From Hogwarts to Strixhaven.

Chapter 618 The Triumphant Heroes

The little elephant closed the journal, stretched its neck, and prepared to take a stroll outside the tavern.

Iron Guard Ambition is a cozy little tavern where the orange glow of candles illuminates many soldiers wearing different kinds of armor.

They were all Crusaders who had traveled a great distance to Kanaburi to participate in the holy war. Now that demons had invaded Kanaburi, they had become the last remaining flame of resistance in the city.

The reason the Crusaders chose to garrison Ironguard was because this little tavern, located near a fork in the road, actually had its own courtyard wall.

Perhaps because there were too many petty thieves making a living in Kanaburi, the tavern owner had to build a wall around the liquor he hid in the basement.

In short, with most of the fortresses and barracks in Kanaburi having fallen, finding a camp with favorable defensive terrain is already quite difficult.

The Crusaders set up numerous tents within the tavern's courtyard walls, constructed various defensive fortifications using wagons and barrels, and built watchtowers and access routes for mutual support on the rooftops of the small warehouses built against the walls.

From the perspective of the little elephant who braved the treacherous waters of Kanaburi to reach the Iron Guard's Ambition, the defenses here are indeed quite comprehensive. Resca's statement that this is the last bastion of peace in the entire city of Kanaburi is not an exaggeration at all.

Unfortunately, the demons are amassing a large force, intending to corrupt and defile this last piece of pure land.

They have amassed in Ischodta in preparation for an attack, and could launch their attack at any moment.

Resca took a huge risk, crossing half the city to reach Ironguard Ambition, just to deliver this intelligence to the commander there—the orc paladin in golden armor who had saved their lives outside the tavern, Erabeth Tilabard.

Little Elephant didn't consider himself a gossip, but he did hear some interesting rumors in the tavern.

When Resca reported to Commander Tilabard, she specifically mentioned her same-sex wife, who was Resca's superior and also the great city protector who transformed him from a petty thief on the streets into a Divine Eagle Guard agent.

In any case, same-sex and interracial love is not a common occurrence in Kanaburi, a city with a strong witch-hunting tradition. Therefore, rumors about the knight commander and his wife often circulated among the soldiers.

Even in this small, pristine place, this situation has not stopped.

On the very day they arrived at Ironguard Ambition, the little elephant overheard rumors at the dinner table. They were told by a dwarf convict named Cole.

The so-called Condemned Army consists of people who have committed crimes but have been given the opportunity to atone for them. They are allowed to serve in the Condemned Army until they are sacrificed in the fight against evil.

In Cole's words, it's better to live a miserable life than to die, and he certainly didn't want to make a living in Kanaburi with several fingers missing—he was sent to the Convict Army for theft.

At least in the army of convicts he had a fixed supply of food and drink; without a finger he could use for work, he would truly be begging on the streets. As for dying in battle against demons, this former petty thief didn't care at all.

“I have two legs for running away,” he said. “Besides, the Convicts aren’t too bad; there are worse ones. That Staunton Weyhen will cover for us.”

The little elephant didn't recognize Staunton Weyhen, but judging from the contemptuous look in the eyes of the dwarf convicts towards the wall, the middle-aged dwarf in that corner was the one who could supposedly cover for the convicts.

The baby elephant was curious, but out of politeness, it didn't ask any more questions. However, the dwarf judges were quick to speak their minds.

Just like that, the secret that Commander Tilabad's wife was originally a man was revealed by the Dwarf Convict Army. And the potion that turned her from a man into a woman was bought by Commander Tilabad with money he obtained by pawning his family heirloom sword sheath.

The little elephant felt it couldn't listen any longer, so it decided to find a quiet place to finish its journal.

The journal now contains all the events of the past few days, and it awaits the record of the warriors' great victory in the tavern defense battle that may or may not occur.

A corrupting breeze swept over the Iron Guard's ambitious courtyard wall, and the little elephant instinctively held its breath, trying to prevent the devil's scent from entering its lungs.

Besides the demons, the Sorrow of the World also brought the corruption of the Abyss to Grellion. If one camps in the wild without protection, the corruption of the Abyss will slowly seep into one's very bones.

It began with nightmares that struck at night, followed by a weariness and fear that seeped into one's very bones, and finally, an endless madness. In the first holy war launched by the Kingdom of Montive, many elite warriors fell victim to the constant corruption of the abyss.

After several days of travel, the little elephant had a clear understanding of why the world's tragedy was so terrifying.

"Why aren't you drinking inside?" Little Elephant felt someone pat his arm. He turned around and saw it was Resca.

Having finally completed his mission with the Divine Eagle Guard and received a series of good news, he was no longer so gloomy. However, deep wrinkles were still etched between his brows, telling the story of those arduous experiences.

"Just getting some fresh air." Little Elephant wasn't going to tell him he didn't like gossiping in bars. "I heard your boss is still alive? Have you seen her?"

“Yes, this is quite a surprise. I knew a woman like her would never be killed by those demon scum.” Resca smiled. “Annevia went out on a mission. I don’t know the specifics, but judging from Irabes’s expression, it must be very important. I also heard it’s related to a hero who suddenly appeared. Now everyone in the tavern is saying that if that hero is there, we might be able to take back the Gray Camp and the Guardian Stone.”

"The Gray Army Camp and the Guardian Stone? We need to split up our forces?" Little Elephant vaguely remembered that these were two different places. The Guardian Stone was located in the Kite Tower, which had always been a popular pilgrimage site in Kanaburi. However, decades ago, a demon disguised himself as a pilgrim and contaminated the place with the blood of innocent civilians. After that, the Kite Tower and the Guardian Stone were no longer open to pilgrims.

“No, we will not split our forces,” Resca explained. “The first thing the Demon Lord did when he attacked Kanaburi was to destroy the Kite Tower where the Guardian Stone was stored. I’m afraid he originally intended to destroy the Guardian Stone itself, but for some reason he failed and instead let the stone crash into the Gray Army camp.”

“Oh, so if we recapture the Grey Soldier Camp, we can also recapture the Guardian Stone?” The little elephant nodded knowingly. “To be more precise, the Grey Soldier Camp is the one we can take over.” Resca corrected the little elephant. “As long as the Guardian Stone can be made to work again, all the demons in Kanaburi will turn to ashes in an instant.”

As they talked, the two approached the blacksmith's shop inside the Iron Guard's Ambition wall. Standing there was a dwarf wearing shiny black armor, his hammer clanging on the anvil, which caught their attention.

"Qiao Lan! You old devil, it's great to see you're still alive and in good spirits!" Resca stepped forward and punched Qiao Lan's breastplate, laughing as he said, "The demon's attack can't reach Brother Wei Heng, right? Besides, you've been through so much over the years."

The little elephant understood; the dwarf blacksmith before him was none other than the brother of Stauton Weyhen, the convict from the tavern.

Qiao Lan gave a helpless smile: "We are still alive. But believe me, I would very much like to give up my own life to save some people whose blood has not yet cooled. But death does not accept requests. So both of us brothers are still alive. If you want to attribute this to good luck or bad luck, that's up to you."

"I'm sorry, sir, if my question offended you, please allow me to apologize first." The little elephant asked politely, "Are you also a member of the condemned army?"

“No, I’m not. I’m here for my brothers.” Jolan’s expression changed, becoming as cold and hard as his anvil. “Whatever questions you intend to use to humiliate my brothers, please leave. I don’t intend to discuss this matter, and please don’t ask.”

“Don’t misunderstand, Jolan,” Resca explained for the little elephant. “He encountered the demon lord’s invasion as soon as he arrived in Kanaburi, and he’s a complete novice. He’s not even a Crusader; he’s just an apprentice collecting historical data for the Pioneers’ Association. He’s currently looking for his teacher.”

“A historian?” Jolan looked the little elephant up and down suspiciously. “No wonder you’re dressed so lightly. I thought there weren’t any suits of armor here.”

The little elephant looked down at its dirty Hengjian school uniform and suddenly realized that it hadn't taken a bath in almost half a month.

"He's just an intern..." he muttered.

“Whatever you’re going to write in the historical records, I hope history will give our brother a fair evaluation.” Qiao Lan ignored the little elephant’s rambling and just stared into his eyes.

The little elephant nodded seriously: "History lies in restoring the true nature of things, not in embellishing them with personal likes and dislikes."

“Alright.” Jolan sighed softly. “In the previous holy wars, Kanaburi was not on the front line against the demons. We originally had a base in the World's Sorrow, the impregnable City of Favor. There are guardian stones there that can stop the demons, and there is the artifact belonging to Iomede, the sacred Blade of Valor.”

The little elephant quickly took out its notebook and began to write things down carefully.

"The Vanguard of Valor is a banner, a symbol. Under its protection, the city of Favor stood firmly on the front line against the demons. And my brother, Stoutton Weyhen, was the commander of Favor at that time."

"A demon named Mingna Gu, a Litu demon, bewitched him, tempting him to take the Heroic Blade out of the city to meet the enemy, but instead took the opportunity to lead demons to launch a sneak attack on Juanze City."

“Stouton was indeed the culprit behind the fall of Juvenile City, and I know very well that he is not innocent. But he served in the Judgment Army for so long, yet he has not been forgiven by anyone! Even now, the people here still regard him as a stain.”

“I…I have nothing more to say. Just take this as the pathetic grumbling of an old dwarf.” Jolan shook his head bitterly, as if all his strength had been drained, then frantically picked up the hammer and continued pounding the iron plate on the anvil. No matter what questions the little elephant asked, he remained silent, even less talkative than the golem that Strelhaven used to mow the lawn.

The little elephant and Resca exchanged a glance, then prepared to return to the tavern to rest. The effort they had expended on the journey was considerable, far more than a good meal or two and a good pillow could compensate for.

Just then, the wooden door of the Iron Guard's Ambition opened, and the soldiers standing on the makeshift watchtower waved down and shouted inside: "Our hero is back!"

A group of soldiers, full of energy and spirit, walked in from outside. Leading them was a tall woman wearing a white gauze dress. She had light gray, medium-length hair and delicate features, like a carefully polished gemstone.

A large machete, taller than the little elephant, was slung over her shoulder, adding a touch of wildness and fierceness to this beautiful woman. The hem of her white gauze dress was filthy from battle and wear and tear, but miraculously, it did not diminish her charm. The little elephant was almost mesmerized, completely oblivious to her teammates behind her.

"Oh!" The jewel-like woman saw the baby elephant as soon as she entered (given his size, it was impossible for him to go unnoticed), and exclaimed as she walked towards him. "Where did you come from? I've never seen a human with an elephant's head before!"

The little elephant scratched his face shyly, about to utter the pretense he had prepared for some time, but the woman's companion did not give him the chance.

"You've never seen anyone like this in Chelias?" asked a man shrouded in golden light, who looked like a god but wore a malicious smile. "Then it seems he's a beast-headed barbarian from the Mammoth Kingdom."

The jewel-like woman rolled her eyes: "Chelias is a society of demons, not a society of beastmen. How could I possibly have seen everything?"

“Oh, I apologize on behalf of Dalan. He’s a master at stirring up people’s anger. Please, for my sake, don’t use your long trunk to wrap around his neck and shove him upside down in the ground. My name is Ilinica, and what’s yours?” The woman in the gauze dress named Ilinica extended a hand to the little elephant. Although she was apologizing on behalf of her companion, the little elephant felt that she was encouraging him to shove that guy named Dalan upside down in the ground.

“I am Kuntoli, Kuntoli Kant, everyone calls me Little Kun…” The little elephant hurriedly reached out to shake hands, but compared to those fair and slender fingers, his own fingers not only looked clumsy, but also had a lot of dark ink on his fingertips.

I should have wiped it off before shaking her hand...

“Alright, little Kun. Where did you come from? I’ve traveled halfway around the world from Chelias to Montivel, but I’ve never seen an elephant-headed man like you before. If it’s convenient, please satisfy my curiosity.” Ilinica released the little elephant’s hand and stared intently at this person who seemed completely out of place with the entire Iron Guard’s ambition.

"Don't you really feel tired?" asked a dark-haired woman from Illinika's companions. "Can't we sit by the campfire, eat, and chat?"

“Annevia! It’s so good to see you’re alright!” Resca, standing next to the baby elephant, called out her name immediately.

“I’m glad to see you’re alright, Resca. But shouldn’t you show some respect to your superior? I’m the commander of the Divine Eagle Guard, after all,” Annevia said playfully, raising an eyebrow.

(End of this chapter)