Roar!
A white valiant bear ran on the snowy plains along with a troop riding brown war bears behind the white bear and the knight who was its rider.
They rode down into a valley covered in snow. A grand city stood in the middle of the valley, its towers several stories high.
Shortly after, a group of bear-riding knights marched into the lord’s castle, their steps orderly as they moved as one.
“Open the doors.”
The chief knight commanded the soldiers guarding the door to the courtroom.
“But…”
“I said open it!”
The guards turned and pushed the door open. As the door opened, the knights walked into the courtroom and fell on one knee, their eyes locked to the ground.
“Your Lordship!”
The chief knight said softly, but his reply was a light laugh. Lifting up his head, he saw Duke Mormont and two girls looking at a mural.
One of the girls had red hair and a figure he knew all too well, while the other had gray hair, the type of hair of a certain fellow whose feats had been circulating the borderlands.
Duke Mormont turned.
“You left the frontlines?”
“I had to. Count William withdrew, and the reason is because his treasured city, Tiberias, has been taken, his Elvin daughter is missing, and Slade Nubis is slain.”
Clack!
Yuna’s cup filled with wine fell to the ground while Mary’s face was filled with shock, but her training as a maid did not allow her to spill the drink.
Slade Nubis was a legend in the academy. Known for his excellent swordsmanship, captivating looks, powerful background, and frightening talent.
He was no doubt the academy’s star student. His class graduated the same month Mary joined the academy.
His feats had flooded the girls’ minds so much that they’ve seen him as an idol. But their idol was dead!
“Who could be so daring as to kill the son of the Archduke?”
The chief knight exhaled. “They call him the war bringer and the white wolf of the North…” Experience more on empire
“Wolf? You’re telling me this was done by an Ashbourne!”
Duke Mormont’s eyes widened.
“Yes. It was done by the new count, Count Asher Ashbourne, and it’s said he has built a great wall, splitting the wastelands from the high plains.”
“What nonsense! How does a man build such a wall in such a short time? Such a wall should take several decades!”
“I have no idea if it’s the truth or not, father. But why does that girl have the same trait as those ravenous wolves that leave trails of war everywhere they go?”
The chief knight removed his helmet, revealing his red hair and red eyes.
His eyes were fixed on Mary’s exquisite face. Mary was indeed quite appealing to the eyes, but the gray hair and golden eyes made him apprehensive.
“She’s a friend.”
Yuna stood before Mary when she saw her brother’s stern look.
“Leave the girl out of this.” Duke Mormont said. “Are Count William’s forces fully withdrawn from IronHead Fortress?”
“Yes.”
“Then let’s watch how it plays out. This rising black horse might be an actual wild card.”
Yuna excused herself from her father’s presence and dragged Mary away.
“Are they talking about your brother? Your brother killed Slade?!”
“That’s… not possible. I know Asher. He won’t dare to kill the Archduke’s son.”
Yuna raised an eyebrow. “He won’t kill? He can’t kill Slade! Slade could cut down 5 diamond-ranked knights as a gold-ranked knight! He’s beyond our era.”
“Beyond our era or not. He was killed. By someone younger.”
The chief knight said, causing them to turn. Without another word, he left with his men.
Their steps kept echoing in the hallway until they were gone.
….
Clip! Clop!
King Swordsmen on their proud steeds could be seen riding into Nineveh while guarding a carriage.
Inside the carriage sat a gray-haired man. He sank into the comfortable sofa, looking at the roof with his eyes shut.
His mind went straight to a memory. One where he picked up a wounded fairy from a crater. He had never seen her so fragile.
And Asher discovered that he had never been so careful in all his two lives!
Inhaling deeply, he opened his eyes. ‘Do I still want to climb that mountain that only has a cliff awaiting me at the end?’
His eyes became cold. All funny emotions inside of him vanished as he clenched his fist.
‘No. Lia and Liya are enough.’
“My lord, we have arrived.”
After the announcement, Alex opened the door. The moment Asher stepped down, he found Kelvin, Cynthia, and several maids and servants on one knee.
“Welcome back, Your Lordship!”
When they received no response, Kelvin chuckled and lifted up his head. As he thought, Asher was looking straight at him with a raised eyebrow.
“You look like a changed man, Kelvin.”
Kelvin smiled. “Because I have changed just as I said in the letter, my lord. Shall we speak more inside?”
“Sure.”
Right when they were about to walk into the castle, a notification popped up before Asher’s eyes.
[Host, your personal troop has also fulfilled the criteria for an upgrade. Should I proceed?]
Asher froze. He turned back.
“Alex, assemble the King Swordsmen.”
Alex nodded and left.
“Is there a problem?” Kelvin asked.
“Not in the slightest.” Asher smiled softly.
In no time, all the King Swordsmen, 100 of them, assembled before him. They were the best of the best, but with thousands of diamond-ranked knights everywhere, they were now the weakest unit.
[Would you like to upgrade this unit? Yes or No?]
‘Yes.’
Swoosh!
A bright golden light burst out, so blinding that it seemed as if they were on fire. Some, like the maid and servants, had to flee out of fear of being burnt alive!
The light lasted for quite a while before it slowly came down.
As it came down, the first and most attention-grabbing thing the King Swordsmen had were their plumes.
It was like a real human hair, and not only was it long, it also had a bright celestial golden glow, making it look unreal.
Their white cloaks that covered their armor, leaving only the helmet and the attractive plumes visible, had golden embroidery at the hem.
The helmets had golden horns, the kind of horns seen on a ram or a bull.
As Guardian Grade soldiers, their powers as diamond-ranked knights were much stronger than those of the other troops.
Their unit was the best in the whole of the wastelands.
And they were just 100!
The elite of the elites and the greatest unit under Asher!
….
A/N: I am sorry for the unstable upload but I’m in a hospital taking treatments. In two days, it should be over and I’ll be back to my once vibrant self (Hopefully)