Free Web NovelChapter 295: Chapter 283: Undercurrents Surging
Since the Golden Valley Kingdom and the River Domain established diplomatic relations, the annual study tour exchange between their Knight Academies had never once gone wrong.
However, despite knowing this, after being appointed as the escorting instructor for this study tour, Reggie still conducted a detailed investigation into the Golden Valley Kingdom’s recent situation beforehand.
He had, of course, already heard about the abnormalities in the Eastern Region.
But he never expected the reality to be so much more severe than what the reports described.
Concealing the flicker of vigilance and doubt in his eyes, the Knight instructor loudly ordered the students to stay put and not move about freely. He then spurred his horse forward, approaching a few Guards from the Golden Valley Kingdom to state his identity and purpose.
Taking advantage of the moment, Roland asked his companions in a low voice.
"Galvis, Teresa, have you ever seen anything like this before?"
The silver-haired woman fell silent for a moment before shaking her head decisively.
The Minstrel, Galvis, mulled it over for a moment before speaking slowly.
"Roland, have you heard of the Sandmark Kingdom?"
Roland’s eyes narrowed slightly as he nodded gently.
The name was not unfamiliar to him.
It wasn’t because he was particularly learned, but because according to information he’d gotten from the Adventurer’s Guild, the region known as the "Golden Land"—where a draconic creature was rumored to have appeared—was part of the Sandmark Kingdom.
"I passed through there during my travels across the continent."
Galvis’s fingers gently brushed across his strings, and a desolate melody began to flow.
"According to the locals, a century ago, that land wasn’t the deathly silent kingdom, swallowed by yellow sand, that you see today."
His voice dropped, taking on the unique narrative cadence of a Minstrel.
"Ancient records and ballads all describe the Sandmark Kingdom of that era as vast. Its soil was so fertile it seemed it could birth gold itself, and its wide plains were covered in rolling waves of wheat. Emerald orchards dotted the river valleys, and the abundant rivers nourished dozens of prosperous cities."
The music grew somber.
"But then... something happened."
He continued, "Some say their royal family insisted on performing a forbidden ritual that desecrated a Divine Spirit, angering the earth itself. Others believe that in their struggle for some source of Power, they made a devastating deal with an unknowable entity. And legends also speak of a world-sweeping magical storm that drained all life and moisture from the land."
"The truth has long been buried by the sands. The only certainty is that a terrible ’depletion’ descended upon them."
"In just a few short years, the once-verdant kingdom was mercilessly eroded, eventually becoming the hopeless, endless sea of sand we know today."
Galvis plucked a long, sorrowful note, his gaze sweeping over the lifeless fields before them.
"The scene before us... though it’s far from that level of complete destruction, this method of plundering the land’s Life Energy can’t help but remind me of the calamity the Sandmark Kingdom experienced."
At these words, Roland turned his head, his sharp gaze falling upon the barren fields not far away.
Then, his Spiritual Power extended like invisible tendrils, reaching deep into the scorched earth.
’It really is Magic Elements...’
Roland wasn’t surprised to sense the faint fluctuations lingering in the crop residue.
He had speculated on this possibility as soon as he’d received the intelligence, even recalling the similar aura in the withered forest where he had met Red Squirrel Qiao in Black Water Territory.
But what stunned him was that the energy permeating this plundered land wasn’t the cold Negative Energy he’d anticipated. It was...
’Perfectly normal... Magic Elements?’
Roland frowned without realizing it.
These residual energies were no different from the Magic Elements that flowed naturally through the air.
The only difference was that they were exceptionally pure.
It was an unsettling purity, one that reminded him of the Magic Flow he had sensed in the endless Darkness beneath the collapsing High Tower in the Land of Mist.
Both carried a similar, indescribable strangeness, like a hidden vortex beneath a calm surface.
He instinctively took a step forward, trying to get a clearer sense of the anomaly permeating the fields.
Just then, a harsh shout interrupted his probing.
"You there, kid!"
A patrolling Guard gripped his Long Spear tightly, his bloodshot eyes locked on Roland.
"Don’t get any closer!"
Seeing the man’s agitation, Roland could only raise his hands and slowly retreat back to the group.
’Forget it...’
He sighed, pushing his doubts aside for the time being.
After all, they were just here for a study tour. The strange phenomena in the Golden Valley Kingdom were none of his business.
"Form up and move on."
Master Reggie’s voice rang out at just the right moment.
"Listen up, everyone. You are strictly forbidden from approaching the blighted areas on either side of the road. Understand?"
The River Domain might seem fledgling compared to the well-established Golden Valley Kingdom, but the students selected for the study tour knew how to conduct themselves.
No one made a move out of reckless curiosity; the column proceeded in vigilant silence.
The cheerful atmosphere from when they first crossed the border had long since vanished, replaced by a repressive feeling that hung in the air.
As the group went deeper, the scenery by the roadside gradually changed.
The dead fields grew scarcer, eventually giving way to vast, lush green plains.
At the territory’s border, a nobleman and his attendants were waiting quietly for their arrival.
Roland’s gaze tightened the moment it fell on the man.
If he remembered correctly, this was the same nobleman he had encountered several times at Distant Harbor. He was the man who had provoked Marco, and whose attendant had nearly won first place in the tournament hosted by Morne.
’His name, it seemed, was...’
"Marshall Jamford, Lord of the Tulip Territory."
The nobleman elegantly stroked his exquisitely trimmed mustache, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes as they swept over the group from the River Domain.
"By order of His Majesty Morne, I have been waiting here for you all for some time."
He performed an impeccable bow, his sleeves tracing a fluid arc in the wind.
"Please, follow me into the territory. Everything you need has been prepared. I hope you will all do me the honor."
Watching the man’s overly solicitous demeanor, a flicker of deep suspicion crossed Roland’s eyes.
In his memory, this Baron’s conduct was a far cry from the humble demeanor he now displayed.
’Perhaps it’s just an act,’ Roland thought to himself.
By now, their leader, Reggie, had concluded his superficially friendly conversation with Marshall.
Before long, the entire column was moving deeper into the Tulip Territory under the escort of the Guards.
Marshall remained where he was, watching the column depart. His long fingers unconsciously toyed with his meticulously trimmed mustache, the corners of his lips curled into an inscrutable smile.
"Uncle Marshall, should we..."
An attendant in Plate Armor beside him licked his chapped lips, his fingers gripping his sword hilt tightly. A predatory light glinted in his eyes.
"Idiot!"
Marshall hissed, his elegant demeanor from moments before vanishing instantly. In its place was an arrogance that seemed etched into his very bones.
"That leader is an Extraordinary Knight! And the students, though few, have all entered the Extraordinary Domain. They’re more than we can handle."
He gave the attendant a cold glance.
"We must wait for Lord Anno’s orders. Do you understand?"
"Yes..."
The attendant, Doron, lowered his head in disappointment.
Marshall snorted disdainfully.
"Be patient, Doron. Those merchants won’t be leaving the Golden Valley Kingdom alive."
He deliberately lowered his voice, a cajoling tone in his voice.
"If the plan succeeds, I promise you’ll get a territory of your own."
"Yes! Uncle Marshall!"
Doron’s spirits lifted instantly.
After his nephew withdrew, Marshall’s gaze turned northward, a smug sneer playing on his lips.
"His Majesty Morne..."
He muttered to himself, as if savoring the name.
"Since you insist on vetoing our proposal, then don’t blame us... for taking matters into our own hands."
A light breeze swept across the plains, but it carried no vitality—only the stirrings of a hidden, murderous intent.
