Knight and Wand

Chapter 147 Arbitration Meeting, Resurrection from the Dead

The cloudy, dark sky in the afternoon made the field where the armies were facing off outside Fort Wachter seem even more depressing.

Together with the knights of Farolis, they rode their horses and followed Baron Elliver to the camp of Earl of the Stag. They passed through the dense crowds of soldiers and horses, took off their helmets, and entered the military tent where the arbitration meeting was held.

When I walked in, I saw two rows of nobles in armor sitting inside. Most of them should be the lords of Kossos County, and their knight vassals were also standing behind them.

Baron Elliver saluted, and Leon, like his colleagues, put his fist on his breastplate and bowed his head in greeting. When he raised his head again, Leon saw the old general who had come to Selva.

Trosa sat at the head of the military tent. Although the years had left wrinkles on the face of this resolute old earl, the old man with a silver beard still had bright eyes, revealing unquestionable majesty.

"Please sit down, Lord Farolis. Lord Gunnar has not arrived yet." Trosa raised his hand.

Elifer obeyed the instructions and sat down in the seat assigned to him.

The atmosphere was solemn and everyone remained quiet and silent.

Leon stood behind the feudal lord's seat and looked around at everyone in the military tent.

He saw that the Earl's sorcerer advisor Hilgard and the sorcerer Mette were also sitting next to the Earl and attending the noble meeting.

This kind of internal arbitration, where even servants were not allowed to enter, seemed to be not very legal, but since the lords present acquiesced to their watching, it was obvious that the Northern Warlocks enjoyed a certain degree of respect from the lords.

Suddenly, the curtain of the tent was pulled open by the guards outside, and a burly noble with brown hair, short beard and fierce eyes walked in.

Leon saw the wolf emblems on the robes of the knights behind him, and then saw that the nobleman looked very similar to Canis, and realized that this was the baron of the Grey Wolf family, Avaro Gunnar.

His appearance seemed to make the atmosphere in the entire military tent even more tense, and his hostile gaze almost instantly pierced the Baron of Thorn Flower.

Facing Baron Gunnar's aggressive eyes, Elifer responded with a calm and sneer.

He was not worried about any accountability. If he had not been concerned about the safety of the letter, there would not even be a need to hold this face-to-face arbitration today. However, with most of the nobles in Kossos County present, it would be convenient to announce to the lords the intelligence that he had already used to the greatest extent.

After Baron Gunnar saluted and sat down opposite Elifer, Trosa straightened up and spoke, breaking the silence in the tent.

"My noble lords, we have gathered here today in the hope of resolving the dispute between the Gunnar family and the Farolis family through peaceful means."

Announcing the start of the arbitration meeting, Trosa calmly looked at the two barons on his left and right.

"I know the hatred between your two families, but as lords of Orland, engaging in unnecessary conflict under the rule of His Majesty Redwin will only bring pain and destruction to the subjects of the kingdom. Sheathe your swords. Let's use dialogue to resolve misunderstandings today. Let me and the other lords judge who is right and who is wrong in the conflict."

The old general raised his right hand: "Sir Gunnar, please speak."

Baron Gunnar immediately accused indignantly: "The right and wrong are obvious. The Thorn Flower Family took advantage of my leading the army to fight and used witchcraft to summon a group of damn monsters from nowhere to wreak havoc in my territory. In the past two months, several villages and towns in the Wolf Territory have been attacked. The Thorn Flower Family took the opportunity to plunder my villages and kidnap my people. I even had a noble knight sacrificed while fighting those corpse monsters.

I brought the evidence, the remains of the monster wearing the thorn flower armor, and the witnesses who saw the thorn flower family looting the village, they are outside the tent right now."

After he finished speaking, he stared at Elliver fiercely, "Elliver, I heard that your wife was murdered and I want to avenge the murderer, but I tell you clearly that your wife's life or death has nothing to do with the Gunnar family, and you must pay for your offense to the Wolf Lord."

Trosa listened quietly, then looked to the left at the Baron of Thornflower, who had always looked calm. "Mr. Farolis, do you have any rebuttal to Mr. Gunnar's accusation?"

Elliver nodded to the Stag Earl. "Gunnar is totally putting the blame on someone else. My people have never harassed the Wolf Territory. Instead, it was the Wolf Clan that took the initiative to invade the Thorn Flower Territory. What he said about witchcraft is just imaginary. The undead monsters that attacked the people in the territory also harassed the Thorn Flower Territory. The knights under my command only took in some homeless refugees and did not harm the Wolf Territory."

At this point, Baron Thornflower looked around at the surrounding lords and said, "You have just returned from the front line of Mamor County. I'm sure some of you have heard about it, but some of you may not know it yet. In fact, it's not just Wolf Territory and my Thornflower Territory. The entire area south of Kosos County and near the Nightmare Forest has been attacked by the undead to varying degrees during this period."

"You blame the monsters that harass the territory on the Nightmare Forest? Are you planning to make up a bedtime story for your children?" Gunnar leaned his elbow on the armrest, squinted his eyes and said in a deep voice.

Listening to the conversation between the two, the warlock Mette couldn't help but frown.

He had clearly cleared the Thornflower family of the accusation of witchcraft, but he didn't understand why the Lord of the Thornflower had not mentioned a word about his testimony until now.

Baron Elliver listened to Baron Gray Wolf's sarcasm, crossed his fingers, leaned back in his chair with a slightly smug expression, and said leisurely: "Since you think I'm making up a story, how about I tell you a story about the Nightmare Forest today?
For example, one day, the cursed land that had been across the southern part of Kossos for a thousand years suddenly disappeared for unknown reasons, and a certain lord discovered this fact, and then led his army south to raid the Kingdom of Kantadar, taking the opportunity to conquer a large area of ​​territory."

"Eliver, what are you talking in your sleep?" Gunnar frowned when he heard it.

The nobles in the tent were all confused by what they heard.

Only Warlock Met secretly raised his eyebrows, but his eyes were somewhat incredulous.

"I am the lord who took the opportunity to go south to capture cities and plunder lands. Please forgive the Thorn Flower family for not announcing this news immediately, but I think that everyone present, except the honorable general, will make the same choice as me." Elliver continued to confess calmly to all the lords present.

Count Trosa leaned forward and frowned at Baron Briarflower, considering whether the other party should change the subject and make it sound like a joke about this "story".

Looking at the eyes of Earl of the Stag, Elliver decided to end this farce now. Coming here to attend the arbitration meeting was his current purpose. He was not here to engage in a war of words with the Gunnar family.

He stood up and gestured, and a Thorn Flower Knight behind Elif immediately unfolded the parchment scroll map he brought.

Baron Thornflower raised his hand, pointed to the enemy county leader on the southeast side of Nightmare Forest, and said, "As you all gather here, my army has already taken control of the entire Glade County of Kantardar, and as a pioneer, it has paved the way for the kingdom to march south. This is the opportunity you need to seize to decide the fate of your family, instead of sitting here and wasting precious time listening to Gunnar's groundless accusations against me.

As for those monsters, as long as you lead your army through the Nightmare Forest, you will see those zombies that are haunted by ancient curses. Don't worry, those undead spirits are not that difficult for you to deal with."

"Sir Farolis, do you know what you are saying?" Trosa stroked his white beard, confirming again and again that the Lord of Thorn Flowers was not crazy.

As the general commanding the Orland army and the king's minister of war, he knew very well how great the impact would be if the joke was true.

"General, I am not in the mood for such a big joke. If you don't believe me, you can send your trusted followers to accompany me through the Nightmare Forest. I will soon return to Glade County to consolidate my rule, and I will not stay in the Thorn Flower Territory for too long."

As Elifer spoke, he bowed to Trosa to apologize: "Please forgive me for withdrawing the army without telling the truth. I think you can understand the difficulties of the Thorn Flower Family in doing so, but now, you should confirm the information I said as soon as possible and report it to His Majesty the King.

At this moment, after I occupied Glade County, even if the Kantardars don't know my route for a while, they will sooner or later realize that there is not much time left for the kingdom to gather its troops."

As Elifer disclosed the information completely, the lords in the military tent were in an uproar. Even though there were many royal allies of Gunnar present, they had lost interest in the little conflict between Wolf and Flower.

For the lord of Kossos County, the most important thing is to seize the vast territory and wealth in the south at such a close distance while the Kingdom of Kantadar is unable to react.

Especially since their army assembled in Mamor County in the east had not yet disbanded, everything would be within their grasp as long as they turned around and marched down.

Attacking the land south of the Nightmare Forest from this direction is much easier than the long-term border standoff in Mammor County. After all, the lords present have never wasted resources building defensive strongholds in the direction of the Nightmare Forest. They can fully imagine how undefended the flat land to the south is.

Of course, the premise is that what Earl said is true.

Baron Gunnar sat in his seat in confusion.

Took over the entire Glade County?
That is a county, not much smaller than the County of Kossos!

Baron Grey Wolf suddenly felt that the new territory of Redingburg that he had obtained in Marmore County seemed so shabby.

If the other party gets the king's title recognition, then the damn Baron of Thornflower in front of him will become the Earl of Glade County!
"You withdrew the troops from the front line earlier in order to march south through the Nightmare Forest?" Gunnar asked in a lost voice.

"Otherwise, do you think I'm so interested in fighting with you in Cossos County?" Elliver glanced at the other party.

"But your wife is wrong. Does that mean you didn't intend to cause trouble to me from the beginning?" Gunnar was puzzled when he recalled the news from his spy that the other party had buried his wife with great fanfare.

"Why should I cause trouble for you? Lord Gunnar, I am curious. I have never told anyone that my wife was assassinated. Then who told you that the thorn flower was going to cause trouble for you?" Elifer asked back.

Gunnar was choked. He couldn't clearly say that he had bribed Trosa's eunuch.

"But no matter who it is, I have to tell you that my wife is safe and sound, although she was assassinated by some despicable people, and some people tried to frame you for it.

You should think carefully about who is trying to provoke a conflict between you and me." As Elifer said this, he glanced in a certain direction without leaving any trace.

He learned the identity of the person who intended to assassinate Canis from Leon, and he believed that the person must be related to the mastermind who tried to harm his wife.

"Your wife is not dead?" Gunnar opened his eyes wide in surprise, but at this moment, he also realized that he seemed to have been tricked.

If the man's wife had not been murdered, then Elifer had been preparing for the southward march from the beginning, and the recall of the army had no direct connection with the assassination of his wife.
Since the other party had never thought of taking revenge on the Wolf Leader out of anger, who had played a trick on him? Erliver would not direct and act on his own. Since he was going to go south and secretly swallow up a large area of ​​territory, he definitely did not want to provoke conflicts during this period.

Who told me these "inside stories"?

The eunuch of Count Trosa.

Thinking of the most suspicious candidate, Gunnar shook his increasingly confused head. He could find trouble with that damn eunuch in private later, but now there was something that needed to be resolved immediately.

"Since your wife is safe, why do you detain my eldest son? Why don't you let my people see Canis?" Baron Gunnar asked.

The main reason for mobilizing such a large army in anger was that he was worried that his captured son would be retaliated by Eliphir, who had "lost his wife".

However, at the moment, it seemed that the other party had no reason at all to violate the rules of warfare between nobles and harm his eldest son.

"Detain? You should use a better word. My people protected your eldest son and refused to disclose his whereabouts because they were afraid that your son would be assassinated again." Elifer explained calmly.

"Assassination?" Gunnar was shocked.

"That's right. Your foolish invasion of the Thorn Flower Territory, the failure in Longka, and my restraint seem to have made the guys behind the scenes very anxious. They planned a murder for your precious son and tried to frame the Thorn Flower family, just like they tried to do to my wife."

General Trosa at the top heard that there was another hidden story behind the dispute between the two families, and someone was secretly instigating the two Orland nobles to fight each other.

The discussions among the surrounding lords also became more frequent.

The curse of the Nightmare Forest is lifted.

Someone plotted to assassinate the relatives of the two great barons, sparking a civil war.
The explosive news they heard at today's meeting came one after another.

The Warlock Meite, who was sitting calmly, frowned slightly: ".?"

Canis was already dead, and he knew very well that the spell that pierced his chest when he was caught off guard had shattered his heart and lungs.

He even evacuated the cell only after confirming that Canis's soul had completely dissipated from his lifeless body.

But now, from what Elifer said, it seems that Canis is still alive in the hands of the Thornflower family?
Are you trying to delay time?
However, what Earl said next directly broke the doubts and speculations in Mette's mind.

"I hope you have prepared the ransom, Lord Gunnar. My knight saved your eldest son from an assassination, but he hasn't asked you to raise the price yet." Baron Thornflower turned to look at his young general.

"Leon, go and let Lord Canis in."

"Yes, my lord."

Leon received the order and went out immediately.

After a while, he led the burly figure in a cloak into the military tent.

The man took off his hood, revealing the face underneath. Canis glared at the person he hated with eyes filled with rage.

Mette straightened his body, tightly gripped the spear in his hand, and his eyes widened.

This is impossible! Absolutely impossible!!
Including today, Hefei has experienced four earthquakes this year. Each one is bigger than the last, and the earthquakes are almost at the same point. All of them are 5.0. If they go up one level, someone will die. It's not going to be a big one, is it? The earthquake is so scary. I want to move to another city as soon as possible. My death is a small matter, and it will be the end of everything. If I don't die, and that cabinet of models is destroyed, it would be worse than death.


(End of this chapter)