Chen Huijie, I am not a good person anymore!

"Everyone, form a formation to protect the people at the back. Team Yeti will take the non-combatants and withdraw first while we pin down the enemy. The Patriot, Shieldman and I will buy you some time."

There was no need for Tallulah to give any other instructions. The shield guards decisively set up a solid and thick shield wall in front of the crowd. It would take some time for the Patriots who were responsible for guarding the rear to reach the front, but if they could hold back the enemy and buy time for others to cross the border, the plan would still be successful. If the Patriots and Tallulah wanted to leave, no one could stop them. The shield guards had already prepared to sacrifice on the battlefield.

Just a few minutes later, several transport vehicles with the Ursus logo appeared in everyone's sight and stopped a few hundred meters away. Then a group of shield guards wearing strong armor and holding slightly old weapons got off the vehicles, formed into a square formation as quickly as possible, marched with neat and heavy steps, and marched towards the Integration Movement with an unshakable momentum. Every step they took seemed to shake the land.

When Tallulah saw that the other party was also a Shield Guard, she felt bad in her heart. If they were just ordinary border garrisons, it would be fine, but the Shield Guards were the elite troops in the Ursus army. These nearly one hundred Shield Guards could not only contain the Integration Movement, they could even hold back Tallulah and the Patriots for a long time.

When the other side saw that there were shield guards in front of the Reunion Movement's formation, their momentum obviously changed. After all, from the posture of holding up the shield and the construction of the defense line, it was not difficult to see that the Reunion Movement's shield guards were by no means shoddy counterfeits, but genuine veterans trained on the battlefield.

"The army's internal guards have actually fallen into depravity and joined forces with the infected. You have brought shame to the empire and violated your loyalty to Ursus!"

The leader of the shield guards seemed to be a half-blood Wendigo, with openings on both sides of his helmet for the horns to extend out easily. He stared closely at the shield guards around Tallulah, and his voice sounded familiar to the integrated shield guards, so they asked a question tentatively.

"Anton, is that you?"

The leader of the Ursus Shield Guards named Anton was stunned for a moment, then he remembered the voice, and couldn't hide his surprise as he thought of an old friend who had fought alongside him.

"Maxim, it's you!?"

"It's me." The shield guard next to Tallulah took off his helmet, revealing his weathered face. "It's not just me. You know all the shield guards here."

Hearing this, Anton took off his helmet. As a Wendigo half-blood, he did not inherit the horrible appearance of the Wendigo, and even looked very much like Elafia (deer), but judging from his face, he was at least forty or fifty years old.

Anton scanned all the shield guards with his eyes, his eyes full of shock, as if he had guessed who these integrated shield guards were.

As if responding to Anton's gaze, all the shield guards standing in front of the Integration Movement took off their helmets, revealing faces that were familiar to Anton.

"Oakley, Matvela, Mikhail, and Gleb and Charlie...are you all still alive?"

Seeing Anton's surprised look, Talullah felt relieved. It seemed that the shield guards knew each other, and might even have been comrades-in-arms. This meant there was room for negotiation. Talullah thought it would be better to observe for a while.

"We are all still alive, Anton, and we are glad to see that you are still alive, so please get out of the way now. I don't want to kill you for the sake of our past together."

Maxim put on his helmet again. He knew that those standing next to Anton were all his former comrades-in-arms, but now they were in different positions. If the battle could not be avoided, neither of them would hesitate.

As expected, after being shocked, Anton put on his helmet again after hearing what Maxim said, which made the atmosphere between them, which had finally eased, tense again.

"As a soldier of Ursus, I cannot allow a group of traitors and hundreds of infected people to cross the border. That would be a betrayal of Ursus."

Such a reaction did not surprise the shield guards. Coming from the Ursus army, they knew best what kind of people their former comrades were. It was impossible to convince them with words, and time could not be delayed any longer, otherwise support from the Ursus army would likely arrive.

"Then there is nothing more to discuss between us."

"I still remember that you once swore allegiance to Ursus and followed the captain to fight. Now you want to betray Ursus and the captain too?"

Seeing Anton holding his shield and weapon tightly, Tallulah also picked up her sword, thinking of a quick victory. Then she felt the familiar breath again, and her heart was more at ease. Maxim was not at all disdainful of Anton's words.

"I didn't betray Ursus, and I never betrayed the captain. I have followed him all my life, the patriot Bozhukasti!"

The sand and stones at his feet suddenly vibrated unnaturally, as if confirming what Maxim said. The aura that all the shield guards were familiar with filled the surroundings, making it difficult for people to breathe. Anton seemed to have thought of something. He looked through the gaps between the shield guards at the huge figure walking out of the crowd of infected people. That was someone Anton would never forget. He even remembered how many times he had stared at the other's back.

The crowd of infected people made way for the patriot, allowing him to slowly walk to the front. Each of his steps was so heavy that it seemed that even the ground beneath his feet could be shaken by him.

The Patriot walked in front of the shield guards and Tallulah. His armor had been damaged in many places due to years of disrepair, and his once sharp halberd was rusted. But even without any weapons, he was still the most powerful warrior and the former commander of all the shield guards. Just standing here silenced the shield guards who were about to engage in a firefight.

"Anton." The Patriot stared at the captain of the shield guard in front of him, "Since you want to block my way forward, are you ready to be my enemy?"

This question made Anton take a deep breath. After hesitating for a while, he decided to take out his communicator and press a specific frequency band.

"This is the Third Shield Force. We have determined that the target is a group of scavenging wanderers who pose no threat. We have eliminated them. You don't need to come over."

After putting down the communicator, Anton took off his helmet again, staring at the immortal legend of the Ursus army in front of him, and his tone was no longer hostile as before.

"The Shield Guards will never be your enemy, Captain. Today we can pretend that nothing happened. You can trust all the Shield Guards here."

As if to prove what Anton said, dozens of shield guards behind him took off their helmets and put their weapons aside. Those weathered faces were all familiar to the patriot. He once led these people to fight for Ursus everywhere, and their military exploits were enough to make them the backbone of the Ursus army, instead of doing the most dangerous work in this remote border without any expectations.

The Patriot turned around and gave Tallulah a look, indicating that she could arrange for the Integration Movement to quickly pass through the border. Tallulah also breathed a sigh of relief. After all, it was a good thing that they didn't have to fight.

After doing all this, Patriot continued to look at Anton. In fact, leaving aside their relationship in the army, Anton should call him uncle just based on blood relationship. However, Patriot was still used to the way they got along in the past, and he also noticed that something was wrong with this team.

"You have no new recruits in your ranks."

"Yes, the newest member of the Shield Guard Third Squadron was approved by you, the Captain, thirty-two years ago. That's me."

Anton's face was filled with bitterness. He was the last shield guard and also the youngest one. Although the shield guards were still the elite troops of Ursus, these former veterans seemed to have been forgotten and were not doing well in all aspects.

The Patriot looked at Anton and the others. Although their weapons were well maintained, they were still old. Everyone's eyes were filled with confusion, except when they looked at him, there were many doubts, puzzlements and expectations. They were all Patriot's soldiers, and perhaps this was partly the reason why they were left out. Even the Patriot himself was the same. The military exploits he had made for Ursus were enough to make him a general, but he was only a captain until he chose to leave the army.

Anton looked at the Patriot. He didn't expect that he would go against the beliefs he once followed under such circumstances. He admired the Patriot, but was also loyal to Ursus. Now there was a conflict between the two, which made Anton very uncomfortable.

"Captain, have you betrayed Ursus as well?"

"I have never betrayed Ursus, but what do you think Ursus is?"

Since he used "Patriot" as his title, it can be proved that Bozhukasti did not betray Ursus in his heart. His question made Anton stunned. Although he didn't understand the meaning of this question, he still answered honestly.

"Ursus is the land I stand on, and it is also the Majesty to whom I serve."

This is Anton's idea, and it is also the subconscious answer of many Ursus people. After all, this is what they have been taught all along.

"The king I served is dead, my people died for this land and I am the only one left. Now I only have one ideal to follow."

"So you choose to lead these infected people? But with your contributions to Ursus, you will definitely be accepted by Ursus today, and you will not end up like us."

What Anton said was indeed true. The Patriot was a legend to Ursus. Even if he was infected with the Oripathy, he would not be shaken. His halo could cover up this imperfection and he could still be treated well, which was at least better than wandering with the infected.

“I do not lead them, I walk with them.”

The Patriot glanced at the infected people behind him, and subconsciously recalled everything that Roya had done before. Since Roya, who was not an infected person, dared to stand with the infected people, why couldn't he, the Patriot, do the same? He had already realized this earlier.

"I will be their shield, swinging my spear to clear their obstacles. They are the Ursus I want to protect."

This is the true meaning of the title of patriot. Talents are the foundation of Ursus, and the infected are also human beings. He is no longer loyal to the high and mighty emperor or the land that is not picky about what it eats, but to these people who can't even get enough food.

These words made all the shield guards fall into silence. They exchanged glances with each other, and then Anton took the lead, put their helmets aside, and saluted the patriot together, not only to express their respect.

"Shield Guard Squad 3, we will obey your command at all times. Bozhukas will be the captain."

This development surprised Tallulah, who arranged the transfer of the Integration Movement. Even the Patriots did not expect Anton and others to say this, but Anton himself was very open-minded.

"Anyway, if nothing unexpected happens, the brothers will have no choice but to guard this barren wilderness for the rest of their lives. You said that the emperor we are loyal to is dead. Yes, but the captain we follow is still alive. The shield guards will not be your enemies, but will follow you. The shield guards will never die in vain. This is what you told me."

Looking at the eyes of his former comrades, the Patriot knew that they were all serious. These soldiers had been left out in the most dangerous and lonely position on the edge of the empire for too long, so long that they actually began to doubt Ursus. The Patriot, who had disappeared for many years, reappeared before their eyes and made them regain hope.

Although they chose to follow the Patriots instead of the Integration Movement, this was enough. The Patriots' voice was low and hoarse, but more severe than ever before.

"Return to the team."

"Yes!" Anton saluted, then put on his helmet and turned to look at his companions behind him, "Return to the team!"

Dozens of shield guards quickly integrated into the Reunion Movement team, as if they had always been part of it, but this was because they had never forgotten their comrades who had fought side by side with them back then.

On a small hill nearly a kilometer away from the Integration Movement, Cannot could not help but marvel at this scene, looking at the black-robed man beside him.

"I think this is something you expected, right?"

"Almost. I just didn't expect it to be so smooth. These veterans have been exiled to this dangerous frontier for more than ten or twenty years without anyone paying attention to them. Their equipment has not been updated, their supplies have not been guaranteed, and there is no fresh blood. It is simply intended to let these veterans who once made great contributions to Ursus die silently.

So it was normal for the shield guards to have complaints about Ursus now. As for their loyalty to Ursus? It was Ursus who first betrayed these warriors who shed their blood for it. These shield guards should not have ended up in such a situation.

The man in black robe didn't seem surprised at all by the shield guard's sudden defection, and just looked at Cannot.

"You lost the bet."

"Yes, yes, yes. Alas, such a thing can happen. The reputation of the Wendigo in the Ursus army is really terrible. I admit defeat. I will deal with Casimir for them."

Cannot raised his hand to show surrender. He had just made a bet with the man in black robe about the outcome of this matter, but he didn't expect that what the other party said was exactly the same.

"Seriously, you really can't predict the future?"

"No, it's just that I know more intelligence than others, so it's easier for me to deduce the direction of things. The shield guards have been confused and dissatisfied for a long time. They are in the same situation as Victoria's Steam Knights. They can't refuse the Patriots."

Although the black-robed man's analysis was well organized, Cannot still found it incredible. Even if he had enough intelligence to analyze these, the prerequisite was that he could get so much intelligence. But he never knew where the black-robed man got the information from.

I hope they will accept the defeat. Since the Patriots made the Shield Guards defect and ensured that the Integration Movement could safely leave the Ursus border, then Cannot must fulfill his promise and give them a green light in Casimir as well.

"Seriously, are you paying too much attention to them? If those shield guards don't intend to give way, are you going to help them personally?"

Cannot thought that if the shield guards just now insisted on their so-called loyalty to Ursus even in front of the Patriots, then the black-robed man beside him would probably attack without any hesitation, and it would not be difficult for the Integration Movement to leave at that time.

"No, I don't want to have direct contact with them. At most, I will just destroy the Ursus troops that come to support me. They can handle this little thing themselves."

"That's really your style. If the plan doesn't work out, you'll flip the table. Arno, who did you learn this from? By the way, is this your name? Doesn't it sound better if you say it backwards?"

The cold wind in the wilderness blew up a corner of the black hood, revealing a slightly thin face and a pair of golden eyes that people dared not look directly at.

"You speak as if Cannot Goodenough is your real name. Can not Good enough is a direct transliteration. Would it be more appropriate for me to call you Mr. 'Can't Be Good Enough'?"

The two looked at each other, and then tacitly agreed not to mention this topic anymore, because they both knew that names were sometimes unimportant, but sometimes names were really important as a symbol to distinguish different individuals.

But at least for two people who have known each other for a long time, it is better not to ask about some things, which is better for both parties.

Chapter 140 Afdoka's Good Mood

At the residence of Grand Duke Baikal in Ursus, after receiving the news from the border garrison, Grand Duke Baikal was stunned, and then became unimaginable furious.

"You mean, more than 700 people from the Reunion Movement, including Tallulah, not only entered Casimir, but also took away a group of shield guards. I won't ask you how they took them away. Just tell me why the border guards still have shield guards?"

Listening to the Grand Duke Baikal's accusation, the intelligence officer in charge of intelligence gathering broke out in a cold sweat and hesitated as if there was something he didn't want to say.

"I've already found out. That shield guard was originally organized during the previous emperor's time. They experienced the Tenth Uka War and the Blood Peak Battle. However, because their identities were sensitive and many of them were Sarkaz, they were excluded and neglected. The credit that originally belonged to them was also taken over and divided up by the conservative noble children."

"Md, these insects are destroying the empire!"

When Grand Duke Baikal heard that his intelligence officer dared to say this, he slammed his fist on the table and his face was filled with anger.

"That bunch of conservative idiots who only know how to hide behind and enjoy the fruits of others' labor took over the achievements of others, and were afraid that they would be discovered and bully others to be honest, so they exiled them to the border to prevent this scandal from being exposed?

"Everyone says they are loyal to Ursus, but they do this to the warriors who are fighting bravely. As long as these conservative insects are alive, they are a blasphemy to Ursus. They are a bunch of parasites who have no ambition!"

Although he was a representative of the radical faction, Grand Duke Baikal was a veteran who had fought in the battlefield. He looked down on the conservatives and never allowed such deceptions to occur in the army. A shield guard that had experienced two major battles should have been rewarded by the emperor, and even he, the Grand Duke, should have treated them with courtesy. However, such a soldier was neglected and exiled for more than ten years. How could he not have complaints in his heart? It was not surprising that he left with the Reunion Movement, after all, even the Patriots were in the Reunion Movement.

Thinking of the Patriot, Grand Duke Baikal was even more angry with the conservative nobles. Although he was a refugee from Kazdel, the Wendigos had fought for Ursus for so many years until only the last pure-blooded Bozhukast was left. Where was all the credit? A group of people wanted to suppress him for various reasons, saying that outsiders should not be allowed to sit in too high a position to avoid accidents. Aren't they just worried that others would take advantage of their own cake? Otherwise, the Patriot should have been a general of Ursus.

"These conservative guys... Tsk, forget it."

Grand Duke Baikal suppressed his anger. It was meaningless to think about these things now. The most important thing was to find out what happened to the Reunion Movement. He hoped that Tallulah would lead the Reunion Movement away from the Emperor's sight, but who could have thought that they would actually go to Casimir? What on earth was this damn Black Snake thinking?

"So, the integration movement heading towards Victoria is just a bait, a bait with several hundred people?"

Apart from the Integration Movement, Roya and his group have indeed attracted special attention from all parties in the past few days. Most of the reformists and radicals hope to reach a cooperation with Roya, or bury this pioneer who pushed for the establishment of Ursus a thousand years ago to prevent him from interfering with the current Ursus; the conservatives believe that Roya's appearance will bring them more benefits.

After all, most of the radical nobles were awarded the noble title after they distinguished themselves in the war after the establishment of Ursus, while the conservatives were basically old Ursus nobles, and there were several groups of Hippogriff nobles who surrendered to Igor. Their ancestors knew Roya, and they even found that many stories circulating in the family were based on Roya.

No matter what, this ancestor who suddenly appeared, Roya, is indeed affecting the entire situation in Ursus. Fortunately, he was somehow involved in the plans of their radicals, making Grand Duke Baikal particularly embarrassed.

"No, according to the investigation of the spies, those hundreds of people... were all Ursus soldiers who had died long ago. They were the ones Viscount Dunkel sent to attack the Reunion Movement."

"Dead people?" Grand Duke Baikal stared at the man in front of him suspiciously, wondering if he should change his intelligence officer. "Are you saying that a group of dead people can run from a city to the wilderness in two days?"

This really sounds unbelievable. If it was just one or two people, it would be fine, but there were more than two hundred dead people. Even if there were two hundred camels, it would be impossible for them to be driven away in such an orderly manner.

"I did not lie. According to the coroner's report, the organs in those people's bodies have all turned to ashes. They were probably controlled by some kind of magic. That pioneer does have the ability to command objects."

The Internal Security reported on Luo Ya's affairs in great detail, and wrote a report on everything from his abilities to his background. According to the Internal Security, Luo Ya's abilities could influence the facts to some extent, which was extremely troublesome and tricky. It was not surprising that he could do this, but they never expected that he could do this.

Grand Duke Baikal took a deep breath. The radical faction's plan made it even more difficult to proceed, because they were not sure whether Talullah had completely turned into the Black Snake. Even if Talullah had become the Black Snake, it was impossible for her to come over and discuss the latest plan with them. So they could only rely on their own guesses or wait for Talullah to contact them.

If it was really Talulah who decided to change her target and direct the conflict of the war towards Casimir, then it would be understandable. After all, Ursus had no idea about the Great Yan, but was very clear about Casimir's strength. If it weren't for the sudden appearance of a legendary figure Cyril Linguang in Casimir during the tenth Urka War, which made the war more difficult, and the sudden serious illness of the emperor of Ursus, Casimir's territory would have been reduced by at least one third.

Grand Duke Baikal estimated that his other colleagues had the same idea as himself. It was probably Tallulah's or Black Snake's idea to send the Integration Movement to Casimir. This way, they could get rid of the Emperor's pursuit of the radicals, use the incident of the Shield Guard to put the blame on the conservatives, and stir up conflicts in Casimir so that Ursus would not be condemned even after the war. This seemed to be a very good plan.

........................

If Roya knew what Grand Duke Baikal was thinking, he would definitely call him a genius, as he could achieve the effect he wanted so perfectly. After all, the integration movement will return to Ursus in the future, and Roya has to maintain the line with the radicals to avoid breaking it. He didn't expect that they would take the initiative to think of this.

Unfortunately, he didn't know what the radicals were thinking. The only thing he wanted now was to lead the Yeti team to escape from Ursus and meet up with Tallulah and others. However, he had planned to use Kashena's identity as the Black Snake to fool the radicals a few days ago. Calculating the time, Kashena should have received the letter he sent as Tallulah by now. With Kashena's brain, she would understand Roya's intentions. Since she had cooperated so well before, she would definitely help this time.

"But this way I'll owe her even more, and favors are hard to repay."

Roya felt a headache when he thought of Kasheina's resentful tone. What he was most worried about now was not only the integration movement, but also how to prevent Tallulah and Abrana from fighting after they met. What should he do if he met people like Kal'tsit and Black Snake who knew him and lived to this day? This was a question worth thinking about, because Roya felt that most of the people who could be related to him were different from ordinary people, and it was very likely that they were still alive.

Who did he offend in the past and how many people did he owe? These were all headaches for him. Until two months ago, he thought he had just traveled to this world. He didn't expect that he even helped build the thousand-year-old empire of Ursus. He would go to Victoria to see Abrana first, and after arranging the integration movement, he would go to the south of Terra.

Just as Luoya was thinking, Afdoka, who was looking around, finally found him beside a tree, walked up to him in small steps, and gently patted Luoya's shoulder.

"What are you thinking about? They've already packed up and are ready to go."

"Well, where are we now?"

Roya stood up slowly and yawned. He had to control the zombies before and now he had to escape before Ursus could react. He hadn't had a good rest in the past few days. He would definitely have to have a good rest after returning to the Reunion Movement.