Chapter 42 : Chapter 42
Chapter 42. Orders, Arrival
The wind in the mountain hollow carried fine snow, whipping across people’s faces with painful force.
Duke Lane and Duke Carden were directing the soldiers to push forward while three Legendary Archmages chased after two giants on the opposing side.
At that moment, a raven flapped its wings and landed on Duke Lane’s arm. The bronze tube tied to its leg glinted with a cold light.
He untied the tube and pulled out the parchment inside. Borrowing the glow of a magic lamp, he quickly scanned it. His face instantly turned pale, and the fingers holding the letter trembled slightly.
“What happened?”
Seeing his expression was wrong, Duke Carden quickly leaned closer and took the letter to read it himself.
Within only a few minutes, he suddenly raised his head, his voice filled with disbelief and shock.
“The Royal Family’s eight Legends have all fallen in battle? And a Domain-level Foreign Race even appeared?”
The surrounding generals paused when they heard this. The air in the mountain hollow seemed to freeze instantly.
Duke Carden looked at Lane.
“What do we do now? We are still stuck here dealing with the Barbarians, but the Royal Family…”
Duke Lane paced back and forth, leaving a string of chaotic footprints in the snow.
He suddenly stopped.
“There is no longer any meaning in driving out the Barbarians. The foundation of the Northern Frontier lies with the Royal Family. If something goes wrong with them, then even if we drive the Barbarians out, we would only be preparing the land for the Foreign Races.”
He took a deep breath.
“I plan to send a message to His Majesty first and ask for his decision.”
“We should ask,”
Duke Carden frowned.
“But how do we phrase it? We cannot just say we want to withdraw, can we?”
Duke Lane pondered for a moment.
“We will say that most of the Barbarians around Giant Frost Fortress have already been cleared, but we have heard that something has happened at the Secret Realm in the Northern Frontier. Duke Carden and I stand ready to await His Majesty’s command at any time. If the Royal Family requires support, we will immediately lead our forces back.”
He paused and added, “This shows our loyalty while placing the decision in His Majesty’s hands. It is the safest approach.”
Duke Carden nodded in agreement. “Let us do it that way.”
“Also, send scouts further ahead to observe the movements of the Barbarian main force. For now, we will hold our position and wait for His Majesty’s reply.”
Duke Lane immediately ordered someone to bring paper and pen. He quickly wrote the reply and tied it back onto the raven’s leg.
The raven flapped its wings and disappeared into the lead-gray clouds.
The advance in the mountain hollow continued, but the pace noticeably slowed.
The two Knight Orders sent by Duke Lane moved in a pincer formation, deliberately driving the Barbarians toward Despair Fortress. However, the defensive lines they left behind along the way were much looser than before.
The Legion commanders under them were full of confusion—if they clearly had the strength to crush the enemy in one blow, why were they deliberately holding back?
But seeing the grave expressions of the two Dukes, they ultimately followed the orders.
Several hours passed, yet the raven they had sent out had not returned. The atmosphere inside the tent grew heavier.
Duke Lane was quietly discussing with Duke Carden how to preserve their forces. They had even begun preparing for the possibility of withdrawing from the Northern Frontier at any moment.
Suddenly, the tent flap was lifted open, and a Griffin Rider covered in wind and snow strode inside.
“His Majesty has issued an order!”
“Duke Lane, Duke Carden—the Secret Realm has been reclaimed.”
“His Majesty commands the two of you to accelerate the offensive and ensure that the Barbarians are completely driven out of the Northern Frontier!”
“The Secret Realm has been reclaimed?”
Lane and Carden exchanged glances. At first they were stunned, but joy quickly spread across their faces.
Although they did not know the details, the fact that His Majesty spoke with such certainty meant that a Domain-Level Powerhouse of the Royal Family must have intervened—most likely Ancestor Fenlilan had arrived.
The two of them quickly bowed to receive the order.
“We obey Your Majesty’s decree! We will not fail Your Majesty’s trust!”
After delivering the order, the Griffin Rider turned and left. The oppressive atmosphere in the tent vanished instantly.
Duke Carden clapped his hands and laughed. “So it was a false alarm after all! The Royal Family truly had a backup plan!”
Duke Lane also let out a sigh of relief. A decisive look appeared on his face as he turned to the two Legion commanders in the tent.
“Deliver my orders. Commit all reserve forces.”
“Have the Knight Orders accelerate the encirclement. Within ten days, the Barbarian main force must be driven west of Despair Fortress. Anyone who resists will be killed without mercy.”
“Yes.”
The two Legion commanders were instantly invigorated. Their earlier doubts vanished as they accepted the order and quickly left the tent to deliver the commands.
In an instant, the horns in the mountain hollow sounded more urgent and spirited.
The reserve forces that had been holding position surged forward like a tide. The charge of the Knight Orders shook the valley, and even the snowflakes in the sky seemed to whirl more violently under the momentum.
Standing on high ground, Duke Lane watched as the soldiers descended upon the Barbarian positions like tigers charging down a mountain. He exchanged a glance with Duke Carden.
Since the Royal Family had stabilized the Secret Realm, they no longer had any concerns.
The Barbarians of the Northern Frontier should now be completely eradicated.
At this moment, on the frozen plains of the Northern Frontier, Kroll II led the great army slowly forward along the frozen earth.
William still maintained his usual habit. Every time they passed a major city or castle, he would enter and take a look.
The hundred people his Third Sister Jessy had selected had already been gathered. They were all slaves with Silver Aptitude—nothing exceptional. Since he could not quite understand his Third Sister Jessy’s true intentions, he decided there was no need to think too deeply about it.
As for himself, during their passage through several cities, he had quietly selected three thousand two hundred slaves.
All of them possessed Golden Aptitude. Among them were more than two hundred slaves with Sky Aptitude. After signing contracts, he had the Slave Traders send them to the manor outside the Royal Capital.
The army marched for another five days. The wind sweeping across the frozen ground gradually carried a faint scent of rust.
On the horizon ahead, a continuous line of city walls finally appeared. The gray fortifications flickered faintly through the snowstorm.
It was the main city of the Derek Family.
“At last, we have arrived.”