Lord: I can see loyalty.

Chapter 249 The Extraordinary Great Knight

"My lord, what's wrong?"

Alec rode back to his side at some point, his armor stained with blood, but his eyes remained calm.

Vio's gaze remained fixed on the golden figure. "There's someone there, do you see them?"

Alec followed his gaze, and his gray pupils suddenly contracted.

His perception wasn't as good as Vio's, but his fourth-tier power allowed him to sense that aura—it was very strong, at least that of a Grand Knight.

"The Grand Knight of the Golden Saddle Horse family." Alec's voice was deep. "It is said that the old Earl August has two Grand Knights under his command, one who is responsible for accompanying the army on campaigns, and the other who is responsible for guarding Golden Saddle Horse City."

"This person should be the one who went to war with the army."

Vio nodded. Within the army formation, the chaos of the Golden Saddle Knights was gradually being quelled, and the golden figure remained motionless.

On the plains, smoke filled the air, and the sounds of battle echoed like the tides in the distance.

The golden figure finally moved after the adjutant's whisper.

He slowly stood up, raised his gaze, and looked across the chaotic battlefield toward the high ground where Vio was.

Despite being miles apart and separated by thousands of troops, their gazes seemed to pierce through all obstacles, colliding for a moment in mid-air.

Then, the figure disappeared into the army formation.

"He's here—" Alec whispered.

Vio nodded.

"Pass down the order: have Jimmy and Russell command the main battlefront and not approach that great knight lightly. Alec and I will go and meet him ourselves."

"My lord, that should only be a second-tier Grand Knight—" Alec looked at him more closely.

"A second-tier knight is still a great knight. Ordinary knights are no match for him. There's no need for a pointless sacrifice." Vio dismounted, tossed the reins to his guard, drew his Demon Feather Sword, and slung his shield over his back. "Let's go."

The two men, one on the left and one on the right, crossed their own lines and headed towards the chaotic battlefield.

When the soldiers from the southern border saw the Earl approaching in person, they quickly made way for him.

When the soldiers of the Golden Saddle Knights saw the two figures, some raised their swords to try to stop them, but they couldn't even get close. Alec swung his greatsword and cleaved the men and horses in two.

In the center of the battlefield, amidst the chaos of battle, the three met.

The second-tier Grand Knight Godfrey stood on his horse, his golden heavy armor still dazzling in the smoke of battle, and the galloping warhorse on his breastplate looked as if it might burst out of the armor at any moment.

He didn't remove his mask, revealing a angular face. He was in his forties, and his brows were full of murderous intent, but his gray-blue eyes showed no madness, only calm scrutiny.

He held a longsword in his hand, its blade a full circle wider than an ordinary knight's sword, with a dark red gem set in the hilt, and the blade covered with fine ripples that gleamed faintly in the sunlight.

A horn hangs beside the saddle, its bronze body covered with intricate patterns and wrapped in a thin cloth, revealing only its vague outline.

He reined in his horse, looking down at Vio and Alec. "Count of the South, Grand Knight of the West—"

His voice was deep and resonant, with a hint of hoarseness, "I heard about you when I was traveling."

Vio looked up at him. "Godfrey, the Grand Knight of the Golden Saddle Horse family? Well, I've heard of you too."

"Oh?" Godfrey's lips curled into a slight smile. "What have you heard of me?"

"I heard you once fought Finn and survived," Vio said calmly. "I also heard you are one of the few great knights in the North."

Godfrey laughed.

"It seems your intelligence was accurate." His gaze shifted from Vio to Alec. "And the Perfect Knight of the West, I've heard so much about you. Back when the old Earl of the West was still alive, I wanted to spar with you, but unfortunately, I never had the chance."

Alec didn't speak, but slowly drew his greatsword.

Godfrey's gaze returned to Vio. "I heard you've broken through to the fourth tier? That's impressive. At your age, I was still struggling on the threshold of the second tier."

He looked down at the longsword in his hand, as if talking to an old friend, "However, the fourth rank is not necessarily a crushing defeat compared to the second rank. Among the people I have killed, there are also third-rank great knights who are stronger than me. The strong do not necessarily win, and the weak do not necessarily lose."

Vio didn't respond, but instead took the opportunity to quietly bring up the control panel.

Name: Godfrey

Race: Human

Age: 39

[Faction: Grand Knight of the Golden Saddle Horse Family]

Hobbies: Combat, adventure, treasure collecting

【Features: Advanced Basic Swordsmanship, Advanced Golden Horse Swordsmanship, Level 2 Golden Horse Breathing Technique, carries a Centaur Horn】

Loyalty: Not loyal to you

[Status: Observing, preparing to act]

Centaur Horn?

Vio's brow twitched slightly. What is this?

His gaze fell on the horn wrapped in a thin cloth beside Godfrey's saddle.

The bronze-colored body of the horn, with its intricate patterns, faintly exudes magical energy.

It wasn't an ordinary horn; it was at least a precious magical artifact. Godfrey noticed Vio's gaze, and his smile deepened.

He turned to the side, making the horn even more conspicuous. "As expected, I couldn't hide it from a fourth-tier Grand Knight—this is my treasure, it's been with me for over ten years."

"What is that?" Vio asked.

"You'll understand when the battle begins," Godfrey slowly raised his longsword. "Then let me see just how strong a fourth-tier warrior really is!"

Before he finished speaking, he spurred his horse forward!

But he wasn't fast, or rather, he wasn't slow; he was simply holding back his power, waiting to unleash a powerful attack.

Vio did not retreat; he held the Demon Feather Sword horizontally in front of him, and his knightly aura slowly unfolded.

Alec also raised his greatsword, power flowing through his arm.

The two men, one on the left and one on the right, charged forward. Godfrey's longsword slashed down, unleashing the full power of the Golden Horse Sword Technique!

It wasn't just a simple slash; it was like a giant horse descending from the sky, its hooves trampling the battlefield with unstoppable force!

The longsword, accompanied by a whistling sound, slashed straight at Vio's face!

Vio immediately raised his shield to block.

clang-!

Sparks flew everywhere, and the enormous impact made his arm go numb.

Godfrey's strength was greater than expected. As a second-tier Grand Knight, the Golden Horse Breathing Technique was known for its power of qi and energy. The force of this sword strike was enough to split open the city gate!

At the same time, Alec's greatsword slashed horizontally, its blade carrying immense force, aiming for Godfrey's waist.

Godfrey yanked the reins with his left hand, and his horse reared up, barely dodging the sword.

With a backhand slash, he aimed for Alec's neck. Alec ducked to dodge, and the greatsword swung upwards, the blade slicing across Godfrey's shoulder armor, sparks flying, leaving a deep gash!

Unable to seriously injure their opponent, the two quickly retreated and created distance between themselves.

Godfrey did not give chase, but instead steadied his horse and looked down at the scratches on his shoulder.

"They're really strong—and their teamwork is excellent."

Vio and Alec exchanged a glance and pounced again.

This time, they didn't attack separately, but instead struck simultaneously from the front and back.

Vio's sword was as fast as lightning, thrusting towards Godfrey's throat from the front, while Alec's greatsword was powerful and heavy, slashing towards Godfrey's ribs from the side.

The two, one fast and one heavy, worked together seamlessly, forcing Godfrey to retreat repeatedly.

Although Godfrey was powerful, he was only a second-tier warrior and had no chance against the combined attack of two fourth-tier Grand Knights.

The third move was Vio's sword slicing across his shoulder, tearing through the gaps in his armor.

With the fourth strike, Alec's greatsword struck his saddle, shattering it and causing him to stagger.

The fifth move saw both of them thrust out simultaneously: Vio's sword was aimed at his throat, and Alec's sword at his back!

Godfrey had no choice but to abandon his horse and leap backward, landing on the ground and staggering a couple of steps before regaining his balance.

He looked up at Vio and Alec, but there was no fear in his gray-blue eyes, only a smile.

"The fourth tier truly lives up to its reputation." He dusted himself off. "One is known for its speed, and the other for its strength; their teamwork is flawless."

Vio looked at him without saying a word. Although Godfrey had lost the first round, he was not injured, not disheveled, and not even panting.

"You haven't used your full strength yet." Vio's gaze fell on the horn at his waist.

Godfrey looked down at the horn and smiled. "You mean this?"

He removed the command flag and gently stroked the patterns on the hull. "I haven't used this in a long time. Although I knew we'd need it in this battle, I still feel a little nostalgic—"

Vio simply gripped the hilt of his sword, ready to strike again and take his life.

Godfrey didn't delay any longer, but slowly raised the horn, his fingers tracing the intricate patterns, a hint of nostalgia flashing in his eyes.

"Farewell, Your Excellency."

"