly turned her head to look at Earl Oman. It seemed that it was this good uncle who had whispered something in her younger brother¡¯s ear just now that made Kahn rashly step forward. Cynthia felt a chill in her heart. She suddenly realized that the future of the Surdo family seemed to have dimmed. ¡°Knight Kahn, you¡¯re right!¡± Marquis Charles did not care about Kahn¡¯s offense at all. He took a deep breath and asked sincerely, ¡°Then, what kind of punishment do you think can offset my previous mistake?¡± Kahn did not seem to expect Marquis Charles to be so receptive. Seeing the marquis waiting for his ¡°trial¡± so humbly, Kahn trembled even more. However, after the excitement, Kahn was also a little confused. He opened his mouth but did not dare to say what kind of punishment was suitable for Marquis Charles. Quietly turning his head, Kahn looked at his uncle, Earl Oman, with a pleading gaze. At this moment, Earl Oman lowered his head, as if he did not know what was happening. Kahn¡¯s heart instantly sank, but just as he was about to retreat, he saw Vera¡¯s gaze again. In Kahn¡¯s eyes, it was a gaze filled with encouragement, appreciation, and even admiration! Thus, Knight Kahn was once again filled with strength! Even the zit on his nose faintly shone with a red light. For a moment, he felt that he was incredibly brave! ¡°The title of nobility!¡± Kahn¡¯s sharp voice echoed in the hall. ¡°As a punishment, you should voluntarily relinquish the title of marquis!¡± Everyone was stunned. Even Marquis Charles, who had always been outstanding in acting, did not know how to react for a moment. Colin looked at Kahn with eyes full of pity. It was a look of concern for the mentally challenged. Cynthia¡¯s face was full of despair. She did not know whether Marquis Charles¡¯ title could be retained, but what was sure was that the viscount title of the Surdo family was going to be lost. Charles¡¯ title was an empty one. It represented his qualification as the first successor of the Duke of St. Hilde. It made him an extension of the Duke of St. Hilde! Asking Marquis Charles to give up the title was no longer a punishment for Charles, but a slap to the face of the Duke of St. Hilde! It was forcing the Lord of the Northern Territory to admit his mistake! The environment in the palace grew tense! The music finally stopped. The atmosphere in the banquet hall was so stagnant that it was almost suffocating. The eyes of the entire hall were focused on Marquis Charles and Knight Kahn. Knight Kahn had enjoyed being the center of attention, but now he felt like he had a knife in his back. Cold sweat dripped down. Kahn looked for the gaze of his goddess, Vera, but she did not look at him anymore. Instead, she looked at her elder brother, Marquis Charles, with a worried gaze. Kahn¡¯s face instantly turned pale, as if he finally realized what a stupid thing he had done. Standing opposite him, Marquis Charles did not look any better. He was at a loss as to how to deal with this too. He could not agree to the request of giving up his title as nobility, much less dare to disagree. This was no longer a matter of his own honor or disgrace. It was a matter of his father¡¯s dignity and even the prestige of the St. Hilde family. As the Lord of the Northern Territory, how could he let a group of inferior nobles dictate the issue of his heir? Marquis Charles did not look at the uneasy Kahn anymore. This idiot was just a pawn that was pushed out. His gaze passed Kahn and slowly swept across the entire place, but he did not see any friendly or supportive gazes. At this time, he gradually realized that this incident was probably premeditated. It was not only aimed at him, but also at his father. That only meant he could not give in! If he took a step back, he would be smashed into pieces! Thus, Marquis Charles took a few steps forward, passed Kahn, and faced all the nobles in the hall with a solemn expression. ¡°Who else thinks that I should give up my title? Please step forward!¡± He did not want to pay attention to Kahn, the puppet, but wanted to force out the real mastermind behind the scenes. Moreover, he did not believe that the St. Hilde family who had ruled the Northern Territory for a thousand years could fall apart after one defeat. The entire place was silent. The St. Hilde family¡¯s thousand-year-old prestige in the Northern Territory was not something that could be simply challenged. Therefore, awkwardness returned to the banquet. After a long time, a voice finally broke the silence. ¡°Hehe, I¡¯m sorry, Marquis Charles! Kahn, this child is still young and insensible. If he¡¯s offended you with his words, I hope you can forgive him, Marquis.¡± The one who stood out was Earl Oman. However, he did not continue to target Marquis Charles. Instead, he was exonerating Kahn. It also gave Marquis Charles a way out. Colin suddenly had some doubts. Could it be that Earl Oman was truly loyal to Duke St. Hilde and did not participate in this conspiracy against Marquis Charles? However, Earl Oman¡¯s next sentence quickly dispelled Colin¡¯s previous thoughts. ¡°Marquis Garcia, what punishment do you think is suitable for Marquis Charles¡¯ past mistakes?¡± Upon hearing this, Marquis Garcia seemed to have just woken up from his leisurely state of watching from the sidelines. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, he slowly stood up and slowly walked to the front of the stage, standing side by side with Marquis Charles. Marquis Charles could only slightly bow, take half a step back, and give up the seat. In the face of Knight Kahn, Earl Oman, or any of the nobles present, Marquis Charles would not give in. However, Marquis Garcia was an exception. This commander of the Black Knights had the ability to turn the tables around! Marquis Charles was not sure whether this uncle of his wanted to turn things around. Was everything that had happened caused by the northern nobles who were dissatisfied with him, or was it secretly planned by Marquis Garcia? If it was the former, Charles was actually not too worried. If it was the latter¡­ ¡°Charles.¡± Marquis Garcia finally spoke. ¡°Uncle.¡± Marquis Charles lowered his head slightly and waited for the verdict anxiously. ¡°The lives of 200,000 soldiers of the Northern Territory. How are you going to atone for your sins?¡± Boom! Marquis Charles felt as if he had been struck by lightning He was completely stunned on the spot. What else could he use to atone for that? Marquis Charles raised his head in shock and looked at his own uncle with a shocked expression. It was as if Marquis Charles had really known his uncle for the first time. Colin looked at this scene from afar, and a saying flashed in his mind¡ªthe wolf in sheep¡¯s skin had finally revealed itself!