Chapter 837: Act 17 – Brendel’s Army
Indeed, it was different from how it was in the game. The enormous labyrinth in the center of the Dead Frost Forest remained silent until the Age of Eternal Darkness descended. The Kou Hua sisters perished during the seventh expedition in the Year of Silver, a feat accomplished by the Wheel of Fantasy, the most powerful player guild in Erluin at that time. The Year of Lush Growth, named for the rapid spread of the Black Forest on the border of Fanzan, saw Madara defeat the Wind Elves and enter its golden age. In the ensuing five years, the Battle of the Inclined Forest broke out in the Year of Stargazing, but another significant event pulled the players’ attention away from the downfall of Erluin. In the autumn twilight of that Year of Stargazing, the Holy War, which had intermittently persisted for nearly half a century, came to an end on the White Stone Field. In Ansta, the first Warstone was unearthed, and shortly thereafter, players discovered the great ruins of Agastes. Merely three months later, the symbol of the Month of Strings, Echis’s daughter Misa, was killed.
Brendel suddenly recalled that the Month of Strings and the Lyra constellation symbolized fate, serving as the source of power for the Fate witches, to which Romaine and her aunt once belonged.
He gently shook his head.
The following year, the Year of the Bright Moon, the gloomy Moya and the indifferent Atlas were slain, completed by the most powerful player guild from Cruz—the Bloodstream Guards—in just seven months. Five years later, the Mountain King Sharlifeng was crowned in the Gray White Fortress. That year, wolves awoke from the twilight, and in Saint Ausoor, the denizens of the Cloud and Mist Mountains witnessed a pack of wolves devouring the moon. Subsequently, five Dusk Wolves descended upon Saint Ausoor, and in autumn twilight, the Nightingale’s Song killed the wise Trest. Echis’s other four daughters—Whispering Maiden Octavia, Unmatched Thamina, Arrogant Agassia, and Hypocritical Castinia—were also successively killed.
These achievements were accomplished by the greatest player organizations within Saint Ausoor: the Wood Oak Knights, the Devoted Guards, and the private guard of the Dark Radiant Princess. As for the last guild’s name, there was no doubt; Princess Ramona had always been a star figure in Saint Ausoor. There was once a relatively large player guild known as the Little Princess’s Lingerie Collection Enthusiasts. The Elven royals found this intolerable and declared it an illegal organization, sending militarized forces to eradicate it. Remembering these amusing anecdotes from back then, Brendel couldn’t help but smirk.
This was a story of the Year of Blood, and a year later, in the Year of Dragon Shadows of the 434th Year of the First Era, the Golden Palace ruins dungeon group was discovered, where the most epic battle in history supposedly took place. Within ten months, the top one hundred large player guilds of Vaunte all faced defeat. Their enemy was none other than Echis’s daughter who was famed for her combat prowess—the Proud Golden Sea.
Two years later, this legend was brought to an end. In the Year of Long Nights of the 436th Year, the Proud Golden Sea was killed, and the taciturn maiden Odis was also slayed.
In the Year of Running Wolves of 437, Echis’s youngest daughter, the most popular boss among the players, the Heretical Moon, the flawless Temptress, was killed. Thereafter, Echis appeared in multiple locations, including the former southern region of Erluin, White Mountain, the Great Glacier, and Erlandta, signaling the start of the final battle. The Earth Sage Erlandta was reborn, and after three years of arduous battles, players finally defeated this Dusk Wolf in the Altania Mountain range.
The following year, during the 440th Year of the First Era, the Eternal Darkness descended, marking the start of the Second Era as the Stone Tablet Wars came to an end.
At this moment, however, history encountered a turning point at the end of the Year of Swords in 376. Milos disappeared, and the labyrinth beneath the glaciers of the Dead Frost Forest was completely obliterated. The Kou Hua sisters survived, but more crucially, news from the north unsettled Brendel. The Lionman fortress of Toquinin, the border town of Wolers for the Crusian, and the port of Oskin of the Wind Elves were simultaneously struck by devastating magic. Now, the three factions were speculating about who the real culprit might be. Although the high-ranking officials remained confused, the obliteration of the three cities intensified the underlying tensions. The powers of the Hallowed Temple of Earth, Temple of Fire, and Temple of the Queen Wind were practically sitting on a powder keg, awaiting a spark to ignite it. The implications of this information weighed heavily on Brendel, representing a distinct possibility: the Holy War, which historically began in the Year of the Saintly White Griffin, might commence earlier than anticipated.
In that aftermath, the world’s future would descend into chaos, and the foresight he once possessed would no longer hold sway. History finally returned to a point of origin, as if drawing all its participants back to the same starting line. It was precisely for this reason that Brendel felt an intense urgency; the advantages Erluin had accumulated over this period were far from sufficient. In fact, this ancient kingdom had no true advantages—it had merely recovered from a previous disadvantage.
Yet it was still small and weak, albeit more connected with the Dragonkin and the Buddha. The domestic situation was also considerably better than the Erluin of the game, but that was still far from enough.
“There are many things happening in the Dead Frost Forest, and it is indeed quite different from the history we remember. However, Echis is still far from us; my greater concern is the present. Kou Hua manipulated Milos’s will and launched an attack on Wolers. Toquinin and Oskin are now in turmoil at the border of Toquinin, Cruz, and Saint Ausoor. I don’t let Kou Hua, especially the dark Kou Hua, leave because I fear she will leak the events of the past,” Brendel responded.
“Perhaps it is not just that; do you think they may be the key to the turning point of the future? According to our theories—in that ‘game’—I still recall certain details from my dreams. Characters like Kou Hua were referred to as NPCs in the dream narrative, and in such a grand plot, they must be critical plot points. Brendel, do you think there are benefits to be gained from them?” Nemeses whispered, increasingly less resistant to the memories of her past dreams after their interaction in the Dead Frost Forest.
Brendel was taken aback; he realized that he might indeed have such intentions, driven purely by habitual instincts rather than greed. He merely wanted to maintain control over the variable. He subtly sensed a growing unease within him; this feeling had become more pronounced since arriving in this world. Sometimes, he pondered why he returned to the end of the Year of Blossoms and Summer Leaves in 375—was it merely to save Erluin? Then what of the haunting prophecy regarding the dark dragon?
He instinctively glanced at the corner of the hall where the witches were seated, whispering quietly. It seemed they recently learned of Romaine’s identity and were starting to regard him with greater respect.
“You feel uneasy,” Nemeses remarked. “But there’s really no need; you can continue as before, doing your utmost. I believe you can do well.”
Brendel turned back, somewhat surprised by her words. They sounded uncharacteristically like those of a Lady Knight, making him almost believe he was hearing his senior sister Bai Jia lecturing him. He stared at her for a moment, only to receive a glare in return. Nemeses turned away, pretending not to care, and asked, “So, what you actually care about is the coming situation of the Holy War?”
Brendel nodded; it was indeed so. He asked, “Who do you think will make the first move?” He feigned interest in hearing others debate how to attack Count Rendener’s plans, but his thoughts were clearly elsewhere, drifting to the borders of Cruz and the prairie. Nemeses lowered her gaze at the map on the table. The map did not depict the territory of the Cruz Empire—merely a partial terrain map of the Sierman region—but it seemed she nonetheless perceived the undulating mountains of southwestern Cruz, softly saying, “The fortress of Toquinin holds significant symbolic meaning for the Gold-maned Lionmen. I suspect they will be the first to lose patience and strike—they will attack the Alston region, just as history implies.”
Brendel’s mind was filled with considerations regarding Veronika’s words; he had been contemplating how credible the imperial army’s statements were. However, Nemeses’s comments startled him—she seemed to know the plans of the Cruz military as well. After all, she had to stay close to Valhalla with Prince Reinarita and others, and she was the responsible individual left by Her Highness the Princess beside him. Since he had communicated with the princess, there was no need to conceal this from her. The key was that at this moment, Nemeses held a uniquely significant status in his heart; although she was reluctant to acknowledge it, Brendel still saw her as a senior sister—at least half of her soul was aligned with his. And since Nemeses was aware of how mad the Cruz queen was, why would she draw the same conclusion as history?
“Do you know something, senior sister?” he asked quietly. Brendel knew that during the game, Nemeses and her team had established connections with Erluin’s nobles early on. Thus, in this era, she likely knew some insider information ahead of him. Those insights were exactly what he lacked in this historical timeline, similar to how many of his judgments about Erluin were derived from forum analyses rather than actual experience.
“Don’t call me that,” Nemeses shot him a glare. “I can’t be too certain. I’m waiting for a message, and if that message arrives as expected, then the Holy War will begin soon, as I mentioned. If not, it could go either way. Regardless, you need to prepare for a full-scale war.”
Brendel gave a wry smile, saying, “A full-scale war doesn’t seem related to me as a mere local lord.”
“I understand your intentions,” she replied nonchalantly, “the intentions of all of us are now converged upon you, so there’s no need for indirectness.”
Only then did Brendel withdraw his attention, hearing the renewed disputes in the hall. The main contention was still between the White Lion Guards and the Swordbreakers, and rather than discussing offensive strategies, it felt more like a clash of egos between the Cruz and Erluin factions, leaving him somewhat disappointed. Fortunately, Charles and Medisa had not participated in this childish bickering. Even the original mercenary leaders who had first aligned with him and Retao, who came from afar, seemed much more composed. Kuran remained silent. The old swordsman was tasting a type of tree wine specialty from Valhalla. Old hands knew their worth; while they might not be as aggressive as the younger generation, they had managed to understand his temperament somewhat.
In reality, he had calculated his strategy; he just wanted to test these young Tonigers a bit. Unfortunately, the outcome disappointed him. These young members of the White Lion army shared the same mindset as most Erluin people in this era, perceiving the focus of this war to be on Count Rendener rather than Madara, and even those young officers from the former White Lion army were far more radical than the young members of his White Lion Guard. Those young people from the north placed some significance on Madara, while the locals of Toniger seemed to regard the black rose of Broamente with little respect. However, Brendel knew this was not their fault; after all, their only impression of those bones was from half a year ago during that standoff.
This issue stemmed not from their competence but purely from a lack of exposure.
Yet he still felt somewhat disappointed since, compared to them, the youth of Cruz were indeed much better. Especially that young Peiluo, Lord Lostton’s son, as well as the knight Brendel by his side, who was not inferior to Locka. If only the outstanding officer cadets from the Royal Knight Academy could be here; unfortunately, they were still up north completing the handover work of the White Lion army, and this aspiration was entirely unrealistic.
“From which direction to attack and how to attack depends on the war’s objectives,” Peiluo voiced softly. After taking off his bear skin coat, he appeared particularly feeble, as if a gust of wind could topple him. “Isn’t the purpose of this war to eliminate the internal strife and restore stability to the southern regions of Erluin?” Someone rather impolitely interrupted him, saying, “So your assertion only supports that we should strike from behind Count Rendener first, attacking Magitan to sever that old man’s retreat.” Peiluo appeared unconcerned about the rudeness of the interruption, calmly replying, “For us, attacking Magitan does indeed cut off Rendener’s retreat. But for that lord earl, it might not be so. After being ambushed, Rendener would either face defeat and retreat, or he would triumph and merge with the Blood Staff forces. Ultimately, Magitan is inconsequential to his goals; they aim to open the route to Vieiro, and even in failure, he would only retreat back to Madara.”
“I don’t think Rendener is likely to return to Magitan after a defeat; it would only lead him to a dead end. So, the notion of cutting off his retreat is simply absurd.” Peiluo finished his point and glanced around at everyone before falling silent.
“How do you know Rendener will attack Vieiro?”
Brendel couldn’t help but shake his head upon hearing this question. His young subordinates still failed to appreciate the seriousness of Madara’s situation. In fact, the one to attack Vieiro wasn’t Rendener; it would be the skeleton army of Madara, which was the Blood Staff’s urgent choice. He listened for a while, growing weary of the lack of insight. The young officers of the White Lion army still did not realize who their real enemy was. However, he couldn’t be bothered to repeat his points; reality would teach them everything, and after this battle, they would come to understand who their true adversaries were.
In fact, Peiluo had almost guessed his thoughts that the Toniger army would move through Shubli, circumvent the Sierman region, and cut off the Blood Staff’s retreat. The Blood Staff knew there was an extremely hostile resistance force in the area that harbored a deep hatred for Erluin’s nobility, and they certainly wouldn’t carelessly enter the barren hills to stir trouble with those mountain dwellers. Yet they had no idea that the king of Sierman was, in fact, an old acquaintance of Brendel’s.
The outcome of this battle had been predetermined from the very beginning; only the details needed careful consideration. He was concerned about how strong Madara’s army was in this era. The magical letter returned from Carglis brought good news; they had rescued a member of the garrison who had participated in that night’s battle, reportedly stating that Madara’s army already had skeleton cavalry and fearsome specters within their ranks. This indicated that the terrifying dark mercenaries of the Land of the Dead Moon had joined the war, and the presence of skeleton archers revealed his worries about the number of necromancers. Still, there were some elements that had yet to show; the garrison member could not ascertain the ratio of regular skeletons and skeleton warriors within the entire Madara army. In fact, this was what Brendel was most concerned about. The skeleton army of Madara—those temporarily raised by necromancers and zombies differed vastly from the properly enchanted skeleton warriors that were adept with equipment. Historically, after Tam joined, Madara devised a method to directly summon skeleton warriors from corpses through spiritual summoning rituals, even introducing advanced skeleton swordsmen enhancements in the early stages of the second Black Rose War. Brendel wanted to discern exactly how much he had altered history.
If history proceeded as expected without deviation, then the army of Vieiro was likely to hit troubles.
Because the dark nobility of the Land of the Dead Moon joined the battle earlier than in history.
Conversely, regarding Valhalla? Brendel reflected on his existing strengths and breathed a slight sigh of relief. Not long ago, when he ventured to Ampere Seale to decipher Erluin’s plights, he had only about a hundred passionate members of the White Lion Guards alongside a handful of high-level combatants, while the available army in Toniger was almost nonexistent. But times had changed. While battling demons and Cruz at Ampere Seale, under Monica’s arrangements, the army of Valhalla had finally showcased its potential after that great battle.
Firstly, the Wind Archers. When he traveled to Ampere Seale, only about a hundred treelings of the Wind Archers could actually participate in combat, plus roughly three hundred new recruits. Now, however, the Wind Archers had been fully formed into an army—exactly two battalions of six hundred strong. It is essential to note that after completing their advanced training, this regiment underwent a total metamorphosis. When engaging at range, they used longbows, which surpassed the level and hierarchy of the White Lion Guards led by Freya. Currently, the newly formed White Lion Guards could barely be counted as a third-tier army while the Wind Archers, according to Medisa’s estimates, were at least a fourth-tier ranged unit. More frighteningly, when they engaged in close combat, wielding curved daggers, their combat capability exceeded that of ordinary black iron-tier armies. This army, now poised for deployment on Erluin’s front lines, represented a truly elite force.
On the other hand, the White Lion Guards had also been significantly bolstered, though not in terms of quality, but in quantity. While Brendel was nominally unable to seize the old White Lion army, Her Highness the Princess still managed to discreetly or overtly extract considerable manpower from the old White Lion army, the Royal Knight Academy, and even local garrison forces, augmenting this supposedly her own guard. In the span of just six months, the White Lion Guards expanded from an empty shell to nearly one thousand five hundred personnel. This was still under Brendel’s constraints since he clearly understood that in the upcoming Holy War, mere cannon fodder armies would be of no account. He aimed to develop an elite troop akin to the white lion infantry led by the ancient sage Eke rather than the ineffective old White Lion of northern Erluin.
Let alone the fact that now he also had the Swordbreakers of Cruz at his disposal. Although Brendel’s original intention was to have these young Cruz heroes raise an actual army for him, that was a long-term strategy. For now, he merely planned to allow these Cruz fighters to operate independently. Even so, this also represented a corps of several hundred elite troops, and one could candidly assert that their presence in Erluin would be somewhat superfluous. Currently, the entire Kingdom of Erluin would have to band together to field an army capable of contending with them.
With these three armies, Toniger had finally possessed the capability for foreign expeditions.
Brendel was acutely aware that the next phase of Valhalla’s military plans had already initiated at this juncture. There was no need to wait until after this war; Monica could deliver an answer sheet to him at any moment. At that thought, Brendel felt a stirring in his heart and glanced up just in time to see that little Light Spirit fluttering in. She paid no mind to the other people in the hall, zipping over to his side, speaking hurriedly with a hint of excitement, “Lord, we succeeded!”
