Knight Lord: Start with Daily Intelligence.

Chapter 230 The Eve of the Decisive Battle: Are you still wearing your brass bell?
The first confrontation of the decisive battle happened faster than Su Li had expected. Legions of monsters came from all directions. When the farmers were retreating to the town with their families, a harpy roaring in the air looking for prey discovered them.

The cries of a large number of frightened cattle and sheep aroused the cruelty in the bones of these monsters, so hundreds of harpies screamed excitedly and attacked the long team on the ground, and their blade-like claws stirred up countless blood.

The farmers watched their property being slaughtered, and angrily raised their dung forks to fight against these terrible monsters, but they were too weak and had no professional assassination training. They swung their weapons blindly, and although they could injure the monsters, it was difficult for them to kill them with one blow. Instead, chaos and gaps appeared in the team during the fight. Several lone farmers were directly grabbed by the monsters and flew into the air, and then were dismembered by the cruel monsters in the air, with a large number of broken limbs and pieces of flesh and blood scattered all over the sky.

The Swan Knights discovered this battlefield, and they did not expect that these agile monsters would be so bold as to bypass the city and fortress and attack the retreating civilians deep in the south of the city.

But their numbers were simply not enough to fight against so many monsters. If a mere team of Swan Knights were surrounded by hundreds of Harpies, they would be completely torn to pieces by these monsters in a few minutes.

So they could only harass the monsters while sending people to Hesse Castle for help.

When a swan knight appeared above Hesse Castle covered in blood, Su Li saw him at a glance. After all, his blood-stained figure was very obvious.

Soon, at the signal of the armed servants, the swan knight landed on the terrace above the castle. This was the commanding height of the castle. The dwarves had already set up artillery here, ready to provide support in all directions at any time.

When the swan knight approached, Su Li realized how bad his condition was. There was a crossbow arrow stuck deep in the thigh and an arrow piercing the wing of the gray swan. If the arrows had not been cut off in time by the halfling with a dagger, the tearing of the muscles by the arrow when the wings flapped would have been enough to make the swan knight fall.

Su Li immediately asked, "What happened? How could your Swan Knights, with their mobility, be shot by the gnolls?"

The halfling replied in a panic, "The arrows on us are mainly because we were ambushed. A group of gnolls hid in the forest and suddenly attacked us as we passed by. There are too many ambushes like this that sneak into our territory. One of our farm teams was besieged by hundreds of harpies while retreating and urgently needs rescue."

Hundreds of harpies besieged a farm team?

Su Li immediately picked up the war hammer and said, "You lead the way, I will go with you to rescue."

In this kind of battle, it would definitely be too late to rely on infantry or even heavy armored cavalry on the ground, and the only rescue option was air cavalry.

Fortunately, as the territory grew, the size of the territory's air cavalry also increased.

In addition to Su Li's Pegasus Knight Fastrik, the Corona Knights also added a new Pegasus Knight Aliana. It is worth mentioning that unlike most champion knights who are male, she is a rare female champion knight in the territory.

However, her appearance is rather ordinary, not as cool and noble as Freya. Instead, she is a brotherly female knight with muscles that can run horses, otherwise she cannot become a Pegasus Knight.

You have to know that only the most powerful Knights-Errant can become a Pegasus Knight. She also loves to participate in wars, so after hearing about the magnificent war between the Black Forest Territory and the Green Dragon's minions in the monastery, she came all the way to the Black Forest Territory to participate in this war and pursue the glory of the goddess.

At Su Li's call, two Pegasus knights immediately followed Su Li and soared into the sky, each holding a war hammer and a halberd, and quickly rushed to the rear battlefield where the monsters were attacking with the swan knight.

The benefits of air cavalry are simply too great. A massive griffin like the Death Claw can easily break through limits that ordinary cavalry can't imagine, and can fly over 160 empire miles per hour.

It took only more than ten minutes for Su Li to arrive at the blood-spattered battlefield with a war hammer. At this time, the harpies were still besieging the farmers who were holding dung forks and relying on four-wheeled carriages to resist.

The weaker women and children had been torn to pieces by the monsters, and more than twenty corpses were lying on the ground. The remaining strong men who were still holding on were all injured.

The good news was that a patrolling group of mounted armed attendants joined the battlefield. They killed more than a dozen cruel harpies with lances and bows and arrows, and the feathers on their wings were scattered all over the ground.

However, these armed attendants on horseback were not fully armored cavalrymen. They only wore chain mail on their upper bodies, so they gradually fell into a disadvantage during the siege.

If there is no reinforcement, it is only a matter of time before they are all killed.

Just when they were in despair, the loud roar of a griffin suddenly rang out in the sky.

All the soldiers and serfs who were in despair looked up at the sky and saw the huge figure of the Death Claw. Everyone burst into incomparable ecstasy and cheered excitedly.

"Great! It's the Lord! The Lord has come to rescue us personally!"

"It's the Death Claw. We are saved. The powerful Death Claw will tear these filthy and despicable monsters apart."

The soldiers were greatly encouraged and their morale was naturally high, because the scene in the sky was so inspiring.

The huge griffin spread its huge wings, and the majestic figure wearing sophisticated armor covered the sky. On the back of the armored griffin, a knight wearing golden armor, holding a war hammer in one hand and holding high the scarlet flag of the Bauhinia family in the other. The bright halo of the scorching sun burst out from the knight, and the shining light illuminated the entire battlefield.

Since the founding of the empire, all of this has been a symbol of the nobility's power, purity and holiness.

For thousands of years, humans have followed such lords, overcoming difficulties, establishing countless feats, and repelling the sieges of countless evil monsters.

Amidst the cheers of the soldiers and the people, the Death Claw roared loudly, then swooped down with Su Li in its arms like a divine weapon. Its hammer gleamed coldly under the Witch Moon as it smashed down fiercely on a harpy that was about to pounce, shattering its head and sending blood and flesh flying everywhere.

The blood and flesh scattered all over the sky marked the beginning of the battle. More than a dozen half-banshees rushed towards Su Li with cruel roars. The Death Claw began to exert its full strength. It counterattacked swiftly, and each time its sharp claws could tear the chest of a harpy. In the flash of cold light, six banshees fell from the sky like raindrops in an instant.

It's like a price tag for His Majesty the Deathclaw and the hammer-wielding giant on its back.

In another direction, the Pegasus Knights were much more powerful. They followed Su Li and charged forward. Their spears and lances instantly pierced the chests of the four harpies, knocking them down in the air.

Even the female brother Aliana could shatter the banshee's corpse on the dazzling spear with a single shake of her lance, and countless pieces of flesh and feathers fell from the sky.

In her hand was the iconic [Lionheart Lance] of the Hessen Territory. This powerful and sacred Lionheart Lance was a perfect weapon that could not only inspire the morale of friendly forces, but also unlock fear.

When she charged with shield in hand and lance raised, no timid harpy dared to stand in front of her. She was completely invincible. Golden light rushed in all directions in the black formation of the harpies, and was invincible left and right. Behind her golden figure were the wreckage of monsters falling to the ground like dumplings.

Harpies are notoriously timid creatures. When they are in groups, they will not attack powerful prey unless they have to. Ariana's violent attacks, coupled with the unlocking of fear, quickly broke their courage. After she defeated more than a dozen harpies, at least thirty or forty injured and exhausted harpies were shrouded in fear, their morale collapsed, and they fled the battlefield wailing.

The mounted armed attendants on the ground and the surrounding swan knights were greatly encouraged by the sight of the reinforcements being so powerful. They quickly regained their spirits and launched a fierce attack on the harpies, cooperating with the Pegasus knights to surround and kill these monsters from all directions.

Su Li, a lord who rarely went to the battlefield, felt as if a warm current surged in his chest and his blood rushed. He bravely and heroically killed five harpies.

This was not just a momentary mental impulse or the surge of young blood, but the effect of the Lionheart Lance really affected him.

By boosting morale and inspiring friendly forces, he will be unable to restrain his passion and fight bravely.

Dozens of farmers and armed servants on the ground, together with more than 20 swan knights and three powerful air cavalrymen in the sky, fought for more than half an hour. Finally, after killing hundreds of monsters, they successfully defeated the monster. The remaining harpies fled in terror.

Including this battle, Su Li has smashed 13 monsters with his own hands since he traveled through time. Even as a warrior, he is considered a qualified veteran.

If Bai Longyu is convinced by then, he can go to the tavern in Hessen and just talk about his battlefield experience with others, which will cause the mercenaries to be amazed.

After all, being able to kill three or four gnolls, six or seven harpies, and even a few beastmen, can indeed be considered as having rich experience.

Many mercenaries have lived their entire lives on the edge of a knife, but they may never have killed so many monsters.

Of course, if Su Li really wanted to brag, he must not mention his equipment in detail. He had a champion-level tiger-striped griffin on his crotch, and a perfect-grade vibranium rune armor on his body that shone with golden light. Six or seven harpies surrounded him and bit him, but they only tore a bloody gash on his cheek. Several times the monsters' claws grabbed his throat, but were blocked by the powerful vibranium armor. One of the harpies was even frozen into an ice cube by the cold steel rune of the armor, and after falling from the sky, it shattered into ice chips on the ground.

After the battle, Su Li immediately used a potion of Shalya's Hand. Although this potion was only worth 50 silver coins, it was still very effective and could help the knight's wounds scab over quickly, just like Shalya's sacred hand gently caressing the knights' wounds.

This extravagant scene made the servants and civilians below gasp in amazement. Is such a big wound worth consuming such a precious sacred potion?

Even if you bandage it with gauze, it will heal in ten days or half a month, right?
Fastrick was shocked to see the blood all over Su Li's face. If the lord really had any mishap in this battle, Steward Hild would tear him apart alive and break his legs!

So Fastrick quickly flew over and asked, "Lord, are you okay?"

Su Li waved his hand casually and said, "It's just a minor injury, nothing serious. How are you and Aliana?"

Ariana swung her golden lance to shake off the blood stain, then flew over and said, "We are in a fierce state. They are just a group of harpies. They pose no threat at all."

"But tonight will probably be a sleepless night. Even you, the lord, have personally participated in the battle. I guess such battles may happen at any time in other places." The fact is indeed as Aliana said. The knights and mounted armed servants of the territory are rushing in front of the beast tide that is all over the mountains and rivers of Hessen Town and the minions of the green dragon.

Battles between scouts, spies and ambushes broke out in every corner of the central plains. It was through constant fighting that the knights gradually discovered the deployment and direction of the Green Dragon Legion and continuously reported to the command center in Hesse Castle.

The green dragon certainly could not tolerate this, and continued to send troops and ambushes to surround and kill these roaming human scouts.

It must ensure that its legion is hidden behind the fog like an iron curtain, which is in line with the green dragon's style of hiding in the shadows.

If its legion and deployment were completely exposed, the direction of the war would be completely controlled by human knights.

This kind of battle is undoubtedly very beneficial to the Green Dragon. Relying on the huge size of the army, it can set up hundreds of constantly cruising beast gangs in front of the main force. These monsters are grouped in dozens, and they are mobile and flexible. They can give full play to the maximum mobility of the beasts and block human cavalry scouts far away from the main force of the Green Dragon Legion more than ten miles away.

The dwarves riding their battle rams suffered a great loss in this deployment, and almost suffered a mishap, resulting in annihilation and the loss of the Thunder Horn.

It was also because these battle dwarves were greedy. They were unwilling to blow the thunder horn when facing dozens of monsters on the periphery, and wanted to go deep into the front of the main army of monsters.

As a result, he was surrounded by four monster gangs and almost couldn't escape.

Finally, he had no choice but to blow the Thunder Horn and summon the heroic spirit of the peak level of the Dwarf God's Choice, and only then did he chop dozens of monsters into pieces and break out.

But after this battle, the dwarves did not dare to go too deep, and the effect was minimal afterwards, so they simply retreated back to their territory.

This battle was just like the first two times, and the God-chosen Dwarf Heroic killed with great satisfaction, slaughtering nearly a hundred green dragon followers.

However, this also led to a small regret, that is, the green dragon's minions have already seen the flaws of this God-chosen heroic spirit, and he can only exist for a very short time each time.

Just run away desperately when he appears. Don't think about brutality, honor and formation. In front of this peak-level dwarf of the God's Chosen, no monster can withstand the blow of his sharp battle axe.

However, although this dwarf is strong, he has short legs. As long as the monsters do not charge towards him one after another, his efficiency in chasing them will be extremely low and he will not cause much damage.

This can also test the situation of the Green Dragon Legion. Perhaps these low-level monsters don't have much brains, but as the commander, the green dragon is very insidious and cunning, and can make extremely effective countermeasures against the deployment of the Hessen Territory.

Under its command, the Green Dragon's minions resolved the Hessen Territory's temptations one by one and successfully flattened a large number of outer territorial strongholds.

Judging from the results of tonight's battle alone, their Green Dragon Legion even has the upper hand, and can even be said to be advancing triumphantly and invincible.

In battles between roaming scouts, although both sides won and lost, this kind of loss was the least worrying for the green dragon. When monsters besieged a city, the defenders could not receive reinforcements, and every loss of troops weakened their strength.

The army besieging the city could gain more and more beast groups to join and replenish its strength.

As one side gains strength while the other loses strength, it is only a matter of time before the green dragon breaks through the castle.

When Su Li returned to Hesse Castle, Freya was already waiting on the terrace. Seeing Su Li coming back, she advised, "Don't run around. If you get ambushed by the Green Dragon, it will disrupt our deployment. Judging from the intelligence reported by the mounted armed attendants, the Green Dragon still has several wyverns under his command."

Su Li nodded without trying too hard. He handed the blood-stained hammer to Fastrik beside him, then looked at Freya and asked, "What's the situation now?"

Freya immediately replied, "The situation isn't optimistic. The main reason is that the herds on the Crimson Highlands cannot be recovered. We've ordered them to seek refuge at the foot of the Grey Mountains. We hope the dwarves can provide them with shelter."

Su Li had no way to deal with this situation. War would never wait until you were fully prepared before breaking out.

Or to be more precise, when facing a war that comes passively, one can never be fully prepared.

Especially since the intelligence about the Hessen Territory was suddenly leaked a few days ago, the fact that the territory was able to make such a level of preparation and mobilization was an amazing testament to the knights' amazing organizational abilities.

"How are the soldiers gathering?"

"Don't worry about that. Most of the secular soldiers in the territory have already assembled. Even those who are on the way can be successfully gathered in Heisen Town before the Green Dragon Legion arrives."

Su Li raised his eyebrows, keenly aware of the key question in Freya's answer: "Have the secular soldiers assembled successfully? What about the knights of the church?"

Su Li had never expected this unexpected situation.

The Church Knights are a professional armed combat group. Su Li has always been full of confidence in them. He has always felt that the Church Knights should be the fastest to complete mobilization. After all, they are the Church Knights of the Goddess of the Fiery Sun. Each of them is a well-trained warrior who is constantly honing his military skills. It can be said that they are completely full-time and only work to fight, fight and fight.

He never expected that the problem in the final assembly would be caused by the Knights of the Corona! ?
Freya patiently explained, "This issue is somewhat complicated. First of all, it involves the conflict between the church and secular power."

"This has a history of thousands of years, and I doubt you'll be interested. To make a long story short, the Church Knights must never abandon their garrison and the temple they guard and succumb to the secular nobles. Therefore, our Corona Knights must defend Silver Spring Valley."

"The monsters' attack across the mountains is immense. Their siege from the south of the territory is likely to discover the Silver Spring Valley garrison."

"So the captain left behind a group of knights with hundreds of reserve knights and armed squires to defend the temple and fortress in Silver Spring Valley."

The conflict between the church and the secular territory has a long history. This is a macro-contradictory in the empire's internal affairs, culture, and religion. To be honest, Su Li's current strength is not worthy of being exposed to all of this.

However, there is indeed an important difference between church knights and secular knights. In order to show their identity, combat priests in the church usually wear complete armor, with sacred symbols or copies of scriptures everywhere on the armor. Priests will also tie a classic book around their waist with an iron chain. The book usually has a metal cover to prevent the precious book from being accidentally destroyed on the ever-changing battlefield.

At least at the current stage, Su Li needs the support of the Knights of the Church.

The Knights of the Corona refused to give up their temples and religious territories, and entered the Hesse Territory with all their wealth and followers. The deployment of the territory had to take this issue into consideration.

Su Li asked, "Can a few hundred soldiers defend the temple and fortress in your Silver Spring Valley?"

Freya shook her head slightly and said, "It's hard for me to say for sure, but our Silver Spring Valley fortress is also a magnificent knight's castle, more than ten meters high. It will take the monster several days to take it down."

"Any knight from another church would have chosen to defend their temple to the death, vowing to live and die with it and its fortress. However, Captain Constantine is a brilliant tactician. He sees the situation clearly and understands that only by cooperating with the territory's army to defeat the Green Dragon's minions can the tide of war be turned. That's why he brought his elite knights to Hessen Town to aid in the battle."

Su Li pondered for a moment. It seemed that Marshal Orstein's offensive tactics were still the key to this battle.

Su Li glanced at the gradually brightening sky in the east. It was almost dawn, and the vanguard of the monsters was likely to arrive around the castle.

The decisive battle is about to enter the most intense stage of main force collision!
He didn't feel like running around anymore, so he asked Freya to bring a chair over. He sat directly on the highest terrace, with the fluttering flags above his head, looking into the distance.

Perhaps it won't be long before he can see the huge shadow that has been weighing on his heart for a long time - the Wings of Deception - Alyria.

The autumn breeze at dawn was a bit chilly. Su Li glanced at Freya, who was fully armed and shining in the sun, and exhaled a breath of warm air. He asked her, "Um...are you still wearing the bell?"

Perhaps it was the solemn atmosphere of the battlefield that made Freya's temperament particularly cold. She glanced at Su Li with her icy blue eyes and asked, "Are you nervous?"

"Why do you ask?" Su Li raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Because when men are nervous, they will relieve stress by imagining these things."

　Another good news: I will update 3 times starting tomorrow, and I will try to finish this decisive battle in 4- days.

　　Then I will start a period of relaxing farming life. I guess it will be impossible to write 7 articles a day for days this time. I have to save some articles and try to have a happy New Year like everyone else.

　　After all, it’s the Spring Festival, so you have to clean the house with your family, go out for a day or two, and visit relatives for a day or two.

　　I will try my best to update as usual during the Spring Festival, without missing a single day, and will prepare for the next update after the Spring Festival is over!
　　I hope you will continue to support me. Thank you very much.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)