The captains and commanders were frenzied. Humiliation and anger filled their hearts. Having a measly twenty escape from their encirclement, it was beyond laughable. Their reputation was thoroughly ripped to shreds and no one would treat them with respect anymore. It would suffice to say that after today, their names would be synonymous with worthless! As if that was not enough, trepidation crept in, imagining what General Illion would do. The general was famed for being ruthless, efficient, and cunning, while this would inevitably become a black spot on his reputation. The commanders hastily arranged for their cavalry to intercept, chasing them beyond the city limits.
Port Silic belonged to the Ancient Province but it bordered the Sentago Province. The Sentago Province, known as one of the frontier provinces, was a province of constant conflict in the war. The mountainous terrain, accompanied by thick wilderness, made it rife for ambushes. Therefore, the Mellor Wilderness, and the string of mountains, the Leadlem Mountain Range, was a focal point for the First Great Kingdom War. Under the influence of the former Emperor, the Sentago Province had fallen once before. However, Prince Dannark was able to lead his armies to great success, recapturing the province in a year. One could see how unpredictable and dangerous this province was. If the assassins managed to safely escape into the wilderness, even the military would have a hard time digging them out again. Therefore, more than thirty mounted men were chasing them down.
The leader's face was incomparably gloomy. He believed kidnapping Elizabeth would be as easy as breathing. After all, Lord Korogin decided to withhold information about her being the heir of the kingdom. If that news became public, then no matter how the Xingyuu Empire tried, the Alzar Kingdom would keep her safe! For this, he had planned to kidnap her as soon as she got off the boat from Algard. As long as they were low profile about it, the military might not even investigate. It was not their job to do so. The local guards were more than enough to deal with criminals. However, who would have thought that Sir Lorenzo would notice her first and notify General Illion?
Although General Illion had no idea about Elizabeth's identity, he still wisely assigned Great Knights and High Knights for her protection. His incredible foresight was evident. Under normal circumstances, this was more than excessive. They were in Port Silic after all. Seeing that the plan was going awry quickly, the assassins moved as soon as possible. Despite all their plans and preparations beforehand, it was truly too sudden. Out of the original twenty, two remained… That meant eighteen Perception Realms died! It was no longer a secret that they were Imperial Sentinels from the Xingyuu Empire. Every Imperial Sentinel was an apex in the empire, with their name being proudly shared alongside the word strength!
The Imperial Council left such a strong elite squadron in his hands, but it ended up in such a pitiful manner. To have them dying in such a miserable manner was a huge slap to him and the empire. At this point, all his cards were laid out. He had nothing left. Their horses were starting to slow down from the fatigue of carrying three people each and their pursuers were gaining ground quick. He gritted his teeth. In truth, Benedict and Freon were just extras. They were not the true treasure here. And Shirley… She was dead weight! Even if the others were sacrificed, Elizabeth alone was worth it. With the heir in their hands, the pressure and damage they could inflict to the Alzar Kingdom would be unparalleled. Suffice to say, it may be the key to winning the war!
As he considered ditching the dead weight, a large ravine appeared in his vision, cutting through the earth with indiscriminate power. Even though it could not compare to the infamous Xiagu Gorge in the Xingyuu Empire, it was nonetheless vast. The leader's mind worked quickly and decided. The horses were already frothing at the mouths and were on the verge of passing out. In less than a minute, their pursuers would catch up. Pushing the horses to the limits of their stamina, the assassins leapt fearlessly off the cliffside with the hostages. The soldiers were dumbfounded seeing this. Were they committing suicide? But they soon remembered that there was a river running through the ravine… If the assassins survived the fall, then the soldiers would need to comb a massive area. Hopeless, the soldiers took the long route down to the ravine while requesting support.
***
Lorenzo slowly awoke from his slumber and found himself in the military's infirmary. He was bandaged up in countless places, an overall miserable appearance. His hand felt his throat nervously. Ultimately, the assassin did not pierce his throat and kill him, but there lingered a hot feeling, as if the dagger was still there. It disturbed him deeply. No matter what, he was a Great Knight! He had his own pride. To suffer such an overwhelming defeat… He sparred with his father, Sir Roland, many times in the past. The Hawken patriarch was a true Perception Realm as well. However, that was a no risk environment. His father would not kill him, but it was entirely different earlier. The assassin wanted his life! Lorenzo breathed out and calmed his racing heart.
Upon facing a life and death situation, if they survived, they might be crushed by their inadequacies and weakness, stagnating their growth. In the worst case, they may even lose the will to live. It was a strangely paradoxical thing. Surviving just to kill yourself… Yet it happened nonetheless. Every battle was not only a battle of strength, but also willpower! The road to the top was littered with pitfalls. Otherwise, how could the top be called the top? Lorenzo spent several minutes erasing the clutter from his mind and relaxed his shoulders. He began analyzing the fight, considering different tactics, and grew. He was not the pride of the Hawken Household without reason.
"I see you're awake, Sir Lorenzo," General Illion interrupted. The general had a reputation of never showing emotion in his face or his voice. However, there was a noticeable displeasure right now such that Lorenzo felt fearful.
"Yes… I am alive but my fellow Great Knights are…"
"I'm aware of what happened. All the Great Knights and High Knights under your command were brutally slaughtered. Did you learn anything from fighting them?"
"The ones who fought against me were Perception Realms. They were not from Port Silic."
Illion nodded with a cold glint. "You're right. They're Imperial Sentinels."
"Imperial Sentinels?" Lorenzo was given a shock. Truthfully, he suspected they were Imperial Sentinels as well, but it was unbelievable to him. Sneaking into the enemy headquarters and slaughtering knights while at it… It was beyond reckless! "What about my brother… Sir Benedict?" he nervously asked. Seeing how he was targeted, there was no doubt that Elizabeth was at the focal point.
"Your brother, Elizabeth, and the two others were kidnapped by them." Hearing this, Lorenzo did not know how to react. On one hand, his brother was safe. On the other hand, it was not for long… Illion continued, "It seems that little girl had a secret the Xingyuu Empire desperately wanted. I've sent several squadrons to hunt them down as we speak. To infiltrate my city and get away with it too, they must look down on me!" he fumed with clenched fists.
"If I may be so rude to ask, but could you assign me to one of the squadrons? My brother was kidnapped after all…"
"No, the army is short on manpower. The infrastructure of the army still needs to be arranged for the upcoming campaign. I've sent word to Pelangi Fortress and some of the Alzar fleets to keep an eye out. This should be enough," the general stated authoritatively. What separated the Alzar Kingdom and the Xingyuu Empire was none other than the Desterina Ocean. Normally, if one wanted to attack the other, they would need to form a fleet to cross the ocean. This meant that the Imperial Sentinels would have to sail at some point. The general continued, "You'll be one of my Brigade Commanders. You understand what that means, right?"
Lorenzo saw the hint. Illion meant to restrict him by his office, forcing Lorenzo to stay here instead of searching out Benedict mindlessly. The story of Benedict nearly being kicked from the Hawken Household and how Lorenzo fought against his father for his brother to stay was known. Naturally, Illion heard of such matters as well. Following Illion's thoughts, Benedict was disposable. The Hawken Household would not make things difficult if he died. However, the same could not be said about Lorenzo. Lorenzo was the future head of the Hawken Household! Their value was like comparing dirt to gold! If Lorenzo died, then the power ripples could affect the Grand Nobility Households. At such a critical moment, Illion could not afford the energy to deal with politics. So, he chose this route instead.
"Yes, I understand," he weakly replied.