Knights and Magic Wand
Chapter 167 - 167 97 On the Eve of Storm_2

167: Chapter 97: On the Eve of Storm_2 167: Chapter 97: On the Eve of Storm_2 Should I settle down, study magic, explore the knowledge, and probe the marvelous secrets of this Otherworld?

Leon shook his head, he never thought of himself as a “day-by-day man” with grand ambitions.

“I can’t think too far ahead—the future I hope for isn’t grand.”

He stroked his chin and, after careful thought, answered the girl in front of him:

“One day, I look forward to spending all day in the castle with all my friends, gathered around a long table, eating, drinking, and making merry…

Living a peaceful life, day after day, without enduring past disasters and misfortune.

The people around me wouldn’t have to worry about having enough food or staying warm, not fearing warfare or plunder, with no tragedies in sight and no constant looks of pain or tears on their faces…”

In such a scene, life, in a sense, was merely the everyday normalcy of his previous life.

Hearing this, the girl smiled and tilted her head: “In that future of yours, is there a place for me too?”

Recalling the regret of not inviting her in advance to a gathering earlier, Leon naturally responded, “Of course, there will be.

Rest assured, I’ll always have a spot for you at my table.”

Olivia nodded, gazing sincerely at him: “Then I’ve also decided what I desire for the future.”

“Oh?

Let’s hear it.”

“I hope to stand by your side, doing everything I can to help you realize such a wonderful vision….”

…

Once again, they set out south from the empty city.

The group discerned their direction and successfully crossed the Nightmare Forest in one day, reaching the other side of the vast forest.

Knight Balfe sent out a few Guards Cavalry as scouts to locate a nearby settlement.

They dismounted in a secluded area, removed their armor, disguised as travelers, entered the village, and confirmed that this place was indeed within Kantadar territory.

Without delay, the group immediately headed back the same way.

They rested for a night in the ancient city and the next day quickly returned to Orland’s lands following the old forest path.

By the time they reached Selva, five days had passed since they set out.

But such crucial intelligence had been confirmed, and with an unclaimed empty city urgently waiting to be occupied, Knight Balfe and his group of elite Baron guards did not plan to rest.

After replenishing their supplies in the village, they hurried on their way back to report to the Baron.

After bidding farewell to Balfe, Leon and the other two returned to their terraced houses.

Kovis took his horse back to the stable.

Olivia, however, stopped at the doorstep.

The golden-haired girl who could dismember fierce Undead Living Corpses without blinking now looked anxious and conflicted.

After all, this was the first time the obedient girl had secretly skipped home.

Moreover, preparing to confront her father with the family secrets she had unexpectedly learned about made Olivia instinctively nervous.

“How about I go with you to talk to Uncle Bryan?” Leon suggested, walking up to her.

The girl shook her head: “I fear it might be too much of a shock for my father.

He certainly didn’t expect me to know about the bloodline secrets now…

I should talk to him alone.”

After saying this she looked back at Leon: “As for you, remember to rest well tonight.

We agreed to start your special training tomorrow, don’t oversleep in the morning.”

After Olivia spoke, she took a deep breath to relax, carefully considering the words she had thought about countless times, and then pushed the door open to enter the house.

Leon also believed the girl could handle the situation well, as he would always be there to back her up.

He turned and went back to his own house next door, with Kovis’s help he removed his full suit of armor and casually ordered the young servants to prepare a luxurious hot bath.

Having washed away several days’ worth of sweat, soaking in a large wooden tub, Leon leaned back against the tub’s edge with a towel over his head, enjoying a rare relaxation while still pondering future changes.

The matters of the Nightmare Forest could be entirely left to the Thorns Flower family to deal with; he just needed to handle his own domain’s duties.

However, things were likely to get lively along Selva’s borders soon.

Baron Eriv would soon send someone to choose a site to build a relay camp.

According to his conversation with Knight Balfe on the road, the Thorns Flower family members sent to occupy the empty city could definitely not travel by their route to Forest Castle Town.

After all, that road also passed through Baron Gunar’s territory.

From the map, in order to safely transport supplies and personnel to Forest Castle Town over the long term without alerting the enemy, the Thorns Flower family could only construct a forest trail near Selva, connecting diagonally to the southwest to the ancient road deep in the dense forest.

Once this route was connected and the town successfully occupied, the personnel and resources on the Thorns Flower Territory would need to prepare for an attack on the undefended Kantadar territory to the south.

Wars of occupation and conquest weren’t like games where you frame an ‘A’ on the screen and then it’s all over; the preparations in the early stages were extremely complicated and time-consuming.

Over the next few months, many people would be dispatched to this land.

The entire family’s power over their territories would be mobilized in response to the war.

Spies disguised as Kantadar people would be the first to traverse the forest to gather intelligence within the enemy’s borders, clarifying the distribution of villages, strongholds, and towns, and mapping them out.

Craftsmen and civilians would build camps and roads for the soldiers; a huge transportation fleet would gather food and fodder to be sent to the planned supply nodes, specifically, the not-yet-started transfer camps.

Leon knew that this could also be an opportunity for Selva’s development; his role wasn’t just to nest on the land and train troops.

Once the supply transfer camp near Selva was established, the Thorns Flower family’s soldiers and transportation teams would be stationed there, and the flow of people along this road would increase.

He had already witnessed in Mamor Camp how merchants with the army could profit from war; owning such a strategic position, Selva mustn’t miss this opportunity.

…manpower…

accommodation…

inns…

taverns…

Thinking about it, an incongruous ancient site fleetingly crossed his mind.

Leon furrowed his brow and selectively ignored it…

Considering the calamities that the land beneath his feet had experienced and the tragic memories of its previous owners, Lokhak and Azeryan, he would steer clear of that dirty business.

However, this also served as a reminder to Leon.

Nowadays soldiers, once out of their hometown, who knew how many scoundrels would mix in; military discipline was in a state of Schrödinger’s cat, entirely dependent on the leader’s capabilities.

He also needed to thoroughly prepare for the security of his own territory.

…

Leon had a blissful sleep that night.

When he woke up the next day, after washing up and eating breakfast, he saw Olivia, wearing her armor and carrying a blunt sword for training, waiting in the backyard.

No need to ask, judging from her joyous smile, the girl had likely persuaded her father.

Just didn’t know if mentioning her Drakemar lineage and heritage had scared the old blacksmith out of his wits.

Leon didn’t rush to ask.

Dressed in full plate armor with the help of Kovis, helmet on, he picked up the heaviest two-handed blunt sword.

Then he handed his attendant the Treasure Card “Boiling Heart.”

This would be his first attempt to train, as Miss Lora had suggested, to sense the circulation of the magic element within his body.

The first step was to force himself to exhaust his stamina, quickly depleting his life magic element.

Clearly, this Netti Card could further accelerate this process of depleting life force.

“My lord, please be prepared,” Kovis said as he pinched the Treasure Card, the magic light gleaming in his young golden eyes.

“Let’s go.”

Leon snapped down his sinister Kantadar visor and tossed the heavy sword, which wasn’t very handy for him.

At least not now.

“Be careful not to get hurt, Olivia.

My strength will be quite different from usual,” Leon recalled the efficacy of Boiling Heart from that night and cautioned.

“…Yes, I’ll be careful.” The golden-haired girl nodded, raising her sword and assuming a stance.

Kovis, seeing this, focused on his lord on the field and mobilized the magic to activate the card in his hand.

The black Netti Card instantly transformed into ephemeral energy and vanished from the boy’s hand.

Leon felt a sharp, phantom pain in his chest once more.

Unable to restrain himself, he roared as he felt the stunning strength filling his body, confidently swung the now-featherlight double-handed heavy sword, and charged out instantly.

His weighty knight armor, as if weighing nothing, allowed Leon to swing his sword several times faster than before, striking toward the girl in front of him.

— Clang!

The swords collided, the deafening metallic clang echoing through the backyard.