Chapter 137: Departure (Part 2)
The German Winged Knights Corps, or simply the Winged Corps, was formed as one of the first elite bloodlines after the reorganization of the German Knight Order. It gathered the most talented Order ability users from Ethanbel, experienced warriors with battle scars, and the crème de la crème from the Royal Academy. With a current roster of about 3,860 members, it was led by none other than Queen Elizabeth herself, with Old Henry Ward serving as the vice captain and overall commander.
Old Henry, affectionately dubbed “Gramps Henry,” was a beloved light cavalry hero from the northern kingdom. Rumor had it that in his youth, he had single-handedly held off over a hundred vicious heretics armed with just a hammer and a beast. Known for his fierce temper and threatening scowl, he often bore the face of someone who’d just bitten into a lemon.
Thus, behind his back, team members like Sarah affectionately referred to him as “the Demon Slayer.”
“Tempest—”
Boom! Boom!
“Tempest—”
Boom! Boom!
With their spirits high, the knights rallied their robust battle cries, their enthusiasm shaking the very ground. Armed to the teeth, the Winged Knights lined up in formation, right hands gripping sickles, left hands locked onto swords, while their enormous mounts were clad in tight-fitting armor like they just came out of a fashion magazine.
Before long, as the Shanter Army on either side launched a barrage of flaming arrows into a colossal scarecrow ahead, the knights charged forward at the sound of the horn, kicking up a cloud of dust and pushing the front lines forward. Their sickle spears charged up with a resounding “clack, clack” as they soared through the air, snagging the scarecrow’s midsection and legs.
With the spears striking home, the knights’ momentum stalled as they quickly changed tactics. Countless sickles tugged taut, and the gargantuan scarecrow toppled like a drunken giant. Meanwhile, the hidden Shanter Army unveiled their hefty crossbows, hefting black shields that stood nearly three meters tall. Two knights rushed forward with a shield, slamming it down like they were planting a flag on a new planet, creating a wall-like barrier.
After the drill, Old Henry, barking orders like a drill sergeant with a megaphone, unleashed a torrent of verbal ab*se onto the clueless knights, critiquing their slow charge and lackluster formation. His words were so harsh that it almost made Sarah, hiding in the ranks, giggle out loud.
“Sarah, step forward!”
Caught with a laugh on her face, Sarah, along with a few fellow knights, was dragged to the front. She had to remove her helmet, and Old Henry went to town on her with scolding, leaving her feeling like a dog caught in the rain, while Daisy, who was standing some distance away with the joint medical team, watched with a mix of amusement and horror.
The formation of the German Winged Knights Corps and the ongoing joint training exercise between two kingdoms at the border were, unsurprisingly, attributed to the meddling of young Peilo. Little did she know, her two best roommates had quietly slipped past her and were now part of the big training gig.
Now, how did the two girls find themselves in this predicament? It all started when Daisy’s father, in a classic “dad move,” tried to pull her out of the Royal Academy without consulting her first, leading to a daring escape over the school wall with her and Sarah racing off to ask Sophia for help.
Sophia’s plan was simple: use the royal palace’s current recruitment drive as a way to get them both into the Ethanbel regular army and submit an application for external practice. With this, Daisy’s father couldn’t process her withdrawal anymore, and there was no way he’d dare drag her back home, or else she’d potentially become a ‘deserter’—and as a citizen of Silgaya, that was a risk he simply wouldn’t take.
As for Sarah, her dad had tried to strong-arm her into evacuation over the past few days, subtly stressing that any place apart from his side was dangerous due to the situation with the Fifth Knights Order retreating. After a few heartfelt debates that only fueled Sarah’s rebellious spirit, she declared she wouldn’t just run away meekly, signing her calling note with a big fat “CHICKEN” and flipping it back to her father before officially joining the German Knights.
So, with Sophia facilitating things, with their status as exceptional students from the Royal Academy, it wasn’t hard for them to get in. Sarah became a knight, and Daisy snagged the role of a trainee medic. Off they went to the border with the joint training crew, leaving the Royal City behind. Daisy quickly became known as a “herb specialist” within the joint medical team, drawing on her incredible knowledge of plants.
Before they knew it, both girls were surrounded by attention, and Daisy, who had previously shied away from so much spotlight, found newfound confidence blooming deep down inside.
Come afternoon break, Sarah exchanged her massive mount and troop-armored attire for a more comfortable outfit, running over to find Daisy at the medical camp. Together they sat, Daisy giving a massage to Sarah’s bruised forehead while both gazed out at the expanse of hills where the imperial cavalry were in training, their massive shields covering half the beasts beneath them.
The training mock enemy, still looming large, was none other than those enormous, intimidating scarecrows standing tall like titans.
“What could it all mean…?” Sarah mused, unable to resist bringing up the hot topic, “the thing that makes Dad and the Fifth Knights Order want to run screams, ‘Avoid it!’…”
“Ask Sophia; even she’s struggling to figure it out…” Daisy replied.
“Daisy, do you think there’s even a chance it’s what I mentioned earlier…? If it is, we can’t dodge it either…”
“Then let’s not overthink it…”
“Worst case, we set loose Peilo…”
Three days later, the first batch of weapons dubbed the “Black Requiem” arrived at the Laheshim Basin, marking its spot as a storage hub for the incoming wave of newly developed imperial weaponry.
…………
Nighttime.
In the well-lit study of Vilo Garden, the crackling fire danced through the stillness as a girl in her nightgown scribbled away at her desk, pen in hand, sending a reply to her father far away in Shanter Castle.
“Caw—”
The pitch-black raven perched on her shoulder, this foolish bird had sworn never to return to the holy city after barely escaping with the Sword Demon’s last letter. It was so traumatized, it had blasted back home rattling about fire and d*ath, spending two days hiding under the bed, only to come back to its sassy self while also running away at the mere mention of the holy city.
Thus, any chance of getting in touch now seemed entirely impossible.
Deciding to send a quick note to her father, she tied the letter to the bird’s leg, instructing it to hurry on back. Just as she let the dimwit bird soar out the window, there was a knock at her door.
“Who is it?”
Rubbing her forehead, the sleepy girl barely recognized her own croaky voice and cleared her throat.
Click! The door swung open, revealing Grandma Claire, hunched over with a steaming bowl of fragrant soup.
“Oh dear, Grandma!”
The girl rushed over to take the bowl, her tone filled with nagging concern, “You shouldn’t run around with a bowl like that! I’m starving; I can get my own food! What if you spill and get burned?”
“I’m fine, I’m fine.” Grandma waved her hand, watching as the girl took a big sip of the soup and smiled with satisfaction. “Drink up while it’s hot, warm your belly, and hurry downstairs. Barry and the others whipped up some food; you barely ate all day, did you?”
There was a noticeable tone of worry in her voice.
“I had some.” The girl stood there sipping her soup, mumbling, “Had bread in the morning…”
“That won’t do!”
When Grandma reached for the empty bowl, the girl shook her head, “No, I’ll carry it down myself. You sit and rest; you need to listen to what the doctor says.”
“Well, you need to listen to me too. Get down for dinner!”
Holding the empty bowl in one hand, the girl gently helped Grandma into a chair, noticing her labored breathing after climbing a single flight of stairs.
“No matter how big the problems are, you need to fill your belly first for strength… Huh. I’ve cultivated the land my whole life and don’t know much, but I think, when it comes down to it, complex matters boil down to the basics of farming. If you don’t eat or rest, you’ll fall over, and the fields won’t get tilled properly…”
“What are you even talking about, Grandma?” The girl chuckled, her eyes crescenting like a smiley moon as she squeezed Grandma’s hand, “I’m fine! Don’t stress, just focus on getting better.”
“Is there going to be a war?”
Grandma’s words caught the girl off guard. She thought Grandma was out of the loop, laying in bed for days unaware of the outside chaos.
But surprise! Grandma was noticing everything.
“Hmm.” The girl took a moment, then nodded, “Pretty much. It’s a bit complicated, but it’s nothing big that you need to worry about.”
Grandma shook her head. “Hey, when have war issues ever been ‘nothing big’? I’ve been around long enough to have seen more than I can count. All these young folks rushing off to their doom…”
Just as Grandma started gearing up for a life lesson, she suddenly stopped, seemingly distracted by her thoughts.
“Oh, Little Xi! I know you’re not an ordinary person… You’re… incredible. Everyone in the village is praising you now, giving you thumbs up! You’re basically a princess now; you’ve got burdens on your shoulders and carry yourself more maturely than before…”
Grandma suddenly got all sentimental.
“But lately, I keep dreaming about you, like in the early days when you first came to the village. That day, I remember it vividly… You were wrapped up in a tattered cloak, dirty from head to toe, with alarm in your eyes, but… also a strange sense of hope…”
“Back then, your eyes struck me! How could someone have such dark, beautiful eyes… And I hoped that those eyes would only gaze at joy in the future.”
“Grandma…”
Unable to hold back, the girl knelt to snuggle into Grandma’s embrace as the older woman gently patted her fluffy head. The girl inhaled the old, musty scent of her grandmother, a fleeting shadow crossing her eyes as she gradually closed them.
“In time, you loosened up, shedding that tense energy you had when you arrived… Do you remember? You once said you wanted to be a simple village girl forever, ha ha…”
“Grandma, I remember! I still think that way.”
“Little Xi, you know, I can see that tension creeping back in you again…”
“……”
“A person’s capacity grows alongside their responsibilities, right? Someone said that once… I’m not educated enough to remember who, but I need you to hear this: sometimes, don’t push yourself too hard… Don’t feel like you have to take on everything alone…”
“Your uncle, Barry’s father, always did that too; he bottled everything in without saying a word to anyone, which is why he always had that stern face, overthinking and worrying too much… it only took away his happiness…”
“Now I’m getting old. Back then, I worried about you eating well and dressing nicely; now… I can’t even begin to fathom your big issues, nor can I lean on you…”
“But you’ve met these amazing people lately, those who’ve come to your aid… You even know Her Majesty the Queen, and your dad is the Emperor now, oh my goodness…”
“So, lean on them a bit more.”
“Let the burdens on your shoulders slide off a bit, like when we’d harvest wheat and load it into the cart… If the load is too heavy, the cart won’t move. Just unload a couple of bundles, and you’re good to go; otherwise, you’ll break the wheels…”
“Look at all these incredible people you know… Let them support you…”
“If only I could help you too…”
“Speaking of which, I’ve never even met your parents. Little Xi, when you wrap up your busy days and once the western continent settles down, if I’m still fit enough, take me to meet them, okay?”
“If you nod, then it’s a deal…”
“……”
On February 16, 1190, Grandma Claire fell gravely ill and was rushed to the royal hospital. Despite the efforts of numerous court doctors, she barely clung to life, wondering when she might awaken again.
…………
On February 18, the king’s council, having lasted three days, still failed to reach any conclusion. Delegates tossed accusations left and right, with the only common consensus being to wait for news. Half the crowd suggested contacting the royal family in the Emerald Capital for clarity, leading some to feign illness.
Later that evening, the sleep-deprived girl stepped out from the hospital, formally informing Queen Elizabeth of her decision to head towards the holy city.
