Ox War

The three members of the First Squad were not only of different status from Colin and Bill, but they simply could not get along. After exchanging greetings, the two sides went their separate ways.

Colin and Bill rode around the grounds at random.

The wheat fields in winter were desolate, and the soil had already frozen. The horses' hooves made crisp sounds as they struck the ground.

Bill, ever the know-it-all, pulled an old sheepskin map from his clothes and studied it carefully.

"What's this?" Colin curiously guided his East Gran War Horse closer and leaned over to look.

"It's a terrain map of the nearby Dolor Mountains. This is our camp, the site of the Ox War. The Knight Order Action will take place here."

"Commemorating the battles of our predecessors is also one of the purposes of this Knight Order Action."

It was a very old black-and-white map, but several red dots had been marked on it. Bill pointed at one of them and said,

"The site of the Ox War, huh?" Colin rubbed his chin.

It had been a world-shaking war during the reign of Emperor Ox II, fought against the southern Black Death Empire. Both sides had committed Knight Orders and Mage Corps on an enormous scale.

It had also been the Van Gogh Empire's war of resistance against the Black Death Empire's invasion. Ever since then, the Black Death Empire's influence had been confined south of the Lundol Mountain Range.

Many prominent nobles had joined that battle, including the Russell family's ancestor, the Duke Russell of that generation. Many Commoner Knights had also earned noble surnames through that battle and entered the ranks of the nobility.

"Excited? I got this information in advance. I prepared plenty of digging tools. Maybe we'll unearth something." Bill smugly patted a leather bag behind his warhorse, then took out an exquisite little hoe and gave it a flourish.

"An archaeological digging hoe, made from sturdy, durable Taijin." Colin was genuinely surprised. This guy had come thoroughly prepared.

Then he shook his head and said, "After the Ox War ended, the Empire's knights thoroughly cleared the battlefield. After all these years, hordes of adventurers have combed through the site like locusts, digging it three feet deep. There can't possibly be anything left."

"Maybe the goddess is watching over us and will guide us to dig something up?" Bill rolled his eyes at Colin. This guy had no romance at all.

Colin shrugged indifferently. There was only one sentence in his mind. This guy is daydreaming.

"Whooo, whooo, whooo." The two suddenly heard a horn call, and both stirred. It was a horn made from the horns of the Kent Water Buffalo, a large buffalo unique to Marquis Kent's Territory. It was commonly used as a military horn among the Knight Orders under Marquis Kent.

Colin and Bill swiftly turned their horses around, squeezed their legs against the horses' flanks, and rode toward the sound of the horn.

In an open area, the Quasi-Knights were assembling. Captain Lyon Brown and Vice Captain Michael Harris stood atop a simple platform made of boxes, with Fifth Knight Order banners planted on either side.

Both wore light leather armor, daggers at their waists, and scarlet cloaks draped behind them. They looked quite the part.

Meanwhile, Colin, Bill, and most of the other students were dressed in academy uniforms.

But that was perfectly normal. Nobles of Van Gogh usually displayed their status through expensive clothing or jewelry. After all, they were the captain and vice captain.

Colin shrugged, quickly joined up with the members of the First Squad, and waited on horseback in front of the platform for the speech.

Lyon Brown then went through the usual speech, extolling knightly virtues and conduct. After that, he formally issued orders.

"First Squad Captain, Colin Russell." Lyon Brown looked calmly at Colin and spoke in a deep voice.

"Captain." Colin knew the real business had arrived. He squeezed his legs against his horse's flanks, rode out alone, and gave Lyon Brown a slight bow.

"The camp for this Knight Order Action is at the Ox War site. You and your First Squad will carry out advance reconnaissance. Depart immediately." Lyon Brown announced the destination for the expedition, then turned and nodded to Vice Captain Michael Harris.

Michael Harris stepped down from the simple platform with a sheepskin map in hand. Colin dismounted, and Michael Harris removed his black cowhide gloves, unfolded a brand-new sheepskin map, and pointed to a route. "This is the route for this march, as well as the designated camp sites. You will depart ahead of the main force, reach today's camp first, and carry out guard duty."

"Understood, Vice Captain." Colin looked at the map and nodded. Michael Harris then handed the new map to Colin.

Colin tucked the sheepskin map into his clothes, mounted his horse, and turned to his team members. "Move out."

"Clop, clop, clop." At Colin's command, the outstanding students of Will Knight Academy urged their warhorses southward at full speed. Their hooves trampled the frozen ground, producing crisp echoes.

Lyon Brown watched Colin and the others depart, and a trace of coldness finally appeared in his eyes. He still bore a grudge over that mediation.

"The Empire has the Empire's rules, and a marquis's territory has a marquis's rules. In Marquis Kent's Territory, aside from the marquis, we Hereditary Knights are the most distinguished. Colin Russell, I'll make you understand that the Brown surname is naturally above Russell in this land."

The Knight Order had a large force, so it would not move quickly. The first designated camp was eighty li away. After five hours of hard riding, Colin and the members of his First Squad finally arrived at the camp.

There was no barren land within the marquis's territory. This camp was located in a wheat field beside the main road. The academy must have paid the local farmers beforehand, because they had done some simple clearing of the land.

Five hours of fast riding was nothing to Quasi-Knights, nor was it much for excellent warhorses. The key was that this set a bad precedent.

After arriving at the camp, Bill dismounted and took two small wooden basins from behind his horse. One contained soybeans, while the other was filled with water. His warhorse immediately began eating voraciously.

"Colin, I get it now. He's trying to make things difficult for you." Bill glared at Colin and said irritably, "How did you provoke him?"

The other three team members remained silent, but each of them harbored some resentment. Naturally, that resentment was directed at Colin.

Colin also dismounted and prepared feed and water for his mount. As he worked, he smiled and replied, "No. He provoked me."

Bill rolled his eyes at Colin. Lyon Brown would not provoke him for no reason, would he?

"Forget it. You've been causing trouble nonstop lately. Brian, Chal, Kebir, Noah Company... I'm gradually becoming numb to it all." Bill sighed.

"But the Knight Order Action will last two months. We're in for a hard time."