roccoschili Chapter 442 - 371: Arthur Also Wants to Pioneer
Chapter 442 - 371: Arthur Also Wants to Pioneer
"Yes, My Lord."
Raylo unfastened his armor as he walked up the steps.
Avril came over as well. After several days of roughing it in the wild, the hygiene-conscious woman was anxious to return to the castle for a bath and a change of clothes.
They entered the Lord’s Hall.
The castle was as tranquil as ever, and the flames in the fireplace burned brightly.
Upon entering, Moonlight flopped onto the rug by the fireplace and let out a lazy yawn. Beside him, Coal Ball lay in the exact same position.
Sandwiched between them was an even smaller creature.
A small blue cat—it was Lightning, the Thunder Dragon cub Astra had entrusted to Raylo.
Evidently, the little guy had officially become a member of their new family.
But as a newcomer, Lightning was still a bit timid. It huddled up anxiously, trying its best to be inconspicuous.
In just a few days, the little fellow had been completely won over by Moonlight, becoming his number-two underling after Coal Ball.
Raylo walked over to the fireplace, bent down to scratch Moonlight’s chin, and then ruffled the fur on Lightning’s little head.
Lightning tentatively nuzzled its head against Raylo’s palm and was rewarded with a vigorous ruffling from his large hand.
"Go inform the kitchen to prepare lunch for the Griffin Knights who haven’t eaten yet."
Raylo said to a nearby servant, then added another instruction.
"Also, prepare a portion for these three little ones, as usual. And have Sun’s lunch sent up immediately."
After returning to Black Stone Castle, Sun had reverted from his orange cat form to his true dragon form and returned to his nest at the top of the castle.
Unlike Moonlight and Coal Ball, who remained in their big cat forms year-round, Sun would always revert to his dragon form and return to his Dragon’s Nest atop Black Stone Castle alone.
Raylo guessed this was probably related to the Giant Dragons’ different life experiences. Moonlight and Coal Ball had been with him since they were cubs and were very dependent on him.
Sun, however, was different. When Raylo met him, he was already a young Giant Dragon who had roamed the world for many years, so his personality was more independent.
A little over an hour later, a sumptuous lunch was served.
In front of Raylo was a Winged Dragon steak and a glass of milk.
Before Moonlight, Coal Ball, and Lightning was a serving of thick silver fish soup with a side of Wind God Winged Dragon steak for each of them.
A rich aroma wafted through the air.
Moonlight methodically prodded the steak with his paw before opening his mouth to take a delicate bite.
Coal Ball was not so particular. It dove headfirst into a soup bowl bigger than its face, letting out loud slurps.
Lightning glanced at Moonlight to its left, then at Coal Ball to its right. Finally, unable to resist the tempting aroma, it cautiously extended its tongue and licked a bit of the fish soup.
Its pale blue eyes lit up instantly.
Shyness was quickly replaced by a burgeoning appetite.
The little one no longer held back, burying its entire head in the bowl and eating with gusto, letting out contented purrs from its throat.
A smile touched Raylo’s lips as he watched the three little rascals.
However, such leisurely moments are always fleeting.
Just as Lightning pulled its face out of the soup bowl, let out a satisfied burp, and was about to continue with its steak, the sound of urgent footsteps accompanied by a gust of wind came from outside the dining hall.
"My Lord!"
The Knight saluted.
"Captain Ed has sent a reply!"
Raylo set down his knife and fork and wiped the corner of his mouth with a napkin.
"Speak."
"Captain Ed is in a standoff with the enemy at the border of the Jade Swamp. The opposing force is a Snake-man Battle Group, numbering around eight thousand. For now, there have only been minor skirmishes, but..."
The Knight paused to organize his thoughts before continuing.
"Our Pegasus Knights have discovered traces of another Snake-man unit deeper within the swamp!"
Raylo frowned.
"Another unit? Numbers? Direction?"
"Their numbers are unknown, but their scale is no less than a battle group! They are marching south at full speed. It is currently impossible to determine if their target is our Black Stone Territory or the Black Water River."
The Black Water River—territory of the Eternal Giant Turtle.
The Jade Swamp was like a bottomless nest of Demons; you never knew how many unknown dangers lurked within.
How long had it been peaceful? And now, without a sound, two more battle groups had appeared.
Based on past experience, a standard battle group from the swamp typically had around ten thousand troops and was always commanded by a Domain Level powerhouse.
In other words, at this very moment, two Domain Level enemies and an army of nearly twenty thousand had appeared simultaneously on his border and on his nearby flank.
This was no longer a simple border skirmish.
"I’ll go myself."
Raylo stood up.
The leisurely lunch was over.
Rather than sit in the castle staring at a map, it was better to go see for himself what those Snake-men were up to.
As he walked out of the castle, Baofeng sensed his master’s call and let out a long cry that pierced the clouds and shattered stone.
A massive shadow fell over the ground as the tawny Storm Griffin King landed steadily in the clearing before the castle. The gale it kicked up made the surrounding banners whip and snap in the wind.
Raylo vaulted onto its broad back in one clean, crisp motion.
Baofeng gave a powerful flap of its wings, kicking up a cloud of dust, and its enormous body shot into the sky like an arrow released from a bow.
The castle on the ground shrank rapidly, and the continuous Black Stone Mountain Range receded into the distance.
The wind howled past his ears.
Thanks to the Storm Griffin King’s incredible speed, the defensive line on the northeastern border of Black Stone Territory, composed of fortifications and the Knight Camp, soon came into view.
Below, small squads of Knights from Black Stone Territory were engaged in fierce clashes with small groups of Demons that had seeped out of the swamp.
The cold gleam of swords, the glow of Fighting Spirit, and the Venom spat by the Demons intertwined, as battle cries and roars rose and fell across the field.
This kind of small-scale fighting was already a daily routine for the Knights on the border.
Baofeng landed in the center of the fortified camp, where Ed was already waiting with several officers.
He was in full military attire, his face weathered from the elements.
"My Lord."
Ed strode forward to greet him.
"What’s the situation?"
Raylo dismounted and asked as he strode toward the main tent.
"You’ve come at the perfect time. We just received the latest intelligence."
Ed followed close behind, reporting rapidly.
"The Griffin Scouts we sent out discovered that the Snake-man Battle Group that emerged from the swamp’s depths has turned to the southwest."
Raylo paused his steps and entered the tent.
In the center of the tent, a massive military map was spread out on a long table, marked with arrows and symbols of different colors indicating the movements of both friendly and enemy forces.
Ed’s finger traced an arc across the map.
"They were originally heading south, straight for the Black Water River. But half an hour ago, they abruptly changed course and are now moving at high speed in this direction."
Raylo’s gaze fell upon the map.
To the southwest lay the border between Black Stone Territory and the Jade Swamp.
Also in the southwest was the territory of another behemoth.
The Black Dragon, "Black King."
That ambitious Black Dragon had defeated the Jade Swamp’s battle groups several times in previous wars, charging out of the Black Stone Mountain Range and extending its claws into the swamp’s territory.
A thought flashed through Raylo’s mind.
’Their target might not be us.’
He looked at the map and mused aloud,
"It could also be the Black King."
A flicker of understanding also crossed Ed’s eyes.
Black King’s seizure of land in the Jade Swamp was undoubtedly like snatching food from a tiger’s mouth. It was only logical that it would invite retaliation from the ancient being deep within the swamp.
Just as the two were pondering this, an Order Knight threw open the tent flap and strode in.
"My Lord! Captain Ed! Urgent report from the front line!"
"Speak."
"The Snake-man unit in the standoff with us is retreating in an orderly fashion! They... they are moving west!"
The tent fell silent for a moment.
The tension in Raylo’s heart eased slightly, but more questions surged to the surface.
The Jade Swamp had mobilized such a massive force, even at the risk of exposing themselves to Black Stone Territory’s watch, making a huge, conspicuous detour with their target being the eastern side of the Black Stone Mountain Range.
"It seems that Black Dragon has gotten itself into bigger trouble than we imagined."
Ed said, looking at the map with a hint of schadenfreude in his voice.
But Raylo couldn’t bring himself to smile.
He walked out of the tent and gazed at the boundless, ink-green swamp in the distance. It was as if a world-devouring Giant Beast lay dormant there, and its slightest stir was enough to strike terror into the hearts of all surrounding powers.
"Ed, order the troops not to lower their guard."
Raylo said.
"Maintain surveillance, but do not engage. I’m going to see what this band of Snake-men is really up to."
"My Lord, that’s too dangerous!"
Ed immediately tried to dissuade him.
"Don’t worry."
Raylo clapped him on the shoulder.
"I’m just going to take a look. They can’t stop me."
Without giving Ed another chance to object, he let out a sharp whistle, and Baofeng descended from the sky.
Raylo once again leaped onto the Griffin King’s back. Baofeng transformed into a streak of light and soared into the sky, heading straight for the northwest.