The Imperial Capital, Palace Front Department.
"Lost contact? An Intermediate Mage just disappeared like that?" The Chief looked at his student with some displeasure, holding the message from the Gallop Plains that he had just received.
"Teacher, the Gallop Plains are too far from the Imperial Capital. Our people can't get into the wolves' den, and to contact anyone in the Gallop Plains, we have to set out from Dragon Tooth City. A round trip takes several days."
"Don't you have a hidden post in Bristle-Wolf City?"
"Bristle-Wolf City has also been affected by Magic Turbulence. Unless we can enter the wolves' den and use the Count's Magic Array, we can't contact Dragon Tooth City."
"How ironic. The King can transmit orders to the great nobles in an instant, yet those nobles have to rely on messengers on horseback to pass information to their own vassals."
"Yes. Now the great nobles in Dragon Tooth City and the other capitals can recite the Imperial Capital Grand Theater's playbill, but they don't know the state of their own fiefs' military supplies."
"Hmm... What about that Albert? You haven't found him either? Not even in that forest?"
"That's right. We sent an action team to that forest. The traditional camps they visited had already been destroyed by mid- and high-level Magic Beasts. There were no signs of large numbers of Mana-Less people being killed."
"So you think they went deeper into the forest, or entered the Gallop Plains?"
"The Gallop Plains. Baron Hark has entered the Gallop Plains more than once, so they're more familiar with that area. I've already asked the Dragon Tooth City branch to send people there, but it's a long journey. It's expected to take a little over a month."
"Find them as soon as possible. Apart from Albert, the others in the Gallop Family don't matter."
"Yes, Teacher!"
After an entire afternoon, Landen took two Intermediate camps in one go and finished bringing all the camps together that evening.
By the time everyone had been settled and every tent was up, all three moons had been in the sky for quite some time.
After the camps came together, Landen began making round after round of inspections. He checked that all the livestock were inside the pens, that all the children had returned to their tents, and that several vital supplies were in the central tent.
For once, Landen also insisted on placing sentries in several directions around the camp. The posts had to be manned not only by Barbarian Cavalry but also by Human Race Mana-Wielders and Knights. Only after everything had been arranged did Landen return to his tent to prepare for dinner.
"Don't worry." Albert had come specially to Landen's tent to reassure him. "Eagles and falcons are birds of prey that fly by day. The Eagle Priest won't launch a night attack. There's no need."
Landen thought it over and decided Albert made sense. Only then did he feel a little more at ease.
"Uncle, I think I've reached the level of an Intermediate Knight." Landen tried to find a lighthearted topic to cover up his earlier lapse.
"Oh?" Albert was delighted. "That's wonderful! Our Gallop Family in the Northwest Territory will have its third Intermediate Knight.
"Landen, only by becoming an Intermediate Knight can you truly hold on to your Baron's title. I'll get Raul tomorrow morning, and we'll see how strong your Battle Qi is!"
The next day, Landen was still wearing his Magic Pattern Armor when he ran with Raul and Albert to a small mound near the camp.
Landen activated the Magic Pattern Armor with a Magic Crystal, then began gathering Battle Qi.
When Landen had first become a Junior Knight, he had tried to gather Battle Qi once, but he hadn't been able to concentrate it at all. The moment he formed a mass barely bigger than a fist, Magic Turbulence scattered it. But recently, he had been using Krypton Crystals frequently and continually exploring how to preserve magic power after a Magic Crystal shattered. He had also gained his own experience and insights into gathering and circulating Battle Qi.
Landen tried to gather all his Battle Qi in his lower abdomen and guide it into a continuous rotation. Once he felt he had gathered as much as he could, he made a Charge, instantly covering fifteen meters.
Then came the slashes. He channeled Battle Qi into his saber. The newly acquired saber was made of excellent material. Not only could Landen channel Battle Qi into it with ease, it also had the Sharpness and Toughness Magic Patterns.
He swung it two or three times with Battle Qi, then Charged fifteen meters away again and swung it once more. Then he Charged again, slashed again... In total, he made three Charges and four slashes. The whole process went very smoothly, and Landen didn't need to use any Krypton Crystals to replenish his magic power.
Albert and Raul exchanged a glance. "Very good. Based on your Battle Qi, you've already reached the level of an Intermediate Knight. It's just that your moves are too limited. You'd probably be at a disadvantage against other Intermediate Knights!"
"I wouldn't put it that way. Landen only became a Junior Knight not long ago, and now he's advanced to Intermediate Knight through real combat. That's incredibly fast." Raul was delighted. "Don't forget, just two months ago, we all thought Landen might never become an Intermediate Knight. Now I can't even think of anyone who's advanced faster than him!"
Albert was also very pleased. But in his heart, Landen's rapid progress was only fast compared with everyone's expectations. Compared with the current situation, it was still too slow. If Landen could advance to Senior Knight within a month, Albert was sure Landen would take the Rothe Territory.
"We have both of you to thank for teaching me so quickly." Landen was also very grateful to his two elders.
After returning to camp, Landen went specially to the writing teacher's tent.
"Children, I'm here to see you," Landen said. "What do you think of my armor? Isn't it beautiful?"
"Huh? Your armor is very beautiful, sir." Most of the children thought Landen had come to show off.
But a few of them noticed something unusual.
"There's a glow on your armor!" Redbird spotted it.
"Where?"
"There really is. I saw it too," Qiu Cao added.
Landen watched as the children chattered among themselves, then had them come forward one by one and point out where they saw the light on his armor. In the end, at least two out of every ten children said they could see it.
One out of every ten children could clearly point out the light from the Magic Patterns, just like Patch. Another tenth described it less clearly.
Ever since the camp had been set up, Landen had felt uneasy. He kept thinking the birds in the sky were watching him, so during the day he posted even more sentries.
He now understood a little why their ancestors had relied so heavily on the Gunter Family. After daybreak, he had Greyhound send out all the suitable dogs. They ranged several kilometers ahead of the cavalry, making them excellent scouts and sentries.
"My lord, a group of cavalry is coming."