Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
After deciding on his plan, Yang Ling returned to make the preparations in Wissen Castle without hesitation. Soon, all the relevant personnel quickly started to act.
Two hours later, in an army barracks at the southern outskirts of Wissen Town, Steve received a strange letter. There was no label or handwriting on the envelope. In order to guard against a possible Rossi scheme, a tactician carefully opened the envelope wearing a pair of rubber gloves, in case the envelope contained poison.
Surprisingly, there was no letter within the envelope, only a handkerchief carrying a faint fragrance with a single line written on it.
“Dawn today, Ladoja Valley. I’ll be waiting, Maryse.”
“Maryse sent me a letter?” The tactician had just finished speaking when Steve snatched the handkerchief recklessly. As soon as he touched the handkerchief, he confirmed that this was a love letter given to him by Maryse. He had seen her elegant handwriting, and he could not forget the faint fragrance on the beauty’s body.
Holding the pure white handkerchief up to his nose and taking a whiff of the faint fragrance, Steve was incredibly excited. Ever since he encountered Maryse in Shangri-La, he had fallen irretrievably in love with the alluring beauty in black. If not for his many duties in the army, if not for the blasted Rossi soldiers that came and went like ghosts, he would have gladly spent his days in Shangri-La with Maryse.
The handkerchief… To think that she would use her handkerchief to promise to have a date with me!
Steve almost started floating in joy. As a Casanova and a noble, no one was clearer than him on the hidden meaning behind a woman’s request for a date. Furthermore, she had used a handkerchief, an incredibly intimate item, to get his attention.
When a woman was polite with you, it meant that she didn’t have feelings for you. When a woman started calling you “b*stard” or saying that she hated you, that meant that you had successfully attracted her attention.
When a woman promised to go on a date with you, congratulations, you had already half-succeeded. If a woman asked you for a date on her own accord after not seeing you for two or three days, it was clear as day what her intentions were.
Holding the fragrant handkerchief, Steve knew that Maryse would soon be his woman. She might not be his last woman, but she would definitely be the first and the last person that Steve had loved in his life.
Looking at the excited Steve, the tactician hesitated for a long time as he steeled his nerves.
“Sir, could this be a trap?”
Now that the Rossi’s abilities had improved drastically, the outcome would be disastrous if they carelessly fell for an ambush once again. Previously, even the Sword Saint Barty met with misfortune. If they fell for an ambush once again, they might not be lucky enough to encounter the envoys of the Church for the second time.
“That’s impossible!”
Steve shook his head with determination. In his eyes, Maryse was as pure and beautiful as a fairy; she would definitely not have any relations to the despicable Rossi troops. Furthermore, no matter how perilous the situation, he was determined to honor the appointment. He would control a large piece of land if he subdued Wissen Town, but losing Maryse was akin to losing the whole world.
People in passionate love were always blind, impulsive!
The tacticians tried to caution him for a long time, but they eventually had to stop. Steve was determined to honor the appointment. But as a precaution, they suggested that he take five hundred elite personal guards with him. Steve did not object after thinking for a moment.
After all, if he were to encounter any passing Rossi soldiers, he might have to rely on those five hundred men to free himself. He was personally familiar with danger, but he would deeply regret it if Maryse was injured in any way.
Steve was adamant about honoring the appointment, and at the same time, the Rossi forces in Terras Forest also received the news from Parrot.
“Dawn today, Ladoja Valley. The target is having an appointment with someone. You have to kill him in one strike!”
Holding the simple piece of intelligence, Renaya was incredibly excited. The weather was getting colder, Steve’s reinforcements were getting closer, and the situation was getting worse. This was a rare opportunity.
“Prince, this… Could this be a trap?” The tactician hidden in the darkness creased his brows.
“Do we have any other ideas if we don’t take this gamble?” Renaya shook his head and let out a bitter smile. He had no other way out given the worsening situation. He could either choose to return to the empire and await his father’s punishment and the criticisms of the opposing factions, or he could choose to believe Yang Ling and risk it all in a gamble.
But Renaya believed that Yang Ling did not dare play any tricks.
Through a magical communication spell, Renaya knew that even though the crystal coins and Gaul Warhorses he promised Yang Ling were already on their way, they would not arrive at the border of Livenza for another ten days. He could order them to stop immediately if he sensed that something was off. As for the most important crystal mine, Yang Ling could only dream about starting work there if Renaya didn’t return to the Rossi Empire.
Other than that, Yang Ling would require the support of the Rossi Empire if he wanted to be an independent leader. Otherwise, if he were on unfriendly terms with both the Rossi and Banto Empires, he would be left alone and without reinforcements. Even if he could develop the resources in Terras Forest on a large scale, he might not be able to sell them off. And if anyone sent in a few warriors to cause trouble, Yang Ling’s predicament would be even more difficult.
After coming to a decision, Renaya decided to gather all of his brave warriors. His success and failure would all depend on this battle. He could not afford to fail.
If he won, his hopes of ascending to the throne would increase drastically. If he lost, the outcome would be disastrous. His brothers in the royal family would not pass up on this chance to deal him a blow.
Renaya had made a difficult decision, while Maryse was also nervously engaging in her preparations.
A large group of knights in heavy armor and spellcasters in black robes had appeared in a corner of the Terras Forest. Their expressions were icy and all of them were silent, quietly looking at Maryse who was pointing and gesturing in front of a map.
“Lady Maryse, you have decided to activate the Dark Shadow Knight Team?” A muscular knight creased his brows after understanding Maryse’s intentions.
“Hmph. I’ll personally explain it to Elder Riquelme!” Maryse let out a cold grunt. She was very confident about this operation.
Tonight, she had decided to show her hand to Yang Ling. It would be fine if he was smart enough to join the Association of Dark Magic. She would have her chance to get closer to him and set the foundation for breaking his psychological line of defense so she could cruelly exact revenge on him in the future. Eventually, in order to prevent Yang Ling from revealing anything, she would probably have to turn him into a corpse.
Even though Yang Ling had many warriors under him and possessed a powerful Magical Beast army, Maryse did not pay too much heed to his abilities. Compared to the elite Dark Shadow Knight Team, the guards under Yang Ling were basically a lowly bunch, unable to withstand a hit.
As for Yang Ling’s Magical Beast army, Maryse believed that against her Dark Magic and the Dark Shadow Knights famed for their speed, Yang Ling would not have the time to summon his army.
Steve, Renaya, and Maryse were all incredibly busy, each engaging in their own preparations. Only Yang Ling was very relaxed. After he told Goode his plan, he let the tactician plan and deal with the cumbersome details.
After listening to Yang Ling’s schemes that were bordering on insanity, both Goode and Harribell were immensely shocked. If he was successful, Yang Ling believed that Wissen Town would be within reach, and no other factions would be able to stop him. If he were unfortunate enough to fail, the outcome would be incredibly serious. He might be faced with the combined retaliation of the other factions if he was not careful.
This night was destined to be a troubled night!
Sitting cross-legged in the middle of the Spirit Gathering Spell Formation and looking at the hazy moonlight, Yang Ling let out a cold smile, then slowly closed his eyes. A calm attitude and sufficient energy were important before an intense battle. Clearly, a short time in meditation was a decent choice.
