The weapons I forge are absolutely flawless.

Jeremy naturally became suspicious of the soldier in front of him, staring warily at Vena: "Since the city has fallen, why didn't you escape, but instead came to save me?"

"What kind of time is this to be talking about this!" Wiener feigned anxiety. "If we don't leave now, it will really be too late!"

“Answer me, are you a spy sent by the rebels?” Jeremy narrowed his eyes, looking at Vina with a threatening gaze.

“If I were a spy, why would I come to rescue you, sir!” Vener explained helplessly. “If I run away alone, I would be a deserter; but if I can rescue you and escape together, it would be a way to atone for my crime! I have no other intentions.”

Upon hearing this, Jeremy was already seven or eight parts convinced, but in order to maintain his dignity, he sighed with feigned sorrow: "Now that the city has fallen, what face do I have to flee? I would rather die to repay His Majesty!"

With that, Jeremy drew his sword and made a gesture as if to commit suicide.

He held the longsword across his neck, glancing sideways at Vina, as if waiting for the other to stop him.

However, as time passed, Wiener remained motionless.

Jeremy couldn't help but ask, "...Why didn't you stop me?"

“Because I think what you said makes sense.” Vena showed a deeply moved expression, her voice so sincere it almost brought tears to one’s eyes. “Don’t worry, sir, after you die, I will definitely follow you.”

“Ahem, I suddenly feel that rather than dying to prove my loyalty, I should endure humiliation and bear the burden, preserving my life to serve His Majesty.” Jeremy put down his sword, trying to cover up his previous embarrassment. “I was just testing you. Now that I see how loyal you are to me, I will prove that you are not a deserter after we leave.”

"I see." Viner didn't expose his thoughts. "So, what do we do next?"

Jeremy gathered his thoughts and whispered, "The reinforcements sent by the Grand Duke are on their way. Once we join them, we will be safe—I mean, we will take back this place."

"My lord, let's go this way—"

Chapter 640 Give you a chance

The smoke of battle had not yet dissipated in the Gosa Canyon. Edel stood on the ruined city wall, looking down at the ravine below.

Feld, who was standing nearby, took off his helmet and reported, "Your Highness, the enemy forces have been suppressed."

After Inhanes fell, the last shred of fighting spirit of the defenders crumbled, and seeing no hope of escape, they began to lay down their weapons and surrender.

It took the Iceblade Knights quite a while to gather these prisoners together.

Edel's eyes flickered slightly, and she asked, "How is Sigurd? He and Venere were the biggest contributors to this battle."

"Sigurd is fine, but summoning that puppet took a toll on his physical and mental strength. The doctor said he'll be fine after two days of rest. As for Vener... we haven't found any trace of him yet."

"Gone?"

The smile that had just appeared on Adele vanished instantly.

"Don't worry, he just mingled with the remnants of the army fleeing south and left."

A cool, clear female voice came from behind.

Jessica sheathed her sword, ice still clinging to the ends of her hair, and informed Venere of his whereabouts: "He's planning to use this opportunity to infiltrate the enemy ranks."

"This guy is taking another solo adventure." Adele frowned slightly. "Aren't you going to stop him?"

“There’s no need for that,” Jessica shook her head. “He’s probably enjoying it.”

-----------------

Meanwhile, Vina, who had been accompanying Jeremy on his escape, finally saw the light of fire after a day and a night of running around.

Outside the rows of tents, the eagle flag flew high, the symbol of Lucien's Third Legion.

"My lord, look, reinforcements!" Viner whispered a reminder, while calling Wadya to his side.

Upon seeing the familiar flag, Jeremy somehow mustered a bit of strength and staggered out.

"I am the military supervisor personally appointed by the Grand Duke! Take me to see General Vadia!" Jeremy shouted to the soldiers who surrounded him.

However, his filthy and ragged appearance made it hard to believe.

The soldiers exchanged a glance and ultimately decided to take the two men to Vadya for his judgment.

As the two were roughly pushed into the central tent, the charcoal fire in the brazier was burning brightly.

Wadya sat in the main seat, wiping his sword.

Hearing the noise, he looked up, squinted, and recognized Jeremy.

"Step back." Vadya waved his hand, signaling the escorting soldiers to leave.

He set his sword aside and looked at Jeremy: "If I remember correctly, you should be in Gosa Canyon right now. What brings you here?"

Jeremy gritted his teeth, his voice low and tinged with resentment: "...Gosa Canyon has fallen."

"So, only the two of you escaped?"

Vadya coldly surveyed the two disheveled figures before him, his tone laced with undisguised sarcasm.

It's as if to say, since we've lost, what face do we have left to live on?

Jeremy's cheeks flushed red with shame. He wanted to explain, but under Vadya's sharp, piercing gaze, he was momentarily speechless.

At this moment, Venere took over the conversation, saying, "General, you are wise. After the fall of Gosa Canyon, countless soldiers fled. But the only one who dared to admit defeat and face the General directly was Lord Jeremy."

"We are indeed defeated soldiers, but we are not deserters. Lord Jeremy endured humiliation and hardship so as to convey to you the truth about everything that happened in the canyon."

Wadya squinted and carefully examined Vina.

The soldier's character was far superior to Jeremy's, which piqued his interest.

Then, Wadja turned to Jeremy to confirm, "Is what he said true?"

“Yes…that’s right!” Jeremy finally regained some confidence and straightened his back. “If it were just those rebels from Feld, how could they have possibly taken Gosa Canyon? It’s all because of the Holy Knights’ interference that things have turned out this way!”

"They summoned a giant golem, which broke through the defensive barrier and consumed a large amount of the mage's mana. In order to stop it, Inhanes went out of the city to fight. But Feld and the paladins showed no martial ethics and actually used a sneak attack to defeat Inhanes."

This information was all provided by Wiener during their escape.

After hearing this, Jeremy secretly rejoiced. If he hadn't been locked in solitary confinement but instead had been supervising the battle from the city wall, he probably wouldn't have escaped the rebels' clutches either.

"The Holy Knights..." Vadia tapped his fingers lightly on the armrest, seemingly weighing the veracity of these words, "Which powerful figures did they send?"

Jeremy was speechless for a moment, then turned to Wiener for help.

Vena immediately replied, "My strength is meager, and I don't know what kind of person would be considered a master in front of you, sir. However, besides that giant magic puppet, there were three other people who attacked Lady Inhanes at the time."

"Oh? Which three?" Vadya raised an eyebrow.

“A woman in paladin armor wielding a bow; a knight wearing a helmet, whose face is obscured but who wields a giant axe; and Feld,” Venere replied.

Upon hearing this, Vadya fell into a brief moment of thought.

Being able to team up with Feld, their strength must be considerable.

The knight who concealed his face and wielded a giant axe was most likely Princess Edel.

Although there are many skilled archers in the Holy Knights, there is only one female archer. If it is indeed that Samif, it means that Dean Leia of St. Freya Academy has noticed the Empire's movements and is determined to stand on the side of the fugitive princess.

Even though the other party was coming on strong, Vadya was confident that he could handle it, but that made it even more important not to let the princess go.

Once Edel is dealt with, the Holy Knights will lose their reason for interfering in the Empire's internal affairs.

“You did a good job. I’m going to reward you with something.” Wadya smiled slightly and casually tossed a small crystal bottle to Vina.

"What is this?" Venere took the crystal bottle, looked at the crimson liquid rolling inside, and couldn't help but frown.

“I see that you are not a Herald, yet you possess such a meticulous mind, which is truly rare, so I am giving you a chance,” Vadya explained.

“This is—” Jeremy was about to speak to stop him, but was silenced by a cold glare from Vadya.

“Drink it, and you will become a member of the Emblem Wielders,” Vadya said in a seductive voice.

"It's rare for someone to value you so much, how could I not give you face?"

Without hesitation, Wiener opened the bottle and drank the scarlet liquid in one gulp.

He opened his throat to indicate that he had finished drinking, then feigned confusion and said, "I don't seem to feel anything different."

"The medicine needs some time to be absorbed, you just need to wait a little longer."

Vadya clapped his hands, and two soldiers immediately stepped into the tent to await orders.

"Take them down to rest." Vadya waved his hand, signaling them to leave.

Perhaps out of respect for Jeremy, Viner was not assigned to a regular soldier's tent, but instead had a separate tent to rest in.

After the soldier who had led the way left, Wiener quickly checked the surroundings to make sure there were no eavesdropping or surveillance devices.

After doing all this, Venere opened her palms.

The bottle of scarlet potion, which should have been drunk, appeared perfectly intact in his hand.

Chapter 641 Awakening Potion

"Is this the thing that can transform someone into a Herald?"

Of course, Viner wouldn't be foolish enough to drink this unknown substance; it was just a mirage, and he managed to fool Vadya.

He stared at the crystal bottle in his hand, as if trying to see through it.

When Vladia mentioned that this drug could awaken the emblems of ordinary people, Viner immediately thought of Kunji Village.

The bandits they encountered at the time had awakened their emblems due to some mysterious drug, which caused considerable difficulties for the Holy Knights.

Unfortunately, the situation was too chaotic at the time, and no actual items were captured.

If the potion in this crystal bottle is similar to the one those bandits took, it could cause quite a bit of trouble.

Ultimately, when drug efficacy is similar, the quality of the receptor determines the final upper limit.

Imperial soldiers who can pass the formal screening are far superior in quality to a group of bandits.

“If we give it to Jessica, she should be able to figure something out,” Tissa’s voice rang in Vina’s mind at just the right moment.

“That’s what I think too.” Vina nodded, then asked in a low voice, “Escout, help me scout out how many demons are in this camp.”

After a moment, Escudo replied, "Half and half. At least two thousand of the soldiers in this army are demons in disguise. As for the remaining human emblem users... they are all rather strange."

The difference between a naturally awakened Herald and one catalyzed by a potion is impossible to hide from her perception.

“Also, although that Vadya is human, there are two demons hiding in the camp,” Escudo added.

“They’re getting serious now,” Viner realized instantly.

With just one Valdea, his strength is no less than Feld's, and with two demons supporting him, it's clear how much Lucien values ​​him.

If Edel only possessed the strength revealed by Venus, she would clearly be no match for this army.

Just as Venus was pondering how to send the crystal bottle away, footsteps and a hushed question came from outside the tent: "Are you alright, Dofi?"

This name, taking one character from each of Escudo and Felix, was the identity that Vena had previously given to Jeremy.

He immediately put away the bottle of scarlet potion, then replied casually, "I'm fine, Lord Jeremy."

Jeremy breathed a slight sigh of relief upon receiving a response, then pulled back the curtain and came in.

He stared intently at Viner, as if trying to confirm whether he was truly alright as he claimed: "You don't feel unwell or anything?"

“No, not at all,” Viner shook his head, his tone certain. “You don’t think the medicine that general gave me was fake, do you?”

"If only it were fake medicine," Jeremy said with a wry smile, clearly knowing something about the situation. "It's my fault for getting you into this mess."

"Why do you say that, sir?" Wiener feigned confusion and continued to probe for information.

Jeremy remained silent for a moment, then finally couldn't help but speak: "That medicine, while it can awaken crests in those who aren't crest users, comes at the cost of draining their life force. I wanted to stop it, but—"

“It’s not your fault, sir. Given the circumstances, if I hadn’t taken it immediately, I’m afraid it would have been difficult for us to leave safely together,” Venere comforted him. “So this medicine really can awaken one’s emblem?”

"Huh? Did you hear what I said? This medicine can drastically shorten your lifespan!" Jeremy was agitated, trying to make the other person understand the seriousness of the matter.

“I should have died the moment the canyon was conquered. Even if I lived a few less days, it would still be a blessing.” He smiled slightly, his tone revealing a sense of relief. “If it weren’t for you, sir, I wouldn’t have had the chance to see the emblem that I will awaken on my own. I have no regrets in this life.”

Jeremy seemed genuinely moved by these words: "You... I will definitely find a way to help you!"

"Ugh!" Viner suddenly let out a painful groan.

"What's wrong?" Jeremy immediately tensed up, thinking that the medicine was starting to take effect, or that the awakening process had caused some severe side effects.

"My stomach isn't feeling well," Viner said, clutching his stomach, looking rather disheveled. "Excuse me, sir, I'll excuse myself for a moment!"

After saying that, he rushed out of the tent before Jeremy could react.