He was carrying a sword in his right hand, but it was still in its scabbard.
The ground in the backyard was covered with dense grass, so the opening wasnât at all serious with wind and dust. Gallagherâs guards stood on the one side of the filed, with one nervously holding a steaming snow-white cloth towel, and another holding a glass jug with lemon slices in it. In contrast, the people on Annâs side were a lot less particularâŠ
âIs Ann okay?â Nemoâs nervousness was directed elsewhere.
Now both he and Oliver could feel the strength of other creatureâs magic power, but unfortunately, usually magic doesnât represent real combat strength. Experience, reaction speed, combat skills, awareness and the likes determined the true strength of a warrior. There were many factors.
In terms of magic power, Gallagherâs was comparable to Annâs. Since he was respected as the first Marshal of Alban, the emperorâs confidant, his combat experience and brains must be good as well.
âI donât know, but she looks very confident. It shouldnât be⊠a problem,â Oliver responded honestly.
Then the two looked at Jesse together.
Jesse somehow managed to find a cup of tea. At this moment, he was holding a saucer in one hand and a teacup in the other, tastefully sipping tea. The knight commander was standing next to him staring at the field solemnly, without any intention of letting up.
âAlthough heâs known for his tactics, Marshal Gallagher was also a strong swordsman when he was young,â perceiving the anxious eyes of the other two, the knight commander explained.
âDonât look at me. Knowing everything will take away a lot of fun. Even I, sometimes, am happy to leave some suspense in my life.â Jesse put the teacup back on the saucer and spoke lightly.
As soon as he finished speaking, the two moved.
Once in the combat, Gallagher didnât pay the slightest attention to the meaning of obsessive-compulsive disorder. He didnât draw his sword, but directly waved the sword with its scabbard, and rushed towards Ann without hesitation. As he charged, a whirlwind suddenly expanded around him centered on his swordâ
âI get it,â Nemo said deeply, subconsciously setting up a shadow shield for everyone. He didnât know where, but an insect molt was swept up and almost smacked him in the face. âIf this is the Marshalâs style in every battle, his stress⊠May be because he eats too much dust.â
Gallagherâs guards were prepared for this, and the moment the Marshal rushed forward, a translucent protective cover was propped up.
But Ann stood steadily, as if there were invisible roots under her feet. The smile on face didnât dissipate, and the lightning wrapped around the tip of her spear.
âYour Highness, move. This is the sixth form of the Salterâs Family Thunpelt Hurricane Sword Techniqueââ
âSorry, I donât like to explain to myself while fighting. Itâs embarrassing.â Ann propped the ground with her spear and avoided the sharp wind blade with a high jump.
The invisible air blade left deep marks on her leather armor. Her short hair fluttered out of sight. Her neat leather armor didnât have a cloak, so her vision wasnât disturbed by the wind, and she dodge just in time.
While she was moving, the brilliance of thunder and lightning swept through the air, and the unique scorching smell was almost instantly blown away by the wind.
âGood skills, but itâs nothing more than that,â Gallagher said coldly. âYour accuracy is questionable.â
âReally?â Ann sneered. âYour eyesight is also quite worrisome.â
Gallagher discovered the problem in the next second.
His weapon was completely scorched, and the exquisite scabbard that was instantly ignited by lightning turned into a charred, black, and brittle useless junk. What had once been a scabbard peeled off with the wind, revealing a sharp blade encased within.
Gallagherâs expression changed.
On a real battlefield, rashness could easily invite destruction. The impatience on the Marshalâs face turned into solemnity. He lowered his bodyâs center of gravity and looked at Ann vigilantly.
âYes, thatâs the look,â Ann hissed. âTo be honest, I spent a bit too much time with the boys on my team, so my concept of normalcy has gone to hellâ Thank you, dear Mr. Mad Dog. Iâm going to get a little confidence back from you.â
âI donât remember that Thun⊠something about your swordplay of your house, but as a courtesy, Iâll also telegraph my moves tooâ Salter, next Iâll kick your ass with my âself-created techniqueâ.â
This time she didnât hold back.
âItâs true that Ann Savage doesnât stand out in person,â Jesse commented with a smile. âBut donât forget, our Miss Savage has survived the destruction of so many Black Chapter teams, and itâs not just because of her luckââ
âOn the one hand, itâs to control her Black Chapter level, and on the other hand she couldnât use Albanâs royal spells in front of others?â Oliver guessed quickly.
The lightning was more magnificent than any they had ever seen.
The female warrior bared her white teeth as lightning wrapped around her, making her look like some ominous magical beast. The metal hunting spear became her means of controlling the lightning at this moment. The sharp tip of the spear broke through the storm, and the lightning guided by the tip of the spear kept making hissing sounds like millions of snakes lurking in the dark.
âThose arenât standard royal spells. She rewrote and perfected them, and now Mr. Salter should know the level of his opponent.â The former knight commander showed a rare raised at the corner of his mouth.
Gallagher panted heavily, and an electrocuted wound appeared on the back of his left hand, that was very conspicuous.
He took a deep breath, and the storm rose again.
The marshal pushed his body with the wind, rushed all the way to the sky, and then rushed down at full speed at Ann.
At the same time, several air bullets hit Annâs chest mercilesslyâ Ann stepped back a few steps after being hit, spit out some blood on the ground, and then wiped the blood from the corners of her mouth.
The hunting spear drew a semicircle as she stood in place. The grass was scorched by lightning, causing ashes and smoke to rise together. The figure of the female warrior disappeared in the smoke and dust. Marshal Gallagher didnât continue to rush in blindly but slowed down and used a storm to blow away the smoke.
A figure gradually appeared. Marshal Gallagher was about to advance, when he was surprised by a sharp pain in his back as he turned aroundâ
âI caught you.â
The female warriorâs whole body was covered with wounds drawn by the wind blade. Black and red blood seeped through the cracks of her leather armor.
She grabbed the marshalâs back collar with one hand, then locked his throat with her arms, and put her knees on his back.
But the marshal didnât intend to stop. The wind enveloped the dust and sand and struck Ann in the eye. He let out a roar. Relying on his size advantage, he rolled over and tried to fight back.
But when his fist was about to connect to Annâs ribs, Gallagher hesitated for a moment. He was pretty sure that if he punched her, his opponentâs ribs would be broken and it would pierce into her lungs, so he hesitated for half a second and changed the direction.
This reaction was also expected by his opponent.
Ann closed her eyes, arched her back, and pressed the body of her spear, that was entwined with lightning, against the marshalâs throat. The opponentâs fist only struck the female warriorâs abdomen, but she didnât utter a sound, while letting a sharp stone hit her cheekâŠ
She pressed her entire body on Marshal Gallagherâs chest and abdomen, and blood dripped on the marshalâs face.
The tingling caused by the electric current paralyzed his throat. Gallagher looked at Annâs bloody face in shock.
âTie,â she said coldly, opening her eyes. It was lined with blood, and she looked like a carnivorous beast.
âNo, I lost.â Marshal Gallagher glanced at the dirt and blood stains on his body and looked away unbearably.
âYou didnât do your best,â Ann said lightly. âYou hesitated with the last punch. If this was a real battlefield, you would be a corpse by now, Mr. Wild Dog.â
âHow can I dare hurt Her Royal Highness.â The marshalâs long, well-groomed hair was scattered in a ball and spread out on the grass creating a wretched scene.
âHow can I dare hurt an important leader of the resistance,â Ann sneered. Instead of getting up, she raised her fist. âThis in itself isnât a terrible exchange.â
Gallagher stared at the fist and the old scars on it. In advance, he had thought her Royal Highness would need to do her best to fight against him. He didnât notice that his opponentâs didnât use her left hand at allâ In a sense, he had lost this match completely.
âDonât underestimate people,â Ann said in a deep voice as the blood still slid down her cheek. âYou may be a real gentleman, Mr. Mad Dog, but Iâm a fugitive.â
She slammed down her fist, swiped it across Gallagherâs temple, and punched heavily into the soil.
âListen, I held back because this isnât a form of combat, youâre familiar with, which meant I have an inherent advantage while youâre only holding back because youâre arrogant as hell. Itâs strange that with your tail cocked that high, youâre still able to win on a real battlefield. I almost wonder which bastard son of Zenniâs you are.â
Jesse choked on the tea he was drinking, while Adrian glanced at him with some doubt.
âSorry,â Gallagher grunted in a low voice.
âSpeak up.â Ann wiped the blood from her face.
âIâm sorry, Your Highness. You have made enough proof that you are indeed a real warrior.â
Although Marshal Gallagher looked reluctant, with shock and resistance in his voice, his tone was serious.
ââŠAs a soldier, I pay tribute to all true soldiers.â
âVery good. That look is more like it.â Ann stood up and loosened her grip on the marshal. âNow we can get down to business.â
Two hours later.
âFuck.â Ann yelled, nearly overturning the table in front of her. âIâm not a rotting corpse. Did you need to fucking wash your hair one by one? How about using a cleaning spell?â
âThen I will feel uncomfortable, Your Highness.â
The marshal washed for more than an hour before showing up. He had changed into his dark robe again, only this time, the smell of perfume was much lighter.
The two looked at each other very unpleasantly for a few seconds.
Marshal Gallagher looked quite uncomfortable. He seemed to be entangled in maintaining respect for the royal family, contempt for the vulgarness, and praise for the strong, so he wasnât sure what kind of attitude he should put on.
Annâs attitude was much more obvious. The left side of her face was full of âwhere did this asshole come fromâ and while the right was âI really want to kill someoneâ written all over.
âIâll do it,â Oliver spoke sincerely, trying to break the deadlock. âLord Marshal, we have bad news about the princeâs side. This matter is a long storyâŠâ
The ânew bone jade bombâ and âTrent Plague reappearanceâ werenât trivial matters, but when Oliver finished talking it was still shorter than the time it took than Marshal Gallagherâs bath.
âI see, thank you for your information.â The marshal looked serious. His long blond hair was no longer messy. âIf you have no opinion, Iâll announce tomorrow that the princess has been found.â
âNext, I will increase the speed of advance of the frontlines. The prince has never experienced a real war. Before he reacts, I will swallow this part of the territory south of Alban as soon as possible.â
Marshal Gallagher tapped a corner of the map with his finger.
âIf my father closed Clementine Academy, the lords here shouldnât bother me, but thanks to all of you, the closure will not last long. We may have to endure several unplanned conflicts. War is no better than fighting alone. Maybe Horizon helped you escape the maze last time, but Iâm not as kind as Godwin Lopez.â
âHuh?â Oliver didnât respond for a moment.
âThank you very much for your care of Her Royal Highness.â Gallagher nodded. âBut you can all leave now. I can see that the princess cherishes you very much, and I donât want you to get hurt. Mr. Cross, I donât mean to target you. I respect your former glory very much, but you know your current conditionâŠâ
In a rare move, the knight commander looked away with a blank face without comment.
âI have to correct your two misconceptions.â Ann stretched out her legs and folded both feet unceremoniously on the edge of the table.
âFirst, they take care of me? But forget it, the other way around is more like it. Iâve been tossed around by them that Iâve aged thirty more years. Second, youâd better keep them, Mr. Mad Dog.â
Gallagher was obviously not used to the name âMr. Mad Dogâ, and it took a long time to react.
He frowned and looked at Ann: âI already understand your strength, Your Highness, but like I said, war and adventuring are completely different. No matter how strong the individual strength is, it canât withstand tens of thousands of people togetherâ To be honest, after announcing your news, the two neighboring armies will be mobilized to deal with us. I must carefully measure their strength. There is no room for any mistakes on the battlefield.â
âOh,â Ann said. âIsnât that just, right? We have three armies here.â
âArmies?â Gallagher politely raised the tone at the end of the sentence.
âYesâ The leader of Tumbleweed, itâs mission time, and the employer is going to make a request.â Ann narrowed her eyes.
âOliver and Nemo, you two are on the same team. Cross and Dylan, you two are on the same team. I think this should be able to handle two battlefieldsâ Dylan, to be honest, right now I still have no idea about your strength. Do you need me to leave the parrot with you?â
Jesse saluted exaggeratedly. âOf course not, your Royal Highness. I just need that goat.â
âThen Bagelmaurus follow me. Letâs keep an eye on the marshalâs ass in case a female assassin is sent across the street to make this guyâs severe arrogance relapse again. How about it, commander?â
Gallagher expression was like he seen a ghost. âTwo men on each side of the battlefield. You call this an army?â
âTrust me,â Ann said. âIf you donât want to damage your relationship with the nearby lords, theyâll handle it better than anyone else.â
âThere may be tens of thousands of troops on the opposite side.â
âI know.â
The author has something to sayïŒ
Ann: I can finally share with the majority of the people what I held in my heart all this time. Iâm very happy.
Nemo & Ollie: No!
Jesse: Itâs time to make a big contribution again. I feel that I havenât made money since joining Tumbleweed.