Translator: CinderTL
The borders of the River Domain Nations lay in ruins.
A persistent haze of smoke and ash hung over the scorched earth. Abandoned encampments and shattered weapons littered the desolate fields. The occasional mournful caw of a crow in the distance only deepened the sense of desolation.
The relentless defeats of recent days hung over the land like a heavy, dark cloud, even the wind carried the stench of despair.
Within the central command tent of the River Domain Nations' allied forces, the atmosphere was equally oppressive.
Graham, the once robust and thunderous-voiced Dean of the Knight Academy, now had temples streaked with gray, deep wrinkles etched across his forehead and around his eyes. Only his eyes still burned with an indomitable flame.
He gripped the secret letter, freshly delivered from the royal capital, so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
Suddenly, he slammed his fist on the heavy oak table with a deafening BANG, sending the inkwell leaping into the air.
"Outrageous!" he roared, his voice like that of a wounded lion, reverberating through the tent.
"They dare send these children to the battlefield? They are the future of our kingdom, not disposable cannon fodder!"
"Dean Graham."
The tent's canopy was gently lifted, and a lithe figure stepped inside.
Her short, brown hair was neatly styled, framing a face as delicate as a porcelain doll. A meticulously crafted longbow hung across her back.
She glanced at the enraged dean, blinked her lively eyes, and said with casual ease, "You can't take it out on me, you know. This is entirely Lord Derek's decision. I'm just a poor messenger."
The name "Derek" seemed to possess some kind of mana, instantly halting Graham's fiery rage.
His towering frame swayed slightly before he sank heavily back into his chair. He let out a deep sigh, the fury on his face replaced by profound weariness and resignation.
"Forget it," he said, waving his hand, his voice now low and subdued. "I absolutely refuse to send Knight Academy students to the front lines. Absolutely not."
He picked up a quill, dipped it in ink, and began writing furiously on a fresh sheet of parchment, the tip of the pen nearly piercing through the paper.
Once finished, he sealed the letter and handed it to the slender figure before him.
"Avril, take this letter back and deliver it personally to Derek. Tell him this is my official response."
Avril accepted the letter, executed a crisp ranger's salute, and turned to leave.
Just as she was about to exit the tent, Graham seemed to suddenly remember something. He looked up, his voice still booming but now tinged with a subtle note of concern.
"Wait. About what you mentioned earlier... is everything still going smoothly?"
"Of course!" Avril turned back, smoothly answering as she counted on her slender fingers. "Thanks to your help, Mr. Bronson should already be safely out of the River Domain Nations. And with those two blockheads guarding him... Oh, right..."
As she spoke, the elf girl's mind conjured images of a diminutive halfling and a burly Red-skinned Orc.
"Hoby and Freddy asked me to request an extra short leave from you. Would you approve?"
"Approved," Graham replied in a low voice, sighing softly before changing the subject. "What about the other trainees? How are they doing?"
"Um... Lord Dean, I really hate to bring you this bad news..." Avril tilted her head, a faint smile playing on her lips. "But the truth is, most of the students have already left the Knight Academy. Some have retreated to their homes in the royal capital, living in constant fear, while others packed their bags and fled the River Domain Nations overnight. After all..."
Following the elf girl's gaze, Graham looked out of the tent. In the distant night, the silhouette of the Golden Valley Kingdom's barracks loomed like a crouching giant beast, barely visible.
His lips moved silently for a moment before he shook his head wearily. "What about Derek? What's he doing now?"
"I don't know," Avril replied with a gentle shake of her head. "I haven't seen Lord Derek since the Golden Valley Kingdom officially launched their attack."
"Tch..." Graham clicked his tongue, his frustration dissolving into a long sigh. "Never mind. To each their own. Avril... after you deliver this letter to the royal capital, you should... leave this place too."
"If anything were to happen to you, that brat Roland would never forgive me for the rest of his life. Hahaha..."
Graham let out a few hearty laughs, though a hint of unconcealed desolation lingered in his voice.
"Lord Dean..."
Avril gazed at the Knight Academy Dean before her—a man both dutiful and weary in body and spirit—and sighed softly, her voice softening.
"You mustn't blame yourself. Roland... he'll be alright. As for leaving..."
The elf girl chuckled lightly, deftly pinching the letter between her fingertips and raising her hand in a gesture.
"In fact, I plan to have the other Shadow Veil members deliver this to the royal capital. As for me... now that Mr. Bronson has safely departed, I intend to set out tonight to find Roland."
Hearing Avril's decision, Graham opened his mouth as if to dissuade her, but ultimately only let out a heavy sigh, saying nothing.
After a moment of silence, as if suddenly remembering something, he reached into his robe and retrieved a small, exquisitely crafted leather pouch, offering it to Avril.
Avril accepted the pouch, a flicker of confusion in her eyes.
"This is..."
Graham shook his head, his voice low and grave.
"I don't know either. It was sent from the royal capital, specifically addressed to you."
Avril frowned slightly, her nimble fingers deftly opening the metal clasp on the pouch. Without hesitation, she poured the contents into her palm.
There were two items:
A neatly folded sheet of paper, its delicate texture shimmering with a faint silvery sheen. Avril recognized it instantly as Moonlight Gauze Paper, a unique material from the Eversong Forest, the ancestral homeland of the elves.
As she pondered the letter's origins, her gaze shifted to the second item:
An intricately woven silver chain.
The chain was crafted from interwoven strands of mithril and stellar gold, with a teardrop-shaped azure gem suspended at its center. The gem seemed to contain the eternal night sky within its depths, radiating an ancient and powerful energy.
Tiny elven runes were etched near the clasp, their protective power discernible only to those with exceptionally keen senses.
This was no ordinary ornament. It was a token used by the valkyries of the Silver Moon Guard to identify themselves and declare their mission and authority at critical moments.
Avril's gaze froze on the rune.
In an instant, the lively, spirited demeanor of the elf girl vanished like receding tides.
Her spine straightened silently, and her eyes stilled, as if they had frozen into millennia-old ice and starlight.
A profound, majestic aura, like a sheathed sword drawn, radiated from her slender frame, seeming to lower the temperature of the air itself.
Sensing the sudden shift in Avril's presence, Graham frowned deeply. He was about to speak when a faint clamor from the distance interrupted his thoughts.
"What's happening?"
His heart quickened. Temporarily suppressing his curiosity about Avril, he strode out of the tent and peered into the distance.
In the direction of the Golden Valley Kingdom's barracks, flames danced wildly amidst chaotic silhouettes. Even from afar, the shouts of battle and the sharp clang of weapons could be faintly heard.
Thick smoke mingled with leaping flames, staining the sky an ominous crimson.
Clearly, the camp had descended into unprecedented chaos.
Internal strife?
Or unexpected reinforcements?
Several thoughts flashed through Graham's mind, but he swiftly suppressed them.
Regardless of the cause, this sudden chaos presented the River Domain Nations with an unparalleled opportunity for battle.
The Knight Academy Dean, a veteran of countless battles, his eyes instantly ignited with a sharp glint. After a moment's deliberation, he made his decision.
He whirled around, his voice booming like thunder across the camp, carrying undeniable authority and strength.
"Issue the order! Assemble the entire army! Target: the Golden Valley Kingdom's main camp! Charge!"
The command struck the weary, tense camp of the River Domain Nations like a giant stone thrown into a calm lake, instantly stirring up massive waves.
Though stunned, the soldiers' long-standing trust and discipline compelled them to act swiftly. A steel torrent began to coalesce, keen blades drawn once more, pointing toward the enemy camp engulfed in flames and chaos.
The gears of war, jolted by this unexpected turn of events, began to grind into motion once more.
Beneath the night sky, woven with the roar of battle and the glow of fire, none could foresee where this hasty assault would ultimately steer the river of fate.
(End of the Chapter)
---------------------------
📖 You are reading [214] Chapters behind.
🔥 Read up to Chapter [548] now, only on 𝕔𝕚𝕟𝕕𝕖𝕣𝕥𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝕞.
📚 Read upto [12,000+] Chapters on Site with [9,900+] Free Chapters!
🚫 Also get FREE lifetime ad-free and join the giveaway by joining our Discord!
---------------------------