I was a knight in the Middle Ages

Chapter 528 Protecting the Duke (Page 12)

"Now that they've entered the city, let the Dark Council make their move. We can just sit back and watch them fight it out." Duke Orlando's eyes flashed with surprise when he learned that Alpha had actually returned to the Holy City, but it quickly turned into a deeper chill.

"Order the Southern Noble Knights to launch an immediate attack and slaughter all those incompetent fools guarding the east! I want everyone to know the consequences of defying the will of the nobles!"

Orlando's purpose in this trip was to break the neutrality of the Holy See, completely eradicate these "arrogant" commoner knights, and make them forever slaves of the nobles.

Inside the city, Knight Jin wiped the blood from his face and asked, panting, "Alpha, where to next? It seems like the entire Holy City is our enemy now."

Alpha's lips curled into a sinister smile, his eyes gleaming with madness: "To the East City noble district. Since they want to kill us, then we'll bring the war to their doorstep!"

Alpha's plan was simple, yet extremely insane—he wanted to exploit the conflicts between nobles to instigate a civil war!

Along the way, the seven people sped through the deserted streets like demons returning from hell.

Rainwater mixed with blood left a long trail behind them.

"Halt! This is a forbidden area for nobles. Trespassers will be killed!" The guards of the noble district in the east blocked the way, their long spears gleaming coldly.

"Anyone who blocks my way will be killed without mercy!" Alpha roared.

The longsword was drawn, its light flashing like lightning, instantly cutting down the first few knights.

Athena and Knight Jin followed closely behind, the seven of them like a sharp dagger, instantly tearing through the noble knights' defenses.

"Fire arrows! Shoot them down!" Although the noble knights were well-equipped, they were used to a life of luxury and had never seen such a bloody scene before.

The arrows were fired, but only Knight Gold and Knight Earth withstood them thanks to their strong defenses.

The others had already nimbly leaped onto the rooftops on both sides, avoiding the rain of arrows.

Alpha moved with impunity, its spear flashing, each strike taking a life.

The noble knights were terrified by this fierce aura and fled in disarray, losing all semblance of their noble knightly demeanor.

Watching Alpha and the others walk away, none of these so-called "elite" dared to give chase.

They could only tremble and hide behind cover, not daring to even breathe.

……

Inside a magnificent ancient castle not far away, the lights were on.

Hashim was leisurely sipping his red wine, listening to the sounds of fighting outside. Instead of panic, his face showed a hint of amusement.

"Lord Hashim, those madmen have already stormed into the noble district. Should we move out immediately?" The captain of the guard asked anxiously, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

“No need.” Hashim gently swirled his wine glass, his eyes deep. “We’ll just watch the show here. How could they possibly shake the foundations my Hashim family has built here over hundreds of years?”

The captain of the guard looked at the fleeing noble knights outside with disdain and said angrily, "These good-for-nothings, they flaunt their power all day long, but when it comes to life and death, they're nothing. Knight Lei, their reckless behavior will probably enrage all the nobles. Even if they enter the Holy See, they'll probably still be doomed."

Upon hearing this, Hashim suddenly burst into laughter, his laughter filled with the smug satisfaction of being in complete control: "Only in this way can I feel at ease. After tonight, Ray will become the common enemy of all nobles. Without our protection, he will be nothing but a stray dog, at the mercy of others."

Hashim stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the night sky reddened by the flames of war.

His eyes gleamed with a mad light: "Let the storm rage on! Nobles, royalty, the Papacy, Templars, Knights of Light, the Dark Council... Haha, the muddier the waters of the Holy City, the bigger the fish I, Hashim, can catch!"

At this moment, the holy city has been reduced to a giant arena.

Alpha, wielding a longsword, dances wildly in the eye of the storm.

Ten miles outside the East Gate, the camps of Zahir and Murat were brightly lit.

Despite being under the Empire's surveillance, the morale of the soldiers in the camp was exceptionally high.

At that moment, a scout covered in blood rushed into the command tent, bringing news that five thousand noble knights had been mobilized from outside the south gate.

"So you've finally arrived?" Zahir sat in the main seat, a cold and cruel smile appearing on his face.

Since being framed by the imperial nobles and imprisoned in that dark and sunless slave arena.

From the moment he survived by devouring the flesh and blood of his companions, Zahir felt nothing but deep-seated hatred for this corrupt noble class.

Zahir vowed that one day he would tear this cannibalistic system to shreds!

"Murat, what do you think we should do?" Zahir looked intently at Murat below.

Zahir was a smart man and understood the deeper meaning behind Alpha's decision to switch Murat and Best.

That was to prevent Zahir from becoming too powerful in the army and creating a situation where he was too big to handle.

But Zahir didn't care at all.

Alpha not only saved his life but also recognized his talent.

As long as Alpha remains on the side of the people, he will never have any disloyal intentions.

Unless Alpha changes and becomes a lackey of the nobility...

But seeing Alpha's series of crazy moves tonight, Zahir knew that their philosophies were completely aligned.

Upon hearing this, Murat stood up abruptly, his eyes burning with fanatical fervor: "General Zahir, Lord Lei has already given the order! Anyone who attacks us, whether noble or royal, is an enemy! Kill them all without mercy! Even if we fight to the last man, I will not retreat a single step!"

"Good! Well said!" Zaxier laughed and slammed his hand on the table, his last trace of worry vanishing.

Since Murat's attitude is so firm, it means that this is Alpha's will.

"Since that's the case, then let those high and mighty nobles see just how hot the rage of us commoner knights really is! Issue the order: prepare for battle! Since they want to fight, then we'll beat them to a pulp!"

That night, the four gates of the holy city were engulfed in flames of war, with the most devastating fighting taking place outside the western city.

Although Best's 10,000 commoner knights outnumbered the enemy, their morale was crumbling little by little when they faced the 3,000 most elite Templar knights of the empire.

The Templars' equipment, training, and the inherent oppressive aura they exuded instilled a deep sense of despair in the commoner knights.

In the center of the battlefield, Ados, the Templar Commander, was like a god of war, wielding a greatsword and unstoppable.

His strength as a low-level silver knight was on full display at this moment. Every swing of his sword brought forth a flash of blood, and no one could withstand his sharpness.

Best and his personal guards held Ados back desperately, but at a heavy cost.

One by one, his brothers fell down, and Best himself was covered in injuries, in grave danger, and on the verge of collapse.

"I am coming!"

In the critical moment, a lithe figure charged into the encirclement like a tiger descending a mountain; it was Zhang Yuntian.

Although Zhang Yuntian's individual strength is slightly inferior to Athos, he relies on the tactical cooperation he has learned from his daily sparring with Alpha.

And the unspoken understanding between him and Best actually managed to block Ados's fatal blow.

The two joined forces and temporarily stabilized the situation, but the overall battle situation remained precarious.

The collapse of morale is a more terrifying weapon than swords; once the defenses crumble, it becomes a one-sided massacre.

……

In the east of the city, the seven members of Alpha were catching their breath in a dark alley corner.

The continuous high-intensity battles left even the most resilient knights feeling exhausted.

"Alpha, this can't go on." Knight King leaned against the wall, panting heavily.

Sweat mixed with blood slid down their cheeks. "If we don't get any rest, we'll be worked to death by these endless waves of enemies sooner or later."

Alpha wiped the blood off his face, his eyes unusually calm yet crazed.

His gaze swept over his brothers who had shared life and death with him, and a chilling smile appeared on his lips: "Since there's no way out, let's go to the safest place to rest—the Duke's mansion, how about it?"

"What? Go to Orlando's mansion?" Athena frowned upon hearing this, her eyes filled with worry. "That's a den of wolves and tigers. Not only is it heavily guarded, but it's also Orlando's lair. It's too risky."

“It’s precisely because everyone thinks it’s the most dangerous place that it’s the safest.” Alpha sneered, a sly glint in his eyes.

Moreover, this is the only "besieging Wei to rescue Zhao" strategy, and Alpha must consider all parties involved.

Alpha's biggest worry was that his brothers in the West City were about to collapse. Only by attacking the Templars' weak point—Duke Orlando—could they force Ados's army to retreat.

His gaze involuntarily drifted to the western night sky, where flames soared and shouts of battle could be faintly heard.

Old John, Best...

None of them were capable commanders, and the only talented general, Zaxi'er, was trapped in the east.

Alpha must use its seven members to change the course of the entire battle.

……

"It's terrible! Your Grace! Those seven madmen... they've attacked! They've already reached the inner city!"

Inside the makeshift camp in Orlando, the captain of the personal guard stumbled in, his face contorted with terror.

"What's the panic!" Orlando suddenly jumped up from the luxurious couch.

Although he scolded her verbally, his face turned deathly pale instantly.

He knew the fighting strength of Alpha's seven men well, and if he were to get entangled with them, he would likely be in grave danger.

Logically speaking, the Duke of Orlando has three thousand Templar Knights under his command, and now that he is launching a full-scale attack, he should need at least three Templar Knight commanders to be in charge.

But Orlando is extremely afraid of dying.

For his own safety, Orlando only sent one relatively weak knight commander, Ados, to the front lines.

The remaining five Templar Knights commanders were being gathered around the camp by him.

They formed an impenetrable wall of iron and copper, solely to protect his life.

"Give the order! Have those five Templar Knights take my place! Anyone who dares to let those seven madmen within a hundred paces of me, I'll slaughter their entire family!" Orlando roared hysterically, his obese body involuntarily shrinking back.

A shocking assassination attempt targeting the Duke of Orlando is being launched by the Alpha Seven in a near-suicidal manner.

"You bunch of defeated soldiers dare to talk about assassinating the Duke? You're utterly ignorant and courting death!"

A Templar Knight commander clad in heavy armor, wielding a greatsword, stood atop the magnificent white marble steps of the Duke's mansion, looking down upon the seven Alphas.

The dozens of guards behind him drew their weapons in unison, their cold gleam reflecting in the gloomy rainy night, exuding a murderous aura.

Upon hearing this, Alpha not only did not get angry, but instead sheathed his longsword and revealed a "sincere" smile that was nauseating.

Alpha straightened his slightly disheveled collar and said loudly, "General, you are mistaken! How could we dare to assassinate His Excellency the Duke? We are... protecting the Duke!"

Alpha pointed to the dark depths behind him, which seemed poised to burst forth at any moment, his tone becoming grave and urgent: "You don't know, the Dark Knights outside have launched a full-scale attack on the Holy City, and the situation is extremely critical! His Excellency the Duke is a pillar of the Empire and of royal blood; his safety is a matter of life and death for the Empire. At this crucial juncture, we loyal knights must naturally stay by his side and protect him without leaving his side!"