Imperial Crown.

Chapter 286: Destroying the Insect King
Locusts do not stay in one place.

On July 7, the locusts had nothing left to eat and finally left Viscount John's Neusno territory, leaving the land barren. On the same day, Viscount John's messenger set out on a journey to the royal capital.

On August 8, swarms of locusts swept across the entire county of Savery and into the coastal wastes in the northern five counties of the North West.

On August 8, swarms of locusts in the southern part of the five northwestern counties moved northward from Hampshire and approached Essex.

On August 8, the resettlement of refugees in Raven Territory was basically completed.

On August 8, the Essex County locusts split into two, one heading east into Hippocrates County, while the other heading west into Cheshire County.

On August 8, locusts were everywhere in Raven's territory.

The time comes on June 9th.

Peter, who bought a house around Griffith Comprehensive College, was sitting in a chair in the living room of his home, holding his pet Bobby with an expressionless face.

He has not gone out since the locusts arrived.

This feeling of being isolated is terrible. I can't tell the difference between day and night, and I don't know how much time has passed. I also don't know when this damn locust plague will end.

If Bobby hadn't been with him, he would have gone crazy.

Gululu.

His intestines began to churn. Peter no longer felt hungry, but could feel the acid bubbling in his stomach. He picked up the water glass and took a sip to suppress the churning feeling.

There was still some food in the cupboard, but Peter held back. He didn't want to touch the last bit of food until he had no choice.

Suddenly, there was a bang, and someone outside shouted, "The food is here!"

Peter opened his eyes immediately and covered Bobby's mouth before he started to yell: "Stay at home, don't move, don't yell, I'll be back soon!"

The huge golden retriever, whose ribs were protruding from hunger, wagged its tail vigorously.

After finding his thickest leather coat, gloves and a hat, Peter opened the door and left home.

By the time he reached the first floor along the stairs, all the men in the building had already gathered there.

The ground and walls were littered with the remains of dead locusts, some of which had already rotted and smelled bad, while others were covered in mold.

There were nine people in total, and everyone's attire looked similar, like a group of down-and-out robbers ready to go out and rob.

They do go out and grab things.

An old man held a torch close to the window, and the heat smoked away the locusts lying on it, allowing people to see the scene outside.

"Are you sure?" someone asked.

"It's right outside the door, about eight feet away. It's a sack, no doubt about it."

"So...prepare?"

Everyone looked at each other, and Peter and three other young men stood behind the door.

"3, 2..."

Peter unbolted the door.

"1!"

The door opened and Peter and others rushed out immediately. Even though the locusts' reaction would be slower at night, some of them still crawled onto them.

Peter and his companions didn't care about all this. The four of them each grabbed a corner of the sack and dragged it into the gate with all their might. The people waiting inside the gate slammed the door shut and bolted it, squeezing to death many locusts that didn't have time to rush in.

Peter and others put down the sacks and joined others in slapping the locusts that rushed in. The sound of popping and bursting was endless.

"Thank you, Baron Raven." When the last locust was killed, the old man who held the torch at the beginning used scissors to tear open the sack, revealing the tightly packed food inside.

They were all large pieces of black bread, totaling nearly 130 pounds. If they were eaten sparingly, they would be enough for more than 8 people from eight households in the building to eat for five days.

Peter also got his share. As he was a middle-aged man and one of the people who contributed the most, he received 8 pounds of black bread.

Returning to his house, Peter piled the heavy clothes that smelled of locusts beside him, broke off a piece of brown bread and fed it to Bobby. However, he himself was so sick of the locusts that he had no appetite and sat in a chair in a daze.

He heard a low whimper and felt something wet on his feet. Looking down, he saw Bobby licking his ankles, and the piece of brown bread lay at his feet.

"Oh, good boy." Peter rubbed Bobby's head and put the bread to its mouth: "Eat it."

But Bobby refused to eat anything, gritting his teeth.

Peter had no choice but to tear off a piece of black bread and put it in his mouth and chew it slowly. The food went into his stomach with a sour and painful taste.

Seeing Peter also started eating, Bobby lowered his head and swallowed the black bread in his mouth.

Peter smiled.

He still had more than a pound of brown bread in his cupboard. With this supply efficiency, he would definitely not starve to death.

Grabbing Bobby's ears, Peter said, "Of course, you have to live with me."

……

At the same time, in Eagle City.

Soon after the locusts attacked, Raven sent out all of the Wind King Cavalry, in groups of five, to deliver food to the entire territory.

But Raven also knew that this method could only be used in an emergency. He currently only had more than 50 Wind King Cavalrymen, and it would take at least 10 days to supply the territory.

Although it is said that as long as there is water, a healthy person can go hungry for three to five days without any harm.

But if this continues, sooner or later someone will starve to death.

Perhaps it was because the vegetation coverage in his territory was too good. Now, nearly 20 days had passed, and the locusts still showed no signs of leaving - this was not a good sign.

He took a sip from the teacup beside him. The cool and sweet feeling flowed into his throat, which made Raven feel much more relaxed and his brows relaxed.
"It's red mist fruit and thunder vine... This ratio is quite good."

Petty smiled and said, "As long as the master likes it."

Raven has been keeping an eye on the locusts' movements these days, and because he needs to keep up with the latest news, he has very little time to rest.

Patty wanted Raven to be more relaxed. As an alchemist, she naturally had to start with magic plants and potions.

Not only this cup of special medicinal tea, but also the spices burning in the copper stove in the corner were prepared by Petty. They emit a cool and sweet fragrance, which is enough to dispel the anger accumulated in people's hearts.

Footsteps were heard in the corridor, and Simon, dressed in leather armor, came to the door.

Although the door was open, Simon still knocked on it and walked in after getting Raven's permission: "Baron!"

"No need to be polite." Raven waved his hand: "How is the situation?"

"According to Hoyaz's report, we have now locked down the location of the Insect King." Simon said, walked to Raven, picked up a wooden chess piece, and placed it on the map: "It's right here."

It was an unknown small village in the northwest of Xuefeng Territory.

"here you go."

Raven smiled. "Hoaz is a very capable guy. He was the first to detect the locusts' movements and he was also the one who discovered the Insect King."

As he spoke, he whistled, and the little white duck, now almost an adult, moved in from the door like a duck.

The black cat Sikoret showed a look of disdain and glanced at the dense locusts outside the window:

"Hey, you really want to go out?"

"Who else could it be?" Raven asked.

Just as he was about to ask Pety to put on the leather armor for him, a clear voice rang out: "And me!"

Nancy came into the study.

The two ponytails on her head swayed playfully behind her as she walked. She was not wearing a long skirt, but the neutral outfit that had become popular recently.

He wore a wide-brimmed soft hat with a feather in it, a high-necked white shirt with a circle of lace at the collar, and two straps on his shoulders, which were light yellow canvas suspender trousers.

This kind of trousers not only highlights her slim figure, outlining her slender waist that is less than one hand wide, but the tightened waist and abdomen also bring out her feminine characteristics to the fullest. Even though they are not large in size, they sway as she walks, which is quite attractive.

"What are you doing...?" Raven asked.

"I'm here to replace you." Nancy blinked: "I can also help with things like dealing with the Insect King."

Raven frowned and shook his head: "I can still move, so it's not your turn to take risks."

"I should be the one saying this." Nancy said stubbornly, "You are a third-level magician, and so am I. If you can do it, so can I."

"Besides, you are the head of the Griffith family. Unless everyone else is dead, it won't be your turn to take risks."

"But..." Raven was speechless, but he rolled his eyes and found an excuse: "You don't have a wind king, and you're not a wind magician, so you can't be competent for this task."

Each Wind King will recognize only one master throughout its life and cannot be loaned out at will like a war horse.

"I knew you were going to say that." Nancy's eyes flashed with cunning, "Doesn't your subordinate Julia also have the Wind King? Just ask her to take me there."

"My dear, you don't mean to say that the Wind King can't carry me?"

This sentence left Raven with no other excuse.

Eric weighed more than 400 pounds including his armor, and the Wind King could not fly fast with him on his back; but Nancy was less than 90 pounds, so she was not a burden to the Wind King.

Looking at Nancy who was eager to try, Raven suddenly felt helpless. He had no doubt that if he did not agree, Nancy would probably act on her own and go out without permission, which would be even more dangerous.

"Okay, okay." Raven was defeated and stared into Nancy's eyes and said seriously: "I can let you go, but you have to promise me that you will never risk your life. This is just an attempt."

Raven wasn't lying.

At present, there is no precedent for killing the Insect King in the entire Nord Province - at least Raven has not received any relevant news, so it is not certain whether killing the Insect King can really effectively curb the locust plague.

Nancy smiled and said, "I know."

Raven sighed helplessly and immediately summoned Julia and Hoyaz.

Standardly, the Wind King Cavalry operations are performed in groups of 5, but this operation is mainly based on Nancy, so not too many people are needed.

Julia was responsible for taking Nancy to her destination, while Hojaz was responsible for scouting and leading the way.

On the west terrace on the fifth floor of Eagle City, Raven gave his final instructions: "You are the best Wind King Cavalry in this class, and the children I am most satisfied with. I won't say more."

"This time, it would be better if the mission goal can be completed. If it cannot be completed, then you must send Nancy back to me safely."

The two cavalrymen straightened their chests at the same time: "We swear to protect the lady's safety!"

"I'm very strong. I don't need your protection." Nancy walked over swayingly.

By the time Raven had gathered everyone together to give her a lecture, she had already changed into new clothes.

Of course, it’s basically just adding a set of leather armor that fits the body on top of the original clothes.

"Mrs. Nancy!" The two cavalrymen saluted in unison.

"Be careful." Raven warned solemnly.

Although the location of the Insect King has been determined, its abilities and specific levels are unknown, so it is never too careful. "No matter what, we have been to the Bloody Heights together." Nancy blinked, "Trust me."

"Okay, I'll wait for you to come back." Raven nodded slightly.

Julia and Hojaz rode on their respective wind kings. Nancy jumped behind Julia and held her waist:
"set off!"

With a creaking sound, the heavy iron door was slowly opened, and two wind kings rushed into the sky with a roar!
This was Nancy's first time flying in the sky on the Wind King. The air current blew her ponytail high up, and the cool breeze on her face made her feel refreshed.

Eagle City was shrinking rapidly, and the sky was getting closer and closer. Nancy felt her mood getting more and more open, and she couldn't help but shouting loudly: "Oh——"

After all, Nancy was still a girl who loved adventure and excitement, but her identity as a baroness made her suppress her nature. Now that she was flying freely in the sky, she felt as if she had been freed from some kind of bondage and felt genuine happiness.

"Ma'am, please don't do this." Julia warned respectfully: "It will attract the attention of locusts."

"What are you afraid of? When a Wind King flies, it's much faster than those damn bugs!" Although she said this, Nancy still lowered her voice and whispered in Julia's ear: "If I had known earlier, I would have asked for a Wind King to raise. How about being a Wind King cavalryman? It's very exciting, right?"

Julia was not used to this intimate posture and tone. She swallowed and chose her words carefully: "My main job is Hawkeye Guard. Riding the Wind King is also one of my duties. It has nothing to do with my personal feelings."

Nancy could clearly see Julia's face flushed, which made her feel even more amused. She slowly moved her arm around Julia's waist upwards:
"So, it's also your job to grow such an attractive figure?"

The Wind King has basically no natural enemies in the sky. In order to maximize mobility, the cavalry do not wear heavy armor, but leather armor, so Julia did not wear the Hawkeye Guard uniform this time.

This made her clearly feel the warmth from Nancy's palm, and her face became even hotter. For a moment, she was at a loss:
"Ma'am, I..."

"ah--"

Nancy squeezed her hand hard, causing Julia to scream.

"Haha..." Nancy laughed softly and whispered in Julia's ear: "Don't worry, I'm not blaming you. I just want to ask, how did you get this figure? What do you usually eat?"

Although she has always been confident about her appearance, one of Nancy's biggest pain points is that her figure is not outstanding enough.

Julia, on the other hand, was the opposite. She was about the same height as him, but she seemed to be carrying two bloated wine buns with her.

Julia felt like a boiling kettle, her mind a mess.

She had been ridiculed by her peers for her figure since she was a child. She had no close friends or same-sex friends, so naturally she had no chance to discuss such topics. In her heart, Nancy was the complete master, so she had no idea how to answer.

"If you don't tell me, I'm really going to do it, okay?" Nancy said mischievously, while prying open the edge of the leather armor with her fingers.

"I, I, I, I'm telling you." Julia said in panic, her body stiffening. "Madam, I really haven't eaten anything special. It has been like this since a long time ago."

"Really?" Nancy moved her fingers again.

"Really! I am willing to swear to the Lord of Light!" Julia said immediately, fearing that Nancy would take further action.

"Okay, don't be so nervous." Nancy pulled her fingers out: "We are still on a mission, so focus."

Julia nodded miserably.

For the next period of time, the three-member team remained silent.

The wind was strong at high altitude and Hoyaz was leading the way in front, so he didn't hear anything except the scream. After turning back to confirm that Julia and Nancy were not in danger, he put the matter behind him.

Julia is still confused. She doesn't know whether this is considered "power harassment" by Nancy.

At this time, Hoyaz stretched out his left arm, pressed his forearm down lightly once, and pointed his thumb forward.

This is a special communication gesture used by the flight brigade in the air, which means to descend the flight altitude for reconnaissance.

Several torches were lit, and one would be thrown down at intervals. The kerosene wrapped around them and the charcoal hidden inside could ensure that the flames would not be extinguished by strong winds.

Torches fell to the ground, providing a relatively clear vision for the few people. The originally quiet swarm of locusts began to wriggle like waves and gathered towards the torches.

"How disgusting." Nancy shuddered.

"Found the target, repeat, found the target!" came Hoyaz's voice, with a slight tremor.

A torch fell right in front of the Insect King, illuminating its huge calf-like body and the half of the remains of an ox that it occupied alone.

What is truly surprising is not its size, but its behavior.

As if it possessed wisdom, it raised its square head, and its pair of compound eyes firmly locked onto the wind king in the sky. Then it suddenly flapped its wings and flew high!

Flying up with it were endless locusts, as if an invisible giant hand had lifted a thick blanket from the ground.

At this moment, a pure green fireball suddenly flew out, and a trace of human disdain flashed in the eyes of the Insect King. Then, locusts all over the sky crowded in front of his eyes, covering it tightly.

boom--

The fireball exploded, and hundreds and thousands of locusts covered in green flames fell like fireworks, but the Insect King was not hurt at all!

More and more locusts have surrounded from all directions. If you look from the outside, you can see a huge brown-black sphere.

The buzzing sound filled his ears, and Hoyaz's face was solemn.

Ordinary locusts cannot get close to the Wind King, but finding the Insect King in this swarm of locusts is like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Is the mission going to fail like this?

Hoyaz bit his lip tightly and shook his head to himself: "No, absolutely not!"

Although my father said that this was just an attempt, no one knew better than Hoyaz, who transported food all day, how dire the situation in the territory was now.

He was an orphan, an orphan among refugees, and he knew what devilish deeds people could do when they were hungry.

If the locust plague doesn't go away, it won't just be a matter of people starving to death...

As a member of the Eagle Army, Hoyaz has the obligation to kill the Insect King. Even if it can be of some help, it is better than doing nothing!
"If my father were here, what would he think?" Hoyaz frowned and fell into thought.

Judging from its current performance, the Insect King is definitely not just an irrational insect. It has wisdom and knows how to enjoy life, otherwise it would not monopolize a working ox.

"So, it must have wanted to eat us by mobilizing and commanding the insect swarm. The meat of the Wind King contains more energy than ordinary livestock, and it will not allow other locusts to get their hands on it."

"In that case..." Gently stroking the neck of the Wind King, Hoyaz whispered, "Good brother, this time, I want you to go on an adventure with me."

After saying that, he raised his right hand, clenched his fist, pointed his thumb at himself, then raised his index finger and stretched it forward.

Although Nancy's spell was whispered in her ears, Julia still understood what Hoyaz meant - he wanted to use her as bait to lure the Insect King out!

Although Julia was shocked, she did not stop him because she would have done the same if she were in charge of leading the way.

The sound of wind in his ears began to intensify. Hoyaz lowered his body, his hands gripping the reins became stiffer, his heart pounded, and his palms began to feel damp.

Although he had made up his mind, he still felt fear and nervous.

As a member of the flying squadron, he had carried out many reconnaissance missions and had seen what it was like to die at the hands of locusts.

My thoughts started to get confused.

If I die here, Banksy and Lennon will definitely remember me, but who else?
Yes, and my father, he will definitely remember my contribution, and maybe he will posthumously confer me the title of knight. My name will be engraved on a monument and become a role model for everyone!
Wait, but if my judgment is wrong and I fail to lure out the Insect King, then, then...

Worry began to form in Hoyaz's heart. He shook his head vigorously to throw away the messy thoughts from his mind, and stared at the swarm of insects that was getting closer and closer with wide eyes.

Just die! Why think so much?
Suddenly
A stream of heat passed by, and Heyaz's pupils suddenly shrank to the size of a needle tip.

He saw a sea, a sea of ​​fire, a sea of ​​fire made of pure blue flames!!!
Julia was even more shocked than Hoyaz because she saw clearly how Nancy made the move.

When the chanting of the spell was completed, Nancy suddenly jumped high from the back of the Wind King, her sleeves crackling in the wind, but she raised her hand and waved her staff, aiming it at the swarm of insects in front of her.

The flame element turned into ribbons, undulating and dancing around her. Points of light gathered at the top of the staff, becoming brighter and brighter, and then turned into a pure blue wave of fire that surged out, brushing past Hoyaz's figure and disappearing into the locust swarm!
Then, it is like this now.

Wherever the fire wave passed, as long as the locusts were touched by it, they would immediately burn violently and then spread to every locust that was touched.

The night sky was illuminated brighter than the day. The locusts peeled off layer by layer and were burned to ashes before they hit the ground. Hundreds of thousands of insects collapsed at an unimaginable speed like exploding soap bubbles!
The dense crackling sound continued.

"Insect King, there it is!"

As more and more locusts were burned to death, Julia finally saw the insect king. It was flapping its wings and flying desperately towards the distance.

"Ma'am, please sit tight." Julia stared at the direction of the Insect King: "Let's catch up now."

"Haha, don't worry, it can't run away." Nancy's slightly lazy voice sounded.

"But..." Julia was a little anxious.

But before she could finish her words, a blue spark suddenly appeared on the insect queen's leg.

呲——

The sparks suddenly burst out with dazzling light, almost instantly enveloping the Insect King.

Its thin wings turned to ashes, its huge belly exploded with a bang, and then it fell to the ground like a meteor.

Julia was stunned. She knew Nancy was a third-level magician, but she never expected that her magic would be so terrifyingly powerful!

"I told you, I'm very strong." Nancy put her arms around Julia's slender waist, pointed her fingers upward, and squeezed hard again.

Hearing Julia's scream, Nancy smiled happily:

"This is your small punishment for questioning."

"Okay, let's go back, Raven is still waiting."

I don’t know if it’s a psychological effect, but both Hoyaz and Julia felt that there were fewer locusts on the ground on the way back.

When they returned to Eagle Castle, Raven was already waiting there. He was relieved to see Nancy coming back: "How are you? Are you not hurt?"

"Of course!" Nancy jumped off the Wind King's back and ran to Raven: "And I have good news for you. The Insect King has been dealt with."

"Thank you for your hard work." Seeing Nancy's proud look, Raven did not hesitate to praise her and took her hand: "What reward do you want?"

"As for the reward..." Nancy bit her lip, whispered something in Raven's ear, then left with a giggle.

Raven's face turned strange. He realized that Hoyaz was looking at him. He coughed to cover up his embarrassment and said, "Thank you for your hard work today. When the locust plague is over, I will definitely record this achievement for you!"

Hoyaz immediately said seriously: "To be honest, we didn't help much. It was all thanks to Madam Nancy that we were able to kill the Insect King."

"Don't be so modest." Raven said with a smile, "You are all tired today, so take a good rest."

Although it was a bit strange why Julia seemed a little dazed, Raven didn't pay too much attention to it. After parting with the two of them, he returned to his room.

As soon as he returned to the house, Raven smelled the scent of roses and saw wet footprints extending from the bathroom to the bedroom.

As soon as Raven gently pushed open the bedroom door, his lips felt a little dry.

Nancy sat on the bed with her back to the door, wearing only a loose white top, through which the scenery inside was vaguely visible.

Her legs were spread apart, her calves turned outward, and she was sitting in the standard duck position, with her pink little feet slightly wrinkled.

Hearing the sound of the door, Nancy turned around, half of her red lips were tender and dripping, and she uttered the words she had said in Raven's ear before:

"This time, I'm going to be on top."

……

(End of this chapter)