Shadow Elder
Li Bai saw Schwartz von Paladin, the younger son of Andreas Paladin, the former Paladin, again.
Compared with how he'd looked during the day, the guy was in a pretty sorry state. Bandages were wrapped around him in layers. Apparently, he'd been caught in a grenade blast. Luckily, it had been an offensive grenade. If it had been a defensive one, he'd probably be dead by now.
As he led his people out of the Tar Desert, he'd unexpectedly run into people from "Aladdin." What a small world—and what bitter enemies they were.
The two sides had come to blows after only a few words. But Schwartz von Paladin and the Dragon Knight Order were short on ammunition, and they were soon at a disadvantage. They had no choice but to retreat while fighting and wait for reinforcements. Earlier, they'd seen the horizon suddenly light up as bright as day, so they'd followed the glow and fled in that direction. They hadn't expected Li Bai and the others to be behind it.
The younger son of Andreas Paladin, the former Paladin, was quick to catch on. As soon as he heard that Li Bai was inside the low wall, he finally relaxed. He was also willing to offer an equivalent trade in exchange for protection.
The "Aladdin" group that had pursued them all the way here hesitated, and both sides tacitly agreed to a temporary ceasefire.
Those outside the wall hesitated too. The wall atop the dune had an overwhelming tactical advantage: it stood on high ground and offered cover. The people inside could fight from behind it, and "Aladdin" had no idea how many casualties it would have to suffer to take the dune.
They couldn't attack, but they couldn't simply walk away, either. All they could