Chapter 2: New Century (Epilogue)
Chapter 364: Inevitable Death
Buwan Territory and Colt Territory were adjacent to each other.
Buwan Territory was to the north, closer to King Maidon’s Royal City.
Colt Territory was to the south, near the center of the Medon Empire.
Upon receiving Duke Bristol’s letter, Grand Duke Corvet immediately led his core army into Buwan Territory.
On the morning of the third day, he had already landed his griffin on the large lawn in front of Buwan Castle.
Accompanying Grand Duke Corvet was his son, Berg Corvet.
He was a young man with short, bright blonde hair and a red tear-shaped birthmark below his left eye, making him highly recognizable in a crowd.
Duke Bristol recognized him at a glance, even though the last time they met, Berg was an infant in Grand Duke Corvet’s arms.
Walking in front of the young knight was an old knight wearing a rhinoceros-horn steel helmet, a robust and strong man. His grayish-white curly hair was hidden within his helmet, with only a few strands mixed with his matching beard hanging down on either side of his cheeks. His face was ruddy, and his eyes were bright. As soon as he saw Duke Bristol, he let out a booming roar:
“Ah! Bristol! It’s good to see you! Especially seeing your hair is whiter than last year!” The boisterous Duke Corvet embraced Bristol in a bear hug, making Duke Bristol feel as if all his bones were creaking.
He broke free from Duke Corvet’s embrace and appraised him from head to toe, smiling as he said, “It seems the food in Corvet Castle has been quite good these past two years. You’ve gained at least twenty pounds. Someone as thick-skinned as you should be at the front.”
“I’ll be at the very front!” Duke Corvet slapped Duke Bristol on the shoulder and burst into laughter, “Just like twenty-three years ago, on the battlefield of Emerald Fortress. Bristol, if it weren’t for me, you’d likely be lying straight in a graveyard, staring blankly at the dark tomb gate.”
Duke Bristol chuckled.
He remembered that battle, which was also the starting point of his friendship with Grand Duke Corvet. Twenty-three years ago, they were both in their prime, each leading their respective family armies to defend Emerald Castle.
The Grand Duke Corvet of that time was not as portly as he was now.
He was a renowned handsome man back then.
His handsomeness was on par with that of the Sword of Buwan, as he was known.
His beard was meticulously groomed daily, and his golden hair was slicked back shiningly, making the girls delivering supplies to Emerald Castle’s eyes light up upon seeing him.
He had a strong physique and was over eight feet tall. When clad in heavy armor, he stood like an iron tower. His weapon of choice was an unsharpened greatsword, so heavy that four ordinary Great Knights couldn’t lift it, but in his hands, it was as light as a feather.
Many years have passed, and Duke Corvet is still as brave as ever.
He strode like a dragon, carrying that greatsword on his back.
However, his waistline had become as astonishing as his height.
Still, Duke Corvet in heavy armor would appear even more unstoppable.
Feeling the surging aura from Grand Duke Corvet, Duke Bristol couldn’t help but exclaim, “You’ve condensed the Champion Heart?”
“No,” Grand Duke Corvet shook his head and sighed helplessly, “It’s incredibly difficult to condense the Champion Heart. I’ve only learned a third of the essence of a Champion Knight, and the true Champion Level is still a distant dream. My mind is too cluttered; various emotions interfere every time I try to condense the Champion Heart.”
“That’s truly a pity,” Duke Bristol lamented.
“Who isn’t it? I was just a little bit short.”
Grand Duke Corvet extended his rough hand, like dried leather, with a gap the size of a soybean between his thumb and index finger. But only he knew that this gap represented a vast chasm.
The two walked towards the castle as they spoke.
Grand Duke Corvet’s son followed closely behind them.
He had passed the age of being overly active.
At this moment, he was attentively listening to the conversation between the two dukes, remaining silent.
Duke Bristol led the Corvet father and son into the castle’s Conference Hall. After they were all seated, the servants drew back the heavy curtains around the hall, and sunlight streamed in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, dimly revealing the distant Crown Snow Mountain on the horizon.
Then, maids successively brought in pastries and afternoon tea, while knights brought a map and laid it neatly on the conference table.
“Have you decided to launch an attack on the Royal City?” Grand Duke Corvet asked, after studying the map for a moment. He looked up with his smoky gray eyes, his gaze fixed seriously on Duke Bristol.
“Of course. Howard has already received the help of King of Winter. Before the Wintery Empire’s soldiers arrive, this is our only chance to kill Howard,” Duke Bristol nodded firmly.
“I not only wrote to you,” he continued, “but I also wrote to Grand Duke Gritz and Grand Duke Matt. However, only Grand Duke Gritz has replied so far. He said he is willing to provide some assistance, but he still doesn’t want to expose himself. He will provide us with a hundred covert guards, specializing in stealth and assassination, with an average strength of Great Knights, led by a Sky Knight.”
“Those who waver will get nothing in the end,” Grand Duke Corvet snorted coldly.
“So now we have three Sky Knights. Killing Howard is not an overly difficult task. Although there are many soldiers in the Royal City, their combat effectiveness is generally mediocre,” he frowned and took a deep breath, “The key is that we have no way to defeat the King of Winter. Have you considered that perhaps after killing Howard, we could pledge allegiance to the King of Winter? Anyway, we just need to protect our territories.”
“The King of Winter will not let us go,”
Duke Bristol gave a bitter laugh, his sharp gaze becoming somewhat dim.
“If you were the King of Winter, would you allow four dukes with their own private armies to exist?” he looked into Grand Duke Corvet’s misty gray eyes and clearly read rejection and helplessness.
Yes, the King of Winter would not let them go.
He said to Corvet, “The Wintery Empire is far from here. The King of Winter will definitely eliminate all forces that could shake his rule. According to intelligence from the front lines, the King of Winter possesses an extremely strong desire for control; he is a dictator. To stabilize his kingdom, he will not hesitate to strike down any noble who poses a potential threat!”
Duke Bristol sighed, placing his hands on the conference table, his fingers interlaced before his nose. His eyes were downcast, wrinkles etched on his face like old bark, and as his slightly downturned lips curved downwards, a sense of desolation gradually formed.
“None of us four dukes can escape,” he took out a goose feather pen and circled the territories of all four dukes, “It’s just that the other two haven’t seen the situation clearly yet. They still think King Maidon will be the one in power. Consider this: how could the King of Winter, who once ruled the entire Emerald Fortress, let go of the chance to annex Medon and Karari? Howard is merely a pawn in the King of Winter’s hand, a puppet emperor. We will die eventually, and we must die.”
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