Chapter 99. The March Begins, and the Second Prince’s Hidden Agenda
As reports arrived one after another that the legions of Kadiya Kingdom and Dragon Kingdom had taken their positions, Kroll II immediately issued the order for William to lead the Royal Ninth Legion to the Western Frontier at once.
He had originally wanted to hold a grand farewell banquet for his son, but William politely declined. With a great war at hand, empty formalities were useless.
Early the next morning, with the help of his maids, William changed into a suit of Royal Armor tailored specifically for him.
The silver-white armor was inlaid with the crest of the Kroll Family, and the pauldrons were engraved with intricate dragon patterns, making it both majestic and graceful.
Once he was fully dressed, he stepped out through the palace gates. Tos was already waiting outside with the Palace Knights.
“Your Highness.”
The moment William appeared, everyone bowed in salute.
William gave a slight nod and turned toward the plaza.
Darwin had long since run out of patience. The moment he saw William approaching, his massive dragon body immediately lowered itself to the ground, and William smoothly leaped onto his back.
“Let’s go.”
“Roar...”
Darwin let out a thunderous dragon roar, spread his wings, and stirred up a gale as he flew toward the outskirts of the Royal Capital.
Tos and the Palace Knights immediately swung onto their horses and rode toward the encampment of the Ninth Legion.
Outside the gates of the Royal Capital, Kroll II and Vivian had already been waiting there for some time. Beside them stood Mary, Selena, and the two princesses from Dragon Kingdom.
The four girls wore different expressions. Mary’s eyes were full of worry, Selena’s face remained calm, and the other two princesses looked faintly curious.
Suddenly, a dragon’s roar rang out across the sky. The clouds split open, and a silver-white figure plunged downward, wrapped in fierce winds.
William sat astride Darwin’s back, his armor gleaming with a cold brilliance in the morning light. From afar, he looked like a war god descending into the mortal world.
Darwin landed not far from the city gates, and the rush of air from his descent sent everyone’s robes fluttering. William jumped down from the dragon’s back, walked up to Kroll II and Vivian, and bowed.
“Royal Father, Royal Mother.”
“When you reach the Western Frontier, act boldly.”
Kroll II patted him on the shoulder, his tone carrying both expectation and concern.
“Your royal father and the Ancestors will back you up.”
“I have already assigned the eight Legendary Combatants from the royal palace to follow you. Together with the Legendary Combatants stationed along the western border, that will be more than enough for your use.”
“And the Gold Legion from the Secret Realm in the Northern Frontier has already been secretly sent to the Western Frontier.”
At that point, Kroll II paused for a moment.
“Bring your elder brother’s body back.”
William nodded silently. “Royal Father, do not worry. I will bring my elder brother’s body back.”
Vivian stepped forward and straightened his slightly disordered cloak, tears glimmering in her eyes.
“Be careful in everything.”
Mary came forward holding a Safe Return Flower and placed it in his hands.
“I raised this Safe Return Flower myself, Your Highness... You must return safely.”
William accepted the flower, and something in his heart stirred. He nodded to her.
“Don’t worry.”
His gaze swept over Selena and the other two princesses. Though none of them spoke, each gave him a slight nod.
At last, William looked at Kroll II once more and bowed again. Then he leaped onto Darwin’s back, and Darwin beat his wings and rose into the sky once more.
They headed straight for the encampment of the Royal Ninth Legion.
The dragon’s roar echoed from far to near as William arrived over the Royal Ninth Legion’s camp.
On the ground, the soldiers of the Ninth Legion and the two Knight Orders, Heart of Steel and Hand of Courage, had long since formed neat, disciplined ranks. Their armor and weapons gave off a chilling gleam beneath the sunlight.
When they saw William arriving on dragonback, a deafening shout erupted from the formations of the three armies.
“We will follow Your Highness and wage war in all directions!”
“We will follow Your Highness and wage war in all directions!”
“We will follow Your Highness and wage war in all directions!”
After the three shouts fell, the ranks instantly returned to silence. Tens of thousands of eyes turned as one toward the young commander on the dragon’s back.
William lowered his head slightly. Then, channeling his mana, he sent his voice across the entire field.
“Move out.”
At a single command, the Ninth Legion marched first, their heavy steps making the earth tremble faintly.
The two Knight Orders followed close behind. The thunder of hooves rolled like storm clouds, kicking up vast clouds of dust as the great army advanced toward the Western Frontier.
At the same time, inside the Kroll royal palace, within the palace where Selena was staying, a slender figure slipped out from behind a pillar like a ghost.
It was a woman dressed in dark green fitted clothing. The tips of her ears curved slightly upward, carrying the elegance and sharpness unique to an Elf. She was Selena’s hidden trump card, the Elf assassin.
Silently, she took out a clear Communication Crystal. After she poured mana into it, the image of a noble and magnificent figure appeared within the crystal.
Her silver-white hair cascaded like a waterfall, and a faint aura of life lingered around her body. She was none other than the Elf Queen, Iluvia Lightcrown.
“Aili, how are things progressing?”
The queen’s voice came through the crystal, carrying a trace of gravity that was difficult to detect.
Aili bowed respectfully, though the confusion in her voice could not be concealed.
“Reporting to Your Majesty, everything is proceeding smoothly. I have already entered the Kroll royal palace.”
“It is just... the Grand Elder prophesied that William Kroll would become your husband. Is that not too unbelievable? He is already the fiancé of princesses from several kingdoms, and...”
“Silence.”
Iluvia’s voice suddenly turned sharp, and the image in the crystal rippled slightly.
“This is not something you are permitted to comment on. The Grand Elder’s prophecies have never been wrong. You need only carry out your orders and keep close watch on William Kroll’s movements.”
“Especially that talent of his that can see through aptitude. The key to the prophecy may lie there.”
Aili’s heart trembled, and she hurriedly replied, “Your subordinate was wrong. I will obey your command.”
Iluvia’s tone softened slightly as she added, “Remember, do not act rashly.”
“The balance between the Elf race and the human kingdoms must not be broken. If his talent can truly benefit the Tree of Life... then we will make further plans.”
“Yes.”
The light of the Communication Crystal went out. Aili put it away, her figure flashing once before melting back into the shadows of the hall, as though she had never appeared at all.
Inside the council hall of the Silver Oakleaf Kingdom, the atmosphere was as heavy and cold as ice.
The news that the Kroll Kingdom had officially sent out its troops was like a massive stone crashing into still water, stirring the hall full of stifled fury and pressure.
More than a dozen Legendary Combatants urgently recalled from the Secret Realm sat on both sides. The pressure radiating from them made the air itself seem frozen.
“Hmph.”
An elderly man with his upper body bare and a hard, resolute face slammed his palm onto the table. Web-like cracks instantly spread across the redwood tabletop.
“What exactly were you thinking? News about William Kroll was of such importance, yet you dared spread it without consulting the Royal Family Secret Realm?”
“And now you have brought disaster upon yourself. The whole of Silver Oakleaf is about to be dragged into war because of you.”
Odyssey V’s face was ashen, his lips tightly pressed together, yet he could not say a single word.
At this point, any excuse would have been weak and meaningless.
The Second Prince, Madelai, had already been scared out of his wits. With a thud, he dropped to his knees, his forehead pressed tightly against the cold floor, his voice trembling.
“Ancestors, please quell your anger. It was I... I was momentarily foolish. I thought I had seized a weakness of the Kroll Kingdom and could use it to gain advantages for our kingdom, so... so I did not dare disturb the Secret Realm...”
“Foolish?”
Another old man holding a staff let out a cold laugh.
“Do you really think the Royal Family Secret Realm does not know the secret in your heart? You deliberately fanned the flames from behind the scenes. Do you truly not know what you meant by that?”
Madelai’s face turned deathly pale.
How could they possibly know?
The old man at the head of the group looked at him heavily.
“You think that because we do not involve ourselves in worldly matters, we know nothing?”
He slowly rose to his feet, and the aura around him surged upward at once.
“Useless fool. You and the First Prince of the Kroll Kingdom are exactly the same kind of man, placing your personal interests above the interests of the kingdom.”
“Big Brother is right.”
The hot-tempered old man suddenly stood up as well.
“When I heard about the things you had done, I wanted to kill you on the spot. It is only because your royal father, that muddleheaded fool, never bothered to investigate you.”
The air in the council hall seemed to freeze solid. The old king, Odyssey V, stared fixedly at the Second Prince, Madelai, his voice trembling faintly from shock.
“Madelai, what do the Ancestors... mean by this?”
Madelai remained kneeling on the floor, his head lowered even further. His lips moved a few times, but in the end, he said nothing.