Chapter 140. Backlash, a Plea for Help
A month later, the banners of the coalition army of the three kingdoms were finally withdrawn from the borders of the Silver Oakleaf Kingdom.
There was no dignified peace negotiation, no symbolic spoils of war, only exhausted soldiers dragging broken weapons as they retreated back into their own territories in disgrace.
This war, which had lasted for months, ultimately ended with their humiliating withdrawal.
Strangely enough, until the very last moment, neither the three kingdoms’ monster legions nor their royal elites had appeared on the battlefield.
Those forces, which could have turned the tide of the war, had remained inactive the entire time, as though the war had nothing to do with them.
Rumors spread wildly among the people. Some said the rulers had deliberately held something in reserve, while others whispered in secret that the three kingdoms had already reached some kind of compromise in private, and that this war had been a performance from the very beginning.
As for the Silver Oakleaf Kingdom, although it had barely “won” the war, it was already covered in wounds.
More than half of its monster legions had been lost. Its Royal Legions had nearly exhausted their foundations, and the private forces of the nobles who had answered the call to arms had suffered especially severe casualties. Quite a few minor noble houses had been wiped out entirely because of it.
In the council hall of the Royal Palace, Odyssey V looked at the casualty list, his fingers gripping it so tightly that they turned white. The price of victory was a hundred times heavier than he had imagined.
The only one that seemed to have truly profited was the Hydra Clan.
They took away every corpse from the battlefield. Enemy or ally, all were dragged toward Magic Serpent Fortress, leaving not even bone fragments behind.
The soldiers of Silver Oakleaf watched those writhing snake swarms, their stomachs churning, yet no one dared speak out to stop them. They still needed the “protection” of those monsters.
However, the illusion of peace lasted only a few short days.
The first sign was the disappearance of border villages.
One village that had originally held more than a hundred people was emptied overnight. All that remained was devastation strewn across the ground and several pools of blood that had not yet dried.
Then the towns near Magic Serpent Fortress also met disaster. The guards on the walls were torn apart, and the residents, together with their livestock, were all carried off in one sweep. Only several claw marks, so deep they seemed to cut to the bone, were left on the city gates.
“It was the Hydra. They are attacking our people.”
A messenger stumbled into the Royal Palace, nearly crawling as he entered, his voice shaking so badly it barely sounded human.
“They no longer obey orders. They seize anyone they see. They did not even spare newborn babies.”
Odyssey V shot to his feet from the throne, and his scepter clattered to the floor. He stared at the messenger in disbelief.
“What did you say? Have they gone mad? Weren’t we allies?”
Even if there was going to be backlash, it should not have come this quickly.
Yet as one messenger after another arrived at the Royal Palace to meet Odyssey V, the news they brought grew more desperate each time.
When the last messenger collapsed to the floor, sobbing that the third Main City had been devoured by the snake swarms, Odyssey V finally slumped onto the throne, his fingertips icy cold. The Hydra’s backlash had come far faster than he had imagined.
His trembling hands took out a Communication Crystal, and he relayed everything that had happened here. The other side remained silent for a long time, until that silence finally became an angry sigh.
“I understand.”
Half a day later, an old man in a dark-patterned robe appeared in the Royal Palace with several core members of the royal family.
His hair and beard were completely white, yet his bearing remained vigorous and sharp. Even so, his brows were tightly furrowed. After hearing Odyssey V’s tearful account, an expression of genuine horror appeared on his face for the first time.
“You… you actually brought the Hydra into the kingdom? Raising them was one thing, but why would you lure them into the Silver Oakleaf Kingdom?”
“Odyssey V, are you a fool?”
“Ancestor, I was wrong…”
Odyssey V’s voice trembled.
“But now is not the time to assign blame. The snake swarms are already close to the Royal Territory.”
The old man’s fingers moved urgently across the Communication Crystal. A dim blue glow spread across its surface, illuminating his taut profile.
A moment later, the crystal gave a faint tremor. The Secret Realm on the other end had received the message.
Almost at the same time, the ground at the center of the palace square suddenly split open. Golden runes poured from the fissures and formed a massive Teleportation Array.
When the light faded, four Silver Legions were already standing in formation, their silver armor gleaming coldly beneath the sunlight, their spears standing like a forest.
Following them came two Gold Knight Orders. The knights wore gilded battle armor, and the fine warhorses beneath them snorted sharply. Every gaze they cast carried the sharpness of veterans hardened by countless battles.
The hidden powerhouses of the royal family also appeared one after another. There were white-haired mages and warriors carrying giant axes across their backs, their auras as steady as mountains.
The Palace Knights in the square were dumbfounded. They had forgotten even to breathe. Never had they imagined that the kingdom had still been hiding such strength.
The old man’s expression eased slightly. He turned to Odyssey V and spoke in a tone that allowed no argument.
“Request aid at once.”
“Request aid?” Odyssey V froze.
“Right now, only Kroll Kingdom, the nearest one to us, can save us.”
The old man’s gaze swept beyond the city.
“Set aside your pride as king. As long as they are willing to send troops, agree first to cede territory and pay reparations. Preserving the royal bloodline matters more than anything else.”
Odyssey V gritted his teeth.
The Silver Oakleaf Kingdom had once been so glorious, yet now it had to wag its tail and beg a neighboring kingdom for mercy. But as he looked at the reinforcements in the square, elite though they were yet limited in number, he had no choice.
“Yes,” he replied with a bow. He turned and hurried toward the inner palace, his steps unsteady, yet he did not dare stop. Every moment he delayed increased the risk of the Royal Capital falling.
The old man watched his retreating back, then turned to the warriors who had just emerged from the Secret Realm.
“The Gold Knight Orders will defend the city gates with me. The Silver Legions will divide to guard the four cities. The Mage Corps will establish defensive barriers. We must hold out until Kroll Kingdom sends a reply, until… the very last moment.”
The commander of the Gold Knight Order rode forward, his armor clanging.
“We swear to obey unto death.”
Before the light of the Teleportation Array had fully faded, another messenger arrived with a report, saying that the snake swarms had already entered the Royal Territory and were heading directly for the Royal Capital.
The old man tightened his grip on the staff in his hand, and the gem at its tip began to glow faintly.
He knew this was the Silver Oakleaf Kingdom’s final struggle. If there was truly no way to turn things around, then they could only enter the Secret Realm and temporarily abandon the Royal Capital.
Inside the Kroll Royal Palace, the Crystal Communicator glowed with a soft blue light, reflecting Kroll II’s stern face.
When Odyssey V’s tearful voice came through it, his fingertips tapped lightly against the armrest of the throne.
Only when he heard the words “the Hydra’s backlash” clearly did the corner of his lips finally curl upward into a cold smile.
“Odyssey V,” his voice came through the crystal, filled with undisguised mockery, “do you think I would help Silver Oakleaf?”
On the other end of the communication, Odyssey V seemed to grind his teeth before speaking urgently.
“I am willing to offer five Divine Artifacts, including the Tide Crown left behind by the Goddess of Water, and the Dawn Necklace once worn by the God of Light…”
He paused, and his tone carried a trace of deliberate provocation.
“Kroll Kingdom has not been founded for very long. The Divine Artifacts in your treasury are probably no more than two or three pieces, aren’t they? This condition should be enough to tempt you.”
Kroll II fell silent.
The air in the palace seemed to freeze. The ministers held their breath as they watched the changing expressions on the king’s face.
The temptation of Divine Artifacts was indeed enormous. Especially relics connected to gods, they were enough to drive any kingdom mad.
But a moment later, he slowly shook his head.
“Not enough.”
“What else do you want?” Anger crept into Odyssey V’s voice.
“Cultivation Resources.”
Kroll II’s voice was calm and utterly steady.
“I want the equivalent of six years’ worth of the Silver Oakleaf Kingdom’s Cultivation Resources. If you agree, I will send troops immediately.”
“Impossible. Wishful thinking.”
Odyssey V’s furious roar came from the other end of the communication.
“Six years? That would drain the entire kingdom dry!”
“Then there is nothing more to discuss.”
Kroll II made as if to cut off the communication.
“You can stay in Silver Oakleaf and be buried together with your kingdom.”
“Don’t.”