After Adam finished gloating, he and his brother Samson walked away without a second glance at the defeated soldiers.
The temporary captain breathed a sigh of relief. He truly hadn't known how to handle that situation.
The temporary captain then ordered the group to escort the Black Boar commander's body to the inner city. Nidhogg, however, used the chaos at an intersection to quietly peel away from the cavalry unit and strike out on his own.
Though Adam had spared the remnants of the Black Iron Boar Lancers, Nidhogg had no intention of letting him and his brother Samson off so easily.
「Quest」 Eliminate the Leaders of the Green Tiger Rampaging Knights (0/2)
Over the past few years, Nidhogg had also improved through his own training.
But compared to the progress from his branded quests, it was far slower. Not to mention, he was now closing in on the final level threshold. He couldn't afford to miss a single quest.
If he killed Adam and Samson, he'd get another level up, right?
Nidhogg hid in the shadows, quietly following Adam and Samson.
The two brothers returned to the Green Tiger barracks on the outskirts of the city, living in a building at the center of the encampment.
Their cavalrymen lived in tents surrounding the building like stars around the moon.
When Nidhogg reached the edge of the barracks, he couldn't follow directly. Guards stood at the entrance. This time, sneaking in wouldn't be so easy.
In daylight, people were alert and vigilant. Nidhogg didn't want to cause trouble. He had to temporarily retreat. But at least he had confirmed Adam and Samson's residence. The rest would be easy.
He looked at the sky, waiting for darkness to fall again. He needed a moonless, windy night for cover.
For now, Nidhogg hid in a tower, posing as a soldier recovering from his wounds. He barely moved, except to find food.
During this time, he overheard soldiers passing by sharing news and information as they talked. He made mental notes.
Nidhogg pieced together a rough picture.
Most of the thirty thousand defenders were concentrated in the outer city. The elite Purple Rhino Knights were stationed in the inner city. And Governor Gennon's personal guards occupied the innermost and highest fortress of the main citadel.
He also heard even more exciting news.
The royal family of the Tudor Empire was in turmoil over the succession. The situation in the royal capital and surrounding cities was tense. The army was frequently mobilized. Change was inevitable.
Such unrest had spread even to Doldrey on the northern border. It went without saying how bad things were in the Tudor capital.
In fact, this internal strife in the Tudor Empire was a key reason the future king of Midland decided to personally lead the White Tiger Knights, the Hawk Company, and other forces to attack Doldrey.
The Tudor Empire was too busy with civil unrest to spare troops for the border. They couldn't open a second front. This created the perfect conditions for Midland to retake Doldrey.
The Hawk Company would seize this opportunity, capture Doldrey, and present it to the King, forcing the Tudor Empire to sign a peace treaty with Midland and end the Hundred-Year War.
As dusk fell, Nidhogg gnawed on a piece of dried meat, watching soldiers return to their barracks one by one after drills.
But after nightfall, more armored soldiers appeared on patrol. The leader carried a torch, the rest bore spears and shields, marching in precise, even steps.
Nidhogg was patient. He watched from the darkness of the tower, gauged the patrol intervals, and moved quickly when one group left the area.
He circled around to the rear of the Green Tiger barracks. He saw wagons loaded with grain and fodder, and horses standing quietly in the stables.
The horses had been stripped of their barding and stood silently in the stables, unmoving.
Nidhogg quietly took cover, produced a prepared crossbow, and aimed a bolt at a horse's hindquarters.
Moments later, horses in the stable whinnied in panic. The once-calm animals kicked and bucked, snapping their tethers. They burst from the stable and stampeded wildly through the barracks, creating chaos and uproar.
Soldiers who had been sleeping soundly in their tents had to come out and see what was happening. And while most were distracted, they saw the grain wagons catch fire.
The raging flames were like a great beast, devouring everything in their path.
Now the entire barracks was in chaos. Men fought the fire, chased horses, and created a tremendous din.
Seizing the moment, Nidhogg slipped into the barracks like a shadow, using the night for cover. He moved step by step toward Adam and Samson's residence.
The fire consuming the barracks' supplies was enough to keep the knights busy for a while. Almost everyone's attention was drawn to the flames. Patrols and guards were lax and disorganized.
Nidhogg crept silently up to the residence. But two guards still stood at the door.
Just then, he heard the door open. Nidhogg saw a towering figure emerge.
"What's going on?" Samson, the vice-commander, was built like a black bear. With alarming energy, he demanded of the gate guards, "Why is the camp on fire?"
"Someone's gone to fetch water, but no one's reported back yet," one guard replied, looking confused.
"Go and see." Samson's voice was cold. "Don't let the fire spread. And find whoever did this. This time, there will be no mercy."
"Yes, Vice-Commander Samson!"
The guard accepted the order.
An idea formed in Nidhogg's mind. At that moment, he dashed out from the shadows.
He pretended to be a messenger, running up to the door, panting as if out of breath. "Samson... Vice-Commander Samson! It's bad!"
Samson, who had been about to turn back inside, spun around again. He looked down suspiciously at the soldier. "What is it?"
"Enemies have infiltrated the barracks! They burned our grain and fodder! They killed our warhorses..."
"What?" Samson's brow furrowed deeply. "Enemies? Where did enemies come from? How did they get into Doldrey? Who are they?"
"Me."
The moment Nidhogg finished speaking, he looked up. His hands had been empty, but now he drew his Lordsworn's Greatsword from his brand and thrust it at Samson's face.
The sudden change shocked both Samson and the guards!
Samson was stunned. He couldn't understand how Nidhogg had produced a greatsword from nowhere. All he knew was that the man before him was the instigator of this chaos—and he was extremely dangerous!
His helmet, armor, and weapons were still inside the building. He wore only light padding. He had no defense. He could only retreat, throwing up a hand to block—but half his palm was severed by the Lordsworn's Greatsword!
Samson felt searing pain, but he didn't cry out. He spun and ran into the house.
Nidhogg spun, cut down the remaining guard, and pursued with long strides. He saw Samson had already grabbed a spiked iron ball on a chain. He gripped the chain in his right hand and swung the weapon.
Samson roared upward, "Brother! We have an enemy! Come quick!"