Knight Lord: Start with Daily Intelligence.

Chapter 189: The Four God-Chosen Guardians Beneath the Throne of Thorns

The Wyvern King is undoubtedly the first God-chosen-level challenge that the Heisen Territory needs to face.

Given the Green Dragon's cunning and deceitful nature, they certainly wouldn't immediately gather their entire force and rashly engage in a decisive battle with the Black Forest Lords. Especially since the Black Forest Lords had taken the lead and proactively attacked the forest, killing and wounding a large number of Green Dragon followers, leaving a trail of corpses and burning down a large number of camps.

This undoubtedly enraged the newly awakened dragon. If it were a red dragon, it would have immediately attacked in a rage, burning the entire territory to ash. However, green dragons are inherently shady, preferring behind-the-scenes scheming to direct combat.

Su Li and the knights judged that after giving it a warning, the dragon would inevitably overestimate the power of the territory and think that a powerful territory was about to wipe it out. Therefore, it would definitely carefully test the strength of the Black Forest Territory first.

The fact that it chose to nest in the forest rather than the Grey Mountains suggested that this green dragon had a bit of a bullying nature. It did not dare to provoke the richer dwarves in the Grey Mountains, but only wreaked havoc on the newly emerged pioneering territories around the forest.

This means that it will be extremely cautious about wars with strong opponents.

The Wyvern Legion had always served as spies within its power, and it was very likely that it would lead the first group of troops out of the forest to engage in battle with the Black Forest Territory.

In this battle, Commander Orstein led his army into the forest. In addition to plowing the fields and killing to establish his authority, another important task was to gather intelligence on the Wyvern King.

This aspect has yielded considerable results. Knight Orstein said with a serious expression, "We captured a large number of prisoners in this battle. After interrogation, we have obtained very detailed intelligence on the Green Dragon's Familiar Legion."

"This green dragon's name is Irelia Erebus Emerald Shadow, the Wing of Deception. It's said to be the descendant of an emperor dragon and possesses immense wealth. Therefore, it has gathered a large number of monsters into its army through bribery, recruitment, and intrigue."

"Under its throne of thorns are four divinely chosen guards: the elemental giant bear, Ostanka Usol."

"Chaos Monster, Chimera, Skaros, Crazy Hiss."

"The Spiteful Dryad, Galeragon Westenwood."

"And the Wyvern King Sandarion Fairworm, whom we already knew."

After hearing all this, Knight Connor was frightened and turned pale. Doesn't this mean that Lord Hessen will face the siege of five God-chosen monsters?
But Su Li breathed a sigh of relief, smiled and said, "This is good news with mixed feelings, isn't it?"

Hildre also nodded in agreement. When this bleak reality was finally revealed, everyone felt that the burden on their shoulders became much lighter.

The unknown is the most terrifying thing, because the unknown may lead to infinite magnification of the opponent's strength.

Therefore, humanity's greatest fear comes from the unknown, which makes it impossible to formulate a coping strategy.

Now Orstein led his army deep into the forest to gather intelligence and uncover everything. The bad news for Su Li was of course that the monster was much stronger than known.

But the good news is that we finally know the opponent's full strength, so we don't have to worry anymore. We don't have to worry about the opponent throwing out a new card after we have already deployed all our main forces.

Hildurd took a deep breath and said, "It seems our early strategy of scorching the forest and clearing the countryside was correct. The number of the green dragon's evil minions far exceeds our imagination. They should be gathering their forces right now, preparing to rush out of the forest and destroy all human towns and villages."

Orstein nodded heavily and said, "According to reports from our remaining knights, they could already hear the dragon's angry and terrifying roar as they left the forest. This will be like the horn of the Wild Hunt, summoning its evil minions from all directions to gather before its throne."

Su Li asked with concern: "My Lord Commander, based on your exploration of the forest this time, how many legions of monsters do you think there are?"

Monsters' command abilities are far inferior to those of humans. They simply cannot command thousands of legions.

But don't underestimate them. After so many years of war, they have learned to adapt. Generally, they will have a Beast King leading a war group of around 2000 monsters. More experienced Beast Kings command more monsters, but the size of the war group rarely exceeds 3000.

Marshal Orstein led his troops into the forest this time, where a battle broke out with an army of monsters. Apparently, they wiped out a group of green dragon followers.

This kind of war group is led by a powerful monster commander and is composed of multiple different tribes or groups of beasts. Occasionally, there will be powerful monsters that are bribed and lured to join them, such as forest giants, forest trolls, etc.

How terrifying the green dragon's followers are depends not only on how many God-chosen monsters they have, but also on the size of their battle group and how many forest monsters are willing to serve as their minions.

Speaking of this, Knight Orstein's face became very solemn. "My Lord, the number of monsters is likely beyond our imagination. This dark forest covered with spider webs is full of all kinds of evil. We have only explored the vast area in the west of the forest, which is filled with the spires of evil wizard towers, garrison watchtowers, and mysterious ruins - many of which are now the lairs of ferocious beasts, bandits, or mutants."

"And it's not just evil and savage monsters that attack humans. In fact, trees will also attack intruders. They extend their thick branches to first snare their prey, then absorb their body fluids and tear open their dry bark. There are also some tree demons filled with resentment, who will tear human bodies into pieces in groups to vent their hatred for strangers."

"That's why the green dragon didn't rush out of the forest immediately after awakening. It was obviously trying to gather these massive monsters scattered everywhere."

Commander Orstein's report made Su Li frown. The entire forest had turned into a nightmare for humans and launched a terrible attack on them.

No wonder humans in this world have a deep-seated fear of forests. Very few normal people are willing to leave the plains and roads and go deep into the forest.

"My Lord Marshal, are you saying that the Green Dragon's minions are likely to include not only the monster army but also the forest dryad army?"

Orstein nodded and said, "Yes, Lord. This has its pros and cons for us. Although the monster army is huge, it is destined to take longer for them to assemble."

"And our tactics have been successful. Our proactive attacks have already reduced their strength. I believe that as long as we actively defend and attack in the upcoming battles, we will be able to continue to weaken their size."

Su Li also agreed with Marshal Orstein's opinion: "If we blindly passively defend and allow the enemy to calmly assemble, once they successfully gather all their forces, their sheer size will overwhelm us like a tidal wave. Offense is the best defense!"

As the highest commander in the territory, Su Li certainly cannot be too negative. The general is the courage of the army. If he does not have the courage to resist, the army will collapse directly. The Green Dragon Legion will advance straight into the territory, and I am afraid that the Hessen Territory will fall completely in a few days.

Moreover, he never treated his soldiers badly. He provided the army with large sums of money, generous rewards and extremely rich food.

During wartime, a large number of honors and meritorious awards were given to knights and soldiers.

As long as he can make up his mind, the soldiers are willing to die for him and defend their homeland.

So Su Li took a deep breath and said, "And you're right. Every day we delay, our strength will grow. The monsters are gathering their minions and preparing for a wild hunt. Aren't we also gathering troops, reorganizing new forces, and gathering friends?"

The arrival of family reinforcements significantly increased the size of his army again.

In any case, Knight Connor brought more than 500 family armed forces and more than caravans, mercenaries, etc.

Including the two battalions of attendants of the family, the size of Su Li's direct armed attendants has reached nearly half a battle regiment, more than 600 people.

It was obvious that this infantry regiment would become the provincial army of Hesse in the future.

Although noble knights preferred to join the Knights Templar rather than serve in provincial legions and fight alongside commoners, this did not mean that provincial armies were ineffective. In a world where martial virtue was less prevalent, these armies, formed and funded entirely by lords, would be the most professional soldiers. They were the most elite professional soldiers in the Mortal Empire, completely demobilized, spending their days training only to kill.

It can be said that as long as this professional army is provided with sophisticated armor, a thousand of them can easily defeat thousands or even tens of thousands of refugees and rebels.

Even in this extraordinary world, the professional provincial legions, facing sieges from vile monsters, could hold their ground, battling the fiercest green-skinned orcs, the most fearsome ogres, and the great horned beasts to the bitter end. As for weaker monsters like goblins, goblins, and lesser horned beasts, they were merely objects of their slaughter.

Moreover, the combat strength of the Hessen Territory's army was far greater than that. Knight Orstein was greatly inspired by Su Li's words and said excitedly, "My Lord, I have another piece of good news to report to you. Your pre-war expectations for the territory's knights have finally been realized. Our knight corps is indeed growing stronger."

"The Light-Scaled Fish and Tinder Rabbit you generously gifted us proved extremely effective in the fierce battle that followed. Over 30 of our Armed Retinue awakened their bloodlines and became Apprentice Knights. Another 24 full-fledged Knights, bathed in divine grace, broke through to the rank of Elite Knight."

"The breakthrough number of the Corona Knights is roughly the same as ours. If we add the Scarlet Night Knights, the number of elite knights loyal to you on the battlefield of the decisive battle with the Green Dragon has reached nearly 500!" This news immediately excited Su Li. After seeing the heavily armored knights shining in the sun below the platform today, everyone can deeply appreciate the power of these elite knights.

It can be said that they are the military backbone that enables the human empire to establish itself in this world!
Five hundred heavily armored knights lined up on the battlefield. Their heavy armor and tall bodies alone were enough to bring an unparalleled sense of oppression.

Even if they were lined up on foot in the valley battlefield, they were an unstoppable elite force. They were heavily armored and could push their opponents directly into the valley and into the water.

If they mounted their warhorses and charged, their lances would be able to penetrate all the monsters' defensive lines!
So Su Li said excitedly: "My commander, the task of integrating the territory's army is now in your hands. I don't think Knight Connor will have any objections, right?"

As Su Li and everyone else turned their gazes towards Knight Connor, he finally recovered from his shock and quickly said, "Of course, Lord, your arrangements are incredibly wise. The territory's army should naturally be handed over to the strongest marshal, and everyone will respect your will. With my limited talents, I truly do not know how I can fight against such a vast evil army and so many chosen monsters. I can only follow your will. Wherever your sword points, that is the battlefield where I will fight with all my might."

Knight Connor's words undoubtedly reflect the past that the Hessen Territory has always experienced.

Every time Su Li drew a red arrow on the map, countless soldiers rushed to the bloody battlefield. They rode on horses and fought bloody battles. With swords flashing and blades flying, they chopped down group after group of enemies and continuously expanded the territory of Hessen.

It was after more than half a year of fighting by the soldiers that the Bauhinia family occupied a large area at the foot of the Heisen Mountains, allowing the Bauhinia flag to fly over this fertile land.

The title of Knight Connor changed from Young Master Su Li to Lord, which meant that he finally surrendered, and the Hessen Lord once again had only one will!
So Su Li became friendly again and said to him with a smile: "It's great that Knight Connor thinks so. Come, come, let me introduce our territory to you. Let you and the knights of the family know what kind of home we are guarding."

After saying this, Su Li led Knight Connor to a map hanging in the castle hall. Pointing at it, he said, "Although the Black Forest Territory is remote, it is very fertile. The warm lowlands are conducive to growing high-quality wine grapes, while the cool highlands near the mountains are the source of high-quality wool. Although there is a dwarf fortress in the mountains, we have a good relationship with them. Humans also mine iron and silver in the mountains, then transport them to the Black Forest Territory to be forged into sophisticated equipment, which is then sold to Maleburg and other territories."

"The merchant families of Maleburg also have warehouses and agents here. We are bordered by the Gray Mountains to the northeast, the Great Bloodpine Forest to the east, and vast wilderness and swamps to the south. Yet, we have been able to maintain our independence because our territory is fertile and rich, and we have ample funds to support any army we need."

"So, Knight Connor, if you have friends or relatives, you can definitely call them over. I will offer a generous salary."

Knight Connor's eyes lit up as he gazed at the vast territory, villages, towns, and strongholds on the map. He said, "My Lord, your achievements in the Hessen Territory have truly exceeded the expectations of everyone in Bauhinia Castle. I believe that if we spread the details of this place to the north, many knight families will follow my example and move their entire families to the Hessen Territory in search of greater opportunities."

This time when Knight Connor went south, he brought his son, daughter, family servants, and armed attendants with him.

Therefore, he absolutely did not want this territory to be burned down, so he continued, "And the premise of all this is that we must defend the territory and defeat the powerful army of the Green Dragon's followers."

Su Li nodded and replied firmly: "There is no doubt about it. I will protect our homeland at all costs."

As Knight Connor softened, Su Li's attitude also became more friendly. He smiled and continued, "We will hold a grand banquet tonight. The halflings will cook sheep and slaughter cattle, and we will drink fine wine! This will celebrate our victory and also welcome the knights of our family to visit!"

As Su Li finished speaking, cheers were heard again in the castle. The knights had just heard Knight Orstein mention the tinder rabbit meat and light-scale fish. They all looked forward to finding new opportunities in the Hesse Territory.

Su Li did not disappoint their expectations. Without any conditions, he generously rewarded the knights who came to support him with a portion of dragon blood grass to increase their physical strength. The knights with lion bloodline were even given a portion of lion mane mushroom to speed up their training.

Su Li had people plant the dragon blood grass in early summer according to the guidance of the daily intelligence system. Although its effect is not as strong as that of the dragon blood stone, it is better in that there are a lot of them.

Summer is the season when Tal is the most wild. After the dragon blood grass was successfully cultivated, it grew wildly under Lake Rafflin. Su Li was even rich enough to sell a batch of it in the market, earning him more than 50 gold crowns.

Now that the time has come to win people's hearts, he is of course more willing to distribute generously.

The effect was very significant, and the lord's generosity quickly won the favor of the knights who came to support the family.

Su Li's combination of kindness and force today had successfully established his authority among the family knights. Previously, many knights did not really recognize Su Li as a lord, thinking that he was just a young man, how could he lead the most powerful and proud Knights of the Red Night in Zijing Castle?

However, with Su Li's intimidation and enticement of them, they soon developed a great sense of belonging to the Hessen Lord, especially when a large number of powerful knights celebrated with them, and a large amount of food and fine wine were served, which made the atmosphere of the banquet even more lively.

The knights were all rugged characters, and they couldn't help but provoke a show of confrontation in the banquet hall. The most intense competition was between the Knights of the Red Night and the Knights of the Corona.

Both sides, being knights, naturally competed, boasting about the might of their respective orders. As the saying goes, there's no first in literature, and no second in martial arts. After a few drinks, their bodies were naturally ablaze with excitement, and they couldn't suppress the urge to compete.

So after obtaining the consent of the high-ranking steward, a group of servants cleared out an open space in the hall. The two knights, wearing their own fine heavy armor, holding training swords, shields and halberds, began a fierce confrontation.

This rough style has always been despised by the elegant and proud elves, who think that the people of the Empire are a bunch of country bumpkins. However, the Empire and the Dwarves agree that this kind of heated confrontation at the banquet can make the banquet more lively and enjoyable.

According to the custom of the empire that one can gamble on anything, knights naturally gathered in groups of three or four to place bets.

Su Li sat at the end of the long banquet table, holding a glass of fruit tea and looking towards the center of the field with interest.

He was now an elite knight himself, and he was deeply interested in the battles between them. Especially the two in the middle of the field, whose stabbing techniques and fighting skills were extremely outstanding!
As elite knights representing their respective orders, they are all the best in their orders and have reached the stage of high-level elite knights.

Whether it is physique, martial arts or experience, they have reached the highest level at the current stage.

The attacks of both men were swift and violent, with each punch hitting the flesh, bringing the fierce collision of knights to the extreme. At the same time, their stabbing techniques were like antelope hanging on the horns, and from time to time, a wonderful move would draw cheers from the whole room.

This wonderful confrontation benefited Su Li greatly. It was like an eye-opener. Many of the performances were eye-opening. He had never imagined such a brilliant attack method. Such a high level of skill was beyond his imagination.

He was watching with great interest when a tall figure stood beside him, and the shadow blocked out the bright light above the hall.

"Lord, you only drink fruit tea?"

A cold voice came from above his head, and Su Li withdrew his gaze from the center of the field and looked up at the person who came. A light and fresh scent of white tea lingered in front of his nose, like a mixture of the fresh scent of geranium and freesia, which made people feel relaxed and happy.

Su Li smiled faintly and said, "I was once forced to drink too much wine at a table that I didn't want to drink. I made a vow that one day, when everyone at the banquet was drinking, no one would dare to question me for drinking tea."

"If Knight Freya wants to have a drink with me, we can choose a day other than the banquet. I welcome His Excellency the Grand Knight to visit my castle and manor."

Freya raised her glass indifferently: "This is a toast to you, Lord." After that, she raised the glass high and drank it all in front of Su Li. Her raised chin was exquisite and flawless, and her neck looked particularly tall and white under the light.

After guzzling a glass of fine wine, a faint blush appeared on her cool cheeks. "My Lord, are you interested in a bet?"

Su Li raised his eyebrows. When a woman comes to talk to you and proposes a bet, does winning or losing still matter?

Especially such a proud, indifferent, fierce and powerful female knight, who looks at all men as if they are garbage, but takes the initiative to come up and talk to them.

This sense of accomplishment is enough to make an ordinary man excited.

But Su Li just smiled faintly. It was not like he had never seen a pure young man with a woman. The various beauties among his female courtiers had made him extremely resistant to beauty.

So he said directly: "I don't really like gambling. Especially when I don't know the odds of winning, I will never participate in gambling."

"But I accept your invitation."

Freya's stern brows knitted slightly, and her beautiful face looked down at Su Li. She asked, "So, Lord, are you willing to accept this invitation? Is it because you are sure of victory? Or is it because you are giving me special treatment?"

(End of this chapter)