The decisive battle (part one)

Autumn had arrived, thinning the forest. It had once been a quiet place bathed in the stillness of late fall.

Now blood stained it everywhere, and hordes of animals fled in panic.

Battle cries, dying screams, and the clash of weapons spread the breath of death.

Dawn had broken and the rain had stopped, but the pillar of wind still raged. A golden column of light shot into the sky, clearly visible for dozens of miles around.

A small town stood in the quiet southern part of the county. Beneath the sunlight, its houses, shops, and streets seemed gilded with gold, a beautiful sight.

Outside this little town, there was no moat, but there was a checkpoint.

The local nobles had set it up to collect tolls from passing travelers.

They rarely encountered anyone who gave them trouble. After all, ordinary people had no way to stand against the nobility.

That morning, a party of thirty came hurrying along the road. They all wore gray robes and were covered in dust.

A commotion soon broke out inside the checkpoint.

"Stop! Stop! I suspect you're spies! Stop right there and let us search you!" A young noble sprang happily into the middle of the road, shouting.

"Stop right there! Our lord wants to check whether you're spies!" The soldiers at the checkpoint ran out after him, calling excitedly.

This was a poor place. Not only was it remote, but it had also suffered heavy losses during the Demon Calamity.

A soldier's annual pay here was less than half a year's wages elsewhere.

The common people living in this territory had even harder lives.

Not only did they endure exploitation, but they also had to pay heavy taxes to their lord.

This place was desperately poor, utterly incomparable to other regions. As