Chapter 312: The Lone Eagle Knight from the Desert

The thick oak door of the Copper Fortress opened outward, and the knights appeared at the end of the road.

The horses neighed, and between the vine-bound fences, a long river of gold and iron flowed distinctly through the fluorescent yellow wheat fields.

Fifty edict-level temple knights and fifty squire-level temple knights walked in the front.

The hot monsoon from the Emerald Sea fluttered dozens of flags embroidered with floral leaves and gold edges.

On the desert-colored banner, giant eagles with sharp teeth seemed to soar in groups under the blue sky.

This giant eagle with teeth is a creature that can only be found in the desert south of the Royal Court. It is of the same type as the giant spider in the Thousand River Valley, the slime in the Black Snake Bay, and the golden sheep in the Gravel Plain.

Its name is also the title of the tall knight under the banner, this follower of Mircella who was born in the royal court but came to the empire - the sand sculpture knight Nedsal.

Nigsar was a human sand noble in the royal court, and even a tax farmer in a region.

He fled to the empire, bringing not only himself but also hundreds of the best javelin cavalry from the vast deserts of the royal court - the Cossack cavalry.

Cossack means free man in the Southern El language, which means that these Cossacks are also cavalrymen of civilian origin.

These humans of the royal court have copper-skinned bodies, wear scaly armor, and have deep eye sockets beneath their dark red turbans.

Unlike the Imperials who like to grow beards and goatees, these humans from the Royal Court prefer to shave their chins, temples and necks cleanly, leaving only a short, hard black beard on their upper lips.

Riding on the red-eyed and curly-eared horses unique to the royal court, they drove the carriage along the road.

On the bumpy dirt road, the wheels of the carriage kept bouncing up and down.

The truck bed was filled with skulls that were shaking and almost rolling off the pyramid of human heads.

In the glaring sunlight, the metal flashed blindingly, causing Zerlaken, who was waiting at the side of the castle, to squint his eyes.

"Ah! Lord Nidsal, it's great to see your triumphant return." Zellaken said sincerely.

"Isn't it my duty to return in triumph? The secret party in Black Snake Bay can only perform some tricks." Faced with Zerakon's enthusiasm, Nedsal seemed a little cold. "Compared with the magicians in the Royal Court, they are so inferior that I don't know where they are."

Unlike the Empire, which uses the derogatory term "wizards" to refer to spellcasters, the Royal Court always uses the relatively neutral term "magician".

For Nedsal, who had dealt with magicians many times, how to use cavalry to deal with magic was a compulsory course for the tax farmers in the royal court.

This time, he assisted the Wolf Fort Demon Hunters in encircling and suppressing the secret party, and his results were quite fruitful.

For some reason, this year's secret party is much inferior to previous years in terms of manpower and weapons and equipment.

Although several great wizards using fireball appeared, their casting speed was too slow and they could only ambush.

After reacting, Nidsal immediately led the javelin cavalry forward quickly.

Those precious fireball magicians were shot to death by a round of javelins before they even had time to escape.

In the end, he even destroyed the headquarters of a small secret party and captured hundreds of magicians as prisoners.

However, these are not his most concerned issues now. Instead, his most concerned issue is the Kush Territory in the north.

The Salvation Army and the peasant rebels in Jeanne d'Arc are what he is most concerned about right now.

The main reason is that these peasant rebels were able to defeat the Imperial Order Company.

Although the Imperial Order Company had been defeated before and even annihilated before, most of the time they were defeated by the extraordinary knights who were also nobles.

The situation in which the imperial edict was defeated by peasant rebels had never happened in a thousand years, and its political significance was far greater than its military significance.

"Was the Imperial Order Company really defeated by those peasant rebels?" Taking off his leather gloves and casually throwing them on the servant's face, Nedsal walked up to Zelakn and asked.

Zelaken, the secretary of Nedsal, wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief: "I heard that, but I'm sure they used some tricks. You know, they have a witch in their hands." Nedsal grinned, revealing white teeth with bloodshot under his dark red lips. It was unclear whether he was mocking or excited:
"It's not like I haven't killed witches before. The Empire's cavalry tactics are too rigid...Did the church send any letters during the days I was away?"

"Your wisdom is truly terrifying." Zelaken's face, which was covered with white powder, was streaked with sweat. "There is indeed a letter from the church."

"Read it to me."

Although he was canonized as a titled knight, unlike most knights, Niedsal was illiterate and could only rely on what he heard from others.

In this age without a sense of confidentiality, Nedsalzerakn stood at the city gate as if no one was around.

Zelaken read aloud a personal letter from Barniforth as the wheels rolled beside them, mixed with the resentful looks of the captured mages.

"Behave yourself!" Nikossack, speaking with a thick accent, whipped the magician prisoner hard on the back with his whip.

The expression on the prisoner's face suddenly became ferocious. He gritted his teeth and did not cry out, continuing to follow the carriage slowly forward.

Under the clumps of wheat stalks in the wheat field, the straw hat gleamed with the luster of sweat in the sun.

The farmers occasionally looked up at the two nobles who were discussing this matter, not knowing what they were talking about.

But they didn't dare to know and just lowered their heads and continued to work.

"Can Barnifoss help me win the title of Knight Commander of the Temple of the Thousand Valley?" After hearing the contents of the letter, Nedsal dragged the sweaty Zerakken inside. "How can a non-metropolitan bishop have such great power?"

Zerakken walked through the long corridor with the doorway. The long and gloomy road made of black stones was the coolest place as summer approached.

"I think the person with such great power is not him, but Prince Kongdai." Zerakon analyzed as he walked, "The situation in the Kingdom of Leia is currently in chaos, and everyone regards Prince Kongdai as the biggest variable. They want to win him over but are also afraid of him.

I dare say that if Prince Condé dares to extend an olive branch to any party, he will face a crazy attack from the other party.

He was not close to any party. He helped others win the battle, but he could not get any title or reward. He was even suspected of having ambitions for the throne.

If we lose the battle, we will lose everything we have now, and may even have to go back to the border.

Prince Condé has recently been pushing for a three-year tax-farming right for the Thousand River Valley, under the pretext that if civil war is unavoidable, he will retain his imperial decree to deal with foreign enemies..."

Nedsal stopped at some point, frowning, and blurry sunlight slanted down from the doorway.

"He wants to be the Prince of Thousand Valleys?"

"Probably so."

Prince Condé's fiefdom, Condé Territory, was actually very small. He had a high title but a small fiefdom, and relied entirely on transfusions from the Pope and the royal family.

While he was waiting for a good price, he suddenly decided to stay in the Thousand River Valley, largely because of the sudden death of the Pope.

There was unrest in the church and civil war in the royal family. His economy could not sustain it and his only option was the relatively prosperous Thousand River Valley.

"Can the church approve it? Aren't they still arguing about it?"

"Anyway, the new pope is from Leia. Although he has not officially ascended the throne yet, with the upper echelons of the church controlled by Leia bishops, Prince Kongdai's request will most likely be met."

"Will Grandivar agree?"

“After all, there is the old pope’s will. Grandivar’s claim that this pope is an illegitimate pope has indeed received support from many scholars and priests.

I don't know if this 'new pope' can officially ascend the throne, but it is still possible to meet Prince Condé's demands during this period."

Exhaling slowly, Nidsal rubbed his forehead and said, "The affairs of the empire are really complicated. Forget it, let's eat first. After eating, you can sort out the affairs of Kush Territory and Prince Kongdai's request again."

(End of this chapter)