Knight and Wand

Chapter 94 Pay attention to your health
"Ah~ this child."

Old Brian looked at the delicate handwriting on the note and shook his head.

Look at what it says, go to the Baron's castle with Leon for two or three days to see the world, and come back soon, and don't worry about yourself.
Of course the old blacksmith saw through her clumsy lie immediately.

He knew very well how sensible his daughter was.

If he really just wanted to go to the city to play, why would he sneak away so early in the morning without even saying goodbye to me?

It's just that they still have to go to places where swords and knives are used, but they are afraid that I will not agree.

Old Brian felt helpless after putting down the note.

However, although he could not help but worry, considering the character of the young lord, he believed that since the other party agreed to take Olivia with him, the place they were going to must not be very dangerous.

Besides, old Brian knew better than anyone how strong his daughter's skills were.

Since she will be back in a few days, I can only let her go for the time being.

For no apparent reason, a feeling of nostalgia welled up in his heart. The old blacksmith sighed, stood up and left the house, walking towards the outside of Selva village.

Greeting the villagers who were carrying spears on the village road, he walked through his own wheat fields and farmhouses and into the woods where few people had been.

After walking for a while, he stopped in front of a stone tombstone in a secluded and peaceful open space.

There are beautiful clusters of flowers planted around the tomb and there are no weeds on the ground, which shows that it is obviously regularly maintained.

Old Brian supported his slightly lame leg and slowly bent down to half-kneel.

He reached out his hand sadly and gently stroked the tombstone without a name engraved on it.

There was a long silence, as old Brian mourned for the person sleeping in the grave, with a myriad of thoughts in his mind.

After the disaster, I thought the storm had subsided and everything would return to its former tranquility.

But Selva seems to be in unrest again recently.

The emergence of undead spirits in the Nightmare Forest made the old blacksmith feel uneasy, as such a strange thing had never been heard of before.

The Farolis knights who followed Leon to Selva yesterday made him feel that something big was happening in secret.
Thinking back to the argument with Olivia the day before, the old blacksmith felt a headache.

That was the first time my daughter opposed my decision so much.

He understood how much his daughter missed leaving those friends.

Brian was also happy to see Olivia become close friends with those brave and kind young people.

But if this place can no longer restore its past peace and continues to stay in Selva, the old blacksmith feels that he is increasingly unable to protect her destiny.

Brian knew that if he took a tough stance, Olivia would eventually have to compromise with him.

The kind little lord probably wouldn't have any difficulty in deciding to move.

But I was able to get her away from there this time, but what about next time?

Is it the right choice to go to the lands in the north that I haven't returned to for many years?
Olivia is sixteen years old.

How long can this dying old dog of mine restrain this thriving little lion?

On the country road heading west, dozens of knights in armor and robes were galloping in two rows.

Leon held the reins steadily, tilted his head, looked at the girl beside him in surprise, and asked loudly: "How did you convince Uncle Brian?"

"I sneaked out and didn't tell him I was going to the Nightmare Forest. I just said I was going to the lord's castle with you." Olivia replied awkwardly.

The girl felt a little guilty for lying to her father for the first time in her life.

Leon laughed when he heard this.

How did this make me look like a street urchin, a young and energetic guy who kidnapped someone else's obedient daughter and made her run away from home secretly?
However, seeing Olivia's eyes full of excitement about going on a long journey, Leon felt that it was worth it to take the girl out to relax to make her so happy.

Although Selva is a peaceful place, the girl must have lived there for more than ten years and has seen enough of the scenery that has not changed at all day since she was born.

She was usually very happy to go to town whenever she got the chance, let alone now that she was going to follow him into the depths of the legendary Nightmare Forest.

The group passed through Longka Village, and Leon briefly greeted Lohak, but did not bring him along on this trip.

Since the young and strong men who were returning from the fortress to various territories were still on their way, he asked Lohak to stay and make preparations to assist Azerien in preparing for the establishment of the army.

Continue to lead the Faroris cavalry guards led by Balf.

When they were about to reach the range where they had escaped from the Nightmare Forest, Knight Balfe recalled the map and the surrounding terrain, and suddenly urged his horse to speed up and ran to Leon's side.

"Are you sure this is the road? Lord Leon, we are about to enter Baron Gunnar's territory." Balfe asked.

"That's right. I remember there's a small village not far ahead. Go south from that village and cross the forest, and you'll find the forest road I mentioned." Leon answered loudly amid the bumps on his horse, and then asked in confusion, "What's wrong? What's wrong with this road?"

Balfe's eyes were complicated as he said, "The Grey Wolf Baron has always had a tense relationship with our Lord Elliver. Could the empty city you mentioned be within his territory?"

As he was in a hurry on the road, he had no time to explain in detail. The relationship between the two families was more than just tense. The territory now occupied by Baron Grey Wolf was where the ancestors of the Thorn Flower Family started their business more than a decade ago.

Leon thought about the route they had taken and explained, "After entering the forest, we had to run a long way south and west. I looked at the border line marked on the map. It all belonged to the territory of Kantadar. It was definitely not the other side's territory."

In the southwest of the Gray Wolf Family's territory, Balf followed his instructions, roughly imagined the location of the destination in his mind, and fell into deep thought.

Soon, everyone arrived at the small settlement that Leon had seen.

But they only took a glance from a distance to determine their location. It was not appropriate for such a group of fully armed people to get close to the village in the Gunnar family's territory and cause misunderstanding. So, under the leadership of Leon, they went directly into the forest.

As the trees became denser and the road became more difficult to travel on, Leon and his companions had to dismount and walk.

The further they went in, the deeper it felt like the team was getting into the Nightmare Forest. Even the battle-hardened Knight Balfe was secretly worried.

The other ten cavalry guards could not hide their heavy expressions and they clutched their weapons tightly, prepared for any danger that might arise at any time.

It's not that these soldiers who crawled out of the pile of corpses were cowardly.

In fact, these selected elite cavalrymen have proven their bravery and loyalty by being able to brave the nightmare forest's thousand-year-old notoriety and step into this deadly place where there is no return.

The so-called disappearance of the cursed land is ultimately just Leon's one-sided statement.

If it weren't for the rumors and experiences of the three new knights, and if it weren't for Leon and Corvis who were leading the way in front by example.

Even to these loyal guards, this action was probably equivalent to being ordered to commit suicide.

Of course, Leon, who actually knew the inside story, had no concerns at all.

As long as you don't run into the Ghost Knight or even another Ancient Sun Guard, the only danger in the forest now is those zombie wolves, tigers and leopards.
A dozen people leading a dozen war horses through the dense forest were much slower than when Leon and Corvis were traveling alone.

As they slowly walked deeper into the forest, Olivia, who was always full of anticipation and curiosity, seemed to realize something.

The girl suddenly drew her sword and, following the subtle sound she heard, her emerald eyes looked towards the right side of the team.

"Leon! There's a lot of movement approaching from that direction."

Leon naturally trusted that Olivia would not attack without a purpose, so he stopped immediately, raised his spear and prepared for battle.

"Lord Balfe, be careful. Those undead monsters that are coming might be what I mentioned." He warned the knights of the Farolis family.

The team immediately quieted down. The well-trained baron guards let go of their mounts without being reminded, and formed an arc formation on the right side of the team with their gleaming lances.

Balf gripped the long-handled battle axe with both hands, walked to the side of the formation, and looked in the direction of Leon's spear blade with puzzled eyes.

He heard nothing.

The battle-hardened scarred knight turned around again and glanced suspiciously at the girl who had first raised the warning.

Taking a closer look, Balfe raised his eyebrows in surprise.

He originally thought that Leon took the beautiful girl with him just because of his personal preference and some understandable needs.

Since he saw that the girl was good at horse riding and her armor did not slow down the team at all, Balfe did not interfere.

It was not uncommon for a knight to have one or two beautiful male and female servants around him.

But now, seeing the girl named Olivia, her petite body holding the sword in a steady posture, this natural and steady posture did not seem like a mere show. Everyone set up their formation and waited for more than a minute before they heard the rustling sound of the bushes.

The sounds of running feet became clearer and clearer, and suddenly, a dead wolf jumped out from the woods with a mouth full of sharp teeth.

When Balfe saw these so-called undead with no hair and dry skin, he felt no emotion at all.

It looked weird and might scare ordinary civilians, but to a Knight of the Order of Arms, it was no more dangerous than an ant.

With his battle-axe raised high, Balfe waited for the ugly beast to come and die.

However, before the zombie wolf came close, he saw a girl on the side take a step forward, and her petite body rushed out like a gust of wind, rushing straight to the front of the team.

The trajectory of the dancing sword blade is like a flashing silver wheel.

So fast? !

Balfe was startled.

With his reaction ability, he could only barely catch the blurry afterimage left by the long sword's horizontal slash.

The sword blade danced across the body of the zombie wolf, and the zombie that leaped into the air was silently separated from its head and body.

The blonde girl, with her robe and armor fluttering and her hands crossed holding a sword, had just landed on her feet when several wolf shadows rushed out in front of her one after another.

The wolves that have turned into zombies have no fear of life or death and only want to feast on the flesh and blood of the living.

But what greeted them was Olivia's lightning-fast steel sword.

The golden ponytail behind her head swung with dazzling steps, the armor clanged as the girl danced with the sword, and one after another, silver rays reflecting cold light swept across the body of the zombie wolf.

Pierce the skull, decapitate, and cut the wolf's body into pieces along its open mouth.
The girl remembered the weak points of these monsters that Leon had mentioned, and each of her strikes destroyed the zombies' brains cleanly and efficiently.

The guards who had reacted long ago were horrified by the martial arts of the blonde girl in front of them, but they obviously did not want to hide behind the girl in a daze.

Balfe led the Baron's guards and rushed forward immediately, cooperating with Olivia who was killing all around, to fight against the attacking wolves.

Leon also charged into the battle formation with Corvis, holding a spear.

It only took a few moments to slaughter all the undead who only followed their soul-eating instincts.

Naturally, no one was injured in the process.

The steel boots wrapped with greaves firmly stamped the struggling zombie under his feet, and Leon held the sharp spear upside down and pierced the hissing and howling wolf head.

He pulled out the spear with a whoosh and rubbed the dried brain and minced meat stained on the blade on the ground.

After wiping the tip of the spear clean, Leon looked up at the wolf corpses scattered throughout the forest.

The resilience of these undead souls is indeed much weaker now than in the spirit-like field. Unlike in the cursed land, they can still move even after their heads are cut off.

But although this scale of attack could not harm a group of armored knights like them, if they happened to run into a village outside the forest, the small village would probably be in trouble.

They did some good things for the villages outside the forest in advance.

Leon couldn't help but sigh when he thought of this. He just hoped that the undead gathering together on such a large scale was a rare special case.

No matter what grudges there are between the lord of his own country and Baron Gunnar in the territory outside, those villagers who live honestly on this land are innocent after all.

Olivia shook her right hand lightly to shake off the corpse dirt on the blade, sheathed the sword, and ran to Leon's side and asked with concern: "Are you okay, Leon?"

"Why do you sound like you are insulting me? Don't forget that Corvis and I also fought our way out of this forest." Leon joked to the girl.

While chatting jokingly with the girl, Leon saw Balfe coming up to the three of them with a battle axe.

The scarred knight couldn't help but ask Olivia, "Child, who did you learn this swordsmanship from at such a young age?"

"I"

Before the girl could answer, Leon interrupted her.

“Mr. Balfe, Olivia is my friend. You wouldn’t want to poach her just because she is so capable, right?” Leon teased deliberately.

“Don’t get me wrong, Lord Leon, I’m just curious about your little girl.

With such amazing martial arts, she could have earned herself a knighthood if she went directly to the battlefield. You are so lucky to have such a skilled squire, my friend." Balfe's scarred face was embarrassed, and he was afraid that the popular man in front of the lord would misunderstand him, so he suppressed his curiosity and stopped asking how the girl had mastered such amazing skills.

Olivia felt a little strange listening to this.

What are you talking about, uncle knight? What do you mean by your little girl?
Sounds weird.

But Leon seemed to have heard some interesting information from Balfe.

After everyone regrouped and continued to explore the forest, Leon approached the scarred knight and asked in a low voice: "Sir, in Orland, can women also be canonized as knights?"

Balfe looked over at him in confusion when he heard this. "As long as they are not sorcerers, women can certainly become knights through their military exploits. Why? Isn't it the same in Serrian?"

Leon was speechless for a moment. The original owner was a commoner and had no memory of the rules and traditions of the Serrian nobles. But according to this, the situation in the Serrian Kingdom should be similar.

I didn't expect that the Western Continent is feudal everywhere, but when it comes to the path of class advancement, there are quite a lot of differences between men and women.

Yes, as long as the knights have the same or even better martial arts and loyalty than others and can help them kill enemies, these lords would not care whether their knights are male or female.

They encountered several attacks from undead beasts along the way, but apart from slowing down their progress, they were unable to cause any harm to them.

The search for the road was not fast enough, and it was not until the sky gradually darkened that Leon led everyone to find the flat and wide ancient forest road.

At this moment, Balfe and the baron guards he led had already put their minds at ease and basically believed the fact that the curse of the Nightmare Forest had dissipated.

After all, apart from the mysterious zombies and the surrounding quietness, there was no difference from the outside world. There was no getting lost, no scary sights, and no encounters with the legendary weird monsters.

After stepping onto the road, everyone mounted their horses and continued to move forward. In order to avoid being harassed by the undead at night, and considering that the empty city that Leon mentioned was nearby, they simply did not set up camp to rest, but continued on their journey overnight along the long ancient road.

At night, under the starry sky, a group of people walked across the valley with torches held high, and finally saw the quiet river valley illuminated by the moonlight.

Leon and Corvis, who had already seen this castle town clearly, naturally did not react much.

But the closer the others got to the smooth outline of the city wall that reflected the faint moonlight, the more they were amazed and excited.

Olivia was simply amazed at the mysterious and novel scenery before her.

But Knight Balfe and his cavalry guards realized the great value of this fortress before they even entered.

It is not a simple wooden-walled settlement. If one wants to build a fortress town with a complete wall defense system out of thin air, the cost would be enough to drain the savings of a wealthy aristocratic family for generations.

The time consumed in the project is even more exaggerated. Twenty to thirty years is considered extremely efficient. It may even be difficult for the grandchildren to complete the project even if it takes from the grandfather's generation to the grandchildren's generation.

As Balfe and others held torches and walked through the city wall and entered the castle town, they were even more amazed at the neatness of the streets and architectural facilities inside this mysterious empty city.

In comparison, the city of Farolis of the Thorn Flower Family looked like a shabby and dirty country stable.

Quickly throwing away the rude thoughts about the feudal lord living in the city, the scarred knight smiled bitterly and looked at the young man beside him.

Just based on this empty city that was donated, Balfe couldn't imagine what Lord Elliver should reward the young man to be worthy of his contribution to the Thorn Flower family.

There were no traces of dead souls in the city, so everyone randomly found a building similar to a residential building nearby and temporarily moved in to rest for the night.

Since Leon was planning to sneak to the Mage Tower at night to see Miss Lola, in order not to expose his whereabouts, he decided not to live with Balfe and the others, so he took two companions to pry open another house next door.

Let Corvis and Olivia go into the house first to find a room, and Leon goes to find Balfe and tells him that he needs to rest separately from the team.

Unexpectedly, the scarred knight stroked his beard and a meaningful smile appeared on his old face.

Balfe thought about the beautiful face of the blonde girl and even the handsome young servant.

It seems that Lord Leon has a big fetish for "blonde beauties".

The old knight could understand, but he still patted Leon on the shoulder and gave him a serious warning.

".Sir Leon, you are still young. If you accomplish this feat, you will enjoy endless good days in the future. Your body is the capital of a knight, so be careful and restrain yourself."

"???"

(End of this chapter)