Before the Battle

The bald middle-aged man standing at the main gate was named Gerant.

Back when Andres was still the captain of the Inori Guard, Gerant had been the vice-captain.

Their strength was more or less equal. Gerant considered himself older than Andres and more experienced, so he had always been dissatisfied that Andres was captain while he was merely vice-captain.

Their relationship had been rather ordinary when they worked together.

After Andres left the guard, Gerant naturally took over his position and became captain.

At that moment, Andres and Pat saw Gerant, and Gerant naturally noticed them as well.

Gerant was not at all surprised to see Andres, as though he had already received word.

With a sneer, he strode toward Andres.

"Andres, you left Ironstone Town without the young lady's orders. You've got quite some nerve!" Gerant snapped.

"I'll explain it to the young lady." Andres spoke calmly and headed into the hall.

But Gerant flashed forward and blocked his path.

"Battle is about to begin. The young lady is discussing matters with the other lords and has no time to see you." Gerant sneered.

"Captain Gerant, I should report to the young lady instead. The other lords haven't arrived yet, so there's still time."

As Pat spoke, he moved to enter.

"Stop!" Gerant roared, actually drawing the longsword at his waist and holding it across Pat's path.

"Pat, you're a member of the guard. Are you going to defy my orders as captain?"

Pat did not back down when he saw Gerant's ice-cold expression.

He could tell that Gerant was deliberately making things difficult for Andres. He wanted to help Andres, but he also did not want to completely fall out with Gerant.

After thinking for a moment, he said, "Captain Gerant, I don't mean anything else by it. I only want the young lady to make the decision."

Pat felt that given Inori's relationship with Andres, there was no way she would shut Andres out.

Yet upon hearing this, Gerant's lips curled into a mocking smile.

"This is the young lady's decision. She does not wish to see Andres right now."

Pat's expression changed slightly. He wanted to say more, but Andres stopped him.

"Forget it, Pat. We'll talk after the young lady finishes discussing matters." Andres said calmly.

He guessed that Inori's refusal to see him was probably because she was dissatisfied with him coming to Black Mountain City without permission.

However, Andres no longer cared what Inori thought. His greatest purpose in coming to Black Mountain City was to find an opportunity to kill Resior and complete Teresa's Binding Quest.

As long as he killed Resior, his talent could rise to the level of a Highgod. In just a few years, he could become a Saint Domain expert, or even achieve Godhood. Then he would have no need to care about anything in the mortal world.

Hearing Andres say this, Pat no longer insisted. Just as the two were about to leave, they saw a young man in white robes arrive as well.

"Young Master Mars."

Gerant and Pat greeted the young man in white robes in unison.

Andres followed suit.

The young man in white robes was named Mars. He was the Demian Family's first heir and Inori's eldest brother.

Mars possessed the strength of a peak Level Seven Warrior. Having served in the army for many years, he was already a high-ranking general of the Oga Kingdom, with numerous military achievements to his name. He himself held the title of marquis and might even inherit Duke Demian's title in the future. He was one of the Oga Kingdom's foremost young talents.

But all of that had become uncertain with Inori's rise.

After Inori became a Level Eight Warrior, her status rose further. Within the Demian Family, Inori's status had already surpassed Mars's.

A Level Eight Warrior in her twenties had hope of reaching Ninth Rank in the future. The entire Demian Family had placed all its hopes on Inori.

Barring any surprises, Inori would also be the one to inherit the Demian Family in the future.

Even in this war against the Beastmen, King Oga had appointed Inori as commander-in-chief, with Mars as her deputy.

His inheritance rights were overtaken, and he still has to accept Inori's command. I wonder how Mars feels about that? Andres thought.

However, nothing could be seen from Mars's expression.

Faced with the greetings of Andres and the other two, Mars merely nodded indifferently before walking into the council hall.

Then, another sturdily built elderly man approached.

The old man's full head of white hair was meticulously combed. His bearing was proper and measured, and one could tell at a glance that he was an old aristocrat.

"Marquis Daniel." Gerant said respectfully.

Marquis Daniel was one of the few Level Eight experts in the Oga Kingdom and had been famous for many years.

Unlike Mars, Marquis Daniel politely returned Andres and the others' greetings, maintaining aristocratic etiquette.

After Marquis Daniel entered the council hall, a majestic middle-aged man in golden armor strode over.

"It's Vice Commander Alisson!" Pat quietly introduced him to Andres.

Alisson was the vice commander of the Kingdom Knights and a Level Eight Warrior. This time, King Oga had dispatched half the Kingdom Knights' forces, with Alisson leading them.

Alisson walked straight into the council hall without even sparing Andres and the others a glance.

It seems the Beastmen have deployed no small force this time. Otherwise, the Oga Kingdom wouldn't have sent so many experts either, Andres thought.

There were not many Level Eight Warriors in the Oga Kingdom to begin with, yet three had come this time. Half of the elite Kingdom Knights had also arrived, along with other troops. It could be said that more than half of the entire kingdom's military strength had been gathered here.

"Pat, take me up to the city walls for a look," Andres said.

He wanted to learn more about the Beastmen army so he could make thorough preparations to kill Resior.

At that moment, Inori and the others were holding their pre-battle meeting. If he could enter, he would surely learn much about the Beastmen army.

But since he could not get in now, Andres could only go and see for himself.

The Beastmen army was camped outside the city. Led by Pat, Andres smoothly made his way onto the eastern wall.

Andres looked into the distance. Several miles from the city gates stood rows upon rows of tents, with countless Beastmen preparing for battle around them.

This time, the Beastmen had deployed an army of three hundred thousand. In terms of troop numbers alone, they outnumbered the Oga Kingdom's forces by one hundred thousand.

These Beastmen were generally over two meters tall, with thick, powerful builds and rough, rock-like dark gray skin. Their fangs protruded from their faces, their eyes were as round as bronze bells, and every one of them was a formidable warrior.

The Beastmen were an extremely powerful race. Even on the vast Sacred Tree Continent, they were an overlord-class force, with only the Elf Race able to contend with them. The Beastmen of the Noah Continent were merely one branch among them.

Humans also had Saint Domain experts, but they were all on the Sacred Tree Continent, where they joined the Elf Race in resisting the Beastmen.

I wonder where Resior is right now? Andres muttered inwardly.

Merely looking out from the city walls, he could not possibly spot the Beastmen army's high-ranking experts.

"Hmm?" Suddenly, Andres sensed something and looked up into the sky.

A several-meter-long azure eagle was circling high above.

"A Level Eight Magical Beast, a Gale Eagle!"

Andres recognized the eagle in the sky.

Gale Eagles were a powerful race among magical beasts. Their strongest members, Thunder Gale Eagles, were even Level Nine Magical Beasts.