https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-292-The-Final-Battle-Part-1-Free-from-tomorrow-come-and-check-it-out-/13453821/
Chapter 291: New Magic
Chapter 291: New Magic (Request for Subscriptions, Favorites, and Votes)
After returning to the Lazareen Region, Liam only briefly inspected Amethyst City, which had been designated as the capital, before heading to Iron Gate Fortress.
Iron Gate Fortress is located on the north bank of the Skahazadhan River upstream, making it the only city built on the river's northern shore. This city stands by the only ford in the upper reaches of the Skahazadhan River where large armies can cross. In previous years, the Dothraki who raided southward would cross the river here to reach the Lazareen Plains. Liam learned from the troops stationed here that recently, some reconnaissance cavalry had started to appear near the fortress.
Fortunately, with the existence of the radio and the Faith Network established by the Rose Crystal, Liam could receive news from all over the region no matter where he was. It was clear that the Dothraki were unaware that the Lazareen Forest People had set up an efficient surveillance system along the river. Over the past two months, about five to six thousand Dothraki had crossed the river in small groups to raid, but they were lured deeper into the territory and were then surrounded and annihilated by the Rapid Response Force and the river gunboats. Not a single one managed to escape back to the north bank of the Skahazadhan River. Now, this area had become a place shrouded in the Fog of War for the Dothraki.
Naturally, they realized that crossing the river in small groups was a death sentence. According to the intelligence gathered along the river, in the past month, only a few scattered Dothraki reconnaissance teams had crossed, and they never ventured more than twenty kilometers from the river. Several times, Dothraki teams were spotted, but by the time the Rapid Response Force arrived, they had already crossed back to the north bank.
The area around Iron Gate Fortress was now the most intensely scouted by the enemy. However, under Liam's orders, the army only fired to disperse those who came too close. The reconnaissance tasks were handled by the Alchemic Birds flying in the sky. According to the aerial reconnaissance, there were only a few elite reconnaissance units near Iron Gate Fortress, and there were no major forces within a day's hard ride by cavalry.
In previous years, the Dothraki would collect tribute from a few city-states and raid the Lazareen Region for slaves. The significant changes this year could not have gone unnoticed, so everyone was now waiting for the enemy at Iron Gate Fortress. Fortunately, the Lazareen Region is mostly plains, and with the help of numerous robots, the railway had been extended to the other side of the river. The sudden surge in productivity leading to a bountiful harvest of grain and other products also ensured that the fifteen thousand soldiers at Iron Gate Fortress had sufficient logistical support to continue waiting.
Especially with Rose Crystal often spending the night at Iron Gate Fortress, morale was very high. Organizing movie nights (mostly animated films), tournaments, and listening to sermons from the Crystal Priests also contributed significantly to maintaining high morale. In this situation, Liam believed that his side's patience in waiting would far surpass that of the Dothraki, who had lost a major source of wealth.
While waiting, news of the significant changes in the region began to spread. One month after Liam's arrival at Iron Gate Fortress, in October of Aegon's Calendar 297, a delegation from a distant land arrived at the fortress.
The delegation consisted of only a dozen people, led by a man with deep purple-blue skin and lips that were blue-black, dressed in a robe adorned with beads. The people behind him were similarly dressed, with pale skin and blue lips.
"Are these Avatars?" Liam thought somewhat impolitely. However, as they entered the hall, Liam sensed a chaotic and faint magic resonance from them. They appeared to be in their prime, but Life Magic revealed them to be old and withered.
"Hmm, Wizards?" Liam felt a sense of relief at the prospect of meeting fellow mages willing to communicate, even if they looked to be in poor condition. Previously, those who attacked him with crude Blood or Shadow Curses were easily crushed by an enraged Rose Crystal, and Liam could only extract some knowledge by interrogating their souls.
After a brief exchange, Liam learned that they were Qarthian Warlocks, led by their leader, Undying. Undying claimed that they were scholars seeking the true essence of Magic, and they had come to confirm the existence of Magic's power.
Liam welcomed them warmly and arranged for them to stay in the Crystal Capital. After all, he was busy directing the war and had no time for academic discussions.
So, the next day, they left Iron Gate Fortress for the Crystal Capital, and Liam soon forgot about the matter. That is, until three days later, when he was woken up by Rose Crystal.
Rose Crystal rushed over in a hurry because the male wizards, who were their guests, had committed a heinous act: they broke into the Crystal Hall at night, killed several priests and guards, and stole the box where Rose Crystal rested, which was revered as a relic.
Even as a minor deity, Rose Crystal had the ability to teleport between her temples. Sensing something was wrong, she immediately teleported from Iron Gate Fortress to the Crystal Hall, just in time to intercept the murderous intruders.
The warlocks tried to resist with Magic, but fighting a deity in their main temple was a suicidal act. Despite being a minor deity, Rose Crystal easily dispatched the thieves. After interrogating their souls, she discovered that the warlocks had noticed the box during their visit to the Crystal Temple and believed it could enhance their magical powers, so they decided to steal it and bring it back to Qarth.
This act infuriated Rose Crystal, especially since the warlocks could have achieved their goal without harming anyone in the temple. She then teleported back to Iron Gate Fortress to discuss retaliation with Liam.
After a sleepless night of deliberation, they finally came up with a plan by the time the Sunlight rose. The next morning, they bid farewell to Rose Crystal, who was preparing to teleport to a merchant ship in Qarth. Liam yawned and returned to his bedroom for a nap.
A week later, while working in his office, Liam saw Little Puppet fly in excitedly. It was clear she had made significant progress in Qarth. Through Little Puppet's enthusiastic chatter, Liam finally understood what she had done.
Upon arriving in Qarth, she used Magic to destroy the Undying Hall. However, under the allure of magical power, all the warlocks guarding the hall became Rose Crystal's loyal followers. For the past week, Rose Crystal had been collecting various magical texts and training those warlocks as her clergy.
Naturally, Rose Crystal also helped Liam secure a pier and several shops in Qarth for the Freshmen's nation. With the help of the warlocks, who now possessed supernatural abilities, it was easy to seize the assets of the four slave-holding city-states in Qarth. After finalizing the property transfer with the merchant fleet, Rose Crystal returned to Iron Gate Fortress with a large amount of magical texts.
In the following days, Liam studied the texts, which were written on leather, wood, and even carved into stone, while continuing to handle various administrative tasks.
In November, Liam received a message from the merchants: Khal Drogo, the most powerful khal of the Dothraki, had traveled west to Pentos to take a wife and would not return for some time.
This news left everyone feeling somewhat dejected. Some commanders suggested easing the alert level, as the high state of alert was consuming resources and causing fatigue among the troops. However, Liam rejected these suggestions, believing that they should not underestimate the most fearsome khal on the grasslands.
Sure enough, half a month later, several outposts to the west sent alerts: a cavalry force of about 100,000 men was advancing eastward from the north bank of the river, seemingly preparing to launch a surprise attack on the Zara Region.
Rose Crystal's aerial reconnaissance confirmed this. The two nations, with centuries of enmity, were about to engage in a decisive battle.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
