Lord: I can see loyalty.

The group of knights from the North were dumbfounded.

They had just stormed through the city gates and rushed into the city, and before they could even enjoy the joy of victory, they were cut off in half by the Azure Peak Knights who attacked from the flank.

The sounds of horses' hooves, shouts of battle, and the clanging of metal mingled together, turning the narrow open space in front of the city gate into a boiling pot of porridge in an instant.

Several Northern knights who charged at the front were stabbed off their horses by Jimmy with a single sword stroke. The knights behind them tried to retreat, but found that their escape route was blocked.

"What happened?!" The leading White Horse Knight reined in his warhorse. His silver armor was splattered with blood, but it wasn't his own; it was from his companion beside him.

His name was Gregor, a knight from a branch of House Whitehorse, a superior Whitehorse swordsman, and quite well-known among the smaller families in the North.

He was ordered to lead these one hundred elite knights as the vanguard to breach the gates of Blackwater City.

According to the plan, this isolated city occupied by the Southern Territory has no strategic value. Therefore, the garrison should consist of only the Gray Hyena Mercenary Group and the Southern Territory militia, totaling only a few hundred people, all of whom are infantry. They are no match for the charge of a hundred elite knights.

But now, standing in his way is the most elite Azure Peak Knights of the Southern Territory!

"Didn't the intelligence say their main force was south of Black Forest?!" Gregor roared, his voice filled with disbelief.

No one could answer him, because no one knew the answer.

"My lord! They've attacked from behind!" a knight cried out in terror.

Gregor turned around abruptly, his pupils contracting sharply.

Outside the city gate, another group was charging out from behind—they were dressed in mottled leather armor, without uniforms, but their weapons were sharp, and their attacks were frenzied, like a pack of hungry wolves pouncing on a flock of sheep.

They were clearly not a regular army, but their combat experience was greater than that of any regular army.

They are the renowned Grey Hyena Mercenary Group, famous throughout the kingdom!

These veteran mercenaries, who have been wandering the North for many years, are best at reaping heads in these chaotic street battles.

They didn't have the orderly formation of knights, nor the strict discipline of militia, but each of them was a seasoned veteran.

They knew how to survive in the chaos of battle, and they also knew how to make the enemy die even faster.

"kill--!"

Zain charged ahead, his single eye flashing menacingly in the firelight.

His left hand was still in a splint, but his right hand gripped a longsword. The blade sliced ​​through, slicing open the throat of a northern knight, blood gushing out.

The mercenaries behind him followed closely, their swords flashing as they cut down the Northern knights who were trapped in the city gate, one by one.

"Don't let them get away! Don't let a single one escape!" Commander William's voice came from behind, hoarse but steady.

The mercenaries went even crazier.

They knew this was an opportunity given to them by the Earl.

Blackwater City is a bait, meant to lure the enemy into taking the bait, and they are the knife hidden behind the hook.

On the open ground in front of the city gate, the battle had once again reached a fever pitch.

The knights of the North were trapped in a narrow space, caught in a pincer movement, and in a dilemma.

Their horsemanship and marksmanship were completely ineffective in this terrain; their warhorses became a burden, and their armor a hindrance.

Some were pierced by spears, some were cut down by swords, and some were dragged off their horses by mercenaries, pinned to the ground, and had their throats slit.

"Hold on! Hold on!" Gregor roared hoarsely, but his voice was quickly drowned out by the shouts of battle.

On the front, the advance of the Azure Peak Knights was like an impenetrable wall.

Their swordsmanship was superb, and their teamwork was impeccable; every strike landed precisely on the gaps in the armor of the Northern knights.

The power boost from the Serpent Eagle Sword Technique made each of their attacks incredibly powerful. The Northern Knights tried their best to block, but were so shaken that their hands went numb and they were forced to retreat step by step.

Russell Burke, Vincent's former subordinate and captain of the knights, stood on horseback in the center of the formation, his longsword pointing diagonally at the ground, blood still dripping from its blade.

He looked at the group of besieged Northern knights before him, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"The Earl's plan has indeed succeeded."

He recalled the military conference Vio had held in Portol a few days earlier.

On the map, Blackwater City is marked with a red circle.

"We must defend this city, but we cannot hold it to the death." Vio's finger moved across the map.

"We want it to look like an isolated city, an isolated city without reinforcements. Cedric is arrogant and his men won't take a small city seriously."

"They will send cannon fodder to wear us down, and then let their elites reap the rewards. What we need to do is to strike them on the head when they are at their most triumphant."

"What about the garrison at Blackwater?" Russell asked at that moment.

"They will hold out until you arrive," Vio said calmly. "I have faith in the strength of the mercenaries, the militia, and Captain Glenn."

Russell snapped out of his thoughts and focused his gaze on the silver-white figure in the center of the battlefield.

Gregor the Knight of the North is still putting up a stubborn resistance. His swordsmanship is indeed excellent. He is a White Horse Knight with superior swordsmanship and is quite famous in the North. He is a person of outstanding strength.

But at this moment, he only had a dozen or so wounded knights by his side, while the army from the south was pouring in from all directions.

No matter how powerful you are, you can't turn the tide.

"Follow me." Russell spurred his horse, and it charged out of formation, heading straight for Gregor.

He wanted to personally take the enemy general's head!

Gregor also noticed the figure that had broken into his companions and was heading straight for him.

He was a very young knight, only in his early twenties, with a resolute face and eyes that gleamed with an astonishing fighting spirit.

His armor was emblazoned with the emblem of the Southern Border, and his longsword was stained with the blood of the knights of the Northern Border.

Gregor understood that the other party was most likely one of the captains of this group of Southern Knights, and wanted to take his head himself.

"Damn it...good timing!" Gregor's face darkened, then he roared, raised his longsword, and charged forward!

The swords clashed in the twilight, sparks flying.

Russell's sword is as swift as lightning, Gregor's sword is as steady as a mountain.

The two clashed in the melee, and the people around them consciously made way for them.

"Knightly swordsmanship?! What's your name? My sword, Gregor's, does not take the life of a nameless scoundrel!"

After exchanging blows, Gregor realized that his opponent was not weak. He gritted his teeth and, adhering to the principles of chivalry, asked the question.

At the same time, he thrust out three more swords in succession.

Russell dodged two swords to the side, parried the third, and swung his sword back to slash at Gregor's shoulder.

"Southern Territory, Knights of the Azure Peaks, Captain Russell Burke!"

Gregor's pupils contracted slightly.

He had never heard of this name before, but the young man's swordsmanship was far superior to what he had expected.

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