Chapter 355 255: Trial by Combat (Part 2)

He already had a plan in mind.

But the time was not yet right.

Before long, a letter was sent from White Castle, which was under siege by the Northern Expedition Army. After being passed from hand to hand, it arrived at a tent outside Kolon City.

...

From the outside, the tent was unremarkable, its only notable feature being its immense size. Inside, however, were all the leaders of the Northern Expedition Army.

If, at this very moment, a Great Mage with incredibly profound Magic Cultivation were to cast a spell like the Giant Spirit of Atlas, a hundred-blade-tall giant could stomp down with a single foot.

That would be enough to relieve Kolon's predicament and cause the entire Northern Border Corps to collapse on its own.

But that was just wishful thinking. Even in an age where Magic flourished, only a Legendary Mage could cast a spell of that level.

It wasn't something today's half-baked Mages could possibly pull off.

In her youth, Fulina had studied Swordsmanship at the Royal Court and had even spent some time as an adventurer, roughing it in the wild. As a result, she wasn't a picky eater like other noble ladies who would only touch the most exquisite foods.

The beef on her plate was a bit overcooked, but she still ate it with great relish.

However, the sudden arrival of a letter interrupted her meal. She unhurriedly took out a white handkerchief to wipe her rosy lips, then slowly removed the wax seal and smoothed out the rolled-up parchment.

But upon reading the first sentence, she couldn't help but frown.

The other nobles stopped eating and turned to look at their Feudal Lord.

They all knew the letter was from White Castle, but they were curious what it said to make Lady Fulina's expression change so drastically.

After reading it through, Fulina's expression returned to calm, and a faint smile even touched her lips.

This brought smiles to the other nobles' faces as well. Count Andao took the initiative and asked, "Lady Fulina, what does the letter say?"

Fulina had her Maid pass it around. Soon, everyone had read it, and it finally reached the hands of the Lord who was busy gnawing on a sheep's trotter.

He wiped the grease from his hands and spread the parchment open.

"Ha! Trial by combat? I'm starting to wonder if a Goblin ate all of their brains."

He immediately let out a whistle, unable to hide the disdainful smile on his face.

As if on cue, a chorus of whistles filled the tent. These were nobles who had been taught the strictest etiquette, yet at this moment, they acted like a pack of street thugs harassing women.

"I like this method."

The Panda Race Leader took a savage bite of the large leg bone in his hand, his sharp teeth instantly tearing away a huge chunk.

Besides Lord Li, he had yet to fear anyone in a one-on-one fight.

"Maybe they're like cornered beasts in a cage, putting up one last struggle," Liya couldn't help but cheer, her face wreathed in smiles.

It was as if she could already see herself reunited with her mother.

It was no wonder they were so excited.

In the past, the Gods might have truly interfered in a trial by combat, but these days, the outcome was decided entirely by personal martial prowess.

To say nothing of anyone else, right here in this tent—aside from Fulina—Count Andao's Combat Qi was incredibly profound, making him one of the most renowned masters in the Northern Territory.

Then there was the Count of Monvert from Wolf Island; legend had it he could take on five or six Mountain Giants all by himself.

And though they looked down on the Panda-man for being a Half-Beastman, his strength was undeniable.

Not to mention...

All eyes fell upon a certain someone who, after finishing the letter, had gone right back to gnawing on his sheep's trotter.

If asked who was unanimously considered the strongest, everyone present would have chosen the Lord of High Cliff Castle.

On their march south, setting aside his past achievements, his recent deeds alone were enough to be considered astonishing.

The signature Magic of the Earth Church Priests was summoning Stone Giants. These creatures from the Elemental Plane were over ten blades tall, composed entirely of Giant Stone, with equally formidable offense and defense.

On the battlefield, they were absolute meat grinders, capable of deciding the outcome of a small-scale battle. It was said only Magic could deal with them.

And yet, a certain someone had hacked them to pieces, leaving nothing but a pile of rubble.

Later, when they learned that their rapid progress against Kolon was also thanks to the Lord of High Cliff Castle, they all went to the western city wall. They stared at the shattered city gate and the broken battering ram. After corroborating the story with soldiers who had witnessed the gate's destruction firsthand, they fell silent, still as the marble statues of Bailiu City in the Northern Territory.

They left without another word, merely instructing the soldiers under their command to be more respectful toward the Lion Hunter Knight and not to provoke him.

Without a doubt, his strength had reached an unimaginable level.

They even suspected the Lord of High Cliff Castle was a Giant in human skin. Otherwise, there was no way to explain how his slender frame could contain such terrifying Power.

It defied all logic.

Having such a powerhouse on their side was definitely something to be thankful for.

By now, they had all reached the same conclusion in their hearts: 'The Southern People are digging their own graves. Even in a trial by combat, the Northern Expedition Army will be victorious!'

While the nobles were excitedly discussing the trial by combat, Liya quietly patted Levi's thigh. "Levi, do you think Penny and her people really intend to settle this with a trial by combat?"

Of course, she hoped they did. With Levi on her side, it was impossible for them to lose.

This blind confidence was born from having witnessed his incredible feats with her own eyes.

But she also feared it was just a ruse on Penny's part, a distraction to conceal their true intentions.

"When someone proposes to solve a problem with a trial by combat, they'd better mean it." Levi wiped his mouth, took a satisfying gulp of iced plum juice to cut the grease, and continued, "They have no other choice. It's either we storm the city, or it's trial by combat."

"But either way, they're destined to lose. Victory will be ours."

At this, Levi's gaze shifted to the south, and his brow furrowed. "To be honest, the only reason we're winning this easily is because Damon is tied up on the southern border."

"We all saw that one Demon with our own eyes. It's hard to imagine how powerful the demon forces must be to tie up the Southern Territory's main army of over one hundred thousand troops, preventing them from coming to the rescue."

'Frankly, his and Fulina's thinking was the same. Who cares about demons? Even if the Undead showed up, they had to take Kolon first.'

'Complete the strategic objective first, then worry about everything else.'

'Perhaps future historians would record this and denounce them as selfish opportunists who ignored a crisis that threatened their Race.'

'But he and Fulina were clearly similar in one regard: when compared to the immediate benefits, they couldn't care less about how they were judged.'

'A melon plucked by force isn't sweet? If it were up to the Lord, he'd just go and pluck eight or ten of them. Who cares if they're sweet, as long as they quench your thirst.'

'The Demon situation was the same. If they agreed to a ceasefire to fight the Demons together, the outcome after the Demons were repelled would be full of uncertainty.'

'On the other hand, if they took advantage of the enemy's weakened defenses to capture Kolon first, they would have room to maneuver later, whether they chose to advance or retreat.'

"I wonder how Aunt Fulina will handle this," Liya said, her expression worried.

It was just as Fulina had said before: at worst, she could just withdraw her army back to the Northern Territory. The Demons would have to conquer the Southern, Western, and Eastern Territories, plus the Royal Court, before they ever reached the North.

Thus, Liya was worried that once Fulina conquered the Southern Territory and got what she wanted, she might actually withdraw her army.

Then the Southern Territory would once again be the bulwark holding back the Demons.

"Don't overthink it. Our King obviously isn't going to just stand by and watch all this happen," Levi said reassuringly, his own brow relaxing considerably.

'He was clearly worrying for nothing. If the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up.'

'High Cliff Castle was just a backwater mountain village with a thousand or so Warriors. Demons, Undead, and all that... it wasn't his problem to worry about.'