Pioneer Lord: Starting From Daily Intelligence-Chapter 515 - 9: The Stunning Aeliria and the Silken Hollow
Her upturned face was reflected with a cold gleam by the armor, befitting the title of the War Saintess.
A strand of mocking laughter shattered the silence in the air, "So cute."
Aeliria propped her chin on her lotus-like snow-white jade arm, leaning on the armrest of the Thorn Throne, and said casually, "Before he exhausts his strength, the blade of the Legendary Longsword should have already pierced the hearts of several of you. Besides..."
Before he could finish his words, a Swan Knight hurriedly descended from the sky, ran over in a flustered manner, and reported to Hilude, "Chief Steward, emergency military situation."
"Speak! Report immediately to the Lord." 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢
"Reporting to the Lord, troops from Sulande Province have forcibly broken through our defense lines and checkpoints set up in the Balan Autonomous Region. The Legendary Knight, Eternal Sword, Duke Archibald is leading a knight order of over a thousand men marching towards Bauhinia Castle!"
Hilude instantly gripped the sword at his side tightly; did the other side value this so much, sending out a welcoming team of over a thousand?
But Oerstein immediately thought it through and said, "A candidate for Elector, having a guard of more than a thousand is normal."
Being an Elector is already the top-level nobility of the Empire; regardless, they must have the treatment of a grand entry and exit.
As the Six Divisions of the Eastern Palace, the personal guards of the Crown Prince even have a team of over 2,000 people.
Although Philis is the second heir of the Sulande Grand Prince’s Territory, given the unsettled state of the old world and the flourishing martial virtue of the Empire, sending 1,000 people for greeting is not excessive.
However, currently, within Heisen Castle, there are less than 1,000 troops available for emergency mobilization; the Free People’s Corps and the Provincial Army are all clearing monsters and bandit groups to the west of the Blood Pine Forest.
Is even the only home-field advantage of Hesse Territory about to disappear?
Philis, in the tree house, heard the Swan Knight’s report, stood up, put on a white mink cloak, walked to the door, and nervously clutched the hem of Su Li’s clothing, saying, "Lord, why don’t we go to the reception room first. Let’s not disturb Lady Ingrid’s meditation because of me."
If a battle were to erupt here, not only would Ingrid’s Fantasy Garden be destroyed, but even the most central Holy Purple Vine Tree of Hesse Territory might be implicated.
Besides, the armored warriors in the manor were not ambushed here, so Su Li did not refuse and said, "Then let’s go to the conference hall."
At this time, the wind and snow became exceptionally fierce, snowflakes blew into the collars, and even the effect of the cold-resistant talismans was diminished, bringing a wave of coldness.
Especially since Philis was particularly frail, her body couldn’t help but shiver; since entering Bauhinia Manor, today’s cold was the most intense.
Therefore, Su Li hugged her shoulders tightly, using the cloak to shield her from the wind and snow, and slowly walked towards the conference hall through the accumulated snow.
For some reason, the journey that used to take only a few minutes now seemed extremely long, like the unbearable dawn before darkness, not only cold and dark but seemingly endless.
Hilude and Oerstein had to deploy the troops and prepare for the banquet, so they briskly went to the manor first.
Only Su Li and Philis were left to trek through the wind and snow alone, the immense pressure causing Philis’s mood to plummet, and the bad premonition made her heart restless.
She hid in Su Li’s arms, clasped his clothing tightly, looked up at him, and nervously said, "Lord, no matter what, let me serve you once tonight, alright? I’m afraid if I miss tonight, there will be no more chances to serve you. Maybe we should change our path."
Su Li patted her hand and said, "Don’t worry, everything is on me. It’s just a small Legendary Knight and Duke, right? Sooner or later, we can surpass him. So what if it’s the Elector’s Territory? The river flows east for thirty years, west for thirty more; never underestimate the young! As long as I’m here, I’ll certainly keep you safe."
Aeliria casually followed from behind, her tall, cold disposition shifted slightly upon hearing Su Li’s voice, her gaze forward carrying a trace of complexity. She couldn’t remember how long it had been since someone cared for her like that; her father left when she was very young, leaving her to face everything alone.
It was only in her fond childhood memories that she had such images. She had even forgotten what it felt like to rely on others.
Fate is intriguing; she now found herself depending on others once more. This territory was her most important support for maintaining rule; without these humans, she couldn’t even protect Dragon’s Nest.
She somewhat loathed this feeling, especially this dependency, which made her feel no warmth at all. Just like the weather now, it was cold, bone-chilling, and detestable.
She couldn’t help but wonder why, relying on this same man, the naive woman ahead smiled so sweetly, while she only felt humiliation and disgust?
Clearly, his sunny look towards her was also filled with aggression and desire, causing her breath to quicken; could a single physical contact make such a difference?
This further angered Aeliria silently. Both sides were interdependent now; even if something excessive were done, it couldn’t break the relationship. If this man made some unreasonable demands at that time, what should she do?
But before she could figure things out, the seemingly endless road finally reached its end.
When Su Li and Philis arrived at the reception hall of Bauhinia Flower Manor, a large number of Forbidden Guard Knights of Hesse had already gathered here, with hundreds of Elite Knights clad in shiny golden plate armor, holding rune blades, standing guard on both sides of the manor’s red-carpeted corridor.
