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Chapter 167: White Fortress, the City of the Dwarves
A carrier pigeon, carrying a paper inscribed with magic and emanating a familiar magical aura, passed through the forest's barrier and arrived before Serie.
It was a letter from Ella.
After Serie finished receiving the message, her previously calm face instantly turned cold.
"To the north, the Dwarves' city of White Fortress has suffered a large-scale demon attack, resulting in heavy losses. At the same time, the newly emerging human country to the west is constantly clashing with El Country. Ella suspects that demons are instigating this from behind the scenes, attempting to divide human strength."
Upon hearing Teacher Serie's words, Flamme's heart sank.
El Country?
She knew that place; not only had Kurtz told her about it, but her parents had spoken of it as well.
It was the first human kingdom, a place yearned for by all humans.
Those Demons, they had appeared again! And this, they had even attacked El Country.
Even though the flames of revenge had been suppressed by reason, they had never extinguished. Now, this news instantly ignited them.
Kurtz finished reading the letter, his brows tightly furrowed. He looked up, his gaze meeting Serie's in the air.
No words were needed; their years of tacit understanding allowed them to grasp each other's intentions instantly.
The peaceful time of teaching had ended; the test of practical combat had arrived early. This was not only a trial for Flamme but also a response to the current situation.
"Flamme, take your staff; it's time for departure."
Flamme's body trembled as she met Serie's calm gaze.
Fear?
No, it was more of a completely ignited fighting spirit and awakened hatred. She nodded: "Yes, Teacher Serie!"
Kurtz noticed the tension hidden beneath the girl's surface. He walked over to her and gently patted her shoulder. "Don't be nervous, Flamme. Trust in your own strength."
He met her eyes. "No matter what, Serie and I will be by your side."
The words eased something tight in her chest. She looked at Kurtz gratefully, the complex emotions in her eyes known only to her.
Before long, three figures burst out of the tranquil forest like arrows released from a bowstring.
Kurtz and Serie decided to head north to the city of the Dwarves first, to resolve the demon attack and to see if Shulahat was behind it. As for the two human countries, the situation was far less critical than that of the Dwarves.
The journey was long and monotonous.
During a brief outdoor encampment, by the campfire, Flamme finally couldn't resist and cautiously asked Kurtz the question that had been swirling in her mind for a long time: "Master Kurtz, where did you learn so much magical knowledge?"
In Flamme's eyes, Teacher Kurtz was a human not much older than herself.
Although she didn't know his exact age, he shouldn't be a whole generation older than her.
Yet, the magical knowledge he possessed rivaled that of an Elf like Teacher Serie, who had lived for thousands of years. This unusual disparity made Flamme unable to resist asking.
"The longer one lives, the more one sees, and naturally, the more one knows."
Kurtz's answer was calm, yet it carried a hint of something unspoken.
"The longer one lives—"
Flamme chewed on these words. The clouds of doubt in her heart churned again.
She secretly glanced at Serie nearby, who was dozing against a rock. Moonlight spilled on her profile, a beauty that made one instinctively look twice.
A human, an Elf, how did such a cross-racial relationship between them come to be?
And how long was the "long" that Teacher Kurtz spoke of?
She did not ask further, but the curiosity about Kurtz's true identity, like a vine, wrapped around her heart, tightening more and more.
The closer they got to the north, the colder and drier the air became.
Flamme saw continuous mountain ranges for the first time, and also saw a tall mountain with one side covered in snow and the other side lush green for the first time.
Kurtz noticed the curiosity and confusion in her eyes, so he took the initiative to explain.
It wasn't until they crossed another towering ridge that the sight before them made Flamme hold her breath again.
In the distance, at the center of a vast, circular mountain range, stood a magnificent mountain city that surpassed all imagination.
The entire city seemed to be carved out of a gigantic, hollowed-out mountain, with countless white stone houses built into the mountainside and crisscrossing stairs, forming an incredibly spectacular Bai Fortress.
However, at this moment, the city was engulfed in war.
Outside the city walls, a dense, tide-like army of monsters was frantically assaulting.
Even in the sky, dozens of flying monsters circled, throwing various fireballs at the Dwarves' defenders on the city wall, causing explosions and screams.
On the city wall, the Dwarven warriors fought valiantly, even bringing out many of the Dwarves' black technologies. Barrels of gunpowder were thrown, crashing into the monster army, causing an explosion.
On the city wall, one could even see the glimmer of magic, clearly indicating that the Dwarves' hired mages were casting spells.
But the demon's offensive was extremely fierce; some sections of the city wall had already been breached, and small groups of monsters were pouring in through the gaps, engaging in intense combat with the defenders inside the city walls.
The smell of blood was carried by the wind, constantly stimulating Flamme's senses even from a distance.
The brutality of war unfolded before her eyes without reservation, far more shocking and terrifying than any description.
Her face instantly turned pale. Her stomach churned, and her palms, gripping her staff, were covered in cold sweat.
The fighting spirit she'd felt during practice seemed so small in the face of war.
"This is a battlefield." Serie's voice sounded in her ear, without a ripple, as if stating a perfectly normal fact.
"Put away your weakness. Remember, for every second you hesitate, more Dwarves will die below. Do you see those flying monsters? They are the biggest threat. Your first goal is to eliminate them. Can you do it?"
Serie's command was beyond doubt.
Flamme looked at the rampant monsters in the air as she was told, and immense fear seized her.
Those monsters were extremely fast in the air, and she needed to hit them precisely with magic on a chaotic battlefield?
Flamme began to doubt if she could do such a thing."I—"
Her voice trembled slightly. Just then, a warm hand gently rested on her shoulder.
Kurtz's voice sounded in her ear: "Flamme, believe in yourself. Just like when you practiced in the forest, lock onto your target, and then guide the magic."
His grip tightened slightly. "Don't worry about monsters interfering with you; Serie and I are right here by your side."
The words seemed to carry a strange magic, dispelling the panic in her heart.
She recalled countless practice sessions in the forest. If she backed down now, wouldn't she be letting down the guidance of her two teachers?
She took a deep breath. Forced herself to calm down, closed her eyes, concentrated, and began to channel the magic within her body.
[End of Chapter]