Chapter 174

Saint Eirod's blockade line against the Kadi Tribe.

Because of the hot weather, several knights who had been relieved from their duties came together to the shade of a tree.

They placed the greatsword in their armor under the tree, then removed their chainmail and helmets, letting out a long sigh of relief.

They were practically bored out of their minds after half a day.

"Strange, isn't it June?! How come it's so hot..." one of the knights exclaimed.

They wore chainmail for defense, with additional armor plates protecting their shoulders and waists, making them not only heavy but also hot.

After standing for only a short while, my back started to sweat.

Standing under the sun for extended periods would inevitably lead to exhaustion and fainting, so every so often, a new batch of knights would be rotated along the blockade line.

Things started to ease up a bit after dusk.

"Last winter was particularly cold. My neighbor, an elderly man who lived alone, actually froze to death in his house after a heavy snowfall."

"I only realized this later when I noticed something was wrong..."

"Remember last winter... the abnormal weather seems to have started around that time. It's already this hot in June, so how hot will it be in August and September?!"

"Won't... won't there be a drought?" one knight asked with concern.

Upon hearing this, the others cursed him for being a jinx, calling it bad news.

But they did have some concerns... in this weather, what if...

A silence fell over the room.

After a while, people began to talk about the relationship between the leader of the Kadi Tribe, Shamir Phoebe, and His Majesty the King.

"I really don't understand what this Miss Phoebe is thinking. Giving up her comfortable position as Queen, she insists on coming to the Kadi Tribe..."

"I believe Miss Phoebe escaped to the Desinia leader she admired."

"That leader is quite a cold-blooded person."

"I heard that Miss Phoebe initially went to the Desinia Territory, but who knew that the lord would immediately write to His Majesty to report her?"

"Indeed... he rejects beauties who come knocking on his door."

"Haha, who would want a flower with thorns? He's probably afraid His Majesty will send cavalry to attack the Desinia Territory. The Empire is invincible!"

The knight then picked up his greatsword and made a slashing motion.

However, just as the sword tip pointed diagonally at the ground, the tiny pebbles on the muddy ground suddenly began to tremble...

One grain after another, rolling around in the car.

"Not good!"

One of the knights immediately sensed something was wrong, shouted for warning, and began putting on the chainmail, helmet, and other protective gear he had just taken off.

They moved swiftly, quickly picking up their weapons and gazing intently into the distance with grave and tense expressions.

In the distance, dust slowly began to rise.

The knights stood ready, but their expressions grew increasingly serious and solemn. As the "black dot" in the distance grew larger, their eyes widened in disbelief.

Their hearts seemed to tremble slightly as the ground shook...

--The two captains, seemingly endless in number, Black-and-White Cavalry. Their light but sturdy armor gleamed dazzlingly in the sunlight, reflecting a ring of golden light at the edges of their shoulder armor.

Dust and light mingled in the air, horses' hooves pounded the ground...

It was as if an unstoppable black and white tide was surging towards the shore, while they were like the sand and gravel on the riverbank, not only powerless to resist, but also scattered with a single blow.

The Imperial Knights guarding the blockade line now clearly recognized the vast disparity in strength between the two sides.

The banners fluttering in the sunlight bore the Thorn Rose of Desinia's glory, dazzlingly displayed in their eyes, blatantly proclaiming their presence.

Unrestrained and reckless, they plundered everything in their path.

Why are there so many cavalrymen from the Desinia Territory?!

As the surging tide of Black-and-White Cavalry rapidly approached, the Imperial Knight Commander at the head hurriedly shouted, "This is the blockade of the Holy Airo Empire! Crossing their territory is forbidden!"

However, his words had absolutely no effect.

After the Imperial Knight Commander finished speaking, Ferdinand, who led the Black-and-White Cavalry, drew the greatsword hanging at his waist and raised it high.

The cavalry behind him drew their weapons in unison.

Most importantly, the cavalry force's momentum remains undiminished.

This is a symbol of attack.

They cannot confront them head-on, otherwise the losing side will definitely be the Emperor...

The Imperial Knight Commander's face paled, and finally, his expression shifted as he gritted his teeth and shouted, "Make way! Get out of my way! Now!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the other knights quickly stepped aside.

The ground tremors became increasingly pronounced as the Black-and-White Cavalry approached, making people feel as if a heavy stone was hanging from their hearts, and their eardrums were throbbing incessantly.

Just as the Imperial Knight Commander and the cavalry of the Desinia Territory were charging relentlessly through the blockade, they gradually slowed down and openly changed formation in front of them.

--The cavalry leading the charge split into two groups, with the rear groups quickly advancing to the center.

The Imperial Knight Commander, with his sharp eyes, noticed that the soldiers in the middle were transporting a large amount of supplies, including grain and cloth. Among them, there were some rather strange-looking wooden machines on the carriages behind.

--Is the Desinia Territory going to support the Kadi Tribe?!

This is a blatant provocation against Saint Eiroth!

The Imperial Knight Commander roared, "You...!"

With a "whoosh!"

Before he could finish speaking, countless sharp swords and spears were pointed at the Imperial Knights.

Beneath the helmets of the Black-and-White Cavalry, pairs of cold eyes swept across the enemy, their gazes conveying a clear message: "One more word and we'll kill."

The entire cavalry force exuded a chilling aura, instantly instilling fear and trepidation in everyone present.

Cold sweat instantly beaded on the Imperial Knight Commander's forehead. He dared not utter another word, and the other knights also remained silent.

The entire process was conducted in silence.

Thus, the cavalry of the Desinia Territory brazenly crossed the Imperial blockade line against the Kadi Tribe.

When the news reached the Emperor, Warner was furious.

This is Desinia stepping on the Emperor's face!

On the other hand, it also made Warner realize the terrifying and invincible nature of the Desinia Black-and-White Cavalry...

He sent a considerable number of cavalry to block the road from the capital to Cardy; on the contrary, if the number were small, how could they possibly deter other smaller kingdoms and territories?

But only the Desinia Territory...

The knight who came to report described the scene—they faced the cavalry of the Desinia Territory like ants facing a beast, or grains of sand facing a raging wave...

To avoid unnecessary losses, the Imperial Knight Commander chose to retreat temporarily, allowing the Black-and-White Cavalry to cross the blockade line.

Afterwards, he asked Warner for cavalry support—to prevent the Black-and-White Cavalry from returning.

Although this was clearly a blatant provocation by Desinia, the other party had already apologized to Warner in the newspapers beforehand.

--Cyrus needs to trade something for a female black panther from the Kadi Tribe.

Because his pet black panther needs a mate.

This reason seemed far-fetched, but Warner couldn't find any words to refute it, so he felt even more suffocated and his chest ached.

The knight who returned to report then asked, "Your Majesty, should we send more men to launch a counterattack and attack?"

"Listen... the supplies being transported from the Desinia Territory to the Kadi Tribe include crops currently circulating within their territory, with an astonishing yield..."

"If a decision isn't made now, the blockade against Cardy will likely become largely ineffective..."

Kien looked at Warner and said, "Brother, I think we should ignore the Kadi Tribe for now."

"Since so many Black-and-White Cavalry units from the Desinia Territory have all gone to Cardy to transport supplies, then what about the cavalry guarding the territory...?"

The quantity is not much!

Thinking of this, Kien's spirits lifted.

He said, "Brother, this is a great opportunity! We can take this chance to attack the Desinia Territory!"

Warner naturally considered this as well.

He was initially delighted, but then frowned and said, "No, have you forgotten the alliance between the Desinia Territory, the Achiyoli Territory, and the Anas Kingdom?"

If the Desinia Territory is in trouble, these two places will come to its aid.

Moreover, there's also King Povil, who has a relatively good relationship with Desinia.

He cannot act rashly.

Thinking about it this way, the Emperor is now actually in a situation of complete isolation and helplessness...

He stood up and paced back and forth a few times, deep in thought, before finally saying to Kien, "Take some men and go to King Bia yourself."

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"I want to make a deal with King Yasa Dek of Bia, exchanging territories near Bia for his help in delaying the arrival of the Achiyoli Territory and the support of King Anas."

We cannot allow the Desinia Territory to continue to grow stronger.

He must act quickly.

", Your Majesty."

Kien led his men away from the capital and headed to Bia.

Afterwards, news of his deal with King Bia was relayed back to the Empire—Yasa Dekk agreed to help delay potential support from the two allied territories of Achiyoli Territory and King Anas.

Warner then launched an attack on the Desinia Territory.

Saint Eiroth's numerous cavalry units advanced on the Aibuting River and on land, approaching the Desinia Territory.

However, reality soon dealt Warner a fatal blow.

On the Aibuting River, ships belonging to the Desinia Territory were equipped with strangely designed Flame-Spewing Beast Head. The mouths of these heads, protruding from the hulls, could spew flames several meters long, successfully preventing the Imperial fleet from approaching.

Moreover, at the end of the battle, about a dozen unidentified objects were thrown near the Imperial fleet, and these round, black objects exploded instantly.

With a "bang".

Sparks and splashes erupted one after another, followed by the ship breaking apart and the death toll continuing to rise...

Left with no other choice, the Emperor's fleet was forced to retreat and flee.

The border between the Desinia Territory and the Empire.

Ten heavy ballistae were launched in succession, unleashing a barrage of arrows at the surging imperial cavalry, interspersed with the occasional appearance of catapults...

The emperor sent far more cavalry on land than on the river, and they were almost endless.

The number of cavalry guarding the borders of the Desinia Territory is indeed much smaller than before.

The clash between numbers and weaponry has resulted in a stalemate for the time being.

Faced with the cavalry's barrage from the Desinia Territory, the Imperial cavalry had devised an effective countermeasure.

Even though the Saint Ero Empire's strength was diminished after a series of natural and man-made disasters, it was still one of the two great empires, and its cavalry had rich experience in fighting enemies.

Emperor Yu gradually began to gain the upper hand.

Meanwhile, the Achiyoli Territory and King Anas's subsequent support were also delayed by King Bia's troops... The Desinia Territory seemed to have suddenly fallen into a difficult situation.

Just when the scales of victory seemed to tip in Saint Eiroth's favor, King Bia suddenly reneged on the agreement.

King Yasa de' ibn of Bia, together with Cavendish, launched a surprise attack on the Empire's weakest point, catching the Empire off guard and causing it to lose two territories in quick succession.

Meanwhile, the Desinia Territory reversed its previous decline and began an unstoppable counterattack.

Saint Eiroth suffered repeated defeats.

At this point, Warner suddenly realized that it was all a scheme by Cyrus Desinia —he had contacted King Bia and set a trap for him without his knowledge.

Warner. cut its losses in time.

He immediately recalled the cavalry resisting at the front and ordered them to retreat from the lost borders and territories to defend against the attacks of the Desinia cavalry and King Bialy Cavendish.

The emperor focused on defense, and for a time, the battle reached a stalemate again.