The five-hundred-strong army did not choose to camp at the Moon Lake. That would be suicidal. Instead, they chose to camp at a basin about three hundred metres away from the lake.
Compared to the army Laing had seen in Calcen Haven, this army was made up of both regular soldiers and conscripts from Mjörden Haven. They were better equipped and stronger overall. In terms of setting up camp, they were nimble and well-trained. A camp was quickly formed in their hands.
The next step was simple. They fetched water, chopped firewood, cooked rice, and prepared to rest early.
Whispers could be heard in the camp. The soldiers had no confidence in tomorrow's battle. They gathered around the familiar Royal Knight Nicolai, warming themselves and eating while discussing in low voices.
"Sir Nicolai, are we going to fight tomorrow?" A young soldier asked carefully.
"What are you talking about, you brat? If we didn't start a war, what are we doing here? "One of the old soldiers scolded without holding back.
"… I'm just asking." The new soldier looked uneasy. "I heard that the barbarian warriors are all believers of Chaos. They eat human flesh, drink human blood, and tear apart everything they see. Will we survive tomorrow?"
"Who knows? We, Mjolden Haven, are already south of Nord. I really don't understand why those goddamn barbarians would come all the way here! "The soldiers grumbled. They put down their weapons and gobbled up the rations.
"…" Laing frowned. Although these soldiers were better equipped and stronger, their morale was not as good as the veterans in the northern cities.
He gave Nicolai a look, indicating that he should say something. Laing's current status was more like a visiting general. It was not suitable for him to directly command the army.
The desire to have his own territory and his own army had never been so strong.
"You idiots, can't you use your brains?" Nicolai immediately understood and scolded the soldiers. "Think about it carefully. If we don't go to war, won't the barbarians come knocking on our door?"
Nicolai's words made sense. Most of the soldiers immediately understood the cause and effect.
"I'm telling you, it's impossible! Whether we go to war or not, these damned barbarians will rush into our city like locusts. They will kill our families and take away our food. They will turn everything we have into ashes! "
The soldiers' eyes became firm. Everyone knew the outcome of letting the barbarians rush into the city.
Many of the young soldiers' eyes were bloodshot. They were breathing heavily.
"Our names will be engraved on our tombs as shameful people. If there is, we will bear the scorn and ridicule of those who come after us. Even if we are lucky enough to escape with our lives, how can we face others when we are unable to protect our home and family?"
"Kill! Kill those damn Barbarians!!! "A young soldier immediately stood up," Kill them all! "
"Kill them! Kill them! "
"All the Barbarians deserve to die!"
"We pledge our lives to protect our homeland!"
"Protect our homes! Protect the Count! "
War was the best education for patriotism. Seeing the soldiers' morale gradually rising, Laing nodded with satisfaction. Behind these soldiers was their homes. Their families were the reason they fought. Their lives were closely linked to their glory. There was no reason for them not to fight to the death.
The south of Nord was not like the north. Most of the civilians in the northern towns of Nord had bloodshot eyes when they heard that the barbarians had come.
Laing left the barracks and walked to the Moon Lake alone to think. Gradually, the sky turned dark and the moon rose. Laing looked at the huge full moon above his head and heard footsteps behind him. "You have a good father, Eyke."
"Mister Laing, I apologize for what I did before." The young knight sighed and appeared behind Laing. "I had made up my mind to not rely on my father's reputation, but in the end, I still fell in the face of reality."
"Everyone has to face reality. Everyone will bow to it one day. If you can't defeat it with your current strength, then wait for the right time." Laing turned around and looked at the wandering knight behind him.
From the moment he saw Eyke Albrecht's family crest, he knew that this kid was the son of the White Wolf Knight Gade. No one could use that kind of crest unless they were the descendant of that person.
"Ungrateful for the sake of profit, greedy for the sake of reputation. I'm really ashamed of your father." Laing's expression was cold. He looked at Eyke with a sharp gaze that almost made the wandering knight feel ashamed. "Do you know why I didn't hold you responsible in the end?"
"Why?" the wandering knight asked subconsciously.
"Because … to a certain extent, you did a good deed with bad intentions. You fought the enemy with tidy clothes and bought time for the Merchant Band. If not for your sacrifice, perhaps more people would have died." Lionheart gazed at the faraway Moon Lake and said calmly, "If you didn't force me to abdicate, I wouldn't have obtained the windfall. After weighing the consequences, I don't think there's a need to pursue Goodson's responsibility. Didn't he get injured because of the battle with the Orcs?" Lionheart nodded.
"No matter what, I'll give my all in this war," Eyke said in a deep voice. After saying this, the young man left without looking back. "To wash away my shame."
Laing nodded and walked alone into the depths of the ruins by the Moon Lake.
Since just now, something had been calling out to him from the depths of the ruins.
Laing walked slowly into the depths of the ruins.
The streets were very narrow, and the white walls were full of scratches. Traces of battle could be seen everywhere. Leon didn't know what had happened in the ruins, but the exploration of countless adventurers over the past thousand years had caused the ruins to lose its original appearance. Every corner of this abandoned city had been thoroughly searched by humans. Ever since the great Holy War, no adventurers had explored this place, because after every corner had been dug three feet deep, there was no need to waste time here.
The Elves' architectural skills were uncanny. No matter where he was, Laing could see the moon and the Moon Lake when he looked back.
Laing walked along the stone-paved path. At the end of the ruins, the voice calling out to him became clearer.
He came to an altar.
It was impossible to tell which god this ancient altar was dedicated to. Every statue had been destroyed and taken away by greedy adventurers, and every piece of exquisite gold foil had been cut and pried away by explorers with knives or sharp blades. The murals that told the past in the long gallery had been seriously damaged. Only the collapsed stone pillars and the brazier on the altar were not of interest to anyone, so they remained relatively intact.
He was sure that something was calling out to him here.
The moonlight shone on the altar and on Laing's armor. The light reflected everywhere, and the family emblem on his shoulder kept flashing.
Could it be the Moon Goddess? Laing fell into deep thought.
The Moon Goddess used to be one of the main gods of Humans before the Great Calamity, but after thousands of years of development, the church had long declined. In the south of the continent, especially in Marienburg and the Southern Kingdoms, the church still existed. In Nord, where the residents were in danger for a long time, the Moon Goddess Church, which worshipped human rights and freedom, couldn't find much living space.
In fact, the Empire and Brittany didn't like the Moon Goddess Church either.
While Laing was thinking, he heard footsteps behind him. A sika deer appeared in front of Laing. Laing subconsciously raised his war hammer and signaled it to move aside. Otherwise, don't blame me for being ruthless.
But the sika deer didn't move aside. It nodded at Laing and ran into a small forest.
Laing thought for a while and decided to follow.
The fog in the forest was getting thicker, and a faint fragrance filled the air. Ancient hymns resounded in the forest, telling of the great past of the Knight King. The forest fairies were singing around a beautiful figure. She was sitting on a tall unicorn, quietly looking at the guest brought by the deer.
"Ma 'am?" When she was about 20 steps away, Ryan had already realized who she was.
The other party didn't answer. Laing couldn't see the other party's expression in the fog. He could only see her beautiful golden hair that reached her ankles, and the tip of the unicorn was shining with starlight.
She seemed to be waiting for Laing's next move.
"My respects to you, Madam." After a moment of hesitation, Leon decided to kneel down on one knee and salute to the goddess. Regardless of the reason behind the Lake Fairy's actions, she was the one who standardized and formulated the Eight Virtues of Knights. She was the one who brought discipline and hope to mankind in this dark age. If it weren't for the Lake Fairy's help to the founding Knight King Arthur, all the humans in Britannia would have perished.
"Laing, an outsider from the outer realm, son of Norman, Lord of Ortney, godson of the Griffin Duke Ivan Ferdinand of the Empire. It's a pleasure to meet you." Her voice was like a clear spring. Every word of hers had an alluring fragrance and a strong sense of oppression. Laing had to concentrate all of his spiritual power to hear what she was saying. Moreover, the goddess was speaking in High Gothic. His forehead was sweating after a few words.
"It's a great honor to meet you, Lady. May I ask what's the matter?" Laing really couldn't figure out why the creator of the Knight's Virtues, the guardian and ruler of Brittany wanted to meet him, so he said after some deliberation.
"As expected!" The Lake Fairy raised her hand and gestured Laing to get up. Her gentle voice could easily make people fall into an eternal dream. "Very few people can bear to talk to me directly. Even my Knights of the Holy Grail can't do it. I always have to visit them in their dreams."
"…" Laing didn't answer. He didn't have enough information. Without knowing why the Lake Fairy wanted to see him, he didn't say anything.
"I've got the answer. Go, continue your battle. I want to remind you that we're outnumbered. Birige is a person blessed by Khorne. You can't fight him head-on." The Lake Fairy continued. Where she was, the snow had already receded, and countless flowers and grass were slowly growing along the path she had passed.
"The current situation doesn't allow us to outsmart him. I can only do my best to delay him until the Empire's reinforcements arrive." Laing answered straightforwardly.
"Prophesying your future always makes me feel dangerous. It's as if there's a supreme being watching me coldly … But before the Empire's reinforcements arrive, you and Birige will have to fight. The outcome of this battle will determine the safety of this city and all living things within dozens of miles." The Lake Fairy's figure was faintly discernible in the mist. "Go and face him, White Wolf Knight. Then you will understand what the true Knight's Virtues are."
The Fairy of the Lake's prophecies had never been wrong. She had the powerful ability to peek into the future. Although Leon did not know why she would say that he and Birig would eventually fight, since she had made the prophecy, it was very likely to happen.
But why did she have to remind him? What was her purpose for doing so?
"Lady, can you please answer my question?" Laing began to vaguely guess what the Lake Fairy wanted to do. So he simply asked directly, "I've always heard from the White Wolf Archbishop Malas that you are an elven god."
"You do know a lot, Laing." Even though it was covered by the thick mist, Leon could still feel the change in the tone of the fairy in the lake. She was silent for a long time before she continued, "Honesty is a virtue. I am the Goddess of the Elves, but also not the Goddess of the Elves."
"I'd like to hear more."
"My world was reduced to scorched earth and dead silence under the attack of Chaos. The Gate of Chaos devoured everything in the prime material plane. I fought my way out of the encirclement and spent a long time to arrive in this world. At that time, I was the god of elves."
"However, the elves of this world already had a complete pantheon. There was no place for me in this pantheon. From my observation, humans have higher potential and wisdom than elves. They are the main force against Chaos in the future. So I chose to descend to Brittany's Karkarson Principality. You know what happened after that."
Laing nodded. Everyone was familiar with the story of Knight King Arthur.
"After hundreds of years of accumulation of human faith, I am no different from a human god. My main identity is the Brittany's Guardian Goddess, not the elven Goddess of Fate."
"I understand. Thank you for your sincerity." This time, Laing felt that he was being a petty person in vain. He felt a little embarrassed, so he lowered his head and apologized.
"I'll wait for your choice."
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