The full moon set, and the Golden Tree resumed its dazzling radiance. The sky gradually brightened, and on the shallow beach behind the manor, dozens of Calia soldiers were eagerly expecting.
Yesterday's movement could be seen over ten miles away, but the Cuckoo's main camp was in front, and the confined Calia soldiers in the manor could do nothing but quietly pray.
"They are coming!"
Someone shouted, everyone turned their eyes to the lake. A small boat was coming through the misty fog, with the half-wolf Blaize standing at the front of the boat, the giant sword and great cloak quite an imposing sight.
"Hail to Calia!"
Cheers rose and fell in turn, this returning boat seemed to inject a shot of adrenaline into the soldiers. Since the war began, the Calia Royal House had continued to retreat, finally shrinking into the corner. This was the first proactive attack; come what may of the battle results, just being able to return from enemy territory was a feat.
Amidst the cheers, the small boat reached the shore. Daon was low-key, sitting at the stern of the boat like a blend-in. However, these cheers stirred up some memories in him.
Blood-stained long blade, holding up the decapitated head, the sound of "Victorious" filling the ears, the center of everyone's attention, truly a hero.
"Following this wind, I also take a step forward."
He smiled slightly, along with Blaize, stepping onto the lakeshore. The fallen soldiers naturally had someone to take away, and the cold Blaize didn't take the opportunity to deliver a morale-boosting speech.
He only talked about how many people were killed and how much material was burnt. The Cuckoos would definitely counterattack.
"Invisible pretentiousness is most lethal," Daon silently mocked. But through Blaize's words, he understood another implication of the night raid.
Calia wanted to force the Cuckoos to attack, to have their bodies scattered all over the field!
Setting aside the shattered wars outside for the moment, the situation in Leinia showed a complex struggle. On the surface, it was a conflict between the Calia Royal House and the Magic Academy. However, the Cuckoo Knights, who played the primary force, and their employers were in a tacit disagreement.
The current stalemate is the most disadvantageous for the Calia Royal House. They must find an opportunity to strike the Cuckoos until they lack the strength to siege the fortress. By then, the cowardly Magic Academy will close its gates and choose to crank.
Will a major war break out soon?
Seasoned warrior Daon seemed to catch the scent of gunpowder and was contemplating his future when a hearty pat came on his shoulder.
"Yo, didn't expect you to come back unscathed." Arno happily came over with dark circles under his eyes, apparently having stayed awake all night.
"Took a punch, but no big deal." Daon rubbed his chest, even though the Cuckoo Knights' counterstrike had lost much of its power, it still twinged.
"Do you need to see a medic?"
"No need, this little injury is nothing." Daon thought he fought half a day with a broken arm, how could a minor fracture amount to anything?
Arno suspiciously stared at him, his brown eyes getting stranger. He wondered how his old friend, who would 'whine' for a long time even if he cut his hand back in the village, suddenly became so tough.
"If I wasn't with you every day, I'd think you were switched."
"Look around. See where we are." Daon didn't directly answer, but pointed around. The not-so-large manor was packed with soldiers. There were gaps on the front city wall where catapults had hit last night. A few bodies covered with white cloth lay on the ground, and their friends were kneeling next to them, sobbing silently.
Solemn, grave—an evil of slaughter resides within everyone here, waiting for the moment of release.
"It's either death or madness. I choose the latter." Daon patted his friend's shoulder and left, dragging his weary steps.
Arno instinctively nodded. He was once a simple villager. He unintentionally carried several lives on his back. In such a place, only a madman can survive till the end. He looked at the figure in front of him and hurried after.
"Hey, give me back my sword!"
...
In the next two days, Daon slowly integrated into the border region, even actively participated in two patrol missions, and killed several Cuckoo soldiers who wanted to infiltrate. This was not because he had become devoted to his job, but because he needed some 'data' to figure out how effective the mutated version of the Dragon Kin's power was.
'The power can only seize a fifth of the host body, and it changes based on the strength of the enemy.'
Daon stood on the wall, overlooking the distant camp, his right hand caressing a borrowed straight sword.
"The efficiency is not as good as a Fade, but the upside is that it doesn't need a witch to use. It's a pity I can't see the numerical panel and have to confirm by impression."
Not having access to the data stream didn't bother him, he determined by experience that the values were all added to physical qualities, such as strength, agility, and recovery. Can it then be inferred that by killing magicians, intelligence also improves?
He glanced at several shadowy figures wearing hoods on top of the watchtower, but his hand holding the sword stopped. A man has to know his bounds; Daon hadn't gone mad enough to turn against his own.
"The path is set by the act of killing. Quite to my liking."
If not efficient, then pile up with quality. At least now, he didn't feel a bottleneck. However, he guessed that he couldn't have snowballed with ordinary soldiers. Otherwise, by killing a few thousand Cuckoos, he could arm wrestle with Radagon. The speed of passing the level would be too fast.
He still needed to lay low, find enemies gradually by sequence, or choose to fill the short boards and train a bucket number.
Ding Ding Ding——
The bell tolls interrupted Daon's ruminations. It was time to change the guard. The Cuckoo camp a mile away still hadn't reacted, although everyday it had loaded a large number of military supplies. Blaize sent people to harass at irregular intervals, which caused the enemy a lot of trouble.
"It should be soon."
Daon, who had changed into a chainmail vest, walked back down the stone stairs. His mage robe over chainmail got a lot of attention, but Daon didn't care.
Could tradition and handsomeness be bulletproof? If he hadn't chosen agility, he would have wished to wear ten layers of heavy armor and keep shooting from the back.
He got off the stone steps, picked up a plate to get food. Because today, Arno was going to guard the lakeshore, Daon was happy to keep quiet. The cook put two pieces of black bread and a bowl of vegetable soup on his plate, causing Daon to frown slightly.
The food was worse than a few days ago.
The territories of the Calia Royal House were built along the mountain, not leaving much land for farming, and the fish and crabs near the lakeshore were almost depleted.
'No wonder Blaize wanted to take the initiative to attack.' Daon didn't say anything, but got a fruit from the side. Then he took his plate and sat in a corner. He wasn't aloof, just that this body had bad relations with everyone, he didn't feel like making friends.
Just as he finished about half of the bread, he heard the sound of metal friction from the side. Looking up, he saw a blond man in blue-gray armour approaching. The shoulder armour was adorned with gems and looked extremely lavish.
"Lord Arlen."
Daon put down his plate and stood up to salute this lord of the manor, the indomitable Calia knight. The handsome blond knight gestured for him to sit back down.
"Daon Light, I have noticed your achievements during this period." Arlen, unlike Blaize, displayed a friendly smile, "The fate of Calia lies in the hands of everyone, and I'm very glad to have a strong subordinate."
While he looked down on those mediocre Cuckoo knights, he couldn't treat this magic apprentice who killed a knight like any ordinary soldier.
"Thank you for the compliment, my lord." Daon modestly nodded. Having worked his way up from a foot soldier, he certainly knew how to maintain good relations with superiors.
"Well deserved. However, why didn't you attend the award ceremony yesterday?"
Yesterday, the manor had organized a 'bonfire party', with those who had made extraordinary contributions receiving a share of meat. Daon thought for a moment, responding carefully:
"I believe low-profile people tend to live longer."
A hint of surprise flashed in Arlen's eyes, followed by approving nods. He had seen many warriors, but calm warriors were rare. He could only say that this young man, being a magic apprentice, was more thoughtful.
"The things Blaize has orchestrated can't change the overall situation. Do you know why Calia is at a disadvantage?"
"Because of insufficient troops and the shameful surprise attack by the Magic Academy," Daon answered without hesitation. Even the Moon Queen had been put under house arrest, it would require an audacious front to claim 'advantage is at our side.'
"Exactly, Calia conquered the descendants of those stargazers, but lost the power to suppress them." Arlen gave a bitter smile, his face showing a hint of nostalgia as he said with a storytelling tone:
"A long time ago, Calia was also populous. There were as many as twenty knights like me, sufficient to rule the whole of Lienya!"
Twenty Calia knights may not sound much, but it's not a small number either. Even in a high-magic world, such hero units were rare.
"And then the army from the Royal City came?" Daon interjected.
"Yes, this is no secret. During the period of the Golden Tree's expansion, the Golden Army defeated ancient dragons and exterminated giants, their forces pointing straight at Lienya. It was the Queen who led us to counterattack. Two battles resulted in rivers of blood. In the end, 'Golden Hero' Radagon married into our clan," the knight clenched his sword and straightened his chest, as if the epic happened just yesterday.
In his calm tone, Daon seemed to see a scrolling of armor-clad warriors and horses. Knights clashed, countless spells and prayers tore the open field. Calia, after all, was no match for the Golden Tree. The latter found a way out, and Calia took the opportunity to step down.
"Too many towns have been razed to the ground, too many warriors have fallen, and in the end, we too accepted the blessing." Arlen pointed to the golden glow in his brown eyes, the mark of conquest. Two whole small golden trees took root in Lienya's land.
'It seems these warriors were not particularly happy about the outcome.' Daon could empathize. Aside from the conclusion, this was no different from the Inner Bureau's attack on Reedmane.
"If both sides suffered losses, why didn't the Magic Academy retaliate at that time?"
"Dare they?!" Arlen laughed ironically, pointing to the massive building on the other side of the lake, "With the protection of the Golden Tree, they dared not utter a sound, until that man betrayed us!"
The knight clenched his fists, his words full of resentment, swallowing the bitter words.
Daon was already aware of what happened later. Radagon departed abruptly, leaving Moon Queen Reyna in a state of mental breakdown. When the Fragment War broke out and the forces of the Golden Tree were self-destructing for the pieces of the Elden Magical Ring, the Magic Academy promptly rebelled.
The Calia royal family had not yet recovered from the two major battles and was left headless. The fact that they hadn't been exterminated counted as good fortune.
"Justice is in the hearts of the people. With Princess Leni, Calia will never perish," Daon said in a low voice, each word filled with determination.
If Calia were to be destroyed, where would he go?
"Hmm, at least we still have Princess Leni," Arlen laughed freely, shooting an appreciative look at Daon, "Now only Boris and I, the fools, remain as knights. For the continuity of Calia, we need to rely on you. Come with me, someone wants to meet you."
Daon, initially here to hear the story, was momentarily taken aback: "Who wants to see me?"
The knight stood up, smiled, and winked at him:
"Our master, Princess Leni!"