Countless flames shot up into the sky, painting the night sky a deep crimson.
Several crossbow bolts tipped with hooked chains plunged into the fleeing horse-drawn carriage, but were halted by an invisible force.
“Truly troublesome.”
A few nobles on the hillside in the distance were observing the events on the main road using hawk-eye techniques.
“Don’t rush; after all, the opponent is the ruler of the Northern Border. Having some trump cards is normal.”
“However, with this fight dragging on, daybreak is almost here. They are really tough; they have been fleeing for nearly an entire night.”
One nearby demon opened a pocket watch and countered, “To be precise, it’s been four hours.”
“Four hours! A full four hours!”
The initial noble said impatiently, “Do you understand what will happen if old Lars returns to his Winter Fortress? He will know immediately that his beloved grandson has been attacked by us and will discover that we are not only cooperating with the royal family but also colluding with you filthy snakes.”
“In fact, Duke Lars already knows now.”
The demon glanced toward the elite demon cavalry trailing closely behind the human cavalry.
“And you humans are quite self-aware. Attacking your own nephew and your own kin really qualifies you as snakes. We demons are different; we are much more noble than you, so don’t describe us as such.”
“Hmph!”
The noble snorted coldly and continued, “If he escapes, you might be fine, but I will be dead!”
The demon maintained a leisurely demeanor and said, “That’s right, and there would be no burial ground. Once Duke Lars returns to his position, with his immense prestige he can easily take back control of the land occupied by your nephew. Right now, we must launch a quick offensive to erase both your kin and your nephew and niece to ensure you are the only surviving heir of the Lars family.”
“Don’t you think it’s time to send in more people?”
“I’ve said there’s no need to rush. You also know that your Lars family produces a lot of knight professionals, all as tough as turtles; it’s not that easy to take them down. Isn’t that why we chose to wait here?”
The demon’s gaze fell upon the horse-drawn carriage guarded by a squad of knights, marveling at how wealthy humans were. In these four hours, the magical artifacts used on that carriage alone had surpassed ten at the silver level, while the bronze-level artifacts were being tossed out carelessly. Even with a long-intercepting army deployed and countless traps and magical devices prepared, they still allowed the carriage to escape this place.
During this time, they even used crystal-level magical artifacts, silencing all the magic in an entire area, which almost allowed the opponent to evade capture.
If the opponents had not possessed space-based magical artifacts and shadow techniques, which the Lars family excels at, those on the hillside would not have been so bold as to attempt to assassinate a duke of the kingdom.
Inside the carriage, Duke Lars was gasping for breath; his only option now was to take Ruby and ride the fastest steed out with an elite squad.
However, that would mean abandoning the defensive magic of the carriage and most magical devices.
Previously, while using crystal-level magical artifacts, Duke Lars had already attempted it once, sending out an elite knight squad to break through. But the opponent was overly prepared, and even the best knights found it difficult to breach this encirclement.
With the enemy closing in, Duke Lars truly lacked the confidence to lead Ruby out of the siege. After all, the enemy had also used crystal-level magical artifacts, and most importantly, it seemed they did not intend to leave any survivors.
Seeing the magical army of the kingdom and the green-skinned demons mingling together, even Duke Lars, with a temperament as bold as Lena’s, could understand what was unfolding.
What disappointed Duke Lars the most was seeing many knights using the Lars battle formation during the chaos.
Sean’s territory had likely already fallen; although he had mentally prepared for it, at this moment, Duke Lars truly felt like a weary old man over seventy.
“How far is it to Winter Fortress?”
Duke Lars forced himself into a knightly stance to fend off the rain of arrows and asked the steward who was driving the carriage.
Of course, this question was pointless; Duke Lars had just emerged from the central area near the border of the northern region at the Gland Fortress when he was ambushed. Even if they galloped at full speed for an entire night, it was impossible to reach Winter Fortress.
Asking that question was more about Duke Lars trying to resign himself to the fate ahead.
“I’m afraid it’s too late, my lord.”
The heavy breathing was clearly audible even amidst the raining crossbow bolts and spells. Looking at Ruby, who was trembling inside the carriage, Duke Lars seemed to make a decision.
“Grandpa, am I going to be captured again?”
Ruby held tightly onto her stuffed bear, curling up in the corner of the enormous carriage.
“Once we get out, you must listen to whatever Steward Grandpa says, understand?”
Duke Lars gently stroked his youngest granddaughter, feeling a deep sense of sympathy.
The four hours of fierce battle had left Duke Lars utterly exhausted, his hair disheveled, and his entire figure diminished.
At that moment, he was no longer the formidable lord of the Northern Border but rather a fading old man.
This fading old man cradled his granddaughter, hiding her in his long robe, then calmly approached the carriage frame, mounting another warhorse that pulled the carriage.
“Sebas, how many years have we known each other?”
“About fifty years, my lord, or maybe fifty-two; I can’t remember precisely.”
During their conversation, the old man’s robe swirled, and Ruby had suddenly found herself in the old steward’s arms, while all that remained under Duke Lars’ robe was a stuffed bear.
“It’s time for me to teach my rebellious sons a lesson. You take Ruby west and seek refuge with those elves, understood?”
Decades of mutual understanding immediately made the old steward grasp the duke’s intentions, and he silently nodded.
The two hastily and skillfully cut the reins of the carriage, then pressed their legs together, waving the reins, forcing their warhorse to squeeze out the last ounce of strength.
“Warriors of Lars, charge with me!”
With that roar, the surrounding knights, clad in armor that had turned slightly charred, immediately raised their weapons and shouted, “For the Northern Border!”
The enchantments on their weapons and armor started operating at their limits, and in an instant, the brilliance blinded the eyes.
At that moment, the old steward took out a piece of fabric as thin as a cicada’s wing and draped it over himself.
The Lars family indeed was not skilled in shadow magic, but they had a few shadow artifacts. However, this breath-reducing fabric didn’t possess any miraculous abilities to make one disappear; instead, it could only lower one’s presence and erase their existence. For someone already targeted, it would be ineffective.
But now, Duke Lars, clutching a stuffed bear, led his knights in a desperate charge, while no one noticed that an old steward with the real Ruby quietly vanished into the knight squad.
“The old man is starting to break through! Just as we expected, he’s making a dash toward Winter Fortress!”
The nobles on the hillside clapped their hands excitedly.
In this situation, reaching the vicinity of Winter Fortress offered a slim chance of survival, so pouring all their strength into breaking toward Winter Fortress was the logical strategy. Once they broke the encirclement and contacted Winter Fortress, the situation would reverse dramatically.
This encirclement was also designed based on that mindset.
But no one expected that Duke Lars would send Ruby westward to escape. In order to ensure Ruby could escape, Duke Lars even left some important magical devices with the old steward, so this attempt to break out was not a full-force effort at all.
This implicitly acknowledged that the entire Northern Border had already fallen, and that his breakout would likely fail.
All possibilities had to consider the worst-case scenario; this was Duke Lars’ final lesson to his few rebellious sons.
