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Chapter 255 The Altar of Fear
Previous Chapter Arena It was the hour when families gathered for dinner, the warmth of the hearth lingering from the day’s cooking. By thePrevious ChapterArenaIt was the hour when families gathered for dinner, the warmth of the hearth lingering from the day’s cooking. By the light of simple rus...
Chapter 254 Bled for the Gate
Previous ChapterInside the ArenaShouts rang out as thousands of men surged through the narrow corridor, desperation coloring their faces. Even when they reached the vast open space, there was no guarantee of safety. Amid the crush of bodies, a few stumbled, went down, and were never seen again. With...
Chapter 253 The Chosen Few
Previous ChapterThe Cleric's ColumnWith cries to tear the Black Demon’s head from his shoulders, the Saint’s followers drove the rioters’ charge against the Lord’s veterans. Voices and hatred rose in fury as the lines collided, blades swinging through the torchlit darkness, hissing past ...
Chapter 252 Reapers in the Dark
Previous ChapterNorthbound RoadA hulking creature, massive and wolfish, rushed down the northbound road in complete darkness, angling southwest toward Canardia. Balanced awkwardly across his broad, fur-matted shoulders covered in ringmail, a man of wide girth clung tightly, more baggage than rider. ...
Chapter 251 Alone Among the Fires
Previous ChapterThe ArenaHalf an hour before the battle on the hill.Sixteen men entered through the arena’s main gate, led by a broad-shouldered man in ringmail. Their boots struck the ground with a steady rhythm, armor clinking beneath worn cloaks. The way they moved as a group commanded attentio...
Chapter 250 No Room to Flee
Previous ChapterSaint Candidate's HideoutOblivious to the latest developments and confident the Lord wouldn’t act on his one-hour threat, Sir Hohendorf chose to remain in his hideout. He was accompanying the Saint Candidate and checking on his second-in-command, Sir Bielstein, who had been inj...
Chapter 249 Horns in the Dark
Previous ChapterCanardia OutskirtsA large-built man, the leader of the local brigands, entered the woodsman’s cabin where a lone minstrel played his gittern. The brigand glanced left and right before ordering his men to wait outside. He strode forward and sat across from the musician. In a deep vo...
Chapter 248 Sedition
Previous ChapterCanardia OutskirtsDespite the camp commander's urging for the rioters to return home, the crowd refused to listen and continued to wreak havoc on the city’s outskirts. Instead, they seemed to revel in their newfound power. A splintered mass of six thousand had marched north, se...
Chapter 247 Ante Sanguinem
Previous ChapterMidday - Canardia CastleValerie and Audrey sat inside the castle’s private hall reserved for the lord’s family, chatting and gossiping about matters within the castle and beyond. They had just finished lunch, and soft murmurs and occasional giggles now filled the place. Audrey lo...
Chapter 246 The Turtle
Previous ChapterLansiusIt was dim inside the structure beside the racetrack. Though it had plenty of ventilation to bring in fresh air from outside, the air within still smelled putrid. Heavy wooden fences, reinforced with iron nails at the joints, had been used, for there was no other way to contai...
Chapter 245 Ascendance of the Unknown
Previous ChapterOrange SkaldsAs soon as the verdict was passed and announced, activity in the courthouse quickly wound down. The bailiff invited the petitioner to stay while they waited for the lord’s decision, also advising her against going home for now, as the crowd outside was too large. Meanw...
Chapter 244 Living Scarecrows
Previous ChapterCanardia West GateMore than anyone, Lansius understood the importance of making a grand entrance. For today’s proceedings, it heightened the drama, raised the stakes, and applied pressure. While he acknowledged that governmental functions should run silently like a well-oiled machi...
Chapter 243 Hall of Justice
Previous ChapterLansiusThe events unfolding at the courthouse had swelled into something far larger than expected. Thousands had come, proof that the public craved justice. The building was surrounded. The crowd spilled into the adjoining streets, packed shoulder to shoulder, climbing onto wagons an...
Chapter 242 A Line Drawn
Previous ChapterEast Nicopola MountainIt was the fifth day since the start of their ascent and the battle with the mountain people. The fighting had died down two days earlier, when Servius chose to rest his troops in the newly occupied village rather than stubbornly press against bulwark after bulw...
Chapter 241 Baronial Decree
Previous ChapterThe Black BanditsThe following day, Farkas and his men woke in a miserable state. The rain hadn't stopped but had turned into a lingering drizzle, coming and going through the night, soaking everything it touched. By morning, the jungle was damp and heavy with fog, a thick blanke...
Chapter 240 Bound by Honor
Previous ChapterRodericThe sudden arrival of thousands of men had driven the animals deep into the jungle. A violent battle erupted beneath the tangled canopy, with sword clashes, shouts, and screams. Unlike the fleeing animals, insects were drawn to the sweat, blood, and guts, swarming the place as...
Chapter 239 Fighting Blind
Previous ChapterEast Nicopola MountainServius and his six hundred men made their slow climb. From Nicopola's side, the slope wasn’t steep, and a long line of carts and horses filled the route to the mountain villages. The scouts and advance guard had reported signs of activity, but it was expe...
Chapter 238 The Third Front
Previous ChapterLansiusThe steady thump of an axe cleaving wood echoed against the stone walls of the castle's backyard. Several guards and servants stood watching as Lansius worked, channeling his frustration into each powerful swing. Unlike the Korelians, who were accustomed to such displays, ...
Chapter 237 Changing Skies
Previous ChapterMountain Region, West of Three HillsIt was midday on the fourth day since they had arrived at the jungle at the foot of the mountain. Here, the weather was unpredictable. A drizzle could fall suddenly, even after a bright summer morning, leaving the air humid and heavy. This explaine...
Chapter 236 The Second Front
Previous ChapterMountain Region, West of Three HillsThe summer sun cast golden rays over the mountain region while the morning breeze swept through tall grass still heavy with dew. It was a serene and naturally beautiful place, untouched and quiet. Across the plateau, nine hundred men advanced in a ...
Chapter 235 The First Front
Previous ChapterStrait of Three Hills, Hidden CoveLord Avery sat on a warm boulder, the heat easing the chill in his backside. It was nighttime, but he needed neither a lantern nor a gemstone, as the village before him was burning. Not a drop of volatile oil had been used since Avery had reserved it...
Chapter 234 Crownless Realm
Previous ChapterStrait of Three Hills, Hidden CoveThe night was thick with the scent of brine and charred meat, the smoky air clinging to sweat-slicked skin. Greasy fingers tore into roasted fish and game as waves lapped gently against the shore, their rhythm lost beneath drunken laughter and the oc...
Chapter 233 Chains Worn Thin
Previous ChapterMiddle Sea, Strait of Three HillsAlong the rocky shore, a few small fishing boats bobbed in the gentle waves, their crews pausing to watch the approaching fleet. The salty breeze carried the scent of the open sea, mingling with the faint tang of drying fish and smoke from distant coo...
Chapter 232 Feast of the Damned
Previous ChapterCorinthiaIt was sundown on the coast, and the sharp, salty breeze from the Middle Sea drifted in, reaching even within the tall walls. Supper had been served, and anyone not on guard duty could finally rest in earnest. But not all were at ease. A group of trusted men, skilled in carp...
Chapter 231 Elixir & Wine
Previous ChapterCanardiaStill seated, Lansius turned to his left, his gaze falling upon a newly delivered wooden box resting on his table. It was lacquered but not polished to a deep gloss, its surface smooth yet understated. His movement caught the ladies' attention. They recognized it as the t...
Chapter 230 The Breaking Tide
Rhodes Old Town. Photo by Ben Morrison UnsplashPrevious ChapterBattle of CorinthiaThe Dawn pressed forward with sixty men, but only twenty armed men could fit abreast in the large open square of the old forum. It had served as the city's marketplace, but now its goods lay scattered, and its stal...
Chapter 229 Iron Tide Rising
Castle of Platamon from above. WikiDonjon: The main tower, or the main Keep, usually the strongest and safest part. It was the command center and housed the lord, his family, and knights. Basically, the main building in the castle complex. The Great Hall is part of the Donjon.Previous ChapterCorinth...
Chapter 228 Black Tide
Previous ChapterTen days after Lansius proclaimed the start of Operation Iron Nails, three black objects moved silently through the night sky far to the south, over the Middle Sea. Clouds drifted lazily, revealing the three majestic airships as they glided among them, slipping through a sea of stars...
Chapter 227 Iron Nails
Previous ChapterCanardiaIn front of Lansius and Audrey, the broad-shouldered man in a black doublet answered, seemingly on behalf of the other smiths, "My Lord, we pride ourselves on the latest hardening techniques. We use charcoal in the final heating process to strengthen the plates, making th...
Chapter 226 The Greater Ember
Image: 1762 Netherlands, Zeeland Silver Ducat (48 Stuivers)sourcePrevious ChapterMidlandia was a vast province with several mines that had operated since ancient times. Two of them contained silver veins, supplying local artisans with the precious metal to craft exquisite works of art. Hidden from m...
