After more than half an hour, the sky became even more gloomy.
Gilan, dragging his weary body, arrived near the Leia City.
The defending soldiers were still shouting and moving back and forth. Many archers, under the command of their captain, stood on the city wall, drew their bows, and fired downwards towards the outside of the city.
Soon, just as the plot unfolded, the thick wrought iron city gate burst open with a deafening roar.
" Silver Crown Knight " Agni kicked down the city gate and entered alone, slaughtering all the Leia soldiers who had fought to the death with just his sword.
Once the main force of the " Healing Knights " rode into the city, Gilan began to intervene in Agni's treatment of the girl in the same way as before, gaining her favor and thus successfully joining the team.
The storyline remained largely unchanged after that.
Gilan met Pala Celsus, and together they went to the town center to camp and rest. He once again demonstrated his incredible speed by instantly mastering the basics of Body Tempering, earning Para's astonishment and admiration.
The story only changed after they ate that wild vegetable soup and flatbread.
Because Gilan had hunted down the Wolf-Faced Hunters hiding west of Leia City beforehand, Agni did not order their extermination, and Pala did not need to lead a team there.
He and Pala stayed at the camp for a while longer.
As evening approached, Agni arrived on horseback.
Pala was called forward, and the two began their familiar conversation.
Agni went to search for Windmill Cat's whereabouts but found nothing. Meanwhile, Pala stood by indignantly, saying that the leader had said something like " Windmill Cat " Par Solomon might be a messenger of an evil god.
"Forget it." Agni shook his head. "Never mind that for now. You all come with me to take control of Leia City. The commander will arrive tomorrow."
Pala was about to answer.
Gilan knew that her chance had come.
He strode forward and said:
"Vice Commander Agni, Knight Pala, actually, before you arrived in Leia City, I met a traveling merchant who called himself ' Windmill Cat '."
"Um?"
Agni and Pala both looked at Gilan.
Where have you seen it before?
The knight commander, wearing a silver winged helmet, asked.
Gilan pretended to recall and answered:
"It was on a street near the Leia City. It was wearing a black cloak, but under the hood was a cat's face, which startled me."
"That's it, that's it!" Pala exclaimed.
"Do you know where it went?" Agni asked after a moment of silence.
Gilan shook her head.
Just as the two were feeling slightly disappointed, Gilan said again:
"But before it left, it recited a strange short poem—'The sun rises in the west, sulfur falls from the sky. Smoke billows through Faye, windmills grow on volcanoes.'"
Upon hearing this, Pala's expression brightened, and he looked thoughtful.
"The poem's meaning likely refers to the reflection on the lake's surface, perhaps a prophecy of the impending disaster. And in the northeastern part of the Rongden Kingdom, near the city of Fayelan, there's a volcano, with a lake at its foot!"
Pala explained her understanding, then anxiously added:
" Windmill Cat's next target is very likely Fayelan City!"
"Not necessarily. This could also be a trick by Par Solomon, deliberately misleading us."
The Silver Crown Knight pondered for a moment, then calmly replied.
"But this is of great importance; regardless of its truth, it is crucial information. Pala, you will later pass on the poem verbatim to the commander and Hellman."
" Hellman's troops are currently advancing Rongdeng, not far from Fayelan's City. Remind him to be careful."
' Hellman Rio, the Bloodbath Knight?'
Gilan listened silently to herself, thinking to herself.
At the same time, he was also somewhat curious.
How will long-distance communication be conducted in this era, especially for such urgent intelligence transmission?
"Yes, Deputy Commander." Pala nodded in agreement.
Agni nodded slightly, then looked up, his deep gaze falling on Gilan through the cross-shaped seam of his visor.
He spoke in a gentle and refined tone, slowly saying:
" Gilan, this information is very important to us."
As he spoke, he turned to look at Pala.
"By the way, how did he perform in the membership test?"
"Excellent!" Pala exclaimed, beaming with pride. "After just one practice session, you've directly entered the first stage of Body Tempering Technique, ' Mucus '!"
"Oh?" Even the Silver Crown Knight was surprised.
He looked at Gilan again, his tone gratified:
"Indeed, it seems your affinity with Body Tempering Technique is higher than that of most members of the Knights. In the future, you'll likely make quite a name for yourself."
"Since you've passed the test, you're qualified to join the Knights. Also, because you provided an important clue about the Windmill Cat, that counts as a contribution."
"The Knights are fair in their rewards and punishments. What do you want?"
Agni chuckled softly.
"Weapons, equipment, fine horses, or valuables—just name your price."
Upon hearing this, Gilan was overjoyed.
He took a deep breath and said in a low voice:
"I want to learn the ' Gerard's Bloodletting Sword ' from you!"
Agni seemed somewhat surprised, then smiled.
"It seems that Pala has already introduced this secret sword to you."
He thought for a moment, then nodded in agreement.
"Since you want to learn, that's fine too."
With that, the Silver Crown Knight turned around, took a parchment scroll from the satchel on the side of his horse, and handed it to Gilan.
"This is the first chapter of < Gerard's Bloodletting Sword >. Take a look and get a general idea. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me."
Agni's gentle voice came from beneath the visor.
"This secret sword technique has four chapters. Except for the first chapter, which has no requirements, the subsequent three chapters require mastering the Body Tempering Technique to the ' Black Bile ' stage; otherwise, it will do more harm than good."
The subtext is that it's not that he's being overly protective, but rather that Gilan isn't yet qualified to practice it. It's also a subtle encouragement, hoping that Gilan will work hard to practice the body-strengthening technique and strive to reach the " Black Bile " stage as soon as possible.
Although Gilan was slightly disappointed that he couldn't obtain the entire secret sword manual in one go, overall it was still quite gratifying.
He picked up the parchment, and the entry for " Iridescence " appeared:
"< Gerard's Bloodletting Sword >. A Secret Sword Art created by William Gerald, the leader of the Healing Knights '. It contains the mysteries of the zodiac and the human body. With this secret sword, one can both injure and heal."
"This is the first chapter of the Secret Sword, the < War-Stopping Chapter >."
"It contains secret sword knowledge related to 'Gemini' and 'Pisces'."
As Gilan read the entry, she felt a surge of emotion.
This is a powerful sword technique imbued with mysterious energy!
Even if it's just the first chapter, it will definitely bring him greater strength!
"Thanks."
Gilan carefully put away the parchment and addressed the Silver Crown Knight.
Agni waved his hand, then mounted his horse again and said to Pala:
" Pala, after delivering the intelligence, immediately lead a team to the east of the city. They've taken in many infected residents there. Once I've taken control of Leia City, I'll go there to treat them with Bloodletting."
"Yes, Deputy Commander Agni."
Pala, holding the helmet, quickly said.