On the eleventh day of the seventh month of the year 1787, the king of the Andinac Kingdom, Ognesero the First, gathered a million troops to recover the provinces of Andvov, Podoorg, Cambona, and the northwest province (the northwest region). The troops arrived at the border of the Commerce Union and demanded that the Commerce Union return the two former provinces of the Christen Empire, Armenia and Marivia of the Duchy of Lulm. He was determined to unify the empire and revive the Christen Empire.
After the 100,000 troops sent by the Commerce Union to Cambona were completely annihilated by the Flying Tiger Legion of the Norton Family of the Andenac Kingdom, they hurriedly reached an armistice agreement with the Eight-Nation Coalition Army of the South-Central Continent. They mobilized six main armies of the Commerce Union from the south-central part of the continent, recruited garrisons from various places, and invited their ally, the Chigda Kingdom, to send reinforcements. They gathered more than 500,000 troops to confront the million troops of the Andenac Kingdom at the frontline of the two provinces.
On the 13th of August, the Commerce Union sent an envoy to the White Lion Legion of the Andenac Kingdom, claiming that they were ready to negotiate with Ogseiro the First to settle the territorial dispute between the two countries and sign a peace agreement. Ogseiro the First was overjoyed. In order to express his sincerity, he specially laid out a ten-mile road of peace covered in white sand to welcome the arrival of the envoy.
However, Ogseiro the First, who was bent on negotiating, did not expect that the envoy sent by the Commerce Union was only a pretense. In reality, they were secretly harboring evil intentions. They sent the Storm Sword Sage to accompany the envoy, intending to kidnap the Andenac Kingdom's King Ogseiro the First and the elite nobles of the Andenac Kingdom to Morent City, the capital of the Commerce Union, and force them to sign a humiliating surrender agreement.
During the meeting, the Commerce Alliance suddenly split their troops into five groups to attack the Andinac Kingdom's army. They hoped to defeat the Andinac Kingdom's million-strong army, which had lost its command and ability to adapt, while Ognesero the First and the elite nobles of the Andinac Kingdom were being held hostage by the Storm Sword Sage. They hoped to eliminate the threat to the Commerce Alliance.
If everything went smoothly, the Andenac Kingdom would no longer be a threat to the Commerce Union for the next hundred years. The entire kingdom's economy and commerce would be controlled by the Commerce Union. But unexpectedly, at the most critical moment, the Duke of the Northern Lands, Norton Lollister, stepped forward and fought with the Storm Sword Sage. Both sides suffered heavy injuries, and the Storm Sword Sage escaped in a sorry state. It was reported that he would need more than three years to fully recover. At this point, the conspiracy of the Trade Federation to kidnap Ogesero I and the elite nobles of the Andinac Kingdom was destroyed.
Under the ambush of the Commerce Alliance's five armies, the millions of soldiers of the Andinac Kingdom, who were unprepared for the peace talks, suffered heavy losses and fled. However, the Monolith Army, armed by the Norton Family, was able to firmly defend the frontline and inflict heavy casualties on the Trade Federation's armed forces. The Commerce Alliance's armed forces gathered three armies of 300,000 soldiers and attacked the Monolith Army's camp for close to a month. In the end, they returned in defeat, and the Monolith Army became famous throughout the world.
As the Monolith Army held back most of the attacking forces of the Commerce Alliance's armed forces, Ogesero I had time to regroup and reorganize his defeated army. After a month, Ogesero I gathered more than 600,000 soldiers and made a comeback. Angered by the conspiracy of the Commerce Alliance, Ogesero I committed suicide in public. He swore that he would use blood to wash away the humiliation that the Commerce Alliance had given him and the Andenac Kingdom, and that he would fight the Commerce Alliance to the death. The Commerce Alliance's armed forces were not to be outdone. They gathered 400,000 soldiers and fought a fierce battle in Armenia and Marivia. Both sides had victories and defeats, and they were evenly matched.
On the 23rd of October, the Norton Family's armed forces, the Flying Tiger Army and the Hunting Cavalry Army, suddenly appeared on the battlefield. They were unstoppable, and they were invincible. The Commerce Alliance's armed forces suffered consecutive defeats and lost more than 100,000 soldiers. They were unable to resist the Norton Family's armed forces, and they had no choice but to retreat from Armenia and Marivia to the Mana Hill Plains.
As the Commerce Alliance's armed forces retreated, their attention was attracted by the Norton Family's armed forces, and they neglected Ogesero I, who was eyeing them covetously. In the end, Ogesero I made use of the Fisablun Family's Ranger Army, the Reserve Army, and the Felim Family's Pegasus Army's Light Cavalry to launch a surprise attack on the retreat of the Commerce Alliance's armed forces at night. They blocked the way from the front and attacked in the middle, and the Commerce Alliance's armed forces suffered a crushing defeat. They lost 240,000 soldiers.
After the battle, Ogesero I ordered the execution of nearly a thousand captive nobles of the Commerce Alliance. Then, the army arrived at the Mana Hill Plains, and the prelude to the bloody battle of the Mana Hill Plains that lasted two years. The Commerce Alliance, on the other hand, suffered a great loss in strength after this battle, and internal unrest began. They were known as the largest country in the Galinthea Continent, but they were instantly defeated by the Andinac Kingdom, and showed their true colors of exhaustion. The Six Magnates and the Six Chambers of Commerce that controlled the Commerce Alliance also suffered heavy losses, and could only barely maintain the defense line at the Mana Hill Plains …
In the history of the Galinthea Continent, the Commerce Alliance violated the unwritten tradition of not sending troops to attack during the peace talks. Therefore, the war that started from the Andinac Kingdom's Ogesero I gathering a million soldiers at the border of the Commerce Alliance, and ended when the light cavalry defeated the retreating army of the Commerce Alliance in a night attack, was known as the War of Betrayal. There were also war scholars who called it the War of Betrayal.
In this war that changed the situation of the entire continent, the most legendary and controversial one was the Grand Duke of the North of the Andinac Kingdom, Norton Laurist. He was not even forty years old, and he challenged the famous Storm Sword Sage, Master Maggroot. The fierce battle did not even last fifteen minutes, and he was severely injured. Although he was also seriously injured, this battle made him famous. He was the only newly promoted Sword Sage on the continent in the past fifty years, and he was not even forty years old. This was also the most doubtful and controversial point.
In the records of the Sword Sage on the Galinthea Continent in the past thousand years, the youngest person to become a Sword Sage was sixty-eight years old. This was already known as the most amazing person in the past thousand years. He was Master Cameron, who was known as the Cloud Sage more than three hundred years ago. But now, the Grand Duke of the North, Norton Laurist, had broken this record. This was also doubtful and controversial. One had to know that the Grand Duke was not even forty years old, and it was said that he did not practice the blood attribute Combat Energy that was passed down in the Norton Family, but the secret training method of the Eastern monks during the ancient magic civilization.
Regardless of whether the Grand Duke's training was an orthodox Dou Qi inheritance or a lost Eastern monk's secret training technique, it was undeniable that he had fought with the Storm Sword Saint and had severely injured him. Although the Grand Duke was also severely injured, the fact that he could fight against the Storm Sword Sage gave the Andenac Kingdom the courage and confidence to fight against the Commerce Federation. The Andenac Kingdom also had a Sword Sage of the Kingdom. It was a pity that the Storm Sword Sage had lived in seclusion after returning to Moronte City, focusing on recuperating. Hence, there was no way for him to comment on the Grand Duke of the North.
According to the eldest disciple of the Storm Sword Sage, Count Beauregard, the Storm Sword Sage said that the Grand Duke of the North had indeed become a Sword Sage, and his territory was very strange. It was filled with the smell of blood and massacre, like a bloody realm. One could imagine that the Grand Duke of the North must be a ruthless and evil person whose hands were stained with blood. However, Count Beauregard then said that the Grand Duke of the North had been stabbed in the chest by the Storm Sword Sage. His injuries would only be more serious, and he would need more time to recover than the Storm Sword Sage. The Storm Sword Sage said that he would find the Grand Duke of the North for a duel after recuperating, to avenge the humiliation of being seriously injured.
The Grand Duke of the North, Norton Laurist, who had been seriously injured after the battle with the Storm Sword Sage, had also disappeared without a trace. It was likely that he had also gone to recover from his injuries. In the entire War of the Alliance Betrayal, the Norton Family's military had performed exceptionally well. The Monolith Army had defended the camp and turned the tide, the Flying Tiger Army had advanced like a hurricane, and the Hunting Cavalry had regrouped and dispersed like the wind. It could be said that it was the Norton Family's three main armies that laid the foundation for the Andinac Kingdom's victory against the Commerce Federation.
After the War of the Alliance Betrayal, there were rumors that the Commerce Federation had organized a 15-man assassination team of Master Swordsmen to infiltrate the North in preparation to assassinate the seriously injured Grand Duke of the North, Norton Laurist. In the Norton Family's records, there were indeed many encounters and traces of hostile Master Swordsmen in the Norton Family during that period. However, it was worth suspecting that the high-ranking officials and family knights of the Norton Family, as well as the children of the Grand Duke of the North, were not assassinated during that period. It could be seen that this was only a rumor. The main reason was most likely that the Grand Duke of the North had lost contact with the family after he was injured and had sought a place to recuperate. This caused the Norton Family to feel uneasy and panic, which eventually led to an internal strife.
Because of the internal strife, the Norton Family's three main armies, which were on an expedition to the Mana Hill Plains, embarked on a journey back to the North. The Andinac Kingdom's army, which had lost the assistance of the Norton Family's three main armies, was not strong enough to conquer the remaining three strongholds of the Commerce Federation on the Mana Hill Plains, as well as Morent City. Thus, the bloody battle on the Mana Hill Plains entered a brutal phase. The Andinac Kingdom and the Commerce Federation did not expect that in the next one and a half years, both sides would lose another two to three hundred thousand elite soldiers on the blood-covered plains. This was a war with no final victor …
…
"Where am I …" Laurist finally came to his senses and uttered a complete and clear sentence. The room was pitch-black, and outside the window, there was the sound of rain falling continuously.
Ever since he had fallen unconscious after his battle with the Storm Sword Saint, Laurist felt as if he had had a very, very long dream. He could still remember very few fragments of the dream. It was nothing more than drinking all sorts of bitter and astringent potions, and his entire body was in pain. Sometimes, he felt as if he was swaying on a stretcher, or in a carriage. His body was constantly in pain, and sometimes, he felt as if he was being roasted. Occasionally, when he was clear-headed, he saw the blue sky, and heard the screams of battle …
"Your Highness, are you awake?" A suppressed and familiar voice filled with joy sounded beside him. It sounded like Redi's voice … …
"Redi? Where is this? Why aren't there any candles? "Laurist asked doubtfully.
"Your Highness, we are in Kebo City. I'm sorry, but for the sake of your safety, we cannot light candles now … … "Redi hesitated for a moment before replying awkwardly.
Kebo City? For the sake of safety, we cannot light candles? Laurist took a few deep breaths. His chest was still in pain, but the sword that had pierced his chest in his memories was no longer there. Very quickly, he recalled everything that had happened during the battle between him and the Windstorm Sword Saint.
"Tell me, what time is it now? What is the situation?" His eyes finally adjusted to the darkness, and he could vaguely see the shadows of sacks stacked high all around him. This seemed to be a grain warehouse.
"Your Highness, you have been unconscious for almost six months, and have been relying on healing potions and nutrient potions to keep you alive. His Majesty had originally arranged for you to recuperate in the capital, but three months ago, the Trade Alliance sent over ten swordsmen to ambush the palace in an attempt to assassinate you. However, you did not stay in the palace as they had expected. The Munster swordsmen who was recuperating and another swordsmen called Joseph died in battle. The capital was in chaos, and Hugh and I killed three swordsmen from the Trade Alliance who were chasing us. We took advantage of the chaos to snatch you and escape from the capital, bringing the guards to Fendinath City.
We originally thought that Terman's knights were still stationed in Fendinath City, and we hoped that they could help protect you. However, when we arrived, we discovered that the knights had already been dispatched by the family to Makino Province. At this time, the swordsmen from the Trade Alliance also chased after us. In order to lure them away, Hugh and Genolio brought the guards to the north. I hid you in the carriage and sneaked into Kebo City. It is the rainy season of the new year, and we have been here for a month and a half. "
Redi's words revealed a lot of information, and Laurist pondered for a while before he could sort out his thoughts.
"Did His Majesty not chase after the Storm Sword Saint after I fainted?" Laurist asked.
"He did, but when we were about to catch up, the army of the Trade Alliance had already arrived. A few of the White Lion Corps had collapsed, and everyone was in a hurry to escape. Genolio and I brought you and the guards back. His Majesty said that he had to save you no matter what, and asked the injured Munster swordsmen to bring us back to the capital so that the potioneers could heal you. He wanted you to stay in the palace, but that evil bitch from the Fisablon Family said that she wanted to avoid arousing suspicion and did not let you stay there. She could only arrange for you to stay in an earl's mansion beside the palace. I didn't expect that we would be able to avoid the assassination from the Trade Alliance … "Redi said with a look of relief.
"His Majesty did not return to the capital?"
"No. This time, the million-strong army was routed. Only our family's Monolith Army defended the camp and bought time for the Second Prince to gather the defeated soldiers. A month later, His Majesty returned with the army. He has been at the frontlines and hasn't returned to the capital. Later, Lord Bodefinger sent Master Swordsman Theseus back to the imperial capital to protect you. He brought news that His Majesty had cut off his hair in front of the army and swore to fight the Trade Union to the end to wash away the shame of being deceived.
Hmm, the second prince is going to be busy. Who knows how long the war with the Trade Alliance will last?
"You said that Terman and the knights are not in Fendinath City, and were transferred to Makinohara Province. Why? What about the Hunting Cavalry in Makinohara Province? Did something happen again? "
"This … This is because His Majesty led the army to attack the Trade Alliance, and the knights stayed in Fendinath City with nothing to do. At the same time, I heard that Commander Joost flew into a rage when he heard that you were heavily injured. He disobeyed the family's order to stay put, and led the Hunting Cavalry and Lord Ross to the frontlines to attack the Trade Alliance to avenge you. Makinohara Province is empty, and the family had no choice but to send Lord Terman and the knights there. "Redi replied with some hesitation.
"Nonsense!" Loriste snorted through his nose. However, he was hiding in the granary, and there was nothing he could do about it. Joost had always been close to him, and when he heard that something had happened to him, he would definitely take action. This was something that Fatty Shi could not stop. On the other hand, Ross was too arrogant, and did not care about Fatty Shi at all other than Redi's orders. He hated that he was hiding here, or else these two would obediently come back and admit their mistakes with a single order.
"Does anyone else know about me here?" Loriste asked.
"Your Highness, only three people know about me. Right now, there are only three thousand guards in Kebo City. Other than me, the commander of the guards and his personal bodyguard know about me. The commander is Shirikov, and he came from the guards' camp. His personal bodyguard is his cousin, and he is in charge of delivering food to us. However, after the rainy season, it will be time for the winter wheat harvest in Delimek Province. There will be grain carts delivering winter wheat, and there will be too many eyes. If someone finds out that Your Highness is here, it will attract the attention of assassins … "
"Let's change locations. We can't return to the North now, and there will definitely be people watching over there. In April, we will pretend to be those grain farmers and go to Baron Dina's territory. "Loriste said after some thought.
… …
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