BXBX NOVEL Chapter 492 Entering The Scorching Wastelands (2)
Leon met with Kazimir, Antoine, and Mishael before he set off with the troops he took.
"Is everything ready on your end?" Kazimir looked at Leon worriedly.
They knew that Leon and his men needed to go ahead not only to scout but to fight the men waiting for their heads.
They also knew that there would be a chance that he might not come back right away to regroup with them when that happens.
And so, Kazimir and Antoine could not help but feel worried. Now that they were facing an impending war, all they could do was stand back and rely on their youngest brother, whom they previously despised.
Remembering this, the guilt in their hearts caused them to feel a bitter sensation in their mouths. They wanted to open it to express their worries about him but somehow, they found that they lost the right to do so.
In the end, they could only ask about how he was preparing to set off.
"Don\'t worry, I have my men guarding my backs. We\'ve done this thing countless times and we know what to do…" Leon seemed to have sensed the awkward worry in his brothers\' eyes and so he gave them a look of assurance.
Hearing it, Kazimir and Antoine could only let out a heavy sigh and consoled themselves.
``He is right, Third Brother and the Crimson Blades have done this thing countless times and they were someone who repeatedly bagged the glory without even losing a single life in his troops!\'
"How about you, are you prepared to handle their attack should they take advantage of the situation?" He asked them. It is not that he wanted to tell them that he was the only one who could handle the attack of the curse users, but he only wanted to remind them that the enemy is extremely vicious.
Leon worried that the encounter with the curse users will trigger the traumatic experience from the past when they encountered such a situation.
Antoine chuckled and patted Leon\'s shoulder,
"We\'re fine! Have some confidence in us, we\'re not the same as before! Besides, didn\'t doctor Kayden explain to you how the high-grade curse potion was able to not only cure us but also increase our aptitudes? Look, we\'re only half a step from reaching your level!"
Antoine jokingly declared to ease the heavy atmosphere.
"That\'s right. Besides, your brother and I have been training under the General to get the full potential of our newly grown abilities. If not for you stealing the thunder during the hunting grounds, you could have caught a glimpse of our improvement!" Kazimir rolled his eyes and begrudgingly echoed Antoine\'s words.
A shocking discovery came out when Kayden used the cure potion filled with Eli\'s spiritual powers on the almost-dead Antoine back then.
Not only did Antoine manage to have a second chance at life, but his abilities also seemed to have grown by leaps and bounds.
Upon assessment, they found out that he had grown to be the mid-tier level A-class summoner to the peak A-stage, just half a step away from being an S-class.
Soon the hypothesis was tested once again and Kayden found out that the massive buff given by the cure potion could only be effective on people with Seirende blood, especially when they also used this on Kazimir who was also heavily injured by his very own mother.
The other people who took the same quality potion were still healed but they did not achieve the same additional effect as Kazimir and Antoine. Therefore, he concluded that it could only help the Seirendes.
"That… I\'m sorry…" Leon scratched his head and could only apologize.
He cannot tell them how he was so triggered upon seeing the very same monsters who almost took Eli\'s life back then. At the time he lost control of his temple and went to kill the monsters without mercy.
"Well, the past is past! What we are saying is that you can rely on us in this matter! We may not have been well-versed in warfare but we are still capable mages. Besides, we have Captain Mishael here to assist us.." Antoine replied in an encouraging manner.
"Just remember to be careful. We\'ll do our best to hold our side safely. So rest assured and focus on your side." Kazimir patted Leon\'s shoulder and said with a smile.
Mishael also looked at Leon with an assuring nod. Their tasks were crucial and it is important that none of their sides fall apart easily.
"Alright… I\'ll go on my way." Leon finally let out a heavy sigh and looked at them once again,
"If there\'s anything do not hesitate to contact me or the Grandmasters. I am ready anytime to call in reinforcements. This is our greatest advantage, so please do not hold back and use it."
Kazimir, Antoine, and Mishael all gave a nod of understanding. They know that Leon\'s contract with the Spatial King is the best weapon they had as it can call on armies if needed.
However, they also knew that Leon had his own limitations, so the three men had a tacit understanding to only request Leon\'s reinforcements when they were already in a dire situation.
With that, Leon and five other knights departed to the borders, where the Crimson Blades have already stationed days ahead.
Crown Prince Ranon was also informed of their departure and put on a show to \'wish them well\' and \'send them off\'.
When he went back to his room, he did not forget to inform the nearest deployed army to be prepared for Leon\'s arrival.
Although he was sure that Leon could not handle the vast armies they prepared inside the Scorching Wastelands region, he knew Leon\'s might as an S-Class.
They could only rely on their vast numbers to wear him down, and with that, they hoped that he could be at least temporarily demobilized or even possibly captured for the Pope to handle.
Leon and his men rode without rest toward the other side of the border and immediately regrouped with the Crimson Blades at the rendezvous point.
In the middle of the night, there was no other cover around but the gigantic waves of sand and the occasional sandstorm that blew violently. Leon and the knights could only coat a thin layer of mana around their bodies and their horses to have the mobility and vision they needed as they moved around.
After around three hours of traveling, they stopped at a seemingly plain area with a huge rock formation.
"An hour away from here to the east will be the Vulture Region. That area will be extremely hot by the day and will be exceedingly cold at night. There are also more canyons here and rock formations like this…" Leon told the men.
"This region is perfect for ambush and cover as well…" He added with a glint of danger in his eyes. "Follow me…" He beckoned the men.
The knights we had were select members who were most exposed to harsh conditions.
So Leon was not worried that they were someone who would grow nor cower in face of great dangers such as being in the advanced party where they would most likely meet a full-sized enemy.
They were also the most quick-witted and have a good sense of survival skills, capable enough to crawl their way back to the main troops to inform a dire situation.
"Yes, Third Prince!" With a calm and serious faces, they obediently nodded and followed Leon.
They headed slightly to the West where an unsuspecting old Baobab Tree was standing in the lonely moonlight.
Leon signaled the men to unmount their horses as he immediately activated an array.
Voom!
A passageway opened before their eyes. Leon looked at them and signaled for them to enter with their horses in tow.
There, it revealed an underground base, where the Crimson Blades were all lying in wait. They have serious expressions on their faces as they looked like ruthless blood lusting people sharpening their blades for slaughter.
The men behind Leon shuddered. Although they were the most capable men in the field of reconnaissance, the men in front of them screamed about a hundred wars won by their hands.
"We greet the wielder of the Crimson Blades! Your Highness the Third Prince!" Led by Olivier and Blaze, the blades all stood and greeted Leon respectfully.
"At ease!" Leon nodded and immediately signaled for the men to assemble for the huddle.
"Before we start, let everyone introduce each other and know their abilities. This time, our task is not only meant to do reconnaissance operations but also to handle assaults to throw the enemy\'s plan into chaos.
Our main objective is to minimize and destroy the ambush points as we advance so that the main army will save its resources for the real fight. That is… to eliminate a platoon of possibly a hundred people!"
Leon looked at the men and observed their expressions.
In the underground camp, their headcount did not even reach thirty including the men who accompanied him.
However, even as he blatantly told them that this group of fewer than thirty people would possibly handle an army of a hundred, their faces did not even twitch nor falter!
They were ready!
They were not afraid!
And most of all, they did not have any intention to cower!