Chapter 71: How could the people of Xiao Hai Dao stomach such a spectacle? (23)

You know? The Black-Iron Guard is coming to our White Sturgeon Island.

Hey~ you only just found out? I knew it the night before last.

I mean, what on earth is going on?

In Crescent City, inside the Gentle Mother Sheep Tavern, a few Crescent warriors were chatting over drinks, oblivious to everyone else, and their conversation was incredibly eye-catching.

Before long, a large crowd of drinkers gathered around the warriors, everyone chattering and asking questions.

What are the Black-Iron Guard?

The warrior who was asked immediately slurred his explanation.

Hey~ you don't even know that? How clueless.

The Black-Iron Guard are the elite of the Princess's personal guard—each one a formidable fighter!

Are they tougher than the castle's own guard units?

Of course they are—otherwise how could they be called the elite?

When will they arrive?

It's just a matter of these few days—maybe even today. Don't doubt me; I heard Lord Stonard say it myself while on duty that day!

Hmm~ how will the Black-Iron Guard get here? By ship?

Who knows? They might even fly straight from Dawn City—they're that powerful.

The warrior shook his head and kept drinking.

As they drank, a huge commotion suddenly came from the street outside.

The noise was so immense that people couldn't help wondering if a Forest Spirit battalion had invaded the Crescent City district.

The few drinking warriors immediately cursed, jumped up, and with a 'clang' drew their newly issued steel swords, rushing out of the tavern.

The first warrior reached the tavern door, about to shout angrily, but then he saw the situation on the street, shuddered, and the alcohol instantly wore off.

The second warrior rushed up behind him, shouting, 'Damn mother sheep's... Oh~ Mother Nature above, it's the Black-Iron Guard!'

He hurried to sheath his sword, but because he was so excited he failed several times, nearly stabbing his own leg.

The third warrior also rushed to the doorway.

He heard his companions' words, burned with curiosity to rush out and see, but the wall of people in front blocked him, and he couldn't squeeze through.

He was also short, couldn't see ahead, panicked, and simply scrambled 'scrape-scrape-scrape' up onto the beam.

He took one look, and his eyes glazed over: 'Wow~~~ damn, that's damn fine!'

Outside on the street, ten Black-Iron Guard wearing silver masks formed a row, five rows total, with several particularly sturdy Black-Iron Guard in the middle carrying two huge wooden chests engraved with many runic silver filaments.

Though there were only fifty of them, the pressure they exuded was as terrifying as that of tens of thousands of troops.

Wherever the unit went, the onlooking crowd felt as if squeezed by an invisible wall and desperately fled backward.

To retreat faster, they didn't hesitate to flail wildly in the mud.

Also because of this unusual commotion, a horse was startled.

Heeheeheehee~~

The horse lifted its foreleg, flung the rider off its back, sprang onto all four legs, and charged from the side toward the Black-Iron Guard's formation.

Watch out~~~ the horse is spooked!

Get out of the way~~~ hurry and dodge~~~

People instinctively shouted in unison.

In the blink of an eye, the horse had charged to thirty meters in front of the Black-Iron Guard.

At that moment, a black-clad female mage in the front rank suddenly raised her exquisite yet cruel staff and pointed it at the galloping horse.

Zap~crackle~zap~~

Three successive arm-thick lightning bolts erupted, instantly crossing the thirty-meter distance and striking the horse like a whip of God.

Looking again at the horse,

It instantly burst into flames, the electrocuted spots exploding with flesh and blood; it died on the spot, its body rolling across the ground purely from inertia.

As the rolling horse was about to crash into the onlookers, a burly, sturdy man burst out from the Black-Iron Guard.

He took a single lunging step and was suddenly beside the horse.

He flicked back his dark sun-emblazoned windbreaker with both hands, then stomped his foot down.

With a muffled 'thud', the rolling horse was pinned to the ground by his foot, and the fire on the horse was blown out by the fierce wind from his charge.

That lightning, that stomp, their seamless coordination—though violently executed—resolved this sudden crisis with utter reliability.

The residents of White Sturgeon Island, whether ordinary folk, warriors, or even a few knights watching the spectacle, were all left dumbfounded.

Who from Xiao Hai Dao has ever seen such a cool, show‑off swagger?! 'Splash~~ splash~~ splash~~'

In the sound of their synchronized steps, the handsome, cold‑hearted Black‑Iron Guard, having dealt with the crisis, ignored the frenzied crowd, instantly re‑formed their ranks, and marched once more toward the Crescent Castle atop the mountain.

Only after the Black‑Iron Guard had marched far away did the shocked townsfolk come to their senses, then immediately launch into frantic discussion.

My goodness~~~ the horse~~~ the horse got electro‑cooked!!

Look, there's a footprint~~~ the horse's ribs are all broken, shattered by a single kick—is this even human?!

With one foot he pinned the rolling horse to the ground, and without releasing any battle aura, his raw physical power already surpasses that of a senior knight!

As expected, elite among elites—truly terrifyingly strong!

Now the mountain rebels won't stand a chance—they'll be turned straight into mincemeat!

You bet~ our Crescent City is now completely safe!

But the story of the Black‑Iron Guard doesn't end there.

When this neat, orderly formation of Black‑Iron Guard arrived at the gate of Crescent Castle, they halted.

One of the large chests was set on the ground, while the other continued to be held aloft.

At the castle gate, all the on-duty Crescent Warriors had already gathered, numbering over 200.

They also stood neatly in formation.

The reason was that the Baron and the Princess were to deliver an important speech at the castle gate.

Also because it was the castle gate, many lively Crescent City residents also gathered around, watching from afar.

Amid the attention of all, the Baron loudly said: "Crescent Warriors, you are blessed!"

"Because my lady, the Dawn Princess, specially ordered a batch of powerful magic talismans for you from Dawn City."

"Today, every warrior present will receive a magic talisman, and it will be personally placed on your chest by the Regiment Commander of the Black-Iron Guard, Senior Battle Mage, Miss Akali!" Upon hearing this, the Crescent Warriors' breaths almost stopped, their faces filled with disbelief.

"They are just ordinary warriors; can ordinary warriors even wear magic talismans?" At this moment, Princess Selena stepped forward, looking at the shocked Crescent Warriors.

"Warriors, over the past nearly half month, I have seen your determination and effort in defending Crescent City."

"Crescent City has been well guarded by you, so these magic talismans are the rewards you deserve!"

Even the Princess has spoken, so this must be true.

The Crescent Warriors were all dazed.

Warriors from a small place, who has ever seen such a grand gesture!

Not to mention the Crescent Warriors having seen it, even the Flaming War Regiment that came to watch has never seen such a thing!

In this world, which lord would give ordinary soldiers magic talismans to wear?

The warriors of the Flaming War Regiment haven't even been fully equipped yet!

Yup and several deputy regiment commanders felt bitter in their hearts.

Deputy Regiment Commander Harry couldn't help but say: "Your Highness the Princess is truly too generous."

He even felt a bit jealous.

Yup's gaze then turned to the nearby Black-Iron Guard emitting a murderous aura; the more he looked, the more startled he became.

He couldn't help but whisper to the deputy regiment commanders.

I feel that regiment has at least one Battle Master, possibly two; anyway, I feel I have no chance of winning against them.

Harry instinctively curled his lip: "It's not just because of good magic gear. Look at that leading female mage; her staff looks unimpressive, but it actually has three high-grade lightning crystal lattices on it."

He is well-informed and already knows about the street electric horse incident.

Looking at his staff again, it only has two lattices, both mid-grade, and it's not even on the same level as the opponent's weapon.

In a direct confrontation, he would last at most two rounds before being defeated.

Meanwhile, as the Flaming War Regiment's commanders felt envy and jealousy, the black-clad female mage with an excellent figure and a frosty demeanor walked to the huge wooden chest and, with one hand, lifted its heavy lid.

The lid opened, and inside immediately burst forth a dazzling silver light.

Everyone narrowed their eyes to look, and instantly they all sucked in a breath of cold air.

It was magic talismans! So many they couldn't be counted!

Although each one was exquisitely crafted, they were piled up haphazardly like stones, as if these things were worth nothing at all.

But heaven knows, on that former island, only the Baron could afford such fine things.

Everyone stared, frozen in place for a long time, as if turned to stone.

Akali spoke, her cold voice carrying a hint of feminine hoarseness.

"Loyal Crescent Warriors, according to formation order, come before me, and I will affix the badge of courage upon you."

Baron Luosen immediately explained: "These are all low-grade lightning talismans; the Black-Iron Guard's battle mages said that once the lightning energy in the talisman is activated, you can go to them anytime for recharging."

"If they break, they can be directly replaced."

Not explaining would have been fine, but once explained, it made the Flaming War Regiment's commanders jealous to the point of almost hating.

Harry grinned: "The chest contains at least two thousand talismans, market value over 150,000 ogres; even if self-produced by a Duke's workshop, the cost would exceed 50,000 ogres."

Deputy Regiment Commander Alex of the Shield Guard sighed: "How is the Baron marrying a princess? This is basically marrying a gold mountain!"

The four commanders all sighed in unison, unable to fathom why the esteemed Dawn Princess would be willing to marry onto such a broken island to a plain little baron.

After a long while, Harry found a reason to make himself feel better, secretly thinking: "Probably... probably the Baron is good in bed."

Then he looked at those Crescent Warriors.

When they were having the talisman affixed by Akali, they wished they could thrust their chests up to the heavens.

Their excited, thrilled, enthusiastic demeanor makes one wonder: even if that aloof black-clad lady used her fragrant thigh-high battle boots to stomp on their faces and ordered them to die on the spot, they would gladly and without hesitation carry it out.

The on-duty Crescent Warriors at the castle numbered 200; although Akali moved quickly, by the time the last warrior had the talisman affixed, nearly an hour had already passed.

Luosen waved at the Black-Iron Guard and loudly said: "Noble and glorious warriors, you have worked hard. Now follow me to the resting place prepared especially for you."

This resting place is naturally the lord's longhouse.

Usually only ten of them are displayed for show; the remaining forty are kept underground in the Magic Method Laboratory to conserve energy, to be brought out when needed for emergencies.

Anyway, the Black-Iron Guard has always been known as mysterious and terrifying, so no one would dare to investigate the details.

As the Black-Iron Guard took up residence in the castle, the onlooking crowd gradually dispersed.

But the topic of people's discussion remained entirely the Black-Iron Guard and the two heavy large chests they carried on their backs.

People couldn't help but think: since one large chest holds so many magic talismans, what precious treasures does the other large chest contain?

For now there is no answer, but the various related rumors and speculations, having grown wings, flew everywhere, almost covering the entire White Sturgeon Island in a single day.

At the same time spreading across the island was the Baron's promulgated 'Edict of Peaceful Return'.

The edict's content is: 'The Baron is the Supreme Lord of White Sturgeon Island; the four great knights and the Forest Spirit tribe are all rebels!'

'But the Baron is merciful; aside from those who directly participated in killing his father, the other rebels, if they are willing to surrender, will not be held accountable for their crimes.'

'The ordinary folk of the four towns, as long as they flee to Crescent City, each can obtain 50 kilograms of potatoes and will be properly settled in Crescent City. As long as they obey Crescent City's laws, no one may bully them.'

By nightfall, while Felix was in the cave conducting restorative training, preparing to avenge his previous humiliation, he heard these news.

'Dang—lang~~'

He could not hold the wooden tumor war hammer in his hand; it slipped and fell directly to the ground.

Turning his head to look at his companions around him, what he saw was also utter despair that penetrated to the bone.

The gap was simply too huge, making it impossible for anyone to muster the will to resist.

After a long while, Felix silently picked up the wooden tumor war hammer, but instead of continuing to train, he leaned on the weapon and sat down, letting out a deep sigh.

"Ah———"

The great-grandmother of the Yige tribe also learned of these news.

After a moment of silence, she summoned her great-grandson Yigenini.

"Go to the Nalin tribe to find Phoenix and discuss jointly dealing with the Hege tribe."

"Yes, grandmother."

Yigenini immediately took action.

(End of chapter)