Slime Immortal.

Chapter 216 Fame
White Horse Kingdom, Storm Territory.

In preparation for the upcoming autumn, the homing pigeons in Whitehorse Greyston have donned a thick coat of grey feathers.

It flapped its wings vigorously, flying over the boundless Golden Rice Plain, leaving a tiny moving gray dot in the azure sky.

After crossing a birch forest, the carrier pigeon found Arthur and his two companions camping and resting on a grassy field beside a babbling brook.

As dawn broke, Count Bran, perched on Arthur's shoulder, was dozing off, his little head drooping little by little. But he was soon awakened by the sound of the "uninvited guest's" flapping wings.

It shook its head, wide awake, and when it saw the gray pigeon trying to land, it instantly became alert, its dark eyes filled with scrutiny.

It kicked Arthur's helmet with its paw, making a soft warning sound.

Before Arthur could even ask, Grann had already taken the initiative, extending his arm so that the grey dove could land steadily on the leather sheath on his forearm.

With an apologetic smile, he explained to the wary Earl Bran and the looking-over Arthur:
"Your Excellency need not worry, this is merely a messenger sent to deliver a message."

After saying that, he skillfully removed the metal cylinder tied to the gray pigeon's ankle and pulled out a rolled-up piece of paper.

Then he squinted, lowered his head, and carefully read in the gradually brightening morning light.

A few seconds later, when he looked up again, his eyes showed a hint of undisguised surprise.

He looked at Arthur and Calvin, who had been resting with his arms crossed and eyes closed, and said, “According to the news we just received, your territory seems to be launching a large-scale attack on the Underdark and has successfully captured the outpost ruins camp.”

"Regarding such a significant military operation, it seems that neither of you has revealed anything to me."

Upon hearing this, Calvin slowly opened his eyes, a hint of surprise also appearing deep within them.

To be honest, they had been away from the swamp for some time and had no idea that such a big thing had happened in the kingdom.

However, he remained outwardly calm, pretending to be silent as if he had tacitly agreed, while secretly contacting the slime in his chest to inquire about the authenticity of the information.

Soon after, Chen Yu's consciousness returned through a distant connection, and the slime slowly opened its small eyes, its gaze filled with surprise.

"The news of the operation within the kingdom has reached Stormlands so quickly?"

Keep in mind that from the time they assembled and set off until they ventured deep into the Dark Lands and captured the Great Valley, only two or three days had passed at most.

The fact that this guy could receive the news so quickly in Storm Territory, far from the border, suggests that the intelligence network behind him, that prince, is far larger and more efficient than he imagined.

“Calvin, sound him out about this matter.”

Calvin received the message, nodded slightly, and slowly said, "Do we need to report to you in advance for our actions?"

Upon hearing this, Grann immediately raised his hands, a helpless smile on his face, and quickly explained:

“Mr. Calvin, you misunderstand. I did not mean to interrogate you.”

"On the contrary, the unrest in the Underdark is actually a good thing for our plans."

He picked up a fallen twig and drew a few simple lines on the soft, muddy ground, sketching a makeshift map, and explained:
"Storm Territory is located on the southeastern edge of the Underdark. It can be said that the Underdark is the most important and most secretive channel for the demonic forces entrenched in the Goldenglow Valley to communicate with certain 'parasites' within the kingdom."

“As long as the Underdark falls into chaos, this passage will be effectively cut off. They will be unable to obtain accurate intelligence in a timely manner and will be unable to coordinate their actions, allowing our ‘cleanup’ operation to proceed more smoothly.”

"However... this is only the most optimistic view."

Upon hearing this, Earl Bran lowered his voice and whispered in Arthur's ear, "Look, look! This guy's tone is exactly the same as Calvin's, always mixing in a few unpleasant words after the nice ones, deliberately keeping me in suspense."

The soul flame beneath Arthur's helmet flickered slightly, and he asked in a hoarse voice, "So... what would be the worst-case scenario?"

Grann used the twig to draw three more gradually narrowing semicircular arcs on the ground.

"The Greystone Barrier, the last line of defense that vampires relied on to protect themselves from enemies, has indeed played its due role in history."

"It not only held back the Kingdom's regular army that attempted to conquer the Underdark decades ago, but even the orc tribes that raided south during the harsh winters were helpless against this fortress."

"Of course, the vampires of today have long lost the glory of their ancestors. Without the extraordinary, they have theoretically lost the possibility of resisting the kingdom."

"If it weren't for the parasites within the kingdom relying on the chaos and secrecy of the Underdark to secretly contact the demons of the Golden Valley, thus hindering the passage of the new punitive expedition proposal, and the fact that the Underdark itself is indeed barren and desolate, lacking any value for occupation... it would probably have been incorporated into the kingdom's official territory long ago."

"In the most optimistic scenario, your army might be able to besiege this fortress for several months, or even hold out until next spring."

"But in the worst-case scenario, you might be attacked by the vampires and their goblin legions, or even besieged by the border guards, and ultimately forced to retreat back to the swamp."

Calvin raised an eyebrow slightly upon hearing this: "So you're saying you don't believe we have the ability to break through the Graystone Barrier?"

Grann smiled faintly and said objectively and rationally:

“Mr. Calvin, you should ask yourself. You should know better than me the configuration and strength of a complete regular army of the White Horse Kingdom, and you should be able to objectively assess what kind of power is needed to break through such an ancient fortress that has withstood countless battles.”

Calvin fell into a brief silence.

He was well aware that the White Horse Kingdom had dispatched six regular legions during its last large-scale campaign decades ago in order to completely resolve the troubles of the Dark Lands.

Each legion had a maximum of 10,000 elite soldiers and a minimum of 2,000, equipped with a large number of siege weapons and accompanying mages.

That expeditionary force included one legion commander of the extraordinary rank, dozens of elite-level commanders and knights, and hundreds of officers and elite soldiers at the professional level.

Even with such a star-studded lineup, they were unable to truly break through that barrier back then.

While the vampires' extraordinary abilities certainly played a part, the Graystone Barrier itself undoubtedly played a crucial role.

Although the vampires have declined, that barrier still stands, and for the slime legion, which lacks heavy siege equipment and experience, it is indeed an insurmountable chasm.

Grann's judgment, based on history and reality, is not without reason.

Even Calvin couldn't help but feel worried about the war there.

But their primary task now is to retrieve the Crown of Ignis, not to return to the war.

There's no point in worrying here; we should hurry and find Bailey as soon as possible.

Calvin stood up and began to neatly tidy up the kettle and luggage on the floor.

"Let's leave this topic at that. Time will tell. It's getting late, we should get going." Grann stood up, looked up at the sky that had just cleared of the morning mist, and patted the dew off his clothes with a hint of helplessness: "Mr. Calvin, the sun has only just come out."

"But don't worry, at our speed, we should be able to reach Baron Langdon's territory before noon today."

“Baron Langdon is one of His Highness’s staunch supporters, and his territory is the closest noble territory to Shield River. He has arranged everything for us and can help us sneak into the city without being seen by certain people.”

“Shield River City…” Calvin repeated the name in a low voice, a complex look in his eyes.

It's truly something to miss...

This city, one of the largest in the border region, was once the main garrison of the border legion and the training ground for knights where he and Arthur spent several years.

"Do you know Baron Langdon?" Grann asked emphatically.

Arthur mounted his horse and searched his fragmented memories, but found no information about this "Baron Langdon".

Calvin frowned slightly and asked, "The kingdom has not carried out large-scale expansion for a hundred years, and there are very few new nobles who have expanded. I have only been away for a little over ten years. When did Storm Territory gain a new Baron Langdon?"

Grann rode ahead on horseback, leading the way, and then turned back to explain, "It's normal that you haven't heard of it; a lot has changed within the kingdom over the years."

“As some long-standing noble families gradually pass away, fresh blood will naturally take their place.”

"But please rest assured, this Baron Langdon shares our ideals and is determined to purge the corrupt forces within the kingdom."

“He has passed His Highness’s rigorous tests and is a trustworthy ally.”

Calvin remained silent, his face still cold and stern.

He certainly wouldn't be so foolish as to completely lower his guard just because Grann said he was "trustworthy".

But this is indeed the only clue they have to find Bailey's whereabouts, so they have no choice but to go and see what happens.

With his and Arthur's strength, as long as they don't encounter any extraordinary beings, they can easily deal with any ambushes.

How could I be so unlucky as to run into an extraordinary being as soon as I entered Storm Territory?

But just in case, he still asked Chen Yu for his opinion in a low voice.

Chen Yu thought for a moment. Although the appearance of Baron Langdon was somewhat abrupt, it seemed that the forces behind Grann were only trying to use Arthur and his group.

Moreover, this is indeed a rare clue.

"You can try to make contact first, but it's best to remain vigilant."

He always felt that the situation in Shield River City was probably more complicated than Grann had described.

Perhaps he needs to make more preparations in advance.

Furthermore, it is currently unknown what the royal family of the White Horse Kingdom thinks about the sudden appearance of a slime kingdom on the border.

Instead of passively waiting for others to react, or even sending troops into the swamp, it's better to take the initiative and plan ahead.

As he pondered, a plan gradually became clear in his mind.

We can send some monsters skilled in disguise and infiltration to secretly infiltrate the White Horse Kingdom. On the one hand, this will establish a preliminary intelligence network to monitor the movements of all parties. On the other hand, it will also provide timely support to Arthur and Calvin when necessary.

Grann seemed unconcerned by the silence and wariness of the two behind him, and continued to ride leisurely along the gravel path by the stream.

Time passed slowly amidst the sound of horses' hooves.

As the sun rose higher and became scorching, the stream, which was only a few meters wide before, had grown into a river more than ten meters wide.

On both banks of the river, large patches of rush swayed in the breeze, making a rustling sound.

In the distance, you can already see waterwheels slowly turning with the water flow, making a "creaking" sound—those are the mills commonly seen in villages and towns.

Further into the woodland, there appeared to be a clearing planted with golden wheat and fruit trees laden with unripe fruit.

Beyond the farmland, the outlines of some buildings could be faintly seen in the distance—white tombstones in the village cemetery, and simple wooden huts where hunters and lumberjacks lived…

These buildings are scattered in a staggered manner, like stars surrounding the moon, around a small castle with a pointed roof built on a gentle slope.

"arrive."

Grann reined in his horse and pointed to the view ahead, saying, "This is the territory of the Baron Langdon I mentioned before."

"If you continue along this road for about half a day, you'll reach Shield River City."

He nimbly dismounted, took the reins, and said, "Let's visit Mr. Langdon first. He will provide us with the necessary assistance and help us find a way to sneak into Shield River City without being seen by those people's spies."

Arthur and Calvin dismounted and followed silently behind him, their eyes constantly scanning their surroundings—the roads, farmland, woods, and the quiet castle in the distance.

Count Bran, perched on Arthur's shoulder, nervously shook his dark feathers, leaned close to Arthur's ear, and whispered suspiciously:

“My loyal squire, this place seems a bit too quiet. It’s almost noon and there’s not a single person working in the fields.”

Upon hearing this, Arthur calmly replied in a low voice, "Is the Earl worried that Grann is deceiving us?"

"Gah! I never said that!" Count Bran quickly covered Arthur's helmet with his wings, as if that would shut him up.

It nervously looked around, lowering its voice even further: "Ahem... Anyway, judging from my keen intuition honed by years of experience, there's an aura of misfortune permeating this place."

It flapped its wings and made a decision: "You all follow this guy first, this Earl will fly ahead and check the situation."

Without waiting for Arthur's response, Count Bran flapped his wings and darted into the woods by the roadside, disappearing instantly into the dense foliage.

Grann looked up in the direction where Earl Bran had disappeared, but his face didn't show much surprise. He simply assumed that it was a reconnaissance unit sent out by Calvin out of caution.

However… his gaze swept over the unusually tranquil territory before him once more, and he frowned slightly.

He always felt that the situation here was not what he had imagined.

(End of this chapter)