Knight: from Apprentice to the Almighty

Chapter 345: Chapter 332: Valkyrie’s Token

The borders of the River Domain were already a scene of utter devastation.

A persistent haze of smoke and dust hung over the scorched earth. Abandoned ramparts and broken weapons lay scattered across the desolate fields, while the occasional, mournful caw of a crow in the distance added to the bleakness.

Days of successive defeats loomed over the land like a heavy, dark cloud, and even the wind seemed to carry the scent of despair.

Inside the Central Army Camp of the allied forces of the River Domain, the atmosphere was just as oppressive.

Graham, the dean of the Knight Academy, had once been a man of robust physique and a voice like a booming bell.

Now, his temples were streaked with gray, and deep wrinkles creased his forehead and the corners of his eyes. Only his gaze still burned with an unyielding flame.

He gripped the secret letter just delivered from the Royal Capital so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

Suddenly, he slammed his hand down on the heavy oak desk with a loud BANG, making the inkwell on it jump.

"How outrageous!"

he roared, his voice booming through the tent like that of a wounded lion.

"They want to send these children to the battlefield? They are the future of my Kingdom, not disposable cannon fodder!"

"Dean Graham..."

The tent flap was gently lifted, and a nimble figure stepped inside.

She had neat, refreshing brown hair, a face as delicate as a doll’s, and a finely crafted Longbow slung across her back.

She glanced at the furious dean, blinked her lively eyes, and spoke in a relaxed tone.

"Now, you can’t get angry at me for this. It’s entirely Lord Derek’s idea. I’m just the poor soul in charge of running errands and delivering letters."

The name "Derek" seemed to possess a certain magic, instantly stifling Graham’s towering rage.

His tall frame swayed slightly, and he finally sank weakly back into his chair. He let out a deep sigh, the anger on his face replaced by profound exhaustion and helplessness.

"Forget it..."

He waved his hand dismissively, his voice sinking low.

"Sending Knight Academy students to the front lines... I do not agree with this decision. I absolutely do not agree."

He picked up a quill, dipped it in ink, and began to write furiously on a new sheet of paper, the nib almost tearing through the page.

After finishing, he sealed the letter and handed it to the slender figure before him.

"Avril, take this letter back and deliver it to Derek personally. Tell him this is my formal reply."

Avril took the letter, gave a crisp Ranger’s salute, and turned to leave.

Just as she was about to exit the tent, Graham seemed to remember something. He looked up, his voice still loud but now laced with a subtle, almost imperceptible concern.

"Wait. That matter you mentioned before... did everything go smoothly?"

"Of course!"

Avril turned back, answering fluently as she ticked off points on her fair fingers.

"Thanks to your help, Mr. Bronson should have safely left the River Domain by now. Plus, those two idiots are with him to keep watch. Oh, right..."

As she spoke, the images of a short Half-Elf and a burly Red-skinned Orc surfaced in the Elf Maiden’s mind.

"Hobbit and Freddy asked me to inquire on their behalf. They’d like to request a short leave. I was wondering if you could..."

"Granted."

Graham replied in a low voice, sighed softly, and then changed the subject.

"What about the other students? How are they now?"

"Er... while I’d rather not be the bearer of bad news, Dean..."

Avril tilted her head, a faint smile playing on her lips.

"The truth is, most of the students have already left the Knight Academy. Some have scurried back to their homes in the Royal Capital, trembling in fear, while others have packed their bags and fled the River Domain under the cover of night. After all..."

Following the Elf Maiden’s gaze, Graham looked out of the tent’s entrance.

In the distance, veiled by the night, the silhouette of the Golden Valley Kingdom’s army camp was faintly visible, resembling a crouching behemoth.

His lips moved for a moment, but he ultimately just shook his head helplessly.

"And Derek? What is he doing now?"

"I don’t know."

Avril shook her head gently.

"I haven’t seen Lord Derek since the Golden Valley Kingdom officially began its invasion."

"Tsk..."

Graham clicked his tongue, the sound eventually dissolving into a long sigh.

"Forget it. To each their own. Avril... after you deliver this letter to the Royal Capital for me, you should... leave this place as well."

"If anything happened to you, that boy Roland would probably never forgive me for the rest of his life, hahaha..."

Graham let out a few laughs, but his laughter was tinged with an undisguisable desolation.

"Dean..."

Gazing at the dedicated yet utterly exhausted Dean of the Knight Academy before her, Avril sighed softly, her voice softening.

"You don’t need to blame yourself. Roland... he’ll be fine. As for leaving..."

The Elf Maiden chuckled, deftly pinching the letter between her fingertips and holding it up.

"Actually, I plan to have another member of the Shadow Veil deliver it to the Royal Capital. As for me... now that Mr. Bronson has left safely, I intend to set out tonight to find Roland."

Hearing Avril’s decision, Graham opened his mouth as if to say something to dissuade her, but in the end, it only turned into a heavy sigh, and he said nothing.

He fell silent for a moment, then, as if suddenly remembering something, reached into his coat and took out a small, exquisitely made leather pouch, holding it out to Avril.

Avril took the pouch, a flicker of confusion in her eyes.

"This is..."

Graham shook his head, his voice low.

"I don’t know either. It was sent from the Royal Capital, with specific instructions to be given to you."

Avril frowned slightly. Her nimble fingers flicked open the metal clasp on the pouch, and she unhesitatingly emptied its contents into her palm.

There were two items.

One was a neatly folded piece of paper, its material delicate and shimmering with a faint, silvery luster.

Avril recognized it at a glance. It was Moonlight Gauze Paper, a specialty from the Elven homeland, the Eternal Song Forest.

Just as she was pondering the origin of this letter, the other item slid into her view.

It was an intricately woven, silver-white chain accessory.

The chain was crafted from intertwined threads of Mithril and star gold. In the center hung a teardrop-shaped Deep Blue Gemstone. The inside of the gem seemed to hold a sealed-off night sky, with an ancient and powerful Energy faintly flowing within.

Extremely fine Elf Runes were engraved on the clasp, and only someone with exceptionally keen Perception could detect the Guardian Power it contained.

This was no ordinary ornament, but a token used by the Valkyries of the Silver Moon Guard to identify themselves and, at specific times, declare their mission and authority.

Avril’s gaze froze on the Runes.

In an instant, her previously lively and spirited girlish demeanor receded like a tide.

Her back straightened silently, and her eyes instantly grew serene, as if they held a thousand years of crystallized Ice and starlight.

A profound, majestic aura, like that of a drawn sword, emanated from her slender frame, and the very temperature of the air seemed to drop a few degrees.

Sensing the sudden shift in Avril’s aura, Graham’s brows furrowed. He was about to ask what was wrong when a faint clamor from the distance interrupted his thoughts.

"What’s going on?"

His heart tightened. He temporarily suppressed his questions about Avril and strode briskly out of the tent to gaze into the distance.

He saw flames flaring up in the direction of the Golden Valley Kingdom’s camp. Haphazard silhouettes crisscrossed, and the sharp clang of clashing weapons and cries of battle were faintly audible even from so far away.

Thick smoke mixed with leaping flames, dyeing that patch of sky an ominous dark red.

Clearly, the enemy camp had descended into unprecedented Chaos.

’Is it infighting?’

’Or... have unexpected reinforcements arrived?’

Several thoughts flashed through Graham’s mind, but he quickly forced them down.

Whatever the reason, this sudden chaos was undoubtedly a golden opportunity granted to the River Domain by fate itself.

A sharp light ignited in the eyes of the battle-hardened Dean of the Knight Academy. After only a moment’s deliberation, he made his decision.

He whirled around, his voice thundering across the camp like deep rumbling, carrying an undeniable authority and Power.

"Relay my command! All forces, assemble! Target—the Golden Valley Kingdom’s main camp! Charge!"

The order was like a Giant Stone dropped into a calm lake, instantly sending massive ripples through the weary and oppressed camp of the River Domain’s forces.

The soldiers were stunned, but their long-standing trust and discipline spurred them into swift action. A torrent of steel began to converge, blades were drawn once more, and they pointed toward the enemy camp, which was now engulfed in fire and chaos.

The gears of war, spurred by this unexpected turn of events, began to grind violently once again.

And beneath this night sky, interwoven with clamor and firelight, no one knew where this hasty attack would ultimately lead the river of fate.