"Klee......" General Mandel stood up in surprise and walked out of the account.

Before he could get out of the tent, two figures dressed like beggars rushed into the tent.

"General Klee, Commander Gilfrey, what's going on, how did you get like this?" exclaimed Master Clark. With his strong spiritual power, he recognized the identities of the two at a glance.

"General Mandel, quick, withdraw the troops!" cried out Gilfrey, anxiously in disarray.

"Withdraw, are you crazy?" exclaimed General Mandel.

"General, the Third and Fourth Legions, all gone! they, their new ballistas......" explained Gilfrey.

"What? Wiped out?!, is he telling the truth?" General Mandel interrupted Gilfrey, staring at Klee with wide eyes, waiting for his answer.

General Klee avoided his gaze and replied bitterly, "Yes, they have brought a whole order of knights from the Land of Chaos. Moreover, their new ballista could shoot a full-fledged knight at a distance of two kilometers. ”

"What? a whole army of knights...... Two kilometers away shot the official knight...... How is this possible. ”

"How many people are there in that order?" Clark asked hurriedly.

"There are about five or six hundred people, and the strength is extremely strong. That regimental commander was at least level seven, and I couldn't afford to have the courage to resist in front of him. Klee replied truthfully.

General Mandel and Clark gasped at the same time.

"What about the ballistas? How many of them do they have?" asked General Mandel.

"Fifty, they used fifty ballistas, each of which could fire nearly a hundred crossbow arrows in a salvo, and after only eight rounds, we were all wiped out. Klee's voice trembled a little, and he recounted the battle as if he were in the middle of that desperate battle again.

"General Mandel, they pulled one hundred and fifty of these ballistas this time, and I counted a hundred and fifty. Gilfrey's voice was already crying: "Withdraw quickly, General, it will be too late if you don't withdraw." ”

General Mandel glanced at Mage Clark, pondered for a moment, and spoke again, this time, he spoke very slowly, almost word by word: "Klee, all of this you said is true?"

"I swear with the dignity and honor of a knight, it's all true. General Klee said without hesitation: "What we have to consider now is not whether we can occupy this place, but how to keep the empire."

General Mandel was once again lost in thought, he could not accept this sudden turn of events.

Just a few minutes ago, he was making a bet with Clark that he would be able to end the war and take the city of Coenas in a few days. Now, someone actually told him that if he didn't withdraw his troops, even the empire itself might not be protected.

Just as he was hesitating, the voice of another soldier sounded outside the tent.

"General, there is a military situation!"

"Come in!" shouted Mandel.

A knight, covered in blood, stumbled into the tent, half-kneeling, and said intermittently:

"General...... Scout...... Spot the enemy...... Probe around the perimeter of the formation. Two hundred of our knights intercepted and all of them were killed, only ...... I was the only one who escaped. ”

"What are those people's attire?" Klee asked hurriedly.

"Full body, full body black armor. ”

"How many of them are there?"

"Only, only three people ......"

"Three people...... There were only three of them......" Mandel slumped into his chair.

Mage Clark suddenly asked, "How did you escape back?"

"I, I...... Play dead ......"

"General, if you don't retreat, it's really too late, they have five hundred black-armored knights, and it's even more terrifying...... It's that kind of ballista......" Gilfrey suddenly fell to one knee and pleaded.

Klee hesitated slightly, and also made the same action as Gilfrey, "General, for the sake of the empire, retreat!"

......

In the royal palace of the city of Coennas, the princess's bedchamber.

Princess Lucia lost a lot of weight, and her face became even paler.

At this time, she was in a daze with a short sword in her hand.

The dagger is well-made, with a hilt wrapped with fine gold thread, a sapphire inlaid with the tail, and most notably the fantastic patterns on the sword's body, which are said to have magical powers.

A few days ago, when Lucia was wandering around the royal arsenal, she immediately picked it when she heard the name of the sword introduced by the guards.

"Your Royal Highness Princess, this strange patterned sword only circulated in the market for a short time before it became extinct, and now most of it has become a collector's item, oh, it's called the Rand Sword, and it seems to have been made in the south of the empire. ”

......

"Rand......," Lucia muttered the name.

"Your Highness, does this sword have anything to do with the island you talked about?" asked Veronica, Lucia's personal maid, in a whisper.

Lucia shook her head slightly, she didn't know what the relationship between the two was.

Veronica and Lucia are about the same age, and the two grew up almost together, except for Lucia's three years in Tris, most of the time they were inseparable.

Watching Lucia lose weight day by day, she was anxious but there was nothing she could do. Wars, negotiations, marriage contracts, and even the death of the country, these major events are not something that a little maid can take care of. The only thing she can do is try to pick topics that Lucia likes, so that she can talk more and not close herself off.

Lately, she'd found a way to open Lucia's heart—the southern boy she'd seen at the Martial Arts Festival.

"Princess, have you ever been to Lante?" asked Veronica softly.

"I always thought there was time...... I didn't expect it to be too late so soon. ”

Crystal tears dripped down Lucia's pale cheeks.

Veronica immediately panicked, but immediately she felt that it was a good thing that the princess was able to cry. Tears can also exert pressure at times.

"How could it be too late? When the war is over, you will soon be free again. Veronica advised.

Veronica...... I'm not going to set foot on that island in that capacity, and ......"

Lucia said this, and did not continue, but lowered her head and rubbed the short sword in her hand.

"Your Highness, you won't be ......" Veronica's voice was a little flustered.

"Veronica, you know what? He's dead...... Lucia whispered.

If you die for the empire, let the princess of the empire die for you-Lucia suddenly smiled slightly, as if she was suddenly relieved, and then showed a mischievous look on her face, and whispered: "Obviously, there is no ...... alone this time"

At this moment, a maid broke into Lucia's dormitory without announcing it, and pointed out breathlessly, "Your Highness...... They withdrew...... Army of Thorns...... Withdrawn"