The Guard Regiment's Mission

Roy remembered the last time he saw Miss Christine was at the End-of-Term Ball at the Castleton Elf Academy at the beginning of the year.

"Christine, now that you've come to Padesto, you must let me do my part as a host!" Roy said to Miss Christine with a smile.

Miss Christine squinted, like a Persian cat perched on a cupboard.

"Well... I want to see the night view of Padesto City." She opened her beautiful blue eyes and said softly.

Roy pointed inside and said, "Well... let's talk again after we're done!"

He then stood at the door of Earl Swynborne's office and knocked.

Miss Christine followed behind Roy, whispering instructions to Roy:

"Hey, whatever he asks for later, just agree to it readily! He's been having a lot of troubles lately, and his temper's been a bit short..."

"..."

It felt like the hints given to me by the Commander Berkeley and Miss Christine were exactly the same thing.

Following Miss Christine's suggestion, Roy took a deep breath and slowly walked into Earl Swynborne's office.

Earl Swynborne sat behind his desk, flipping through a thick stack of documents.

Upon seeing Roy, Earl Swynborne gestured for Roy to sit down in the chair opposite the desk.

Without even a polite opening greeting, Earl Swynborne placed the documents in his hand on the table, looked up and said, "Roy, the Legion currently has two missions."

Earl Swynborne and Roy exchanged glances, and he continued, "The first mission is that the Legion's Second Silver Pegasus Knight Regiment ' Supply Ship fleet has been blocked in Goat Ram Horn Fjord and the Legion needs to rush to their aid immediately. The Fifth and Sixth Silver Pegasus Knight Order are already on their way. I would like your Mine Guard Regiment to also sail to Ram Horn Fjord to assist the Fifth and Sixth Silver Pegasus Knight Order in the battle."

The second task is to station Guard Regiment on the outer islands of the Empress Ivini Islands, specifically in the Eastern Islands.

You can choose one of these two tasks...

Because of the prompting from Commander Berkeley and Miss Christine, Roy said without thinking:

"Then I'd like to go to Ram Horn Fjord."

Earl Swynborne was somewhat surprised. He said to Roy, "Tell me your reasons for choosing the first mission."

Do I need to give a reason? Roy was a little dumbfounded. He chose the first mission simply because Earl Swynborne had talked a lot about it when he introduced it.

He also speculated that the Supply Ship fleet that was intercepted by the Gray Dwarf Bandit in Ram Horn Fjord was likely an elven army heading to Gorfito.

"After the trouble at Ram Horn Fjord is resolved, will we still be going to Gorfito for a garrison mission?" Roy asked Earl Swynborne.

"Right."

"Then I want to go to Ram Horn Fjord to fight."

Earl Swynborne hesitated for a moment. He had originally hoped that Roy would agree to the second condition, that he would lead the Mine Guard Regiment to garrison the outer islands of Empress Ivini Islands.

Earl Swynborne then asked, "Roy, how many Half-Elf Warrior can you spare from the Pagisto Plateau?"

"We can probably muster about three thousand Half-Elf Warrior," Roy said after a moment's thought.

Earl Swynborne shook his head and said, "I need you to bring at least five thousand Half-Elf Warrior from the Pagisto Plateau."

Roy was somewhat embarrassed.

The battlefield he's heading to this time is Ram Horn Fjord, which isn't anywhere in the Pattington Plane.

If the headhunter prisoners of war in the Plateau City were to riot, the army would be unable to return to the Plateau City.

Roy hesitated for a moment before saying, "The remaining Mine Guard Army are unable to maintain stability on the Pagisto Plateau, Your Earl. I need to recruit some Half-Elf Warrior to form a reserve battle group for the Mine Guard Regiment."

Earl Swynborne seemed to have anticipated Roy's response and agreed without hesitation:

"Sure, but you'll have to handle the military budget yourself. Can the mines on the Pagisto Plateau generate enough revenue to support it?"

Roy nodded and answered frankly, "The mine's revenue has been steadily increasing recently, and some abandoned mines on the plateau will gradually resume production. The military budget is still sufficient."

Earl Swynborne asked, "Approximately how long will it take the Mine Guard Regiment to reach Padesto by Magic Airship?"

Roy replied, "I need to go back to the Plateau City and bring them out; it will probably take me three days."

Earl Swynborne continued, "You can make preparations; the fleet will meet you at the Pattington Island dock."

Roy had no intention of traveling to Ram Horn Fjord on a medium-sized sailing ship, mainly because those supply Supply Ship were practically useless against the Gray Dwarf Bandit ' warships, except for being a little faster.

So he said, "There are several Three-Masted Sailboat that were captured from the Gray Dwarf in the Sheltered Fjord of Pattington Island. These ships are being converted into Magic Airship. I would like to take a three-masted seaship to Ram Horn Fjord."

Earl Swynborne knew that those ships were spoils of war captured by Roy during the Queen Ivini Islands Naval Battle.

"Oh? You mean those Three-Masted Sailboat you captured? If they've been converted into Magic Airship, is it possible for them to travel in the air? If so, they should be able to reach Ram Horn Fjord very quickly."

Roy responded, "These Magic Airship need to find suitable Wind Stream Layer to navigate in the air. Also, the elves have always been resistant to these magical technological products from the Dwarven Kingdom. I don't want to leave the Magic Airship on the Elf Continent for fear of causing some negative comments."

Earl Swynborne waved his hand and said:

"Finding a suitable Wind Stream Layer can be accomplished with the assistance of the Silver Pegasus Knights. As for your concern that the Magic Airship will be opposed by the Silver Moon Elf people, then just find a route in the sea so they can't see it... wouldn't that solve the problem?"

"I can give it a try..." Roy agreed.

The conversation between Earl Swynborne and Roy ended quickly, as Roy, having received orders, needed to board the Magic Airship and return to the Plateau City as soon as possible.

This completely ruined his plan to stroll around Padesto City with Miss Christine that night.

After leaving Earl Swynborne's office, Roy said apologetically to Miss Christine, who was sitting in the outer room, "I'm sorry, Christine, I'm afraid I don't have time to show you around Padesto City. I have to take the Magic Airship back to the Plateau City soon."

"It's okay, there will be other opportunities in the future."

Miss Christine sat in a chair in the outer room, her smile somewhat forced.

Roy still remembered the first time he met Miss Christine. At that time, she was a Silver Moon Elf noblewoman with arrogant and critical eyes. Wherever she went, she would put on a superior attitude.

She seems to have changed a lot these past few days. She has become extremely reserved, and her aristocratic aura has become much gentler.

"Actually... would you like to come with me to the Plateau City for a visit?"

Roy had already walked into the corridor, but he couldn't help himself and turned back to ask a question.

"May I?"

Miss Christine's eyes became somewhat sparkling.

"It will probably take three days to get back to Padesto City. Do you think that's within your timeframe?" Roy asked hesitantly.

Actually, he was secretly regretting it; he had just asked himself for trouble...

"I'm fine with it," Miss Christine replied readily.

"Then come with me!"

Since things had already come to this point, Roy had no choice but to bite the bullet and agree.

As Miss Christine and Roy rode away from the Silver Pegasus Military Department, Earl Swynborne stood on the high terrace, his hands on the railing, watching them disappear into the gradually darkening streets.

As darkness fell, the Half-Elf porters at the Air Port Dock finished their day's work and gradually walked out of the Air Port Dock.

A group of Half-Elf crew members mingled in the crowd, preparing to leave the Air Port Dock to have a drink at a tavern outside and relax.

Now, some taverns have appeared in the Padesto City. In addition to selling ale and fruit wine, these taverns even sell diluted Tree of Life Sap. Adding a little bit of the Tree of Life Sap to drinks will quickly relieve the elves' fatigue, and it is very popular among the elves.

Before the Half-Elf crew members could even step out of the Air Port Dock, they saw Roy and a Silver Moon Elf lady standing in front of the Air Port Dock, leading a horse.

Upon seeing the Half-Elf crew, Roy immediately waved to them and ordered, "You few, go and find all the crew members on board right now. Where is your captain?"

"The captain is still on the airship!" a Half-Elf crew member replied.

Roy tucked the reins into his hand and, with Miss Christine in tow, ascended the spiral staircase built around the oak tree to the platform.

Sure enough, the captain was on deck, checking the ropes of the airship's sails one by one. When he saw Roy walk from the platform onto the deck, he immediately stopped what he was doing and saluted Roy.

"There's an urgent mission. Summon all the crew members back immediately. I need to head to the Plateau City right away."

Roy said to the Half-Elf captain.

The crew was quickly recalled, and as the Floating Device were activated one after another, the crew untied the cables tied to the platform, and the Magic Airship slowly climbed into the sky.

Roy and Miss Christine stood on the ship's side.

The forest of trees in Padesto City is hidden in darkness, with lights like stars in the night sky. Every place that lights up has a treehouse...

Miss Christine found it quite novel to enter the Wind Stream Layer.

She stood on the deck wrapped in a thin blanket, watching curiously as the huge sail that pulled the entire Magic Airship along. She even wanted to climb up to the high Lookout Platform...

The Magic Airship arrived in the Plateau City at noon on the second day.

It was Miss Christine's first time staying in such a cramped cabin, and she slept very well that night. When she pulled back the blanket covering her head, she saw the glaring light outside the window.

The airship's deck was filled with clanging and rattling sounds, and even the crew's noisy shouts:

"Starboard, the output of the Floating Device on the starboard side has decreased slightly, and the ship is listing a little!"

"Hurry up and furl the sails! What are you dawdling for..."

Miss Christine sat up in bed and, unsurprisingly, bumped her head on the ceiling.

She quickly lowered her head, lightly jumped off the bed, and then ran barefoot to the round window. Looking out through the window, she saw the Magic Airship sinking continuously, about to disappear into the thick sea of clouds.

Then, the glass window was shrouded in a thick fog, and nothing could be seen.

Miss Christine sat on the empty lower bunk, put on the Magic Inscription Construct of the Spike-tailed Crystal Lion, carefully combed her hair, and then pushed open the hatch and went out.

"You actually built a city here?"

Miss Christine gathered her wind-blown hair and looked at the city on the edge of the vast wilderness, where the City Wall, dozens of meters high, formed a solid barrier.

Roy smiled and shook his head, saying, "To elves, a place without the Tree of Life cannot be called a city at all."

"Are those the Pagisto Plateau Headhunters?"

Miss Christine pointed to the headhunter prisoners of war who were carrying stacks of Hollow Brick on their shoulders and climbing step by step up the sampans on the scaffolding to the roof and asked.

"Yes, don't let their pitiful appearance fool you. Back then, they were the nightmare of countless Half-Elf on the Pagisto Plateau."

Roy, with his hands resting on the gunwale, peered at the headhunter prisoners of war, who were drowsy from the blazing sun, and continued his explanation:

"At that time, it was right after the Pagisto Plateau had completely broken away from Baron Alvis's control. The Mine Owners on the plateau had a huge shortage of mining slaves, and the Metal Ingots they produced could only be piled up in the warehouse. In order to maintain the normal operation of the mines, some Mine Owners continued to replenish the mines with elven mining slaves."

At that time, the Padesto City was occupied by the Silver Pegasus Legion, and the Mine Owners were afraid to make any contact with Padesto City at all.

So they turned their attention to these Highland Slavers. After establishing enough trust with Highland Slavers, the Mine Owners commissioned the Highland Slavers to hunt down the Half-Elf residents.

Soon the headhunters began their slave-hunting operations on the Pagisto Plateau.

For a while at the beginning, their targets were mostly Half-Elf who lived alone in the wild valleys.

Later, when these solitary Half-Elf could no longer be found, they began targeting elven villages with only a few households. They would capture the strong male elves, kill the elderly and children, and then burn the entire village down.

Miss Christine's pupils contracted slightly, and she became a little breathless with fright.

Living on the Elf Continent, even though she had experienced the Queen Ivini Islands Naval Battle, she had never seen anything so cruel.

How could they do such a thing...?

"Don't you understand why they can be so cruel? Actually, this is also a matter of the law of the jungle."

Roy said calmly.

He also recounted the battles that took place in the Spinel Mine. I wonder what Miss Christine would think if she had heard those stories...

A group of Half-Elf were waiting on the platform at the Air Port Dock.

The Half-Elf captain hung a flag on the Ship Building, the fluttering flag bearing a simple symbol shaped like a hill.