Northwest of Silver Moon Bay, Victoria Harbor.
The sky was slightly bright, and a few rays of morning light peeked out from the clouds, reflecting on the busy pier, with large and small fishing boats docked at the pier.
Bare-chested boatmen came and went, their skin tanned, while on the shore, there were businessmen arguing and negotiating fiercely.
Seagulls circled in the sky, their calls accompanied by the occasional whistle.
Some fishermen also whispered prayers toward the sea, praying to "Sea Queen" Amberli to extinguish her anger, make the sea calm, and prevent monsters like sahuagin from appearing again.
This is Victoria Harbor, a city located at the mouth of the Zeller River. It is a rare deep-water port and the largest and most prosperous trading city-state in the Silver Moon Bay region.
The city's name comes from a hero from hundreds of years ago, the adventurer Victoria of the Gray Harbor.
Victoria once led her fleet to explore the vast Western Sea, gathered countless treasures in more than ten years, and selflessly built this majestic port city.
But some people say that their hero is just a pirate leader who lives for plunder, and the so-called city is just a base for pirates to hide their treasure. As a result, Victoria was nicknamed the "Pirate Queen" by some skeptics.
Hundreds of years have passed, and the current rulers of Victoria Harbor are a four-person parliament composed of several noble dukes, with the most virtuous and respected duke as the consul.
Everyone from nobles to common thieves and even notorious pirates gathered together. Dozens of believers of different gods lived here, and there were various unknown cult groups in the dark.
Today's Victoria Harbor is a mixed bag, and is also called a "hotbed of conspirators" by adventurers. In recent days, another group of mysterious "undead" have appeared out of thin air, making the situation in the city even more confusing.
On the mottled city wall of Victoria Harbor, along with the ripples of space, a man wearing a gray robe and holding a bronze scepter appeared out of thin air.
He looked to be in his fifties, with some wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, and his light green pupils were quite deep, making him look particularly mysterious.
The man stroked the beard on his chin, looked down at the bustling crowd on the street and the caravan that was about to set off, and said softly:
"It seems that I arrived a little early, the Silver family's caravan has just set off.
According to the original plot development, the kidnapping case should happen five days later, and by then, I should be able to appear.
Gee, since he was crowned emperor, all chores have been left to his family to handle. It has been a long time since I have done anything myself. I really miss it. ”
He rubbed his chin, lost in thought: "But, what should we name this vest?"
Suddenly, he saw the fortune teller at the street stall pull out a Tarot card. On the card was an old man wearing a gray cloak and holding a lantern in his hand - that was the Hermit card.
He suddenly raised the corners of his mouth slightly, clapped his hands and said to himself: "Just call me 'hermit'.
Albert the Hermit sounds pretty good, at least he's pretty cool. ”
This so-called "Albert" is the dragon shadow simulacrum of Cassius and the incarnation of his true will.
At this moment, Cassius also arrived at Victoria Harbor, ready to start his own plan to stir up the already turbid water.
In the Faruk Wasteland, a caravan was heading south, and their goal was obviously Victoria Harbor, which was dozens of miles away.
The caravan was quite large, with fifty horses and hundreds of guards, pulling more than a dozen carts of heavy goods, and the wooden boxes containing the goods had exquisite gorse emblems on the outside.
——That represents the owner of the cargo, one of the four major families in Victoria Harbor, the Silver family.
Unlike the seemingly exquisite and elegant floral coat of arms, the Silver family has the strongest military power in Victoria Harbor and controls the largest mercenary organization in the city, the "Mithril Hand."
Surrounded by guards, in the luxurious carriage in the middle of the caravan was a blond woman wearing a long skirt. She looked very young, only in her twenties, and she also wore a gorse coat of arms.
Her name is Heloise Silver, the most favored only daughter of the current Duke of the Silver family, and she is also regarded as the future heir of the family.
Heloise opened the curtain, looked out at the quiet wilderness outside the carriage, and said to the guard captain standing next to him: "Marvin, it's a little too quiet here.
After we got the goods from the Gray Port, we walked south along the road for more than ten kilometers, but we didn't even encounter a caravan. This is really abnormal. ”
The guard was a middle-aged man in his forties, with a rough beard and a long scar on his face, and wore standard armor.
He is the person in charge of this caravan armed force, Malvin, a senior guard who has served the Silver family for decades.
But at this moment, listening to the noble lady's questions, Marvin seemed a little absent-minded.
After all, he had been escorting the Silver family's caravan for decades, while the young Heloise was only arranged by his father to get in touch with the family business.
"Recently, banditry has been rampant in the Faruk Wasteland. It is said that many caravans have been plundered and have taken a detour from the east to Gray Port. However."
Malvin puffed up his chest and said in a relaxed tone: "Miss, we are the Silver family, the overlords of Victoria Harbor.
No matter how smart those thieves and bandits are, they will never offend the Silver family. If they really dare to reach out to us and threaten your safety, then we will smash their hands with muskets! ”
Malvin clapped the rifle in his hand, his tone extremely confident, as if he was stating an inconspicuous thing.
Heloise frowned slightly, but said nothing more. She just whispered to him to be careful and pay attention to the surrounding situation.
As the daughter of Duke Eden, she knows the strength of the Silver family all too well.
This caravan has 574 well-trained family guards and is equipped with the most advanced muskets purchased from the mysterious Ember Empire in the north.
Even the regular armies of nearby city-states would find it difficult to defeat them, let alone the bandits and thieves in the wilderness.
And the goods they escorted this time are also particularly important.
On the carriages, in the wooden boxes with the gorse coat of arms, there were piles of brand-new firearms, ammunition, and even small artillery. There were more than 3,000 basic rifles alone.
In that tragic "Battle of Three Emperors", ordnance from the Ember Empire appeared in people's sight, and with the promotion of the Woking Chamber of Commerce, it quickly became popular in the mainland.
The purpose of Duke Eden's purchase of a large number of ordnance is also very clear - to strengthen the military strength of the Silver family.
Heloise looked at the wasteland outside the carriage. It was still so quiet, and only the faint chirping of insects could be heard.
At this moment, she discovered the remains of a carriage among the rocks in the distance. If she looked closely, she could see broken wheels, broken arms, and even heads that had been crushed into meat.
No, such a tragic scene cannot be caused by ordinary thieves and bandits!
As the eldest daughter of the Silver family, she has received sufficient education and is even half a mage apprentice. She understands the power of those extraordinary beings.
Heloise's expression suddenly changed, and there was a solemn look in her beautiful deep purple eyes. She directly stretched out her hand to stop the advancing caravan.
"Malvern, stop."
"Miss, we have to hurry, Lord Aiden said that the goods must be delivered before dark"
"I said, stop, this is my order to you as the head of the Silver family caravan."
Heloise's tone was decisive, but there was an undeniable look in her watery eyes - it was a look unique to the Silver people, and even Marvin felt his heart tremble.
"Yes, Miss."
Only then did Malvern pay attention to the order, and reluctantly stopped the guards and grooms in front. Everyone in the caravan stopped and waited.
But in the eyes of this loyal old guard, this fledgling young lady was a little suspicious, and she really didn't have the demeanor of a successor to a big family.
This is around Victoria Harbor. Who dares to mess with the Silver family, which is now in full swing?
Ahead is the narrow Karl Valley, which can only pass one carriage at a time, and the Silver family's caravan stayed outside the valley and stopped moving forward.
Malvin continued to persuade: "Miss, don't worry.
I am very familiar with this Karl Valley. I have come and gone here hundreds of times in the past few decades, and it is simply easier than returning home."
However, Heloise interrupted him in a cold tone, pointed to the wreckage of the caravan in the distance, and ordered:
"Malvern, continue to be vigilant and send another elite team over there to check the situation. If there is anything abnormal, we will go around from the east."
"But, Miss." Marvin still wanted to speak, but after seeing Slovitz's unquestioning look, he had no choice but to bow his head and obey his orders - after all, there was a young Plantagenet in front of him, who was very likely to become a duchess. existence.
Just as he was about to send people there, a heartbreaking wail suddenly came from the front of the caravan, followed by people's screams and the neighing of horses.
"Ah——"
"Enemy attack! Protect the lady!"
Malvin suddenly became nervous. He quickly loaded the rifle in his hand and shouted at the surrounding guards.
He really didn't expect that someone would actually dare to mess with Silver's caravan!
Suddenly, a neat and clear voice sounded, and these well-trained guards quickly loaded their weapons and gathered around Heloise's carriage.
Marvin jumped on the horse and discovered the source of the wailing sound - a young groom was pierced by a sharp arrow, with gurgling blood flowing from it.
Immediately afterwards, countless figures in black robes emerged from behind the rocks on the hillside, like shadows in the dark night.
"Praise the Lord God."
"You are the only Lord in this world, the master of all things, and we will sacrifice our sweet blood to you."
They murmured hoarsely, like whispering prayers, and also emitted weird laughter from time to time, which made even the battle-hardened Marvin feel a little scared.
Marvin jumped off his horse, pulled out the long sword from his waist and pointed it at the enemy, shouting: "Damn cultists! Do you know who you are provoking?
This is the caravan of the Silver family! Your actions will bring about the wrath of Lord Eden! If you know what's going on, get out of here! ”
"Hahahahahaha!"
The creepy laughter sounded again, and a tall and thin man in black robe standing on the hillside holding a bone staff said in a hoarse voice: "The Silver Family
That's right, it was them who captured Miss Heloise of the Silver family alive! She will become the best sacrifice to the Lord God! ”
Malvin suddenly turned pale, and then he realized that he was really negligent and made a big mistake!
Obviously, these mysterious cultists are actually coming for the Silver family - to be more precise, Heloise Silver!
"Damn it, hurry up! Follow me to meet the enemy!"
"Boll, you immediately take the bodyguards to escort the eldest lady away! You must not let her make any mistakes!"
"An enemy coming towards the Silver family?"
Heloise's expression was particularly solemn, but she still did not panic. Under the escort of her personal guards, she mounted her horse and evacuated towards the northern Gray Port.
"Meet the enemy! Shoot these damn cultists into a sieve!"
Malvern raised the rifle in his hand and shot at the men in black robes on the hillside. The caravan guards also kept pulling the trigger.
"Bang!"
"Bang! Bang!"
Hundreds of guards fired at the same time, gunfire roared, and bullets poured out like a gust of wind, knocking down many men in black robes in an instant.
"That's it, shoot them! No mercy!"
But the cultists were still laughing wildly, seemingly not caring about the death of their companions. The leader raised his bone staff, and surging black mist swept over them instantly.
Marvin cursed angrily: "Damn it, it's the caster!"
The mages accompanying the caravan also hurriedly recited incantations and released beams of light from their staffs, but they still could not penetrate the darkness.
Heloise and others who were evacuating to the north also discovered that enemies were also appearing in front of them. Goblins, wargs, gnolls and other evil creatures emerged, and there were thousands of them.
Many of their faces are covered with black cracks, and their eyeballs have become dark. There are fanatical expressions on their faces, and they are still chanting the name of the "Lord God" in a low voice.
Such a monster army is definitely not a temporary formation. It is obviously an ambush that has been planned for a long time!
Heloise waved her hand towards the guard Bor next to her and said coldly: "Stop, they have been ready for a long time."
Bol's voice trembled: "Miss, then, what should we do?"
Heloise spoke firmly: "Go back immediately to meet with Malvern. This is the last resort. We have to hold on until father's reinforcements arrive."
The falcon trained by the Silver family flew into the sky with a brief letter for help and let out a loud cry, while Heloise and his party rode back to the caravan station.
At this moment, the black fog that filled the vicinity of the Karl Valley became increasingly dense. The soldiers fired wildly into the darkness, but they were still inevitably hit by arrows.
Seeing Heloise return, Marvin looked guilty and panted: "I'm sorry, Miss, it was the negligence of my subordinates that caused you to fall into this"
Heloise interrupted him, trying to keep his voice calm, and continued: "Malvern, this was a premeditated ambush.
The north has been blocked by the enemy's army. We must continue to hold on and wait for reinforcements to arrive. Now, all guards must obey my command.
Also give me a gun. ”
Malvin was stunned for a moment, then found a brand new rifle from the box next to him and handed it to the eldest lady's slender hands.
Heloise weighed the rifle in his hand, loaded the bullets and loaded the gun skillfully, then aimed at the man in black robes a hundred steps away and pulled the trigger.
"Bang!"
The cultist fell to the ground, and Marvin was stunned. After a long time, he picked up his gun and continued to fire.
Only then did he really remember that this was the successor of the Silver family known as the "Blade of Victoria Harbor".
The exchange of fire between the family guards and the people in black robes continued, and both sides suffered certain casualties. However, the caravan still held its position temporarily and did not let the crazy cultists approach.
"Ignorant mortals
Are you resisting the favor of the Lord God? ”
At this moment, the leader stretched out his withered hand, tilted his head, and a strange light shone in his dark pupils.
Suddenly, a huge black vortex appeared above the caravan, attracting the surrounding vegetation, sand and stones and even approaching humans with unparalleled power.
"Gods, what is that?"
"Okay, what a powerful force!"
"No, no——"
The guard screamed in horror and struggled continuously, but was still attracted into the air by the black hole, and even his blood was sucked dry in an instant.
Even the firearms in their hands were sucked into the black hole and ravaged into a ball of scrap metal.
"Gods? Gods are just forgers who deceive the world and steal their reputations!
Only the God of domination is the destination of all things! ”
Blood rain fell from mid-air, and the man in black robe spread his arms and raised his head, enjoying the feast of killing.
Heloise looked up at the terrifying black hole above her head, sweat dripping down her fair face, and her hands tightly grasped the carriage beside her.
"This is psionic energy."
She had seen this kind of power before, in the monks invited by Duke Eden, but the psychic black hole in front of her was more evil.
Just this move left hundreds of guards at a loss. They could only allow the cultists to become more and more rampant, while the goblins and jackal legions behind them also surrounded them.
This is a long-planned attack, no, more accurately, a war. These cultists are declaring war on the Silver family.
Who can save them, Seanworth at the top?
Faced with such a dead situation, even Heloise, who had always been calm, felt a little desperate. She leaned on the carriage with her gun in hand and couldn't help but think this way.
At this moment, as if hearing Heloise's prayer, a mysterious male voice appeared and reached her ears clearly.
"Haha, I didn't expect that these bugs would become so arrogant after just sleeping for a few hundred years" (End of Chapter)