Amber Sword

Baron Rodu’s army is rapidly collapsing. Officer cadets from the Royal Knight Academy are driving forward hundreds of fleeing soldiers, while the Seventh Swordsman Battalion of the Harbor Guard at Evergreen Tree Square first bears the pressure, forcing the terrified noble private soldiers to pass through their positions like desperate people clutching at the last straw.

Intense clashes even occur between the Harbor Guard and the fleeing soldiers. Ironically, when the fleeing noble private soldiers turn around, facing their former allies, they instead display ten times more ferocity, driven by survival instincts turning them into red-eyed maniacs.

Behind them are the gleaming long spears driving them onward.

This was a bit different from the script anticipated by Sir Marloes, the Swordsman Captain of the Harbor Guard’s Seventh Swordsman Battalion. The Princess with her aides not only appeared, but actually charged straight in. This charge was too decisive and fierce, not only casually obliterating Rodu’s army but seemingly instantly identifying their position.

The Princess’s aggressive advance was proportional to Sir Marloes’ increasingly pale face, but what to do now? This knight, who had almost never truly fought enemies in battle, looked at his companions with apprehension.

In the heavy rain, the young man clad in the battle armor of the White Lion Legion pressed his hand on his longsword, pondering silently like a marble statue, letting water droplets slide down his forehead and cheeks, completely undecided.

"We’ve been discovered!"

"How did they discover us?"

"Perhaps now isn’t the time to consider this."

He raised his head, his grey-blue eyes reflecting the glints from the long spears’ tips that sparkled with rational light: if that’s the case, then let’s change tactics.

Above the clouds, lightning traced a dazzling trajectory—

...

"Belta, you have a good student." Reid Dulo, receiving an order from the orderly, spoke with a hint of approval in his eyes.

Marquis Balta shook his head: "The Princess is also quite formidable; this doesn’t seem like Ou Fuwei’er’s handiwork. Macaro was not this decisive. The opposing side seems to have a commander unfamiliar to us. The Harbor Guard’s combat power is indeed worrisome, Owen clearly wants to use numerical superiority to hold them back."

"Just like we did in Lorinsh," the old man remarked, glancing towards the direction of the port, in his view, a mass of gray rooftops: "Like a giant meat grinder, slowly draining the very last drop of Erune’s blood."

"Chief Priest, these words weren’t meant towards you." Reid glanced again at the guest beside him, speaking lightly.

The man smiled slightly, indifferent: "Once made decisions, we were at fault too, there’s no need to shy away. With the Holy War imminent, the Holy Temple does not wish to create new misunderstandings due to past estrangements."

The old man gave him a look, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, keeping silent.

"Old Squad Leader..." Balta seemed restless.

"Now, you are the Squad Leader, Balta," the old man responded: "Rest assured, I won’t blame Owen for it. Victory and defeat in war are always paramount; he has a good plan, using numbers to oppress the few is a skill—"

"However..."

"The Princess might suffer this time on this battlefield, where only Erune’s blood is spilled. They are excellent youth, what a pity..." the old man shook his head.

The sky gradually lightened.

But the battle situation remained unchanged—

The news from the front clearly informed Brand that the Harbor Guard was changing strategy. But changing plans on the battlefield, that isn’t a good tactic, especially with such an obvious intent—Brand couldn’t help but sneer—the Harbor Guard’s leaders decided to engage in urban warfare with him.

He almost laughed aloud twice to express his pleasure—Kurko siege defense, Brags siege defense, the conquest of Ampezel, the pain of Suo, the bloodshed of the White City, no need for deliberate recollection, battle after battle, as classic as textbooks, emerged vividly in his mind.

But more importantly—

He personally participated in them.

He fought against the Cruz people, against the Madara, against the All Things Return to One, and even faced the Miner people living in darkness, not the third-rate Harbor Guard of Ampezel.

He turned back, noting who was around him.

Loka van den Elvis, Enrock Aisha, Freyja Alicia, illustrious trio in Erune’s history, two masters of cavalry tactics, one Erune Valkyrie; plus Buqi’s Breson, a strongman capable of leading the guard knights to carve out a bloody path from under the ’One-eyed Dragon’ Tagus, and the Royal Knight Commander Mou Ke.