Chapter 976 — Non-Directional Burst
Blade of Dawn · Page 1 of 4
When that explosive news arrived, every unease in An Luo's heart and every vague guess that had been stirring beneath the surface instantly condensed into a rust-smelling reality—everything now had its explanation.
Madness. All of it was madness. With the Church of the God of War at its center, every branch connected to it was being dyed in insanity!
"When did the Iron River Knights leave?" She turned at once to the mage who had come bearing the report, her words tumbling out at breakneck speed. "Why wasn't this discovered immediately?!"
As the highest-ranking commander in the border region, having an imperial knight order suddenly break from control and act on its own right under her nose was unacceptable to An Luo—even if the Iron River Knights were not her direct subordinates but a "special legion" sworn directly to the royal house. The fact remained: she was now the one responsible for the Winterwolf Fortress defense line!
"Uncertain—at least an hour ago..." The mage's face was a picture of misery. "Count Mogelrock cut off all magical communications around the garrison. Some of the soldiers operating near the Iron River Knights' camp were also trapped by pre-arranged magical illusions. If a handful of knights who seemed to have been abandoned hadn't run on foot to the nearest watch post to raise the alarm, I doubt word would have gotten out even now..."
"A premeditated act of madness..." A chill gripped An Luo's heart, while the thoughts in her mind raced like lightning. Then she snapped her gaze to her adjutant. "The Winterwolf Knights are to assemble outside the west gate immediately. Combat griffins and the order's attached mage corps stand by. Send word to Aldernan at the highest emergency level: 'Iron River Knights out of control, moving to attack the Cecil defense line, high risk of war.' Winterwolf Fortress goes to full combat readiness across the board—all units stand by. Notify the Count of Winterfort: order the Black Flag Mage Corps to move toward the Winterwolf defense line."
The adjutant took in every word without missing a syllable, then snapped off a crisp salute and bellowed his acknowledgment. "Yes, General!!"
Above the towering magical relay tower of Winterwolf Fortress, the great floating ring assembled from crystal and magic-conducting metal began to turn slowly. Mighty magical forces surged above the high tower, and message after emergency message was flung into the distance through the amplification arrays and ring antennas. Aldernan would soon receive word of the upheaval at the border—but before that, the Empire's entire northwestern defense line would enter a state of war readiness, poised at any moment to face... a war no one had expected.
And on the plains west of Winterwolf Fortress, an elite force of formidable mobility and fighting strength had already assembled.
Clad in armor, longsword in hand, An Luo glanced back at the towering walls of Winterwolf Fortress—the bastion stood silent in the dim light of the small hours, the cold wind from the north buffeting its mottled, heavy ramparts. Along the walls, great numbers of soldiers and battle mages were busy in tense preparation, magic crystals already activated, enchanted armor plating and shield amplification arrays glimmering faintly before her eyes. It was the very picture of a war about to break.
An Luo had imagined what Winterwolf Fortress would look like once war broke out—but never that it would happen like this.
A beating of wings sounded high overhead. Swarms of combat griffins came flying from the south of the city and began wheeling and circling above the knights, while on either side the city gates swung open and one black-painted magic-driven vehicle after another rolled out in column, racing swiftly toward the dark plains ahead.