Heroic Spirit Palace, entrance of the Hall of Heroes .

In the tense atmosphere, the standoff between the combatants of Black Sand Region and those of the other archdukes persisted .

The positions of those people were apparent . The door of the stone hall served as the dividing line . The archduke's subordinates and palace guards occupied the s.p.a.ce in the hall, the Black Sand Region soldiers blocked the outside .

Both parties glared at one another . Many of them had their palms pressed against their weapons in readiness . With their s.h.i.+elds held upright, they were ready to fight at any moment .

It all depended on the crucial conversation between the five archdukes in the stone hall .

Even in this kind of predicament, the Viscount of Halting Light City in Black Sand Region, Lazaar Kentvida, was one of the few people who managed to stay calm . At least, compared to Kroesch the swordswoman whose eyes gleamed with bloodl.u.s.t and fingers itched to move, Viscount Kentvida appeared relaxed and unruffled… until a scout delivered the latest intel to him which made him frown .

The viscount thought for a moment, then waved at Kroesch as he walked to a corner with a somber expression . He also asked someone to get Tolja the Fire Knight here .

The trio gathered . Kentvida took a deep breath and carefully revealed what he heard . Viscount Kentvida lowered his voice and said with a deep voice,

"The sentinel at the palace gate sent a message: Someone infiltrated the gatehouse . They have most likely snuck into Heroic Spirit Palace . "

Whens she heard this, Kroesch's facial expression changed somewhat and her gaze flickered . Meanwhile, Tolja appeared to be in deep thought .

"Infiltrated the gatehouse?" the swordswoman asked, concerned . "What went wrong with our defense line?"

Kentvida shook his head . "I don't know . But the gatehouse is still ours . "

"Interesting . " Tolja looked up . His voice was laced with a hint of anger . "Count Levan could indeed have been too overconfident, but Vlad should be able to make up for that . "

Kentivida sighed and said . "This is what I was worried about . A count of high status and a disciplinary officer of commoner and slave? prisoner descent—they could not possibly get along to well . "

Kroesch's gaze flickered . "How many intruders were there?"

Kentvida's wore a strange expression, seemingly uncertain . "Not many . Reportedly not more than a dozen, perhaps even fewer . "

The other two were startled .

"So few?" Kroesch frowned . "What were they up to?"

Kentvida shook his head, implying that he did not know .

The Fire Knight snorted coldly . "We have a large troop in the palace, nearly five hundred men . Most of them are heavy infantrymen and heavy-armored axemen . Don't worry .

The n.o.bleman then narrowed his eyes . "What are the ident.i.ties of the intruders? Their positions?"

At this question, Viscount Kentvida sucked in a deep breath, formed the politest smile he could manage, and answered cautiously—he apparently felt awkward about this question .

"Based on the sentinels' description, they could be the remaining White Blade Guards outside the palace—maybe that includes the Star Killer, and even the Constellatiates . "

The viscount shrugged and said impa.s.sively, "I guess they came back after s.n.a.t.c.hing the prince . "

As he expected, once he mentioned 'White Blade Guards' and 'Star Killer', Tolja's facial expression turned grim, as though he heard a horribly humiliating insult .

Kentvida eyed his facial expressions and said delicately, "As for their positions, they disappeared after barging in, leaving only a carriage in front of the palace gates . "

A silence ensued . Even Kroesch remained quiet from Kentvida's hinting gaze .

Eventually, Tolja breathed in deeply . "I'll go look for them . Give me a team, maybe just four squads—one hundred men . " In that moment, the eyes of the Fire Knight seemed genuinely ablaze . "This time, I will eliminate all of them . "

At this, Kentvida heaved a deep sigh . Kroesch raised an eyebrow . Tolja awaited his reply quietly .

The viscount folded his arms, turned around, and glanced at the hall entrance .

"Look at these people," Kentvida said softly .

Tolja followed the direction of his gaze and turned to look at the hall entrance . He saw countless soldiers on both sides of the confrontation . He frowned .

Kentivda said in a calm but authoritative voice, "The palace guard, the White Blade Guards, and the archduke's entourage . There are more than two hundred of them in total . These people are not the warriors who have no leader guiding them outside the palace . They clearly know who or what they want to protect .

"Should the situation change, they will fight us to death . . . and His Grace is still here . " Kentvida paused for a few seconds .

Tolja kept his mouth shut and did not speak, as though he was thinking .

"In this game of chess, the whereabouts of the archdukes is the key . " Kentvida watched Tolja's facial expressions, nodded, and said, "We need to ensure that we have the upper hand at the Hall of Heroes . Five hundred men versus two hundred is already a grave situation . We shall not take the risk by splitting up .

"Besides, those four archdukes are not idiots . Any slightly noticeable movement will divulge unnecessary information to them and sabotage His Grace's plan . "

Tolja took a deep breath and closed his eyes .

The viscount continued, "If we ensure heavy security and control the situation in the hall, then neither the intruders nor these guards can do anything about it . "

Beside them, Kroesch the swordswoman narrowed her eyes and chimed in time, "Why can't we bring in more people? Perhaps we could settle it even more smoothly?"

Kentvida threw her a look of approval and respect .

"The 'more people' you mentioned is our regular army, not recruited soldiers, ma'am . " Kentvida turned to face her and said politely, "Moreover, we did not come to guard the palace or plan to seize the city gatehouse . Due to an accident, we're forced to be here . "

He lifted his gaze and seemingly intentionally peered at Tolja . "Our only mission is to protect His Grace . "

Tolja gave a cold snort .

"So we just stand here and watch?" The corners of Kroesch's lips curved upwards . Her gaze on the viscount was strange . "And let a dozen flies fly around the palace?"

Kentvida shook his head . "His Grace is fighting alone in there, but I have faith in him . " He nodded . "What we need to do is stand behind him and minimize accidents . "

As he finished talking, Kentivida and Kroesch looked at Tolja .

A few seconds pa.s.sed . . .

Tolja opened his eyes at last and released a long breath .

"You are the acting commander appointed by His Grace . Your rank is higher than mine," the Fire Knight said coldly . "You decide what to do . "

Hearing Tolja's reply, Kentvida smiled .

"Very well . " Viscount Kentvida nodded . His tone of voice was earnest and believable . "It's true that we can stay here, counting on our larger troops and waiting for our exhausted enemy's arrival with ease…"

He then changed his stance abruptly . Kentvida exhaled a breath, smiled faintly, and said,

"But thinking about it, if our opponent is that Constellatiate n.o.bleman… He will not be so stupid as to come to us in a small group . It would be the death of him . "

Kroesch smiled as she watched him .

Kentvida's eyes sparkled . He said meaningfully, "My Lord, my respectful lady, even the other gentleman, combatants like you will not be of much help in the army during a scuffle . You are no better than a number of ordinary cla.s.s soldiers working in perfect coordination .

"So . . . " The viscount's tone was laced with ridicule . "Are you prepared?"

Tolja's eyes beamed . Kroesch narrowed her eyes .

"No matter what those people intend to do: a last-ditch a.s.sa.s.sination attempt, reckless shenanigans to disrupt the situation, or even just sneaking around . . . " Kentvida gazed at the corridor—at the pathway illuminated by the braziers—and smiled a faint smile . "We have to keep them occupied, so much so that they will have no time to deal with us, no place to hide, and have no way to approach us . "

… . .

Somewhere on the other side of Heroic Spirit Palace, Thales and company waited cautiously in a secluded corner .

The remaining White Blade Guards were anxiously nursing their wounds from the last fight . The Constellatiate soldiers separated to scout the paths ahead and report the enemy's activities .

"Nicholas just stood there?" Thales leaned against the wall, frowning, recalling the unbelievable scene from earlier . "Stalling hundreds of enemies?"

Mirk looked up . "If he wants to maintain the effect of the Severing Souls Blade, yes . "

The former administrator with the butch cut nodded solemnly . His voice was deep and somber . "That legendary anti-mystic equipment has a harsh and demanding criteria . "

Putray let out a sigh beside them . "I think we lost a supreme cla.s.s comrade, our only supreme cla.s.s combatant . "

Thales frowned .

Beside him, Little Rascal said dejectedly, "He will be fine . "

After the scuffle just now, Nicholas turned around wearing a fearsome expression, and let them move forward .

Meanwhile, he stayed in that s.h.i.+ny yellow circle, fighting against the Black Sand Region soldiers' pursuit and attacks .

Indeed, relying on Nicholas' extraordinary actions, they barged into Heroic Spirit Palace .

'But next…' Thales took a deep breath .

"Go on . " The prince gritted his teeth, clenching his fists . "We head towards Lampard and the archdukes… And we end this G.o.dd.a.m.n farce . "

Raphael's voice came from behind them . "Considering the current situation, it is a little difficult . " Raphael smiled a relaxed smile . "We just scouted the situation two corridors ahead . Although there are no enemy guards…"

Raphael stopped talking and glanced at the others . His smile persisted . Everyone frowned, waiting for his next line .

Miranda approached from behind him and said flatly, "We have made too much commotion and most probably have alerted the enemy's scouts . People in the Heroic Spirit Palace—perhaps even Lampard—have noticed our presence . "

Thales sighed . "How many people do they have in the palace?"

"No more than the ones at the gatehouse . After all, the gatehouse faces much greater pressure . " Miranda looked at the prince . Her gaze became tense and showed a hint of guilt . "But the worst-case scenario is… that there are as many as the gatehouse had . "

Everyone's heart sank .

"As you say, we are still in danger . Even if I came in disguised with s.h.i.+les, my situation will not be better than right now?" Thales thought of those dauntless soldiers of the Black Sand Region and their relentless pursuit . They were just like ocean waves . He felt immensely frustrated .

"About that . " Kohen arched his eyebrows, rolling his eyes . "Mister Star Killer… can we summon him back to do that trick again?"

The White Blade Guards promptly glared at him .

Mirk, too, peeked at him from the corner of his eye, the gesture was self-evident .

Kohen's expression froze . He gave a shrug and smiled awkwardly . "I'm just asking . "

While everyone was sulking, a familiar yet strange voice came—it was Genard the veteran .

"They did not form a defense line at the palace entrance and a.s.sign patrols at the corridors . " The veteran from the Starlight Brigade narrowed his eyes . Willow, the rookie, was leaning against a wall beside him . He seemed nervous when met with the gazes of so many important people . "Duke John had said: 'Where the enemy stays is where their thoughts are at . ' On the battlefield, it can mean a lot of problems . "

Putray's gaze flickered as he listened to Genard's words .

Thales' eyes gleamed . "Such as?"

Putray picked up where the veteran left off and took in a deep breath . "Such as: They were rather confident with their defense at the gatehouse—they thought that no one could get through it . "

Thales arched an eyebrow . "Very well . At least we do not have to worry about that problem . "

Putray was thinking . His gaze flashed every now and then . "Secondly, they must have more important things to attend to and are not allowed to divide their manpower to, let us say: arrange heavier security to guard the most crucial, vulnerable place . "

'The most crucial place . ' Thales felt a jolt in his chest . He had figured out something .

"Just now the commander had mentioned something about a hall…" The prince recalled the earlier scuffle . "I think Lampard is in the Hall of Heroes!"

Raphael nodded slowly . "Guess what he is doing?"

"Thirdly . . . " Putray narrowed his eyes, pondering . "At least in Heroic Spirit Palace, the manpower of Black Sand Region is scarce—they cannot act rashly . "

Thales inhaled a deep breath . "I got it," the prince said, a little agitated . "They are in a standoff with the four archdukes!" Thales raised his head sharply . "So they cannot split up or take risks .

" . . . Because, to them, the approach of the four archdukes is far more important!"

He had to think of it this way, he must . . .

Putray nodded with a firm look .

"Hence, our current situation may seem bleak," the vice diplomat said faintly, "but there is a staggering contrast between this and the earlier situation . We have indeed found their weak spot . "

Putray looked up and smiled . "From now on, although our team is small, but we are the third party that barges in suddenly and takes over control of the situation . "

At that very moment, everyone had become motivated . What else could be more encouraging than a silver lining in the depths of despair?

Thales' eyes gleamed . "So, we just have to…"

Putray nodded . The skinny vice diplomat pursed his lips . "They are on the defending side and will try to stop us from coming closer no matter what, to prevent accidents . So to h.e.l.l with caution . "

Confidence s.h.i.+mmered in Putray's eyes . "From now on, we are the hunters . . . The attacking party!"

Chapter 246: A Game of Chess. Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation Heroic Spirit Palace, entrance of the Hall of Heroes . In the tense atmosphere, the standoff between the combatants of Black Sand Region and those of the other archdukes persisted . The positions of those people were apparent . The door of the stone hall served as the dividing line . The archdukes subordinates and palace guards occupied the s.p.a.ce in the hall, the Black Sand Region soldiers blocked the outside . Both parties glared at one another . Many of them had their palms pressed against their weapons in readiness . With their s.h.i.+elds held upright, they were ready to fight at any moment . It all depended on the crucial conversation between the five archdukes in the stone hall . Even in this kind of predicament, the Viscount of Halting Light City in Black Sand Region, Lazaar Kentvida, was one of the few people who managed to stay calm . At least, compared to Kroesch the swordswoman whose eyes gleamed with bloodl.u.s.t and fingers itched to move, Viscount Kentvida appeared relaxed and unruffled… until a scout delivered the latest intel to him which made him frown . The viscount thought for a moment, then waved at Kroesch as he walked to a corner with a somber expression . He also asked someone to get Tolja the Fire Knight here . The trio gathered . Kentvida took a deep breath and carefully revealed what he heard . Viscount Kentvida lowered his voice and said with a deep voice, The sentinel at the palace gate sent a message: Someone infiltrated the gatehouse . They have most likely snuck into Heroic Spirit Palace . Whens she heard this, Kroeschs facial expression changed somewhat and her gaze flickered . Meanwhile, Tolja appeared to be in deep thought . Infiltrated the gatehouse? the swordswoman asked, concerned . What went wrong with our defense line? Kentvida shook his head . I dont know . But the gatehouse is still ours . Interesting . Tolja looked up . His voice was laced with a hint of anger . Count Levan could indeed have been too overconfident, but Vlad should be able to make up for that . Kentivida sighed and said . This is what I was worried about . A count of high status and a disciplinary officer of commoner and slave? prisoner descent—they could not possibly get along to well . Kroeschs gaze flickered . How many intruders were there? Kentvidas wore a strange expression, seemingly uncertain . Not many . Reportedly not more than a dozen, perhaps even fewer . The other two were startled . So few? Kroesch frowned . What were they up to? Kentvida shook his head, implying that he did not know . The Fire Knight snorted coldly . We have a large troop in the palace, nearly five hundred men . Most of them are heavy infantrymen and heavy-armored axemen . Dont worry . The n.o.bleman then narrowed his eyes . What are the ident.i.ties of the intruders? Their positions? At this question, Viscount Kentvida sucked in a deep breath, formed the politest smile he could manage, and answered cautiously—he apparently felt awkward about this question . Based on the sentinels description, they could be the remaining White Blade Guards outside the palace—maybe that includes the Star Killer, and even the Constellatiates . The viscount shrugged and said impa.s.sively, I guess they came back after s.n.a.t.c.hing the prince . As he expected, once he mentioned White Blade Guards and Star Killer, Toljas facial expression turned grim, as though he heard a horribly humiliating insult . Kentvida eyed his facial expressions and said delicately, As for their positions, they disappeared after barging in, leaving only a carriage in front of the palace gates . A silence ensued . Even Kroesch remained quiet from Kentvidas hinting gaze . Eventually, Tolja breathed in deeply . Ill go look for them . Give me a team, maybe just four squads—one hundred men . In that moment, the eyes of the Fire Knight seemed genuinely ablaze . This time, I will eliminate all of them . At this, Kentvida heaved a deep sigh . Kroesch raised an eyebrow . Tolja awaited his reply quietly . The viscount folded his arms, turned around, and glanced at the hall entrance . Look at these people, Kentvida said softly . Tolja followed the direction of his gaze and turned to look at the hall entrance . He saw countless soldiers on both sides of the confrontation . He frowned . Kentivda said in a calm but authoritative voice, The palace guard, the White Blade Guards, and the archdukes entourage . There are more than two hundred of them in total . These people are not the warriors who have no leader guiding them outside the palace . They clearly know who or what they want to protect . Should the situation change, they will fight us to death . and His Grace is still here . Kentvida paused for a few seconds . Tolja kept his mouth shut and did not speak, as though he was thinking . In this game of chess, the whereabouts of the archdukes is the key . Kentvida watched Toljas facial expressions, nodded, and said, We need to ensure that we have the upper hand at the Hall of Heroes . Five hundred men versus two hundred is already a grave situation . We shall not take the risk by splitting up . Besides, those four archdukes are not idiots . Any slightly noticeable movement will divulge unnecessary information to them and sabotage His Graces plan . Tolja took a deep breath and closed his eyes . The viscount continued, If we ensure heavy security and control the situation in the hall, then neither the intruders nor these guards can do anything about it . Beside them, Kroesch the swordswoman narrowed her eyes and chimed in time, Why cant we bring in more people? Perhaps we could settle it even more smoothly? Kentvida threw her a look of approval and respect . The more people you mentioned is our regular army, not recruited soldiers, maam . Kentvida turned to face her and said politely, Moreover, we did not come to guard the palace or plan to seize the city gatehouse . Due to an accident, were forced to be here . He lifted his gaze and seemingly intentionally peered at Tolja . Our only mission is to protect His Grace . Tolja gave a cold snort . So we just stand here and watch? The corners of Kroeschs lips curved upwards . Her gaze on the viscount was strange . And let a dozen flies fly around the palace? Kentvida shook his head . His Grace is fighting alone in there, but I have faith in him . He nodded . What we need to do is stand behind him and minimize accidents . As he finished talking, Kentivida and Kroesch looked at Tolja . A few seconds pa.s.sed . Tolja opened his eyes at last and released a long breath . You are the acting commander appointed by His Grace . Your rank is higher than mine, the Fire Knight said coldly . You decide what to do . Hearing Toljas reply, Kentvida smiled . Very well . Viscount Kentvida nodded . His tone of voice was earnest and believable . Its true that we can stay here, counting on our larger troops and waiting for our exhausted enemys arrival with ease… He then changed his stance abruptly . Kentvida exhaled a breath, smiled faintly, and said, But thinking about it, if our opponent is that Constellatiate n.o.bleman… He will not be so stupid as to come to us in a small group . It would be the death of him . Kroesch smiled as she watched him . Kentvidas eyes sparkled . He said meaningfully, My Lord, my respectful lady, even the other gentleman, combatants like you will not be of much help in the army during a scuffle . You are no better than a number of ordinary cla.s.s soldiers working in perfect coordination . So . The viscounts tone was laced with ridicule . Are you prepared? Toljas eyes beamed . Kroesch narrowed her eyes . No matter what those people intend to do: a last-ditch a.s.sa.s.sination attempt, reckless shenanigans to disrupt the situation, or even just sneaking around . Kentvida gazed at the corridor—at the pathway illuminated by the braziers—and smiled a faint smile . We have to keep them occupied, so much so that they will have no time to deal with us, no place to hide, and have no way to approach us . … Somewhere on the other side of Heroic Spirit Palace, Thales and company waited cautiously in a secluded corner . The remaining White Blade Guards were anxiously nursing their wounds from the last fight . The Constellatiate soldiers separated to scout the paths ahead and report the enemys activities . Nicholas just stood there? Thales leaned against the wall, frowning, recalling the unbelievable scene from earlier . Stalling hundreds of enemies? Mirk looked up . If he wants to maintain the effect of the Severing Souls Blade, yes . The former administrator with the butch cut nodded solemnly . His voice was deep and somber . That legendary anti-mystic equipment has a harsh and demanding criteria . Putray let out a sigh beside them . I think we lost a supreme cla.s.s comrade, our only supreme cla.s.s combatant . Thales frowned . Beside him, Little Rascal said dejectedly, He will be fine . After the scuffle just now, Nicholas turned around wearing a fearsome expression, and let them move forward . Meanwhile, he stayed in that s.h.i.+ny yellow circle, fighting against the Black Sand Region soldiers pursuit and attacks . Indeed, relying on Nicholas extraordinary actions, they barged into Heroic Spirit Palace . But next… Thales took a deep breath . Go on . The prince gritted his teeth, clenching his fists . We head towards Lampard and the archdukes… And we end this G.o.dd.a.m.n farce . Raphaels voice came from behind them . Considering the current situation, it is a little difficult . Raphael smiled a relaxed smile . We just scouted the situation two corridors ahead . Although there are no enemy guards… Raphael stopped talking and glanced at the others . His smile persisted . Everyone frowned, waiting for his next line . Miranda approached from behind him and said flatly, We have made too much commotion and most probably have alerted the enemys scouts . People in the Heroic Spirit Palace—perhaps even Lampard—have noticed our presence . Thales sighed . How many people do they have in the palace? No more than the ones at the gatehouse . After all, the gatehouse faces much greater pressure . Miranda looked at the prince . Her gaze became tense and showed a hint of guilt . But the worst-case scenario is… that there are as many as the gatehouse had . Everyones heart sank . As you say, we are still in danger . Even if I came in disguised with s.h.i.+les, my situation will not be better than right now? Thales thought of those dauntless soldiers of the Black Sand Region and their relentless pursuit . They were just like ocean waves . He felt immensely frustrated . About that . Kohen arched his eyebrows, rolling his eyes . Mister Star Killer… can we summon him back to do that trick again? The White Blade Guards promptly glared at him . Mirk, too, peeked at him from the corner of his eye, the gesture was self-evident . Kohens expression froze . He gave a shrug and smiled awkwardly . Im just asking . While everyone was sulking, a familiar yet strange voice came—it was Genard the veteran . They did not form a defense line at the palace entrance and a.s.sign patrols at the corridors . The veteran from the Starlight Brigade narrowed his eyes . Willow, the rookie, was leaning against a wall beside him . He seemed nervous when met with the gazes of so many important people . Duke John had said: Where the enemy stays is where their thoughts are at . On the battlefield, it can mean a lot of problems . Putrays gaze flickered as he listened to Genards words . Thales eyes gleamed . Such as? Putray picked up where the veteran left off and took in a deep breath . Such as: They were rather confident with their defense at the gatehouse—they thought that no one could get through it . Thales arched an eyebrow . Very well . At least we do not have to worry about that problem . Putray was thinking . His gaze flashed every now and then . Secondly, they must have more important things to attend to and are not allowed to divide their manpower to, let us say: arrange heavier security to guard the most crucial, vulnerable place . The most crucial place . Thales felt a jolt in his chest . He had figured out something . Just now the commander had mentioned something about a hall… The prince recalled the earlier scuffle . I think Lampard is in the Hall of Heroes! Raphael nodded slowly . Guess what he is doing? Thirdly . Putray narrowed his eyes, pondering . At least in Heroic Spirit Palace, the manpower of Black Sand Region is scarce—they cannot act rashly . Thales inhaled a deep breath . I got it, the prince said, a little agitated . They are in a standoff with the four archdukes! Thales raised his head sharply . So they cannot split up or take risks . . Because, to them, the approach of the four archdukes is far more important! He had to think of it this way, he must . Putray nodded with a firm look . Hence, our current situation may seem bleak, the vice diplomat said faintly, but there is a staggering contrast between this and the earlier situation . We have indeed found their weak spot . Putray looked up and smiled . From now on, although our team is small, but we are the third party that barges in suddenly and takes over control of the situation . At that very moment, everyone had become motivated . What else could be more encouraging than a silver lining in the depths of despair? Thales eyes gleamed . So, we just have to… Putray nodded . The skinny vice diplomat pursed his lips . They are on the defending side and will try to stop us from coming closer no matter what, to prevent accidents . So to h.e.l.l with caution . Confidence s.h.i.+mmered in Putrays eyes . From now on, we are the hunters . The attacking party!