Chapter 1396 - 1361: Proactive Offensive

Their ’well-known friend’.

When this title was brought up, even without any further implication, the remaining four kings present simultaneously and without hesitation focused their impressions on one person.

A Demon Hunter.

The kings had just been boasting about the achievements of defeating the Black Clothes’ army at Sodden Mountain more than two years ago, as if that war alone was enough to be immortalized in history.

Indeed, it was enough to be immortalized because the Battle of Sodden Mountain was unprecedented in its scale.

Both sides combined had deployed over a hundred thousand troops! It would be considered a notable battle anywhere.

The Northern People had been on the continent for no more than five hundred years since the conjunction of spheres, while the Southern Empire, just a few decades ago, was known only to the most profound scholars of the North as a distant land.

And now, to annihilate and occupy the opponent’s territory, population, and everything else, they began engaging and clashing at a dizzying speed.

And the intensity of the warfare escalated so quickly that it became baffling.

Yet even so, even though the kings participated personally in that history-making battle, they all unanimously knew—

The greatest achievement and most prominent fame of that war were from the beginning attributed to one person.

A man who was not a Wizard, who fought head-on and broke through the entire battlefield!

Honestly, if it were a Wizard, then the kings, nobles, and generals alike could accept it.

After all, Maribo City still shows the traces of being half crushed back then.

When just looking at their destructive power, no one could argue against the Wizards, and everyone could accept it.

But the problem is, he was not a Wizard.

Wizards, when casting Magic, need concentration, and their bodies would still die from stab wounds, decapitation, and similar injuries.

Demon-Blocking Gold, sophisticated Magic response strategies, sneak attacks and poisoning from the shadows, or sending assault teams towards the Wizard, using money and power to hire another powerful Mage...

The balance between kings and Wizards is always achieved under the premise that they can both kill each other.

A mortal king in front of a Wizard, if he truly wants to kill a king, it wouldn’t take more than a breath.

However, the power represented by the king, along with the force he commands which belongs to the state, can also suppress any Wizard in the world.

Thus, under the philosophy of ’why make it unresolvable to prevent everyone from enjoying life?’, the Wizards mostly became royal court advisors.

Yet with the development of the times, Wizards indulged more in pleasures and became more reliant on national systems.

And national systems, evolving over time, developed ’spy agencies’, ’special operations’, and other means capable of targeted combat.

Thus, to today, more and more Wizards transformed from true advisors who could intervene in affairs to mascots in the court symbolizing the stable relationship between kings and the Wizard group.

Because there are targeted methods, one can confidently coexist and cooperate.

Even if [Pure White] Rafad were alive, Alzur resurrected, in the battlefield environment of Sodden Mountain, if the army didn’t encircle him layer by layer allowing him to cast Magic safely.

In such chaos, how long could a Great Mage live?

Sodden Mountain is now called ’Mountain of the Fourteen Mages’, isn’t it because so many Wizards died?

But that person was not a Wizard... he was a Demon Hunter who broke through the battlefield positively!

Arrow showers, flying Magic, wildfires, frightened horses, poison, even siege devices! All kinds of unpredictable dangers were hidden in chaos.

One second a frightened horse rushed forward, the next second an emarrow from a bed crossbow might coincidentally pierce the frightened horse and appear directly in front of people.

What methods weren’t used in that war? What killing techniques didn’t appear?

Yet he led a small-sized Knight Order and broke through!

The absurdity of this event speaks for itself, until now, the royal courts have yet to reach a conclusion on how to view this Demon Hunter.

Logically speaking, setting such a merit on a battlefield like Sodden Mountain, dividing land and sealing him as king on the spot wouldn’t provoke anyone, at most causing difficulties later.

But the key is... truly no one has seen this situation before.

All the royal courts, therefore, do not know what standard to use to treat Lann and his Knight Order.

But undoubtedly: anyone who has been to the Sodden Mountain battlefield would never doubt one thing—the Demon Hunter... unparalleled battlefield dominance!

"You want to use the name and territory of Sintra to call Lann of Sintra off the field."

Among the many kings with complex and obscure looks, Miv still remained like a straight sword, pointing directly to the core, speaking bluntly.

"There’s potential in this!" Henselt moved his lips, as if savoring this plan. "Although I don’t know how the Demon Hunter is that strong, he alone represents at least the frontal combat power of a brigade!"

"And in terms of mobility and logistical pressure, he’s even more convenient than a lone wandering merchant!"

On the battlefield, the so-called ’passes’ and ’roads’ actually limit large-scale troop movement.

If one is alone, many so-called ’natural barriers’ and ’strong passes’ are just tourism routes.

The more he spoke along this line of thought, the brighter Henselt’s small eyes, squeezed into a slit by the meat on his cheeks, became.

"And Vizimir is right. Clats swore a blood oath to avenge Calanthe and his uncle and aunt! If we really want to cross the Yaruga River to attack the other side, he will use the entire Skellig Islands’ forces as support!"

"Yes, that ’Sea Boar’ will surely do so! Blood oath revenge is a glorious tradition of the Skellig Islands!"

"For the gods’ sake! This plan can succeed! I support Veltrest, don’t wait! Take the initiative and launch a surprise attack! Liberate Sintra, and drive the Black Clothes out of the Amel Mountain pass!"

"Don’t be in such a hurry." Demavi said in a deep and stern voice at this time, "Don’t rush to touch the tiger’s butt, the tiger isn’t dead yet, and you’re already planning how to skin it!"

"Moreover, if we take the initiative to launch an attack, we become invaders, violators. Breaking that ceasefire agreement we’ve all signed and stamped."

"I know, tearing up contracts is commonplace." Demavi turned to look around, "But that’s a choice made when sure of winning and being able to eliminate the impact. Do we have that now?"

"If we violate the agreement first, Nedimir’s Humphries Alliance won’t support us. In Kovir and Bovis, Istrad Tisson wouldn’t assist us either."

"I don’t know what the attitude of King Essien of Hidaris is now, but our craftsmen guild, merchants, and nobles certainly won’t support a war that we initiate... Most importantly the Wizards! The Wizards will surely oppose it!"

"That’s true." Vizimir touched the loose skin on his aging chin. "They won’t support military action against the south bank of the Yaruga River because that ceasefire agreement is the work of Viggo Fortez from Logueywen."

"It’s well known that Viggo Fortez’s plan is to gradually turn the ceasefire into lasting peace; he won’t support war. As for the Wizard Association?"

Speaking of this, Vizimir smiled knowingly.

"They follow only at Viggo Fortez’s command. After the battle of Sodden Mountain, his prestige in the Wizard Association has soared, regardless of how other Wizards see him, he’s already the top."

"The Wizard Association is the Talent and Skill Association." Miv asked, frowning, "I don’t know much, but is Viggo Fortez in his thirties? Definitely not fifty, right? Let him, a young guy, be in charge?"

Fifty is indeed too young among the Wizards.

"Don’t be fooled by his youth, his methods are tough." Vizimir explained, "Not to mention the political maneuvering, very few Wizards can outdo him in magical prowess. His level of magic is on par with Philippa."

Miv’s brows furrowed tightly. Even though she seldom interacted with warlock groups, Philippa Eilhart’s renowned name was already well-known.

She is a prominent figure among the female warlocks, currently the top among active female warlocks.

Coupled with her political skills and backed by Redania, the oldest northern country, Lady Owl’s name is undoubtedly among the most influential in the warlock community.

Aside from those ’ancient’ legacy old Wizards and some special individuals, Philippa Eilhart’s magical prowess is among the strongest.

But she is at least nearing two hundred years old, and that Viggo Fortez indeed has extraordinary talent.

"But he’s still not the strongest Wizard, you could say he’s far from it." Miv questioned calmly.

"Certainly." Vizimir straightforwardly admitted and continued explaining, "Henry Gemitis and Tishaya de Veris are unparalleled in their strength."

"But on one hand, Tishaya only joined the Talent and Skill Association a few years ago, and the current political situation is vastly different from her active era."

"A powerful female warlock who taught and nurtured students on Sandy Island for hundreds of years, now just beginning to find her footing. She doesn’t really speak out or participate in decision-making in the Wizard Association because back in her era, they still adhered to the ’do more, talk less’ principle."

"On the other hand, Henry Gemitis previously didn’t manage much, and has recently started to fiercely address educational issues at Ban Aide Academy."

Speaking of this, Vizimir regretfully sighed.

"That old thing hid deeply before. His heart disease issue is only known within a small circle among Wizards. Dikoschek, after knowing his recovery, rummaged through Redania’s library and found a mention of it in a document over four hundred years old."