Chapter 582 The Griffin Banner
Chapter 582 The Griffin Banner
Clancia, the capital of Nide County, Iron Anvil City.
Today, the city is under martial law; patrols of soldiers can be seen on every street and alleyway. Outside the Main Camp, the sound of disciplined training often echoes, and the tense atmosphere now permeates throughout the county.
In the Lord Mayor’s Mansion, various local government officials gather around a map in the center of the table, discussing gravely.
“Report the current situation,” said the brown-haired administrator sternly.
A military intelligence officer stood at attention and saluted loudly. “Yes, sir!”
“Now, the Black Rock Duchy has gathered a large army to invade our border, claiming 300,000 troops. They have launched surprise attacks through five main border checkpoints in this county. Three routes have been breached by the enemy, while two have been repelled by our forces.”
“Furthermore, according to our informants, another batch of airships will arrive soon, bringing with them new weapons from the Frost Union to assist their forces.”
“Are they muskets?”
The official from the Ministry of Industry frowned. Clancia was not entirely unfamiliar with muskets; Loran Hill had previously educated high-ranking officials about future developments and related products.
“To the commander, currently, it is uncertain. Some informants speculate they might be crystal guns or war machines.”
“Either way, it’s not good news,” a bearded officer shook his head.
“How many combat forces can we mobilize now?”
“Currently, there are approximately 40,000 active troops. This is the result after the expansion at the beginning of the year. If we add the reserves and recently trained personnel, we can reach up to 80,000 at most.”
“It’s still not enough. The enemy has over 300,000 troops, though this number may be exaggerated. With support from the Frost Union, their equipment isn’t inferior. It is likely that they will continue to expand their forces.”
“Additionally, Black Rock has traditionally relied on mercenaries for livelihood, and civilian military training and knowledge are widespread. They can quickly assemble a considerable army.”
“Can neighboring counties provide support?” asked a bespectacled scholar, who was an alchemist of this county.
“They can, but they also face their own difficulties,” the administrator slowly replied.
“As other border counties under the Windhowl Province, they have discovered traces of Black Rock soldiers. There is a possibility that they will be attacked. Therefore, they cannot provide much support.”
“The larger hope lies in the counties at the rear. The Whitewood County under Windhowl Province has promised to send 20,000 soldiers to aid us.”
“What about central orders?”
“Currently, the southern front is urgent. Enemy legions are crossing the borders one after another, not only
About 500,000 enemy troops were besieging Hope Lane, and another 100,000大军 were advancing north along the Black Pine River. Finally, the army of the Falcon Kingdom was also gradually converging on the border, with roughly 300,000 desert cavalry and 50,000 Winged Tribe warriors approaching the border of Mu Feng Province.
Sighs of distress came from all sides; it was estimated that they could not come to our support.
It is expected that after three months, the number of enemy troops will expand and reach a peak of about 600,000. Even if we increase our conscription efforts and strive to the fullest, after three months, we can at most gather about 200,000 fighters.
We can only rely on the perilous terrain and city walls for defense, a veteran officer analyzed.
Now, we must entrust the alchemists’ association within the county to reinforce the city defenses and establish sentry towers along the way.
This is our duty, said the bespectacled alchemist as he pushed up his glasses. Although the overall skill level of the alchemists in Nide County still lags far behind Rourna, these basic stone and civil construction tasks can still be handled by experienced hands.
—
Third Age, 1688
The cold wind gradually advanced as time entered December. On the Western Continent, a great war erupted, one rarely seen in nearly a century. The last time such a large-scale mobilization of troops had occurred was during the ‘Battle of Broken Bows’ a hundred or two hundred years ago.
Formerly, Rourna and half of Vergha, Black Rock, and the Falcon Kingdom, formed the new union, Frost Rose. Under their ambitious plans at the time of their formation, they set out in four directions towards Clancia, preparing to carve up this major power on the western side of the continent.
Since the destruction of West Wind, the once united Snowflower Seven Kingdoms had vanished, and now a fierce civil war was underway. As the opponent of the Snowflower Union and the most powerful empire on the continent, the Verdant Empire was also facing turbulent power struggles and transitions within its borders.
The bodies of the two elderly emperors were declining day by day, and the wedding dates of the crown princes were drawing near.
In the capital of the Verdant Empire, Titania.
The grand main gate, usually closed, was slowly opening.
This gate stood about a hundred meters high, allowing twenty carriages to pass abreast, and up to a hundred fully armored knights to stand shoulder to shoulder at the entrance.
The magnificent and imposing city gate reflected a purple-golden glow under the sunlight, adorned with exquisite rose vine patterns, showcasing the splendid aesthetic of the elf clan.
After the gate opened, a procession of ceremonial knights dressed in deep red and emerald green cloaks and armor appeared behind it. They stood on either side of the main thoroughfare, spaced ten steps apart, each holding a five-meter-high flagpole.
These flags bore various family crests in different colors but the same shape. Only those of earls and above could be displayed here. These ceremonial knights holding flag spears were all of extraordinary sequence 5 (Golden
The scene was magnificent. Over 1,200 ceremonial knights lined up with their family crests displayed, and this was just a fraction of the welcoming party. Behind these knights were 8,000 elite royal knights of Supernatural Sequence 4 or higher, clad in silver armor adorned with red and green rose badges, wielding halberds that separated them from the throngs of spectators.
A gentle breeze of magic blew, scattering wine-red and tender-green rose petals onto the central long carpet, causing the onlookers to gasp and cheer in amazement.
Outside the city, a formation of approximately 2,000 knights in white armor with golden edges slowly entered. They carried lances bearing the white-gold griffin banner, protecting three luxurious carriages as they made their way into the city amidst the watchful eyes of the crowd.
Leading the procession was a knight in splendid golden armor, draped in a gold and crimson cape. He had no helmet on, revealing his slightly dull blond hair and weathered face with grayish-white stubble.
This seemingly elderly yet sharp-eyed man was none other than the current Griffin Duke. Invited by the emperor, he brought his son and daughter to the imperial capital.
Many speculated that the current royal family might marry into the Salus family, the Griffin Duke’s lineage. This meant that the Crown Prince would marry a daughter of the Salus family, while the eldest son of the Salus family, Jielanen, would also marry an imperial princess.
This would continue to maintain a close relationship between the royal family and the Salus family and act as a stabilizing force during the shifting tides of power, maintaining the stability of the empire.
For a moment, the atmosphere changed dramatically. The focus of the discussions in the imperial capital shifted from the future White Queen to the Griffin Duke’s family entering the city.
—
Jielanen, dressed in silver armor with golden edges, rode a magnificent horse behind his father. He raised his right hand and slowly waved, responding to the enthusiastic and passionate gazes from the crowds along the street.
Countless noble maidens revealed their splendid and alluring dresses, blooming like flowers. They cried out and cheered, hoping to catch the eye of the Eldest Son of the Griffin. It seemed as if a love story from poetry was about to unfold around them.
Facing such a spectacle, for the sake of appearance, Jielanen kept a smile on his face, but his heart drifted toward a memory—a dark-haired girl standing quietly under the slanted light.
Even born into one of the top families in the empire, there were moments when one felt helpless in life.
—
Thank you to the user “九八大卡” for your support! I will add more content today.
(End of Chapter)
