Escorted Into Battle


    War and plunder was a perpetual cycle between the myriad nes.


    Nond wasn’t the only primary ne, with many known nes that were no inferior to it like hell, the abyss, the celestial ne, and the astral ne. Some secondary nes possessed unusual single powers that made them no inferior to primary nes, like the elemental and shadow nes. The rtionship of all these nes with Nond wasplicated; they weren’t so distant that they existed only in legend and folklore like normal men thought, but they weren’t friendly like some theologians imed. The only constant was conflict and war.


    Just as Nond’s nobility was intent on expanding their influence outward, many other nes wished to conquer them. Every now and then, some powerful beings would construct a portal that connected to Nond, leading troops out in an attempt to conquer this beautiful and fertile ne.


    Given the power system and sheer area of the ne, it was impossible to conquer Nond with power alone. After all, the number of troops one could transfer through any passage between nes was rather limited. However, with enough numbers came a swathe of fools. There were always some hot-headed powerhouses from another ne attempting tounch attacks on Nond, although they couldn’t even conquer an earl’snds with the meagre armies they managed to send.


    Such invasions took ce practically on a daily basis. Nond’s gods didn’t issue oracles for this at all, or any other form of warning either. After all, the number of invasions was just toorge. Even if they weren’t fed up with it, they had limited followers and resources.


    As for the invaders, their fate was very simple. Since Nond itself was constantly embroiled in war, it made no difference whether the opponent was an enemy from this ne or from another. Invaders were actually far easier to deal with; issues of politics, power bnce, and family feuds were of no concern.


    With the Eternal Dragon holding a firm position, Nond’s pantheon did not reign supreme like those on lesser nes did. Numerous legendary beings were always plotting to build up their own power, advancing to be demigods after which they would transcend. Who would want to worship these deities that weren’t too far beyond them?


    As a general rule, the more powerful a ne the lesser the status of the gods presiding over it. Those who transcended everything had no need for faith, like the Eternal Dragon or the rumoured Overgod.


    No matter what, the powerhouses of any primary ne had an extremely good understanding of the frequent visits from the abyss and hell. The founding emperor of the Sacred Alliance had even organised a military expedition sorge it was unprecedented in history. The two nes themselves hadunched countless attacks on Nond in the past, so Nond’s understanding of them was quite thorough.


    Needless to say, all of these invasions had met a bitter end. Only formidable powers like greater devils and lesser demon lords managed to escape to their homes, with none of the average soldiers surviving the battle. However, these invasions didn’t mean the rulers of hell and the abyss were foolish. They simply used these invasions to cut down the number of their lowest sses, at the same time drilling their troops. Only those who could survive the harsh environment of a nar war were valuable, qualified to join the endless war in the depths of the abyss and hell as the two nes vied for greater power.


    The Schumpeters had considerable reputation on Nond, at least in the human empires. Being one of the fourteen families of Faust wasn’t just a symbol, it actually held great advantages. The family got the chance to enter the Church of the Eternal Dragon much more often, the blessings they received exceeding expectations. A powerhouse having their life extended, coordinates of a new ne, formidable divine tools... these were all important to the ascent of a family.


    The Schumpeters had possessed high status for a long time, allowing them to umte an abundance of wealth and knowledge. Not only did they know how to breed the bearguard knights and their magical mounts, they also had a profound understanding of demons and devils. This extended beyond just their power system, including relevant information on more than a hundred lords. They knew of the endless war, and the brutal rtionship between the demons and devils. To them, this was allmon knowledge.


    Marquess Riain, the highest authority of the Fjord of Longing, was naturally someone equipped with thatmon knowledge.


    Riain had be a saint thirty years ago. Although his individual ability was beginning to decline, his experience would not fade with age. If anyone wished to belittle this towering old man for his greying hair, they would surely pay a heavy price.


    At that moment, Riain was dressed in a magnificent suit of silver armour, exquisitely designed with a faint glimmer of magic radiating from it. Clearly, it wasn’t just some shy equipment without any substance. The marquess also had an equally exquisite longsword in hand; it was magical equipment as well. Behind him were ten rune knights and thirty of the bearguard. With Sinir having taken away half of the bearguard knights, the fact that such a powerful force had been assembled this quickly showed how important the fjord was to the Schumpeters.


    Behind this troop were about two hundred heavily armed knights, as well as ten mages and thousands of elite infantry. Riain was well aware that the power of this army wasn’t enough to wipe out the iing devils, but he was still confident of withstanding their attack and turning it into a battle of attrition. He would make use of the extensivends andplex terrain in the territory, fighting for time. As long as he held them off for a day, the powerhouses of the family would be able to rush over. These powerhouses were an army’s soul.


    The marquess’ confidence came from the more than twenty clerics amongst his troops. Not only could they sustain the rune knights and bearguard knights on arge scale, but they could also inflict serious harm on the devils that came from hell.


    Another part of his confidence came from the existence of the Archerons nearby. Marquess Gaton’s territory was adjacent to the fjord, and intel said the marquess himself and half of his knights were currently in the territory. That force alone would be able to defeat the invading troops. Even if the devils were led by lesser lords, they could only exhibit less than legendary power in Nond. In the same vein, humans would lose some of their strength if they battled in hell.


    Although the rtionship between the two families was strained, there would be no difference in the attack of the foreign invaders. They wouldn’t bother to differentiate between the Schumpeters’ rivers and the Archeron jungles.


    The Schumpeter troops were arranged in orderly formation, with Riain standing alone at the head. He squinted his eyes, already noticing the spacetime warping in the region. He knew that the passage from hell would open up soon, involuntarily tightening the grip around his sword as he felt like he could smell the rancid odour of the devils.


    Across the vast field, the Archeron troops could be seen entering the battlefield from kilometres away as they gradually spread out. There weren’t many of them, less than 500 in total, but Riain could feel several extraordinary auras amongst their ranks. The towering figure atop a tall, ck warhorse in particr heightened his nervousness and worry even further.


    Gaton was here in person!