A long time ago, before Prince Tormond led the survivors of the Final Empire to point at the stars above their heads and swear an oath to build Constellation, Eastern City District was just a suburb in the northeast of Eternal Star City.
As Constellation's national power rose and its territory expanded, the power structure of the upper echelons of the kingdom began to expand. The number of suzerains, nobles, and officials increased. The important people in the capital did not want to live in the same area as the vulgar merchants, ordinary citizens, and even those filthy prostitutes, thieves, and thugs. Hence, they all built their homes in the northeastern suburbs.
Gradually, this area became the gathering area for the nobles to build their manors in the capital. Soon, it was brought under the rule of Eternal Star City by the Town Hall, and it became the most important city district after the Central District and Morning Star District. The suzerains who guarded the four corners of the city, the popular people in the court of the capital, and even the exiled dignitaries of foreign countries all liked to build their manors and manors here.
The area was filled with the properties of nobles and officials of various sizes. There were almost no residences or markets for commoners. Even the people who came and went were mostly servants and subordinates of the various families and forces of power. Aside from the ridiculously high land prices, there was also an unwritten rule in Eastern City District. The land buyers must choose a location that matched the buyer's status (You probably don't want to know what happened to those who violated this rule). Even though the Six Great Clans and the Thirteen Distinguished Families each had their own manors in the suburbs of the capital, they had also built their own properties in Eastern City District. Naturally, they were all located in the best locations, regardless of whether the nobles of these families came often.
Precisely because of this, the different manors and manors in Eastern City District were very far apart from each other. However, the grass and trees between the manors were maintained by the Town Hall to be lush and strong. The main road was also built to be wide, grand, and stable. Every twenty meters, there was a large Everlasting Lamp provided by the Town Hall to illuminate the area.
As for the police officers and city guards patrolling this avenue, they had to be cautious. Even their superiors couldn't bear the consequences of offending these big shots. Secondly, they could also be at ease. Under normal circumstances, when the police department and the city guards needed to intervene, the nobles often had their own ways to deal with it, so they didn't have to worry about it.
As the captain of the city defense team who patrolled the main road in Eastern City District all year round, the sword and crossbow on Genard's body had almost never been used over the past ten years. However, his helmet and armor were as bright as new. When he ran into the carriages of the nobles on the road, he was used to tidying up his armor and retreating to the side, taking off his helmet and saluting them. (In the words of the police chief in Eastern City, they should have changed their heavy helmets into hats a long time ago. Taking off their helmets and saluting them was just too comical.)
Genard treasured his job very much. He knew how much effort his comrades had put in to get him, who should have been dismissed from the army and made a living on his own, to join the capital's city defense team. Moreover, he was assigned to the Eastern City District, which was stable, peaceful, and occasionally gave him tips.
As a farmer who was born in the countryside of Doron County in the south, Genard's colorful experiences were definitely worthy of being sung by bards.
More than ten years ago, when he was about nineteen years old, Genard no longer remembered his birthday after his father passed away. His village was struck by a natural disaster, and the village was then attacked and plundered by bandits. Unable to survive, Genard signed up to join the Starlight Brigade that Duke John, who was heading south, recruited and established.
He fought bravely and had a bright mind. He was lucky enough to survive the dangerous battle to defend Jade City.
He once took the risk of carrying two bags of flour and followed the main army during the retreat at Walla Passage. He then bravely followed the duke's personal army and broke through the encirclement of the Land of Tusks ("Before we meet up with the other troops, we owe you money for the two bags of flour." – Duke John).
Under the orders of his superiors, he once followed the troops into the welcoming banquet held by Earl Dale's family. He watched as the duke, who was a guest, subjugated their private army without batting an eyelid.
In the decisive battle at the Plains of Fire, he even rushed through the bombardment of the Mystic Guns and cut down a battle axe.
He once led a small team under the duke's Nine-Pointed Star Flag and withstood the last desperate counterattack of the rebel army at Blade's Edge's Gap.
Genard heaved a deep sigh and cursed the day where both victory and sorrow existed at the same time. Then, he waved his hand at his team members and made way for the knights holding the Iris Flower flag on the other side of the line. "That's right.
There were thirty-four knights from the Covendier Family. They did not have carriages with them. They were probably the subordinates who worked for their master.
The two leaders seemed to have supra class or above. As for the others, judging from their movements on the horses and the positions of their weapons, they were all just for show. Genard pursed his lips without anyone noticing and retreated to the side.
In just over a year's time, he had been promoted from a normal supply soldier to a combat recruit, then to an axeman, an infantry captain, and the most glorious personal guard of the duke. Genard had turned from a farmer who did not even know how to hold a sword into an excellent military officer who had been through hundreds of battles. The rare battlefield experience had also made him a rare existence even among ordinary classes. As long as he had three to five companions to form a formation, he would not be afraid even if he ran into supra class warriors. Even in the days after the Starlight Brigade was disbanded, Genard still remembered the guidance of the respected captain of the duke's personal guard in the Starlight Brigade. He had never slacked off in his training.
He had seen countless knights during his most dangerous days. These warriors on horses were famous for their charging power. There were noble warriors who were brave and had extraordinary skills, but there were also cowardly playboys who bullied the weak and feared the strong. Of course, under Duke John's command, there were far more of the former than the latter.
That was why Genard could tell with just one glance that the two leading knights had calm expressions and smooth movements. Their bodies were slightly bent, and they could exert their strength on the horse at any time. There was a sword at the side of their waist and on the saddle, and the swords were very close to their dominant hands. It was obvious that they were elites who had more or less experienced on the battlefield. These elites who were supra class and above would definitely be the officers of a battle squadron on the battlefield. Regardless of whether they were the vanguards, ambushes, defenses, reserve troops, or even the personal guards of the commander, these people were indispensable pillars and even the core of the army. For example, there was the famous Baron Alcra Murkh in the kingdom.
Right now, one of the two knights who brought more than twenty people and were supposed to overtake them stopped his horse and rode towards Genard.
"City Defense Team!" This was a knight with sparse hair. He was in his thirties, and the light green plate armor he wore was clearly a handmade aristocratic family heirloom. With a straight face, he looked down at Genard, who was leading the group, and scolded him, "We saw the hoofprints of a large group of horses on the road. At this time, there shouldn't be so many cavaliers in Eastern City District. Did you meet them?"
'Are you supposed to appear now?' Genard thought disdainfully in his heart as he stared at the noble knight under the Tricolor Iris Flowers.
However, after ten years of working in the City Defense Team, his edges had long since been ground away by reality. The former duke's personal guard lowered his head in a humble and submissive manner and answered, "Honorable sir, the suzerains are the ones who can mobilize a large number of private soldiers in Eastern City District. We dare not interfere with their affairs. "
Seychelles. Duke Zayen's trusted knight furrowed his brows. "Did you meet these cavaliers? Which family are they from? What flag are they flying? "
Genard was silent for a moment.
Around ten minutes ago, the thirty-two cavaliers that passed by ranged from ordinary class to supra class. The noble who was leading the group was agile, but he was obviously not a soldier. There was even a woman following behind him, but Genard did not see them flying any flags.
However, as someone who had served under Duke John for many years, how could he not recognize the soldiers' movements, their equipment, and the style of their shields? In the past, many of the people in the duke's personal guards were once the duke's private soldiers from his family. They followed the duke to the south and became his personal guards.
Among those people, some of them had saved his life, and he had also saved their lives. Almost all of them were people whose backs he could entrust to him. Good men — oh, and a good woman — as expected of the warriors under the Nine-Pointed Star Flag.
'Yes,' Genard told himself once again. 'Those thirty or so cavaliers are from the Jadestar Family. They are the private soldiers of the royal family.
Most importantly, they are the people from Duke John's family whom he swore to die for. '
"Yes, Honorable Sir," Genard answered resolutely. "We met them just now.
They did not show any flags. I do not know where they went either. "
The former personal guard of Duke John bowed. How ironic. Back then, when he was under the command of Duke John, the king's younger brother, no one taught him how to salute nobles. Yet, on the second day he arrived in the capital, a low-ranking official from the City Hall angrily asked him to learn the standard salute posture. "They are nobles, do you understand?" — Genard's former superior in the city defense team.
However, this ordinary captain of the city defense team would probably not know how great of an impact the information he was hiding would have on the future of himself and all of Constellation.
Seychelles furrowed his brows. He reached into his money pouch and grabbed a handful of silver and gold coins, which he had inadvertently grabbed, and threw them back into the pouch. Then, he scattered the remaining copper coins to the soldiers of the city defense team.
"Your tips," he said. Then, he turned his horse around and chased after his companions.
"Don't think too much, and don't bother about the affairs of the other families. Just do what the duke has ordered you to do. Both of us are here. As long as we don't barge into Renaissance Palace, there is nothing that the capital cannot solve. If those vampires do not cooperate, they will only die. " Seychelles returned to the front of the cavaliers and listened to the other noble knight beside him, Cassain, speak softly with a calm expression.
"If they are other families, why didn't they show their flags? Thirty to forty unknown cavaliers galloping into Eastern City District at night … How long has it been since something like this happened? " Seychelles still spoke carefully. Having traveled through the chaos of war in the Eastern Peninsula, he had learned to be cautious and meticulous from the people of the Eastern Sages.
"His Majesty's forty-eighth birthday is coming up soon. This birthday is too crucial. The nobles' messengers, suzerains' envoys, envoys' groups and even spies from various countries, representatives from the Tower of Eradication and the churches of the gods, as well as forces of various sizes hidden in the dark. It can be said that the entire world's attention will be focused on the capital.
"And all the great families in the country are also making their moves in many ways, whether openly or secretly. It is very normal. Aren't we doing the same? And we are working hard for it." Cassain turned his head and said flatly, "If you are really worried, after you are done with your task, just go back and report it. This has nothing to do with our mission."
"Let's hope so …" Seychelles touched the sword at his waist and thought of the captain of the city defense team with a sharp gaze just now.
He then said absentmindedly, "Let's hope it is not the other families' actions."
"Don't worry, Lord Seychelles," Cassain said slowly. "At this moment, other than competing with the royal family, all actions towards the nineteen noble families will be seen as betrayal.
"How can the traitors of the nobles succeed in the 'king selection'?"
A bright light flashed in Jines' eyes. She avoided two blood slaves who were madly charging towards her. With a shake of the silver chain sword in her hand, she tied them up. The other two Swordsmen of Eradication from the Jadestar Family moved forward in coordination and pierced their hearts with the silver swords in their hands.
But the female official instantly sensed something. She knelt down and rolled to avoid a sharp claw that suddenly appeared.
The female Blood Clansman, Rolana, missed her attack. She turned around in anger and parried the two silver swords. Then, she screamed and quickly retreated with a hissing sound.
'My newly grown right arm is still very rusty. It limits my abilities,' Rolana thought hatefully. 'That damned half-crippled Psionic.'
"You blood-sucking whore, aim more accurately next time! I have seen too many of the crimes committed by vampires in the city. I have even personally captured a Blood Count from the Olas Family! "Jines sat up in a shrewish manner. With a flick of her slender arms, the chain sword instantly locked onto Rolana's left leg.
She wrapped the chain sword around her right arm. An inexplicable, copious amount of strength surged out, and she pulled it hard!
Rolana, who had avoided a flash of the sword, staggered and was immediately pulled to the ground! She screamed as she was continuously dragged away.
'This female mortal's strength … Is she a monster?'
Rolana roared furiously and gripped the ground tightly to resist Jines' monstrous strength. But before she could stabilize herself, another silver sword pierced towards her.
'This damned sword formation!' Rolana cursed in her heart. Facing such an enemy, her extraordinary speed and special abilities could not be unleashed at all.
The Astral Formation was a circular defensive formation. It was the main body of the formation. A few smaller teams could emerge from the outer edges of the formation and act as the tentacles and probes of the entire formation. In a chaotic battle, they could also advance and retreat agilely.
As for the blood slaves … Rolana carefully avoided the silver sword while resisting Jines' monstrous strength and kicking away the swordsman who attacked her. Under the siege of the sword formation, the number of blood slaves became fewer and fewer. After all, how could an irrational monster defeat a battle-hardened swordsman?
"Gilbert!" Jines roared furiously and tightened her grip on the chain sword in her hand. "Where is that child? We have been held back by these two and a bunch of lunatics for so long. You better have a reasonable plan! "
On the other side of the formation was the entrance of the big house. There, Gilbert held a sword in one hand and a staff in the other. He worked well with a few Swordsmen of Eradication and surrounded the golden-haired Istrone.
"Yodel is being held back by the other party. That guy is also in supreme class!" Gilbert said with a frown, "But since we are being held back here, we can only trust him!
"You … are all useless men!"
Gilbert did not care about Jines' scolding. He turned his attention back to Istrone, who was in front of him. It was this Blood Clansman with extraordinary speed who had kidnapped Thales under the noses of the eight guards and killed them along the way.
Istrone's unique innate gift was speed that far surpassed that of a normal Blood Clansman. Even though he was still in supra class, his speed was enough to surpass most of his peers. However, just tonight, he had encountered two opponents among the mortals who were also in supra class but were completely unafraid of his extraordinary speed.
One of them was Blood Bottle Gang's Nikolay. Istrone had seen the first few moves of that guy very clearly. Nikolay could not compete with Istrone in terms of speed, but for some unknown reason, after a few moves, Nikolay's speed and reflexes actually became faster and faster. At the most crucial moment, Nikolay's fist speed and reflexes were actually on par with the Blood Clansman's. If it were not for Chris' sudden intervention, Istrone even felt that Nikolay's speed would eventually surpass his!
The second opponent … Istrone felt his skin crawl. It was the middle-aged noble who looked elegant and noble, but who made him feel fear! Like Nikolay, Gilbert could not keep up with his speed either. However, this noble used his own method to forcefully restrain the high speed that Istrone was so proud of.
The silver sword in Gilbert's right hand was very steady, and his footsteps were filled with the elegance of a noble in a duel. However, Istrone was not worried about his sword. The golden-haired Blood Clansman could easily deal with such sword speed, and he could even overturn two swordsmen while he was at it.
What he was worried about was the staff in Gilbert's left hand!
Compared to the standard swordsmanship, that walking stick was like someone else's! Every time Istrone dodged or parried the silver sword, just as he was about to counterattack, the strange staff would strike him from the air. It would strike precisely at the direction where he was prepared to counterattack, or at the critical point where he could exert his strength, forcing Istrone to retreat in frustration. Then, he would fall into the encirclement of the other swordsmen.
Just because of that strange staff, Istrone even felt that he was not the one holding Gilbert back, but Gilbert was the one holding him back!
However, Istrone did not know that he had fallen into Gilbert's trap right from the start. The key to the martial arts passed down in Gilbert's family was not his staff, but the sword in his right hand that conformed to the rules and seemed ordinary!
"Sir Chris!" The golden-haired noble's ears twitched. He heard his cousin Rolana's soft murmurs in the midst of the chaotic battle.
"It's very difficult for us to hold on any longer. Has His Highness not woken up yet? If we really can't hold on any longer, let's retreat with the ancestral coffin!"
They did not know that at that moment, Chris, who was holding Yodel's short sword in a death grip, had a face full of shock and disbelief.
This emotion even infected the opponent in front of him, Yodel, who was behind the mask.
Chris whispered something. Only Yodel, who was opposite him, and the Blood Clansmen, who had extraordinary hearing, could hear it.
The two supreme class elites stopped fighting, let go of each other, and retreated separately.
When Rolana and Istrone heard Chris's murmurs, they opened their mouths wide at the same time. However, they immediately retreated quickly, only dodging and not counterattacking.
Soon, the people who were fighting in the chaotic battle on the empty ground realized to their surprise that the blood slaves were also roaring and retreating to the side. They did not even care if their heads were chopped off by the swordsmen beside them.
Jines, who was in the sword formation, looked at Gilbert in surprise. The latter was still frowning as he pondered over the situation before him.
They did not have to wonder for long.
* Thud! Thud! Thud! *
A few children's footsteps could be heard hurriedly coming from the house.
Along with the footsteps, a childish boy's voice could be heard.
"Everyone!"
Just like that, all the people on the empty ground saw the bare-chested Thales panting as he dragged the silver-haired little girl behind him, who was wearing his shirt. They ran out of the door on the first floor of the house and arrived at the empty ground of the manor.
Before he could see the situation before him clearly, Thales used all the strength of a seven-year-old boy, and with his muddled mind, he used all the expressions he knew to shout at the sky.
"All of you, stop!
"We are allies!"
“friendly_fire！”
“knock_it_off！”
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