Westland.
At the peak of summer, the hot air carried a burnt stench.
Knight Maiko knew, it was the smell of corpses scorched by the flame.
Staring at the gradually extinguishing fires in the distance, Knight Maiko numbly moved forward.
“My lord! Wait, observe first. The Orc army may still be near…” The soldier behind him restrained Knight Caste.
Knight Maiko hesitated a moment, then nodded in agreement.
The group cautiously advanced, careful to hide their tracks.
Only after being certain that the Orc army had moved on did they quicken their pace.
The further they went, the stronger the stench became.
Soon, they discovered the first corpse, lying in the creek that surrounded the village.There was a narrow stone bridge over the creek, from which hung over a dozen dead bodies.
Beyond the bridge, the village was still burning.
No screams, no cries, just a deathly silence.
Burnt corpses were everywhere, but Knight Maiko couldn’t muster anger anymore.
After all, they had seen too many scenes like this on their journey.
Their once homeland, the current Westland, had become an absolute hell on earth.
Knight Maiko could only regret that he had not died in the Sky Breaking Mountain Range. At least then, he wouldn’t have to endure more torment.
Now, the only belief that supported him was revenge!
Revenge against the Orcs!
Even if he knew it was a path to death, Knight Maiko had no thought of retreat.
His comrades, his family, his city had all turned to ashes in front of the Orc army. Knight Maiko only sought peace and if he could take some Orcs with him, that would be his last consolation.
One by one, the wooden houses collapsed in the fire, raising billows of white smoke.
In the smoky ruins, Knight Maiko and his men traced the tracks of the Orc army and continued on.
Heading eastward.
As the sun gradually set, they again heard distant battle cries.
“My lord, up ahead is the town of Stoneshire, a territory of Viscount Caste…”
Knight Maiko nodded but did not speak.
He recognized Viscount Caste and had secretly admired Caste’s daughter, but considered his own status too low, and so never confessed his affections.
If he could do it over again, Knight Maiko would no longer hesitate because the woman he loved had already died on the battlefield of the Sky Breaking Mountain Range.
Looking at the rising smoke from Stoneshire, Knight Maiko knew this town had been occupied, but he still approached without hesitation.
Crawling in the grass, they tried their best to conceal their movements.
When they got near the South Gate, using the lingering glow of sunset, they saw hundreds of commoner corpses piled up at the gate.
The blood had dyed this land red, turning the roads into the town to sludge.
The commotion within the town clearly indicated that a massacre by the orcs was taking place.
Screams, roars, sounds of slaughter… It was as if they were sounds coming directly from hell.
Knight Maiko’s breath became ragged. He was about to charge in, but his companion once again stopped him:
“My lord, wait for nightfall!”
Knight Maiko eyed the young military officer with bloody red eyes, but the officer simply accepted Maiko’s piercing gaze, calmly supplementing, “There would be more Orcs to kill if we moved in at night.”
This sentence immediately deflated Knight Maiko who tucked again into the bushes, his gaze unwaveringly fixed on the sunset, as if waiting for the moment it fully sinks below the horizon.
Time painstakingly ticked away.
Knight Maiko had never thought that twilight could feel so long drawn.
But the heavy shroud of darkness brutally yanked the setting sun below the horizon, on the brink of engulfing this vast land.
Just then, a sharp noise sounded from the city gate, followed by the sight of a knight charging out.
Right behind him, a pack of seven or eight Orcs followed closely.
“Attack!”
Without any hesitation, Knight Maiko roared and charged ahead.
The Orcs charging out from the city, seeing reinforcements, instantly started beating their chest with their fists and let out a resounding cry. It seemed as if they were calling for backup.
In the blink of an eye, Knight Maiko reached the foremost Orc. The sword in his hand struck out like a venomous snake, directed straight towards the Orc’s throat.
The Orc, undeterred, swung its giant axe directly at Knight Maiko.
This was the bloodcurdling struggle of the battlefield.
No showy moves, just the gambit of life from the get-go.
A mocking grin surfaced on Knight Maiko’s lips. The crimson intensity in his eyes grew deeper. He ducked, his whole body curving into a ball like an ape, perfectly dodging the Orc’s giant axe. Utilising his forward momentum, it was as if he had plunged into the Orc’s embrace, his sword unflinchingly piercing the Orc’s throat.
The Orc bellowed out, surprisingly not yet fully dead, its right fist fiercely smashing onto Knight Maiko.
Thud!
Knight Maiko raised his arm to block the strike, but even with the protectiveness of the armor, he could clearly hear the sound of his left forearm fracturing.
Groaning, Knight Maiko dropped and rolled on the spot, evading a descending axe swing from the Orc.
“Roar——”
After a few more swings of its axe, the Orc eventually expired.
The knight who escaped from the city, seeing Knight Maiko defeat the strongest pursuer among the Orcs, Skull-shatterer, found his spirits uplifted. He immediately shouted:
“Quickly go! Do not linger!”
Knight Maiko looked back, finally recognizing that the knight charging out of the city was none other than the Lord of Little Stone City – Viscount Castor.
A flash of disdain crossed his eyes. He clearly looked down on this lord who had abandoned his citizens and territory, and dove back into the onslaught against the Orc pursuers.
Viscount Castor, seeing them charge back towards Little Stone City, felt a surge of panic. Seeing another horde of Orcs charging out from the city, he rushed over to grab Knight Maiko, urgently saying:
“Quick, go! Little Stone City can’t hold out anymore! Going in now is suicide!”
Knight Maiko coldly looked back, glancing at Viscount Castor, saying:
“Dying in battle still beats running away, like you!”
Viscount Castor was taken aback, but didn’t get angry at Knight Maiko’s disrespectful words. Instead, he lowered his voice and said:
“I too was prepared to die fighting in Little Stone City, but I just received a letter from the Duchess. She is currently rallying all the Westland warriors who are still willing to fight to Wind Whisper City!”
“The Duchess!” Knight Maiko was stunned; his usually dull eyes suddenly lit up, “The Duchess is still alive?”
“Of course she’s alive! I think the Duchess is planning to hold back the Orcs at Wind Whisper City, so instead of futilely sacrificing yourself here, you may as well come with me to find the Duchess!”
This time, Knight Maiko was no longer stubborn. He immediately roared out:
“Retreat!”
The group immediately dashed into the direction of the forest, disappearing into the deep night in the blink of an eye.
And yet, the sky above Little Stone City was illuminated more brightly by the raging fire.
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