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Moreover, the Southern Frontier had endured years of warfare, rampant looting, and mountain bandits and robbers Causing trouble. So, it was essential to have a strong military presence to maintain order and allow the appointed officials to govern effectively.
“Enough! I won’t wait any longer, Louis.” Timothy devised a compromise. “How about we split into teams of ten and cross the grassland that way? Do you think it will work?”
Louis considered the plan. “Alright, we’ll send out ten teams of ten men each to cross the grassland in shifts toward Crow Mountain. You stay here to guard, and I’ll go.”
“No, I’ll go.” Timothy placed a hand on Louis’ shoulder, his expression serious and solemn. “Even though His Highness didn’t tell me much, he looked at me several times when he mentioned going to rescue Septimus. I suspect that Septimus is actually the eleventh son of my family, Thomas.”
Louis looked at him in shock. “Do you also think so? Don’t get your hopes up too much.”
When the two kingdoms exchanged prisoners, Louis and Thomas had hoped to see their own relatives. They had eagerly identified the prisoners one by one. However, Louis didn’t find Felix, and Timothy didn’t find Thomas.
They joined in the laughter and celebration, welcoming the returned prisoners with joy. As leaders of the Devin Army, they embraced everyone, offering encouragement and toasting with them.
But once they turned away, their tears were unstoppable. That night, neither Louis nor Timothy could sleep.
After experiencing such disappointment, Louis was hesitant to hope. Felix wasn’t of the Quinton family by blood, but having served under Hector together, their bond was even stronger than that of brothers. Perhaps it was because the two of them were the only ones in the Quinton family who had served in the army, making their connection all the more special.
–
In the end, Louis and Timothy decided to go together.
After all, their troops were stationed here and hadn’t crossed the border nor entered the grassland tribes’ territory. Only a hundred soldiers in teams of ten would be going in.
As expected, passing the grassland in small groups didn’t draw the attention of the grassland sentries. They reached the top of Crow Mountain, and waited there. Although Crow Mountain was vast, they occupied the high ground and could see any movement from afar. They couldn’t just rush down blindly, as Crow Mountain was divided between Sandoria and the grasslands, and a misstep could lead to conflict.
They knew this, so they left some people behind to keep watch and call for help if needed. Then, Louis and Timothy continued on with a dozen or so people.
Meanwhile, Rafael and his group had already reached the base of Crow Mountain. Once they crossed it, they would be on the grassland. They were only a small group of people entering the grassland, which wouldn’t attract the attention of the grassland tribes. Also, Victor would surely not dare to follow.
They had been running without a break. Rafael managed to endure, but the others were struggling. They were so tired that their legs were shaking.
Moreover, a few had been injured during the rescue. Thomas could still walk at first, though he was slow and needed some support. But eventually, he had to be carried.
Although Rafael was not injured, he had exhausted much of his inner force during the skirmish with the garrison troops at Sandoria’s border city and had yet to recover.
Except for Everett, everyone was exhausted. They needed a brief rest before climbing Crow Mountain.
However, they had barely rested for a short while when Everett suddenly stood up. He closed his eyes to listen for a moment, and then said, “They’re almost here. That was fast. It must be Victor’s elite troops. We must ascend the mountain immediately.” Rafael took out a vial of medicine, poured a few pills, and handed them to the injured to swallow.
His current concern was Lawrence. Throughout the escape, Lawrence’s condition had worsened. His breathing had weakened, and his wounds showed signs of redness and pus. There was some slight improvement since his rescue, and it was thanks to Sebastian’s medicine.
Rafael gently patted his face. “Lawrence, we need to move on. I’ll carry you. You must hold on. Your wife is still waiting for you in the capital. You can’t leave her waiting in vain.”
Hearing the mention of his wife, Lawrence’s eyes fluttered open slightly. He looked weakly at Rafael, and said, “I… I’m a burden…”
Seizing the opportunity while he was speaking, Rafael crushed the medicine and forced it into Lawrence’s mouth. “I’ll carry you. We’re moving now.”
Rafael hoisted Lawrence onto his back. Lawrence’s tears fell on Rafael’s back, his voice faint as a whisper. “If something…you have to…leave me behind.” Though his consciousness was fading, he was aware of the danger. If his presence jeopardized the escape of everyone, he wouldn’t find peace in death.
“Not a single person will be left behind!” Rafael said in a low voice, turning to look at the others who were supporting each other as they walked. We’re only one mountain away Once we cross this mountain, we’ll reach the grasslands, and Simonton City will be right in front of us. Do you want to return to your homeland? Do you want to see the Southern Frontier territory that we’ve reclaimed?”
Tears welled up in their eyes. “We even dream of it!”
Rafael nodded. “Good! Let’s go. Home is within sight.”
Crow Mountain was high and treacherous. Unlike the mountains they had climbed before, which had dense forests and undergrowth that could be cleared, this mountain was different.
The lower slopes were manageable, but the terrain became increasingly steep as they climbed higher. Above the halfway point, the cliffs were extremely steep and smooth, with only a few stubborn trees growing from cracks in the cliffs.
There was effectively no path through this section.
The cliff was at least 330 feet high, and they needed to climb over it to continue upward. Beyond the cliff, the path would still be difficult. However, they could still cut a way through. But this cliff was the obstacle that blocked their progress.
“We have iron hooks and ropes,” Tobias said.
Everett shook his head. “Those are useless. There are no protruding rocks, and the surface is so smooth that the Kooks can’t grip. We’ll have to scale it directly and use those small trees for leverage. But it your Lightfoot Skills aren’t sufficient. Only Rafael and I can managejt.”
Dylan studied the cliff face, and said, “I can do it too.”
If he could leap up and grab hold of the small trees, he could use them to climb further. It would be difficult, but he believed he could do it.
Jacob was proficient in Lightfoot Skill, and added, “I can do it as well.”
There was no time to hesitate their pursuers were close behind.
Everett and Rafael exchanged a glance. Even if it was stupid and risky, there was only one method they could use flying while carrying their burdens.
Dylan and Jacob could fly on their own, but the other eleven men needed to be carried. That meant Everett and Rafael needed to do at least five or six trips back and forth. Under extreme fatigue and with their internal force severely depleted, it was a life-threatening task.
“Sir, I’m truly sorry for the trouble,” Rafael said, his eyes full of remorse.
Everett sighed. “You’re my only apprentice, and you’ve married the most troublesome girl in all of Meadow Ridge. If I don’t feel for you, who will?”
Rafael wanted to say he was happy, but under his master’s compassionate gaze, he swallowed his words. They would just have to carry their burdens. He knew that his master had a stubborn streak-if Everett disagreed with Rafael, the former would have made it clear. There was no more time for words. Rafael first carried Felix, while Everett took Thomas. The remaining people attended to Lawrence, and would wait for their return.
Rafael instructed Felix, “Hold on tight. Don’t move except for breathing.”
Felix nodded and clung tightly to Rafael’s neck. Immediately, he felt herself lift off the ground, soaring toward the cliff face.
Rafael managed to grasp one of the small trees, but he couldn’t rely entirely on it for support. After all, he still needed to repeat a few trips. He used his knees to brace against the cliff, searching for footholds but finding none. He shifted sideways, finding just a tiny protrusion to hold onto.
He used that leverage to climb further, but this time he had to angle to the left to grab another small tree. As he reached out, those below held their breath in fear, their hearts in their throats.
From below, the angle made it look like Rafael was dangerously close to missing his mark-but he managed to hold on.
The group’s anxiety slowly began to ease as Rafael secured his hold.
Everett took a different route. In essence, it was just using a different set of small trees. No one knew how deeply their roots were planted, or if they could not withstand repeated strain. Everett’s path was even more perilous, being steeper and riskier-one wrong move, and he might fall.
Scott patted his chest, and wiped the sweat from his brow. “Oh my god, this is so dangerous.”
Everyone held their breath, not daring to make a sound. When Scott spoke, their tension only increased, eyes fixed on the scene with unwavering focus.