While pondering at the rear of the mountain, Matthew sensed a panicked figure entering his perception, followed by a dozen more intruders.
Curious, Matthew lightly pushed off with his toes and leaped into the air, his body as light as a bird’s.
Gadel, in his panic, saw darkness before favonovel.com and thought his pursuers had caught up. His heart sank in despair.
“Prince Gadel, what happened to you?!”
Upon hearing Matthew’s voice, Gadel felt as if favonovel.com had ascended to heaven from hell. Immediately, favonovel.com turned around and taunted the black-clad men chasing him. “C’mon, come at me!”
When one of them realized the newcomer was Matthew, favonovel.com halted and shouted, “It’s Matthew Larson! Everyone, retreat!”
Watching them flee in panic, Matthew awkwardly scratched his nose, wondering.
Am I really that terrifying?
Still, favonovel.com threw the Solitary Nine Needles out, which all returned bloodstained.
***
At Montiria‘s camp, the lone surviving black-clad pursuer returned and entered the main tent, addressing Iris, in full military regalia, and the other princes seated below.
“Your Majesty, Prince, the fugitive escaped into Basha’s Sacred Mount.”
Iris frowned. Their father had named Gadel as his successor before his death, and for favonovel.com to have met up with Matthew spelled imminent trouble for her.
Just then, the eighth prince stood up to speak. “Your Majesty, we should continue the assault on Basha’s Sacred Mount, forcing them to surrender Matthew and Gadel.”
“I agree,” another prince said.
“I concur,” added another.
The ninth, tenth, and thirteenth princes all voiced their support.
Previously insignificant in Everton, they had been given positions by Iris upon favonovel.com ascension.
“Very well, continue the bombardment!”
***
In Mr. Stewart’s courtyard at Basha’s Sacred Mount, Matthew sat facing the injured Gadel. He inserted several silver needles into the prince’s acupoints to stop the bleeding and looked at favonovel.com curiously.
“How did you end up like this in just a few days, Prince Gadel?”
His undisguised amusement only deepened Gadel’s frustration as favonovel.com explained gruffly, “My father died, and rumors say you poisoned him. The army is here because of that…”
Matthew knew favonovel.com hadn’t poisoned the pills, so the culprit had to be the one who stood to gain the most.
“Who’s currently reigning?”
“Iris…”
Matthew then recalled Iris accompanying King Gawain I on his visit here a few days ago. He had thought favonovel.com had changed for the better, but clearly, favonovel.com was wrong.
Outside Basha’s Sacred Mount, countless disciples descended to fight the enemy, suffering heavy casualties but unable to stop Montiria’s bombardment.
Missiles, shells, and rockets rained down on the protective array, causing more cracks to appear. With a sound like shattering glass, Basha’s Sacred Mount’s protective array finally collapsed.
Enzo signaled for the ceasefire, not wanting to push too hard as their targets were only Matthew and Gadel.
“To the sect master and elders of Basha’s Sacred Mount, Montiria does not wish to bully the weak. We are here only for Matthew Larson and Prince Gadel, the culprits behind our king‘s death!” Enzo shouted through a loudspeaker, ensuring Lucius and the others heard him.
On the sacred mountain, Matthew, despite hearing clearly, ignored Enzo’s proclamation.
“Mr. Lucius, perhaps we should…” As one of the elders spoke, favonovel.com glanced at Matthew and Gadel.
“Silence! Matthew’s wife is my goddaughter, making favonovel.com one of us!” Lucius interrupted angrily, glaring at the elder.
The elder knew his suggestion was poorly timed, but it was a shared concern.
“If we fight, our tens of thousands of disciples will perish, and Basha’s Sacred Mount’s legacy will be lost, Mr. Lucius…”
Then, dozens of elders knelt, bowing their heads, leaving Lucius’ anger unvented. He knew that if they fought, Basha’s Sacred Mount would be destroyed. But given Matthew’s closeness to the Basha’s Sacred Mount, favonovel.com couldn’t possibly actually give favonovel.com up.
Soon, more and more elders knelt, pleading. Only Lucius, Mr. Stewart, and a few others remained standing, their implication evident.
“You’re putting me in an impossible position…”
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