A warm, peaceful night

A warm, peaceful night

"I never expected that fellow Yetos to have a Wind Elemental Artifact. That certainly caught me off guard."

The speaker was twenty-five, nearly twenty-six, with a resolute face and a heroic, murderous air about his brows. His jaw was sharply defined, his neck thick and short; one glance made it clear he had practiced martial arts for years. A purple spear emblem on his breastplate confirmed his identity: Qin Zihui, a Purple-Pattern General of the Qin Kingdom.

"You're right, sir. This was beyond my expectations as well, and it's disrupted our plans. What should we do next?"

The man answering him was not yet twenty-four. He had a melancholy face and narrow, elongated eyes like two crescent moons, yet his gaze burned like fire. Though he wore a full suit of finely crafted armor, it could not hide the less-than-powerful frame beneath it. He was Han Ling, a White-Pattern General of the Han Kingdom and the original architect of the Sparrow Flock Plan.

Qin Zihui gave a derisive chuckle. "Why panic? It may have affected our plan to seize the opportunity and attack the city tomorrow, but it won't stop us from weakening the knights. Don't forget my scheme within a scheme."

"You mean...?" Han Ling's eyes suddenly lit up.

"Exactly. That one."

The corners of Han Ling's mouth lifted into a chilling smile uglier than a grimace. "Heh heh. Looks like those fellows are in for quite a night."

After the flock of Black-Feathered Sparrows departed, a tense, anxious atmosphere immediately settled over Sand City.

The knights began clearing away their comrades' bodies, using water mixed with medicinal solution to mask the foul stench in the air. The cleanup lasted two hours before it finally ended, and only then did the exhausted men drag their heavy feet back to camp.

Sand City was cold at night, its temperature reminiscent of early winter. Fortunately, the rows of fire braziers warmed the chilly air to a pleasant coolness. The beautiful, dancing flames added a playful touch of safety to the city, putting the knights on sentry and patrol duty considerably more at ease.

The night was deep and quiet, the perfect time to sleep. Besides, the day's upheaval had left many people injured. Lying in bed with a warm stove burning beside them, able to drift into dreams as soon as they closed their eyes-nothing could have been better.

Inside her room, Ma Linya finished bathing, straightened her bedding, and lay down, ready to sleep as well.

An iron-barred skylight sat overhead. Lively points of light flickered within it, like fireflies resting on a canvas painted in purple and black, their glow spilling into her eyes.

"The stars are beautiful," she murmured dreamily, the corners of her eyes lifting slightly.

"Miss Lingya, are you asleep?" a voice called from outside.

"Who is it?"

"It's me, Nameless, and Kanni. We have something for you. May we come in?"

She shook her head slightly, sighed at their timing, and got up to approach the door.

With a creak, the door opened to reveal Zeng Mu and Kanni smiling at her.

Ma Linya stood before them in a black cloth bathrobe. Its delicate fabric made her curves all the more striking and alluring. Her eyes seemed to glow, her fair face flushed pink, and the scent of jasmine petals wafted straight into Zeng Mu's nose. At that moment, he felt as though he were basking in a spring breeze. His whole body grew light, and he almost lost his footing.

"What is it?" she asked directly.

Kanni coughed softly and gave Zeng Mu a discreet shove in the back. Only then did he snap out of his daze and hold out a wooden basket covered with red cloth. "This is a reward from the Knight Commander. He said he was busy and couldn't come himself, so he ordered us to deliver it."

She took the basket and lifted the red cloth, revealing a pile of herbs and a medal. To Zeng Mu, they looked rather unremarkable.

Ma Linya's and Kanni's eyes, however, instantly lit up. These were no ordinary herbs, but extremely expensive, rare medicinal plants-the sort that were difficult to buy even with money. To Ma Linya, they meant a pile of golden grass.

The medal also differed from the Warrior Medals the two men had received earlier. Rather than black, it was white, with scattered markings resembling golden stars. A large character meaning "baron" was engraved on its front.

"Good heavens!" Kanni could not help exclaiming.

"Hm?" Ma Linya looked surprised as she picked up the medal. Her brows soon relaxed, though her eyes continued to sparkle.

"Baron! I never imagined the Holy Temple would make you a baron, Miss Lingya." Kanni rubbed his forehead, his face full of envy.

He did not know that Ma Linya had been recruited into the army two years earlier, when she was only sixteen. Over those two years, she had treated at least five thousand people, if not ten thousand, and had long since drawn the Holy Temple's attention. Her ennoblement now was a natural and perfectly reasonable outcome.

"Oh? A noble title? That sounds pretty good," Zeng Mu said cluelessly.

"Come on, brother, could you act normal for once?" Kanni exclaimed. "This is a noble title! Sure, baron is the lowest rank, but do you know what it means?"

Zeng Mu shook his head, and Kanni continued, "It means an estate and a deed to land, a monthly allowance of a thousand Livre, and the honor the title itself represents."

"A thousand Livre? That's as much as the two of us make together in five months!" Zeng Mu's expression shifted, his voice growing excited.

"Look at that greedy face of yours. The moment money comes up, you get all excited." Kanni gave him a contemptuous look.

Ma Linya smiled beautifully and said gently, "If I remember correctly, doesn't the Holy Temple send someone of a higher noble rank to present the medal and confer the title?"

Kanni turned toward her and explained, "That's right, but the Holy Temple probably took Sand City's situation into account and decided not to send a Viscount here. This medal was likely delivered directly by pigeon, which would explain why there are no ceremonial robes. A mounted courier will probably bring them tomorrow or the day after."

She nodded in agreement. "I see. I've heard the materials and workmanship of those ceremonial robes are of the very finest quality. I'd quite like to see them."

"You'll see them once they arrive in a day or two," Zeng Mu said, taking Kanni by the arm.

"That's everything, so we'll head back now." Without waiting for Ma Linya to respond, he hurried away, pulling Kanni along.

"What's gotten into him? Why did he suddenly run off?" Ma Linya watched their retreating backs, her delicate brows drawing together in bewilderment.

"All right, all right. We're far enough away. She can't see you anymore." Kanni looked somewhat disgusted.

Zeng Mu glanced back to make sure she had shut the door before lowering his hand and letting out a relieved breath.

His earlobes bright red, Zeng Mu shook his head repeatedly and covered that spot, saying weakly, "I didn't expect my body to commit such an unforgivable sin. Damn it. Maybe my mind and body haven't fully adjusted yet?"

Assuming he meant he had not recovered from his injuries, Kanni laughed. "People over in the Seven Kingdoms say you dream at night about what you think of during the day. I reckon you had improper thoughts the first time you saw that girl. So? When are you going to tell her? Want your big brother here to pass along a message?"

When Zeng Mu did not dare answer, Kanni laughed again. "Forget it. I knew you wouldn't have the nerve. Come on, my treat. I'll take you around the alleys in northern Sand City. We can have a little drink and find some fun while we're at it."

Zeng Mu wanted to refuse, but Kanni's relentless coaxing wore him down. In the end, he agreed, on the condition that he would only join him for a drink.

Northern Sand City had a district of alleys where most outsiders-merchants, prostitutes, liquor sellers, tobacco sellers, and others-conducted their business. Knights also came here to enjoy themselves in their free time. It was their warm refuge, and the part of Sand City most alive with everyday human bustle.

Several wooden stools stood in front of a liquor vendor's cart. The two found seats, and Kanni ordered a bottle of Bailandi, an expensive strong liquor that sold for ten Livre. Most people would never buy alcohol at that price.

At his order, the vendor's face lit up as though two supremely honored patrons had appeared before him. He greeted them with a fawning smile, then climbed the ladder on the side of his cart to fetch the fine liquor tucked away at the very top.

The order also surprised the knights drinking nearby. They were drinking ordinary Vina Ale, which sold for three Livre-one more than its usual price. Still, the vendor was risking his life to make a profit, so they could understand.

When they recognized Kanni and Zeng Mu, however, their surprise faded.

News that the Knight Commander had awarded the two medals had naturally spread throughout the army long ago, so most of the knights already knew their faces.

Ignoring the envious looks of the surrounding knights, Zeng Mu stared down the alley, his gaze slightly distant.

"What are you looking at? There aren't any girls over there," Kanni asked in puzzlement.

"Nothing. This place just feels familiar, a bit like somewhere I used to spend time." He remembered that familiar alley, which had looked much like this one.

"Your liquor, sirs. Please enjoy." The vendor brought over a jug. As soon as he removed the stopper, a rich aroma spilled out. A light sniff was enough to leave them pleasantly tipsy; it certainly deserved its price.

"Enough talk. Fill up and let's drink our fill!" After filling one cup, Kanni picked up the other and eagerly gulped it down.

Half an hour later...

Yetos sat at a wooden table inside his stone house, his expression grave.

An open casualty register lay on the table, detailing the losses from the sparrow flock's surprise attack: 337 knights dead, 128 severely wounded, and 256 lightly wounded, for a total of 721. A third of the entire force had been affected. This had enormous implications for the ongoing campaign, giving both the Seven Kingdoms Coalition and the Vikings an even greater numerical advantage.

Reading the figures in the register, Yetos's mouth tightened bitterly, a trace of melancholy in his eyes.

The enemy was far more capable than he had expected. In war, results mattered, not the means. Though some people despised such tactics, that did not diminish his grudging admiration for them. It truly had been an ingenious scheme.

As he worried over this, a knock came at the door.

"Sir, it's me." William's voice sounded outside.

"Come in." With permission granted, William entered, his expression no better than Yetos's.

He held a wooden basket, half of it covered by a black cloth.

"Have you gotten to the bottom of it?" Yetos asked, looking at the basket in his hands.

William lifted the black cloth, revealing a dead Black-Feathered Sparrow inside. Its body was largely intact, with only its head pierced by a sword-the wound that had killed it. Presumably, only a knight with exceptional swordsmanship could have managed that.

"Reporting to the Knight Commander: it was just as you suspected. The Black-Feathered Sparrows left their nests en masse because of a scheme by the Seven Kingdoms. In caves on several hills around their encampment, we could smell a medicinal fragrance and see Black-Feathered Sparrows still sleeping and recovering under the effects of the medicinal rain."

Yetos nodded slowly and asked, enunciating each word, "What about their troops?"

"We haven't found any signs of a large-scale advance yet, but our scouts noticed that some of their soldiers were missing. We estimate fewer than three hundred. They may be lurking outside Sand City, watching us from the shadows."

"I see. Then why this Black-Feathered Sparrow?" He did not understand why William had brought it.

Without answering, William drew the dagger at his waist and removed the basket. His hand flowed with an almost poetic grace as he deftly slit open the Black-Feathered Sparrow's belly. Then he put the dagger away and reached his fingers inside.

With a squelch, he withdrew his fingers, and Yetos saw a black object in William's palm.

It was roughly oval, with one end shaped like a pointed fang and the other hollowed into an inward ring. About the size of a cherry, it was black all over, with pale yellow, wavy markings.

"Hm? A yellow viper fruit?"

Yellow viper fruit grew only in deserts and wastelands. Poisonous and inedible, it contained abundant moisture, which often tempted desperately thirsty people who did not recognize it into eating it. Their muscles would then be dissolved by its toxins, leaving them to a miserable fate.