It was getting late, and when Loren and the others arrived, the Witchers of the Firmament Wings and the shooting army that had also arrived with inquiries had already cordoned off the area and surveyed the scene.

This is Loren's advantage - whether it is a long-established night watchman or a newly created witcher, he has deep experience in reconnaissance and counter-reconnaissance, collecting important clues, details and physical evidence, and preserving the scene, and can even roughly deduce the situation at that time according to the situation and time of the scene.

Despite his mental preparation, the black-haired wizard couldn't help but raise an eyebrow when he arrived at the scene.

The female elf Lea on the side showed a more direct expression of disgust, and the Grand Duke of Ellemont was even more grim-faced, although it had nothing to do with him, he was still successfully escaped by the other party in the case of all precautions, it was like slapping him in the face.

Let alone... Looking at the situation at the scene, it is difficult to say whether the other party is considered an "escape" or not.

"We've sent as many people as we can to track the enemy's tracks, but please don't expect too much, the Duke still has... The Grand Duke of Ellemont and the Grand Duke of Lothair. ”

Carl Colin stepped forward and gestured to the other two jaws behind the black-haired wizard: "Void reaction, footprints, smell, bloodstains... Everything, the other party was more like the world had evaporated, except for the huge void residue around the scene, which proved that she had probably used a high-level spell once, there was nothing left. ”

Loren nodded secretly, which was why he was surprised.

"But it shouldn't be. ”

The frowning Grand Duke of Elems couldn't help but speak: "Her hands and feet have been cut off and burned, and her saber is with me - in such a situation, what method does an Azorean elven warrior have to rely on to use the spell?"

"On that point, we're also looking for reasons. Carl Colin said in a deep voice: "The current situation cannot completely rule out the possibility that the other party has other backs. ”

"Why, it's also possible that she was rescued by someone else. The elf asked rhetorically.

"It's true, but ......"

"But no one can take a handless prisoner from the safest part of the Byrne Barracks without leaving a sound or trace without anyone being watched by three witchers at the same time!"

Without waiting for Carl Colin to finish speaking, Lusen on the side coldly snapped up: "Three witchers, a wizard and several excellent Eleman two-handed swordsmen were all killed without even noticing, this is impossible!"

The female elf tilted her head, probably because she was not interested in arguing with the gray-eyed boy, and did not say anything more.

"It's a hidden danger, but at the moment, it's not a huge loss. ”

Almost as soon as Carl Colin spoke, Lusen couldn't help frowning, and glanced at the commander of the shooting corps who had not changed his face: "We are just missing a prisoner of higher status, she alone can cause very little impact and damage, her army has been completely annihilated, at most she is just a somewhat tricky assassin." ”

"And he's a handsless assassin - so if the Duke allows it, leave this matter to me, and I'll have someone to track it down and keep you informed of the progress on a regular basis. ”

The black-haired wizard bowed slightly... Although he vaguely felt that something was wrong, Karl Colin's approach was indeed the most reasonable one at the moment - the battle for Ebolden was about to start, Serol didn't know where to go, and an Azorean elf was not worth the trouble himself.

When Loren and the others left, the gray-eyed boy who couldn't hold back finally blocked Carl Colin's way.

"Something?"

"Nothing, just a little curious. Lusen's face was not very good: "I wonder how you managed to keep your face from changing, the three dead witchers ......"

"They were all my friends, and one of them was 'introduced' by me from Byrne's Night's Watch. Carl Collin's expression was still cold: "It is based on trust in their abilities that I understand the seriousness of this matter. ”

"Kill everyone and escape without them knowing, or save a prisoner whose hands and feet have been cut off... To put it mildly, I don't think our Lord Duke can do that. ”

"As for the face not changing color... I don't think this kind of question should come out of your mouth. ”

Lu Sien's face turned cold: "You know what I mean. ”

"Yes. ”

The corners of Carl Colin's mouth curved.

Lusen raised an eyebrow: "Is it funny?"

"No, I'm just a little emotional. The former Night's Watch shook his head, "I now understand why you became the leader of the Demon Hunters and the Duke's bodyguard, and I was sent by the Duke to be in charge of the Marksmanship. ”

"Why?" the gray-eyed boy asked.

"I refuse to answer, you won't like it. ”

"What if I just want to know?"

"Okay......" Carl Colin sighed, seemingly very reluctantly:

"Although we can all carry out the Duke's orders without hesitation, you are still a good man with kindness, courage and empathy, and I am not. ”

"What do you mean?" said the gray-eyed boy coldly.

"It means that you can sacrifice yourself to protect the Duke without hesitation, and I can watch you die without hesitation. ”

Before Lusen could react, Carl Colin disappeared while he was stunned.

........................

The day after the Battle of Wimpal, it rained heavily at Eagle Hunt Fort.

The sudden rain surprised many of the people of Lothair - in this not very rich land, rain is often a big deal, and it is still in the spring... This is even more rare.

To them, this miraculous rain was like a gift from the Holy Cross, a harbinger of good harvest and victory in the coming year, and only the little wizard who had studied meteorology expressed concern about the inexplicable rain.

As it turned out, her fears were correct.

After five days of continuous rain, with no sign of shutting down, everything had to be terminated, and not only did Byrne and the Elem Legion give up the idea of continuing to clean up the battlefield, but the originally emotional Lothair had to give up the urge to go north at once and retake the deep forest fort... Because the roads are all flooded.

On the sixth day of heavy rain, the armies of the three principalities were split into two parts and camped at Vimpal and Fort Eagle - although the drainage ditch had been dug in advance, the camp was flooded, and the earthen wall outside the camp would be turned into a dam if it was not withdrawn.

But that's not the most troublesome... According to Ayn Rand's speculation, the castle will be dry for a long time after the rainstorm subsides, and if the battlefield soaked in water is not completely cleaned before the drought comes, there is a high risk of a plague outbreak.

The moment the little wizard spoke, the expressions of all the Lothairians present became a little unright—the Eagle Hunt Fort was the core territory of the Fred family, and if a plague broke out here......

“...... The consequences are unimaginable. ”

The black-haired wizard talking to himself raised his gaze and looked at the drenched "guest" opposite.

Edward the Night's Watchman.

Putting down the steamy letterhead in his hand, Loren's expression was still a little surprised: "The situation... Is it really that serious?"

"If it weren't serious, His Highness wouldn't have let me come. ”

Edward, who was still dripping water, had an indifferent expression: "I believe Loren, you also understand that if His Highness doesn't need you and your Byrne Legion to win... He won't even ask, and there's no way he's going to have a 'knew' of yours in charge of summoning him. ”

The black-haired wizard couldn't help but nod in agreement.

With Brandon's character, it is only when he encounters something that he can never solve that he can remember that "he is not alone".

At present, Ebolden definitely meets this requirement.

On the twenty-eighth day, around the time of the Battle of Wimpal, Brandon de Salion, who commanded the armies of the three principalities of Sacland-Poy-Arles plus a dragon, finally reached the Ebolden line.

He was greeted not by Severin de Salion and the Sakran Legion, but by an army of 20,000 Azorean elven warriors.

The Imperial Minister of War, along with four hundred other wounded soldiers of the Legion who had been captured alive, were taken prisoner and hung from the city gate with ropes.

Although Brandon guessed that this was a trap, for the sake of royal prestige, he could only accept the enemy's request for negotiation, and ordered Boe's Archduchess of Scimitar to send 5,000 hussars to sweep outside the city of Eboldon and investigate the disposition and progress of the enemy's army.

The next day, the news came: the 5,000 hussars sent to Ebolden had been ambushed by the enemy, suffering a third of the casualties, and the Azorean elves guarding the city beheaded Severin de Salion and 400 captives in front of Brandon, and then set the fortress on fire with the legion igniter hidden in the city, and fled.

Brandon, who felt the pain in his face, was completely furious and immediately ordered the whole army to march and surround Ebolden.

The Archduke of Scimitar, who had just lost thousands of hussars, raised her hands in favor on the spot, and several Sakran officers who implored the crown prince to follow the pre-war arrangement were taken out on the spot, and the Grand Duke of Arles, who had originally wanted to give a few words, saw this situation and immediately chose to shut up.

At the same time, knowing that he had annoyed Brandon as a result of taking advantage, but he didn't expect that the elven prince, who was so annoyed, was still waiting for the "reinforcements" in the direction of Lothair, while arranging the defense line in an orderly manner and preparing for a long-term fierce battle.

As a result, he got the news that night, the Imperial people came to the door, and they would be there tomorrow morning!

Rodria immediately realized that this might be a bit too much, so he hastily mobilized his army and met the Imperial army advancing on Ebolden overnight.

With the walls and defenses of Eberdena being negatively defended, defending the city is like looking for death, and you must fight outside the city to have a chance of victory.

So the second "Ebolden Offensive and Defensive Battle" between the Empire and the Azorean Elves was staged in the middle of the night.

The two sides of the marching face-to-face collided almost without knowing each other - the samurai and cavalry in charge of the outposts on both sides were the first to fight, and then the armies on both sides were also on the march and rushed directly into the battlefield without knowing it.

The fierce battle lasted all night, during which Brandon even rode the dragon Mirasis into battle, only to be nearly knocked out of the sky by the elven prince's launcher.

In the wee hours of the morning, the exhausted sides also chose to withdraw their troops - thanks to the dragons, the Azorean elves suffered one and a half times the casualties of the Empire, but judging by the objectives of the battle, it was Brandon de Salion who suffered a crushing defeat.

The fierce battle through the night also made the two sides quickly realize that it was impossible to achieve a quick victory, and the best outcome may not be the same end, which is equivalent to betting on each other's life and death roulette.

None of this situation is what the two sides want, but the situation is already like this.

His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince and Prince of Sackland, who was in a dilemma again, could only grit his teeth and continue to march towards Eberten, and then send Edward to Lothair, so that Loren could rush over as soon as possible with the armies of Byrne, Lothair and Elemand, and at the same time constantly asked the imperial capital to send more supplies and improve the logistics route he had left behind as soon as possible.

In the face of the aggressive Brandon de Salion, the elven prince decided to lower his posture and not be uncomfortable with such a psychotic opponent, and he first withdrew his troops back to Ebolden, and while busy reorganizing the reinforcements coming from the Misty Sea, he sent a messenger to Brandon asking for peace, saying that everything was negotiable.

The elven prince even proposed a very "realistic" plan - the Azorean elves will shrink completely, only keep the land around the city of Ebolden, and the two sides will maintain the status quo for three months, and then decide whether to go to war after three months.

And then... His messenger was cut down by Brandon.

"Your Highness's current situation is very embarrassing... Lord Severin de Salion was a member of the royal family, and he had to do something, but the army in his hands and the forces around him did not allow him to do so. Edward said expressionlessly:

"The Sakran Legion has split into two factions, one demanding revenge and the other insisting on the original plan, and the Archduchess of Boi will do nothing but make the atmosphere more extreme, and as for the Duke of Arles... He has been retaining his strength and disobeying His Highness's orders. ”

"You must rush to the battlefield as soon as possible with the armies of the three principalities, so that Your Highness can stabilize the morale of the army at the same time, and start the final decisive battle against the Azorean elves - the consumption of hundreds of thousands of troops is almost an impossible burden for the empire, which is why Your Highness insists on a quick victory, we really can't afford to consume. ”

"This should be the same for the Azorean elves. The black-haired wizard added.

"That's right, but they're cornered, bandits with nothing, we're not. Edward, the night watchman, was expressionless:

"In addition, the wizards of the imperial capital are also ready to march towards Ebolden, and there are twenty light-burning swords customized by His Highness in the accompanying team, and they want to make these powerful weapons effective......"

"Ain Rand has to be there. ”

"Exactly. "Edward's head:

"We have gambled everything for the sake of victory in this war, either in exchange for the future of the Empire, or... Destroy our enemies with the same fate!"

。 m.