Chapter 1034 Warring Cities Event

Lord Marshal was scribbling on reports he received from the Newbie Division. One, in particular, from Officer Jia Huang, who had been examining recruits, caught his interest. According to this officer, a squad of new recruits stumbled upon a demonic dungeon while scouting the Dark Cave.

Although Marshal had previously stated that no recruits should venture there, he still remembered asking a lieutenant to investigate the situation. It seemed that the lieutenant had delegated the mission to the Newbie Division.

That mistake should have warranted the lieutenant"s removal from his post, but it led to an interesting discovery. The squad of five, who should never have returned, had three survivors.

Considering the severity of the situation and the reports from the Dark Cave, Marshal had expected the five to be dead or at least one lucky survivor. However, the return of three made him realize something was amiss.

A knock sounded at the door, and Lord Marshal allowed them inside. An average-looking officer in uniform entered and saluted him. "I am Jia Huang, Lord Marshal! You requested my presence?"

"I did, Officer Jia," nodded Lord Marshal as he took off his gla.s.ses and rubbed his eyes. "I received a report from you about a demonic dungeon. Such matters should be reported in person with great urgency. Is that understood?"

"As I stated in my report, the credibility of the new recruits is questionable. We sent a squad from the scout division, but they returned empty-handed. Furthermore, one of the recruits is a known troublemaker, sir."

"The man named Alexie, right?" asked Lord Marshal as his eyes glared at the officer, making him visibly nervous. It was hard to stand straight while facing such a commanding presence. "He also defeated most partic.i.p.ants in the entrance exam. Why have you not recommended him yet?"

"I believed he needed some training to tone down his arrogance, sir," said Jia Huang after gathering his wits. "His ideas about freedom question the very foundations of the second floor. In front of the entire platoon, he questioned whether the second floor was even our peaceful haven."

"Of course, it"s not, you fool," said Lord Marshal as he banged his fist on the desk and rose from his chair. Jia Huang flinched as he stared at the lord with confusion. "The second floor is named Eternal War because we have always striven for that peace."

"Sir, but this man is…"

"A hero we should celebrate," said Lord Marshal while staring through the window. "In this time when we need every force we can get, he is a beacon of hope for the people in the upcoming war. After we lost Ramiel, the city became infested with lawbreakers and desperate souls. Even if we eliminate them, they return more eager to haunt our city."

"This man will bring no such thing to our Xelorian Army, sir," said Jia Huang with great conviction. "He will bring the downfall of our flourishing city."

"You are the kind of person who would obstruct a man from achieving glory just because you lack the capabilities to do it yourself," said Lord Marshal as he spared him a disdainful glance, causing Jia Huang"s face to contort in anger. "Send him to my office this instant, Jia Huang. Otherwise, I will not be so lenient."

"As you command, Lord Marshal," said Jia Huang as he suppressed his anger and stormed out. Lord Marshal stared out of the window, foreseeing something in the distance. He did not know what it was, but the next war made him uneasy.

Another knock came on the door, and a man entered without waiting for permission. The Knight of Silver Rose walked into the room in his dashing armor, with a helmet beneath his arm.

"Have you summoned me, my lord?" asked Jonathan as he saluted. Lord Marshal gestured for him to sit. The knight pulled a chair and sat down, placing his helmet on the desk beside the papers. With a single glance, he realized what they were. "Is there a new mission from the tower, sir?"

"This round of the Warring Cities event is a bit different," said Lord Marshal with a nod before he turned toward Jonathan. "There will be hidden artifacts throughout the wilderness that will grant troops buffs during the war."

"This is unprecedented," said Jonathan with a frown as he studied the orders. "All cities will clash against each other before the actual war even begins."

"In normal circ.u.mstances, the Warring Cities event is usually a mere formality. As long as a city understands its strength, it wouldn"t waste resources on a losing battle. Thus, previous events often concluded with the resignation of most cities."

"However, this time, if a city discovers an artifact, it can challenge stronger cities and gain more resources. No one will need to forfeit before it"s too late."

"This makes the battles for the artifacts even more critical than the actual war. There are ten artifacts in total, and the city holding the most of them would be declared the winner since others would surrender. Conversely, if weaker cities obtain more than one artifact..."

"Our position will be in jeopardy," Jonathan finished Lord Marshal"s sentence, his face paling. "Why did the tower suddenly change the rules?"

"There"s no way to comprehend the tower"s reasoning, but it might be an attempt to balance the equation for the tower"s final war," Lord Marshal said, sitting down with a weary expression. "If every city partic.i.p.ates in this war, we"ll simply end up defeating one another. Perhaps this is the last war before our annihilation."

"The artifacts are the key to winning this war," Jonathan concluded, stroking his chin. "From an optimistic perspective, seizing them first could solve all our problems. If we strike first, we might acquire more than one artifact."

"...And we could win the war, weakening the other cities," Lord Marshal added with a knowing nod. "This is an all-or-nothing gamble, and we might not emerge as the victors in the end."

"We can achieve peace and resources for everyone," Jonathan said, hope glimmering in his eyes. "If we can offer resources to all, there will be no need for outlaws. Our armies can still clear out the monsters, and if we unite..."

"You are too idealistic, Jonathan of Silver Rose," Lord Marshal said, a mocking smile on his face as he leaned back in his chair. "What unites us won"t be peace, but the pursuit of peace. If we truly become one ent.i.ty, we"ll grow weak while the monsters grow stronger."

"Is it then better to remain divided?" Jonathan asked with a furrowed brow. "I"ve heard that in Lonin City, children are dying from hunger in the streets. Xeloria is my heart"s greatest city, but aren"t they also humans?"

"If we shoulder the burden of everyone, we"ll simply be unable to progress," Lord Marshal said as he pushed the parchment toward the knight. "You lead the Golden Division, so I"ll be relying on you."

"I won"t let you down, sir," Jonathan replied as he accepted the set of instructions, including a map, that his lord had prepared for the tower event. "Are these the potential locations where the artifacts might be hidden?"

"The tower mentioned that the artifacts will be concealed in the wilderness between the cities," Lord Marshal explained, his chin resting on his hand. "I"ve marked the possible hiding spots. There"s a temple, a bandit"s camp, and the Wide Lakes of Azkahar. Investigate these three."

"Your orders are my commands," Jonathan said as he stood up. "If there"s nothing else, I shall..."

"There"s one more thing," Marshal said, tapping the desk. "I received a report about someone clearing a demonic dungeon. His name is Alexie, a new recruit in our city. Are you familiar with him?"

"I know many who go by that name, but most of them are just ordinary officers," Jonathan replied with a frown. "I"m afraid I"m not familiar with this particular recruit."

"He appears to be a rare talent," Lord Marshal said with intrigue. "I shall interview him now to see if he would be a good fit for your Golden Division."

"That seems hasty, sir," Jonathan remarked with a frown. "I want my division to remain united. We already accepted many new recruits after the last war, so adding another one might..."

"Just one individual won"t make a significant difference," Marshal said with a smile. "You can a.s.sess him yourself before we depart. He may prove to be a valuable a.s.set in the upcoming battles."

"If that"s your wish, who am I to object?" Jonathan sighed. "However, I won"t accept him if he appears to be merely an arrogant genius. We already have enough of those."

Before Jonathan could receive a response, there was a knock on the door, and Lord Marshal beckoned the visitor inside. An average-looking man entered confidently and saluted, appearing at ease. The lord and knight stared at him with interest.

"Are you Alexie who conquered the demonic dungeon?" asked Lord Marshal with greed dyeing his eyes. Jonathan stared from the side, a hint of a smile almost on his lips.