Cornflower Witch

Chapter 197 The Prince and Princess in Flight

The base at the foot of Dark Mist Mountain is under construction in full swing.

After instructing Hilti, Reginson, who was leading the team, led the rest of the group, carrying supplies, and continued onward. They would reach the most dangerous front line in the Dark Mist Mountains to resupply the encampments.

After this group left, only sixty-odd people remained at the new base. During this period, regardless of their profession, the trainees participated in the construction of the base. Some helped move stones, some assisted in laying bricks, and others were responsible for preparing food and scouting the surrounding environment.

Siltia closed her eyes and concentrated by the makeshift pool. A faint moonlight halo appeared on her body, and then a figure outlined in pale silver threads appeared behind her.

The hazy figure was almost identical to the silver-haired girl, but looked more mature. 'She' had her eyes lowered, and she gently raised the water bottle with both hands, drawing the water in front of her into it, continuously merging it in.

After that, the water bottle flashed, and the water inside swirled continuously. After a few minutes, it flowed out again and merged into the clean pool.

With that, the water source was purified for the day. Hiltiya breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the few beads of sweat from her forehead.

Even for her, purifying so much water in a short time would be an exhausting task. Generally, those who purify water sources within the association are third-tier spring water priests, who are professionals specifically responsible for purification and are few in number.

"Thank you for your hard work, Senior Tiya." Two girls came over, wiped Tiya's sweat, then draped a white veil over her to protect her from corrosion, and helped the girl sit down to rest.

"I'm not that weak," Hiltia protested softly, though she was indeed a little tired at the moment.

After resting for a while against the back of the chair, Hiltiya regained some of her energy and stood up.

"Let's go for a walk around the camp and see how the construction is progressing."

"Yes." The two followed. They were both knight squires of the 'Holy White Knights Hall' and were now responsible for protecting Hilti and taking care of her daily life.

……

As Sylvanas explores the depths of the Shadow World, the surface continent also experiences various conflicts and changes.

Kingdom of Legas, White Cliff City.

An army of about 100,000 surrounded the royal city. Tents stretched across the open fields, numbering in the thousands. From time to time, the silhouettes of giant eagles appeared from the clouds, watching the city below.

Inside the royal city, the current Grand Duke of Legas, Gres Bouvier, sat on his throne, his face grim.

He had dark brown hair similar to his ancestors, and the silver crown on his head was dull and lackluster, with the sapphire in the center also somewhat dim, only the faint imprint of fir branches and leaves visible.

“Eagle Scorpion, Anti…” he gritted his teeth as he muttered the two names, his thick fingers gripping the armrest tightly.

Beneath the throne stood generals and nobles, their expressions varied: some looked worried and uneasy, some closed their eyes and remained silent, and some trembled.

Everyone realized that the Kingdom of Legas was in imminent danger. Anti and Eagle Scorpion had already agreed on how to divide the Kingdom of Legas, otherwise they wouldn't have been so in sync.

Contrary to some people's expectations, when two powerful nations clash, the first to fall are not either of them, but rather the smaller countries and weaker forces surrounding them.

The leaders of both Anti and Eagle Scorpion were not idiots. They knew that each other was the biggest enemy, but they were also very clear that if they fought each other with all their might, the surrounding small countries would definitely benefit in the end. So why not devour these small countries first, since they couldn't resist anyway?

Thus, with this shared understanding and tacit agreement, the leaders of both sides joined forces to launch this large-scale campaign, with the aim of destroying the Kingdom of Regas, dividing it up, and accumulating strength for the future struggle for hegemony among the southern kingdoms.

"How much resistance is left in the city?" After his anger subsided, Gress's momentum dissipated, and he became somewhat dejected.

"Currently, there are three legions on standby, totaling 30,000 men, in addition to 50,000 conscripted militia."

"How many knights are still on standby in the elite 'Fir Knights'?" Grace asked, leaning back on the throne with his eyes closed.

“Sixty-seven knights are still waiting,” a general replied, placing his hand on his shoulder.

"Only sixty-seven people left?" Previously, the Fir Knights had 138 official members, all of whom were knights of the third rank or above, and were the most solid pillars of this country. Unexpectedly, in just a few months, only half of them remained.

While some members certainly died on the battlefield, many more were simply nobles dismissing their knights from the Fir Knights, preventing them from participating in a war they were destined to lose. A vassal of a vassal, not my vassal.

Although the Fir Knights were quite numerous at their peak, only about forty knights were directly loyal to the royal family; the rest were knights under the command of various nobles within the country.

In the past, this would not have been a problem. Duke Regas could have simply given the order to gather these knights together to fight.

However, now that many nobles see that the Kingdom of Regas is doomed, they have their own thoughts and have recalled their family knights. Only 67 people remain in the White Cliff Royal City, of which 42 are knights directly under the royal family, and the remaining 25 are knights under the command of other nobles.

Sixty-seven knights charging in formation was an unstoppable torrent of steel in this era. However, they were also facing an equally powerful torrent of steel. The royal knights of the Kingdom of Antiy alone numbered more than 130. With the addition of the family knights of various noble families and the support of the Eagle Scorpion Tent Kingdom, the allied forces outside the city numbered more than 300 knights, several times the number in White Cliff City.

"Your Majesty, why don't we abandon the city..." Before he could finish speaking, a general interrupted him.

"Absurd! Baiya City is the most fortified city in the country, and it has ample food reserves. If we leave here, wouldn't we be like wild dogs, being trampled and driven away?"

These words did make sense, and they made those who were initially interested feel discouraged. However, if they continued to persist, they would see no hope of victory, and they would inevitably be defeated sooner or later...

“How about we just…” a sharp-tongued, opportunistic nobleman suggested in a low voice, observing everyone’s reactions.

What he wanted to say was nothing more than surrender. After all, if they couldn't win, surrendering might save their lives. However, surrendering was too humiliating, and no one could be sure that the other side would really let them go. What if they were still humiliated and died after surrendering? Wouldn't they be ridiculed and their family's reputation would be completely ruined?

In any country or region, those who surrender have always been looked down upon.

"Let's discuss it again," Grace said, waving her hand to dismiss everyone.

Seeing that no solution or result had been reached today, some ministers and nobles left in disappointment, as they were getting impatient.

If the Antioch Kingdom's army were to invade tomorrow or the day after, it would be too late for them to surrender or flee.

That night, after the meeting ended, Greta ventured deep into the underground palace, where hidden passages were said to lead out of the city.

“Jobs, Musa, you two should take the men and escape from here.” He pointed to the third prince, Jobs, and the second princess, Musa.

The current Grand Duke of Legas has three sons and two daughters: the eldest prince Leon, the second prince Sigri, the third prince Jobs, the eldest princess Mattia, and the second princess Musa.

Princess Matissa, the eldest, has married and moved to another country and is no longer in the city. The second prince died on the battlefield last month, and now only three of his children remain with him.

"Leon and I will remain in the city. You two take your men and go ahead," he instructed again.

"Go through the passage, leave White Cliff City, and head south to the Dark Forest, where witches live in seclusion. They will recognize you and help you escape to the woods."

"Even Anti and Eagle Scorpion cannot interfere with the rules of the Hidden Forest, which is a vast alliance organization with far greater power than them."

"Once you get there, it's best if you don't leave for at least ten years. Just stay there, study and live well."

"Do you understand?" Grace's voice was stern, making sure they remembered it.

"Yes, Father." The two bowed and looked at their elderly father with tears in their eyes.

After a moment of silence, the old man waved his hand.

"Let's go."

He then turned and left.

Prince Gabriel and Princess Musa did not linger. Escorted by a group of servants and loyal knights, they entered the deep tunnel and disappeared into the depths of the earth.

(End of this chapter)