Chapter 213: Chapter 107: Senior, How Much Longer Are You Going to Hug Me?
In the end, he could only spit bitterly and fall silent, his displeasure written all over his face.
And so, the army, which hadn’t been marching quickly to begin with, slowed down even more.
Whenever they encountered narrow roads, dense mountain forests, or had to cross bridges and passes, the unit of Personal Guards would scout ahead, sometimes even prodding the undergrowth with their spears or firing a few arrows into suspicious shadows.
This meticulous caution, while ensuring their safety, severely slowed the army’s overall pace.
The sun gradually sank in the west as dusk crept closer.
As the setting sun sank toward the horizon, a stone bridge spanning a tributary of Mirror Lake appeared up ahead on the road.
The bridge was about thirty to forty meters long, its surface wide enough for two carriages to pass side-by-side. A large stone stood at its entrance, upon which were carved two large words in the common tongue of the continent—"Water Bridge."
Beneath the bridge, the water murmured, shimmering in the light of the setting sun.
According to Angus’s plan, once the army crossed the bridge, they could make camp on the open ground on the other side and resume their march the next day.
"Barton, take some men across the bridge and check the far bank," Angus commanded.
Captain Barton of the Personal Guard immediately stepped forward with over twenty of his elite men. Raising their shields, they cautiously set foot on the stone bridge.
The surface of the bridge was intact. On the far bank stood a sparse birch wood with a sizable clearing, which was indeed suitable for an encampment.
But just as Barton and his men stepped onto the stone bridge,
Suddenly,
A figure on a warhorse emerged from the birch wood at a steady pace.
The last rays of the setting sun shone from directly behind her, as if bathing her in a holy, golden light.
She was a woman who stood tall and proud, with a valiant, striking presence.
She wore a suit of bright silver Armor, her golden hair tied back in a ponytail. In her left hand, she held a kite shield, and in her right, she carried a warhammer.
All alone on horseback, she blocked the head of the bridge, a faint Holy Light swirling around her.
The vast army was arrayed not far before her, yet she faced them head-on, her gaze devoid of fear.
She took a deep breath and spoke, her voice clear and resonant.
"I am—"
"Catherine Adela, descendant of the Adela family of Holy Knights!"
"By order of the garrison commander of Lakefront Town, I am here to defend this land!"
"You rebels! For invading my homeland, your crimes are unforgivable!"
"Today, this bridge shall be your grave!"
"Who dares—"
She paused. Swallowing her discomfort, she braced herself and finally shouted out the rest of the awkward, theatrically classical lines that a certain unscrupulous superior had insisted she deliver.
"—to face me in battle!!!"
Her voice echoed across the surface of Mirror Lake and through the forests on both banks.
On the far end of the bridge, the dense mass of the twelve-hundred-strong army fell instantly silent. It was as if the only sounds left in the world were the whistling wind and the babbling water.
Countless gazes—shocked, mocking, greedy, and grave—all focused on the lone, golden-haired female Knight at the head of the bridge, shield and hammer in hand.
Honestly, Catherine’s toes were curling with embarrassment, but she had to maintain a straight face and feign composure.
Angus Fisher raised a hand, signaling the army to halt.
He studied Catherine with suspicion in his eyes.
’A Holy Knight from the Adela family?’
’What is she doing here?! And... she came alone?’
As a former Imperial Knight, Angus had of course heard of the Adela family. They were famous for producing Holy Knights, their overall strength was formidable, and their members held key positions in various military legions.
After a moment of stunned silence, the scar-faced Craig erupted in coarse laughter. "HAHAHAHAHA! One person? A single person dares to block our path? The dame’s not bad to look at, but is she stupid? Angus, my friend, how about you let me have this glory? I’ll go capture her, and tonight she’ll be perfect for..."
Angus paid no mind to Craig’s vulgar words. His wariness, far from lessening because the opponent was alone, instead rose to its highest point.
’Something this strange must be a trap.’
’A lone Holy Knight, challenging an army from a bridge?’
’She’s either a complete lunatic, or... she’s the bait they’re dangling in front of us!’
His gaze, sharp as a hawk’s, swept over the birch wood behind Catherine and then to the mountains flanking the lake.
The twilight cast hazy shadows over the landscape, making it impossible to see clearly.
"Sir, what are your orders?" The Personal Guard Captain, Barton, turned back from the head of the bridge to look at Angus.
He and his men were baffled by this sudden challenge from a lone rider, and for a moment they didn’t know whether to advance or retreat.
Angus raised a hand, signaling them to hold their position as his mind raced.
’Do we fight, or not?’
’If we fight, who should I send? Could it be a trap?’
’But if we don’t, is our entire army really going to be held up here by one person?’
’If it’s for a short time, it might be fine, but if this drags on, morale is sure to suffer. Worse, that scar-faced Craig and his cronies will seize the opportunity to make trouble...’
Just as he was weighing his options,
On the other side of the bridge, Catherine seemed to grow impatient. Or perhaps, she was simply mortified by her earlier "performance" and wanted to get on with it.
She pointed her warhammer forward, chin tilted up in an arrogant posture. "What?" she called out disdainfully. "Has your army of more than a thousand men been so terrified by a lone woman that not one of you dares cross this bridge? Rebels will be rebels, I suppose. Nothing but a pack of gutless rats!"
Her voice, deliberately amplified by her Holy Light Fighting Qi, instantly carried to the very front of the rebel army.
Instantly, a chorus of angry curses and shouts erupted from the troops.
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