Chapter Thirteen: The Arrival of the Wind

Countless doubts arose in Komer’s mind, but it seemed too late now. That cunning old fox, Welch, might well be delighted by this development as well. He had already thrown chaos into the Light Church, and now was the time to reap the benefits. The various factions of the Light Church joining forces to challenge his rapidly rising power seemed harmless to him as well.

He couldn’t just sit idly by and let things turn against him. Komer took a deep breath. How should he deal with the impending crisis? This war was already inevitable, with no room for retreat. The Allied Mage Corps had grown strong enough to rival any mage force, and even if the Light Church’s mages arrived, they might not necessarily have the upper hand—especially since their internal coordination wasn’t perfect. But it would also be difficult for the Allied Mage Corps to balance their efforts with the knightly forces.

Perhaps the still-unfledged Black Flame Knights would have to step in. Aside from recruiting three fallen knights, two Dark Knights from the Kingdom of Rosenburg were also trying hard to find like-minded companions. But it seemed too late now. This newly formed force of darkness had to fight for the dignity of their faction.

The situation was developing faster than Komer had imagined. Just as he received news from the Zuck Valley that Livonia had revoked the Caucasus’ privileges there and began deploying patrol units, unrest also emerged among the Galians across the Provdiv front.

On one side was a milky-white flag adorned with a vivid blue dove ready to take flight. As the flag fluttered, the dove seemed to leap into the air, like a divine bird descending from the sky. On the other side was a dark-colored flag, with golden oak leaves embedded in its pure black surface, shining brightly. The addition of these two armies complemented the Galians’ lotus flags, while the noble private armies appeared somewhat disorganized. Though large in number, they surrounded the main forces, clearly more suited to cheering and waving flags rather than fighting.

Komer coldly raised the Thousand-Mile Mirror to observe the situation across from him.

The people of Calais showed great chivalry by delivering the challenge a day in advance to Commander Komer’s camp. A battle that Komer could not refuse was about to begin. Although scouts had not yet brought news regarding the Sky Eagle Knights and the Rema Knights, Komer was certain that the main forces of these two knightly orders would launch an attack along with the three regular armies, while their most elite troops were hidden somewhere, ready to display their extraordinary strength at the critical moment. They would use their fierce warriors to tear through the ranks of the Homer-Caucasus army and deliver a fatal blow—or capture the key leaders, including himself.

Setting down the Thousand-Mile Mirror, Komer stretched his body. This battle would determine his fate as well as that of the entire Caucasus-Homer-Poznan territory. To ensure the survival of these three lands, he had to achieve at least an undefeated result in this battle—it was the responsibility and destiny of a lord.

Komer had handed over all command responsibilities to Fran. He believed Fran’s tactical skills on the battlefield were far superior to his own. Fran was not the kind of bored noble who took satisfaction in giving orders on the battlefield; he sought a real victory, though it might not always be possible.

Komer would appear as a mage wholeheartedly within the combined mage corps, taking on the role of the core force of the mage group. He would deliver a resolute and severe lesson to those Knights and Mages of the Light Church who dared to provoke his dignity.

The black crystal staff glowed in his hands, with black magical flames flowing gently within it, indicating that his magical power was at its peak. Komer had never felt so energetic before. It seemed the immense pressure from the enemy had stimulated his latent desire to explode. The Great Bear in his pouch also began to stir from its slumber, and Komer could sense its restlessness.

Rebri and his group had dispersed throughout the camp, forming small groups in several key locations to prevent sudden attacks by the Knights and Mages of the Light Church. Clarence, Shefrey, and Newman were together, Rebri and Mihajic were together, Giovanni led a group of dark mages, while Komer and Uma stood at the forefront of the camp.

Elena’s sacred heart had been completely suppressed by Umma’s dark heart. Although Umma had employed various methods of erosion—soaking, corroding, grinding, and insidious influence—the dark magic had thoroughly eroded Elena’s sacred heart. Yet that last glimmer of light within her never extinguished. Umma and Komer had studied it many times without arriving at a solution. It could only be said that Elena’s devotion to the God of Light was deep-rooted in her bones, and her understanding of sacred light power was etched in her heart. To completely erase her mark of light might indeed require destroying her physically, which both Komer and Umma found unacceptable, but they couldn’t think of a suitable way to solve this problem for now.

However, this no longer hindered Umma from using this body at will. From the alluring charm she displayed, whether intentionally or not, it was clear that she had gradually come to see this body as her own, and she was slowly regaining the femininity she had possessed three hundred years ago.

The horns and drums sounded almost simultaneously, and the ground seemed to tremble slightly. Thousands of boots stepped onto the ground, forming a heavy footprint that pressed down on the earth, which moaned under the pressure. Flags instantly rose into the air, their surfaces fluttering loudly in the wind. Spears lined up like forests, shields stood like mountains, and the aura of battle condensed into sharp forces rushing toward each other, ready to collide.

Komer took a deep breath and slowly lifted his body into the air. His magic flight skill allowed him to hover, albeit to a certain extent. This required a higher level of control over wind magic, but it wasn’t a problem for Komer. Before him lay a sea of dark camps. On the tall mobile command tower, surrounded by guards, was Fran. Occupying such a high position to observe the situation was undoubtedly dangerous. Though protected by mages and knights, they were still vulnerable to magical attacks.

In the sky, the silhouettes of griffins circled faintly. Without close inspection, it would be hard to notice a human figure perched tightly on one of them. The Griffin Knights were also one of Komer’s main trump cards in this battle, allowing him to confront opponents boldly. The best way to deal with mages was through lightning-fast attacks, delivering a fatal blow before they could defend themselves. And only the Griffin Knights possessed this ability—fierce dives, lightning-speed movement, and aerial attacks. Komer believed they could relieve him of much pressure in this battle.

The formation arranged byFranz was still a classic semi-circular array, except that thethe Angry Wave Legion was hidden within the formation dominated by thethe Ironclad Legion, and within thethe Angry Wave Legion lay theGround Dragon Assault Company as the core force for breaking through. To achieve victory in just one battle—this wasFranz’s plan, of course, on the condition thatKorma could fully suppress the attacks from the enemy’s mages and knights.

Looking across, the allied forces adopted a wedge-shaped formation. The striking force at the tip should be theThe Calenian Nirvana Knight Order, facing off against theHomer Knight Order positioned at the apex of their own arc. Their rematch would determine which knightly order was the strongest inNicosia.Korma was confident that there must be church knights supporting theNirvana Knights on both sides. Some figures, whose attire differed sharply from that of theNirvana knights knights and Blue Dovearmy soldiers, had already appeared in theThe Thousand-Mile Magic Mirror. Clearly, they were preparing to launch a forceful breakthrough in the center, aiming to shatter the enemy’s central defense and completely undermine their morale.

TheThe Thousand-Mile Magic Mirror’s view continued to slowly sweep through the enemy camp.Korma sought those who might use special methods to display their unique abilities. He knew it was difficult to identify them now, but he wouldn’t give up. The sooner he found their traces, the sooner he could take countermeasures and gain the upper hand. Especially with his forces holding a decisive advantage,Korma would never tolerate the enemy trying to achieve their goals through unconventional means—it was pure delusion!

Like undulating waves, fleeting figures appeared and disappeared beforeKorma’s eyes. A glint flashed in his gaze as a familiar figure came into view—Trajan?!？! Thethe Tianpeng Knights had finally appeared!Korma grew more certain. This guy was hiding among theRight-wing Golden Oak Legion. If not for his deeply ingrained memory of him and the special capabilities of theThe Thousand-Mile Magic Mirror,Komer knew he would never have been able to spot him.

Two black lines moved slowly forward, like two rolling waves advancing toward the shore. A vast, flat plain was gradually engulfed by the troops from both sides, turning into a narrow strip. As the final drumbeats quickened abruptly, a duel symphony was about to begin!