Elden: Ring of Calamity

Chapter 503 Family
"Your Highness—" Just as he was wondering, hurried footsteps came from the top of the stairs. The governor, Clever, had come looking for him. His voice was filled with excitement, but also seemed to contain a hint of fear. "The reinforcements from the Far East have arrived. Should you move to the south city and receive them in person?"

Although Clever was currently the highest-ranking military and political commander on Karen's side, Lani, being here, naturally had to take charge of the overall situation. It was her duty to meet the commander of the reinforcements. So Lani didn't hesitate, nodded, and followed Clever down to the city. On the way, she casually asked, "Which unit is the reinforcement? Who is leading the team? Why is it so dark that they don't even have torches? At first glance, I thought it was an enemy night attack."

Clivell carefully considered his words before replying, "I just received the news. The Night Knights are coming—that's the official title bestowed by His Highness Lucia. They also call themselves the Ominous Legion. As for the commanders, they are His Highnesses Mongot and Monger."

Lani paused, stunned for a couple of seconds before snapping out of her daze. "So it was them."

Hearing this news, Lani was genuinely relieved. Mongot and Mongo were high-ranking heroes who were only slightly inferior to Lucia back then, and their strength would only be stronger now. In addition, with the Ominous Sons under their command whose physique and combat power far exceeded those of ordinary people, many difficulties in the battle of Gmir could be easily resolved.

Back then, she wasn't really familiar with the brothers. After a brief meeting at the Rodel Battle Festival, Mongot and Mongo went to the Far East. Four years had passed since they last met, and now they were being asked to venture into dangerous territory and fight against powerful enemies. Lani was somewhat unsure of their attitude.

She thought for a moment, then quickened her pace and instructed, "Just have any guard take me there. You go and arrange the welcoming banquet first. The ceremony must be grand enough. Also, have the officers keep a close eye on their subordinates. Don't let any fools criticize them. If anyone dares to cause any trouble with their own people at this time, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

Clever said solemnly, "Don't worry, Your Highness, these instructions have already been given. Karen is not an Asian tribe. Over the years, various ethnic groups have lived together. Neither the military nor the civilians have any xenophobic tendencies. There won't be any problems."

Lani nodded slightly upon hearing this, and without saying anything more, she hurried towards the south of the city.

Since Clive took office four years ago, Karen has changed a lot. The city is much larger than before. It took Lani a full fifteen minutes to reach the south of the city, as she walked through the streets and alleys with Clive.

In their original expectations, this was the first time the Sons of Ominousness had appeared in the world on a large scale as an army. Even if the Karen people did not avoid them like the Rodl people, there would inevitably be some sensitivity and subtlety between the two sides.

Would the Karen people, who are still awake at night, feel a little panicked when they first see the ominous-looking Son of the Ominous?
???

The moment Lani and Claire saw the scene near the South Gate, they exchanged a glance, both seeing an indescribable astonishment in each other's eyes.

This group of guys, clad in heavy black steel armor, with great axes and swords at their waists, black silk cloaks fluttering behind them, and masked knight helmets on their heads, all equipped like officers of a first-rate knight order, you call them the Sons of Omens?

Lani could tell that the truly extravagant aspect of the equipment of these Sons of Omens was not the materials used, but rather that while the overall design of each soldier's armor was largely uniform, there were many subtle differences in size, shape, curvature, and angles. The armor even had unique spike-like protrusions on its surface. The designers had clearly taken into account the different shapes of the horns on the bodies of the Sons of Omens, and tailored the armor to be most suitable for each of them.

She had only ever seen this level of dedication on the armor of the Kalia Knights and the Forge Knights, but those were the top heroes of Kalia and the Golden Dynasty. It was only natural for the two countries to spare no expense in customizing equipment for their top combat forces, which was incomparable to the thousands of Omen Warriors in front of her!
No wonder that stupid dragon has been making a fortune in the military industry all these years while constantly complaining about being poor. It turns out that the money he makes by dumping weapons and equipment on the Golden Dynasty is being wasted like this. The cost of training one Ominous Warrior is enough to support ten elite knights!
The ominous signs inside and outside the city numbered roughly eight thousand. At this time, the first three thousand people who entered the city split into two groups. One group contacted the guards on the city wall and lowered ropes on both sides of the city gate for transporting military supplies. The other group entered the city carrying the banner of the Ancient Dragon Dynasty. They set up the banner in the square and distributed special gifts brought from the Far Eastern Islands to the surrounding people while reading out the legion's regulations, announcing the purpose of the reinforcements' arrival and the strategic policy for the upcoming expedition to the volcanic region.

Most surprisingly, the sons of evil omen who were sent to distribute the gifts were the strongest and most ferocious-looking group. They took off their helmets, and their hideous and rugged faces squeezed out smiles that could stop a child from crying. Without saying a word, they stuffed ham, jerky, and smoked meat into the hands of passersby, and if they encountered children, they would grab a handful of candy and force it on them.

At first, the people of Karen were somewhat frightened, only managing not to scatter out of trust in the Ancient Dragon King's banner. However, as time passed, they soon discovered that these soldiers, who resembled demons descended to earth, were far less terrifying than their appearance suggested. Besides showering them with gifts, some bolder citizens daringly inquired about the customs and traditions of the Far East, and the soldiers would laugh heartily as they answered their questions. Their behavior showed no sign of being seen as an "evil omen" rejected by the world; rather, they seemed like the Radiant Sun Legion, beloved by the people, stationed in the heart of the city, radiating the self-awareness of soldiers of the dynasty.

On the other side, the evil spirits responsible for transporting supplies near the city gate also took an unconventional approach. Instead of lowering the elevator down the rope like ordinary soldiers, they lined up along the city wall. One group of soldiers threw wooden boxes weighing hundreds of kilograms from below the city wall onto the wall, while another group of soldiers caught them from above and threw them back to their comrades inside the city.

In an instant, hundreds and thousands of heavy supplies were thrown up and down the city wall, stirring up gusts of evil wind. Only a few massive crossbows and war colossus parts weighing tons required the cooperation of several men to pull them up with ropes. The Karen soldiers who wanted to help were dumbfounded.

Everyone says that the fire giants that have suddenly risen in the North recently have exaggerated individual combat power, but no matter how exaggerated they are, they can't compare to the group of living humanoid behemoths in front of us, right?

The ominous signs moved incredibly fast. By the time Lani and Clever arrived, the troubles of the army entering the city had been mostly resolved. Not far away, two figures, noticeably taller than the other ominous signs, were talking to the garrison commander. They caught a glimpse of Lani out of the corner of their eye, immediately ran over, and took off their helmets, which were the size of water tanks, to greet her.

"Princess Lani—"

The leader had grayish-white scales and bone horns growing on his head. His upright and serious face exuded a dignified air. Upon seeing Lani, he nodded and said, "It's been many years. Princess, you are even more beautiful than before. We were fortunate to receive your care in Rodel back then. This time, we have come to provide support on the orders of Priest Lance."

"Oi—Lani, you've gotten even more beautiful in four years!"

Compared to his brother, Munger has more horns on his head, like swirling black flames. He can play the role of a stage play's big boss without makeup. He smiles with his teeth showing, intending to show a bit of a cynical and carefree attitude, but in the end, he shows a great evil that seems to want to destroy the world.

“Priest Lance explained the details to us: break through the volcano, kill all the heretics, skewer that old snake and roast it, and if we have the chance, we can go to the North to support Lucia along the ley lines—don’t worry, don’t worry, even if I don’t talk about saving your husband, I have to go save my brother! Hey bro, why are you stepping on me?”

"Princess, please forgive my foolish younger brother. He's been cooped up in the Far East for too long and has become rude. Please forgive any offense he may have caused."

"Tch, we're all family, why all the formalities? Ouch, stop fighting! Give me some face in front of my sister-in-law!"

Seeing this, Clive quickly shut up and stood quietly to the side, determined to remain invisible.

Lani's rosy lips parted slightly, she hesitated several times as if she wanted to say something, her face turning red and white in turns. Finally, she stomped her foot angrily, turned around and left, leaving behind the words: "What does that broken dragon have to do with me? You can save it or not if you want. After you've settled the soldiers, come to the administration hall for a meeting!"

(End of this chapter)