I was a knight in the Middle Ages

Moonlight streamed through the carved window lattice into the bed curtains. Alpha gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind Rowling's ear, his warm breath brushing against her sweaty forehead.

"Tell me, what do you think is my true intention in leaving you to guard Constanta?" Alpha's fingertips traced the curve of Rowling's collarbone, carrying a certain elusive emotion.

Rowling propped herself up, the silvery moonlight casting a hazy glow on her wheat-colored skin.

Rowling pressed her cheek against Alpha's rapidly heaving chest, listening to his strong heartbeat: "The master repeatedly emphasized that the mithril veins in the mining city are the lifeline for maintaining our military..."

"Those can all be abandoned." Alpha suddenly tightened his arms, wrapping Rowling in his warm embrace.

"Compared to the ore beneath the earth, compared to this Black Sea port, your lives and the lives of your soldiers are irreplaceable treasures." Alpha's palm rested on the crisscrossing sword scars on Rowling's back, medals she earned during the Battle of Palamedes.

"If I had to choose between defending the mining city to the death and protecting you—" Alpha lowered his head and bit Lorraine's earlobe, "I would rather watch the entire mine sink to the bottom of the sea. If I really had to defend the mining city to the death, I would prefer to let Mu Nai stay."

The mournful cry of an owl echoed outside the window. Rowling's eyelashes cast a trembling shadow on Alpha's chest: "But you emphasized Constanta's strategic value so much at the meeting..."

"The strategic direction has never changed." Alpha flipped over and pinned Rowling beneath him, the moonlight slicing sharp lines across his angular profile.

"But the pirate alliance's spies have already infiltrated the Thracian coast, and the Ottoman Sultan's guard is also stirring in the Bosphorus. If the situation gets out of control, you must evacuate immediately with your core forces. Remember—" Alpha's thumb rubbed against Rowling's pale knuckles, "Only by preserving our lives can we ignite a prairie fire."

Rowling suddenly wrapped her arms around Alpha's neck, flipped him over, and pinned him down, her eyes gleaming with a defiant light: "Then you must promise me, sir, that no matter how dangerous the Greek battlefield may be, you must return alive to see me."

Rowling leaned down and kissed away the smile on Alpha's lips, her gesture carrying a hint of domineering possessiveness.

As the first rays of dawn pierced the thick fog over the Black Sea, the two sleeping in each other's arms remained entwined.

Outside the tent, the sounds of steel clanging in the mining city gradually merged with their synchronized breathing, as if foreshadowing the tide of reunion that would eventually come after this separation.

The midday sun scorched the railway tracks. Rowling stood on the observation deck of the armored train, letting the salty sea breeze lift her scarlet cloak.

The obsidian scale armor worn by the four thousand elite soldiers gleamed coldly in the sunlight, resembling a lurking steel dragon.

Rowling gently stroked the Starfall sword at her waist; the sapphire inlaid on the hilt reflected the arc where the sea and sky met in the distance.

The port of Constanta, which they were about to reach, was like a pearl covered in dust, waiting to be polished anew by the flames of war.

As the train disappeared into the winding coastline, Alpha turned its gaze to the towering clock tower of the mining city.

Phyllis, her knee-high boots clicking, hurried to catch up, the leather scrolls rustling in her arms: "Representatives of the six major powers are already waiting in the council chamber, but the Orff and Allison family's transport convoy..."

Phyllis lowered her voice, a wary glint in her emerald eyes. "Their convoy was always shrouded in black tarpaulin, and even the guards wore masks bearing the double-headed serpent emblem."

The crystal chandelier hanging from the dome of the council chamber sliced ​​the shadows of the crowd into fragmented spots of light.

Javier and Guston leaned back in their carved chairs, their gazes behind their gold-rimmed glasses scrutinizing Alfa like merchants appraising merchandise.

Behind them, attendants unfurled a scroll of parchment. The still-wet ink on the contract bore the Montgomery family's fleur-de-lis crest: "Twenty thousand tons of refined mithril, five hundred chests of Damascus steel. The Lord of Alpha may inspect the shipment at any time."

Suddenly, Frena stood up, her silk nightgown slipping off her shoulder to reveal the teeth marks on her collarbone that had not yet faded.

Frena pulled Alpha toward the secret room next door, her fingertips entwining Alpha's silver hair, her scarlet nails tracing Alpha's Adam's apple, leaving only Phyllis to entertain the others.

Inside the secret chamber, Frena's legs were wrapped around Alpha's waist. "My lord, the Menis mine you promised..."

Before he could finish speaking, the council chamber doors were suddenly kicked open, and a gust of wind carrying sand and dust swept into the chamber.

Twelve knights clad in black robes filed in, their cloaks embroidered with silver-threaded double-headed snakes that seemed to flick their tongues in the moonlight.

The air in the conference room suddenly froze.

Arroni Orff strode into the hall in heavy obsidian boots, his scarlet cloak fluttering behind him, and the emerald-inlaid scimitar at his waist reflecting a cold light.

Arony glanced around at the crowd, a disdainful smile playing on his lips: "The Thames' ledgers? Barlor's honey trap? Faced with overwhelming material superiority, they're nothing but child's play."

Javier slammed his crystal glass onto the sandalwood table, the spilled red wine splattering like blood across the contract: "Orf brat, don't think you can get something for nothing just because you've got Alisson involved!"

The Montgomery family representative also abruptly stood up, the clanging of their bronze armor creating a jarring sound, and the entire council chamber was filled with the tense atmosphere of impending conflict.

Phyllis's fingertips unconsciously caressed the sword hilt, and her jade earring swayed slightly with her breath.

Phyllis knew all too well the tricks of these nobles—the promised goods were likely mixed with rusty scrap iron and moldy grain.

When Arroni turned his gaze to her, the oppressive aura emanating from his amber eyes made even the usually composed female administrator tense up.

"We agreed that whoever contributed the most shares would get the most. Are you going back on your word?" Arlani's boot heel rolled over the mess on the ground, stopping in front of Phyllis. "Or is it, Lord Alpha's woman..."

The hidden door suddenly burst open, and Alpha, wearing a cloak embroidered with silver thread, slowly walked out with a smile on his lips.

Behind Alpha, Frena's face was flushed, the rose in her hair was askew, and her silk skirt hung down in disarray, as if she had just been through a fierce battle.

"Inspect the goods." Alpha's voice was like a blade of ice, "If even a single nail is missing, the Orff family will lose a corresponding share of their resources."

Arroni's pupils contracted sharply, and his Adam's apple bobbed with difficulty.

The black-robed knights behind Arlani unconsciously tightened their grip on their weapons, while Alpha had already drawn his sword, the blade precisely pressed against Arlani's neck: "Remember, in the mining city, my words are divine pronouncements."

Arroni abruptly ripped off the gold scarf around his neck, sparks flying as his jade cufflinks slammed against the table: "If you inspect this, you'll be making an enemy of the Orff family."

Arroni kicked over the carved chair, causing the crystal chandelier on the dome to clang. "Today, I'll show you the power of the Orff family!"

Phyllis immediately turned around, her leather whip cracking in the air.

Twelve guards clad in heavy black iron armor instantly formed a cone formation. Phyllis, in her knee-high riding boots, stepped over the broken porcelain on the ground, the flintlock pistol at her waist gleaming with a cold, eerie blue light in the shadows.

"Inspect the goods, or else it's not there. I'm the one who calls the shots here." Alpha stood in front of Phyllis.

As Phyllis led her guards out of the council chamber, Alpha's deep voice echoed behind her: "Check each box one by one."

The midday sun was so bright it was hard to open one's eyes, and the roar of the steam locomotive made the rails vibrate.

Phyllis raised her hand to shield her eyes from the bright light, her gaze sweeping over the twenty neatly arranged black carriages.

Dark red rust seeped from the gaps in the car body, and the double-headed snake emblem on the canvas emitted a pungent asphalt smell under the high temperature.

Phyllis drew her dagger and slashed open the tarpaulin, releasing a stench that mingled with swarms of mosquitoes and flies.

The wooden crates, which should have been filled with fine steel, were instead stuffed with gravel wrapped in sheepskin, and at the very bottom were even several swollen, greenish corpses.

In the shadows of the council chamber, Alpha twirled the gilded dagger in his hand, the cold light reflecting off the blade moving across Aroni's pale face.

As Phyllis leaned in to whisper the results of her examination, the corner of his mouth curled into a more dangerous smile: "It seems the Orff family's reputation is as worthless as those rotting corpses."

Before the words were even finished, the air was already thick with tension.

Aroni's knuckles were clenched white as he was about to lash out when a low chuckle suddenly came from the corner.

Isabella Klein, the new representative of the Allison family, rose gracefully, her black velvet skirt sweeping across the mess on the floor.

The noblewoman, veiled in pearls, held a diamond-encrusted cigarette to her lips, the smoke rings she exhaled tracing eerie shapes in the air: "Why is Lord Alpha in such a hurry to draw conclusions? The real goods are currently lying in my underground warehouse."

"Check again." Alpha slammed the dagger into the tabletop, the sap seeping from the wood grain resembling blood.

Phyllis's guards galloped away again, the sound of their hooves startling flocks of crows in the sky above the mining area.

As the setting sun stained the council chamber crimson, hurried footsteps approached from afar—Phyllis's cloak was stained with oil, yet she stamped the submitted list heavily.

Isabella slowly removed her gloves, revealing a jade snake bracelet wrapped around her wrist: "As agreed, 30% of the shares will be exchanged for the supplies in our warehouse."

Isabella's gaze swept over Aroni, whose face was ashen. "Some people always wear their ambition on their sleeves, forgetting that the true hunter always lurks in the shadows."

The parchment rustled in the candlelight, and as the six seals fell in succession, the power structure of the mining city was quietly rewritten.

Alpha gazed out the window at the winding railway tracks, where trains laden with mithril were setting off into the night.

Alpha knew that the real contest had only just begun—as the last batch of strategic supplies sailed toward Greece, the storm was already churning deep in the Black Sea at the port of Constanta.

In the dead of night, as the rain poured down, Mashu burst open the heavy oak gates of the lord's mansion. Rainwater trickled down her soaked cloak, leaving dark streaks on the marble floor.

The griffin emblem on Mashu's bronze bracers was still dripping with mud: "My lord! Romania has torn up the railway agreement. Their dragoons have blocked all the bridges along the Danube, forbidding our railway from crossing their land and our men from entering their heartland. They are only willing to cooperate at Black Sea ports."

Alpha's wolf-hair brush suddenly stopped, the ink staining the Balkan Peninsula on the strategic map into a dark patch.

Alpha knew that this was Romania's plan to have them guard the coastline, but Alpha's mind was elsewhere at the moment.

Alpha stared at the Bulgarian border markers, the candlelight flickering dangerously in his pupils: "What about Bulgaria?"

"Worse." Mashu opened the damp leather briefcase; bloodstains stained the yellowed letters. "The Third Prince, Hales, has been imprisoned for treason, and all the supplies and equipment we transported have been confiscated." Mashu's voice carried a hint of urgency. "Even the engineering team responsible for escorting them has been taken hostage by the royal family. They demand ten times the amount of supplies before they'll be released."

The meeting room fell into dead silence, with only the increasingly rapid rhythm of rain tapping on the windowpanes.

As Alpha stood up, his chainmail made a soft clanging sound. He reached out and wiped the ink off the map, as if trying to erase the crisis along with it.

"Prepare the horses. Take ten Shadow Knights and a thousand Berserker Knights, and march to Sofia tonight." Alpha suddenly grabbed Mash's shoulder, the force so strong that Mash groaned. "If Hales is willing to ally with us, we will rescue him at all costs; if he refuses to cooperate..." A flash of cold light, and a dagger was already pressed against Mash's throat. "Then let Bulgaria find a more obedient ruler."

Mashu's eyes gleamed with excitement as she straightened her back: "Yes, sir!"

"Stars!" Alpha pulled back the curtains, letting the scent of the downpour flood the room.

"Summon Phyllis, Mu Nai, and Kuntai to see me immediately. Tell them things have changed and we must alter our plans." Alpha gazed at the lightning-illuminated clouds outside the window, a cruel smile curving his lips.

The morning light pierced through the clouds, staining the stained glass windows of the council chamber blood red.

Alpha stood before the enormous Balkan map, its fingertips tracing the border between Bulgaria and Romania, as if trying to tear apart the rift of betrayal.

"The railway project is a pipe dream," Alpha said as he turned, the griffin emblem on his armor appearing menacing and terrifying in the light and shadow. "Our retreat is blocked by two iron curtains."

Phyllis took a half step forward, her leather gloves rubbing together with a soft rustling sound.

Phyllis unrolled a damp roll of parchment, on which the icons of the bridges along the Danube had been roughly crossed out in red ink: "Enemy cavalry have already deployed in the Carpathian Mountains. Even if we force our way through, supplies will be lost en route."

"So let's take a different route." Alpha's gaze fell on the Black Sea to the east of the map.

"Constantza Port will become our temporary warehouse. Phyllis, you will personally oversee the transfer of supplies, transforming each warehouse into a mobile fortress. Remember—" Alpha suddenly approached, his warm breath brushing against her ear, "The key is mithril magic crystal ore."

Phyllis gave an unorthodox military salute, her emerald earrings shimmering in the morning light: "I will not fail you!"

"Kuntai, your berserk knights will return with me to Greece." Alpha's gaze shifted to the silent, middle-aged general in the shadows. The general paused slightly in wiping his musket. "We need to raise our banners again in Thrace."

Alpha then looked at Mu Nai, who was leaning against a pillar. The silent knight was listening intently to Alpha's instructions: "You will lead five thousand elite troops to cover the rear and defend the mining city until the last cart of supplies is loaded onto the ship. Remember, once the supplies are transported away, retreating is not cowardice—"

Alpha drew his sword, the tip pointing to the sky, "for a more lethal counterattack."

A sudden clap of thunder boomed outside the window, making the small flag on the map tremble violently.

Mu Nai gripped the sword's blade, blood dripping from the edge: "I will never allow the enemy to occupy a single inch of the mining city's territory."