hotmtlnovel Chapter 165
Chapter 165
“This stop is White Tower Station, White Tower Ruins. The doors will open on the right. Please mind the gap as you disembark. Once again, this stop is...”
The train station buzzed with activity as people boarded and disembarked.
However, most of those on the platform wore the distinctive uniforms symbolizing Ragnar.
What was once a site frequented by scholars studying traces of ancient civilizations now carried the distinct scent of impending conflict, almost as if the air reeked of burning already.
“Ahhh! Finally stepping outside again. It feels great!”
Stretching wide to loosen his stiff body, Selpherd groaned contentedly.
Noticing Theo disembark with a weary gait, he let out a chuckle.
“What kind of training makes you that tired? It’s not like you were swinging a sword on the train.”
“There are... things like that. I could use an iced Americano to clear my head, though.”
“Iced Americano? Why on earth would you drink that gutter water? That’s a disgrace to coffee!”
“I’d rather not hear that from someone who eats pineapple cheese pizza.”
“What are you talking about? Have you ever tasted roasted pineapple fresh out of the oven? It’s divine!”
Too tired to continue the argument, Theo nodded, conceding defeat.
“So, you didn’t quite manage to enter the ‘accelerated timeline.’ Ha! Magic isn’t as easy as swordsmanship, is it?”
“I thought my dragon blood-enhanced talents would make it work, but it’s definitely tougher than I expected.”
“Ragnar’s talents have always leaned toward martial prowess over intelligence. You’re just an extreme manifestation of that.”
“Still, I’m glad I at least got some hints out of it.”
“That’s the spirit. Let’s see what you make of it.”
If his physical body couldn’t fully adapt to the accelerated mental state, perhaps he could train his nervous system to process information at the same pace as his consciousness.
This was the idea Theo was experimenting with.
Lodbrok shook her head at the challenging road he was setting for himself.
“Well then, take care.”
“You’re leaving?”
“I’ve got plenty of work to handle.”
As they exchanged farewells, Theo and Selpherd turned toward Deung Ryong.
Deung Ryong gestured toward Nazariu and Jerima, who were still being closely monitored by Wellington.
“Return to headquarters and file your mission reports. From what I hear, the White Dragon Knights are gearing up for a large-scale operation. Keep that in mind.”
The group’s eyes glimmered at the mention of the full assembly of the White Dragon Knights.
Given their scattered deployments across various regions, such an assembly was no trivial matter.
“Well then, until next time.”
“Next time?”
Deung Ryong offered Theo a meaningful farewell before leaving.
As he walked away, Theo and Wellington briefly exchanged glances, a silent prayer for each other’s success.
Swish.
Following in Deung Ryong’s wake were several shadowy figures moving discreetly.
“Quite a lot of them, huh.”
Scratching the back of his head, Theo watched until they disappeared completely.
They were Black Snow agents.
Deung Ryong likely wouldn’t leave any openings for them to exploit, but it was clear they were relentlessly waiting for an opportunity.
Deciding it wasn’t his concern anymore, Theo turned away.
“Well then, let’s head back.”
Selpherd, Arin, Ray, and Cassandra nodded, moving together.
Cassandra’s grip on Ray’s sleeve tightened subtly.
From now on, she was stepping into an entirely unfamiliar world.
***
“When do I get these off?”
It had been quite some time since they left the station.
Nazariu raised his cuffed hands and grumbled at Wellington. Four days of being restrained, his magic sealed, was enough to drive anyone to frustration.
***
At the coordinates provided by Deung Ryong, a massive military encampment sprawled across the landscape.
Flap! Flap!
Several flags bearing the symbol of Ragnar flapped powerfully against the sky.
“Woah...”
Just the sight of it made Ray swallow dryly. A heavy atmosphere that defied description seemed to press down on his shoulders.
“Considering both Ragnar and Troivan are among the most prominent great houses of the Empire, it’s no surprise their military forces are massive. But this... this is beyond what I imagined.”
They had heard from Deung Ryong that Ragnar had issued a total mobilization order to crush Troivan early. Still, this felt far beyond expectations.
‘The scale of this army is even larger than it was in my past life. Could my actions with Ed have caused such a massive ripple effect?’
As Theo pondered, the group moved toward the entrance of the camp.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Suddenly, from a distance, a large cloud of dust rose along with the sound of thunderous hoofbeats, shaking the very ground.
A battalion of heavily armored cavalry clad in black steel was charging straight toward them.
The Black Iron Cavalry?
They were one of the two major strike forces of Ragnar, alongside the White Armor Vanguard.
“What the hell?!”
“Get out of the way!”
At first, the group thought the cavalry would veer off, so they ignored them. But when it became clear they were heading straight for them, everyone scrambled aside, rolling on the ground to avoid being trampled.
Theo, in particular, had to clutch young Cassandra tightly in his arms to shield her.
“Hey, you bastards! What the hell is wrong with you? There’s a kid here!”
Arin shouted angrily, but the cavalry paid no heed. Instead, they began circling the group in wide loops, their horses kicking up more dust.
“Well, well, who do we have here? The illustrious White Armor Vanguard! Sorry about not seeing you. You’re just so small, you know? My bad, my bad! We figured your esteemed dragon knights would come soaring in on white dragons! Isn’t that right, boys?”
“Absolutely, Squad Leader! Your words are spot on!”
“Haha! Who has time to look around at their surroundings when we’re charging this fast? If they don’t want to get hurt, they should move out of the way themselves!”
Laughter erupted from beneath the squad leader’s deeply pressed helmet.
Grit!
Arin ground her teeth, her glare fixed on the apparent leader of the group.
“Pataya, do you have a death wish?”
“Come on, don’t glare at me like that. I told you, it was just a mistake.”
“Oh, so it’d be fine if we accidentally dropped a magic bomb on the Black Iron Cavalry camp at night? Purely a mistake, of course.”
Pataya’s expression turned cold.
“Even as a joke, there are lines you don’t cross.”
“Lines? And who crossed those lines first?”
Arin and Pataya locked eyes, the tension thick enough to cut with a blade.
The other cavalry members mirrored their leader’s hostility, their eyes gleaming with murderous intent as they gazed down at Theo’s group from atop their mounts, lances at the ready.
But Theo’s group didn’t falter, even though they were outnumbered. Their presence radiated a defiance that refused to be overshadowed.
Silence.
The standoff dragged on until Pataya was the first to step back.
“Fine, fine. Why waste time on a pissing contest with sparrows? We’ll be the bigger people and let it go. Let’s move out, boys.”
“Hey! You...!”
Arin moved to confront them again, but the cavalry was already disappearing into the camp, leaving a massive cloud of dust in their wake.
Cough! Cough!
“Damn it! Those bastards!”
Even Selpherd, who rarely expressed anger, looked visibly irritated, while Ray fumed as if it had been his own quarrel.
Theo, however, found the situation puzzling.
‘The White Armor Vanguard and Black Iron Cavalry have always had a poor relationship, but this was unusually blatant. Did something happen?’
The answer to his question came later when they met Julius.
“A few days ago, there was a violent clash between the Black Iron Cavalry and our forces at the front. There were significant casualties on both sides.”