Lord blessed by the elves

Chapter 99 Changes
"Sir! The Hornas Mountains are absolutely not to be visited now!" Kruse gripped the reins tightly, meeting Sir Gareth's sharp gaze without flinching. "We just escaped from there! Baron Hiddink's allied forces... are probably completely annihilated!"

"What?!" Sir Gareth's pupils shrank sharply, and a commotion broke out among the knights behind him.

completely annihilated?

How can this be?

Where did the rebels get such a powerful force?
"It's a dragon!" Kruze dropped this bombshell before he could even ask a question. "A real dragon has appeared in the Hornas Mountains! We saw it with our own eyes. It destroyed an entire forest with just one breath. Baron Hiddink and his men were in that area! Sir Gareth, if you go there now, you're not going to provide support, you're walking into a trap, you're sending your two hundred loyal knights to their deaths!"

Kruse's words were like a thunderclap, exploding in the ears of Sir Gareth and every knight.

A giant dragon?

The shock and fear this word brought far exceeded that of any number of rebels.

Sir Gareth's expression shifted as he stared intently into Kruse's eyes, trying to find any trace of lying or exaggeration.

But Kruse's eyes only held the shock of surviving a close call and the sincerity and anxiety with which he was trying to dissuade him.

He recalled the disheveled state he had been in when he saw Kruze earlier, and the unusually heightened security in Lion Fang Territory...

"You...are you telling the truth?" Sir Gareth's voice was hoarse, and his knuckles turned white from gripping the reins tightly.

He needs solid evidence; the news is too shocking.

“It’s absolutely true! My brother Rezal, my squire Aidin, and I witnessed it firsthand and managed to escape! Everyone else is lost! If you don’t believe me, you can send scouts to investigate immediately, but remember not to get close to the mountains, just observe from a distance… Look at the scene of destruction by the dragon’s breath, and you’ll understand everything!” Kruze said urgently, while stepping aside to show that he was not trying to forcibly stop him, but simply stating the facts.

Sir Gareth fell silent, looking up toward the Hornas Mountains, where the sky seemed to carry an ominous gloom.

He was a veteran of countless battles and fearless in the face of powerful enemies, but when confronted with the legendary dragons that were said to rival the gods, the mortal army seemed so insignificant.

He couldn't gamble the Count's two hundred most elite knights on whether a young man's words were true or false, but if they were true...

"Stand guard!" Sir Gareth finally made his decision. He ordered in a deep voice, then selected two scouts known for their speed and stealth. "You two, immediately advance to scout ahead, focusing on any signs of anything unusual at the edge of the Hornas Mountains. Report back immediately if anything seems amiss! Do not approach!"

"Yes!" The two scouts accepted the order and rode away like wisps of smoke.

The procession paused temporarily, the atmosphere so heavy it seemed almost palpable.

Sir Gareth dismounted, walked over to Kruse, and lowered his voice: "Tell me everything that happened to you in detail, without omitting any details."

Kruze took a deep breath, knowing this was key to gaining the other party's trust. He recounted his encounter with the eerie mist, the discovery of the cave lion, and finally, witnessing the dragon's arrival and destruction of everything in as much detail as possible, only omitting the parts about the "shapeshifting dragon" panda and the system quest.

As Sir Gareth listened to Kruse's description, his expression grew increasingly grim, especially when he heard about the eerie fog covering the battlefield and the forced slumber; a deep sense of dread flashed in his eyes.

This has gone beyond the scope of ordinary magical beasts; it's more like some kind of supernatural power.

Soon after, the two scouts returned on horseback, their faces pale and filled with extreme terror.

"Sir! Ahead... ahead at the edge of the Hornas Mountains, vast forests have been reduced to scorched earth, and huge craters have appeared in the ground, as if... as if struck by a meteorite! We dared not venture further, but we could smell the strong odor of sulfur and burning from afar, and the air still carried a chilling pressure... It was definitely... definitely the work of a terrifying creature far beyond our comprehension!"

The scouts' report completely confirmed Kruse's words.

Sir Gareth closed his eyes, took a deep breath of the cold air, and when he opened them again, his eyes were filled with determination. He mounted his horse and shouted orders to the troops behind him:
"Order! The entire army turns around, the rear guard becomes the vanguard, and retreats to the nearest Black Rook Castle outpost! At the same time, immediately send a messenger to report to the Earl—a giant dragon has been confirmed to have appeared in the Hornas Mountains, and Baron Hiddink's allied forces are suspected to have been completely wiped out. We request the Earl's mansion to make a decision!"

The order was given, and although the knights carried it out with great discipline, their faces were filled with shock and lingering fear.

Sir Gareth turned his horse around and looked at Kruze, his gaze complex, tinged with gratitude and even more so with heaviness: "Young man, thank you for your warning, which saved our lives. The Lionfang Territory is on the front lines; please be extremely careful. I must report this immediately and redeploy defenses. Farewell!"

Having said that, he no longer hesitated and led two hundred knights, as swiftly as they had come, but in the completely opposite direction.

As Kruse watched their departing figures, he knew that the dragon's shadow was no longer confined to the Hornas Mountains; it was beginning to envelop the entire Campnor County, and an even greater storm was on the horizon.

Sir Gareth settled the two hundred knights at Black Rook Castle outpost and ordered them to be on high alert and ready to deal with any unusual activity that might occur from the direction of the Horner Mountains.

He dared not delay for a moment, and with only a few of his most trusted knights, he rushed to Campino without stopping.

As they sped along, when the towering walls of Campino finally came into view, Gareth saw a large army, its armor gleaming and banners waving, gathering outside the city gates, poised to set off.

The leader was Viscount Clyde, known for his wisdom and steadiness, who served under Count Campino.

Viscount Clyde also saw Gareth and his party, who were traveling in a dusty, galloping manner. His face immediately showed displeasure, and he spurred his horse forward to meet them.
"Gareth? Weren't you supposed to be the vanguard supporting Hiddink? Why are you back all of a sudden?" His tone was filled with undisguised doubt and dissatisfaction, his sharp gaze sweeping over Gareth and the few knights behind him. "Has the situation on the front lines changed? Are the rebels so troublesome that even you had to retreat and ask for reinforcements?"

Gareth reined in his horse, his chest heaving with rapid breathing.

He glanced at the soldiers and officers standing at attention around him, dismounted, strode quickly to Viscount Clyde's horse, lowered his voice, and his expression was more solemn than ever before:
"Your Excellency, may I speak with you in private? The situation... has changed, far beyond what was expected."

(End of this chapter)