6 – Earth Knight vs. Windblade Wolf
As an Earth Knight, Marcus’ perception ability of magic, qi, and the like was very keen. Since he said that there was a magic beast, then there was a magic beast.
Liszt immediately tensed up.
The four retainer knights packed the tableware in a flurry. They were ordinary people, and had not even cultivated qi; therefore, they would be courting death if they were to confront a magic beast.
Marcus had already mounted his horse: “Let the tableware be! Defend the sir baron as he gets on his horse, and then get ready for battle!”
The retainer knights rushed to support Liszt.
However, Liszt was an Apprentice Knight with low-ranked qi, and was a lot more powerful than ordinary people. He had already mounted his horse. No matter how majestic, Fierydragon was also nervous as it was young and had never been on the battle field. Liszt had no choice but to pa.s.s his hand through its mane to soothe its nervousness.
Snort!
Encouraged by its master, Fierydragon’s stretched taut body relaxed. As a birthday gift given to his son by the count, its bloodline, that of the low-ranked magic beast Flame Horse, was not bad, and its adaptability was very strong.
In a few breaths.
After Marcus had sensed the magic beast, a ma.s.sive gray wolf with two light cyan patterns on its body had emerged from the depths of the thicket.
“It is a Windblade Wolf! A low-ranked magic beast! Step back, I will deal with it!” Marcus raised his short spear. Calling it a short spear would not do it justice. In truth, it was a lance used in close quarter combat, its length greater than a person’s height.
Marcus suddenly burst out with a tremendous bellow: “Haaaa!”
Mid-ranked qi oscillated and resonated inside his mouth, and alike a bomb going off, a tremendous bellow jolted the leaves in the surroundings and gave rise to rustling sounds.
He hoped that he could scare off the Windblade Wolf.
The Windblade Wolf lowered its body, and retreated slightly. Its seemed to be about to retreat. Yet, it was just the prelude for its attack. With his lance in hand, Marcus spurred his horse with his legs, and stormed forward.
The Windblade Wolf also sprung up and rushed at Marcus. Simultaneously, a few light cyan windblades emerged in front of it, slashing at Marcus while spinning.
The tip of the lance trembled as faint milky white rays stuck to it. The lance swiftly reached the windblades, breaking them one by one. Following which, Marcus flung the lance behind him. The lance drew an oval trajectory, accurately striking at the Windblade Wolf pouncing from the other side.
During this crisis, the Windblade Wolf twisted its body, and avoided the lance. Yet, it still had a wound cut open on its body due to the milky white rays attached to the lance, with blood flowing out of it.
When it landed on the ground, it sent out a few windblades in disorder.
Marcus, the person and horse as one, dodged the windblades by a hair’s breadth. At this moment, the distance between him and the Windblade Wolf had already been pulled open. He charged at the Windblade Wolf several times with the intention to fight it at close quarters. However, the wolf was very clever. It kept opening the distance and releasing windblades into the surroundings in order to drain him. Another difference between magic beasts and ordinary beast lied in their IQ.
Regarding a magic beast with an exceedingly high speed of magic power recovery, such a war of attrition was not a big deal.
While a knight’s qi could not last long.
However, Marcus used his strength, which was the source of his confidence in going to the battlefield to render meritorious services and earn the aristocratic t.i.tle of chevalier, to prove himself. He put away his lance and took out bow and arrows from behind his back. To get started, he fired two arrows. The arrows, which had qi poured into them, flew as fast as lightning.
Disdain flashed past the Windblade Wolf’s eyes. With but a slight twist of its waste, it could avoid the arrows.
But in the next moment, the Windblade Wolf’s disdain had turned into fear.
The two arrows had actually b.u.mped midair; the trajectories swiftly changing. One of the arrows had firmly inserted itself onto the back of the Windblade Wolf.
“Excellent archery, worthy of the order of knights’ divine archer!” Liszt exclaimed in surprise as he watched the exchange, his nervousness had already faded.
With such an Earth Knight protecting him, he could just sit back and relax.
A lord’s life was good. They could cross hurdles without expending any effort, they had servants to wait upon them in day-to-day life and knights use in battles.
It took a while to describe, but had actually happened very quickly.
Seeing Marcus take out two more arrows, the Windblade Wolf bleeding from its back had a glint of resentment flash across its eyes. It turned around, and fled into the thicket, disappearing from everyone’s sight in the blink of an eye.
Marcus looked in the direction the Windblade Wolf had disappeared, before unhurriedly putting away bow and arrows.
Seeing what had just transpired, Karl Eisenhammer’s blood started boiling, and he could not help but ask: “Teacher Marcus, the Windblade Wolf, a magic beast more valuable than pearls, is sure to die with two more arrows, why not chase it?”
“In Thorns Ridge, there are more magic beasts than just that Windblade Wolf. Besides, it did not seemed to be seriously injured, only feigning weakness to lure us in… Its bound to have companions, and can still get a.s.sistance from the thicket. If you are not afraid of death, then go ahead and chase after it.” Marcus replied with cold indifference.
Karl Eisenhammer scratched his head in embarra.s.sment, not saying anything else.
Marcus ignored him, and just said to Liszt: “Sir Baron, it is very dangerous here, we should be on our way.”
“Alright!”
Liszt readily accepted the advice as inspecting the territory was just a mission. He was not willing to face danger. As the old saying went, a wise man foresees and mitigates risks.
Perhaps it was because they had come across a magic beast on the edge of Thorns Ridge in spring time, that Marcus became somewhat worried, and had thus accelerated their pace in the later part of the inspection.
On the way, Liszt asked in curiosity: “Teacher Marcus, your archery is very powerful. Even trajectory can be changed. What archery is this?”
“Double Arrow Crossed Strike, an ordinary advanced archery technique. It can be released by using qi as a conductor.”
“This archery is very elegant and practical. Teacher Marcus, when will we start having archery lessons?” Liszt was very covetous.
Marcus’ response was not the least bit enthusiastic: “Practicing this advanced archery technique requires the materialization of qi, which cannot be achieved prior to becoming an Earth Knight. Sir Baron, what you need to do right now is to polish and strengthen your qi, and learn knights’ battle techniques, instead of learning gaudy archery.”
“Then I will wait until I advance to an Earth Knight before learning archery.” Said Liszt.
Perhaps he would advance to an Earth Knight after completing the mission and receiving the advancement in qi rewarded.
The following three hours of travel, they had not come across any more magic beasts. After finishing inspecting Thorns Ridge, they arrived at the other side of Flower Town – Azure Waves Sea.
Sapphire Grand Duchy consisted of Sapphire Archipelago northeast of the continent.
Coral Island was in the northeast corner of Sapphire Archipelago.
Flower Town was in the northeast corner of Coral Island.
Therefore, the azure sea stretching into the horizon Liszt was currently seeing was the boundary of Sapphire Grand Duchy, Azure Waves Sea.
“Teacher Marcus, what is on the other side of the sea? Are there other islands, continents or nations?”
“I do not know. The sir count’s fleet had never set foot beyond the sea. However, legend says that on the other side of Azure Waves Sea is the unsailable devil-infested Devil Sea.
“What about riding a dragon?”
“A dragon is a nation’s support; therefore, there are no dragon knights willing to take chances by riding their dragons about. On the continent, there are numerous tracts of land awaiting development, why does Sir Baron care about the empty sea… If I can be frank, you should follow the sir count’s example and occupy more land.”
These words were laced with temptation. After all, new aristocrats could only arise amidst conflict.