The two maids hesitated for a moment, exchanged a glance, and then left the room.
Sauron shook his head and lay down, preparing to rest well for the night to face the Phosphorescent Fire Elephant tomorrow.
The night passed in the blink of an eye.
When Sauron, after freshening up, arrived at the castle hall, Welch and the people of Benliu City seemed to have been waiting for a long time.
"How was your rest last night?"
Welch looked at Sauron and lightly said with a smile, "Youngster, restraining desires is a good thing, but there's no need to lead a monk-like life too early."
"When it's time to enjoy, you should also relax appropriately!"
Sauron didn't say much, nodded with a smile.
It seemed that nothing could be hidden from Welch in Benliu City. He already knew about the incident of Sauron dismissing the two maids last night.
"When do we depart?" Sauron asked.
"If you're ready, we can go anytime."
Welch nodded slightly and walked towards the castle gate. In a spacious training ground, hundreds of Benliu City soldiers had already assembled.
Moxine and Hall were also standing there in armor.
"Do we need this many people?"
A strange expression appeared on Sauron's face. Welch had already decided to take action against the Phosphorescent Fire Elephant, yet Benliu City still dispatched so many soldiers.
"Haha, be a bit careful; it's not a bad thing."
Welch laughed, shaking his head, "If I were young, dealing with a trifling Phosphorescent Fire Elephant wouldn't mean anything."
"But now, it's different!"
Seeing Welch say this, a realization dawned on Sauron.
As a high-level Knight like Welch aged, not only did his physical functions decline, but even his mentality and courage were no longer as before.
In simple terms, Welch had lost the courage that a Knight should have.
Facing the Phosphorescent Fire Elephant, which might cost him his life, he dared not take any risks. He almost summoned all the elite soldiers of Benliu City.
"Alright, let's depart!"
Seeing that everyone was present, Welch no longer wasted time. With a command, they moved towards the area where the Phosphorescent Fire Elephant appeared.
Outside Benliu City, East Lake Village.
On the deserted and spacious road, the crimson sun hung in the sky, emitting light and heat, illuminating the surrounding heavens and earth.
In the lush vegetation, a pool of blood appeared particularly conspicuous.
"It's a firebeast!"
Moxine dismounted, inspecting the bloodstains on the ground. There seemed to be a scorching mark, evidence of the firebeast's appearance.
Then, he raised his head and looked towards the distant forest.
Sauron surveyed the surroundings and suddenly stopped at one place. In the low bushes, there seemed to be signs of being trampled, and a large footprint was left behind.
"It seems that's the trace left by the Phosphorescent Fire Elephant!"
Beside him, Viscount Hall's face showed a hint of curiosity. He had never seen the Phosphorescent Fire Elephant but had read descriptions of this creature in books.
According to the records, the battle strength of the Phosphorescent Fire Elephant was comparable to a high-level Knight. In the history of Taal Duchy, there was once a Great Knight who subdued a Phosphorescent Fire Elephant as a mount, displaying unparalleled might on the battlefield.
"If I can tame a Phosphorescent Fire Elephant..."
Viscount Hall's eyes flashed with excitement, and a trace of fiery passion ignited in his heart.
Seeing Hall's thoughts, Sauron had a strange expression. This guy dared to think about taming a Phosphorescent Fire Elephant. The creature had a violent temperament, and even the previous Great Knight had spent a considerable amount of effort to barely tame it.
As for Hall, an ordinary person who wasn't even a Knight, thinking about taming a Phosphorescent Fire Elephant was like daydreaming.
Sauron himself had no such thoughts.
"Let's go, young men!"
At this moment, Welch waved his hand and loudly said, "Let's find that group of firebeasts and kill them all!"
While speaking, Welch took the lead into the forest.
The people behind him followed closely, entering the forest. Signs of firebeasts were everywhere, as if this place had become their lair.
Creak! Creak!
Suddenly, chewing-like sounds came from not far away. Sauron looked in that direction and saw a monstrous creature feeding on something.
On closer inspection, it turned out to be human bones.
"Damn beasts!"
Moxine drew his sword and led his men to charge towards the firebeast that was gnawing on the remains.
Welch's expression darkened, seemingly displeased with Moxine's unauthorized actions.
Chi!
Sensing danger, the firebeast let out a strange cry. Its bulky body, however, swiftly moved towards the depths of the forest.
Seeing this, Moxine took a spear from the side.
Swish!
He threw the spear with force, hitting the firebeast's hindquarters. In pain, the creature's running speed increased.
"Chase!"
Welch ordered upon seeing the situation, leading the others to pursue.
Soon, they entered the deep forest. The surroundings became tangled and complicated. The wounded firebeast abruptly plunged into a thicket, disappearing quickly.
Moxine frowned and followed the bloodstains on the ground.
"Split up and search!"
Welch coldly commanded. The soldiers under him also spread out, conducting a thorough search for the firebeast's traces in the forest.
The wounded firebeast had left many bloodstains in the area.
Sauron bent down, picked up a piece of leaf from the ground. The blood of the firebeast seemed to have a high temperature. When it fell on the leaf, it left a scorch mark.
"Here... Ah!"
At this moment, a soldier's scream came from a distance. The group immediately rushed towards the sound and saw several boar-like firebeasts surrounding a soldier, tearing at him.
Seeing this, Moxine rushed over without hesitation.
"Get lost!"
He roared, wielding two broadswords. Powerful energy erupted as he drove away the firebeasts.
However, it was too late for the soldier, whose neck had already been bitten off by the firebeast.
"Damn it!"
Moxine's eyes flashed with anger. He swiftly swung his swords, beheading one of the firebeasts.
But soon, the other firebeasts roared in response.
Caught in a group attack, Moxine fell into a precarious situation. Not far away, Welch remained expressionless.
Beside him, Hall's eyes showed a trace of mockery.
Moxine's bravery did not earn Welch's approval. On the contrary, this audacious behavior made Welch very dissatisfied.
"Lord, shall we..."
Seeing Moxine in danger, some of the Knights under him hesitated, wanting to ask Welch to take action.
However, the ice-cold gaze from Welch made one of the Knights's hearts tremble.
"Remember, I am the Lord of Benliu City!"
Welch's expression remained indifferent as he slowly raised his hand. The soldiers behind him then charged towards the firebeasts.