Chapter 10: Visitor
Lu Cheng, holding the drowsy Noyes, climbed up to the ‘watchpoint’ previously mentioned by Iron Ring.
The watchpoint was on the second level of the building’s exterior. The stairs were mostly in ruins, but surprisingly, they managed to support the combined weight of Lu Cheng and his heavy tactical backpack.
“How many people are there?”
Lu Cheng reached Iron Ring’s side and took the binoculars from him, peering through the ruins of the wall to see outside.
The sky had already darkened completely. The binoculars in Lu Cheng’s hand did not have night vision capabilities, but a faint white light was glowing from the edge of the distant forest.
Lu Cheng guessed it was the kind of crystal that emits light from churches. In this world, humans used these crystals to replace candles for illumination.
“There are currently seven people observed. They are all wearing armor and chainmail-like gear,” Iron Ring said.
“Is it the country’s army? Or a scouting team… It doesn’t look quite like that.”
Through the binoculars, Lu Cheng saw that the light was coming from a slowly advancing cavalry unit.
The ‘horses’ they rode on caught Lu Cheng’s attention. They were not horses or similar creatures but had very long fur all over their bodies, walked on all fours, and their heads resembled sloths from Earth.
To describe them in a word: cute but foolish.
The creatures used as mounts were covered in a lot of blood, and the ‘soldiers’ riding them were in poor condition.
The armor of the soldiers looked a bit like the ‘muscle armor’ from the Roman Empire period on Earth, but only the leading soldier or the leader wore this kind of gear. The soldiers in the rear wore lower-tier chainmail.
“It seems they have encountered an attack; there are many injured.”
Lu Cheng’s gaze shifted from the leader to the rear of the unit, where most soldiers were in injured states. Some had wounds that were not well treated, and Lu Cheng could still see blood seeping from their injuries.
Rather than a scouting team, it was more appropriate to call them survivors from a battlefield, and it looked like a major defeat.
‘That is the Skarre royal flag.’
Suddenly, the drowsy Noyes tugged at Lu Cheng’s sleeve and showed him this line of text.
“The royal family?”
Lu Cheng put down the binoculars and glanced at the content in Noyes’s notebook.
Noyes had kindly drawn a small chicken flapping its wings in the notebook. Lu Cheng looked at the drawing and then at the flag carried by the soldiers.
Lu Cheng was certain that Noyes would become a post-modern impressionist painter in the future.
The Skarre flag emblem should be some kind of eagle or similar creature. Lu Cheng really didn’t believe that the country would use a chicken as its flag.
“Captain, they are heading towards us. What should we do?”
Kite, in a sitting position without support, held her sniper rifle, and during her speech, had already aimed the gun at the most formidable soldier in the leading position.
‘They are probably here looking for me.’
Noyes displayed another line in her notebook.
“Looking for you?”
When Lu Cheng wanted to ask Noyes for more details, the group had already arrived near the church. Speaking loudly might alert them.
“Captain’s next order?” Iron Ring asked.
Lu Cheng scanned the second floor. The shadows here provided an excellent vantage point to observe both the town below and the interior of the building.
“Stand by.” After thinking for a while, Lu Cheng gave the order. “No… I mean, stay in place.”
——
Survived.
Hubert Ashland, seeing the ruins of Crescent Moon Town after crossing the forest, was filled with a sense of disbelief.
He was once the commander of the first cavalry regiment of Skarre and had been retired for nearly three years.
At nearly sixty-seven years old, he should have been enjoying his retirement in his estate, but Hubert accepted a royal order from the king half a month ago and set out on a journey with his still-functional weapons.
Why? Because the young people of this country were almost all dead.
Whenever Hubert thought of this, he tightened his grip on the reins.
Blood Crystal Beasts had been ravaging the country for a long time. These monsters had turned the land and people into their food.
Even Hubert’s son, grandson, and wife had not escaped this fate.
His family was left with only him.
So when Hubert took the king’s order… he was prepared for death.
“Cheer up! We’ve arrived at Crescent Moon Town!” Hubert shouted to the soldiers behind him.
The soldiers did not respond to Hubert’s shout. The groans of pain mixed with despair made Hubert’s back feel cold.
This was originally a cavalry unit of thirty men, but only seven remained from the capital to Crescent Moon Town.
They had encountered several attacks by Blood Crystal Beasts on the way, and their survival could only be attributed to divine protection.
“General Hubert, I still have some dried meat here.”
One of the ‘soldiers’ on a walking beast came to his side and handed him a piece of dried meat.
“Princess Elena, I’m not hungry right now. Please distribute this food to the other soldiers.”
Hubert looked at the ‘soldier’ beside him, whose face was slightly dirty under the helmet, and whose red eyes glowed faintly in the darkness.
Elena, the seventeenth princess of the Skarre Kingdom.
When Hubert first saw her, she was pinning down her oldest brother and beating him up.
As a princess, she was not supposed to be on this dangerous front line, but her exceptional combat skills had not lagged during this march.
And her brothers had all died in the ravages of the Blood Crystal Beasts or had been killed, leaving only four princesses… and only she was willing to take on the burdens of her deceased brothers, protecting the safety of the people as a soldier amidst the attacks.
“The other soldiers have already eaten. This is the last portion, General Hubert,” Elena insisted, pushing the dried meat back into Hubert’s hand.
“Thank you. Also, Princess Elena, is your magic power stored in the Sacred Crystal still sufficient?” Hubert asked.
“I have one unused Earth Vein Crystal fragment left. It should last for one or two more battles.”
Elena lifted her left hand, and a crimson crystal on the back of her hand emitted a dim light.
This was a symbol of every royal family… the Sacred Crystal.
The magic power within the Sacred Crystal could grant extraordinary combat power to the people for a short time, which was why Elena was here.
“Hope it will last until the end.”
Looking at the ruins of the town, Hubert honestly had little hope left for this mission.
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