Chapter 1085: Chapter 260: Sea of Shining, The Maritime Route to Ambeser (Part 2)
"Lord, there seems to be an issue." Caglis spoke with Brando as he approached with the young officer.
"Hmm?" Brando turned around. Caglis and the White Lion Officer on duty were responsible for patrolling below deck, primarily to ensure the ’cargo’ was safe. This operation had Brando bringing along the first batch of White Lion Armor manufactured jointly by Master Buru and Tama. Unlike the standard chest armor used today by the White Lion Swordsman, part of the Erune Royal Family’s lightly armored swordsmen, these armors had incorporated design suggestions from Brando and Otarais, making them more akin to the original, improved version of the White Lion Armor by Former King Eck.
The White Lion Armor hails from the standard armor of Wind Elves’ White Winged Knights, the Wind Queen Half Armor, yet the human craftsmanship falls far short of the latter. Former King Eck once improved the White Lion Armor and White Lion tactics, and in the earlier days, the White Lion Swordsmen were even known as the White Lion Guard. Erune has extensive documentation of ’the King leading knights to unify the Southern Territory,’ referring to Former King Eck and the White Lion Guard. The White Lion Guard and the Silver Elf Temple Guardians were once two core strengths of Erune. Legends say the White Lion Guard was truly near fourth-tier troops, only slightly inferior to the White Winged Knights. Yet, when the Xifah Dynasty fell, Eck’s improved White Lion tactics were already lost, and much of the forging methods for the White Lion Armor were missing.
Not even Brando and Otarais could complete these missing materials, but as the saying goes, every warrior is half a blacksmith. Although the two knew nothing about the original White Lion Armor, they were well-versed in its imitation target, the Wind Queen Half Armor. In past games, this armor was quite prevalent in Erune because it offered high protection while remaining lightweight and flexible. Historically, a sizable batch of Wind Queen Half Armor had flowed into the Kingdom, making it not particularly rare—Brando had the good fortune to obtain an armor set like this. As for Otarais, being the Wind Queen’s knight and a high-ranking Wind Elf, she was well-informed about the Wind Elves’ secrets. Even if the two couldn’t produce the complete design of the Wind Queen Half Armor, they should have no problem knocking one out by imitation.
The newly crafted White Lion Armor evolved further on the basis of the Wind Queen Half Armor, departing from the original chest armor form to resemble half armor. Thanks to the unique magic array of Wind Elves, it was dexterous and flexible, not inferior to the original version, with further enhanced protection. The armor’s Wind Barrier Spell could defend against arrows within a hundred meters and significantly reduce the impact of blades and swords. Below Black Iron Middle, even without exerting full force, splitting this armor would be difficult. In today’s Erune, a warrior of modest strength wearing this armor could face ten opponents without much issue.
Additionally, the armor was endowed with Light Spirit Technique and a moisture-removing array, enabling wearers to march long distances without easily feeling fatigue. Of course, all this doesn’t come without a price; the player’s bad habit is to throw all the best resources they have into forging equipment. The result, upon calculation, left Brando stupefied—the cost of the entire armor set reached tens of thousands of Thor. Even with Brando’s current financial strength, equipping the entire White Lion Legion with such outrageously expensive luxury items is impossible.
Finally, after compromise, he decided to first equip his Officer Team with this armor set and designate it as the standard equipment for officers. As for ordinary infantry, they would use a simplified version of the armor. Currently, Master Buru is trying to remove some of the expensive magic crystals and array parts, with the estimate that by the time Brando returns from Ambeser, a result could be achieved.
Brando was well aware of the little plan the Forging Master was strategizing, probably curious about how he would express his stance during this trip to Ambeser—whether he would side with the Princess or the opposite. Master Buru wanted to see if Brando’s actions matched his words. Brando didn’t find anything wrong with this approach, as no one trusts others unconditionally, and Buru’s expectations didn’t conflict with his own.
Brando didn’t actually believe the White Lion Armor stored below deck would have any issues. Ordering patrols was merely routine. When he heard the young officer speak, he was momentarily taken aback. But as the officer continued, he said, "Jedder heard strange sounds coming from below the hold, seemingly originating from outside the ship."
