Work Prophet

Ivan had thought that he might be released, but he had never imagined that he would be released for such a reason.

There were quite a few translators in Solomon's entourage, and since he had launched a military campaign to the western territories, he should have brought a number of them along. It didn't make sense that they would be short-staffed at a time like this.

Still, having the chance to leave the dark, filthy dungeon, Ivan was certainly going to seize it, and at least as a translator, he wouldn't have to worry about his life for the time being.

The former intelligence chief hesitated for just a moment before immediately following along.

He had been locked up for too long and had been cut off from news of the outside world, learning only snippets from other prisoners who were captured later.

He knew that Solomon's army had arrived in the west, but beyond that, Ivan was unaware of any other developments.

However, the two Wing Tribe members ahead did not seem in the mood to chat. Observing their demeanor, the former intelligence chief wisely kept his mouth shut.

He was in no rush. The process of translating would allow him access to plenty of intelligence, and soon Ivan learned that the army was preparing to march out, with Green Field as their target. Ireya had gathered a Resistance Army there, although their numbers were not large.

Yet strangely, Solomon himself didn't plan to partake in this war. He and the Wing Clan army were staying in Lake City, leaving the command to Tristan and Balin.

Although those Wing Tribe members had wings and could fly, able to rush to the battlefield if necessary,

Lake City was still too far from Green Field. If a real emergency arose, Solomon and his people wouldn't be able to make it within a day.

By contrast, if he were stationed in Rock Snow City, the situation would be much better.

But these doubts, Ivan kept to himself, harboring a vague premonition deep inside.

It was very likely that Solomon and his Wing Clan army had encountered some trouble.

Before he could ponder further, the army was on the move again.

Ivan could feel the relaxed atmosphere among the dwarves and noble lords; they all seemed very confident about the upcoming battle.

In contrast, the three hundred Wing Tribe members along the way were very silent; many were tight-lipped, continually looking back toward Lake City with worried eyes.

Ivan also noticed something else: just a single day into the journey, some Wing Tribe members were already exhausted, having to sit in the wagons.

Even a simple cough caused many Wing Tribe members to become tense.

Utilizing his specialty, Ivan pieced together these fragmented pieces of intelligence and came to a somewhat shocking conclusion.

—The warning that Merlin and the Double Rest Sect had previously given to Solomon might indeed be true; the adversaries facing the Wing Tribe this time were not only Ireya and the Lady's allies but also Divine Punishment from Saturday!

Ivan himself felt this deduction was a bit too fantastical. Although nearly everyone on the Bratis Continent believed in a god,

Usually, those gods only imparted their oracles indirectly through their sects and priests, and even the occasional miracle did not entail direct intervention in a war.

Would the other gods not become angry?

However, past experience also told the former intelligence chief that when all possible explanations had been ruled out, however improbable the remaining one might seem, that often turned out to be the truth.

Thinking of this, Ivan couldn't help but worry about the upcoming battle.

And as if fearing the worst would bring it about, while the Alliance Army was still merrily proceeding, a Wing Clan Warrior suddenly came to find Ivan, requesting him to pass a message to Tristan and Balin.

An unidentified army was spotted ahead, numbering in the many.

When Tristan first received this message, he thought it was yet another sneak attack – until Ivan told him that the force approaching was over twenty thousand strong. Only then did he pause momentarily in shock.

"Twenty thousand? Ireya and her allies have a little over twenty thousand people in total, right? That means the force in front of us is their main strength?"

The Family Head of the Panglos Family was not alarmed but rather delighted, "What kind of madness has possessed them to abandon a fortified position and attempt a head-on clash with us?"

"This is even better; as long as we defeat them here, the war would end ahead of schedule," Balin also said cheerfully.

"Could it be that too many of their people have fled, leaving Ireya no choice but to no longer wait?"

Someone attempted to analyze the Lady's seemingly illogical move, and this speculation gained the agreement of many.

Tristan had someone fetch the map he carried with him, and realized that this region was mostly plain, with the nearest swamp also a considerable distance away, meaning there were virtually no places suitable for an ambush.

Moreover, the strength of the Resistance Army was no secret, as those who had previously fled had spilled everything, mentioning that Merlin gave each Lord who pledged their support a stick that could see great distances.

That was a New Holy Artifact from the Double Rest Sect; unfortunately, anyone who attempted to bring that stick back was caught during their escape.

People guessed that there might be some Divine Arts on the stick that allowed for tracking, so the people who ran afterward didn't carry the stick, and indeed, no one chased after them anymore.

In any case, Tristan believed that the force in front of them was essentially the entirety of the Resistance Army, and it seemed Ireya was willing to stake everything in a decisive battle against him here.

Her courage was commendable, but her judgment was not so sharp.

Tristan put away the map and ordered the main force to continue advancing.

They had walked for a while when they could finally see those densely packed little black dots in the distance, and behind those dots fluttered a variety of banners.

Among them, a giant rabbit flag was most conspicuous.

Tristan squinted; he could barely make out a Female Knight beneath the flag.

Ireya had indeed arrived, meaning the battle had truly come early. If they could crush the last defensive force of the western boundary here, they would achieve the final victory.

Tristan could also leave this place he wasn't particularly fond of.

"I heard her father died especially early, seems like there's no one to teach her how to fight," a Noble whistled casually.

"Don't celebrate too soon, I haven't found the White Dragon yet," Tristan had just finished speaking when something in the sky in the distance appeared to be flying rapidly towards them.

It eventually stopped above that enemy force, giant wings stirring up a cloud of dust, and its golden eyes overlooked the opposing Alliance Army below.

Even at such a distance, Tristan could feel a faint sense of oppression.

He would rather go fight a brown bear bare-handed than face such a creature.

Fortunately, soon after, a dragon's roar came from their rear, and a cyan figure descended from the sky like a storm.

Their giant dragon – the Storm Monarch – had finally made its entrance.