The Lich of Glory Knight Spirit: Moving towards Krimasha! -
Chapter 60 - 44: Knight Spirit! (3)
Chapter 60: Chapter 44: Knight Spirit! (3)
At the break of dawn, when the first rays of sunlight touched the earth, Yilin had already endured several crushing defeats and retreats. The remaining two thousand soldiers were forced to withdraw to the outskirts of White City.
Every soldier was wounded. After an entire night of fierce battle, some knights had even lost their horses.
Yilin had an arrow in her arm and a gash on her shoulder. Huoersi was struck by an arrow in his abdomen, and Mike’s face was covered in blood. Even Count Gruglu, who was heavily protected, appeared utterly disheveled.
Every single person was utterly exhausted.
The once high-spirited troops were now teetering on the brink of collapse.
Opposite them stood a force of forty thousand soldiers, virtually unscathed, impeccably organized—a royal army. Countless banners waved proudly in the wind.
On the slope directly facing Yilin’s forces, at the center of the formation, the King sat tall atop his majestic steed, his gaze lofty and commanding, as if he were a Heavenly God looking down on them.
Flanking him on either side were the bishop and the rotund, corpulent Count Caspar, whose contributions in this battle had been pivotal.
"Retreat into the city. If we keep retreating, the only option left is to enter the city," Huoersi whispered beside Yilin.
"To what end?" Yilin replied with a bitter smile. "Entering the city would only mean dragging the residents to die with me. They’ve taken no oaths to share my fate; they aren’t obligated to do so."
Count Gruglu, standing nearby, glanced cautiously at Yilin. His hair was a mess, his body caked with dirt, and his expression was so weary he looked as if he might collapse into sleep at any moment.
Behind them, countless White City residents were gathered near the edges, watching from afar, their faces etched with fear.
Once the battle spilled into the city, it essentially gave the soldiers license to loot. This meant doom for everyone. In truth, incidents like this were far too common in war.
A carriage emerged from the White City’s arched bridge, far from Yilin’s side, racing wildly toward the King’s forces. It immediately drew everyone’s attention.
Before long, the carriage, flanked by soldiers, came to a stop beside the King. The door opened, and out stepped Edward III.
The King nodded in satisfaction.
Edward III silently bowed before respectfully standing aside.
"What’s the meaning of this? Has the castle been breached too?"
"How is that possible? There aren’t any enemy forces behind us."
Yilin’s group erupted in murmured discussions.
"No. I’ve seen that coachman before. The castle hasn’t been captured; it’s betrayed us," Yilin said softly, the wind brushing strands of hair across her face as she sighed.
"The castle has betrayed us? What about Shelley?" Count Gruglu exclaimed, scrambling atop a nearby boulder to look back.
"There’s Count Gruglu!" someone shouted loudly.
In the distance, Count Gruglu saw Shelley, frantically clutching her dress as she hurried through the disarrayed ranks under the guidance of several soldiers, making her way toward him.
"Grandfather!" Shelley cried as she reached Count Gruglu. She threw her arms around his legs, still standing on the boulder.
"It’s good that you’re safe," Count Gruglu said, bending down with a gentle smile as he tenderly stroked Shelley’s head. "We’ve already lost, but your grandfather will find a way to keep you safe."
"But... Gray is missing," Shelley choked out, sobbing.
"Given the current chaos, it’s possible for anyone to go missing. My only hope is that the one who disappears isn’t you," Count Gruglu said.
Turning around, Shelley stood on her tiptoes, straining to search for that familiar figure. Yet she didn’t even know where to look, nor did anyone have an answer for her.
At the King’s side, a large number of soldiers bearing massive shields gathered, forming a tight escort around the King, the bishop, Count Caspar, and Edward III, slowly advancing until they stopped at the very front line.
From afar, the King gazed at Yilin, who was in equal disarray within her own ranks, and shouted: "Yilin—! You’ve already lost! Now I offer you a choice: renounce your claim to the Beisher Family’s title and marry Count Caspar’s son. If you agree, you must swear your oath before everyone here. In that case, I’ll consider sparing your followers. Of course, a few will still not be pardoned. I trust you understand."
"Do oaths mean anything?" Yilin shouted back.
The soldiers parted to create a path. With her hand clutching her wounded shoulder, Yilin stepped forward step by step. Shelley, supporting the barely conscious Count Gruglu, followed close behind. Huoersi, Mike, Abi Robbs, Pas—all the most steadfast in their loyalty to Yilin—also emerged to the frontline, firmly standing opposite the King.
"Oaths do mean something!" the King declared firmly.
"Do they?" Yilin laughed. "Don’t you find it laughable to say that? What was our Beisher Family’s oath with the Royal Family? Wasn’t the Royal Family supposed to safeguard the rights of the Beisher Family’s first heir? And yet, look at what you’ve done—!"
"You’re not the first heir! Your younger brother is!"
"I have no brother! You and I both know the truth! Not just you, Edward III knows as well! What was the oath between the Field family and the Beisher Family?"
"Their loyalty lies with Duke Beisher, and you haven’t inherited the title yet!"
"Then what about Count Caspar? Count Caspar swore an oath of loyalty to me personally in front of the citizens of Salted Fish Port! Uncle Caspar, why don’t you tell us what justification you have for your betrayal!"
The King turned slightly, casting a faint glance at Count Caspar.
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