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Chapter 753: The Discovery of Spring
"Spring?" Claremont was slightly surprised.
"Yes. Jeb and the others found it when they were packing." the soldier looked very happy.
"Take us there." Devitt ordered.
While walking on the road, Claremont thought of something and said, "This place is already close to the volcano. It's not strange to have a spring water."
"Yes." Devitt nodded. From afar, he could already see the soldiers gathered together.
"Captain Devitt, Captain Claremont! You're here." Austin, who had accidentally caught a glimpse of Devitt's group, called out happily.
Now, they were all gathered by the hot spring pool. While they were worried about the effect of the hot spring, they also wanted to go down and try it out.
Now that they saw Devitt and the others rushing over, they naturally became excited.
Devitt and Claremont nodded to the soldiers who greeted them. They passed through the crowd and walked to the side of the hot spring pool.
Looking at the water surface that was filled with fog, they asked the soldier beside them, "Are the elven soldiers here too?"
"Someone has already gone to look for them. They should be here soon." the soldier replied.
"Okay." Devitt nodded and said, "Let Bicklen come over first to check if this hot spring is safe to let people in."
The medic, Bicklen, who was standing in the back row, was instantly pushed to the front by the soldiers. He stopped in front of Devitt.
Bicklen had no choice but to take out a tube of medicine from his bag, as well as a sponge to absorb water. He explained to Devitt, "As long as this medicine doesn't change color after adding hot spring water, then this hot spring is safe for us."
As soon as he finished speaking, before Devitt could say anything, the soldiers behind him cheered.
Claremont looked back in amusement. As a result, the soldiers instantly became quiet.
"You go ahead." Devitt said to Bicklen.
Bicklen nodded and carefully walked to the lowest depression between the bluestone floor and the pool surface. He squatted down to collect the hot spring water.
After injecting the water from the sponge into the syringe, he nervously stared at its reaction.
"The hot spring is safe." Bicklen gestured 'Yes' to the soldiers standing by the pool.
All the soldiers were very happy when they heard the news.
However, they still didn't do anything. They just stared at Devitt and Claremont, waiting for the two of them to give the order.
"Don't send too many people in at once. It'll be troublesome if you make a big noise. According to the order, the first team will go first then the second team. If you want to go later, switch seats with the people at the back." Claremont said.
"Yes." the soldiers were very happy when they heard the news.
Even the soldiers at the back were happy to go back and unpack their luggage.
Tonight, no matter if it was the Caradia soldiers or the elven soldiers, they could only rest in portable tents. Moreover, they could not make a fire to cook, and could only eat the dry rations in their luggage.
The appearance of the hot spring really comforted a large group of people.
After seeing the soldiers return to their posts, Devitt and Claremont waited for Abel and his elven soldiers to arrive.
"I heard that you discovered a hot spring." Devitt raised his head and saw Abel walking towards him with a smile on his face. Behind him was a team of elven soldiers.
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Tonight, the elven soldiers lived separately from the Caradia soldiers. Thus, Abel took some time to arrive here with his men.
"Yes, we found it by accident." Devitt replied.
"How is it? Is there any problem?" Abel walked to the side of the hot spring and looked at the steam below.
"Our man checked it and found no problem." Claremont replied. "We just want to let the elven mages see if this place will have any effect on the elven soldiers."
Abel nodded and raised his right hand. A small stream of hot spring water swam from the pool to his palm.
Abel stared at the small whirlpool in his hand for a while and said with relief, "No problem."
"Our luck is really good. We actually found a hot spring pool when we stopped in the territory of the dragon clan." Claremont sighed.
"I don't think this is a coincidence. After all, it was Gilbert who led us all the way here," Abel replied, "He really did his best to work out the best route for the entire team."
"The best route Gilbert thinks is to go around this estate and take the road at west side of the mountain instead." Devitt said.
Abel and Claremont nodded, but they didn't say anything,
During dinner time, the soldiers in the kitchen couldn't bear to see everyone gnawing on wheat bread too hard. They took out the eggs and milk they had stored and heated them with hot water from the hot spring. He distributed them to everyone.
Austin held a dinner for two and searched around the camp for Gilbert.
Finally, he found Gilbert in the tent that the other soldiers had built for Gilbert.
"Gilbert, why are you here?"
The space in the tent was not spacious, and this tent was specially made for Gilbert. For Austin's relatively tall figure, it was still a bit of a stretch.
"The shoes are broken." Gilbert sat by the bed and kicked off the broken cloth shoes.
This pair of shoes was found in Austin's luggage and given to him. The size was not suitable to begin with. Moreover, he had been walking on the mountain road for the past few days, so it was normal for the shoes to be broken.
"It's broken?" Austin squatted down and held the broken shoes in his hand. He looked at them carefully and determined that they could not be mended. Then he looked up and said to Gilbert, "I'll find another pair for you."
Then he handed over the dinner in his hand and said, "You eat first."
Gilbert took the food from Austin's hand and said, "Then come back quickly."
"Okay." Austin nodded. Then he bent over and walked out of the tent.
Gilbert bit the egg while staring at the rotten shoes on the side. Ever since the army settled down here, he ran out of the military camp. He climbed up the hill and observed the situation around the military camp. In the end, he didn't even find a single pseudo dragon.
"What's going on…" Gilbert muttered in his heart.
It was clearly the season when pseudo dragons were active in the dragon clan's estate…
"I'm back." Just as Gilbert was deep in thought, Austin walked in with a pair of new fluffy cotton shoes.
"Mm." Gilbert looked at Austin and replied.
"How is it?" Austin squatted down and raised the cotton shoes in front of Gilbert as he asked.
"It looks very warm." Gilbert took the last bite of the egg and commented.
"Try it on," Austin said as he put on Gilbert's purple feet.
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Chapter 754: The Unfortunate Pseudo Dragons
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
"Much better." Gilbert said happily to Austin after walking two rounds in the tent in his new shoes.
"Yes, I got this from Levin." Austin sat by the side and drank a mouthful of milk, he said, "His son is about the same age as you. Levin brought a few of his son's things with him. I didn't expect it to come in handy now."
Gilbert stomped his feet on the ground again and asked Austin, "I want to take it out for a walk."
"Okay, but remember not to step on the pool." Austin nodded and reminded him, "Also, remember to come back early. We are going to the hot spring at nine o'clock, Gilbert."
Without waiting for Austin to finish speaking, Gilbert had already walked out of the tent.
Gilbert ran in the opposite direction of the hill that he had previously scouted. The gnome's special technique of crouching on the ground made his movement very stealth, as if he had not weight at all. The sponge insoles on his feet did not cause him any trouble.
On the way forward on the spiraling mountain road, Gilbert found a strangely shaped body that had been burnt black by the roadside.
"What is this?" Gilbert raised his vigilance and slowly walked towards the grass. He found that the body was the real body of the 'pseudo dragon' clan that he was looking for.
Gilbert's heart shook. He lifted his leg heavily and walked towards the cliff. As expected, piles of 'pseudo dragon' corpses were piled up there.
Gilbert could not help but suck in a breath of cold air. He looked towards the mountain peak in the distance. On that mountain peak, there was a dragon that was hibernating.
"Who dares to torment the dragon clan's guards to such an extent…" Gilbert closed his eyes and counted the forces on this island in his mind.
There were a few soldiers who could fight against a dragon, but even if they were attacked together, they did not have the strength to create such a huge commotion.
When Gilbert thought of this, he suppressed his disgust and squatted down. He observed the charred skin of the 'pseudo dragon'.
'I've never seen such a level of flame before.' Gilbert pinched his nose and made a judgment in his heart. 'From the looks of it, it's been three to four days since this group of 'pseudo dragons' were attacked to death.'
Gilbert could only make a basic judgment based on the knowledge he had learned in the past.
He could not think of anything to frown about as he stayed where he was. Gilbert was prepared to bring this news to Devitt and the others so that they could help analyze it.
Before he left, Gilbert hesitated whether he should take the body of a dragon with him. After some hesitation, he gave up.
After entering the military camp, Gilbert asked about Devitt's current location.
In the end, he met Austin, who was wearing a bathrobe.
"Where did you go?" Austin walked up to Gilbert and asked, "Look at the mud on these shoes."
"I went to the hill over there." Gilbert pointed to the place he had just been to and said, "Don't worry about it. Have you seen Captain Devitt or Captain Claremont?"
"Captain Devitt? What are you looking for them for?" Austin was puzzled. "They just left the camp. It seems that they went to the hill over there to observe the road condition."
Saying that, Austin raised his hand toward the mountain road on the left side of the camp.
"Then I'll go look for them." Gilbert nodded and planned to leave.
"Soldiers are not allowed to leave the camp casually. Don't run around. Hurry up and take a bath with me." Austin hurriedly blocked in front of him and said.
"I'm not a soldier." Gilbert raised the corner of his mouth and smiled. "Also, I have important news to tell them. We can't delay."
After saying this, Gilbert went around Austin and ran to the gate of the camp.
"Important news?" Austin stayed where he was and asked in puzzlement.
Gilbert saw the footprints of Devitt and Claremont on the muddy mountain road and followed them.
"Devitt!" After seeing the two people squatting on the roadside, Gilbert breathed a sigh of relief and called out loudly.
However, when Devitt and Claremont turned around to look at him, they didn't look too good.
Gilbert had an ominous premonition in his heart.
He quickly walked to Devitt's side and looked at the cliff. He saw the same scene as what he saw on the other mountain.
The corpses of thousands of pseudo dragons were piled up together, and they were burnt as well.
The three people standing by the roadside fell into silence.
"I saw the same thing on the mountain in the west… These," Gilbert broke the silence and said.
"It's devastating." Claremont said to the pile of bodies. Although the races were different, seeing their tragic deaths, he couldn't help but feel a sense of pity.
"What should we do now?" Devitt raised his head and asked the two people beside him.
"This should be a premeditated attack. I've racked my brain, but I still can't figure out who the person behind this is." Gilbert said.
"Since it's a long-planned war between the races, it's really too unlucky for us to pass by at this time." Claremont said while holding his head.
"Hurry up and leave this place." Gilbert suggested. "Although I don't know why the dragon race hasn't made any movements up until now, the news of the 'pseudo dragon' being killed has probably spread on this island. We still have to get away from this incident as soon as possible."
"Yes." Devitt nodded and removed the sponge under his feet.
He lifted his leg and began to walk back, while Gilbert and Claremont followed behind him.
After the three of them returned to the military camp, Devitt quickly gathered everyone together and told them that they had to leave this place as soon as possible. Tomorrow, they would speed up their journey and try to leave the dragon clan's estate by tomorrow.
"By tomorrow?!" Austin, who had just returned from the hot spring, was shocked when he heard the news.
Today, they had only traveled one-fifth of the way. They wanted to finish the rest of the journey in one day. It was still a little difficult.
"Yes, Captain Devitt issued an emergency order. You were soaking in the hot spring just now." Levine said as he wiped his feet. "Anyway, even if we walk until dark tomorrow, we have to walk out of here. And we won't rest on the way."
After listening to Levine's words, Austin thought of the 'important news' that Gilbert had mentioned earlier.
"Could it be related to Gilbert?" Thinking of this, Austin immediately walked out.
"Where are you going? You haven't changed your clothes yet?" Levin shouted at Austin.
"I'm going to look for Gilbert." Austin replied without turning his head.
After walking around the camp, Austin found Gilbert in the hot spring pool.
"Why are you here? I've been looking for you everywhere." Austin greeted Gilbert.
Gilbert heard Austin's voice and immediately opened his eyes.
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Chapter 755: The Journey Forward
"I'm too tired from running." Gilbert replied.
"Who told you to run around all day?" Austin said, "Did you hear the urgent notice issued by Captain Devitt just now?"
"I did." Gilbert nodded indifferently.
"This kind of notice is quite strange. I wonder if it has something to do with you." Austin said.
"It has nothing to do with me." Gilbert shook his head and said, "When I found Captain Devitt and the others, I found out that they already knew the news. We found out that we can't stay in this place anymore."
"Oh." Hearing Gilbert say that the decision this time had nothing to do with him, Austin was relieved and didn't continue to ask.
"Do you want to know why?" Gilbert raised his head and asked.
"No, I just want to sleep well tonight. After all, I have to travel all day tomorrow," Austin said angrily. "Do you know? Last night, I stayed up all night because I was worried that you would come and take me away."
Gilbert curled his lips in disdain at Austin's negative answer. But in the blink of an eye, he laughed at Austin's complaint. "Hehe."
"What are you laughing at?" Austin waved his fist and said, "Speaking of which, why did you change your mind?"
"I was planning to leave, but when I went to ask for food from the soldier in the kitchen, he refused to give it to me. I could only come back." Gilbert said casually. "After all, just like you said, without food, we would still starve to death."
Hearing Gilbert's explanation, Austin burst out laughing. Then he teased, "Of course I can't give it to you. You're not an ordinary soldier."
"Sigh." Gilbert pretended to sigh.
"It's getting late. Come out as soon as you've soaked enough. I'll get you a clean set of clothes." Austin warned. "Don't go into the bushes again. Look at your dirty clothes."
"Got it." Gilbert nodded and replied.
"You're so obedient." Austin praised with a smile.
That night, many soldiers had gone to bed early. They were preparing for the journey tomorrow.
Early the next morning.
The soldiers in the kitchen greeted the soldiers to collect their breakfast from him.
Austin yawned as he walked out of the tent and saw the elven soldiers gathered in the open space. He couldn't help but feel a little surprised.
After finding a few familiar faces in the crowd, he quickly leaned over and asked, "When did you get here?"
"We set off around 6:30. We just got here," answered an elven soldier who knew Austin. He spoke in a lazy tone. It was unknown whether it was because he was not in good spirits or because he was used to it.
Austin nodded and looked at the lunch box in the elven soldier's hand. He asked curiously, "Why are you all vegetarian?"
"I learned from the boss that it's good for your health," an elven soldier said as he picked up a piece of carrot.
Austin imagined that the elven army's storage was filled with carrots or broccoli. He felt that something was wrong.
"Then you guys take your time to eat. I'll leave first," Austin said humbly.
"Okay." the Elven soldier did not try to stop him.
Austin brought Gilbert, who seemed to be still asleep, to the table where breakfast was distributed.
"Captain Devitt ordered us to gather after receiving breakfast." the kitchen soldier emphasized to every soldier who came to receive breakfast.
"Okay, got it." Austin replied.
Then, he put their breakfast in his luggage.
He held Gilbert's hand and rushed to join the gathering.
After standing in his position, Austin looked around. He found that many soldiers were taking advantage of their free time to eat their breakfast.
Austin also took out Gilbert's breakfast and handed it to him. He said, "Hurry up and eat. You might start to run later."
"Okay." Gilbert picked up the toast and chewed on it bit by bit. After drinking a mouthful of hot milk, he said to Austin, "Hurry up and eat too. It'll be too late later."
"Okay." Austin also took out his own bread.
"Gilbert, you should go to the front." Claremont walked over and said.
"Okay." Gilbert hurriedly swallowed the last mouthful of eggs. He clapped his hands and was ready to walk to the front.
Austin stopped him and asked with his eyes wide open, "Are you leading the way today?"
"Yes, that's right." Gilbert nodded.
"Why didn't you say so earlier?" Austin said anxiously.
"I thought you knew." Gilbert said curiously.
"Forget it." Austin lowered his head and said, "Hurry up and go."
"Okay, see you tonight." Gilbert nodded and said hello. Then he trotted to the front.
Austin stopped where he was and looked at the half-eaten bread in his hand. He silently put it in his bag.
It was better to eat it at night than to eat it now and spit it out later.
The reconnaissance team soon set off, just like Gilbert's usual style.
Devitt, Claremont, and Abel had been concentrating on observing their surroundings. They would only talk to each other once in a while.
"The death of the 'pseudo dragon' cause such a huge commotion. Why didn't the dragon clan discover it?" Abel was puzzled. "Could it be that even the dragon clan…"
"I heard from Gilbert that the mountain at the center of the estate was guarded by the dragon clan with their spiritual power. The mountain is still safe. From the looks of it, the members of the dragon clan are also still safe." Claremont explained, "Moreover, the corpses of the 'pseudo dragon' are all piled up at the edge of the estate. It should be someone purposely lure them here and killed them. It seems that this group of people has been preparing for a long time so as not to wake up the dragon clan."
"I see." Abel nodded and continued to ask, "Then, what is the purpose of this group of people?"
"I don't have much information in my hands. I can't deduce this point." Claremont said with a heavy expression, "However, the most important thing for us now is to leave this place as soon as possible. Once the dragons sense the invasion of the other races, they will be furious. We will only suffer horrible consequences."
"Now I have one more thing to worry about." Devitt interrupted at this time, "We just happened to pass by here at this time. Isn't it too much of a coincidence?"
"What do you mean?" Claremont raised his eyebrows and asked.
"If the situation outside is not what we think it is — the news of the annihilation of the 'pseudo dragons' is spreading everywhere. "Then what will the residents of the island regard us as the first batch of people to bring out the news?" Devitt's eyes gradually turned cold.
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Chapter 756: Advancing Without Delay
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
"You mean to say that we might have fallen into someone else's trap?" Claremont asked in slight surprise.
They had not thought of this before Devitt made his deduction. Now that they thought about it, this possibility was extremely real.
From the looks of it, this group of people behind the scenes should not have launched an attack on the dragons.
"Then once we walk out of here, won't we become the target of everyone on the island?" Abel said.
"This is just a possibility that I've deduced. The exact situation is still unknown." Devitt shook his head and said.
"We're really in a dilemma now." Claremont sighed and said.
"Before our entire army move out, how about we send some people out to investigate the situation?" Abel suggested.
Devitt had already thought of this method, so when Abel said it, he replied, "The news that we are going to the volcano has already spread across the entire island. Neither elven soldiers nor human soldiers can be sent out to investigate."
"Then…" Claremont suddenly thought of a candidate, "What about Gilbert? He's a gnome. It's purely a coincidence that he joined us halfway. It's normal for gnomes to appear near the volcano. Let him go out and ask for information on our behalf. How about it?"
"That's right." Devitt's eyes widened and he nodded affirmatively.
"But what if he doesn't help us or lies to us?" Abel said worriedly.
Claremont shook his head and said, "From the observations of the past few days, I don't think Gilbert would do such a thing."
"Since we've already decided, let's go ask him what he thinks." Devitt suggested.
"Okay." Claremont and Abel nodded in unison.
The three of them caught up with Gilbert, who was running at the front, and repeated their guesses in front of him.
Gilbert was also a little shocked by this possibility. He asked, "Then what are your plans?"
"For the sake of safety, our reconnaissance team will not appear in front of the residents near the volcano for the time being," Claremont explained, "The three of us want you to help us get information about the outside world and bring it back."
"Okay." Gilbert glanced at the soldiers following closely behind and said, "This is the only way now."
"If you can agree to our request, we can agree to any of your requests." Devitt added.
"Hmph…" Gilbert raised his eyebrows and smiled. "Okay, I'll agree to your request. But the request will be raised after you climb up the volcano."
"Thank you." the three of them said.
Gilbert shook his head and turned his gaze to the front. He focused on running on the road.
"I'll take you all out by tonight." Gilbert said.
"Everyone, follow me!" Abel looked at Gilbert's back and shouted to the soldiers behind him.
"Gilbert, why aren't you tired after running for so long?" Jeb, who was standing in the front row, wailed.
It was clearly a cold winter weather, but bean-sized beads of sweat appeared on everyone's foreheads.
"Stop talking. I can't even see his figure." Levin was dressed roughly. "Where is he running to?"
"I don't know." Jeb wiped the sweat off his eyelashes and said, "I feel that we can't keep up."
"What are you two chatting about? Run faster!" the captain of the second team commanded them.
"Yes!" the two could only shut their mouths and continue to run with the formation.
It had been six hours since they set off early in the morning. Abel looked back at the soldiers under him and found that most of them looked terrible. The elven soldiers who were flying in the air using magic had also landed on the ground due to the consumption of spiritual power and were running with the Caradia soldiers. However, it was obvious that they could not adapt to this way of traveling. Every elven soldier looked as if their souls had left their bodies.
Abel said to Claremont worriedly, "We have to stop. The soldiers can't hold on much longer."
Claremont was reminded by Abel's words and also noticed the terrible situation of the soldiers. He frowned and said, "But Gilbert is far ahead of us. What if he can't find us and cannot join us?"
"Let the soldiers slow down temporarily and walk forward. It won't take long. Let them replenish some water first." Abel suggested.
Devitt and Claremont both agreed with his suggestion.
Abel immediately ordered the entire army, "All soldiers, march forward on foot!"
"Great!" Jeb was the first to cheer.
Just now, he almost thought that he was going to faint on the ground.
"Everyone remembers to replenish your water in time. We will slow down for only twenty minutes. In the afternoon, we will still advance on foot," Claremont explained to everyone.
"Yes!" the soldiers answered in unison.
Abel walked to the elven soldiers' formation and asked about everyone's physical condition.
"How are you guys?" Abel asked with concern.
"I feel like I've lost half my life." an officer who was more familiar with Abel answered while panting.
"Running is too tiring." one of the elven soldiers replied.
Abel roughly checked each soldier's physical condition and found that everyone was fine, he urged them, "Use these twenty minutes to rest. In the afternoon, it's fine to use spirit energy or physical strength. We still have about four hours to go."
"Yes, boss!" the elven soldiers nodded.
"Austin, hurry up and drink some water. The water in the luggage was prepared for now." Levine said to Austin, who had walked to the front row.
"Yes, I'll drink it later. I go and ask Captain Devitt something first." Austin replied.
"Why is he looking for Captain Devitt?" Jeb asked Levine, who was beside him, as he watched Austin get close to Devitt.
"He's probably asking about his 'son'." Levin shook his head and replied, "Austin is extremely worried that he won't be able to see his 'son' for a moment. Let's not talk about this anymore. Help me massage my shoulders."
When Jeb heard Levin's request, he obediently carried Levin's luggage on his back and massaged his shoulders.
While enjoying himself, Levin said to Jeb, "Since you are so grateful, you can ask me to reimburse you for tonight's dinner."
"Really?" Jeb said in surprise, and he increased the strength in his hands.
"Of course.." Levin immediately nodded.
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Chapter 757: News From the Front Line
"Captain Devitt." Austin walked to Devitt's side and called out softly.
Devitt, who was reading the map, immediately raised his head and looked at Austin. He asked, "Austin, what's the matter?"
"Well," Austin said a bit embarrassedly, "Gilbert… where is he going?"
"He accepted my mission with Claremont and Devitt. He is now on his way to the surrounding towns in the dragon clan's estate." Devitt straightened his body and explained in detail.
"I see." Austin nodded and said, "Will he come back to meet us today?"
"Actually, we should be the ones asking you this question," Devitt said with a smile, "According to the plan, he should come back with the news when we leave the border. If he can come back, it's most likely because of you."
Austin shook his head in panic and said, "He will definitely come back, and it's mainly because he has something he fond of here. He is already very familiar with Levin and the soldiers in the kitchen. He won't leave us behind."
Devitt was slightly surprised by Austin's answer, but he didn't say anything. He just replied, "Alright."
Austen bowed and left.
Returning to his seat, Austen immediately took out a kettle and drank a lot.
His physical strength was not as strong as the elite soldiers at the first row. However, in order to not let the people around him think that Gilbert had put pressure on them, Austen had always acted like he could keep up. He didn't even say that he was tired.
Now that he was drinking water, he knew how dehydrated his body had become.
It seemed that if he had a few more buckets of water, he would be able to absorb them into his body like a sponge.
"I didn't expect you to be so strong, Austin. We all need to run to catch our breath. But you look very relaxed." a soldier said to Austin as he wiped the sweat off his body with a towel.
"Ha ha, we're all the same." Austin replied with a smile.
"It seems that our usual training isn't enough." the soldier also smiled and said, "Hurry up and wipe the sweat off your body. It won't be good if you catch a cold after being blown by the cold wind in winter."
"Okay, thank you." Austin agreed and took out a towel from his luggage.
Twenty minutes of rest soon passed.
As the leader, Abel led the way. After a short rest, he was full of energy. His running speed was almost the same as Gilbert's.
The soldiers had gradually gotten used to this way of marching. They just stared straight ahead. They followed behind Abel wholeheartedly.
"The running speed is much faster than in the morning." Devitt said in surprise.
"Everyone's adaptability is still very strong." Claremont concluded. "It's still quite unexpected."
The winter sun soon set. When the night covered the land, everyone was still running like wild lions in the wilderness.
"We're almost there." Abel said.
After saying this, he glanced at the elven soldiers who were flying in the air and providing light for the advancing troops.
"I think I see Gilbert." Claremont shouted happily.
Abel gradually slowed down and approached Gilbert.
Gilbert saw their group in the distance and waved to them cheerfully.
"It's really him!" After all, the sky was dark, and he could only vaguely see a lone figure. After shrinking the distance, Claremont saw Gilbert's face clearly and immediately cheered.
As Abel advanced, the soldiers changed from running fast to walking at a constant speed.
"Gilbert!" Devitt shouted at Gilbert.
Gilbert rushed in front of them and said, "You're finally here."
"How long have you been waiting here?" Claremont asked.
"Half an hour." Gilbert waved his hand and said, "Let's just straight to the point."
"How is it?" The three people around Gilbert were worried.
"The group of people who attacked the 'pseudo dragons' did set a trap, but they weren't targeting us," Gilbert replied, "Now, the news of the destruction of the 'pseudo dragon' has been sealed in the area near the volcano. The dwarf's trade caravan that left here a day before us has become a suspect."
"Dwarf?" Claremont couldn't imagine how the dwarf would confront the fierce 'pseudo dragon'.
"Yes, because someone witnessed a dwarf bringing out the body of the "pseudo dragon" from here." Gilbert said.
"The more I think about it, the more headache I have." Abel rubbed the bridge of his nose and said, "Then what are the actions of the races living on the volcano?"
"They are all waiting for the news of the dragon race. I reckon that in a few days, they will personally send people to try to awaken the dragon race." Gilbert repeated the news that he got from others.
"The forces of the races on the island are so complicated. I wonder if the truth we are investigating is related to these two races." Devitt pondered.
"In short, you can leave this estate safely now." Gilbert said simply.
"This is really good news!" Claremont did not think as deeply as Devitt did. Ever since Gilbert said that the scouts were not the target of framing, a joyful smile hung high on his face.
"It's already dark. We need to find a place to settle down." Abel said.
"I think it's better to move forward a bit more, to avoid those people who are curious about the border." Gilbert thought for a while and suggested.
"Yes, you're right." Claremont agreed with Gilbert's idea.
"Then I'll inform the soldiers." Abel left after saying this.
Gilbert looked at the remaining two and said, "I've accomplished the mission. Don't forget what you promised me."
"Of course." Claremont said confidently.
"We'll definitely fulfill our promise to you." Devitt nodded.
"Then I'll go back first." Gilbert pointed at the Caradia soldiers' formation.
"Okay." Devitt replied.
Gilbert nodded and immediately turned to walk towards Austin.
He found him in the crowd of people who were sitting around and shouted, "Austin! I'm back."
"Yes." Austin heard Gilbert's voice and immediately raised his head. He looked Gilbert up and down and replied with a smile.
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Chapter 758: A Hard-earned Meal
"I bring you bad news." Gilbert said with a complicated expression as he sat down next to Austin in the group of soldiers.
"What?" the soldiers all put their heads in front of Gilbert and asked.
"You have to start moving again." Gilbert said with a relaxed smile.
As soon as he finished speaking, the captain of each team walked over and called for everyone to gather.
"Sigh." the soldiers sighed and stood up one after another. They walked to their respective teams.
"Are you tired today?" Gilbert looked up and asked Austin, who was holding his hand.
"I'm alright." Austin smiled and said, "How far did you run?"
"Not too far." Gilbert tried to recall for a moment, then shook his head and said, "I can't remember clearly."
"It seems that your status is not bad." Austin replied.
"Hehe." Gilbert laughed softly. He did not say anything.
The exhausted elven soldiers landed on the ground. The surrounding Caradia soldiers immediately surrounded them and supported them.
"We can walk for the rest of the journey. Remember to pay attention to the movements of the grass around you." Abel instructed.
"Yes!" the soldiers answered in unison.
"Today's journey is almost over. Please hold on a little longer." Abel encouraged them.
He also noticed that a few of the soldiers were close to collapse. They needed the support of the people around them to barely move forward. However, since they had persevered to this point, they could not leave any loopholes for others to exploit.
Claremont walked to Abel's side and suggested, "Let's walk a little slower."
Abel pursed his lips and nodded.
Claremont relaxed and returned to the back of the formation, standing side by side with Devitt.
"It's been hard on Abel." Devitt sighed as he looked at the slowly advancing army.
"Mm." Claremont could not help but agree.
In terms of daily marching, Abel had indeed done more for the reconnaissance team than the two of them.
"The further we go down this road, the more uneasy I feel." Devitt said.
"Yes." Claremont also had the same feeling. "However, being afraid is also a good thing. At least it proves that we are very clear about our current situation."
"Sigh." Devitt sighed and said, "I hope we can successfully complete our mission and return to Drondheim safely."
"Of course we will go back." Claremont said with confidence. "Once we have the information about the disappearance of the dwarven craftsmen, we will take the elven soldiers who stayed at the edge of the island and wait for us to return together."
There were still many areas around the volcano that were suitable for camping. After walking to the ideal safe zone. Abel immediately stopped and commanded the soldiers to start building the camp.
Most of the soldiers still had a lot of energy left in their bodies. After settling down the weak soldiers, they immediately started building the tents.
Although Gilbert would not do this kind of work, he walked over to the soldiers who had fallen to the side and started a bonfire for them.
"Thank you." the soldiers felt a wave of heat in front of them. They opened their eyes and thanked Gilbert.
"It's nothing. You guys have a good rest." Gilbert shook his head and said, "Wait here for a while. The tent will be ready."
"Okay." the soldiers moved their bodies and sat down beside the fire. They nodded.
Gilbert squatted down and warmed the fire with them.
A piece of sparkling ice crystal floated to his palm, but it quickly melted.
"It's snowing?" Gilbert looked up at the night sky.
He found large snowflakes falling from the sky.
"Gilbert! Your tent has been set up." At this time, Austin Strode to Gilbert's side and said, "Eh? It's snowing?"
"Yes." Gilbert stood up and looked up. He said to Austin, "This is the first time I've seen snow on this island."
"Really?" Austin asked, "I thought only Drondheim would rarely have snow."
"Really." Gilbert said. "Have you set up the tent?"
"Yes." Austin nodded. "Go in and rest. I'll call you when dinner is ready."
After saying this, Austin looked at the soldiers sitting around the fire.
Gilbert noticed his actions and suggested, "Let me help you carry these soldiers into the tent."
"Huh?" hearing Gilbert's words, Austin raised his head in surprise and agreed, "Sure."
Without saying anything else, the two of them helped the weak soldiers into the tent.
The tent that took care of these people had long been set on fire, and the temperature in the room became very warm.
The other soldiers who had finished their work also came to help.
After everyone had finished their work, the dinner in the kitchen had also been prepared.
"We can finally eat hot food." Austin said happily while rubbing his sore shoulders.
Because of the snow, a simple canvas shed had been set up in the open space of the camp. Everyone put the tables together. They waited noisily for the food to be served.
The soldiers in the kitchen were always the first to eat, because after they had served the soldiers' food, they had to wash the kitchen utensils with clean water without stopping. This was especially true in winter, because the stickers on the plates were easy to freeze.
The first to be served was a plate of turkey, and the soldiers burst into cheers.
At the end of the new year in Drondheim, every family would have such a dish on their dinner table.
"I didn't expect to be able to eat this dish in the wild." a soldier shouted.
"The soldiers in the kitchen are really thoughtful." Austin sighed.
Gilbert, who had just started to come into contact with human food, had never tasted this dish. He tugged at Austin's sleeve and asked, "Is this delicious?"
"It's delicious." Austin nodded. "You'll know after you try it."
Gilbert felt relieved and nodded.
Some of the soldiers on the seats couldn't help but reach their knives and forks towards the turkey on the plate. At this moment, a soldier in the crowd asked, "Where's Captain Devitt and the others?"
"That's right. Let captain and the others come and eat with us." Jeb suggested.
The soldiers with quick eyes immediately ran to Devitt's tent and brought over Devitt and Claremont who were chatting.
"Just start eating. Why are you calling us?" Claremont said with a smile as he walked to the long table that was put together.
"Captain Devitt, Captain Claremont, Happy New Year!" the soldiers said to the two of them in unison as they had discussed beforehand.
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Chapter 759: After the 'New Year' Banquet
"Happy New Year!" Devitt said knowingly.
With smiles on their faces, the two of them sat down on the chairs that the soldiers had added.
"It can't really be the new year today, right?" Claremont said as he looked at the table full of dishes.
"That's not right…" Devitt recalled in his mind, "Today should be in the middle of December."
"Yes. But the soldiers in the kitchen prepared these for us," Levin explained.
"Then let's treat today as the new year." Devitt said with a relaxed smile.
"Do you want to drink?" Claremont glanced at the soldiers and asked with a smile.
"Sure!" Jeb immediately echoed.
"Jeb, quickly sit down. Why are you so noisy all day?" Claremont looked at Jeb who was about to jump out of his seat and said with a laugh, "Then let a few people go to the kitchen and get those bottles of wine. Tell them that it's a special permission from the captain."
"Yes!" the impatient soldiers immediately responded. They got up from the chairs and ran out.
Everyone was waiting for the red wine to be brought to the table while chatting.
In the noisy atmosphere, a few bottles of red wine were carried out from the kitchen by the soldiers.
The soldiers in the kitchen took off their aprons and followed behind them happily.
"Haven't you already eaten? Why are you still take our things?" A soldier teased the soldiers in the kitchen.
"Alright, alright. Can't we just have a drink?" the soldiers in the back kitchen didn't mind at all.
"Come and sit down." Levin stood up and called out.
As the number of people increased, the space on the table became narrower.
Devitt stood up and took a bottle of red wine. He directly knocked the cap open at the corner of the table. He raised the bottle and said to everyone, "We can't spend the New Year at Drondheim's house this year. I know that everyone feels a little sad. So tonight, everyone is free to eat, drink, and play. I wish that we can successfully complete the mission, and everyone can return to Drondheim safely."
"Okay!" the soldiers' glasses were filled with wine, and they raised their glasses in response.
Devitt suddenly took a mouthful of wine, wiped his mouth, and said to the soldiers, "Everyone, start eating."
After the soldiers drank a mouthful of red wine, their faces were filled with a trace of aftertaste. However, there were also people who heard Devitt's words and immediately raised their knives and forks to the dishes on the plate.
"I'll serve you some turkey." Austin picked up Gilbert's plate and said to him.
Among the dishes on the table, the competition for the turkey was especially fierce. When Austin cut off a piece and wanted to get his own portion, there were only bones left. He could only awkwardly extend his knife and fork to other dishes.
"It's really delicious." Gilbert was already familiar with the taste of humans. At this time, he tore off a piece of turkey meat from the plate and chewed as he commented.
"Mm. In Drondheim, it's my hometown. Eating this in the new year has a good meaning." Austin said with a smile.
"Then why don't you have it? I'll give you these." Gilbert handed the turkey on the plate to Austin.
"No, no, no." Austin shook his head and said, "I eat it every year. I'm sick of it."
"It's a habit I have every year. It's not good to break it this year." Gilbert waved his hand and said, "How about this, you help me eat half of it."
Seeing that Gilbert had been persistent, Austin gave up the idea of convincing him.
"Okay." Austin agreed.
Then he took a spoon and moved half of the chicken on Gilbert's plate to his own plate.
Gilbert nodded with satisfaction.
At the end of the banquet, the soldiers had completely gone crazy. They started to play around in the middle of the camp.
Claremont collapsed on his chair and asked Devitt, "Is it really okay to let them play like this?"
"It's okay." After drinking three glasses of red wine, Devitt's face also turned red. He said, "Everyone has been tired all day. After relaxing and playing, they will go and have a good rest."
"Hehe." Claremont laughed and continued, "It's good to think like this."
"Oh right, we should call the elven soldiers over. We should celebrate the new year together." Devitt suddenly realized.
"They should be asleep by now." Claremont closed his eyes in a daze. After running all day, his body was really tired.
"Sigh, it's a pity." Devitt sighed.
But after a while, Claremont's voice was still not heard.
"Hey, why are you sleeping? Don't sleep here, you'll catch a cold." Devitt patted Claremont's face and called out in a low voice.
However, the other party did not make any movements.
"Sigh." Devitt sighed. Resigned to fate, he carried Claremont on his back. He walked towards the tent Claremont.
Austin looked at the scene of the soldiers around him going crazy and brought Gilbert back to rest early.
The next morning, Austin didn't drink too much last night. He got up earlier than anyone else.
"It's really messy." Austin looked at the messy scene in the camp and couldn't help but be surprised.
Only the soldiers in charge of patrolling remained sober. When they saw Austin, they greeted him, "Hey, come and help."
"Yes, yes, yes!" Austin quickly replied. He put his towel on his pants and walked over to help everyone pack up.
Seven or eight people packed up until noon. It was only then that the soldiers came out of the tent one after another.
The elven soldiers led by Abel had already arrived at the gathering place early. When they saw Austin and a few others, they asked in surprise, "Where are the people from Caradia?"
"They caused a ruckus last night. Some of them are still sleeping." a soldier who was cleaning replied.
"Caused a ruckus last night? Where are Devitt and the others?" Abel asked in even more surprise.
"Captain and the others drank too much wine. I guess they haven't woken up yet." Austin said hesitantly.
It seemed that Devitt and Claremont didn't inform Abel and the others in advance.
"Last night, everyone had a new year's banquet. Captain told us to relax and have fun. In the end, no one woke up early today." a soldier explained.
After hearing this reason, Abel could understand.
However, he immediately said, "Tell your soldiers to prepare to assemble. Today, we have to continue on our way."
"Yes!" Austin replied.
"I'll go wake your captains up." Abel continued to instruct.
"Okay."
After arranging everything, Abel walked towards Devitt's tent. However, he was informed that Devitt did not return to the tent last night.
"I have to ask Claremont." Abel thought to himself.
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Chapter 760: The Rumors Spread
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
"Hey! Claremont, what's going on with your soldiers? If you want to delay the morning gathering time, you have to tell me first." Abel barged into Claremont's tent and questioned loudly.
Claremont and Devitt, who had collapsed on the bed, had yet to wake up from their hangovers.
After hearing Abel's voice, Claremont opened his eyes in a daze. As he looked towards the door, he noticed that Devitt was sleeping soundly beside him.
"Oh my God!" Claremont shouted.
"Get up quickly!" Abel strode over to Claremont's bed and shouted, "You two…"
Claremont rubbed his temples. He had drunk a lot last night. He couldn't remember what happened after that.
"I was looking for Devitt everywhere. So, you two are together." After the shock, a malicious smile appeared on Abel's face.
"I drank too much last night…" Claremont tried to explain.
"No need to explain. I understand." Abel waved his hand and said, "Quickly wake up Devitt. We are about to leave."
After saying this, Abel immediately retreated.
"No." Claremont shouted at Abel's back. "If you want to wake him up, come and do it yourself. Don't go!"
However, Abel still acted as if he did not hear his shout and walked out by himself.
Claremont lowered his head and looked at Devitt's naked upper body. His eyebrows were knitted together.
When everyone was ready, they stood in formation in the center of the camp, ready to gather. It was almost noon.
"It's a rare sunny day." Abel looked up at the winter sun and sighed.
"I feel that the temperature has dropped a few degrees." Devitt hugged his arms tightly and shivered.
"It snowed heavily last night, and now the snow has melted. How can it not be cold?" Abel choked.
"You!" Devitt said sulkily. "Aren't you bullying me because I don't have knowledge about the snowy weather…"
Abel smiled smugly. After agreeing to keep the secret of last night's stay for Devitt and Claremont this morning, for the time being, the two of them had to listen to his words obediently.
"Anyway, I don't care," Abel said with a smile, "You have to owe me one. I'll bring my men to make a ruckus all night long one day. You have to wait for me too."
"Okay, okay, okay." Claremont quickly agreed.
"Of course." Abel couldn't help but tease him. "There won't be a scene like yours."
Hearing this, Devitt and Claremont looked at each other.
In their hearts, they silently said, "I must get Abel drunk that day, so that he can experience the feeling of being blackmailed."
"Don't you feel that the weather has become colder?" Austin asked Gilbert.
"Yes." Gilbert nodded.
"Put this on." Austin took out a cotton-padded jacket from his luggage and handed it to Gilbert.
"It's so big." Gilbert put the cotton-padded jacket on himself. He shook his shoulders and said.
Austin looked up and down. His coat was almost covering his knees when he put it on Gilbert. A large part of his shoulder was left.
"Indeed." Austin nodded and said, "When we get to the market near the volcano, I'll buy you a suit that fits you."
When they first received supplies, every soldier would receive not only dry food but also some money.
"Alright." Gilbert nodded and turned his body forward.
Although the departure time had been delayed until noon, the Caradia soldiers were quite energetic. They followed behind Abel and moved forward excitedly. They would chat with each other from time to time.
However, in such a formation, the soldiers in the last row remained silent.
The reason for such a scene was that Devitt and Claremont were in charge of holding the line.
"Why aren't you talking?" a soldier whispered into the ears of the soldier beside him.
"I don't know." the soldier shook his head and said, "Since the others didn't speak, I didn't dare to speak."
"Stop arguing, the two of you. Can't you see that Captain Devitt and Claremont didn't speak?" Another soldier said.
The few of them looked at each other, nodded, and decisively shut their mouths.
Looking at the awkward backs of the soldiers, Devitt couldn't help but speak to Claremont first. "Yesterday…"
"Shhh…" Claremont quickly gestured at him to keep quiet.
"But…" Devitt's expression became conflicted as he said, "Anyway, nothing really happened yesterday."
Claremont glanced at the soldiers walking in front, and after making sure that no one was paying attention to him. He shrank the distance between him and Devitt, and said in a low voice, "Then why did you sleep with me?"
"I should have been drunk," Devitt tried hard to recall, "And I remember that after I helped you to the bed, you sat on the chair by the bed. In the end, it was probably because it was too cold at night, so I unconsciously lay down on the bed. Anyway, I was really tired at that time. As soon as I sat on the chair, I fell asleep."
"Okay." Claremont nodded. Actually, in his heart, he didn't think that Devitt would do anything to him who was drunk. It was just that the scene when he woke up this morning was really too embarrassing.
After he was three years old, Claremont hadn't slept in the same bed with anyone, let alone talked about staying the night.
"So, we… are okay?" Devitt stretched out his left hand to Claremont and asked.
"Yes." Claremont held his hand back and agreed.
However, the soldiers had tried hard to eavesdrop their conversation. The voices of the two of them were too low, so they could only hear a few words sometimes.
However, just the words 'drunk' and 'bed' were enough to conjure up a big drama that would make one's blood boil.
"Are Captain Claremont and Captain Devitt talking about something that is forbidden?" A soldier asked with a complicated expression.
"Can't you guys hear it?" A soldier covered his mouth and said, "Captain Devitt seems to have snatched Captain Claremont's girlfriend!"
Because the news that he had said was too explosive, the soldier who made the deduction couldn't help but faint.
"It can't be. I didn't hear about this when I was in the military camp." a soldier shook his head and said, "If it's true, how come the two of them can still get along peacefully for so many days."
"Yeah…" the gossipy soldiers immediately fell silent after hearing the soldier's words.
"According to what I heard…." another soldier emerged from the crowd and said.
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Chapter 761: The Impending Farewell
"You guys, what are you chattering about? Quickly follow the formation!" Claremont stopped the discussion in time.
After seeing that the last row of soldiers immediately became well-behaved, Claremont sighed in his heart. Please don't look at me while gossiping, okay? It was really too embarrassing.
Based on the few words that reached his ears, he deduced the entire process of the plot. It also allowed Claremont to have a brand-new understanding of his soldiers.
When the sky turned completely dark, the reconnaissance team stopped.
"The temperature outside tonight is too low, so we won't extend the journey time. Everyone hurries up and build a fire." Abel ordered the soldiers in the cold wind.
"Yes!"
When everyone dispersed to prepare for the camp. Austin stayed where he was and looked around at the desolate area. He asked Gilbert curiously, "Where did you go yesterday? Why didn't I see people on the way?"
"I took a shortcut. You won't be able to walk that way. People come here from time to time to pick agricultural products. It's just that the snow just stopped, so there are fewer people." Gilbert explained.
"I see." Austin finally understood and led Gilbert to the place where everyone gathered. After receiving his share of the tools, Austin continued to ask Gilbert, "Then when can we reach the town?"
"Tomorrow. The town near the volcano is not far from here." Gilbert said with a pile of firewood in his arms.
"Yes." Austin replied. "I hope to arrive early so that I can buy you some suitable clothes."
"Tomorrow, we will arrive at the small town of Cerrodi." Abel said, pointing at a stronghold on the map.
"Have you been there before?" Devitt raised his head and asked.
"Yes. This town is under the care of the nomadic races near the volcano. When we went there, we also replenished some supplies there." Abel recalled.
"Compared to the dwarf town, is there anything special?" Claremont continued to ask.
"It's much bigger than the dwarf town, and the marketing areas of the various races are also divided," Abel replied, "Maybe it's easier to manage this way."
"Sounds good." Devitt nodded. "We won't encounter any trouble on the way up the mountain, right?"
"Probably not." Abel replied. "Everyone knows how difficult it is to advance from the edge of the island to this area. So, as long as you successfully reach the edge of the volcano, no one will come and make things difficult for you. This is also a rule of this small island. I only learned about it because I came here once."
"I can finally feel at ease." Devitt exhaled.
"Recently, due to the incident with the pseudo dragon, the status of the dwarf tribe has changed among the people around the volcano. We have to be careful about this." Abel thought of what happened a few days ago and said solemnly.
"Yes." Claremont also reacted and said, "When we set off tomorrow, we should inform the soldiers first: we must not reveal that we have passed through the dragon clan's estate."
"Yes." Devitt nodded heavily.
At this time, a soldier first reported, then walked into the tent and informed the three people, "Captain Devitt, Captain Claremont, Captain Abel. It's already dinner time. You can go and eat."
"Okay." Devitt nodded, then signaled for the soldiers to leave.
The three of them tidied up and walked out of the tent. The soldiers were having a noisy meal together.
Devitt caught a glimpse of Austin, who was helping Gilbert with the food. With a complicated expression, he said, "Gilbert will be going home soon."
"Yes." Claremont looked where Devitt was looking and replied, "Austin must be very sad."
"In the past, Gilbert's identity should have been that of the gnome's prince. This time, he's probably going back to fight for his throne." Abel said.
"Although Gilbert's ability is indeed very strong, and he's much more mature than people his age, if he were to really get involved in the bloody storm of power struggles, he would be a little too thin," Devitt sighed and said.
"Maybe there are people who support him, that's why he wants to go back." Abel replied. "I hope those people can share some of the pressure and responsibilities for him."
"It is better not to tell Austin about our conjectures." Claremont warned. "After all, up until now, Gilbert seems to have never told Austin about his origin."
"Mm. Let's keep it this way." Abel affirmed.
After dinner time, snow began to fall in the sky again.
"The snow from last night hasn't melted yet. It's starting to snow again tonight." Austin said, wiping his mouth.
"Yeah. Tomorrow will probably be as cold as today." Gilbert said softly as he sat in his chair, looking at the volcano in the distance.
"Of course, you don't have to worry about it tomorrow." Austin smiled happily, he said, "When the time comes, we will definitely enjoy the warmth of the fireplace in the hotel room. I haven't slept on a soft mattress for a long time."
"Hehe." Gilbert heard what he said and laughed softly.
Austin looked at the place Gilbert had been looking at and exclaimed, "So you can see the volcano from here. I was so busy eating just now that I didn't notice it. Eh? There seems to be snow on the top of the volcano."
"Yes, the volcano is in hibernation in winter. The altitude is so high. I guess the snow on it has frozen." Gilbert replied.
"Your home is on top of this volcano, right?" Austin asked curiously, "Can you show me?"
"You can't see it here. The gnomes live underground, and we live on the south side of the mountain." Gilbert said with a smile and shook his head.
"How long does it take to walk from the foot of the mountain to your home?" Austin became sad when he thought of the upcoming farewell. At this moment, his expression was a little gloomy.
"One day." Gilbert replied. He also had a reluctant look on his face.
"It's quite close." After hearing the answer, Austin nodded and said, "When we return from our mission, Can I come and see you?"
Hearing this, tears welled up in Gilbert's eyes.
"Yes. If you can't come to the Gnome Kingdom, I'll wait for you in the small town at the foot of the mountain."
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Chapter 762: Strangeness of the City
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Actually, Gilbert himself didn't know if he could fulfill his answer.
He didn't even know if he could walk out of the gnome's estate alive.
The last time he was able to successfully walk out of that hell, it was mainly because he had the help of the men behind by his father. That was how he was able to bear a false accusation and be exiled out of the city.
And this time, he took the initiative to go back. He didn't know which of the forces in the city were willing to lend a helping hand.
"Really?!" Austin looked very happy.
"Yes." Gilbert nodded and agreed.
When he saw Austin's smile, Gilbert would also accompany him to be happy.
After these few days, Gilbert had saw Austin as a reliable elder brother.
Even though they hadn't been together for long, their feelings were exceptionally deep.
A cool breeze blew past, and Gilbert exhaled a breath of hot air into the air. He realized that the hot air he exhaled had already turned into white fog.
"Let's go back to the tent and rest. It's too cold outside." Austin suggested.
"Okay." Gilbert held Austin's outstretched hand and agreed.
The next morning, the soldiers gathered together early.
Seeing that the goal of this mission was right in front of them, everyone could not help but want to reach the legendary estate as soon as possible.
"Today, we will rest at the foot of the volcano." Abel reminded everyone while he was lecturing, "I hope that everyone will not tell anyone that we entered the dragon clan's estate before, so as to avoid causing unnecessary trouble."
"Yes!" the soldiers answered in unison.
Everyone continued to move forward in the heavy snow. Each of them had put on thicker clothes than they had yesterday.
Austin even put on a wide-brimmed hat for Gilbert.
As evening approached, the wind became weaker.
The soldiers at the front saw the town gate that appeared at the end of their line of sight.
"Zelodian?" a soldier read out the words on the city gate plaque.
"It feels so grand." a soldier looked at the wide city gate and sighed.
"Everyone stops in front of the city gate." Abel ordered his soldiers.
After a group of people stopped completely, the town gate was opened, and a group of giant soldiers ran out in unison. Walking up to Abel, they asked him, "Which race are you from?"
"The elf race. These soldiers are humans from the Caradia Empire. We're going up the mountain to visit the dwarven craftsmen." Abel replied calmly. He took out the Elf Empire's soldier medallion from his bosom.
"Mm, alright. You can go in now." the giant soldiers only gave a cursory glance before letting them in.
Abel led his soldiers into the city gate and walked towards the street near the market.
"Why is it so easy to pass the city gate on this island?" a soldier asked the person beside him, puzzled.
"I don't know." the soldier beside him shook his head and said, "It seems like it was the same when we entered the dwarf town last time."
The discussion rose and fell. Austin looked at Gilbert, who had been silent since he entered the city gate, and said, "What's wrong? It's rare to see you so quiet."
"It's very strange." Gilbert lowered the brim of his hat and answered, "The people in charge of patrolling this town shouldn't be the giants."
"I heard before that this town is under the supervision of various races. The giants are not in charge of the supervision now?" Austin asked in puzzlement.
"Yes." Gilbert replied. "At least they weren't in charge before I left the city."
"Then, which race was in charge before?" Austin asked.
"The gnomes." Gilbert said after a moment of silence.
"Did something happen to the gnomes after you were exiled from the city?" Austin asked worriedly.
"I don't know." Gilbert answered as he looked at the pedestrians on the street.
"Will it be dangerous for you to return to the Gnome Kingdom now?" Austin was most worried about the safety of Gilbert.
"Since I've come this far, I have no choice but to go back." Gilbert replied. "Besides, no one wants to invade the gnomes' territory."
"Why?" Austin asked.
"It's a secret." Gilbert shook his head and said.
"Okay." Austin didn't continue to ask. It was enough for him to know that the place where Gilbert had returned was safe.
While leading the way, Abel was also paying attention to the surrounding movements. He found that there were fewer ordinary vagrants on the street, but more troops patrolling the streets.
Following the route they had taken a few months ago, they arrived at the hotel they had stayed in previously.
Abel turned around and said to the soldiers, "Everyone can stay here tonight."
"Yes!"
The reconnaissance team had walked until now, and there was a total of forty-eight people left.
After counting the number of people, Claremont took the silver money in his bag and exchanged it with the hotel manager for the keys to twelve rooms.
"How do we arrange this?" Abel took the five keys and asked Claremont.
"Me, you, and Devitt will stay in one room. The rest of the soldiers will share the rest of the rooms equally." Claremont answered simply.
"There is still one left." Abel thought for a while and said.
"Abel and Austin can sleep together. Isn't that alright?" Claremont curled his lips and said.
"I see." Abel replied.
"Oh right, don't drink too much during dinner tonight. If you get drunk like last time, no one will take care of you." Claremont warned.
"Oh right, last time you went to the guild to get the information when I was drunk, right?" Abel recalled the days when he stayed in the dwarf town.
"That's right. I originally wanted to bring you along. But you drank too much, and I couldn't wake you up." Claremont complained.
"Ahem, I'm really sorry about that night." Abel apologized. "What are your plans for tonight?"
"Tonight… I don't know what Captain Devitt wants to do. If we want to go out and ask for information, I'll ask you for help, okay?" Claremont rested his chin on his hand and thought for a while before answering.
"Sure." Abel nodded and agreed. "We will ask Devitt later."
Only when they stayed in the hotel would the elven soldiers and the Caradia soldiers eat together at the same table.
After all, the appetites of the two races were not the same. The tents that they usually built were also separated from each other.
However, since they were together, they were naturally amiable.. They could easily joke with each other at the dinner table.
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Chapter 763: News About the Town
They watched as dishes were served one after another by the hotel's waiters on the dining table. Claremont and Abel stood at the entrance of the dining room the entire time, looking around. They did not see Devitt.
After the two of them received their keys, they sat in the room and chatted.
From the evening until now, two to three hours had passed, but they only saw Devitt's luggage.
At the end of the conversation, they could not help but feel a little strange. They began to ask others about Devitt's movements. Then, they heard from the innkeeper that Devitt did not even return to his room. After getting the waiter to carry his luggage upstairs, he went out on his own.
Abel leaned against the door post of the restaurant and sighed. "The two of us were still thinking about how to ask Devitt about the operation, but he made the first move himself."
"Devitt was probably worried that he didn't have enough time, so he didn't call us and left on his own." Claremont replied as he looked out the door.
"Devitt is still the most dedicated to the mission." Abel said. "We should have followed him."
"There's nothing we can do. It's very difficult for us to follow him at all times." Claremont shook his head. After seeing Devitt's figure, he shouted, "Devitt! You're back?!"
Devitt walked into the restaurant and handed the coat he was wearing to the waiter who was guarding the door. He said to Claremont, "Why haven't you gone for dinner yet?"
"We were waiting for you." Claremont replied, "We can't be the heartless comrades that enjoy our dinner in a place with a fireplace while you were out in the snow, gathering information for the sake of carrying out a mission."
Devitt looked at Claremont in amusement and did not say anything else.
"You stayed outside for so long. Did you find anything?" Abel asked.
"I did find something, but the pedestrians on the street are very tight-lipped." Devitt said with a frown. "I only know how to get up the mountain and the reason for the strange atmosphere in the city."
"I also feel that this town is different from before," Abel said. "What is the information you have heard about?"
Devitt said in a low voice, "The gnomes have already broken out in a civil war, and the forces in the Gnome Kingdom have been divided into two factions. Moreover, the situation is tense, and there is no extra manpower to manage this trading town."
"What?" Claremont was a little surprised. Although he had predicted that the situation in the Gnome Kingdom would be more serious, he had not expected that it would be so bad, and the other races had taken the advantage to control the trading city.
"Yes." Devitt nodded. "Regarding this, this is all the information I know."
"Gilbert's way home is even more difficult." Claremont's mind flashed with the image of Gilbert's weak figure.
"Then, what is the method you mentioned to get up the mountain?" Abel continued to ask.
"It is said that under the proposal of the various races, a teleportation array has been built in the town. It can use magic power to teleport people to the top of the mountain. If we can use this method, it will greatly shorten the time we need to reach the top of the mountain." Devitt explained.
"Teleportation array?" Claremont was curious about such a new thing.
Abel, who had learned spells since he was young, frowned and said, "Although there are many merchants on this island, it is not enough to put them into the teleportation array."
"Is the consumption of the teleportation array that big?" Claremont asked.
"It is very big. Not only do they need the support of mages, but they also need all kinds of gemstones for daily maintenance." Abel explained. "The financial resources of this town alone should not be enough to support it."
"That means that there are external forces helping them behind the scenes." Devitt analyzed. "The more complicated the situation on this island is, the more likely it is that we will be dragged into this situation if we stay here."
"Sigh. It's really difficult." Claremont said.
While the three of them were distressed, a soldier walked out from the side hall and said to them, "Captain Devitt, Captain Claremont, Captain Abel. The soldiers are waiting for you."
"Huh?" When Devitt heard this, he looked at Claremont and Abel strangely.
Claremont said awkwardly, "I forgot…"
Abel's face also blushed.
Devitt looked at the two of them with a slightly reproachful look and led them to the dining hall where the soldiers were.
"Sorry for the long wait, everyone." Devitt waved at the soldiers.
"It's okay, Captain Devitt. We were planning to eat with you." Jeb replied loudly.
"Captain, I heard you went out on a mission. Why didn't you call us?" a soldier said excitedly.
"I went to ask for information. How brought you?" Devitt said with a laugh, "Well, everyone sits down and start eating."
"Ding Ding Ding Dang –" the sound of dishes being picked up could be heard on the dining table. It seemed that everyone was really hungry.
While drinking red wine, Devitt talked to the soldiers around him about the plan to use the teleportation array tomorrow.
"Teleportation array! It sounds amazing! I've never heard of it before." a soldier shouted happily.
"Will the mages teleport us to the top of the mountain? How is that possible?!" a soldier looked incredulous.
"It'll be great if we can get on the teleportation array." most people were looking forward to the new experience tomorrow.
Austin sat in his seat and looked around. He finally saw Gilbert walking in from the outside.
"Why did you take so long to go to the toilet?" Austin asked worriedly. "Did you eat something bad?"
"I got lost outside. It took me a long time to find the toilet." Gilbert replied as he climbed up his chair.
"I should have brought you there." Austin nodded and said, "Captain Devitt told us that tomorrow we will go to sit in something called a teleportation array. Do you know what it is?"
"I don't know. I've never seen it before." Gilbert picked up the cup and said indifferently.
"I heard that it would bring us to the mountain in an instant." Austin said excitedly, "It sounds incredible, right?"
"Ya." Gilbert nodded.
Austin observed Gilbert's cold reaction. Although he felt a little strange, he did ask. Instead, he chatted with Gilbert from time to time during the banquet.
The time for the banquet quickly passed. Abel organized the soldiers to return to their rooms to rest.
Gilbert followed Austin back to the hotel room.
After washing up, he laid on the bed in his dry pajamas.
Once it was past twelve o'clock, the lights in the hotel would be turned off. Only the firewood in the fireplace was burning.
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Chapter 764: Leave Without Saying Goodbye
After hearing the sound of Austin sleeping soundly, Gilbert opened his eyes. He slowly got off the bed, turned around to look at the sleeping Austin, and resolutely left the room.
Walking to the corridor of the guest room, Gilbert walked to the room where Devitt and the others were.
After hearing the voices inside, he raised his hand and gently knocked on the door.
When Devitt and the others heard the knocking, they immediately stopped talking. Abel picked up the weapon beside the bed and carefully approached the door.
Devitt and Claremont also got off the bed and followed behind Abel, waiting for him.
"Who is it?" Abel asked in a low voice.
"Gilbert." a slender voice came through the door.
Devitt frowned strangely, as if he could not understand why Gilbert would come looking for them at this time.
The three of them looked at each other, and Abel slowly opened the door. Gilbert immediately rushed in from outside the door. He was not even half as tall as Abel. At this time, he looked even more agile and light-footed.
"I'm about to leave. I'm here to say goodbye to you." Gilbert said calmly as he sat down on a chair in the room.
"Now?" Devitt looked at the dark sky outside the window and asked in puzzlement.
"Yes." Gilbert nodded and said, "Thank you for taking care of me during this period of time."
Claremont said hesitantly, "During these few days, Austin was the one who take care of you the most. Did you say goodbye to him?"
"No." Gilbert shook his head dejectedly and said, "I'm worried that I won't be able to bear to leave."
Seeing that Abel was hesitant to speak, Devitt gestured for him to keep quiet.
"The reason I came to look for you this time is also for Austin." Gilbert took a sip of tea and continued, "I hope that you can take good care of him. You promised me before, so you won't go back on your word, right?"
"Of course." Devitt nodded. "Besides, Austin is one of our soldiers. It's our responsibility to take care of him."
"Well, that's good." Gilbert stood up and said, "Goodbye."
In the end, Claremont couldn't help but ask, "Why did you leave in such a hurry? Don't you have time to say goodbye?"
"No." Gilbert raised the corner of his mouth and said with a pale smile, "Now the remaining time can only be used on the road to live or die."
When the three adults heard this, their faces showed a trace of reluctance.
"I hope you can succeed." Abel said.
"Thank you." Gilbert bent down slightly and said, "If I die, please don't tell Austin."
After saying this, Gilbert turned around and left without any hesitation.
He turned over the railing of the corridor and jumped to the lobby on the first floor. The whole process was silent.
Devitt and the other two stood in the corridor and watched Gilbert's back as he broke out of the door.
Claremont sighed and said, "He's just a child, but he acts like he's a young man. I really don't know who is taking care of whom between him and Austin."
"They take care of each other." Devitt replied softly. "Their feelings go both ways."
The next morning, the people who stayed in the hotel were woken up by the hotel owner's screams.
"My door! Who broke my door?!" the hotel owner's face turned green.
Abel, who had not woken up, directly got out of bed and walked to the corridor on the second floor. he shouted downstairs, "Boss, I'm sorry. My brother was too drunk, so he knocked down your precious door. When we pay the bill later, I'll compensate you."
The hotel owner looked at Abel's firm muscles, and he frowned at Abel, but he did not shout anymore.
Just when Abel thought that he could finally have some peace and quiet, and go back to sleep for a while more…
Austin ran from the room to his front and shouted, "Captain Abel, Gilbert, he…"
Abel sighed in his heart. He had forgotten about this.
"He went home." Abel waved his hand and said.
"What?" Austin said in disbelief, "Why do you all know, but I…"
"Our destination is different from his. Of course, we have to part here," Abel said. "I guess his family was in a hurry to call him back, so he left early in the morning."
"I see…" Austin suddenly lost his spirit.
He originally wanted to take Gilbert to the teleportation array, but when he woke up this morning, Gilbert was nowhere to be seen.
Abel looked at Austin's gloomy expression and could not help but comfort him. "Go back and sleep for a while more. Cheer up. We are going to begin our mission today."
"Yes," Austin replied.
Abel patted his shoulder and returned to his room. Looking at Devitt and Claremont who had fallen asleep again, Abel sighed and lay on his bed to rest.
Austin returned to his room and laid on his bed according to Abel's instructions.
When the soldiers who had been noisy earlier saw the expression on Abel's face, they choked on their words and didn't intend to speak again.
"Wu, Wu…" after a while, Austin wrapped himself in the quilt and whimpered.
The others also became sad. They looked at each other and walked out of the bed. They took their clothes, gently closed the door, and left.
After everyone washed up, it was time for breakfast.
After hearing what Abel said about what happened this morning, Devitt looked at the table where Austin and the others were sitting, but he did not see Austin. He already understood what happened.
Because he was worried about Austin's health, Devitt picked up a breakfast and walked to the guest room on the second floor.
"Guest, food and drinks cannot be brought to the guest room." a waiter stopped Devitt and said.
"I'm sorry, one of my comrades is not feeling well. I'll go and see him." Devitt explained to the waiter with a smile.
The waiter nodded hesitantly and let him pass.
"Thank you." Devitt said.
He knocked on the door of the room where Austin was, and Devitt called out softly, "Austin, are you there?"
"Yes," Austin's voice came from inside.
"Can I come in?" Devitt asked politely again.
"… Yes." Austin hesitated for a moment and replied.
Devitt took the tray and walked in. When he saw Austin with red eyes, he handed the food to him. He said gently, "Eat something first."
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Chapter 765: The Process of Teleporting Up the Mountain
"Before Gilbert left, he asked us to take good care of you." Devitt sat down on the edge of the bed, he said, "Why do you think he's so worried? You're a member of our reconnaissance team, of course we will take care of you."
Hearing Devitt's words, tears quickly gathered in Austin's eyes.
He raised his hand to pick up the hamburger on the plate and chewed it bit by bit.
"If you can eat, then I don't have to worry too much." Devitt stood up and said, "After breakfast, quickly come and gather with the soldiers. We'll wait for you."
"Thank you, Captain Devitt." Austin said in a choked voice.
"It's nothing. Didn't I tell you? It's a matter of course." Devitt said with a relaxed smile.
After saying this, Devitt unlocked the door, turned around, and left.
Austin chewed the hamburger in his mouth, holding back his tears.
What made him hold back his tears was the promise he made with Gilbert when they were resting outside the camp.
"I must pull myself together."
At eight o'clock in the morning, all the soldiers gathered outside the hotel.
After paying the bill, Claremont also walked out of the door and gathered with the main group.
"This boss is really stingy. Gilbert broke his broken door, and he wants to charge us ten silver coins. That door can't be more than three silver coins." Claremont said angrily.
"Forget it. Anyway, our journey is coming to an end." Devitt said.
"Speaking of which, my purse is getting lighter and lighter. What if we don't have enough money on the way back?" Claremont curled his lips and asked.
"Let's go borrow Abel's money." Devitt said with a smile.
"What?" Abel, who had been standing on the side and smiling happily, immediately distanced himself from the two people in front of him after hearing this.
"Don't worry. I'll do the math for you…" after being reminded by Devitt, a trace of sunshine immediately appeared on Claremont's gloomy face. He put his arm around Abel's shoulder and talked with him about the twists and turns along the journey.
In the end, Abel reluctantly agreed to share the money that Devitt and Claremont requested.
The group of people chatted and laughed as they walked to the end of the main street. In front of them was the location of the teleportation array.
"Amazing!" a soldier looked at the barrier around the teleportation array and took a deep breath.
"There are magic runes carved on the walls here." an elven soldier said to his colleague as he looked around.
"But I can't understand these runes." an elven soldier said, puzzled.
"Of course, we're all learning intermediate spells. How can we understand high-level runes?" another elven soldier immediately replied.
"I see."
Whenever there was a situation where there was magic involved, it was usually Abel who would come forward to discuss it.
Devitt and Claremont just needed to follow behind him and put on an imposing manner.
Abel and the person in charge of the front desk used professional terms that Devitt and Claremont did not understand for a long time. Finally, they settled on the matter of the scouts riding on the teleportation array.
"Ten gold coins." said the person in charge as he counted.
Anyone could understand this sentence. Claremont's reaction in this area was as outstanding as ever. "What?!"
The person in charge leaned on his desk and lowered his head. He did not pay attention to Claremont's reaction.
Claremont's expression became bitter. He suggested to the two people beside him, "Why don't we walk up the mountain? If we bid ten gold coins here, we would really have nothing."
"It doesn't matter." Abel shook his head and said helplessly, "Aren't we travel together? The money will still be enough for us to return the edge of the island."
Claremont looked at Devitt and Abel and compromised, "Alright. I'll follow your decision."
Recently, there seemed to be a lot of people using the teleportation array. The scouts lined up until three o'clock in the afternoon before their turn came.
The soldiers spent their nap time in the hall.
"Each of you, please stand at the designated point marked in the array." a middle-aged man wearing a mage robe commanded.
After seeing that everyone was ready, the middle-aged man poured his spiritual power into the pillar in front of the formation.
"Clang!"
An orange light covered the sight of every soldier.
In the next moment, the reconnaissance team arrived at the top of the mountain. The only thing that surrounded them was the grass that was covered in snow.
"How did we get up here?" a soldier asked in disbelief. As he spoke, he touched his hands to make sure that he was still intact.
"This is such an impressive spell." even the elven soldiers exclaimed.
"Everyone, follow me forward." Abel commanded the people behind him.
At ten o'clock at night, a teleportation array would appear at the place where they appeared to bring them back.
"There are less than seven hours left. Can we find the clues to the disappearance of the dwarfs?" Devitt asked worriedly.
"No matter how fast we speed up, it will still take us two hours to get from here to the dwarves' estate." Abel replied.
Right now, everyone was only thinking about one thing, and that was to move forward!
Under Abel's leadership, the soldiers circled around the mountain road. Finally, they arrived at an inconspicuous cave entrance.
Abel stopped in his tracks and pushed aside the grass near the cave entrance.
He discovered a passageway that only allowed one person to pass through.
"Are we going in from here?" Claremont asked.
"Yes. The new home of the dwarven craftsman is inside." Abel said.
Devitt sized up the Caradia soldiers and said, "Can we only leave the soldiers' luggage and armor here?"
"Yes. Otherwise, we won't be able to pass through this cave." Abel nodded and instructed the elven soldiers to put down the luggage on their shoulders. "Just cover these luggage with the grass at the entrance of the cave so that they won't get wet by the snow."
"Yes." After hesitating for a while, Devitt also asked the soldiers to take off their armor and put down their weapons.
He was originally worried that if they could not return the way they came from, they would not able to take back these things.
However, seeing that Abel was confident, Devitt dispelled the doubts in his heart.
Everyone followed Abel and slowly squeezed into the tunnel built by the dwarves.
"Are the dwarven craftsmen so worried that others will come and disturb them?" a soldier said. "They built such a hidden place as a new residence."
"I heard that the personality of the dwarf race is quite reclusive." a soldier replied.
"But this is too difficult to get in and out. We are the ones who came to save them." a soldier said, "Why is the dust in this tunnel so thick? How long has it been since someone came?"
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Chapter 766: Buildings With Another Purpose
They crawled forward slowly for about 200 meters. Just when everyone was about to be exhausted beyond belief, a fresh air current welcomed them.
"We're here." Abel said in surprise.
Abel jumped out of the tunnel and stepped on the ground again.
The soldiers followed him out of the tunnel one by one.
Claremont looked at the house built by the dwarves around him, and a strange feeling rose in his heart.
"It seems that since we came here last time, no one has come here again. Nothing has changed here." Abel said.
"I feel that there is something strange here." Claremont said hesitantly.
"What?" Devitt and Abel looked at him and asked.
"I have a feeling… these buildings aren't built for people to live in." Claremont said, pointing at the buildings in the volcano.
"I don't understand." Abel shook his head in confusion and said, "If they aren't built for people to live in, are they still built for people to see?"
"Yes!" After hearing Abel's words, Claremont slapped his head and shouted, "They are built for people to see."
Looking at the two people in front of him who still had an incomprehensible expression on their faces, Claremont slowly opened his mouth to explain, "These buildings, whether it's from the circulation of air or the layout of the rooms, are all very illogical. It can be said that they're even worse than the drawings that a beginner in architecture can draw."
"In other words, no one would live in such a house. Moreover, these houses were deliberately built to confuse the people who entered here." Devitt concluded.
"From the craftsmanship of the decoration, although there are many hasty traces, we can still see that it was built by the dwarf craftsmen." Claremont walked closer to a house and observed it carefully.
"If this is the work of the dwarf craftsmen, then who are they guarding against?" Abel asked.
"We have no way of knowing this, but we can be sure that we have found the wrong place." Claremont said. "Where is the evidence left by the gnomes that you mentioned before?"
Abel was reminded by Claremont and quickly led the group to the place where they found the gnomes' weapons.
However, there was nothing there.
"How?" Abel was puzzled.
"It seems that they have been taken away." Claremont said. "Let's not worry about this for now. We need to find the true residence of the dwarf craftsmen in these few hours. There isn't much time left."
"How do we search?" Devitt asked.
"Since the dwarf craftsmen built such a defensive line, they must be observing nearby. Otherwise, how could they have noticed an outsider's invasion at the first moment?" Claremont thought for a moment and stated.
"Alright. Then we'll search this area in the form of a small team. Don't miss a single inch." Devitt commanded.
"Yes!" the soldiers immediately followed the order, and the ten teams moved in different directions.
"I didn't expect the space inside the volcano to be so spacious. Fortunately, we brought enough people." Claremont rejoiced.
"Yes." Abel nodded and said, "Thanks to you this time, we didn't spend too much time in the maze set up by the dwarven craftsmen. I didn't expect you know a lot of architecture knowldedge."
"Of course." Claremont smiled. "How many times have I told you that the books I read are very useful?"
"Claremont's speculation has basically been proven to be correct." Devitt frowned and said, "But don't you think that the style of setting up such a maze is a little contrary to the personality of the dwarven craftsmen?"
"In that case… it is indeed a little strange." Abel nodded. When the dwarf race built the harbor for Cumberland, Abel had been there a few times. He had also met the dwarven craftsmen a few times.
What he felt from every dwarven craftsman he saw was passion for architecture, pride in their own talent, and the innocence of children.
They couldn't imagine that they would be able to design such a trap.
"Don't think about it. Let's hurry up and help look for them." Claremont said as he looked at the two of them who were unhappy.
The group of people had been busy in the volcano for half an hour, but they hadn't found any clues about the midgets.
Just as everyone was feeling dejected, a clear child's voice rang in their ears.
"Who are you?"
The voice echoed in the empty space.
"We are soldiers sent by the humans and elves. We only heard that the dwarfs had disappeared. We are here to find them." Abel replied loudly.
There were only chaotic shouts in response.
"Wait." After a while, the same voice sounded again.
Abel let the soldiers lean against each other, waiting for the owner of the voice to appear.
After a while, footsteps came from behind them. A little dwarf girl appeared out of nowhere and ran happily to the front of the reconnaissance team.
"Did you bring food?" the little girl asked with a smile.
"Food?" Devitt was stunned by the sudden question. He pointed in the direction of the tunnel and answered, "Our food is outside."
"You didn't bring it to us?" The little girl's smiling face fell. "Then why are you here?"
"We heard that the dwarfs are missing…" Abel walked up and answered.
"Missing? We've been here all this time. We're fine!" the little girl was puzzled. "Klidoff said he would bring us food. Why hasn't he come after three days?"
"Who's Klidoff?" Claremont asked.
"The person in charge of this island." the little girl answered, "Since you don't have any food, please go out. Don't disturb the rest of the dwarves."
"The dwarf craftsman was in charge of the port projects of the Caradia Empire and the Elf Kingdom." Devitt said, "The Elf Kingdom sent a letter to the Dwarf Kingdom before. Did you receive it?"
"A letter? Klidoff will bring all the letters sent to the island to us. None of them came from the Elf Kingdom." the little girl thought for a moment and said, "You must have remembered it wrong."
"How is that possible…" Abel was about to explain, but Claremont interrupted him. Claremont noticed the crux of the matter. "Why is Klidoff who does all the work for you guys, won't you guys walk out of here?"
"No." the little girl replied. "It's the time for the dwarves to rest. Other than receiving requests from other countries, we won't walk out of our own estate. Speaking of which, it's been a while since we received a request…"
Devitt and Claremont looked at each other, and they already knew what exactly happened.
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Chapter 767: The Expected Betrayal
"I want to visit the chief of the dwarfs, can I?" Devitt said solemnly to the little girl.
"Grandpa?" the little girl stared at him and asked, "Why are you looking for the clan chief?"
"I think the dwarfs must have fallen into the trap of the conspirators on this island." Devitt replied.
The little girl looked at his sincere face and seemed to have sensed the seriousness of the matter. She nodded and said, "Then come with me."
Then, the little girl led them to the secret passage that she had taken when she came.
Seeing the door of the secret passage open, the soldiers cried out in surprise.
"I didn't see it at all." a soldier said in surprise. The door was hidden on the rock wall of the volcano, and its surface was almost the same as the surrounding rocks. It was impossible to recognize it based on the first impression.
The little girl led the soldiers through the secret passage and arrived at another scenic spot in the volcano.
Exquisite buildings were lined up side by side. It was more lively the place just now.
The moment Abel stepped into this place, he felt that the flow of the elements in his body became smoother. It was extremely inconceivable.
"Most of us are currently in a state of slumber. Please do not make too much noise while you are here." the little girl instructed in a low voice. "I will go wake up the chief."
After saying this, the little girl disappeared into the buildings.
Devitt organized everyone to keep quiet. Claremont and Abel stood in their original positions without saying a word. From time to time, they would raise their wrists to look at the direction of the hour hand.
After about ten minutes, the little girl appeared in front of everyone again.
"The clan chief is waiting for you up there. Follow me." the little girl said.
Devitt hesitated for a moment before commanding the soldiers to stay in their original positions and rest. He, Claremont, and Abel followed the little girl's footsteps. They went around the houses and headed towards the building in the center of the residential area.
The little girl didn't say a word along the way.
After bringing the three of them to a room on the second floor, she left quietly.
Devitt cast his gaze towards the old dwarf who was sitting on the seat of honor and waiting for them.
"Hello, chief of the dwarf race." Devitt, as the representative of the human race, stepped forward and greeted them.
Abel followed behind him and bowed to the chief of the dwarf race.
"Hello." the chief's hair had already turned white, and there were some age spots on his face. However, his voice didn't sound like it came from someone his age. "My little niece has already introduced your identities to me. There's no need to be formal since we know your origins, it's fine. Please take a seat."
"Thank you." Devitt replied and found a chair to sit down.
The other two also sat down.
"I heard that the dwarfs' recent supply and demand are all handled by the leader of the island?" Devitt asked first.
"Yes." the clan chief replied. "After all, the dwarfs have entered a dormant period. Basically, there won't be any personnel moving around."
"But at the same time, the news of the disappearance of all your clansmen has spread overseas, even to the Elf Kingdom." Devitt continued.
"Eh?" the chief's eyes widened in surprise.
Although Klidoff had previously told him that he would spread some misleading rumors to the edge of the island. But just the fact that it had spread overseas was already very unusual.
"We are here to look for clues about your kingdom's disappearance. After all, both Caradia Empire and Elf Kingdom owe a debt of gratitude to the dwarven craftsmen." Devitt's introduction continued, "I wonder if that fake town outside of this place was the idea of that Klidoff?"
"Yes." the clan chief nodded.
"No one knew that the dwarf race had not gone missing but had instead gone into hiding. The first batch of soldiers we sent found gnomes' tools in that place. Don't you think that all of this is too much of a coincidence?"
"What do you mean?" the clan chief's expression had already become somewhat gloomy.
"On the surface, now that the dwarf race has been framed for murdering the dragon race guards, the dwarf race has disappeared, and the gnome race is in chaos. Moreover, the gnomes have been accused of 'killing the dwarf race'. The three races are in grave danger." Devitt concluded.
"Klidoff, that b*stard is simply too detestable!" the dwarf clan chief roared.
"Actually, we still have chance. As long as you represent the dwarfs and clarify everything in front of the world, the scheme of Klidoff and the other helpers behind the scenes will fall apart." Claremont said.
"Hmph." the chief snorted angrily. "Alright, I'll follow you out. I want to see Klidoff's sorry face."
"Chief, let's leave as soon as possible." Abel saw the situation and suggested, "The situation outside is unpredictable. The earlier we leave, the earlier we can resolve all of this."
"Alright!" the dwarf clan chief agreed.
The few of them walked out of the room, but suddenly heard the alarm outside. The floor of the corridor shook as well.
"What happened?" Devitt looked out of the window and asked.
"Someone activated the vibration device in the town." the chief answered, "Let's go to the basement to take a look."
"Chief! We have to escape from here now!" Claremont advised.
"No, this vibration device is used to destroy the entire village. And only the dwarves can use it. I want to see which traitor did this." the chief was so angry that he trembled.
"We have to escape first. We can't let you take this risk." Devitt also said, "Our soldiers have already begun to wake up the dwarf residents in the house. We have to quickly meet up with them."
Just when the two sides were in a dispute, a familiar voice made them stop talking.
"Grandpa, don't look for me. I'm here."
The little girl who led the way just now stood in the middle of the hall on the first floor and said to the four people standing on the stairs with a smile.
"You!" the clan chief took a deep breath and shouted.
Devitt and the others were also frozen on the spot. The expression on the little girl's face made them almost unable to recognize her.
"You can't get out. All the exits have been sealed by me." the little girl continued to answer quietly.
"Why did you do all this!!" the chief said bitterly.
"To live in this world with dignity! To not be chased away like rats in the gutter." the little girl roared angrily.
This sentence made Devitt recall the intelligence he had obtained in the Elf Kingdom: the reason why the dwarves moved to the island was mainly because the original land had been invaded by the beastman force.
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Chapter 768: The Group Escaped From the Cave
And the little girl in front of her, if they're not mistaken, was Vivian who led a part of the dwarfs to revolt.
It was said that Vivian's hands were injured in the war.
She was severely punished by the dwarfs and could not forge for the rest of her life.
But at that time, Cumberland happened to send an invitation. The dwarfs who were busy moving could not find anyone to deal with it.
Out of helplessness, they sent Vivian to bring some new recruits to the job.
Vivian did not personally build the port, but instead took up the role of the chief commander of the entire construction project.
"I heard that His Highness Lord Kant is also acquainted with this little girl." Claremont said to Devitt in a low voice.
"Yes, I know that too." Devitt nodded and said, "However, the Vivian standing in front of us now seems to be totally different from the one who stayed in Cumberland."
"During that time, I have been to Cumberland a few times." Abel frowned and said, "I didn't expect that in such a short time, that would be a drastic change to a person."
The floor shook even more. Devitt glanced at the old chief who was standing silently on the side. He felt that it was not a good idea to continue this confrontation. He immediately walked to the side of the old chief and said, "Chief, let's quickly retreat."
"You guys go. I'll stay here with this little fellow." the chief shook his head and said, "If she has any grievances, just vent them on me."
Claremont frowned and said, "Your niece did such a thing on impulse. Please don't be stupid. If a person's life is lost, then everything will be meaningless."
After saying this, Claremont and Abel looked at each other. They made up their minds — even if they had to knock the old chief out, they had to take him out.
"Clang!" The light at the corner of the stairs fell at their feet.
Devitt and the other two saw that the situation was getting worse. Without waiting for the old chief to reply, they lifted half of the old chief's body. They jumped down the stairs.
"You can't escape!" Vivian shouted as she watched the figures of these people escape to the door.
"Abel! Bring Vivian with you!" Claremont shouted at Abel.
The moment Abel passed by Vivian, he held her in his arms. No matter how much she resisted, she clenched her teeth and did not let go.
"Let go of me!" Vivian bit Abel's arm.
"Why are you so insensible!" Abel endured the pain of being bitten and frowned at Vivian.
The group ran out of the building and passed through the crumbling buildings.
"Boom — boom –" the sound came from the edge of the town. Devitt looked in the direction of the source of the sound. He found the scout team and a group of dwarfs in pajamas.
The elven soldiers were using their spells to continuously attack the iron gate that blocked the secret door.
"Chief!"
"Captain Devitt!"
The arrival of Devitt and the others attracted the attention of the scout team and the dwarven craftsmen.
"Chief, what's going on?" A dwarf wearing a nightcap rushed to the side of the chief and asked.
"… sigh." the old chief sighed and said, "Klidoff betrayed us. These soldiers were sent by the humans and elves outside the island to help us out."
"Eh?" the dwarfs who heard the news were all surprised.
"Captain Abel! Captain Devitt, Captain Claremont! You're finally here." an elven soldier walked up to the three people and called out.
"How's the situation now?" Abel asked anxiously. His right hand was still holding the little girl in his arms, preventing her from escaping from him.
"Currently, the elven soldiers and the Caradia soldiers are working together to find a breakthrough point." the soldier reported.
"Any progress?" Claremont continued to ask.
"The entrance to the place was sealed by the iron gate. The material of the iron gate is harder than we imagined." the soldier's face revealed a troubled expression.
"It's too late." Devitt looked back at the shaking house behind him and said to the gnome chief, "Chief, do you have any ideas?"
"This iron gate is the last line of defense we have set up for this residence." the chief shook his head and said, "I don't know when this little girl took the key to the basement from me, and then she had the chance to use this device."
Abel squatted down and looked straight into Vivian's eyes. He asked, "What about you? How are you going to escape?"
"Hmph." Vivian turned her face away and did not say anything.
Abel frowned, stood up and said to the others, "It seems that this little girl is ready to die here with us."
After the dwarves heard the conversation between the two, they looked at Vivian in disbelief. However, Vivian ignored their gazes and kept her head down.
"We have to think of a way to escape from here." Claremont said in a solemn voice.
"There are about thirty minutes left before the cave collapses." Devitt took out his pocket watch and said after taking a look.
Abel walked to the iron gate where everyone was besieging and attached his right hand to it.
He used the spiritual energy in his body to feel the density of this piece of steel.
It was too strenuous for Abel to do such a test. When the water element in his body squeezed into this piece of metal with great difficulty… Bean-sized beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.
"Stop fighting." Abel wiped his sweat and said to the soldiers who were trying to break through, "You can't break this piece of steel."
When the scout soldiers heard this, they all stopped.
"Captain Abel, maybe we can find the ventilation shaft here and break through from there." a wind elf soldier suggested.
"Right." Abel suddenly realized. "You lead the way!"
"Okay." the soldier nodded and immediately used the spiritual power in his body to fly into the air. According to the airflow he felt, he searched for the air lock of this small town.
"Found it!" five minutes later, the elven soldier stopped in front of a mountain wall. He shouted excitedly at the soldiers standing on the ground.
"Good!" Abel immediately followed. After observing for a while, he said to the other soldiers, "We can break through from here!"
Each elven soldier brought a Caradia soldier and flew high into the sky, arriving at the location where Abel and the wind elf were. The two forces combined and smashed a big hole in the rock wall.
"Wow!" the dwarves cheered happily. They hadn't thought of this method before. Now that they could break through the crisis easily, they were really happy.
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Chapter 769: The Unveiling of the Conspiracy
After the elven soldiers brought the Caradia soldiers out, they returned to the volcano and escaped from the cave with the dwarven craftsmen. Because the elven soldiers were more than twice the size of the dwarfs, each elven soldier carried a dwarf in each hand in order to save time.
"I'll take the chief and Vivian away." Abel told Devitt and Claremont.
"Okay, then I'll leave them to you." Devitt replied. Then, he held the hand of the elven soldiers who were floating in the air.
The buildings in the volcano had been destroyed by the shockwave. Abel looked around and found that most of the people had left safely. He raised his right hand and called for all the elven soldiers in the volcano to gather. Then, he led the last group of people and rushed out.
They landed safely on the green grass on the surface of the volcano.
Devitt walked to the dwarf clan chief, who was still in a state of shock, and said, "Chief, if you need any help from us, please feel free to ask."
The clan chief stood where he was and thought for a while. Then, he said, "There's no need to trouble you. Thank you, humans and elves, for saving our tribe."
"You're welcome." Devitt shook his head and said, "Then, may I ask what your plan is?"
"Of course, we'll find Klidoff for a clear explanation." the chief said angrily, "He failed to keep the agreement with the dwarfs. We'll have to find him to clarify the reason behind it."
"Mm." Devitt nodded. Their mission had come to an end here.
"If there's nothing we can do, we'll take our leave." Abel said politely. "I hope you all can have a smooth journey."
"Thank you." the dwarf clan chief nodded.
"Chief! Vivian is gone!" A dwarf ran to the clan chief and shouted.
"What happened?" clan chief immediately became nervous and asked anxiously.
"Just now, she said she wanted to drink water, so I took her to the freshwater pool nearby. After that, when I was fetching water by the pool, she disappeared. I searched around the freshwater pool for a long time, but I couldn't find her." the dwarf soldier reported.
"How careless!" the dwarf clan chief stomped his feet and said angrily.
"Since she just gone, she shouldn't have gone too far with her little feet. Quickly send people to search in batches. Our people might be able to help." Devitt suggested.
"Thank you very much." the chief nodded and said.
Hundreds of dwarfs and soldiers of the reconnaissance team surrounded the freshwater pool on the volcano and began to search.
It was almost dark now, so they couldn't search for long. When they gathered again, they had not found Vivian.
Seeing the worry on the faces of the dwarfs, Devitt pursed his lips, but there was still no clue in his mind.
"Why don't we go down the mountain and rest first? We can go up the mountain and search again tomorrow at dawn." a dwarf craftsman suggested to the old chief.
"… That's the only way." the old chief compromised.
Although he really wanted to find his niece, he still couldn't drag all the dwarfs who were only wearing thin pajamas to spend the night on this winter mountain.
"Our teleportation array is almost here." Claremont said, "Everyone, follow us down the mountain. I reckon that once you reach the foot of the mountain, the rumors will fall apart."
"Mm, thank you." The chief agreed to Claremont's suggestion. The group of people went down the mountain.
Just as Claremont said, when the mages who were operating the magic array saw the dwarves appear in front of them, their faces instantly turned pale.
On the way out of the teleportation array, there were many wanderers who approached the dwarfs to talk to them and ask them the truth about the disappearance.
After hearing the story of the dwarfs being deceived by Klidoff, everyone put on an incredulous expression.
However, most of them still chose to believe the truth that the dwarfs had told them.
After all, they knew the dwarfs would not lie.
The reconnaissance team chose to stay in a hotel near the center of the city.
When dawn came the next day, the dispute between Klidoff and the dwarfs spread throughout the town and even spread to other parts of the volcano.
Some people said that Klidoff, who sat at the desk of his law enforcement officer every day at eight o'clock, did not show up at the law enforcement building today.
After the dwarfs gathered the citizens and explained the truth. They applied for military support from the volcano administration to help them go up the mountain to search for Vivian.
In this way, Devitt and the others were completely idle.
Devitt's plan was to leave immediately, but Claremont and Abel both requested that they stay for one more day to see how the current situation developed.
After the soldiers were on vacation, they all walked out of the inn and strolled on the streets.
Devitt and the other two didn't have the mood to relax. They found a nearby teahouse and sat in a private room to drink tea.
"Tell me, what can we see if we stay here for one more day?" Devitt sighed and asked.
"Actually, we just want to stay here for one more day." Claremont shook his head and said, "To adjust the soldiers' status. What can we see? It depends on how quickly the situation on this island changes."
"Hehe." Abel laughed when he heard Claremont. After Claremont glared at him, he immediately restrained his expression.
"I heard that the dragon clan sent representatives to participate in this morning's gathering to support the dwarf clan." Claremont told him the news that the hotel attendant had revealed.
"The dragon clan? They woke up?" Devitt was somewhat surprised.
"Yes." Claremont nodded. "They are calmer than expected."
"This island has at least a few hundred years of history. There have been many people who wanted to stir up trouble. How could the dragon clan be so frightened by this matter?" Abel took a sip of tea and said.
"That's true." Claremont nodded, he said, "But this time, the people behind the scenes will be in big trouble. The dragon clan's military power, the gnome's strategy, the dwarf's artillery, the goblin's network. These superimposed powers are unimaginable."
"So… shouldn't we leave earlier?" Devitt frowned.
Claremont coughed. "That's all you thought of?!"
"What else can I think of? If the various races on this island suddenly start fighting, where would we find a place to stay?" Devitt said with a laugh.
"No, we can still bring some fresh information back with us." Claremont insisted, "If these races really want to use force, we have to wait for everyone to arrive. We haven't even figured out who's behind this yet."
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Chapter 770: The Long-awaited Reunite
"That's right." Abel nodded. "Moreover, the righteous side on the surface might not be able to unite as we expected."
"Oh right, Claremont, you've gathered quite a lot of information." Devitt asked, "How's the situation in the Gnome Kingdom? Any progress?"
Claremont shot a glance at Devitt, he said, "Didn't Austin leave early this morning to meet with Gilbert? I only glanced at him from the side. Gilbert looks good, and the 'prisoner' tattoo on his left chest has disappeared. I guess he's making good progress."
"This is really good news." Devitt said with a smile.
"When I sent Gilbert away that day, I thought I would never see him again." Claremont said while covering his chest.
"Hehe." Abel laughed. "Then what else did you hear?"
"Nothing. I told you all the news I received." Claremont pursed his lips and said, "I was so bored that I came out to have tea with you two."
"You brat…" Devitt scolded with a smile.
Austin's footsteps were light as he walked along the street with Gilbert.
"I was really happy to see the door of the hotel early this morning." Austin was always in high spirits. He turned to Gilbert and asked, "How did you know that we are in this hotel?"
"The news of you bringing the dwarfs down the mountain has already spread. How could I not know where you are staying?" Gilbert replied with a smile.
"Is there such a high level of attention?" Austin asked in surprise.
"Very high. After all, the dwarfs have disappeared from the public's mouth for a long time." Gilbert nodded. "Moreover, you have also brought such an important piece of news about Klidoff"
"Actually, we ordinary soldiers are not very clear about these things. It is mainly captain Devitt, Captain Claremont, and Captain Abel who are leading us." Austin lowered his head and said.
"Isn't that good?" Gilbert raised the corner of his mouth and said, "Your cooperation has made such a good result."
"Yes." Austin nodded and asked, "What about you? Have you been accepted by the Gnome Kingdom?"
"Sort of." Gilbert thought for a while and replied.
After his return, the situation in the country had basically calmed down. Gilbert really didn't expect that there were so many people waiting for him. Unknowingly, he was already the last bloodline left by the gnome royal family in this civil war.
After finding out who was behind this and giving an explanation to all the people in the kingdom, he had to give his parents a grand funeral.
"Are you happy?" Austin continued to ask.
"When I see others happy, I'm also be happy. However, I am the only one left in my family. Sometimes, I cannot help but feel sad." Gilbert said softly.
In a few days, he would inherit the throne. At that time, there would be more troublesome things.
Austin heard Gilbert's answer and turned to look at his face worriedly. Austin had heard from Gilbert that his parents had passed away before he was exiled out of the city.
"The people who framed your parents are extremely evil." Austin said. "They will definitely be punished."
"Punishment will never bring back the lives of my parents." Gilbert's eyes dimmed. "So I don't really care what kind of fate those people will end up in."
Austin put his hand on Gilbert's shoulder, he said, "You're right. But finding these evil people and saving those families that will be harmed can offset the self-blame in your heart. I think your parents will encourage you to do it."
"Yes." Gilbert nodded and said, "Don't worry, I'll pull myself together. And I believe that you will always stand behind me and help me."
"Of course, I will always stand on your side. If you have any troubles, you can write to me. We will solve them together." Austin promised.
Gilbert nodded with tears in his eyes and smiled.
Then, the conversation between the two became much more relaxed. They chatted and laughed on the busy street for the whole morning. In the end, they couldn't walk anymore, so they found a restaurant and sat down for lunch.
To Gilbert's surprise, this restaurant was actually run by a gnome.
The gnome boss immediately trembled in fear when he saw Gilbert. He nervously walked up to Gilbert and prepared to bow.
Gilbert quickly held him up and gave him a look.
The boss had lived in this small town for so many years and even had his own restaurant. He was naturally a smart person. Under the hint of Gilbert's gaze, he immediately stopped moving. He said apologetically to Gilbert and Austin, "I'm sorry, I didn't look at the road just now. Thanks to… this… person's help. Do you guys want a room or eat?"
The restaurant owner really couldn't think of how to address Gilbert in this kind of situation.
"Eat. Take us to the private room in the restaurant upstairs." Gilbert said.
"Okay." the gnome boss agreed. He lowered his head and led the way.
Although Austin felt strange, he didn't say anything. After all, he didn't know the identity of Gilbert's new gnome king.
Although Devitt gave the soldiers of the investigation team a holiday, he still told them to return to the hotel before dark.
Gilbert heard about this rule from Austin. After lunch, he sent Austin back to the hotel.
When they parted at the entrance of the hotel, they met Devitt and the other two who were walking back from the teahouse.
"Gilbert!" Devitt greeted him first.
Abel went up and hugged the little gnome.
"You seem to be in good shape." Claremont smiled. "Do you want to come in?"
"No. I still have to rush back to the mountain today. It's almost time." Gilbert declined politely.
"What a pity." Claremont said. "We still want to hear about the recent situation of the gnomes."
"Right, what are the gnomes going to do next? Are they going to meet up with the dwarfs?" Abel asked.
"Dwarfs?" Gilbert narrowed his eyes, "The gnomes haven't interacted with the dwarfs for a long time. They won't make an exception this time, right? The dwarfs have the support of the dragon race, which is enough. I don't think they have any intention of cooperating with us."
"I see…" Devitt said regretfully, "Then I wish the gnomes good luck."
"Thank you." Gilbert replied. He bent down slightly and left after packing his luggage.
Austin stood at the side, confused. He cast a puzzled look at Devitt and the others.
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Chapter 771: The Decision to Choose the Sea Route
"Oh no. I forgot that Austin is still here." Abel noticed Austin's gaze and whispered in Claremont's ear.
"It's fine." Claremont replied. The three of them communicated with each other and passed Austin's line of sight. They walked straight into the shop. Austin was left standing alone in the cold wind.
The next morning, Devitt got up early. After washing up, he stood in front of Abel and Claremont's bed and woke them up.
"You two, get up quickly. No matter what, we have to set off today." Devitt said.
"Got it." Claremont got up with sleepy eyes and sat by the bed.
Under Devitt's urging, Abel also woke up from his sleep. He picked up his towel and went out to wash up.
As he was about to go back, Devitt seemed to be happier than anyone else. He went to every guest room where the Caradia soldiers were and woke them up.
At seven o'clock in the morning, all the soldiers of the reconnaissance team gathered in the breakfast restaurant. Many of them ate bread with their eyes closed.
Claremont stirred the corn porridge in his bowl a few times and realized that he really had no appetite.
He asked Devitt, who was sitting at the same table as him, "How do I go back? Lord captain, have you figured it out? If you still need to study it for a while, I have to go back and catch up on my sleep."
Devitt glanced at him and pointed at the map that he had placed at the side. "I'm looking at it right now. It's fine if you don't help, but how dare you still want to sleep?"
"Let me see." Devitt took one of the maps. He looked at it carefully.
Abel quietly joined them, and the table became quiet again.
Until the soldiers packed their luggage and stood in front of them. The captains finally figured out the way back.
When they paid the bill, the boss told them that they could go west after they left the city gate. After they reached the posthouse in the western suburbs, they could take a carriage to the shore. There was a cruise ship passing by every day. They could pay to board the ship when the cruise ship docked. The ship would arrive near the harbor of the island.
Devitt and the others were dumbfounded when they heard that.
"Is it an illegal ship?" Claremont swallowed his saliva and said.
The boss immediately coughed twice and said, "How can you say it's an illegal ship? If the people of our town want to leave the island, they will take this sea route."
"Really?" Abel frowned and said.
"Of course. It's really not easy for your group to travel through the mountains and rivers. That's why I told you. I won't tell anyone else." The owner shouted, "You, you, you think I can get any benefits from it?"
"… Okay. Thank you." Claremont thanked him.
After walking out of the hotel, the reconnaissance team gathered in an empty space and began to discuss.
"What should we do now? Which way should we go?" Claremont said with his chin in his hand.
"What do you think?" Devitt looked at the surrounding soldiers and asked.
Jeb's voice was the only one that responded to him. "The sea route!!"
"Why?" Devitt quickly asked.
"If what the hotel owner said is true, we don't have to be afraid of those people on the illegal ship!" Jeb said confidently. Some of the soldiers also nodded in agreement.
"Okay, then we'll take the sea route." Devitt said after seeing the reactions of the others.
After receiving the order, the group immediately walked out of the city gate.
After walking out of the city gate, they walked to the west for a long time, but they didn't see the posthouse the hotel owner mentioned.
Claremont couldn't help but wonder, "Is the owner making up a lie?"
"No." Devitt shook his head and said, "But I think the posthouse he mentioned is not quite the same as what we imagine."
"How do you know…" Abel was halfway through his questioning when he saw a few goblins with horses parked on both sides of the main road.
"Which boss introduced you?" Before Devitt and the others came forward to ask, one of the goblins had already walked up to them and asked.
"Oak Street." Abel recalled the name of the hotel, but he couldn't recall it, so he could only answer the name of the street.
Claremont looked at the goblin carefully. The skin on the goblin's hand had been cracked by the cold wind. The horse he was leading was also very thin and weak.
"If you people want to go to the beach, it'll costs fifty silver coins." the goblin said.
"Where's the carriage?" Claremont asked.
"It was blown away by the strong wind." the goblin glanced elsewhere.
Claremont and Abel, who were standing at the front, already felt a little strange and took a step back.
Abel said to the goblin, "Can you tell us where to take the boat? We've will walk there."
"Ha!" the goblin spat on the ground. "It's a bit complicated. How about I recommend a route that's closer to you than taking the boat?"
"Huh?" Claremont's eyes were full of vigilance. He put his right hand on his waist.
"Dead end." the goblin's expression became even more ferocious. He pulled out the scimitar on his waist.
More than a hundred goblins rushed out from the forest on both sides of the road. They surrounded the reconnaissance team with weapons in their hands.
"It seems that you are not some coachmen." Devitt looked around and said to the goblin in front of him, "Why are you ambushing here?"
"To take your lives." the goblin laughed. "You people should have died on the way. How can you participate in the struggle on this island?"
"We have cleared the dwarf race of their grievances on this trip." Claremont said, "Do you have any misunderstanding about this?"
"No misunderstanding." the goblin shook his head and said, "It's just that we're not in a good term with the dwarfs you saved."
Devitt and the others felt a chill in their hearts when they heard this. The turn of events was far beyond their imagination.
After all, they were just a group of soldiers who fought on the battlefield before this. Although they had heard some stories about disputes of power, they would still be shocked by the intricacies of the forces involved.
"So, there are forces among the goblin race that are also involved in controlling this incident." Devitt said.
"Yes." the goblin lowered his head and looked at the machete in his hand, "There are thousands of people on this island who participated in this operation. They planned it for three months, but you outsiders ruined it. Tell me, do you deserve to die?"
"Hmph." Abel snorted. "I can only say that your methods are too dirty. I really can't think of anything that would make you so obsessed that you would betray your elders."
"When you reach hell, someone will tell you all about this." the goblin's eyes flashed with a cold light.
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Chapter 772: The Stable Operated By Angel
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
"Charge!" Abel ordered the soldiers of the reconnaissance team as he watched the goblins getting closer and closer.
The elven soldiers were hidden behind the Caradia soldiers. They kept attacking with their magic.
However, this group of goblins were swift and agile. They dodged all the spells of elven soldiers.
Devitt observed the situation of the battle and immediately ordered, "Caradia soldiers! form a small team of three and break through the encirclement."
"We have to go out now." Levin said happily after hearing the order.
Jeb nodded and said, "It was the elven soldiers who took the lead previously. It's our turn this time."
The two smiled at each other and pulled over a soldier from the same team. In the middle of the goblin crowd, they stood back-to-back and fought their way out of the encirclement.
Not only them, but all of the Caradia soldiers showed their courage on the battlefield. The longsword in their hands slashed across the throats of every goblin who stood in front of them.
The goblin leader who was leading the charge realized that things were not good to them. Before he came, he received news that the main force of this group of reconnaissance team was the elven soldiers. As long as they concentrated elven soldiers' firepower, it would be enough to deal with them. The remaining human soldiers were not a threat at all.
Now, it seemed that the elven soldiers had stopped and stood to the side to watch. Instead, the human soldiers seemed to be in a high morale and kept sprinting toward the goblin's encirclement.
More and more goblins fell, even though some of the Caradia soldiers were also knocked down. However, the morale of the two sides had completely changed.
"Retreat! Retreat!" the goblin leader shook his head and said to the remaining goblin assassins.
The goblins who received the order instantly disappeared into the forest.
Only the reconnaissance team and the goblin leader were left in the field.
"Hehe." Abel sneered. "You called all your men away. Do you want to fight with us alone?"
"Of course not." the goblin leader waved his hand and said, "I just want to leave a message for you. 'If a person walks under the sun, his skin will inevitably turn dark, even if he doesn't intend to'. Just wait, we will meet again."
After saying this, the goblin leader threw out a smoke bomb from his hand. The area was instantly surrounded by smoke.
Everyone hurriedly covered their noses and mouths. By the time the smoke dispersed, the goblin leader had already disappeared.
Abel looked towards the forest on both sides of the road, but there was still no sign of him.
"He ran really fast." Claremont said as he coughed.
"From the words left behind by the goblin, we have indeed been counted as a faction here." Devitt lowered his head and said, "We have to return to the Caradia Empire as soon as possible. We need to report the information we obtained here to His Highness Lord Kant."
"Then, should we continue to walk down this road?" Abel looked at the distant intersection and asked.
"Let's go," Claremont suggested. "Let's go to the beach and take a look. If there really are ships operating, we can save more than half of our time."
"Yes," Devitt said affirmatively.
"Captain Devitt, Captain Claremont!" a Caradia soldier came over and reported, "Two people from our camp died and eight were injured."
"Bury the dead soldiers here. Take the relics with you." Devitt ordered, "Leave the wounded soldiers to the elven soldiers for treatment. We will set off in thirty minutes!"
"Yes!" the soldier saluted.
There were many corpses of goblin assassins lying in the middle of the road. But no one came to collect their corpses.
Devitt broke the weapons that the soldiers carried when they were alive. He placed the broken weapons in front of the soldiers' graves.
"I hope that you can have a happy and peaceful life in your next life." Devitt prayed in a low voice and said silently.
Claremont followed behind Devitt and bowed in front of the graves of the two soldiers. He turned around and left with a mournful expression.
The soldiers stopped and reorganized themselves. The injured soldiers had basically recovered under the care of the elven soldiers.
The group continued down the road, preparing to walk to the beach according to the route on the map.
It was already noon. They encountered a real posthouse on the way.
The posthouse was built on an open space by the roadside. At a glance, one could see the stable of horses neatly arranged together. There was no end to it. The types of horses were also varied. Even for people like Devitt who had some knowledge of horses, there were still some horses that he could not name.
Although it was called a posthouse, the word 'teahouse' was written on the signboard.
Abel led everyone to stop in front of the teahouse.
"It seems that the words of the hotel owner are indeed true." Claremont said as he looked at the Teahouse's door.
"Yes." Devitt nodded. "To be able to collect so many high-quality horses, this is indeed a good place."
"Let's go in and take a look." Abel always put action first. After listening to the words of the two, he strode in.
"Is anyone there?" Abel stepped over the door and called out.
"Yes." a man dressed in a white robe opened the curtain by the counter and walked out. He answered.
Abel looked him up and down and asked, "You're the only one in your shop? Where's the coachmen?"
"We only rent horses here, we don't hire workers." the man said calmly.
Abel was a little confused, but he still made an introduction. "We have more than forty people here, and we need to go to the seaside to take a boat. How can we go there without you leading the way?"
"The horses will take you there, of course." the man said seriously.
"Don't tease me. Do you mean that the horses you raised know the way?" Abel waved his hand and questioned.
The man nodded.
Abel frowned and said with doubt, "Is this how you do business?"
"The door of every stable is open. Whichever horse is available, you can lead it yourself. Everywhere you go, it will cost a silver coin." the white-robed man turned his back and said, "When you reach the destination, just place the payment on the saddle."
After leaving these words, the man disappeared behind the curtain again.
Abel stood where he was and pondered for a moment, then walked out of the shop. He told Devitt and Claremont the rules that he had heard.
"I've seen businessmen with this style before." Claremont nodded and said, "They probably do this because they have their own confidence."
"Well, in that case, let the soldiers choose the horses." Devitt made a decision and said, "The canopy provided here can only fit four people in one carriage.."
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Chapter 773: The Night On the Shore
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
"Let the soldiers of the same squad ride in one carriage. At least they can look after each other." Abel suggested.
"Okay." Devitt nodded and agreed.
The soldiers spread out and stopped in front of the stable that they liked to watch.
Every horse in the stable had beautiful, soft hair and strong tendons.
The fresh grass in the trough seemed to have been picked this morning, giving off a fresh smell of soil.
Claremont followed behind Devitt and walked through every stable. Looking at Devitt's focused expression, Claremont couldn't help but say, "Captain Devitt, do we need to pick for so long? We're just letting them pull us to the beach."
"All of the horses are different breeds, and they're all the best of the best," Devitt replied, "It's such a pity to be raised here to pull a carriage."
Claremont said with a laugh, "How do you know? What if they just want to stay here?"
"Sigh, I don't know what they're thinking. They just feel that they're overqualified for pulling the carriage only." Devitt shook his head and said.
With that, he walked into a stable and pulled out a white-furred horse with smooth muscle lines.
"Beautiful!" Claremont praised.
"Let's go, I have chosen mine." Devitt said, "The soldiers are still waiting for us."
"Don't you want to try riding this horse?" Claremont asked.
Devitt was stunned for a moment, then he turned his head to look at the horse he was holding. Then he replied, "Forget it. There isn't even a whip in this stable. I guess the owner doesn't want others to ride on his horse."
"Just give it try." Claremont walked to Devitt's side and said, "Didn't the shopkeeper say that these horses know the way? Let him take us back."
Devitt hesitated for a moment, then nodded. Stepping on the stirrup, he sat on the horse's back. The moment Devitt stepped on the stirrup, the white-furred horse shook its hooves. However, it didn't do anything else after that.
"You can come up too." Devitt stretched out his hand to Claremont and said.
Claremont grabbed Devitt's hand, jumped up, and sat behind Devitt.
After the two of them sat down, the white-furred horse immediately set off. Like a bolt of lightning, it rushed straight to the destination in front of the teahouse.
"Wow!" Claremont felt the cold wind blowing past his ear, and shouted excitedly, "It seems that this horse can really understand human language!"
"And it doesn't seem to have carried people before. Sitting on it, I'm about to vomit." Devitt said with a pale face.
He sat at the front and needed to endure more cold wind.
"Didn't you say that you like horses? Be careful that the horse will listen to you and throw you off." Claremont said with a smile.
The two of them walked for twenty minutes, but the horse only took three minutes.
When the handsome white horse appeared in front of the reconnaissance team with Devitt and Claremont, the soldiers burst into exclamations.
Abel, who was waiting for the two in front of the teahouse, also walked down from the horse with a surprised expression. He said to the dizzy two, "How did the two of you get on the horse? Several soldiers in the team tried to ride it, but they all fell down."
"The two of us are also quite miserable." Devitt staggered down from the horse and stroked his forehead, he said, "It seems that although this horse is kept in captivity, it still retains its natural wildness. We are not very suitable to ride it."
Claremont also nodded. Although he was indeed very happy at the beginning, after about a minute, his body also became uncomfortable.
"Are you okay?" Abel asked with concern.
"We're fine." Claremont shook his head and said, "Are the soldiers ready?"
"We're ready. We're just waiting for you." Abel sighed and said, "I'll put on the hood of the carriage and set off in a while. You guys can stand here and rest for a while."
"… Thank you." Devitt said while holding his stomach.
After Abel left, Claremont looked at Devitt and said with a sick face, "I feel a little nauseous. How about you?"
"Me too."
After Claremont and Devitt made some preparations, the soldiers got into the carriage and set off.
The horses that refused to carry people were unusually docile when they pulled the carriage.
It even made Devitt wonder if they could reach the beach today.
However, in fact, two hours after they sat in the carriage, the reconnaissance team heard the sound of the sea waves.
"We're almost at the beach." a soldier opened the curtains in the carriage and looked outside.
"Austin, how do you feel?" another soldier in the carriage asked Austin, who was sitting quietly in the corner, with concern.
"It's strange… I don't feel dizzy at all." Austin said with a smile.
"This horse is walking so slowly. How could Austin feel dizzy?" a soldier interrupted.
"How is it impossible?" the soldier who cared about Austin retorted, "I remember that he fainted when he touched the carriage or something."
"Maybe this carriage is different," Austin replied, "I didn't feel any tightness in my chest."
"Indeed," the surrounding soldiers said. "This is the most valuable carriage I've ever sat in."
The carriage stopped amid the soldiers' discussions.
"We're here." Devitt got out of the carriage and said to Abel and Claremont who were sitting in the carriage.
Abel also jumped out of the carriage. He cast his gaze toward the sea that was very close to him and said, "It's much closer than I imagined."
"I'll call the soldiers out of the carriage." Claremont said. Then, he shuttled back and forth in the carriage, telling the soldiers to get out of the carriage and gather.
"It's time to put the payment on the saddle." Abel reminded him.
"Okay." Devitt took out a few silver coins from his chest pocket and nodded.
The soldiers gathered in the open space beside the carriage. After Devitt put a silver coin on the saddle of each horse, all the horses that were leading the carriage turned around and left.
The soldiers watched as they left. When they saw the carriage being carried by the horses and suspended in the air, everyone burst into exclamations.
Cold sweat broke out on Austin's back. No wonder he didn't feel any dizziness while sitting in the carriage. It turned out that the carriage was floating in the air.
"I finally know why it's so fast." Claremont said, shaking his head in amazement.
Abel said to everyone after they recovered from their shock, "Tonight, we'll camp here for the night. Everyone, after receiving your tasks, quickly start working."
"Yes!" the soldiers replied.
The setting sun was slowly sinking into the sea. There was still an hour before the sky turned dark..
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Chapter 774: Catching Up the Boat
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
By the time the sun had set, the soldiers had already started a bonfire in front of the tents they had built.
It was not cold along the coast of the island in this season, especially for the soldiers who had been walking in the mountains and forests for several days.
Many people had already rushed to the seaside in the name of catching fish. In fact, most of them had gone to play in the water.
Devitt and the others did not restrict the soldiers' relaxed behavior.
If they were in Drondheim, Devitt and Claremont would have already brought their soldiers to the tavern to feast.
However, they were only on the way home, which meant that their captain's mission was not over.
In order to maintain this image in front of the soldiers. Devitt and Claremont only turned a blind eye to the soldiers' actions.
The situation on the elf side was very different from that of the humans. Abel came to the seaside, and his mood soared. He was probably still bringing the elven soldiers to play by the seaside.
Only Devitt, Claremont, and a few soldiers who were in charge of standing guard were staying in the huge camp.
The time was late at night, and the night wind on the sea had become bone-chilling. The soldiers who had returned from playing on the shore each held a few small fish in their hands. They walked to the kitchen and asked the cooking soldiers to add the fishes to the menu for tonight.
Bamboo poles were set up on the bonfire in the camp, and the soldiers' soaked cotton clothes were hung on the bamboo poles.
Everyone surrounded the bonfire and waited for their clothes to be dried. At the same time, they looked forward to the delicious dishes being served in the kitchen.
"Everyone only sees the sea once in a long time, right?" Devitt said to Claremont as he placed the wine cup on the stove and roasted it.
"If we can board the ship tomorrow, then we will have to stay on the ship for four to five days." Claremont replied.
Devitt glanced at Claremont and said, "Four or five days is nothing. When we came to this island, didn't we take a boat for about half a month before we arrived?"
"When I think of those days, I feel sick to my stomach." Claremont complained.
"Ha." Devitt said with a laugh, "Is this the only impression that this sea left on you?"
Claremont waved his hand, indicating that he didn't want to talk.
The next morning, the soldiers heard the whistle of the ship in their sleep.
The moment Claremont heard the whistle, he immediately rolled over and jumped off the bed. He put on his cotton clothes and boots, ran to the place where the steamer was docked, and shouted to the crew on the steamer, "Wait for us! We want to board the ship too!"
A siren got off the boat and looked at the camp not far behind Claremont. He said, "Okay. But you have to wake up your people quickly. We have to leave now."
"Okay, thank you." Claremont nodded and immediately turned around and ran to the tent.
He woke up Devitt while hurriedly putting on his clothes. Before walking out of the tent, Claremont said to Devitt, who was still sitting on the bed, "Quickly wake up the other soldiers. I'll inform Devitt and the others."
After Devitt reacted, he immediately got out of bed. He asked the soldiers who had already gotten out of bed to help wake up the soldiers in their teams.
Before the reconnaissance team had the time to wash up, they stood in front of the steamship and gathered with sleepy eyes. Claremont brought Abel and the others over from the other side of the coast.
"Board the ship," the siren crew called out.
The Caradia soldiers followed the crew onto the deck. The elven soldiers followed behind them and boarded the ship.
"Where are you going?" a siren crew member walked out of the cockpit and asked the scout team.
"To the harbor." Devitt answered briefly.
"Okay." the crewman nodded. "Fifty silver coins per person."
"In total, Caradia will need ten gold coins." Claremont said to Devitt after calculating in his mind.
"Let's use it. It's the last trip." Devitt replied.
Claremont looked at him in surprise and said, "But we only have five gold coins left."
"What?" Devitt widened his eyes and exclaimed.
"Didn't I tell you last night? We don't have much money left." Claremont continued.
Devitt recalled what happened last night. Claremont did say that to him.
Claremont was in charge of all the coins in the team, and Devitt usually didn't care about this issue. He didn't expect to be so embarrassed.
Devitt and Claremont placed their last hope on Abel and looked to Abel for help.
Abel sighed again in his heart. Ever since he stayed with these two people, he didn't know how many times he had sighed.
Abel took out the money bag in his arms and said, "I'll pay for it."
"Thank you," Devitt said in a low voice.
"Do you have money?" the crew looked at the three people and asked.
"Yes, yes, yes!" Abel quickly answered. He counted twenty gold coins from the money bag and handed it to the crew.
The crew took the money in his hand and counted it again. He said, "Okay, the cabin is down there. You can go down and find an empty bed."
"Below? Can't we stay in these places?" Claremont was puzzled. He pointed at the cabin next to the cockpit.
"No." the crew member didn't explain further and returned to his post.
Devitt frowned and walked to the underground cabin that the crew member mentioned.
In the end, he found that in the vast space, people's beds were also next to each other.
"Why can't we live on it?" a soldier looked around the cabin environment and complained.
"The humidity here will be very heavy, right?" another soldier said.
Devitt and Claremont organized Caradia soldiers to sit on their respective beds and put down their luggage.
This 'cabin' was probably set up with beds for around 200 people.
The beds of the soldiers of Caradia were gathered together. However, some nomads were already staying on the beds around them.
"Is this your first time on this ship?" a nomad asked.
"Yes." Claremont nodded and replied, "We're going to the harbor."
"Most of us are also going to the harbor. Who introduced you to this place?" the nomad asked.
"The owner of a hotel at the foot of the volcano." Austin replied.
"The crew on this ship charged us so much money and let us stay here. It's too unscrupulous" a soldier said angrily.
The nomad smiled and said, "That's not what you thought.. The crew risked their lives to do this business."
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Chapter 775: The Darkness That Slowly Infiltrate
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
"What do you mean?" Devitt asked curiously.
"Hehe, the territory on this island has been divided up by the nomads of various races." the nomad continued to explain to the reconnaissance team, "Actually, it's not only the land, but also the sea area near the land. For every few dozen nautical miles, a new owner will be in charge. This is also why people who do business at sea can only hide in the dark."
"Then why do we have to live in such a place?" a soldier asked.
"The crew also lives here." the nomad spread his hands and pointed at the steel roof, he said, "The cabin on the top is not for staying. It is a room for the sacrifice of the Griffins. If you want to survive on the sea, you have to let the Griffins let you go. In short, the money earned by the sirens driving the ship is very little."
"I see." Devitt nodded in understanding.
After understanding what had happened, the Caradia soldiers did not continue to complain.
Abel also heard the same explanation from the crew. He returned to the cabin and introduced to everyone: there was no food and drink on the ship, and it was forbidden to start a fire. For the past few days, the soldiers could only feed on the rations in their bags.
The group of people drifted on the ship for three to four days. Every night, they would be woken up by the footsteps of the Griffins on the deck. They spent the rest of the night in fear.
On the evening of the fourth day, the reconnaissance team arrived near the harbor. This was the only route they could take. All the passengers had to get off the ship and walk to the harbor.
After walking along the coast for half an hour, Devitt saw the elven outpost.
The outpost had been decorated, and it was completely different from what they had seen on the island.
"It's Raphael!" Claremont shouted happily. Looking in the direction he pointed, Raphael's figure appeared in everyone's line of sight.
"You're back." Raphael cheerfully led a group of elven soldiers to welcome them.
Abel sized up these unfamiliar elven soldiers and asked, "This is?"
"This is the reinforcement sent by His Highness the Elf King to the outpost. They helped us take back the land by the shore of the island," Raphael explained. "His Highness Lord Kant of the Caradia Empire also wanted to send troops over. However, after receiving our reply, he gave up on this decision."
"I see." Abel smiled and said, "I'm really happy for you."
"Your news has already spread throughout the entire island. However, I still want to hear it from you personally," Raphael continued, "Put down your luggage first. We've built a new camp here. After resting for the night, we'll set off tomorrow to return home."
When they heard the word 'home', all the reconnaissance team cheered and jumped up in joy.
During the mission, everyone felt uncertain about whether they could hold on until the end.
Now that they could actually hear the news of setting off for home, they naturally relaxed.
"Yes." Devitt nodded and answered, "But before I tell you our story, I want to write a letter to Lord Kant to tell him that we're safe."
"Of course." Raphael said with a smile.
The elven camp built by the sea was naturally many times better than the camp built by the reconnaissance team in the mountains.
Even if a small team lived under the same tent, it still seemed to have plenty of space.
Devitt sat down in his tent, leaned against the table and began to write a letter to Drondheim.
Claremont sat quietly at the side, watching him write the letter.
Abel had already sat by the fire and chatted with Raphael. From Raphael's words, he learned that it was not easy for the elven soldiers to take back their own estate. The two sides had clashed three times on the direct battlefield.
Abel talked about the situation that the reconnaissance team encountered along the way, as well as the few soldiers who died in the accident.
"It's all because of our lack of experience that the soldiers were put in danger." Abel blamed himself.
"It's inevitable to encounter such a sudden situation on the way. After all, you can't control the hearts of every soldier." Raphael shook his head, he said, "The fact that your group was able to maintain their current status and return to the harbor is already proof of luck and strength."
"Thank you." Abel nodded and said, "Devitt and Claremont are really competent captains. Although there will were times when I'm felt that they were unreliable, I feel at ease most of the time."
"I feel it." Raphael nodded and said, "The way the soldiers look at the three of you has already proved that what you said is true. Now that the mission is over, you can also begin to rest."
"No." Abel shook his head. "We still have to bring the news from this island back to our country. This is a very important step."
"Very important?" Raphael asked in puzzlement. In his eyes, the Elf Kingdom and the Caradia Empire had nothing to do with the forces on this island.
"Someone from the forces behind this island has already set their sights on us." Abel said in a solemn voice.
Then, Abel recounted the process of the attack outside the town to Raphael.
"It seems that this group of people don't intend to let us off easily." Raphael also noticed the seriousness of the matter.
"Right now, they are busy fighting against the forces on the surface. If they win, then our situation will become grim." Abel analyzed.
"I heard from you that the nomads of most of the races on the island are involved. Moreover, some races are at odds with each other on the surface," Raphael said. "Then, it will become difficult to find the mastermind behind this whole incident."
"Yes," Abel replied.
"Then, why don't you stay on this small island for a while. I'll go back and report this news to His Majesty." Raphael suggested. "If we withdraw from the small island at this time, then it will become difficult to observe the situation on this island in the future."
Abel was a little surprised by Raphael's suggestion. He asked, "You mean… you want me and my soldiers to stay on this island for another month?"
"Yes, wait for me to bring new men to come and change shifts with you," Raphael said seriously.
Abel thought for a moment and replied, "Alright, but how many people are willing to stay with me? We can't force them." The elven soldiers' joy of able to return home appeared in his mind
"Of course." Raphael nodded.
After the two of them finished their discussion, it was time for dinner. They walked out of the camp together and ate with the soldiers.
Devitt and Claremont, who had finished writing the letter, arrived late. They joined the crowd.
"Have your letters been sent?" Raphael asked with concern.
"Yes." Devitt nodded.. "They have been handed over to the messenger."
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Chapter 776: Letter That Never Sent Out
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
"Messengers?" Raphael was puzzled. "Messengers from where?"
"They are in charge of collecting some individual letters on the harbor," Claremont explained. "When we walked to the harbor, we met people who were sending the letters. They showed us the way."
"I see." Raphael said. "Actually, you don't have to send the letters yourself. You just have to send them to the mailbox in front of the camp. The messengers will come to collect them."
"It seems that we are too impatient." Devitt shook his head and said with a smile.
Claremont sat down at the table and took over Devitt's words. He continued, "Everyone should be thinking about going home. At least I am eager to return."
Raphael glanced at Abel and said apologetically, "Actually, in order to keep an eye on the news on this island, Captain Abel will have to stay here for a period of time."
"What?" Devitt said in surprise, "Abel, aren't you coming back with us tomorrow?"
Abel sighed and nodded. Actually, in his heart, he really wanted to go back. After all, he had an agreement with Devitt and Claremont to meet up in Cumberland.
However, Raphael's suffering on this island was no less than the suffering of them who traveled outside. Since the Raphael had already suggested it, Abel had no choice but to agree. Moreover, the two of them had been good friends for ten years.
After receiving Abel's affirmation, Devitt exchanged a glance with Claremont and did not say another word.
The atmosphere at the dining table became silent.
Raphael sized up the expressions of the people around him and said to Abel, "Abel, why don't… Why don't you let me stay on the island and bring the soldiers back first?"
"No, no, no." Abel denied in a panic. "Let's go with the plan. I'm fine with it."
"Are you sure you're fine with it?" Raphael asked.
"It's fine." Abel said firmly. When he thought about how his own emotions made it difficult for Raphael, who had suggested the plan, Abel felt ashamed.
"Then… Alright." Raphael nodded slowly and said, "As for the matters regarding the camp, I'll discuss them with you in detail after dinner tonight."
"Alright." Abel replied.
Devitt and Claremont sat by the side and quietly listened to their conversation. Naturally, they also noticed Abel's embarrassment and helplessness.
"Since Abel has already decided to stay here, then we should stay with him as well. Let the soldiers return first." Claremont suggested to Devitt.
"But we don't have the position to stay here anymore. The human soldiers are only here to provide reinforcements to the elves. According to Raphael's personality, he definitely won't let us stay in their camp." Devitt had already known Raphael's domineering personality, he said awkwardly, "Besides, if both of us don't return this time, then who will go to the palace to report to His Majesty?"
After hearing Devitt's words, Claremont's expression also became conflicted.
He glanced across the dining table and saw that Abel and Raphael were enjoying themselves. He compromised with Devitt and said, "Alright then."
At that moment, Abel stood up and toasted the three people on the table. "I'll drink to this cup of wine first. I wish you all a safe journey home this time."
As he spoke, he downed the wine in his cup in one gulp.
Raphael, Claremont, and Devitt also raised their wine cups and smiled as they drank their wine.
After dinner, everyone returned to their rooms early. They made preparations for their departure the next day.
Raphael stayed in Abel's room, and the two of them talked until late into the night. Only when he was so sleepy did Raphael bid farewell to Abel and return to his room.
Under the moonlight, when Raphael walked through the door, he found a figure sitting on a chair in the room with his back to him.
Raphael walked to another chair and sat down without any expression on his face. He said, "Don't come in and out of my room casually next time."
"I got the letter." the figure took out a letter from his pocket and handed it to Raphael.
"Okay." Raphael nodded and answered. Then, he tore open the envelope that had "Drondheim" written as the delivery address. He read the contents of the letter carefully.
"Why don't you let that man named Abel go with you? What if the people in Caradia get suspicious?" the person who brought the letter asked.
Raphael tightened his grip on the letter and said in a cold voice, "I'm not like you. For the sake of rights and interests, you wouldn't even care about the lives of your own people. Besides, I know what to do this time. You don't have to worry about it."
"You can protect them for a while, but you can't protect them forever." the man turned around and said, "If they choose to involve in the end and stand on the opposite side of us, they will still be eradicated. Take care of yourself."
After leaving this sentence, the man disappeared in the shadows.
Raphael got up and walked to the candlestick. He lit the letter in his hand and threw it into the fireplace.
Looking at the burning flames, Raphael sighed. "At the moment, we can only take one step at a time."
The next morning.
The Caradia soldiers bid farewell to the elven soldiers who came to see them off at the dock.
Devitt smiled and said to Abel, "I originally thought that you were the only one left here. In the end, all your soldiers stayed with you. In that case, we can rest assured."
Abel shook his head and said, "These soldiers all want to go home, but they stayed for me. I'm really sorry to them."
"It's nothing. I heard that everyone is willing to stay." Claremont waved his hand and said, "Don't look so sad."
Abel nodded and said, "Yes. When you return to Drondheim, you must write to me."
"Of course." Devitt and Claremont nodded.
"Okay. The ship is about to leave. Take your luggage and go up." Abel hugged the two of them and said with a smile.
"You have to pay attention to your safety while you stay here." Devitt said. "When you return to the Elf Kingdom, we will ask for leave to drink with you."
"Alright, it's a deal."
Raphael stood on the deck of the ship and watched the scene of the two groups of people separating. A hint of reluctance flashed in his eyes, but it quickly disappeared.
"Boss, the bombs have been installed." an elven soldier walked forward and reported to Raphael.
"Did you install them like I told you before?" Raphael asked.
"Yes. It's all in the engine room.." the elven soldier replied with a nod.
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Chapter 777: The Plan of the Dark Force
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
"Well done." Raphael nodded.
"Boss, if these people die at our hands, Caradia won't let it go, right?" the elven soldier said worriedly.
The people who followed Raphael had joined the dark forces on the island.
After all, the garrison of the outpost was already at the end of its tether. The residences on the mountains were discovered by the nomads, and the resources were also taken away. The Elf Kingdom had not sent reinforcements for a long time. In order to survive, they could only grab the help of the dark forces.
There were also some soldiers who chose to leave on their own and survive in the wilderness. However, most of them had disappeared into the wilderness, and even their corpses could not be found.
"Of course, that's why we can't let them find out," Raphael reprimanded. "We boarded this ship to make this explosion look like an accident."
"Yes." the elven soldiers answered with their heads lowered.
The steamer had already begun to whistle. Devitt followed the other Caradia soldiers, dragging their huge suitcases, and walked onto the deck.
Raphael walked forward and helped take the luggage from his hands.
Devitt smiled and said, "Thank you."
Raphael shook his head and carefully reminded, "It's okay. If you get seasick, it's better to drink some seasickness medicine before you sail."
"If it's seasickness medicine, give it to Claremont. He's the one who's really afraid of water." Devitt replied.
"I see. Then I'll get someone to send some medicine over to him later." Raphael also laughed.
"This ship is a little smaller than I thought." Devitt looked around and said, "Is there no space left on the ship we were on previously?"
"Yes, I heard that the ship has been shut down." Raphael was stunned for a moment before he replied, "It is indeed a little small, but the equipment is quite complete. After all, it is a new ship that has just been built."
"Not bad." after listening to Raphael's introduction, Devitt nodded and said in approval, "Then I will go and unpack my luggage first. I will leave the things like gathering to you."
"Alright." Raphael agreed. He stood in front of the cabin door where Devitt lived and exchanged his luggage with Devitt.
"See you at dinner." Devitt bowed slightly to Abel and said.
"Goodbye." Raphael replied.
On his way back to the deck, Raphael met Claremont, who was looking for the house number.
"Raphael!" Claremont greeted him.
"Claremont." Raphael walked forward and gave Claremont a slight hug.
"The scenery on this ship is really nice. It's just that I'm not in the mood to experience it after the ship sails." Claremont looked at the sea and sighed.
"I heard from Captain Devitt that you get seasick. I'll have someone send the seasickness medicine to your room later." Raphael said with concern.
"Why did Devitt expose all my weakness?" Claremont complained. Then, he smiled at Raphael and said, "Thank you. Then, I'll have to trouble you."
"Okay," Raphael agreed. "Have a good rest."
The Caradia soldiers had always been very disciplined. Even though Devitt and Claremont were not present, they still consciously gathered on the deck according to the formation and counted the number of people.
Thus, Raphael was only responsible for summarizing the number of people in the two teams and collecting the physical health data of everyone on the ship.
"Lunch is in the form of a buffet. You can go to the dining hall to pick it up at twelve o'clock in the afternoon." Raphael instructed. "Everyone needs to pay attention to their health while on the ship. When someone among your companions falls ill, you need to report it to your captain in a timely manner."
"Yes!" the soldiers standing on the deck replied in unison.
"Dismissed."
"Boss, we've already arranged for our people to be stationed at various positions on the ship. This is to ensure that the operation at that time is absolutely flawless." a soldier reported.
"Before we officially start the operation, we need to carry out a large-scale clean-up. If you can bribe them, then bribe them. If you can't, then throw them off the ship." Raphael instructed.
"Yes." the soldier nodded.
During dinner, Raphael sat with Devitt and the others.
"I heard from the soldier who had lunch that the dishes made in the kitchen on this ship are quite good." Claremont beamed. "After I heard these rumors, I looked forward to it."
"I heard that the chef on this ship has been worked on the ship for more than ten years at sea. He can make superb dishes of many countries." Raphael introduced.
"Really?" Devitt was slightly surprised. "He's really amazing!"
"Mm." Raphael nodded with a smile.
After a while, the dishes for dinner were served on the table. It was truly a dazzling feast. Even Claremont was dazzled.
"Everyone, start eating." Raphael said.
Claremont immediately forked the steak on his plate and chopped up a large piece of meat.
"Is the journey back the same route as when we came?" Devitt asked curiously.
"No, I heard that the route we are taking now is a newly opened route. Compared to the usual route, it takes shorter time." Raphael recalled for a while and replied.
"A new route?" Claremont raised his head and asked in surprise, "Then where will we dock?"
"The harbor in Cumberland." Raphael replied.
"Cumberland?" Devitt's eyes widened, and he said in surprise, "That's really convenient for us."
"Yes." Raphael nodded. "Cumberland's development is changing by the day, and the newly built harbor has also been valued."
"Actually, neither of us have been to Cumberland before. We can take this opportunity to take the soldiers on a sightseeing trip." said Devitt and Claremont as they looked at each other.
"So what if you haven't been there before." said Raphael. "When you arrive at Cumberland, I wonder how many people will come to the dock to welcome you. After all, your mission this time is almost perfect."
"That may not be the case." Devitt said humbly. "By the way, I wonder where the letters we sent have been sent to. Raphael, how long will it take for the letters sent from your outpost to reach the destination?"
"This… depends on the weather at sea." Raphael paused and said, "It will be here in about ten days."
"The messenger is really amazing. Just the journey at sea alone will take us ten days." Claremont interrupted.
"This is their job. Naturally, the more efficient the better." Raphael said with a smile. "We don't have to rush back so quickly. Just treat this sea trip as a holiday after work."
"Mm.." Devitt nodded in agreement.
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Chapter 778: The Soldiers Are Alert
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Although the days on the ship were leisurely, most of the time they were very dull.
Therefore, Devitt or Claremont would lead their soldiers to practice every morning.
"Look at how lazy you are." Claremont said to the soldiers, "Don't think that by staying on this ship, you can let down your guard. If you keep slacking off, you will suffer after when we return to the barracks."
"Yes!" the soldiers struggled to maintain their balance on the shaking deck and replied in a resounding voice.
Even though they had not stayed on this ship for a long time, by the time the journey was nearing its end. Many of the soldiers had already shown their round bodies.
"The management of the soldiers in Caradia is really strict." Raphael said to Devitt with a smile.
"We didn't discipline them on the ship. That's why they become so relax now." Devitt said embarrassedly. "Before we return to the military camp, we must correct their habits. Otherwise, they won't be able to bear it when they are integrated into the army."
"I see. I heard that the members of the reconnaissance team are all elites who have been selected. Their strength must be amazing." Raphael continued to praise.
"The captain in charge of training us thinks that we are more suitable to carry out this mission. In the army, there are still many people who are better than us." Devitt made a serious introduction.
"Captain Devitt is really humble." Raphael smiled and did not say anything else.
Seeing this, Devitt only smiled and shook his head.
Ten days of interaction did not let the elven soldiers to become familiar with the Caradia soldiers.
Austin always felt that the elven soldiers on this ship were different from the group of soldiers under Abel. There was a sense of isolation when they interacted with each other. Moreover, although they were on the same ship, they were never seen.
After asking the surrounding Caradia soldiers, they also replied, "There is a strange feeling when I interact with this group of elven soldiers."
Therefore, when everyone gathered in the dining hall, the elven soldiers and the Caradia soldiers always sat separately. Even the more active soldiers gave up trying to befriend the elven soldiers.
Devitt also noticed this. One day, after dinner, Devitt invited Austin out. The two of them stood by the mast and had a face-to-face talk.
"The atmosphere in the restaurant is very cheerless." Devitt said.
"Yes, these elves are indeed different." Austin replied.
"Do you find it difficult to get along with them?" Devitt continued to ask.
"Difficult to get along with them?" Austin frowned and thought for a while, then replied, "Maybe I shouldn't say it like this, but I always feel that they are wary of us."
A puzzled expression appeared on Devitt's face. He confirmed, "Wary?"
"Yes." Austin said with certainty. "We seem to be isolated from their circle."
"Yes, perhaps it's just as you said. They are different from Abel and the others." Devitt patted Austin's shoulder, he warned, "Pay attention to the situation of the soldiers around you. Just don't cause any trouble. There are still two more days before this sea journey ends."
When Devitt turned around, Austin called out to him, "Captain Devitt," he continued, "I think it's better to be more careful with this group of people. You and Captain Claremont will stay in the cabin during the day. Perhaps you don't know, but this group of people is always sneaky. Usually, there isn't a single person to be seen. I don't know what they are plotting in the dark."
Devitt turned around in puzzlement at Austin's exhortation. He stared at him for a while. He replied, "… Alright."
"Alright." Austin nodded solemnly and turned around to walk into the dining room.
After the conversation ended, Devitt returned to his resting cabin. He discovered that Claremont was lying on his bed.
Claremont raised his head from the manuscript and saw that Devitt looked uneasy. He asked with concern, "What's wrong with you?"
"Austin just told me that I need to be careful of Raphael and his men," Devitt said hesitantly.
"Why?" Claremont continued to ask.
"He said that Raphael's men acted very strange, and their temperament is also very strange." Devitt recalled what Austin said and concluded.
"I see." Claremont nodded and replied.
"Do you have this feeling?" Devitt looked at Claremont and asked.
"You know, I'm seasick." Claremont shook his head and said, "I basically don't leave the cabin. However, the attitude of the elven soldier who sent me the medicine is indeed a little strange. I didn't pay much attention to him when I spoke to him."
"Since the soldiers have such vigilance, then let's observe carefully." Devitt decided.
Claremont stood where he was, looking as if he was deep in thought. Finally, he said to Devitt, "Although this kind of situation might not occur, but if these elven soldiers really want to murder us, what is the purpose of it?"
"I can't think of it." Devitt also began to think, but he still couldn't come to a conclusion.
"I remember when we came to the island, Raphael brought his soldiers to welcome us. This group of people isn't as cold as they are now." Claremont recalled carefully.
"Now that you mention it, I remember. I've seen some soldiers on the mountain before, but I've hardly seen them on this ship." Devitt raised his voice and said.
"I heard that the elven soldiers and the reinforcements fought against the forces on the shore." Claremont explained, "Did those soldiers you mentioned die on the battlefield?"
"Maybe so…" Devitt lowered his head and replied.
The two pondered for a long time, but still couldn't come to a conclusion.
Devitt decided to temporarily drop this topic and asked Claremont, "By the way, how did you enter my cabin?"
"I asked the crew for the key. I told him that you might have fainted inside. I need to come in personally to check." Claremont replied easily.
Devitt rolled his eyes and said, "Just return the spare key to the crew. If I really fainted, you won't be the first to notice me, okay?"
"You have good lighting here. I came to read for a while." Claremont slowly walked to the door and threw the key into Devitt's arms, he said, "I'll have to trouble you to return this key for me. The crew member is called Janus. He has brown hair. You know him, right?"
"You…." Devitt took the key and was about to scold Claremont, but Claremont had already closed the door.
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Chapter 779: The Early Sunset
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Devitt held the cold key in his hand and muttered to himself, "Who… is Janus again?"
Devitt was not in a hurry to return the key. Then, Devitt remembered what Austin had said: "On the deck at night, there is always the sound of someone's footsteps."
He sat quietly on his bed until late at night. While waiting, he sorted out his thoughts in his mind.
"Hah…" Devitt yawned. He couldn't help but feel tired. After all, he had been following the habit of going to bed early these days.
"It should be about time now." Devitt murmured. Then, he opened the cabin door and walked out.
Walking in the corridor of the ship, Devitt saw a few elven soldiers gathered in a corner on the deck.
"Hey! You!" Devitt shouted at the group, "Why are you gathered here in the middle of the night?"
"Captain… Devitt." an elven soldier greeted awkwardly, "We are standing here on duty."
"On duty?" Devitt frowned and asked.
"Captain Devitt, why aren't you sleeping?" the elven soldier asked.
"Oh, I forgot to return the key. Do you know Janus? He lent the key to Claremont in the evening. He should still be on night duty. Have you seen him before?" Devitt picked up the key in his hand and asked.
The elven soldiers looked at each other. They paused for a moment, and replied, "Janus… Janus has a stomachache and is in the toilet right now. Captain Devitt, just give us the key. When he comes back, we will help you return it."
Hearing this, Devitt had already noticed the strange behavior of these soldiers. He replied, "No, I think it's better for me to give it to him personally when he comes back."
After hearing this, the elven soldiers looked nervous. Everyone huddled together and discussed their countermeasures in low voices.
Devitt stared at them for a while and prepared to turn around and head to the management cabin.
"Help!" At this time, a cry from the sea made Devitt tense up.
Devitt immediately leaned on the fence and looked at the dark sea. He found a figure in uniform rising and falling with the waves by the side of the ship. After glaring at the elven soldier, Devitt sounded the alarm on the deck.
The whole ship entered an emergency.
"What's wrong? What's wrong?" Claremont was woken up by the siren.
Devitt began to look for people to help him save Janus. However, what made him despair was that all the crew members he had asked for were unmoved.
"Aren't him your crew member?" Devitt shouted in surprise.
"Money isn't as important as people. Since someone paid us to shut up, we just need to keep quiet." the captain replied calmly.
Devitt returned to the deck. The Caradia soldiers and elven soldiers were standing on both sides of the deck. Raphael leaned against the fence. The cold sea wind blew his windbreaker until it was bulging. But his expression was calm.
"Looks like we haven't prepared enough for this operation." Raphael said coldly.
The few elven soldiers who had revealed their identities in front of Devitt knelt in front of Raphael.
"Boss, we had made mistake." the elven soldier apologized.
Raphael glanced at them and said, "When tonight is over, I'll settle the score with you."
"Raphael!" Devitt clenched his fists and walked to the front of the elven soldiers' formation, shouting angrily.
"What's wrong with you?" Raphael asked.
"Why did you do this?" Devitt asked. "Tell me, what is it about us that is worth your effort? Even sacrificing the lives of innocent people?"
"There is no reason." Raphael shook his head and said, "It's just that someone wants you to die, so you have to die."
Claremont widened his eyes and said, "So you were sent by the people on the island? You joined the forces of the dark side!"
"When your own country won't help you, you have to accept the support of other forces whether they are good or evil." Raphael replied.
"I should have known long ago that you were lying when you said that the reinforcements would help you repel the nomads on the island." Claremont pointed at the elven soldier and said.
"We have prepared long enough for you to leave this world without a sound." Raphael sighed, he said, "But tonight, you have uncovered this prelude. Aren't you worried that your soldiers would resent you? Because of your recklessness, they have one day less to live."
The provocative words from Raphael's mouth made many of the Caradia soldiers take out their weapons and step forward.
"It should be a good thing that I saw through your conspiracy." Devitt stopped his soldiers and replied, "Now, you can't ambush us. What other way can you face us head-on?"
"We naturally can't defeat you in a physical confrontation. Besides, we didn't expect this from the beginning." Raphael said casually. "Speaking of which, didn't you notice that the ship has already changed direction?"
Devitt looked at the captain's cabin and found that there was no one inside.
"All the crew members on this ship have run away!" Claremont reported in a low voice.
While the two sides were in a standoff, the bribed crew members had already slipped out.
"Prepare to leave." Raphael ordered his soldiers.
"Yes." the elven soldier replied.
"Boom! Boom!" the bombs that were planted beforehand exploded under the command of the remote control. Half of the ship was engulfed in flames.
The engine stopped working, and seawater continuously poured into the cabin. Most of the ship's hull had already collapsed.
The elven soldiers followed the ropes and jumped onto the lifeboats that were prepared during the conversation.
Raphael was the last one. He took off his cloak and returned to the air. He said to the Caradia soldiers on the ship, "Good luck!"
"B*stard!" Devitt roared. Then, he pounced on the position where the elven soldiers were previously. However, the elven soldiers did not give them any chance. The ropes for climbing the ship had been cut and thrown into the sea.
The fire gradually spread to the deck. Now, the Caradia soldiers were doomed.
Devitt sat on the side of the deck with his head down, tears of unwillingness in his eyes.
Claremont walked forward and shook his body, shouting, "Devitt! The soldiers are waiting for your order! You can't just fall!"
Devitt opened his eyes and looked at the soldiers standing in a neat row.
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Chapter 780: Kant Walked Out of the City Gate
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
"Since they have forced us into a dead end, we cannot admit defeat." Devitt stood up and said, "Everyone quickly return to their cabins, bring the medical boxes, food, and matches, and then gather on the deck."
Based on the current situation, the first part to sink into the sea should be the aft part. Staying on the deck would help delay the fall.
After receiving the order, the soldiers quickly scattered. They walked back to their cabins to clean their luggage.
Claremont asked Devitt to stay on the deck to organize the team while he was responsible for packing their luggage. The cabins of the two of them were a little further away from the captain's cabin where the ordinary soldiers lived. They were almost close to the stern.
Claremont tried his best to maintain his balance on the sloping floor and walked at the fastest speed possible. However, the support of the ship was on the verge of collapse. Before Claremont reached the cabin, the floor of the corridor collapsed. A wave swept Claremont away.
"Captain Claremont!" a Caradia soldier tried to reach out to pull him back, but he only touched the corner of Claremont's clothes.
The dark sea surface was vast, and the waves roared mournfully. After Claremont fell into the sea, no one saw his figure anymore.
A soldier walked to Devitt and told him the sad news.
Devitt clenched his fists tightly. He roared at the sky outside the deck in grief:
"Raphael!"
Raphael, who was hated to the bone by Devitt, was currently paddling towards the shore in a lifeboat.
An elven soldier at the bow of the boat had been using a telescope to observe the fire on the ship. He reported to Raphael, who was beside him, "Boss, the second part of the explosion can be carried out now."
Raphael took the telescope and glanced into the distance. He waved his hand and said, "Forget it."
The elven soldier asked in confusion, "For this mission, the 'King' said that we are not allowed to fail. If they succeed in escaping…"
"Who are you calling 'King'? Did he give you any benefit?" Raphael widened his eyes and said sternly, "The weather is freezing, where can they run to? Whoever dares to detonate the remaining bombs, I will be the first to throw you off the boat."
"Yes." the elven soldiers looked at each other and nodded.
"Drive the boat." Raphael ordered.
The next morning, Raphael and his group hurried and finally docked at the Elf Kingdom's harbor.
Everyone who came down from the boat looked slightly disheveled, giving the elven citizens a fright.
The soldiers who were maintaining order on the boat rushed to the scene and humped the weak elven soldiers on their backs. They rushed to the road outside the harbor.
"Go and call a carriage! They are all soldiers who were sent to the island a few months ago on a mission!" a captain of the soldiers ordered, "Send them back to the barracks first. Someone, go to the palace and report the news to His Majesty."
"Yes!" a soldier walked out of the crowd and accepted the order.
Elf King immediately rushed to the barracks in a carriage after receiving the news. He bumped into Raphael, who was lying on the hospital bed.
"How are they? How are their bodies?" Elf King walked into the medical area and nervously asked the nurse who was taking care of the soldiers.
"They are just dehydrated," the nurse reported. "They have already undergone recovery treatment."
Elf King heaved a sigh of relief and sat down in front of Raphael's hospital bed.
"How did you guys end up like this?" the Elf King asked with a frown. "Oh right, where are the soldiers of Caradia?"
"There was a reef accident on the ship. The crew and the pilot are all inexperience, and they took a new route," Raphael explained, his voice was still very weak. "The elven soldiers and the Caradia soldiers' cabins were separated. At that time, we could only save ourselves. I didn't expect that… none of the Caradia soldiers were with us."
"The ship sank?" Elf King's eyes were filled with disbelief, and his voice trembled slightly.
"Yes." Raphael lowered his eyes and said, "We left enough lifeboats for the Caradia soldiers, but we didn't see them board the lifeboats…"
"This…" Elf King choked. "How am I supposed to explain this to Lord Kant? They didn't have to get involved in this mission the first place."
Elf King's words reminded Raphael that the letter that Devitt sent to Caradia had been destroyed in his hands. He had to send a fake letter to Drondheim as soon as possible. The secondary goal of this mission was to prevent Elf Kingdom and the human race from continuing to involve in the struggle between the forces on the island after this operation.
"You guys should rest first. If there's anything, we'll talk about it after your bodies recover." Elf King instructed. "You've worked hard on this operation. Even though you suffered heavy losses…"
Raphael glanced at Elf King and did not say anything else. After Elf King walked out of the tent, he lay on his bed and closed his eyes to rest.
The news of the mass deaths of the Caradia soldiers had spread to the Caradia Empire.
Kant ordered, "The whole country shall pay their respects. There will be no events in the main city of Drondheim on this day."
After receiving this news in his own residence, Bunduk did not sleep for the entire night. He walked into the doors of the senate hall with a haggard look on his face.
Kant didn't look too good either.
"The letter written by Devitt has been delivered." Kant said to Bunduk.
"What… did the letter say?" Bunduk coughed twice and asked.
"It reported the situation they encountered on the island." Kant sighed and said, "It was probably sent before they left the island."
"Your Highness, I'm sorry for your loss." Bunduk squatted down and bowed.
"I want to go to the Elf Kingdom to meet the elven soldiers who escaped from the shipwreck. " Kant said.
"It's the beginning of the new year now, and there are many matters in the court waiting for Your Highness to make a decision." Bunduk thought for a while and replied, "Why don't we let the ministers of the court go on this trip for Your Highness?"
"No, I have to make this trip. Otherwise, I won't be able to settle down." Kant's mind replayed the miserable scene of the soldiers swaying in the wind and rain. He couldn't hold his tears anymore.
Bunduk looked at Kant's appearance and took a deep breath. He said, "Then let me go with Your Highness."
Kant waved his hand and said, "You can't leave the military camp."
"Why not?" Bunduk asked.
Kant raised his head and met his gaze. He said, "Alright then. We will set off the day after tomorrow. Before that, you must remember to hand over your military affairs to someone else to take care of for you."
"Yes!" Bunduk nodded.
Kant had been busy with government affairs recently, so Bunduk did not look for him to discuss the details of going to the Elf Kingdom. After receiving the permit, he bowed and left.
The day after tomorrow would be the first time that Drondheim would open the city gates after the New Year.
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Chapter 781: Elf King Apologize
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The city gate seemed to have been frozen by the ice and snow. The soldiers guarding the city gate walked down the city tower. They lifted the wooden stake together and knocked the city gate open.
Because the mourning period had just ended, the band that used to play music to send the soldiers out of the city had been withdrawn.
This time, the people were not announced when they left the city, so only a few pedestrians on the street noticed Kant and his group in black.
"According to the letter from Elf Kingdom, the ship hit the reef, and all the soldiers were swept away by the wave." Kant sat on his horse and slowly said, "Not even a single relic was left behind."
"Cumberland has already sent a lifeboat to the location of the sunken ship to salvage it." Bunduk reported.
"In such cold weather, the soldiers shouldn't be able to stay at sea for a night, right?" Kant looked at the sky and said, "If they find any remains, I hope they can send them back to Drondheim as soon as possible. It's really hard on the families of those soldiers."
"When we arrive at Elf Kingdom, we should be able to receive news from Cumberland." Bunduk comforted.
Before Kant set off, he wrote a letter to Elf King. The letter said that he would bring people to Elf Kingdom in a week. So, when Kant and his people were halfway through their journey, Elf Kingdom had already begun to prepare for the visit of the Caradia Empire.
"Your Highness, Lord Kant and the others will probably arrive at our capital by tomorrow evening." an elven minister reported to Elf King.
"Mm." Elf King simply responded without saying anything.
"When the time comes…" the elven minister observed Elf King's expression and spoke hesitantly.
"I will personally welcome them." Elf King interrupted him and said, "This operation has caused the Caradia Empire to suffer heavy losses. No matter what, I have to apologize to Lord Kant in person at the first possible moment."
"There are many unpredictable aspects to this mission. Your Highness, please do not blame yourself too much." the elven minister bowed and replied.
"Do not arrange for the honor guard or anything like that. Just send a few soldiers along with me when the time comes." Elf King instructed.
"Yes." after the welcoming ceremony was sorted out, the minister took his leave.
The news of Kant's group's visit had spread from the palace to the military camp.
The elven soldiers in the same sickroom began to discuss.
After Raphael heard the news from the others, he asked in puzzlement, "I didn't expect Lord Kant from Caradia to come personally. What are they doing here?"
"I heard that the citizens of the Caradia Empire were mourning for the soldiers who died a few days ago." said one of the elven soldiers.
"It's just over twenty dead people." another elf soldier sneered and said, "Could it be that the Caradia Empire is deliberately making such a big fuss to embarrass His Highness?"
"It can't be…" an elven soldier shook his head and said.
"Why don't we follow them to the city gates tomorrow?" an elven soldier suggested.
"Yes." Raphael nodded in agreement to the suggestion and said, "Since everyone is recovering well, follow me to the city gates tomorrow to see what intention of the Lord of Caradia is."
The timeline went back to two days ago. Kant and his group stayed in Durandal.
It was only then that Durandal received the news that the reconnaissance team had encountered a shipwreck.
Derrick's emotions had been crushed by the sudden news. He locked himself in the military camp and didn't come out.
Bunduk was worried and was about to look for him, but he was stopped by Kant.
"I reckon that none of us are sadder than Derrick over Claremont's death." Kant said to Bunduk. "Although Derrick's consciousness is more sensitive than yours, he isn't so easily defeated. Don't underestimate his tenacity. Let him be alone."
"Yes…" Bunduk had no choice but to agree.
However, the next morning, when the group set off again. Bunduk still didn't see Derrick in the group that was sending them off.
Three days later, Kant rode his horse and stood at the city gates of the main city of Elf Kingdom. The city gates had long been opened for them.
Elf King wore simple clothes and walked to the city gate to welcome everyone.
"Your Highness, long time no see." Kant jumped off his horse and bowed to Elf King.
Although they were both rulers of the kingdom, Kant always treated Elf King like an elder. Every time they met, he would bow.
But today, Elf King could not accept Kant's politeness.
Elf King quickly held Kant's bent body and said, "Long time no see, Lord Kant."
"Many unexpected things have happened recently. Let's wait until we get to the palace to discuss it in detail." Kant said with a smile.
He had come to visit Elf Kingdom in person, so he naturally had to bring the grace of a king and the etiquette of a diplomatic meeting.
"The elf clan has let down Caradia in this accident. I apologize to Your Highness" Elf King said to Kant. "The banquet in the palace has been prepared. Please sit on the carriage and go with me."
Kant shook his head and said, "There's no need for Your Highness to apologize to me. The sailing itself carries risks. Let's hurry up and get on the carriage."
Elf King remained silent for a moment. He extended his hand and said to Kant, "Please!"
As they watched the carriage of the palace move further and further away, a group of elven soldiers who were climbing on the city walls walked out from behind the stone pillars.
"This group of Caradia people seems quite gentle." a soldier commented.
"It seems that they are here to verify the details of Devitt's group's martyrdom." another soldier said.
"What are you still standing there for?" Raphael instructed. "The biggest target of Caradia is us. Quickly return to the sickroom and lie down!"
When the group heard Raphael's order, they immediately went back to the military camp.
Kant and Elf King sat in the same carriage. At this moment, they were asking Elf King about the news of the soldiers who were rescued.
"I heard that the soldiers rowed their own boats to the shore." Kant was the first to start the conversation.
"Yes, they were discovered by the patrolling soldiers. At that time, their bodies were already showing signs of dehydration." Elf King replied in detail. "I heard that they were adrift at sea for an entire day and night."
"I see. Then, have they recovered?" Kant continued to ask.
"Yes, probably. But they are still recuperating and haven't been put into military training." Elf King replied.
"These elven soldiers are lucky to be able to escape from the shipwreck. This is probably the only fortunate thing." Kant said.
"At that time, the elven soldiers were also startled awake from their sleep. They only cared about escaping from the cabin in a hurry." Elf King said.. "They only went to wake up the Caradia soldiers, but they were unable to help them.
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Chapter 782: A Stormy Dinner
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
"Were the soldiers asleep when the ship hit the reef?" Kant asked.
"Yes." Elf King recalled Raphael's words and said, "It was said that it was early in the morning. The soldiers were already resting, but they were woken up by the alarm."
"What about the other people on the ship? I mean the captain and the others." Kant thought for a moment and asked.
"Those people seemed to have escaped in the lifeboat when the accident happened," Elf King said. "Speaking of which, we are still trying to get in touch with the company of the sunken ship. We can't know whether the crews are safe or not."
"Yeah. It's better to get in touch with those people as soon as possible." Kant said.
The two talked about the various details of the accident until the carriage arrived at the royal palace of the Elf Kingdom.
After Kant sat on his seat, he asked Elf King, "Your Highness, since you have prepared such a sumptuous meal, why don't you invite the elven soldiers who escaped death to come and reward them? I also have something to ask them."
Meeting the elven soldiers who had stayed on the island was Kant's primary purpose for coming here.
Kant's eagerness to make the request could be considered a helpless move. After all, he and Bunduk were leaving for Cumberland the next day. There was not much time left.
After Elf King heard Kant's request, he was stunned for a second. He then smiled and agreed, "Lord Kant's suggestion is very good. I'll send someone to call them over right away."
"Thank you, Your Highness, for your permission." Kant nodded.
The waiter served the aperitif first, and the two of them chatted as they tasted the wine.
Bunduk and the others did not enter the hall. Instead, they enjoyed their dinner in the dining hall in the military camp.
After a while, an elven guard led Raphael and the others into the hall. They greeted the two kings politely. "Your Highness, Lord Kant."
"Please rise." Kant said softly.
After all the elven soldiers raised their faces, Kant put down his wine glass and began to measure it carefully.
Raphael had been avoiding Kant's gaze, he kept glancing elsewhere.
"Hurry up and sit down. His Highness Lord Kant will have a good chat with you." Elf King greeted them cordially.
The soldier who led the way had already left. The elven soldiers walked over to the newly placed table and chairs with trepidation and sat down cross-legged.
After all, they had never eaten together with a lord before. This time, it was not only their own lord, but also the lord of the country that they had framed. Of course, they would be nervous and timid.
"Thank you for your hard work. Devitt and the others must have received a lot of care from you when they were alive. This cup of wine is a toast on their behalf to you." Kant exhaled and said with a smile.
Looking at the healthy and lively appearance of these soldiers, Kant could not help but think in his heart, 'how great would it be if some of the soldiers of Caradia also escaped from that disaster?'.
"We did not do anything for the reinforcements of Caradia." Raphael raised his glass and replied, "It is really sad to suffer such a sudden tragedy."
"I heard that there is a general named Abel in your team. He is extremely courageous. May I know where he is now?" Kant took a sip of wine and changed the topic, he then asked the elven soldiers.
"He is still on the island, in charge of guarding the camp." Raphael's hand under the table trembled.
Every time Kant met his eyes, he was awed by the sharpness in his eyes.
He did not know whether it was because he was too guilty or because the Kant's aura was too strong.
"The camp on the island?" Kant was a little surprised. "According to the letter from your outpost, aren't you currently hiding in the mountains? When did you have an extra camp?"
"That's right." Elf King also asked, "Didn't you say that the forces on the island have already taken away your sentry post by the beach?"
Raphael's heart skipped a beat when he heard the question. He realized that he had already let the cat out of the bag. He tried his best to remedy the situation. "Because… the forces on the island have returned the residence by the sea to us, so we built a new camp."
"Why would they return it to you?" Kant's eyes became sharp.
He had started from a small oasis, so he naturally knew the cruelty of reality. He had never heard of such a thing as returning an estate for no reason after taking it away.
"Because…" Raphael was so nervous because of Kant's constant pressure that he could not speak.
"Raphael?" Elf King frowned and called out.
Kant's eyes darkened, and his expression became serious. He said, "Did you use something to exchange with the forces on the island?"
Raphael raised his head abruptly and met Kant's gaze. Their gazes met. Raphael's thoughts were a mess, and Kant's gaze was like an invisible blade, cutting off his escape route.
Raphael's shoulders drooped down and he said, "Yes."
Elf King's face was filled with disbelief as he asked, "You, no, you betrayed the Elf Kingdom?"
"I reckon that not only did they betray the Elf Kingdom, but they also betrayed the soldiers on the ship." Kant's cold gaze swept across every elven soldier present. "Tell me, what did you do on the ship?"
Raphael's eyes were already filled with blood. He raised his head and stated to Kant, "We planted a bomb on the ship."
"B*stard!" Elf King raised his hand and threw the wine cup in his hand in front of Raphael. "You bunch of heartless things!"
The liquid in the cup spilled on the faces of Raphael and the other elven soldiers who were kneeling on the ground.
Raphael felt a cold liquid flash across his face. Instantly, he became furious and slammed the table. He pointed at Elf King and Kant and roared, "What right do you have to say that we are heartless? When we were alone on the island and asked for your help, didn't you ignore our lives? All of you deserved it! If it weren't for the fact that Abel and I have been comrades for ten years, I would have burned them all as well."
"This is crazy! Men!" Elf King shouted outside the hall.
A row of guards rushed into the hall and surrounded Raphael and the others.
"It was indeed our fault for not being able to send reinforcements in time." Kant said calmly. "But one thing is another. You people killed more than twenty Caradia soldiers on the ship. Do you think this is a matter of course?"
"Ha, I didn't kill them." Raphael snorted. "We will listen to whoever saves our lives. It can only be said that the matters on this island are not for outsiders to involve in from the beginning."
"Didn't kill them? What do you mean?" Kant quickly asked.
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Chapter 783: Clown With Blood On His Hands
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
"We only detonated half of the bomb. That means we only destroyed the stern." Raphael replied. "And we left life jackets for them in the storage cabin. Whether they can escape or not depends on their luck."
Kant looked at Raphael with a confused expression.
He did not quite understand the thought of the person in front of him, but the only thing he could confirm was that this person had no respect for life, and he liked to play tricks.
"Who instructed you? Who were the people who saved you?" Kant continued to ask.
"Many people." Raphael replied. "As I said, the situation on this island is very complicated. It cannot be generalized."
"Then you at least know who their leader is, right?" Kant took a step towards Raphael.
Raphael looked at him warily and replied, "We are only laborers who work for people. How could we possibly know who the 'King' is?"
"King?" Kant was puzzled.
"The name of the leader. All the people who have dealings with me call him that." Raphael explained.
"Mm." Kant stood where he was and thought for a moment. He turned to Elf King and said, "Your Highness, since these people have already betrayed Elf Kingdom, I believe that their actions have nothing to do with the Elf Kingdom anymore. I will not interfere with how you want to punish them. But can you lend this person to me for a few days?"
As he said this, Kant pulled Raphael's collar without a change in expression.
Raphael was pulled to his side by Kant, but he kept his head down and did not try to resist.
"Yes." After a long silence, Elf King nodded and said, "However, I hope you can still bring him back to the Elf Kingdom. After all, even if he dies, he is still a part of the Elf Kingdom."
"Okay." Kant promised softly.
Then, Kant let Raphael follow behind him and walked out of the palace gate.
"You are very useful now, so I didn't kill you." Kant's voice had become very different from when he was in the hall. If Raphael was not standing behind him but standing in front of Kant, he would have been able to see the expression on Kant's face, which was filled with tears and gnashing of teeth.
Raphael felt his entire body turn cold. His tightly clenched fists were drenched in cold sweat.
When Kant had pulled him over in the hall earlier, he had noticed that Kant's entire body was trembling.
He did not know what kind of anger or grief would cause a person to tremble like that.
At that moment, a surge of guilt surged toward Raphael. It made his entire heart fall into an abyss.
"But you have to cherish this opportunity." Kant exhaled and continued, "Otherwise, you will die a death that is a thousand times more painful than the deaths of the Caradia soldiers."
"… Yes." Raphael replied.
Kant did not say another word to him. He walked straight towards the military camp.
Bunduk had been waiting at the entrance of the military camp for a long time. After seeing Kant's figure, he quickened his pace and greeted him.
"Your Highness, why are you back so early? Who Is this person behind you?" Bunduk asked curiously.
"Devitt and the others were murdered by him and his men." Kant replied. "I asked him to come and help me find the mastermind. We have to rush to Cumberland tomorrow."
After listening to the first half of the sentence, Bunduk paused for a moment. He turned his surprised gaze to Raphael, who was walking behind him.
After taking a deep breath, Bunduk confirmed with Kant, "Your… Your Highness, what did you say? You said that our people were murdered by the elves?"
"They betrayed the Elf Kingdom and followed the forces on the island. In fact, they are no longer considered as people of the Elf Kingdom." Kant glanced at Raphael and stated, "They used the bombs provided by the people on the island to sink that ship."
"You…" Bunduk turned around and threw Raphael onto the ground. He punched Raphael's body one punch after another.
An average person's physique would not be able to withstand a few punches of the leader of Caradia soldiers
Raphael was powerless to fight back. He was beaten until he vomited blood.
"Stop hitting him. You crippled him. When we are on our way tomorrow, don't we still have to let our people carry him?" Kant observed for a while and said.
"Ptui." Bunduk spat on the ground, stood up, and said to Kant, "Why do we need to keep him? We can investigate the mastermind behind this. I don't even want to see him, let alone carry him."
Kant shook his head and said, "This investigation won't be that simple. The island's factions are complicated. Without an insider, we won't be able to deal with those ruthless people.".
"After we obtain the information from this sc*m, we'll kill him and throw him into the wilderness." After beating Raphael up, Bunduk still looked very angry.
"Take him to the medical station." Kant glanced at Raphael who was lying on the ground and ordered.
Then, he turned around and left.
The moon rose high. Kant dreamed of the steamship burning in the fire.
The next morning, Kant got up early and brought his men to Cumberland.
"We need to enlarge the searching area. If we don't have enough manpower here, we can ask the Elf Kingdom for support." Kant ordered the minister of Cumberland.
"Yes, Lord." the minister answered.
Kant and Bunduk boarded a fishing boat and went to the sea outside the port to check.
"It is said that the current of the ocean has been rising in the past few days. All the fish in the sea have gathered here." Kant looked at the bottomless sea and said in a low voice.
"I interrogated Raphael last night and heard him say that the plan of the elven soldiers was foiled by Devitt. They originally planned to set a fire when they were close to Cumberland. But unexpectedly, it happened one day earlier." Bunduk rubbed his temples and said, "So when they arrived at the shore, they were already close to exhaustion."
"But they just happened to deceive everyone." Kant said with a smile.
"I don't know what he said is true or false." Bunduk shook his head and said.
"It should be true." Kant looked into the distance and said, "Although Raphael likes to play some small tricks, he's not a bad person. You can tell by his hesitation in the whole process. He's just a clown who was pushed onto the stage to perform."
"But now his hands are covered in blood.." Bunduk let out a long breath and said, "Who would like to watch such a circus? Even he himself wouldn't like it."
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Chapter 784: Soldiers On the Line of Death
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Kant's fishing boat and the salvage steamboat set off from the shore to the place where the shipwreck occurred.
The salvage work continued from early morning to evening, but only a few Caradia soldiers' uniforms were found.
There were no corpses or remains of reconnaissance team.
After dinner, the workers on the boat were ready to continue search at night.
In order to transfer the searchlights to them, Kant brought Bunduk back to the shore.
On the second departure, a small boat docked. The Caradia soldier on the boat walked up to Kant and reported, "Your Highness, we found… the remains of the dead soldiers."
When Kant heard the news, his body froze. He replied, "Where is it?"
The soldier pursed his lips and pointed at the small boat that he was driving.
Kant walked closer to the small boat that was docked on the shore. He stopped when he saw Claremont's lifeless face.
Bunduk jumped onto the bow of the boat. He helped the Caradia soldiers' bodies onto the shore one by one.
"So far, only seven of them have been found." the soldier reported to Kant.
"Now, speed up the transportation of their bodies back to Caradia." Kant instructed softly. "Let Adonis hold the funeral."
"Yes." the accompanying soldier replied.
Bunduk looked at the seven dead people lying on the ground, tears welling up in his eyes.
The Caradia soldiers on the dock stood still, praying silently in their hearts.
After a day and a night, the salvage work officially ended.
Other than the bodies of the seven dead soldiers and some relics floating on the surface of the sea, the search team found nothing else.
"Your Highness, we have searched the area where salvage operation can be carried out." the leader of the search team reported to Kant.
"Okay." Kant nodded in response.
Bunduk sat at the side and thought for a while, then said to Kant, "Could it be that the remaining soldiers have escaped from the sunken ship?"
"I think so too." Kant agreed. "But we don't know where they are now."
"At that time, the sea was pitch black. If they only had life jackets, where could they have gone?" Bunduk asked in puzzlement.
"… I don't know." Kant shook his head and said, "But if they could have gone ashore, they would have gone to Cumberland."
"Devitt has never been to Cumberland before." Bunduk explained to Kant.
"Then, what about Durandal?" Kant's eyes lit up as he asked.
"Right. Other than Cumberland, there's only Durandal which is near to the coast." Bunduk said. "Why don't we have Derrick to conduct a search by the side of Durandal City?"
"Yes, have the soldiers set off tonight. Get them to Durandal in morning and begin their operations." Kant instructed.
"Yes!"
The messenger rushed out of Cumberland's city gate overnight. They rode on their racehorses and rushed towards Durandal.
Durandal's city gates were knocked open early in the morning.
The messenger took out the medal given by Kant and said to the soldiers guarding the city, "Let me see Commander Derrick!"
Derrick had not been in a good state of mind for the past few days. When the messenger arrived in front of his tent, he was still drinking.
"What is it?" Derrick looked up and asked.
"Commander Derrick, His Highness Lord Kant ordered you to organize the soldiers to search outside Durandal City," the messenger said word by word. "The reconnaissance team may have escaped to this place."
"Are you saying that someone in the reconnaissance team escaped from the shipwreck?" Derrick suddenly raised his head and asked.
"His Highness Lord Kant and Commander Bunduk guessed so…" the messenger replied.
"I understand." Derrick agreed. "Begin the operation immediately!" Derrick said
Derrick got up and walked to the training ground of the military camp. He gathered the soldiers together and said to them, "First company, second company, go to the northern suburbs. Fourth company, fifth company, go to the southern district. Third company, go with me to the city gate. Everyone, get moving. Your comrades are struggling on the edge of death. We are the only ones who can carry out the rescue."
"Yes! Commander!" the soldiers answered in unison.
Because of the news that came a few days ago, the atmosphere in Durandal's barracks had always been very gloomy.
Now that everyone saw the light at the end of the tunnel of despair, they naturally tried their best to get their spirits up and carry out the operation.
Derrick led a team of three companies and rushed to the city gate. They began the search.
As time passed, the search area was gradually expanded.
Finally, they found the unconscious Devitt and the others at the entrance of the cave eight hundred meters away.
"Devitt, Devitt, wake up!" Derrick knelt beside Devitt and placed his hand on his neck. When he felt the faint pulse, Derrick was so excited that he almost burst into tears.
"Medic! Come here and see how they are!" Derrick shouted. "Quick, send someone to prepare the carriage and the stove. We'll send them back to the barracks."
After a check by the medic, they confirmed that Devitt and his group were safe.
There was a pile of burnt charcoal at the entrance of the cave. It looked like it had been left behind last night.
"If we had come a little bit late, they would never wake up." Derrick said sorrowfully as he picked up a soldier's luggage bag. The luggage bag was empty. The reconnaissance team had really run out of ammunition and rations.
"Captain Derrick, there are a total of fifteen Caradia soldiers that we rescued. We also learned their identities from the nameplates on their bodies." A soldier handed a list to Derrick.
"Let me pass this list to the soldier who delivered the message." Derrick took the page and said, "Your most important task now is to take care of those soldiers wholeheartedly."
"Yes, Commander." the soldier bowed and replied.
Derrick boarded the carriage and returned to the barracks with the large group.
After hearing the news, the messenger had been waiting at the entrance of the barracks for a long time. After Derrick saw the soldier, Derrick immediately jumped off the carriage and walked in front of him. He said, "Thank you for rushing here in time to bring us such news and save the lives of the soldiers on this carriage."
"I'm only responsible for delivering the letter. The person who played a role in this entire operation is still Commander Derrick." the messenger took the list, took a glance at it, and replied to Derrick.
"The soldiers from the southern and northern suburbs have yet to return to the barracks. I wonder if they will be able to bring some happy news." Derrick said expectantly.
"What News? Commander Derrick, didn't you already find the missing Caradia soldiers?" the messenger asked in puzzlement.
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