Despair was plastered on the faces of Black Wind Fortâs warriors. However, despite their fear, none of them retreated. They stared at the approaching enemy troops, silently resigning themselves to their fate.
"Hold your head high! You are soldiers of Astania! Even if we die in todayâs battle, we will be welcomed by Aru in his Divine Kingdom!" Shouted a bald and muscular old man wearing heavy steel armor.
This guy was the commander of Black Wind Fort, a newly ascended Transcendent Knight.
Upon hearing his roar, the soldiers puffed up their chests, their spirits lifting up.
"Commander is right! Even if we die, we will die with honor!"
"For Astania!"
Alaric who was hidden behind the clouds smiled upon hearing this.
Black Wind Fort only had two thousand soldiers and half of them were just ordinary warriors with no mana. Compared to the enemy troops who had ten thousand warriors, it was inevitable for them to face defeat.
For them to be this loyal to the empire speaks volumes about their commanderâs personality.
Although the muscular old man wasnât that strong for a Transcendent Knight, Alaric still respected him for not choosing to retreat in the face of certain death.
At this moment, the troops of Harune had already stepped within the range of Black Wind Fortâs artillery and archers.
The battle began. Their fierce shouts echoed in all directions.
Alaric didnât wait any longer and commanded Zephyr to descend into the enemyâs formation.
Whoosh!
Everyone was startled when they sensed the presence of a powerful monster. They subconsciously lifted their heads. When they saw the massive Draconic Lion exuding overwhelming energy, both sides were flabbergasted.
"A catastrophe-grade monster!"
"What?! What is it doing here? Could it be a tamed beast of Harune?"
While everyone was silently speculating the identity of the beast, it suddenly swooped down towards Haruneâs formation, startling their troops.
In the next moment, it spewed a pillar of fire that burned everything in its path!
Screams of panic and despair echoed across the vast plains.
The arrogant warriors of Harune fled in fear, causing chaos in their ranks.
"What in the world is happening?" Muttered the muscular old man standing on top of the wall, his eyes flashed with utter disbelief and horror.
It wasnât just him, the warriors of Black Wind Fort had worse expressions. They were enveloped with fear with some of them visibly shaking.
The scene in front of them was akin to the burning pits of hell! The screams of their enemies and the sight of them burning into ashes was like a nightmare!
It was for a long while that the muscular old man finally discovered that a warrior was standing on top of the ferocious beast.
"Just which esteemed warrior could it be to command such a terrifying beast?" He mumbled, his voice carrying a trace of veneration.
The other party didnât attack them which means that he was on their side. For this reason, his fear vanished and was replaced with strong devotion and admiration.
"The beast is on our side! Do not be afraid, everyone! The capital has sent us reinforcements!" He shouted, his words greatly reducing the fear in everyoneâs hearts.
At this moment, half of the ten thousand warriors had already been killed. The remaining half were scattered in different directions so it was difficult to kill them off one by one.
Left with no choice, Alaric shouted to the troops of Black Wind Fort. "Warriors of Astania, donât let the enemies escape! Kill them all!"
Hearing his words, the warriors of Black Wind Fort simultaneously glanced at the muscular old man, waiting to hear his instructions.
Sensing everyoneâs eager eyes, the old man smiled ferociously and shouted. "My brothers, follow me to kill the dogs of Harune!"
"Kill them all!"
A moment later, the old man led a cavalry unit of eight hundred warriors. They were like a pack of wolves chasing down their prey!
Meanwhile, the ones left atop the walls werenât idle. They loaded their artillery with large boulders and fired at the fleeing enemies! On the other hand, the archers rapidly released their arrows, killing hundreds of enemies in the process!
With the help of Black Wind Fortâs troops, Haruneâs ten-thousand-man army quickly fell. There were a few hundred who managed to escape, but Alaric was too lazy to chase them so he left the task to the hot-blooded warriors under the muscular old man.
The mission is still active...
Alaric frowned when he discovered that he still hadnât gotten his rewards.
While he was in deep thought, he sensed someone approaching him so he quickly ordered Zephyr to descend.
"May I know the esteemed lordâs name?" The old muscular old man asked with a bow. He wasnât a noble so he didnât mind bowing to someone, especially when he had a terrifying beast as his mount!
Alaric glanced at the old warrior and responded indifferently. "I am Alaric Silversword, son of Lucas Silversword."
Hearing this, the old warrior was stunned. He didnât expect that this young Transcendent was actually the heir of House Silversword.
Wasnât he twenty this year or something? How come I feel that his strength is above mine?
He could subtly feel the familiar aura of a Transcendent Knight from Alaric, but he didnât dare confirm his thoughts.
20-year-old Transcendent Knight? I must be going crazy...
"So itâs Your Highness!"
The old warrior bowed in gratitude.
"Thank you for your timely help, Your Highness! This old man will forever remember this life-saving grace! If you ever need my strength, you can send someone to inform me and I will come running for you!"
Alaric smiled at his words. "What is your name?"
He had already seen the old manâs name through his Appraisal, but he asked to prevent anyone from being suspicious.
"Replying to Your Highness, this old manâs name is Nile." The old warrior responded respectfully.
"Nile, is it? I will leave you to handle the aftermath. I will take my leave first since other cities are also being attacked. Farewell." Without waiting for his response, Alaric jumped onto Zephyrâs back and commanded it to fly away.
Whoosh!
Nile watched them disappear into the horizon with a fanatical look.
I finally found the one person I must serve!