Although this statement was no ordinary Versailles—a full-body plate armor was already priced at over a thousand gold coins. Armor made entirely of refined gold would surely cost a full five figures, the ultimate in luxury.

Then, he raised a heavy metal ingot in his hand that was as transparent as glass. "This is the fiberglass I begged from the people of Gond. Transformed using the Eight Rings Divine Art, it's as strong as steel."

Finally, there are non-metallic materials: "Of course, there are still some remaining burrowing worm shells. Furthermore, we've previously battled Shadow Druids and captured a considerable amount of black vines. Equipment made from this material is equally strong, though somewhat sensitive."

"Fiberglass." Alaster clenched her fists. "That's the material used for winged elf armor."

The Winged Elves are a sub-race of the elves. Their most distinctive features are naturally the wings on their backs and their hollow skeletons that facilitate flight – which also makes them very fragile.

Flying races need lighter materials, and this material perfectly meets this requirement. The method of making fiberglass was once a secret of the race, but now it has long been spread. Steel can be converted into fiberglass with just a spell. However, only the people of Gond have this niche spell ready all year round.

At this moment, Sig, who seemed to be keeping a low profile on the surface, quietly pulled Emiya's sleeve and said in the telepathic connection: "Hey, Captain, do you see the problem with this commission? Do you think it's difficult?"

[Problem?] Emilia casually replied, as she mentally contemplated how to use these materials to achieve her goal. [Of course it's difficult. I expect it will take a considerable amount of effort—and the results may not be very good.]

[In short, the purpose of this commission wasn't even for a piece of armor.] Sig had stopped his binge eating and drinking for the past few days. He ostensibly held the music sheet, but in reality, he was communicating in his mind, [Her goal was to make us admit our inability. She generously forgave our incompetence and fought for us at her best—in this way, we owed Elastrid a favor.]

Emiya was stunned for a moment, and her mind was pulled away from the materials and armor and turned to the human relationships and social etiquette.

After all, Elaster joined the team the latest, and she doesn't like to show off, so she is relatively marginalized in the team.

It is said that the Swordsinger's armor is a secret of the elves - she suddenly thought of something and asked Emilia to make one for her?

According to common sense, this is a relatively reasonable, but actually impossible task.

Because of this, although armor is of great importance, Xingyong is not even interested in providing full guidance - she didn't expect Emiya to do it at all.

……I see.

However, Emiya didn't care about such petty thoughts. As long as the reason was reasonable, he would do his best.

But it has to be very light and fit well, yet strong enough...

It is not easy to get something that you want.

Sig, however, thought the matter was a minor one: "Captain, this Xingyong in the Sword is currently our team's biggest destabilizing factor—she's a thousand-year-old veteran, a self-righteous ancient elf... Miss Metatron is likely several times her age! In short, you need to pay more attention to her."

【I see. 】

"Okay, then I'm going to go play with that Miss Storm Silverhand—besides Varro, she's the only other bard in Faerûn. Although these two people happen to be at opposite ends of the spectrum, I've been wanting to get to know them for a while now."

At that moment, Sig stood up and tried to walk out, but her abnormally large sleeve swung open and almost hit Emiya's face.

Emilia dodged back, and the poet's long sleeve just brushed his face.

"...?"

Then, he froze.

He stood up suddenly and grabbed Sig's sleeve, causing her to stagger. "Wait a minute, Sig, I have a question I forgot to ask you. You are actually very petite, why are you wearing such baggy clothes?"

"Because I'm poor!" This question caught Sig off guard, and she almost fell to the ground. Emiya was startled and quickly pulled hard.

At this moment, the poet's clothes showed terrifying stretchability.

Her long sleeves easily extended to almost twice their length, so that Emiya's pulling almost had no effect. Fortunately, when Sig was about to fall to the ground, her clothes finally showed their elasticity, allowing her to jump back like a spring and stand steadily in her original place.

This scene made the poet very dissatisfied. She pulled back her sleeve, which had obviously been severely pulled but showed no signs of deformation. The sleeve instantly returned to its original state, as if the pulling just now was Emilia's illusion. "Don't be so startled and scare me... I live in the outer city, so of course wearing clothes that are obviously ill-fitting like this will easily attract sympathy. What else can I do? Slim fit, carefully tailored, and jeweled? Then I will be completely stolen on the street!"

"...No, no!" Emilia stared at her clothes and shouted, "Who gave you this dress?"

"Uh... Miss Imoen gave it to me. I specifically asked her for some loose clothing... What's wrong?"

"I have to contact her."

Emiya suddenly had a premonition.

Xige's clothes are definitely not just second-hand human clothes.

The answer to making the Swordsinger's armor may be hidden in this special clothing.

***********************************

The elite Hell Knights led by Asur consisted of about two hundred people - this team almost drew on the most elite combat power of the Hell Knights. It can be said that these two hundred people alone accounted for half of the entire Hell Knights' effectiveness.

This team crossed the Chongsa River and did not take the traditional trade route. Instead, they headed southwest into the uninhabited green wilderness.

Such a trajectory of action is actually quite risky - just as the safest route always stays close to the land, it is unwise to enter an uninhabited area that you are not familiar with at will.

However, the Sharptooth Forest was a forest of terrifying size. Not long after they crossed the Chongsa River, they could already see the towering treetops of the Sharptooth Forest.

The bad news is that their navigation is about to disappear: the sun has already sunk below the tree canopy.

Soon they were left to march forward through the silent and empty wilderness—and if they did not rest until daylight came, God knew where they would end up.

The brilliance of the companion sun had faded. Although Emya had made a companion moon to hang above Eltoril, its brightness was still far inferior to that of the former companion sun.

The function of the companion moon is closer to that of a simple lighthouse, and its light is far from enough to illuminate the Sharp Tooth Forest dozens of kilometers away.

"Alright everyone, let's speed up." Asur hesitated for a moment and gave the order, "Cast the acceleration spell and start a forced march! We must reach the Sharptooth Forest before nightfall!"

At that moment, Asur's mage lieutenant rode up to his side and whispered, "Knight Commander, I feel something is wrong... Time seems to have passed too quickly today."

"What do you mean? Is there an ambush?"

"To be more precise, I suspect we've been targeted—but I can't see what's been done."

Asur hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "...The order remains unchanged, but we must contact Archdruid Fenwë and advance at full speed!"

Forest of Forty-One Shadows

A considerable amount of time had passed since the battle between the archdruids of Korhal and Fenwë. Although this time was still short enough to be ignored in the forest, most druids were still mortal after all.

For a group of druids who focus on the forest, life is quite peaceful and comfortable - the area around the Sharptooth Forest is almost uninhabited, with only the village in the corner of the hollow on the west side as a neighbor.

However, those bears weren't particularly interested in wealth. While they were logging, their efforts weren't significant. Instead, they were more interested in digging fish ponds and raising bees. The Sharptooth Forest Association wasn't large enough to even manage the Sharptooth Forest, and they weren't about to launch a heavy attack on a village like this.

"I hope the Hell Knights of Eltoril can be more stable." A new druid whispered, "It would be best if these chivalrous knights are just passing through."

However, the only person connected to Eltoril was the Archdruid. The entire guild hadn't immediately embraced Eltoril as a brother. Of course, since the Archdruid had given the order, ordinary druids wouldn't have the guts to challenge her authority without provocation.

At this moment, a druid transformed into a hawk flapped his wings and said, "—They've arrived. They've covered their entire bodies in steel. They don't have any obvious weapons around their waists. They've also brought several mages with them. They fit the description."

The new druid asked, "Should we go greet them now?"

"No, at least we have to make them respect the forest." Falcon said, "We can wait until they are under the forest before revealing ourselves."

**************************

The Hell Knights actually breathed a sigh of relief when they saw the creatures on the branches transform into druids and descend.

"Send a message to Archdruid Fenwë and Emya. Tell them we've arrived in the forest." Asur gave the order, waving to the druids. He rode his Pegasus closer and dismounted to salute. "Good day, everyone from the Sharptooth Forest Circle is willing to come and greet us. On behalf of the Knights of Hell, I express my sincere gratitude."

However, the two druids seemed impatient. They kept a considerable distance from Asur and, after a pause, said, "No need. How do you plan to reach Candlekeep? Using Wood Release or marching through the forest?"

Asur was stunned for a moment before replying, "Our plan is to maintain our condition while heading west to the Sharptooth Forest. This way, if anything unexpected happens, we can rush to reinforce them immediately. If nothing unexpected happens, we'll take a final rest on the west side before marching at full speed to Belgost."

Belgost is a small town located east of Candlekeep. The most unique feature of this town is that it is completely controlled by the local Church of Lathander.

However, this church wasn't part of the Order of the Rising Sun—hence the Hell Knights' somewhat awkward relationship with it. If negotiations went poorly, the reinforcements would likely be lost, making them unlikely to be counted on. Instead, they should prioritize ensuring they could reach Candlekeep safely.

Shar, the name in Faerûn, is synonymous with conspiracy. Even in today's Faerûn, the Church of Shar has gradually become a legendary name, but the records she left behind have not yet become legends.

Mortals still remember the Lady of the Night who murdered the God of Magic.

Hell Knight? How does that compare to Mystra, the goddess of magic?

Asur didn't want the elite of the Hell Knights to be inexplicably destroyed in an unknown wilderness - at least the risk would be smaller on friendly territory.

This trip was the first time that the Hell Knights came to the Sharptooth Forest.

For years, this forest existed in a state of neglect—it was too far from any settlement, the soil nearby was not fertile and had never been cultivated. Furthermore, it was still some distance from the Chongsa River. As a result, no one would choose to open up the land here in the first place.

Because of this, as they traveled further and further into the Sharptooth Forest, the trees along the road grew thicker and taller. Soon, many Hell Knights couldn't help but exclaim, "Tyr! The trees here are taller than the walls of Eltoril!"

"Fuck, any tree is thicker than the pillars of Twin Suns Cathedral..."

"I need to check if my True Seeing is still working... Is this really not an illusion?" Asur's deputy couldn't help but sigh, "So this is the real forest..."

"Shh, be careful with what you say and do." Asur shouted softly.

They didn't really know enough about the Sharptooth Forest Society. In this situation, even praising them could easily lead to slapping them in the back. It was better to remain silent and demonstrate through actions that they meant no harm.

It was already dark, and behind the cover of trees, the forest was as black as midnight, with not a single ray of light visible.

Asul sighed and gave the order to bring out the Eternal Torch, explaining, "Sorry, this torch has no heat and won't cause a fire."

The druids leading the way were stunned for a moment, and it took them a long time to realize: Asur meant that this torch would not destroy the forest.

The two of them almost laughed out loud: "Who do you think we druids are?"

This rhetorical question made Asul blush slightly - the question was indeed a bit disrespectful.

"Will we go to see the Archdruid?" Asur shook his head and quickly changed the subject.

The two druids were stunned for a moment, then answered in unison, "That depends on the Archdruid's decision."

That probably means there is no hope.

Asur and the Archdruid had some acquaintance. He was now one of the leaders of Elturgard, so they could even be considered equals. He was passing through with his group, and Finwë had arranged a meeting beforehand, which probably meant he wasn't interested in further contact—which was fine.

"Well, I'd like to trouble you all to lead the way. Where are we going next?"

*************************

"Go to the woodland we've specially prepared. We've set up supply points along the way," the new druid said. "Don't wander off. We're only the forest's overseers, not its masters. Even we're unsure if there are any unknown creatures living in this forest. Once those fey creatures arrive, they won't care whether you have any business or not."

Another druid added, "It's better to say that those guys who are looking for chaos in the world like to mess with serious people like you Hell Knights the most - they enjoy your rage."

A knight snorted coldly: "It would be best if they don't hinder our mission."

The two druids frowned.

This group of Hell Knights doesn't seem very friendly.

But they hesitated for a moment, then took a step back. "We will also mediate and try not to let them harass you during this period. Please come with us. You said before that you planned to set out at the edge of the forest and then march dozens of kilometers. We will help feed your horses and keep them in top condition."

One of the druids said, "I hope you will give your horses some leeway when riding them, and do not push them to their limits. Horses belong to the wind and speed, but they should not die from it."

The leaders of the Hell Knights replied: "Whether we should rush forward at full speed... This does not depend on us, but on the Lady of the Night. I hope you have prepared enough contingency plans."

The two druids in the lead practically rolled their eyes. With the battle just days away, they were still addressing Shar with honorifics. It was said that the Hell Knights were a team of paladins and paladin candidates. Now it seemed the reputation was well-deserved.

Their archdruid had a very negative attitude towards the Church of Shar, and their subordinates were unwilling to agree on this topic. Therefore, the two druids simply snorted, "That's it. If there's anything urgent, you can ask us to take you to Candlekeep immediately."

The druid's wood escape technique is much more stable and reliable than the mage's teleportation technique.

"We do have a request," the leader of the Hell Knights said at this moment. "Given the size of the Sharptooth Forest, we'll have to stay here for several days. Can we make a fire during this time?"

These guys are pushing their luck further, it's a bit too much!

******************************************

"What kind of attitude is that!" The druid's response irritated the Hell Knights somewhat. One of the most impatient Hell Knights even shouted, "They've been so indifferent since we met, not even willing to say a friendly word! Now they have to provide us with food and drink. Are we here to be imprisoned?"

"Consider this the price of free asylum." Asur sighed and waved his hand. "We'll recompense the injustice we suffered this time with a feast upon our return to Eltoril. Druids are not ordinary forces, after all. Don't impose on them the habits we usually follow in Elturgard."

"We owe Emya a favor. And even if this battle is dangerous, we're unlikely to be the main attackers, but it will still be a glorious achievement on our resumes. Besides..." Asur thought for a moment and coughed softly, "You are fully armed now, but your men still rely on others for their armor and Moonlight Swords."

However, even Asul frowned when he saw where they were staying: this empty space was truly uninhabitable—fallen leaves and broken branches piled up on the ground, forming a thick layer. The accumulated water from the rain still lingered on the yellowed leaves that still had some toughness left.

The strong smell of earth and grass kept rushing into my nostrils. When I stepped on it, even mosquitoes would fly up.

"hiss……"

Even Asur was speechless now.

This environment is worse than them sleeping in the wilderness. At least they can sleep on the sand instead of surrounded by mosquitoes.

Asur had to admit that the druids had a very bad attitude towards them.

He didn't believe that the druids slept in such an environment.

If they were operating in enemy territory, no one would complain, no matter how hard it was. But operating within the sphere of influence of friendly forces, they faced such difficulties, which was a fatal blow to their morale.

Asur was silent for a long time, and finally heaved a sigh of relief: "Let's rest for a night and recover our strength. If the druids are still so negligent tomorrow, we will teleport directly to Belgost. Even if there is a difference of more than ten kilometers, it is better than torturing each other with the druids here!"

"What about what's going on here?" his subordinate asked, "Should we talk to Lord Emiya?"

"...Forget it. At least wait until tomorrow."

The two druid guides returned quickly, and Asur's face darkened even more.

They were holding broad leaves, and inside were a handful of tiny berries, no bigger than a finger joint. Judging by the number, there was probably enough for one berry per person.

In theory, a single berry from a druid's magic berry could satisfy nutritional needs. However, using a berry that was only good enough to fill the gaps between teeth to satisfy a day's hunger was simply asking too much.

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