Gnolls Attack

"Looks just like a dog."

Velin stood up, looking at the Rock Lizard, and said to Belder and Eunice.

Afterward, another Rock Lizard was unchained and also lay docilely on the ground, showing no signs of ferocity.

"Go get some wolf meat."

Looking at his new pet, Velin ordered a nearby soldier.

A moment later, two soldiers carrying two buckets of wolf meat, coated with rock salt and prepared for curing, arrived beside the Rock Lizards and dumped them on the ground.

The two Rock Lizards stared at the wolf meat on the ground, salivating, their eyes filled with longing, but they dared not make a move.

"Hahaha, they're quite sensible."

Velin walked forward, picked up a piece of meat, and tossed it to one of the Rock Lizards.

The Rock Lizard opened its mouth wide, swallowed the wolf meat in one gulp, licked its lips with lingering desire, and looked at its new master with longing.

Belder stood by, calmly observing the scene. He subjectively believed that his lord must be protected by the Goddess of Life, otherwise, he couldn't explain why two brainless beasts would show submission from the very first moment.

Eunice, standing nearby, had her worldview shattered. In her over fifty years of life experience, she had never encountered such a phenomenon. These ferocious beasts would bare their teeth even at a Legendary, yet now they acted like puppies, which was hard for the half-elf to accept.

However, Eunice knew she had missed another opportunity and didn't know when the next one would come.

The thought of having to diligently work as a laborer architect for the next ten years made her feel that life was bleak.

As for escaping, with the many Silver Knights at the Lake of Star Prayer, such an idea was no different from seeking death.

During their interaction, Velin gave names to the two Rock Lizards.

The one with a whiter color was named "Little White," and the one with a yellowish complexion was named "Little Yellow."

"Be good. Next, I'll build a home for you two. For now, follow the two caretakers to the lakeside to clean yourselves."

After the Rock Lizards left, Velin finally noticed Eunice standing beside him and said with a smile, "Even without merit, there's still effort. I'll have Orlando send you a Low-Grade Magic Crystal later."

"Thank you, my lord."

Eunice bowed slightly and returned to the castle construction site.

At this moment, the silent Belder spoke, asking, "My lord, I feel that we don't need to treat this half-elf so kindly. If they dare to complain, a good beating will suffice. If they dare to escape, just cut off their legs."

"Hahaha, Belder, your idea is a bit extreme." Velin replied with a laugh, without any blame in his words. He neither opposed nor supported Belder's suggestion.

"Alright, I have my own principles for handling these foreign races."

Upon hearing this, Belder bowed respectfully and then left the village square.

By the end of November, the wilderness rarely showed green grass, and the scenery was bleak everywhere.

About thirty miles west of the Lake of Star Prayer, three warriors sat around a campfire, boasting and chatting to pass the time.

"Captain, I heard you've almost saved enough money to buy a woman." One soldier looked at the squad captain with envy, his words full of admiration.

If you find this book good, remember to add it to your bookshelf to avoid losing it next time.

Iden replied with a laugh while wiping his Iron Sword, "Soon. After this month, I'll be able to start a family."

"Captain, don't forget us brothers when you get married," said the younger warrior, taking a sip of water affectionately.

"Don't worry, I won't forget you."

Iden, who came from a serf background, had never experienced what a home felt like.

Just then, another patrolling soldier returned to the camp, his face pale and trembling on his horse.

Seeing this, Iden quickly reached out to support his comrade, who was about to fall off his horse.

"Mar'er, quickly get some water."

"Okay, okay."

After some hurried movements, the scout soldier recovered and said anxiously to Iden, "Captain, Gnolls, lots of Gnolls, as far as the eye can see, are heading this way. They're about ten miles away."

"Did they spot you?" Iden asked sternly.

"Probably not. I observed from a distance, and as soon as I realized something was wrong, I immediately turned back."

"That's good." Iden breathed a sigh of relief, then instructed the other warriors, "Pack up quickly, we need to leave here immediately and return to the Lake of Star Prayer to report to Lord Belder."

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately extinguished the campfire, packed up the iron pot, food, and tents, tied them to their horses, and headed back as quickly as possible.

At three in the afternoon, in the open space of the castle, Velin, who was training, stopped because he saw Belder hurrying over.

"My lord, the sentries have reported that a large number of Gnolls have been spotted approaching the Lake of Star Prayer, and they are still thirty miles away."

Velin showed no surprise upon hearing this; he had already anticipated all of this.

For this reason, he had already moved most of the food and supplies from the village at the foot of the mountain to the castle, to facilitate a quicker evacuation when the Gnolls arrived.

"Belder, notify everyone. From now on, the Lake of Star Prayer will enter a state of war. Have everyone else retreat to the castle, distribute weapons to the strong serfs, the war has begun."

"Yes, my lord."

That evening, Velin's orders were read out.

The entire night, the Lake of Star Prayer was brightly lit. Under Belder's command, the freemen and serfs, along with their personal property, retreated to the castle on the mountain.

Velin stood on the inner city wall, watching the busy crowds on the mountain road, his mind constantly pondering how to profit from this turmoil.

The western provinces of the Kingdom of Isia were all under attack. Based on his guess, Lensa Province would be the first to bear the brunt, while Cadro Province, being so insignificant, wouldn't attract many monsters.

He recalled that a hundred years ago, the Graylight Wasteland had sent out a monster allied army of over a million, driving countless goblins and kobolds to invade the western border of the Kingdom of Isia. This had dealt a severe blow to the pioneers of that era, but the kingdom's upper echelons had used this unrest to expand their territory by over two million square kilometers.

Lensa Province, with an area of up to 750,000 square kilometers, was established as a royal province during that time.

Now, as the most important hub between the Graylight Wasteland and the Kingdom of Isia, Lensa Province was commercially prosperous. Its provincial capital was even known as the "Pearl of the West," making it the preferred target for these monster allied armies.

"A battle between a gold dragon and two red dragons makes it hard not to suspect that the gold dragon's defeat led to this war."

Whatever the reasons, now was not the time for him, a mere Silver Knight, to investigate.

What he needed to consider next was how to block the gnoll offensive and protect his own people and property.