Knight Lord: Start with Daily Intelligence.

Chapter 520 A Powerful Opponent: The Swamp King and the Fantastic Species: The Swamp Demon

After Su Li decided to officially send troops to pacify the northern border of the border princely territory, the army of the Black Forest Territory was quickly mobilized.

As the lord, Su Li personally took up the Spear of Oath, leading the most elite Black Forest Guard Knights and all his high-ranking personal attendants, and marched straight into the Swamp Territory to support Saint Lily Knight Hilde, who was serving as the vanguard.

It wasn't until he entered this swamp that Su Li finally understood why, even with Hilder as a legendary knight leading the elite army of the Black Forest Territory, she couldn't sweep through this territory like autumn leaves in the wind.

The battle between the two sides was extremely fierce and intense.

The "wearing down the enemy" tactic employed over the past year has far exceeded expectations. The swamp territory now shows signs of fatigue and decay. The once faint traces of villages have completely vanished, and the defensive structures in many areas appear hastily constructed and outdated.

Even more shocking was the environment itself: large areas that should have been mudflats were abnormally dry and cracked, exposing the fissured riverbed; the once lush, toxic, and bizarre reeds had withered in patches, making the Blackssen army's advance unexpectedly smooth in some sections. Clearly, the entire ecosystem of this swamp territory had suffered enormous damage.

Intelligence indicates that the population of the Swamp Territory (both humans and other aliens) has drastically decreased this year. The ongoing mobilization and guerrilla warfare have nearly exhausted their able-bodied men, and the continuous abandonment of farmland has triggered a terrible famine. Su Li's army encountered numerous abandoned and makeshift camps along the way, as well as corpses clearly succumbing to hunger and disease. These corpses varied in form, some human, others consisting of many unidentifiable humanoid creatures, all silently testifying to the suffering this land had endured over the past year.

Despite their weakened state, the core strength of the Swamp Territory—those monsters known as inhuman—still displayed terrifying fighting power. Through nearly a year of battles and sacrifices, the Black Forest Territory finally gained a preliminary understanding of some of the characteristics of these enemies.

Su Li climbed the watchtower built of large logs on the front line. The damp, decaying air rushed towards him, mixed with a faint smell of blood and sulfur.

He gazed into the distance, before him an endless, sickly gray-green expanse. Twisted, withered trees, muddy puddles bubbling with eerie morphology, and a thick fog that seemed to hang in the air forever formed a suffocating barrier.

Clad in golden armor, Hilde was already waiting there. She pointed into the depths of the mist, her voice steady yet solemn: "My lady, this desolate scene you see is the most dangerous trap. Count Litanel is hiding in the deepest part of this swamp."

“Litanel…” Su Li murmured the name. He had heard of this swamp lord's reputation far too many times. To be able to establish such a foundation in this treacherous swamp with a mortal body, and to control a vast area from the Green Moss Swamp to the Twilight Mountains, was no easy feat. “It seems he is more difficult to deal with than we imagined.”

Hilde nodded, her tone certain: "Yes. According to the intelligence we have gathered over a long period of time, Litanel's life is full of legends. Litanel was born into a minor noble family in a remote province of the empire, and was an unimportant member of a collateral branch of the family."

Hilder's voice was ethereal, as if she were telling a dark and legendary story. "About a dozen years ago, he came to the border princely territory with an almost shabby army—just a few ragged family veterans, a few worn-out horses, and a dilapidated wagon loaded with all his belongings. At that time, he was a pioneering knight who longed for land."

Su Li gently stroked the spear of oath, raised an eyebrow, and commented, "His starting point was much lower than mine."

Although Su Li himself had faced discrimination and even expulsion from the Bauhinia family, he managed to persuade five elite knights and a large number of servants to join his ranks at the last moment, thanks to his wisdom and eloquence. In contrast, Litanel started almost entirely from scratch, beginning with nothing.

"However, this lawless land of the border princely territory offered no warmth to this ambitious pioneering knight," Hilde continued somberly. "His pioneering journey was filled with failures and betrayals. It is said that when he first tried to establish a foothold, he was robbed by local bandits and became destitute. To survive, he even became a slave at one point."

"But Litanel was clearly not one to be subservient. With cunning and patience, he served several border warlords and minor lords. Each time, he secretly amassed power, learned the rules of survival, and then used the most despicable means—betrayal, poisoning, spreading rumors, colluding with foreign enemies—to usurp his master's power and army. He was like a venomous snake, constantly shedding his skin and growing stronger through intrigue and killing. In the North at that time, his name was almost synonymous with 'ingratitude' and 'scheming manipulator'."

Hilder's description paints a picture of someone struggling to survive in the mire, willing to stain themselves with darkness, perfectly matching the dark stereotypes people have of the border princely territories.

"Ultimately, his evil deeds aroused the wrath of the masses, and he was hunted down by several united lords. With nowhere to run, he fled with his remaining troops into this desolate place then known as the 'Green Moss Swamp.'" Hilde pointed to the mist before her. "At that time, everyone believed that this despicable villain would surely be devoured by the monsters, poisonous gas, and hunger of the swamp. For several years afterward, he disappeared without a trace, and rumors spread that Litanel, this scourge, had finally received his just deserts and was gone without a trace."

“But he didn’t die,” Su Li said, his gaze sharp.

“Yes, my lord. He not only didn’t die, but he made a stunning return.” Hilde’s voice also took on a solemn tone. “Just a few years later, when the outside world had long forgotten about him, Litanel suddenly emerged from the depths of the swamp. He was no longer the wretched fugitive, but commanded a vast army—comprising not only human soldiers, but also a large number of ferocious swamp monsters known as swamp daemons. This army seemed to have been born from the mud, possessing an unparalleled knowledge of the swamp’s terrain. He swiftly and decisively annihilated all his former enemies who had pursued him, his ruthlessness chilling to the bone.”

"Subsequently, he became unstoppable, successively conquering the Green Moss Swamp, the Blackwater Whirlpool, and the Dragon Bone Shoal, and expanding his sphere of influence to the edge of the Twilight Mountains, controlling strategic locations such as the Pale Cavern. He integrated this vast swamp area into his own earldom, established the core [Mud Crown Castle], and connected various places through caves and countless hidden walkways, forming an impregnable swamp kingdom."

Su Li listened quietly for a long time before slowly exhaling. His previous slight contempt had completely vanished. A person who could climb out of such a desperate situation and then conquer the wasteland, regardless of their methods, should not be underestimated in terms of will and ability.

Count Litanel is not a simple border upstart, but a formidable adversary forged in the crucible of betrayal and death, deeply intertwined with the dark forces of the swamp.

“It seems,” Su Li said in a deep voice, “that we are facing a true ‘King of the Swamp’ who has crawled back from hell. He must have obtained some kind of opportunity in the swamp.”

Hilde nodded: "Our scouts obtained intelligence at great cost, which suggests that Count Litanel seems to have a natural affinity for this swamp. His army moves through the mud as if it were flat ground, and can appear and disappear unpredictably using caves and hidden walkways. We seem to have occupied some areas, but as long as his main force remains, he could emerge from any mud puddle at any time to launch an attack."

She paused, then emphasized, "More importantly, we can confirm that he is not fighting alone. He has the full support of the true natives of this land—those ancient monsters, the swamp demons. Although most of the truth of the past has been lost to the dark mud of the swamp with the flames of war, we can almost certainly say that this is his biggest trump card that has enabled him to make such a spectacular return!"

"Swamp-dwelling demon?" Su Li raised an eyebrow. He had seen this term in some incomplete ancient scrolls, but he had always thought it was a legendary creature. "Tell me in detail. What exactly are we going to face?"

Hilde took a deep breath and clearly presented the information she had gathered after fighting these monsters, combined with the fragmentary documents she had seized:
“According to ancient records and the confessions of prisoners, the Swamp Devils, also known as the Femirians, are a chaotic race with a history far exceeding that of humans. They are massive in stature, with skin like hardened mud, and their most distinctive feature is a single, enormous eye on their forehead. They possess immense strength, their bodies are covered in natural scales, and their tails end in terrifying bone hammers. They have inhabited swamps and wetlands for generations, commanding swamp creatures and even manipulating mist.” She paused, her tone becoming more distant and somber, as if unveiling a long-forgotten epic of horror:
"My lord, you must know that the history of these monsters is even older than the Mountain Kingdom, which the dwarves are so proud of, and the Ulthuan Isle, which the elves are so proud of. When the dwarves and elves were still engaged in the protracted War of the Longbeard for world domination, the Swamp Devils were already an ancient nightmare in the shadow of the Old World. When that great war finally exhausted the strength of both races and the world fell into a brief power vacuum, the Swamp Devils believed that their time to make a comeback had come."

"Their ambitions are not mere fantasies. From the plague-ridden salt marshes along the Claw Sea coast of the Empire's west coast; to the hidden depressions beneath the Kisliv Icefield, where permafrost and hot springs intertwine; even as far east as the heart of the seemingly peaceful yet treacherous rainforests and rice paddies of the Celestial Empire... wherever there are swamps, wetlands, and mudflats, their presence has been felt, and their dark whispers, heavy with accents, have echoed. Like mold growing in the humus of the earth, they are trying to reclaim those forgotten corners while the world is weary."

“However, their fate was full of irony and tragedy.” A complex look flashed in Hilde’s single eye. “They faithfully served the power of Chaos, but the Chaos Gods—those fickle and supreme beings—turned their gaze upon a new favorite with greater potential and vitality: humans. The Swamp Devils were ruthlessly abandoned; their dedication and loyalty were met only with the indifference of the gods. This resentment of being abandoned, like the most potent poison, was deeply ingrained in the soul of this race, making them harbor a deep-seated jealousy and hatred towards all ‘newcomers,’ especially humans, who were favored by Chaos.”

“And that is why,” her voice hardened again, returning to the threat of reality, “every adult swamp warrior is an extremely terrifying being. Their combat power far surpasses that of ordinary human soldiers, and they can even contend with the most elite warriors.”

She explained in detail: "First, there is the unparalleled environmental advantage. To fight them in the swamp is to fight the swamp itself. They can summon and see through the thick fog, blinding our soldiers; they can move freely in the deepest mud, even lying in wait for days to launch a deadly attack; they can command giant swamp lizards, swarms of poisonous flies, and lurking water monsters, which are their extended claws."

"Secondly, there is their formidable physical structure. Their strength is enough to tear through chainmail, and the natural scales covering their entire bodies provide excellent protection against ordinary slashes and arrows. The bony spikes or heavy bone hammers at the ends of their tails are extremely formidable melee weapons, capable of easily shattering shields and bones. Their single eye is not a weakness, but rather gives them a strange, focused vision that is unaffected by illusions and fog."

"Finally, and most importantly, is their nature, distorted by chaotic energy. Their society is ruled by powerful witches called 'Mias,' who wield dark magic originating from chaos, capable of summoning tainted energy to attack enemies or strengthen their warriors. Even more terrifying, they are adept at summoning real demons or using the swamp's materials and the souls of the unjustly dead to create mindless 'swamp beasts' that know only destruction."

“In conclusion, my lord,” Hilde concluded, “Count Letanel has gained more than just a band of strong monstrous mercenaries. He has gained the full support of an ancient, resentful race that wields dark power. These swamp daemons fight not only for Letanel, but also to unleash the pent-up rage of millennia against all races 'favored' by Chaos. That is why, even though this land is showing signs of wear and tear, every battle we face will still be so difficult and bloody.”

Su Li listened in silence, his fingers unconsciously tapping the rough wooden railing of the watchtower. Hilder's report connected the epic rise and fall of a race with the brutal war before him. He was facing not only the personal ambition of Litanel, but also a dark tide that had flowed for millennia. This war was far more profound and dangerous than he had anticipated.

Hilde then added a crucial piece of information: "Furthermore, it's worth mentioning that the Swamp Elves have a very peculiar social structure, being a matrilineal clan where females are revered. At the heart of each tribe is a female matriarch known as a 'Mia.' And a puzzling phenomenon is that if a matriarch is fortunate enough to give birth to a daughter, that daughter, upon reaching adulthood, must lead a portion of her tribe to separate and form a new tribe."

Su Li astutely grasped the key point: "Separation? This means their population should be constantly expanding, but you say they were once marginalized... This seems contradictory."

“Your Excellency is astute,” Hilde nodded approvingly. “The problem lies in their reproductive ability. The chieftains of the swamp daim seem to suffer from congenital infertility, and very few ‘Mias’ are able to successfully reproduce. Logically, their numbers should be steadily declining.” She paused, her voice lowered, tinged with disgust. “Therefore, in the dark rumors circulating in the border princely territories and even wider regions, there has always been a claim that these monsters capture human women and use some horrific ritual or hybridization to reproduce for them. However, we have yet to find conclusive evidence to confirm this.”

“But on the contrary,” Hilde’s tone turned serious, “according to the accurate intelligence we have gathered from various sources, the number of swamp monsters under Litanel’s command has not decreased, but has actually increased slowly and steadily over the past few years. There must be a secret behind this that we do not yet know, perhaps related to Litanel himself, or perhaps to the depths of this swamp.”

Hearing this, Su Li frowned deeply. An opponent who could replenish his own troops, was familiar with the environment, and possessed extremely strong individual combat capabilities would undoubtedly be extremely disadvantageous for the Black Forest Territory, which needed to maintain the defense of its vast territory, if it were to engage in a prolonged war of attrition.

“It seems that playing hide-and-seek in the swamp with such an opponent and engaging in a head-on battle is extremely unwise.” Su Li made a decisive judgment. He was used to leveraging his own advantages. “Although our high-end combat power and air cavalry are limited in this terrain, they are still the key to breaking the deadlock. We should go straight for the heart of the enemy, find Litanel’s stronghold—Mudcrown Castle, and then concentrate all our elite forces to carry out a decapitation strike. As long as we eliminate Litanel and that swamp demon queen, this army will naturally fall apart.”

He turned to Hilde and asked the core question: "Why haven't we tried doing this before? With your status as a Holy Lily Knight and the strength of our dozen or so Chosen Knights, even if we can't launch a direct attack, conducting aerial reconnaissance and location shouldn't be difficult."

Hilde's face showed a hint of helplessness and solemnity: "My lord, this is the most troublesome part. We have tried many times to send our best scouts and griffin riders deep into the heart of the swamp, but... we still haven't found the exact location of Mudcrown Castle."

"Not found?" Su Li was surprised. "How could a fortress just disappear?"

“You guessed right, my lord. According to the oldest and most fragmented legends of the swamp daemons, their true capital is not a fixed earthen structure, but a moving obsidian castle known as the ‘City of a Thousand Devourers’ or the ‘Wandering Royal Court.’” Hilde’s words carried a hint of surprise and admiration. “Legend has it that the castle is blessed with powerful abyssal magic, allowing it to move like a living thing between vast swamps around the world. It can slowly sink into the depths of a swamp in one place, and then rise again in another distant swamp through ley lines or some kind of otherworldly passage.”

She pointed to the boundless, misty, mossy swamp before her: "We strongly suspect that Litanel's [Mud Crown Castle], even if it isn't the legendary obsidian castle itself, must have acquired similar abilities or magical effects. It may not be permanently fixed in one place, but constantly shifting its location within a certain area of ​​this vast swamp. Our reconnaissance forces often lose their way in the fog or encounter strong resistance. Even when they occasionally approach a suspected area, the next time they return, it may only be an empty mud pit. This fortress... is like a ghost in the swamp."

Upon hearing this, Su Li couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement: "A moving castle? Such a thing actually exists... Litanel, a person with the blood of an imperial nobleman, is entangled with such a monster. Can he still be considered an imperial nobleman?"

“My lord, this is not surprising.” A deep, rough voice came from behind. Marshal Orstein, the commander of the territory, walked heavily up the watchtower, his resolute face weathered by war. “In this dark age, chaos has seeped into every corner of the empire, especially in the remote provinces and border regions far from Terra’s light. Many nobles have long since gone astray in their quest for power and to maintain their rule. They make deals with aliens, sacrifice themselves to the forces of darkness, and it’s uncertain whether they can even retain their human form. Compared to them, Count Litanel’s alliance with the swamp goblins is not even the most depraved act.”

Erstein stopped, his gaze sweeping across the desolate swamp ahead, his tone carrying a cold pride: "That is why our Sun Goddess has always firmly believed that an unblemished human skull is as noble as gold and flowers."

He explained, “Flowers symbolize the beauty of life, gold represents worldly wealth, and a pure human skull signifies the purity of its owner from life to death. It proves that this person never bowed to chaos, never made peace with aliens, and that their soul and body maintained human purity and dignity until death. This is not only proof of purity and innocence, but also represents a noble sacrifice made to defend the flame of humanity.”

At this moment, Su Li gained a deeper understanding of the teachings of the Goddess of the Blazing Sun.

“A noble sacrifice… perhaps,” he said slowly. “But now, what we need is victory. Since the fortress can move, we must find a way to stop it, or find where it will appear next.”

Orstein nodded: "Yes, sir. Perhaps we can start with those ancient legends, or the energy flow patterns of this swamp. The light of the Sun Goddess may not be able to directly dispel the thick swamp fog, but it can guide us to see the dark veins hidden beneath."

"And we already have a solution!"

(End of this chapter)