Knight and Wand

Chapter 264 Commander-in-Chief
The first ray of dawn has not yet completely lifted the veil of night, and the whole world is still bathed in the soft and vague morning light.

On the eve of the Avalon troops' departure, an army of nearly two thousand men, including logistics, had assembled solemnly outside the towering castle.

The Sword Wing Flag and the White Flame Sun Wheel Flag fluttered gently in the morning breeze, as if the land was whispering to the soldiers going out to the battle.

The war horses were lined up like a forest, their hooves pawed the ground restlessly, stirring up clouds of dust. The tips of the spears flashed cold light in the morning light, like a silver forest.

On the flanks of the army, dozens of knights-errant without flags stood quietly. Their eyes revealed the freedom and unruliness of lone rangers, but also a solemnity as they looked into the distance.

Although they come from all corners of the world and carry their own pasts, they now share a common mission with the Knights of Avalon and the Knights of the Holy Lake due to an ancient oath.

Before this, many rangers actually had doubts in their hearts about calling on the lord of this place, but at this moment, the army of Avalon proved with actions that the chivalrous oath that called them here was not a lie.

Occasionally, the low neighing of war horses and the clanging of soldiers' armor could be heard in the air.

The flickering torchlight on the city wall danced with the wind, shining on the face of every Avalon soldier, outlining their faces, some young and some weathered.

The soldiers couldn't help but feel nervous and uneasy about the unknown battlefield.

Leon rode his black horse through the ranks and came to the front of the army, encouraging the soldiers who were about to follow him into death:
"Warriors of Avalon"

The sound attracted the attention of the knights' soldiers.

"Among you are veterans who have experienced the Battle of Lonca and just returned from the battlefield of Usato, as well as new recruits who have just joined the Knights.

I want to tell you that on this trip we will engage in a war of life and death.

For a long time, due to the greed of the powerful and territorial disputes, humans have been killing each other, causing countless families to be broken up and the earth to be devastated.

In the past, you may have killed for the selfish desires of your lords, and felt confused and tired for it.

But this time, we are no longer facing the meaningless struggles of the past.

To the east, countless undead spirits awakened by evil surged in like a tide. They were ruthless and unintelligent, only knowing how to devour lives. Wherever they went, life was extinguished, towns were reduced to ruins, people were massacred, and homes turned into hell.
You may wonder why we would come all the way to support a group of Kantardars, a group of enemies not long ago.

But I want you to know that this is not to help our past enemies, but to protect our own relatives and friends and defend our own lives!
In Avalon, in the Territory of Thorns, behind you are your elderly parents, your gentle wives, your young children, and countless compatriots who yearn for peace. They are our future and our bloodline.

This battle concerns everyone on the continent. No one can stand aside and watch. Once darkness comes, our loved ones will be harmed, and everything we have will vanish in an instant.

Now, whether knights or civilians, veterans or recruits, we are all brothers fighting side by side, with the common goal of letting the sun shine on this land forever.

My warriors, look around you, those rangers and heroes from all over the world, those noble knights from the distant holy lake and river, they will fight against evil together with us, we are not fighting alone.

And I will always be with you, and I swear that I will not be the last warrior to fall among you."

Leon drew his sword, raised the blade high, and said in a steady and powerful voice:
"Under the witness of the sun, you will return in glory and triumph, for Avalon! For everything we must protect!"

Although his voice was not loud, it echoed like a bell in the silence of the early morning, striking in the hearts of every soldier.

"—for Avalon!"

The originally silent coalition forces erupted in an earth-shaking response, with shouts rising one after another, like the dawn that was about to pierce the darkness.

"—for Avalon!"

The Knights of the Holy Lake also roared their battle cries without reservation, fighting for the holy land and for the world protected by Ilaril. This was the sacred mission of their trip.

The rangers had never seen a lord who fought so purely for justice, and as if infected by Leon's words, they also joined in the deafening shouts.

When the shouts of the soldiers gradually died down, Leon scanned the endless army with his sharp eyes and gave the order to march.

The coalition forces moved in an orderly manner, the horses' hooves raised dust, and the rumbling sound of the march broke the tranquility of the early morning. The infantry followed in neat formation and slowly set off.

The army arrived at the border of Glade County in a mighty force.

When Leon led his army and met Count Elliver's two thousand soldiers at the designated assembly point, the two forces merged into an even more magnificent torrent.

Baron Balfe, standing next to Earl Earl, stood at the front of the team, looking sharply at the huge army that arrived at the assembly point from the Nightmare Forest.

When the fully armed knights coalition came into view, even he, a veteran of many battles, could not help but secretly marvel.

"No matter how many times I watch it, it's still hard to believe." Balf tilted his head and said to Earl Elliver, "Those Ilarial knights from the Kingdom of Dineshien are so well-armed that even the king's guards are no better than them."

Elifer had already learned from Leon's letter the origins of this group of knights who were trying to retake the Holy Land of Rolandar. He nodded and said nothing more.

Only Feodor, who was standing aside, had a look of confusion and uneasiness in his eyes. He didn't understand how Baron Leon could attract such a powerful force.

There's the Ranger Knight and the Ilaril Knight. Where on earth did a boy who was a Serrian Hunter not long ago get the connections to contact so many foreign aids?

After the armies were fully assembled, Count Elliver urged his horse towards Leon. This time he would not abandon his territory and risk leading his army to Sobornitz in person. The army supporting the battlefield of Bardim would be led by Balf.

The count warned in a steady voice: "Leon, I know you are an upright person and you will not sit idly by and watch the suffering people.

But in times of crisis, our own survival and the safety of our territory are more critical. If necessary, either retreating or leading the Kantardar people into our territory are both reasonable choices. You don't have to risk everything on this support. Remember, you still have the Thorn Flower Family as your backup and retreat.

In the worst case, Gladeshire will accept desperate troops and people. As for the troops under your command, Balfe will not interfere too much, but you must not take risks and show off your strength. "

"I will keep your advice in mind."

Leon did not refute, but he suddenly noticed that the second son of the Earl named David, who was standing next to Balfe, was looking at him with admiring and eager eyes, as if he wanted to come up and talk to him.

Leon smiled back at this young knight who was obviously older than himself in this life but treated him with special respect and enthusiasm.

Count Elliver noticed this scene. He smiled and explained to Leon, "David admires your reputation and bravery, and is eager to prove himself in this battle against the Scourge of the Undead. Since he has chosen this path, he must face danger like all knights. If you need him on the battlefield, feel free to use him. Don't hesitate just because he is my son."

"I believe that with Sir David's bravery, he will be able to create his own military honor." Leon nodded.

The army was fully prepared, and the four-party coalition led by the Knight of Thorn Flower, the Knight of Avalon, the Knight of Holy Lake, and the Knight Ranger stepped out of Glade County.

In the distance, the envoy team from Baldim County had been waiting anxiously.

The mere five days of waiting for reinforcements seemed to last extremely long in Baldim County.

In Count Runefe's fortress.

The conference hall was extremely silent, as if even the air had frozen.

In the hall that was once filled with heated arguments, there was only gloom and despair, and the heavy atmosphere made it difficult for every young lord who succeeded the head of the family to breathe.

Having faced the nearly invincible Undead Scourge together, the fear and frustration were now deeply engraved in their hearts.

The eastern princes present had gathered with great difficulty a force of more than 10,000 soldiers. The young leaders, full of passion and courage, were not afraid of sacrifice in the first battle, and annihilated tens of thousands of undead, achieving an inspiring victory.

However, faced with the overwhelming and endless sea of ​​undead corpses, their courage and determination gradually wore away.

The flames of Carriston and the fall of Helsburg.
The bloody battle at Iselin Vale. The fall of Kilmerton Pass.
One line of defense after another collapsed like dominoes, and one lord after another lost his territory.

No matter how many times the undead army that is trying to expand the scope of the underworld fails, it cannot hit the army of the dead itself.

But for the army of living people, every defeat was a huge blow to reality and the soul. The Eastern Alliance was retreating step by step in the torrent of undead, and hundreds of thousands of disaster victims were displaced. They then rushed madly to the rear areas, impacting the already precarious order.

The nobles' armies retreated all the way to the north bank of the upper reaches of the river, and all the land on the south bank fell.

The shadow of failure hung over everyone's heart. Morale dropped to the bottom, desertions were frequent, and even the most severe flogging and death penalty could not stop the soldiers from suffering mental breakdown due to fear and trying to escape from this nightmare.

In the conference hall, silence and depression spread like a plague, devouring the will of the young nobles.

Count Runaf gritted his teeth and looked at his allies. He felt that he could no longer restrain their retreat. His initial ambition to become a noble leader had almost disappeared. Now, he only felt the unprecedented heavy responsibility on his shoulders, which almost crushed him.

At this moment, a guard hurried into the hall, walked up to Count Runefe, and whispered something to him.

A light flashed across the count's face, and he stood up suddenly.

"Everyone!"

Count Runaf's voice echoed in the hall, breaking the silence: "The reinforcements from the Thorn Flower Family have finally arrived! The Orlanders have brought...
The Orlanders have brought ten thousand good soldiers!"

".Ten thousand people?"

This news exploded like thunder in everyone's heart.

No one expected Runaf to be able to call in such a large number of reinforcements, and everyone in the hall began to whisper.

This seemed like a ray of hope in the abyss of despair. Even though it was slim, they regained a little hope.

Ivan, who was near the lord's throne, looked at Runaf in surprise.

He heard it clearly and knew the inside story. Baron Leon and Baron Balf, together with the logistical militia, only brought 4,000 people at most. Where did the 10,000 elite troops come from?
Old Ron saw Ivan open his mouth slightly, and hurried over to press his upright master.

"My Lord, do not destabilize the army."

Ivan quickly closed his mouth at the inaudible advice in his ear, and looked at the lords in the hall who seemed to have rekindled their fighting spirit, and he suddenly realized something.

The fragile aristocratic alliance is on the verge of collapse. At this time, it is indeed necessary to stabilize internal morale first.

Even with lies
Runaf dismissed the meaningless military meeting and ordered all the allies to return to the camp to report the news and stabilize the morale of the army with the arrival of reinforcements.

He immediately took Ivan and the knights of the royal guard and rode out of the city to meet the reinforcements.

Even though he had more than doubled the size of the reinforcements he had just sent to Count Thornflower to bluff people, Runaf could not hide his excitement when he saw the marching column slowly coming into view on the horizon in the suburbs, with no end in sight.

The family that once ruled most of the Baldim County now only has the last piece of territory left behind the fortress on the north bank. Any further retreat would mean the destruction of the family's power.

That lie was also a shot in the arm for me.

However, as the army approached, Count Runaf was shocked when he saw the large number of heavily armored knights wearing sophisticated plate armor in the front army.

He didn't expect that the Lord of Thorn Flowers had such a large army of elite knights under his command.

Runaf found that he had never heard of such a powerful Earl of the Northern Kingdom before.

Shaking off his doubts, Runaf and Baron Ivan, an old acquaintance of the Thorn Flower family, went up to greet them.

Leon also urged his horse forward and looked at the upright Knight Shatai. After more than three months, his young face seemed to have experienced a lot of vicissitudes, and he even had a beard on his upper lip.

"How are you, Lord Ivan?"

"It's nice to see you again, Master Leon."

Although Ivan had inherited the title of Baron of Shatai, he still saluted the hero who had descended from the sky and saved the soldiers and civilians of Shatai: "I admire your magnanimity. Thank you for leading your army to help us regardless of the hostility between our two countries."

"You're welcome. I support you to keep the disaster away from my people and home." Leon waved his hand and introduced his comrades beside him.

"This is Baron Fronza, Lord Balf, who shares my loyalty to Count Elliver."

After saying that, Leon also signaled to the leader of the Holy Lake Knights on the other side: "This is the Grand Master of the Ilaril Knights, His Excellency Irem."

"It is a pleasure to meet you noble knights." Ivan saluted and introduced Count Runaf of Baldim beside him to the two of them.

After briefly exchanging names, the coalition forces, under the guidance of their host, went to camp on the riverside on the outskirts of the city, north of the fortress.

While his army was setting up camp, Leon did not delay and ordered his men to find a secluded open space to set up a table. He immediately asked Runaf, the leader of the Eastern Noble Alliance of Kantadar, about the current situation.

Ivan spread out the map of Sobornitz Territory and pointed out the current one-sided and dire situation on the parchment. Leon and others listened silently with blank expressions, feeling heavy in their hearts.

The current Sobornitz Territory is no longer just "mostly" occupied.

If what Runaf and Ivan said is correct, the eastern part of Kantadar on the map now only has a small area on the north bank of the river. The last one-seventh of the territory is still in the hands of living people.

"Since we lost the Kilmerton Pass and were defending the turbulent river, we have also lost contact with Anwild County in the west. Now we may be the last resistance force in the east of Kantadar." Runaf said helplessly in a deep voice.

The lords who ruled Anwild County had an old grudge against the Baldim family and had always been unwilling to join his alliance and fight alone. Now, they got what they wanted, but Runaf was not happy at all.

If those stupid people were slaughtered now, they would become part of the army of the dead in a few days, and would stand up again and charge towards their own fortress.

But it was difficult for him to protect himself now, so how could he cross the river again to rescue Anwild County?

"How many warlocks are there in your army now? I mean 'wizards'." Leon asked, switching from northern vocabulary to Uriah vocabulary.

Runaf did not hold back, nor did he have the energy to hold back, and said truthfully: "Only two wizards are still here. The others broke their promises one by one not long ago and sneaked away without a trace."

Leon couldn't help but frowned in annoyance when he heard this:
"Didn't I ask you in my letter to keep them even if you have to force them?"

Without enough spellcasters, how can the holy lamp that I brought with me be effective?
Runaf listened to the young baron's questioning, but he had no reason to get angry and could only sigh helplessly.

"We even put the families of those wizards under house arrest, but those wizards valued their lives beyond imagination. They didn't care about the lives of their parents, wives, and offspring. Even if we tried to keep them, they used various means to escape from the East."

Seeing that the other party had already done this, Leon was speechless for a moment.

".Leon"

Laura’s gentle voice echoed in my mind.

Only then did Leon calm down a little.

"Excuse me, in that case, two is enough."

He turned around and told Corvis to go to the army to get a copy of the Uriah version of the holy lamp design and two finished "Soul Guardian Holy Lamps", and gave them to Runaf and others.

After carefully informing the functions of this magic lantern, Leon turned his attention back to the skill map provided by the Kantadar people.

Together with Corvis, they could probably use the holy lamp to protect five to six hundred warriors.

Among the many clergymen accompanying the Knights of Ilaril, there are three priests who are "pure monks" from the Ring of Dineshien.

Although these three spellcasters who have been tested in the church do not know any powerful combat magic, they can use the holy lamps to protect the souls of eight or nine hundred warriors without any problem.

Adding the two wizards from the Sobornitz coalition, that is to say, if they want to go deep into the land of eternal night and actively attack the stronghold where the undead have set up the Great Soul Bell, they can only send out about two thousand people at a time.

With so few mobile forces
Could it be that when facing the Undead Legion, we can only passively take the beating?
Runaf, who was standing by, was fiddling with the obviously valuable magic item in his hand. He looked in surprise at the foreign baron who gave it to him for free without asking for any conditions and even gave him the manufacturing drawings.

He turned to look at Ivan.

Ivan nodded at him.

With no other choice, the Earl of Baldim County considered it for a while and finally made his decision.

".Sir Leon."

Count Runaf spoke up to draw the other person's attention back.

“You all came from afar to help in the battle, and it seems a little hasty to say this now.

But time is running out, and the troops under our command come from all directions, making it difficult to coordinate. Perhaps we should quickly elect a commander who can lead the entire army."

(End of this chapter)