A mage? A spell engineer!

Chapter 301 Compatriots Need Victory

The battle continued into the early hours of the morning.

As the dawn breaks over the land of El Isle, the victors standing are the Grey Elf rebels.

The Burning Lion Knights were not completely wiped out, but they certainly lost at least twenty knights. For a relatively weak knightly order with no more than a hundred core members, this was a heavy blow. From now on, the Grand Master will not only have to endure attacks from other orders under the Queen's authority, but will also have to invest significant resources to rebuild the order.

The impact may take a generation to fade, and the shame is even harder to erase.

For the Grey Elves, a myth has been shattered: the ability to wage war against the Church of Order, confront the Holy Kingdom, and be an unstoppable conqueror on the Isle of El, when the Old Empire collapsed, has resulted in their first major loss of manpower in centuries.

They carried the enemy's armor with pitchforks, their smiles unmistakable despite the blood and mud, as they marched proudly into Bellanst to greet the rebels.

Meanwhile, silence reigned at the Knights' camp. They maintained control of the river and port, keeping watch. But the main camp remained tightly locked, seemingly signaling to the Grey Elves that the Burning Lions would no longer launch a preemptive strike.

Similarly, the kingdom's other security forces on El Island retreated into seclusion. The once-powerful "Lionfish," the governor, and others kept a low profile and cautiously confined their activities to towns and fortresses, while their families began to evacuate back to the main island by ship.

In Bellanster, the Grey Elves had never heard of anything new or exotic like telegraphs in the Holy Kingdom, nor did they have a communication system like those of the Magic Guilds. They used the method their ancestors had been good at—carrier pigeons—to convey the joy and confidence brought by victory to their fellow citizens in other places.

"This is the last one." The old man handed the "mobilization letter for the uprising" to Sirsa.

Sirsa clenched her left fist, dipped it in red paint, and smeared it on the letter.

Due to her outstanding performance in this battle, and with the deliberate promotion by the command and the Restoration Council, her (symbolic) status has become increasingly prominent, and various legends have begun to be associated with this young girl. The most recent tactic is to have Sirsa stamp a "fist" on the mobilization letter, and in each letter, her heroic act of killing a formal knight is publicized extensively.

Deeply weary and lost from the battle, Sirsa felt a sense of relief when she released the last carrier pigeon.

"I don't understand. I was insignificant in the battle. It was a victory achieved by everyone. Why emphasize my individual contribution?"

The gray elf elder handed her a piece of candy; there were plenty of these in the town warehouse, making them the best treat for the rebels.

The elder told the girl, "Child, it's good that you have such awareness, but our people need encouragement. Our girl killed a Burning Lion Knight—how inspiring! Whether the propaganda embellishes it or not, it's a strategic necessity. You'll understand when you grow up."

Actually, I should understand Sirsa, but I can't say for sure. She's been assigned to better temporary accommodations than the military camp, with soft beds and hot water for washing. Since leaving the military camp, she's been seeing important figures like the elders and has hardly seen any of her fellow villagers anymore.

Whether it was good or bad, she only had a vague feeling, but at least the sweetness of the sugar was clear, and she was sure that her fighting comrades could also taste this sweetness at this moment.

That's settled then.

News of the defeat on El Reach also reached the mainland. Of course, the newspapers, intended for the general public, only published official announcements from the authorities stating that small groups of rebels were active.

For factory workers, the direct impact was that bread prices rose by 20% overnight.

Regardless of whether the boss is using existing stock or not, the price of raw materials has gone up.

So after get off work, the laborers drink cheap distilled liquor with added sugar and spit out a mouthful of damn mud, which forces them to work at least an extra hour every day, otherwise they will have trouble feeding their families.

The commotion in the parliament continued, only now it had escalated from trivial matters to major military and national issues. Some warmongers were excited, thinking that if the peacekeeping campaign escalated into a larger-scale war, the textile and steel mills behind the members of parliament could all make a fortune.

Some moderates in Parliament proposed a strategy of appeasement and consolidation, demanding the dissolution of the Restoration Parliament on El Isle while allowing certain prominent figures into the House of Commons. To them, granting these Mudbloods entry was an immense favor.

Some members of parliament were whispering about whether the Twelve Knights could still serve as the cornerstone of the kingdom's armed forces, and whether the Round Table could continue to supersede the House of Commons.

Of course, this is "shaking the foundation of the country," so it can only be said quietly.

Clang, clang. A group of fully armed soldiers broke into the "Civilized Zoo." The military guards not only did not stop them, but also stood at attention and saluted the leader of the intruders.

The visitors were Alfred, the Queen's adopted son and commander of the Golden Rose Knights, and his knights. His face beneath his blond hair was perfect; every line, from the bridge of his nose to his jawbone, seemed to have been sculpted by the finest stonemason, and he was hailed as the template for the Istani people.

His plate armor gleamed coldly as he strode arrogantly into the lower house of parliament, drawing the attention of all the arguing members. There was no need to shout for silence; everyone naturally provided the Knight Commander with an excellent opportunity to speak.

"I have come to announce something to you gentlemen: on every inch of the Kingdom of Istani, there must be no voices of negotiation or compromise with the rebels, especially here."

His tone was extremely arrogant, and his blunt commands offended the members of parliament.

"Is this the Queen's order? Even His Majesty cannot interfere with the parliament's discussions. According to the Magna Carta, His Majesty only has the power to veto proposals and dissolve parliament."

"If you want to silence us, Your Majesty, please issue a formal decree to reorganize a compliant parliament."

Some lawmakers angrily condemned the act as an offense against Istani's "symbols of civilization."

Alfred walked up to the senator who had spoken and replied, "Indeed, Her Majesty the Queen will not interfere with your chatter in the zoo. You may be able to shut your mouths, but you cannot shut the mouths of everyone in the kingdom."

Just when everyone thought the Knights Commander was backing down, he suddenly grabbed the senator's head and slammed it down, smashing the table between them.

The unexpected violence immediately silenced the onlookers. Alfred shouted, "Look at you! You are nothing but spineless cowards, mere doormen to deceive the lower classes. Her Majesty the Queen is the true master of the kingdom, and we, the Twelve Knights, are the backbone of the kingdom!"

The kingdom is currently at war with the rebels; it's a state of war. What right do you weaklings have to interfere?

He dragged the blood-stained senator out, adding as they reached the gate, "Do not challenge Her Majesty the Queen and the Knights' authority any further."

"If you think you can relive events from a hundred years ago, and emulate the rebels and the Knights, then go ahead and give it a try."

After leaving, he tossed the unconscious senator, who was lying like a limp rag, to his knight: "Give him some kind of serious crime of disrespect and throw him in jail."

(End of this chapter)