Masked Knight

Chapter 245: Underground Cave

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"Isn’t this a chariot?" Rody narrowed his eyes and looked at the King.

At that moment, Rody, the King, and Master Sith were standing inside the military training grounds at the palace in the underground cave.

The circular training grounds had a concave appearance. It was like an ancient wrestling ring. They were standing on a several-meters-high stone platform.

A stone gate at the side of the training grounds had slowly opened and a Sauron Army chariot had charged out. That chariot looked like the ones Rody had seen during the last war. Two tall horses covered with a thin layer of armor dragged a two-wheeled carriage made of ironwood. There were long sharp blades on both wheels of the carriage. When the wheels rolled, the blades would spin rapidly and kill the enemies close to it. There were three soldiers riding the carriage. One drove the carriage, the second held a shield and the third held a long battle-axe.

"Earl Rody must have already witnessed the power of a chariot?" The King smiled, seemingly proud of himself.

Rody looked at the King and whispered, "The chariot is outstanding, but the weakness is also apparent. It may successfully demonstrate its strength in an open field, but it is not invincible! This flashy chariot team can easily be beaten by well-trained infantries using proper methods!"

"Oh?" The King leisurely smiled.

Rody sighed. "The first one is the speed of the charge. The carriage has three fully armored soldiers with weapons and shields, along with armored horses. Such weight is a burden for the horses. As a result, the speed of the chariot’s charge is slower than a heavy cavalry! If I were the commander, I would use a light bow cavalry. Avoid direct assaults and alternately attack while retreating using their speed to maintain a distance to prevent close fights. At the same time, use the bow to kill the enemy..."

The King faintly said, "That is different! Your country’s Lightning God’s Whip is the most powerful and naturally takes pride in their own cavalry! However, my chariot is used to deal with the dwarfs! The dwarfs are short and are unsuitable to be cavaliers! In addition, as they are located in the inner sea, they lack horses. Even if they have the money to buy horses, it could not be raised in large numbers on the island. That is why your assumptions cannot be applied to the dwarfs!"

Rody frowned and continued, "Even if the dwarfs do not have excellent cavalries, their infantries will not have a hard time defeating the chariot if they have mastered the correct method of dealing with it."

The King gave an enigmatic smile as looked at Rody.

Rody pondered for a moment and whispered, "If I am the commander, I would order the soldiers to stick to the walls and defend it from the chariot. Naturally, this is not skill. Just give me a well-trained elite infantry and I would still be able to defeat the chariot!" He slowly said, "The chariot’s power relies on the sprint of the horses! I only need a team of excellent archers backing-up from behind with a round of arrows, shooting the horses instead of the soldiers. When one of the two horses pulling the chariot, is injured, the chariot will overturn. The chariot will be destroyed and the soldiers on it will perish." Rody paused for a moment and then he continued, "During an attack, even if you loosen your chariots’ formation, but as long as the horses of the front chariot are hit, the chariot will lose its power and block the chariots at the back. The whole formation will then crumble" After saying that, Rody sighed. "I do not need to let the soldiers die in vain. The archers will shoot the horses from afar. After killing the horses, the infantries will rush to the fallen chariot that can only wait to be slaughtered."

The King smiled. "In that case, Rody, why don’t you try?"

The King clapped his hands. A Guardian Knight appeared from the door behind him and immediately handed over a set of bow and arrows.

The King then stepped forward and waved his hand at the chariot below. The soldier shouted and swung his whip, initiating the chariot to run quickly on the training grounds.

Rody looked at the bow and arrow in his hands and looked startled. He then heard the King speak softly, "Why don’t you try it? Shoot the horse that is pulling the chariot."

Since the King requested him to shoot, Rody no longer hesitated and immediately shot an arrow at the horse. Rody’s archery was quite good. The power and accuracy of his arrow had achieved a certain level. Although he did not use any fighting energy, as soon as this arrow was shot out, a wind piercing sound was heard. The arrow had already pierced the back of the horse. The arrow had pierced the horse’s armor and stuck on its back in an askew position.

Rody was surprised that the horse he had shot did not whinny in pain. It continued to dash forward and ignore the injury in its body.

"You can continue to shoot!" The King’s eyes flashed with a trace of unusual brilliance.

Rody took a deep breath and took out four sharp arrows from the pouch at once. After that, his movements were like the wind as he shot the four arrows successively and all the shots accurately hit the horse.

The horse only neighed but did not fall. It did not even stagger as it continued to run forward at high speed.

"Preposterous!" Rody was surprised. When he saw the King’s mocking eyes, he quickly took out another sharp arrow.

Although Rody’s archery was not as good as Darke's, he had similarly undergone meticulous training. This time, Rody aimed at the head of the horse. The arrow flew out and struck its target. Finally, the horse could no longer endure. It staggered a few steps forward before it fell.

With the fall of one horse, the other horse could no longer pull the chariot. The fast-moving chariot then staggered as the wheels were lifted on one side. Fortunately, the soldier who was driving the chariot was prepared and the chariot did not overturn.

"How is it?" Although Rody had finally shot down the horse, the King smiled at Rody without any irritation.

Rody did not even feel the slightest joy of victory. He looked down for a moment and sighed. He then said, "I have lost!"

His last arrow had shot the horse in the head. During a high-speed charge, it would be difficult even for elite archers to shoot the horse in the head. Majority of archers would not have such skill.

Ordinary archers could only, at most, hit the body of the horse. However, that horse continued to run even after being hit by five arrows.

"This kind of horse is weird!" Rody thought. "If an ordinary army were to meet this group of chariots, the chariots will have long reached them even before the archers can shoot down the horses."

The King nodded as he looked at Sith, who gave a faint smile then said, "This kind of horse is different from the ordinary battle horse! Our sorcerers prepared a peculiar drug. This drug is mixed with the horses' feed and over long periods of time, these horses could no longer feel pain! They have a strong ability to resist attacks and can continue running even when they are struck by several arrows. The only drawback is that these specially bred horses can only live up to two years. We have already tested it many times!"

Rody closed his eyes, thinking for a moment before saying, "These special battle horses are really powerful. Perhaps only these battle horses could maximize the power of the chariots. However, even if the archers are unable to take down the chariots, there are still other ways."

Rody opened his eyes and looked at the drilling ground below. He then waved his hand and loudly said, "If a troop of high morale heavy infantry displays a dense battle formation and at the same time, the front row soldiers have the determination and are willing to die, then with the front row infantries holding shields while the row of soldiers behind them holding a special spear that is three to four meters in length, they can confront the charge of the chariots. Even if the chariots are able to break through the shield wall and the horses are not afraid of weapons, it does not mean that they cannot die. The spears can kill many of the horses. As long as the soldiers at the front are prepared to be killed or wounded, the chariots’ assault can be resisted!" Rody then slowly said, "As long as the chariots in front are blocked, the chariots at the back will not be able to proceed. Without the ability to charge, the chariots are just as useful as rotten wood."

"Well trained, high morale, faithful and willing-to-die soldiers…" the King muttered. He suddenly looked at Rody and smiled. "This kind of army which you just mentioned might exist in your country…but are there such army on the Roland Continent?"

Rody was at a loss for words...He had seen the strength of the coalition armies of the Roland Continent at the battlefields of Thunderous City and the Empire's northwest Pamir Plateau.

Truthfully speaking, other than the elite Holy Knights and the average Royal Knights of the Sauron Kingdom, Rody did not expect the armies of the other kingdoms of the Roland Continent to be well trained and to have high morale. Those who have a willing-to-die attitude would be even more unlikely.

The King happily looked at Rody’s reaction and said, "That’s right! If our chariot teams meet your distinguished country’s elite infantries or cavalries, we may not be able to win. However, it is strong enough to go win some in the Roland Continent." He then smiled and said, "I am very clear that this chariot team is not able to win against the Holy Knights. However, my objective is not to deal with the Holy Knights! My hypothetical enemy is the army of the dwarf kingdom!"

"Oh?" Rody frowned. He had never seen a dwarf before and was ignorant of their army.

The King smiled and said, "I can at least guarantee that the army of the dwarf kingdom may merely be well-trained and have high morale, but they absolutely will not able to be like what you said 'willing-to-die'!"

Rody’s eyes shined as he asked, "Why?"

The King lightly said, "That is because they are too rich!"

The King looked at the chariot below him as if spellbound then he continued, "The dwarfs have been trading ironwood for several hundred years and have earned a fortune! Hundreds of years ago, the dwarfs were very strong, and they dared to fight against the coalition armies of the Roland Continent. But now, their guts have been replaced by their heavy purse. A rich man will not dare to risk his life fighting with others!" The King, seemingly smiling, said, "The army of the dwarf kingdom is well equipped. The salaries of their soldiers are high and amongst the most well paid in the Roland Continent! However, an army recruited with money would not have strong combat effectiveness! Earl Rody, I am sure you understand what I am saying!"

The King suddenly smiled and pulled Rody’s hand as he said, "Well, there is nothing left to see here. I will take you to see something else."

The two of them then left using the door behind them. They were only followed by Sith. The three of them re-entered the palace.

After walking through several arched doorways, the three of them stood in front of the two closed slabs of the huge stone door.

It was silent around the palace and there was no human voice at all. Everyone seemed to move around quietly in that place. Without the King's order, it seemed like everyone would be invisible.

"Where is this place?" Rody asked as he looked at the stone door in front of him. There was a relief at the door. The relief was carved in the shape of a long sword with an olive leaf beside it.

The King seemed to notice Rody's astonishment, so he laughingly said, "This relief is the symbol of the Royal Family of Shaka. It means, 'the ultimate purpose of the sword is to bring peace'!"

Rody sighed and said, "There is some truth in this sentence."

The King then said, "This stone door has been here since the beginning of the construction of this place. Behind this stone door are the records left behind by the Royal Family of Shaka Empire. Only members of the Royal Family can enter this place. Even Sith has never been in there! I can tell you that behind this stone door is the recorded history of the rise and the fall of the Shaka Empire!"

Rody’s heart throbbed eagerly. The rise and fall of the Shaka Empire?

Was that truly the truth of the obliterated history?

The King nodded with a serious expression and earnestly looked at Rody. He said, "Originally, in accordance with the rule of the ancient Royal Family, outsiders are not allowed in here! However, the situation now is different! The Temple persistently pressured us and has pushed the entire Roland Continent into a dangerous situation. If the Sauron Kingdom fails, then the last spark of the Shaka Empire will be completely extinguished! So today, I would like to invite Earl Rody to join me and witness the ‘real history’!

Rody could clearly feel Sith’s expression change. However, the King sternly shook his head at him.

"So, Earl Rody, I welcome you as the first guest of the Royal Family of Shaka Empire for the first time in a thousand of years!" The King then made a gesture.

Rody took a deep breath. With some expectations, he stretched out his hands to push the two doors in front of him...

While Rody nervously pushed open the door that concealed the real history, at the surface of the earth one hundred meters above him, a light carriage passed through the city gate and slowly entered the city.

The soldiers guarding the gate checked the other party according to the customary clearing procedure and collected a certain amount of tax based on the common standards of Sauron Kingdom before they allowed the carriage to enter the city.

The carriage followed the wide streets as it headed straight towards the palace.

It was daytime, and the streets were full of pedestrians. The carriage was moving along the busiest street. The window of the carriage was then pushed open and a rather sweet and charming voice came from within the carriage.

The owner of the voice sighed and said, "I did not expect this place to be busier than last time. King Sauron is really not an ordinary person. All along the journey, it seems the Royal Family of the Sauron Kingdom is very popular with the people.

There seemed to be another person inside the carriage. A rough voice then responded, "How come I cannot see anything different?"

The flirtatious voice seemed to laugh and whispered, "You have never come to the Roland Continent before. Naturally, you will not understand." She then sighed and said, "Right now, war may break out anytime between the Temple and the other kingdoms. The tax for entering the city just now is much higher compared to the tax I paid last time. Obviously, Sauron Kingdom has raised the taxes to accumulate wealth in preparation for war! Under such circumstances, can you feel the prelude of war? Even after increasing the taxes, did you hear any dissatisfaction with the Royal Family all along our way here? In such a situation, King Sauron can still have popular support for his people shows that King Sauron is not a simple man."

The carriage gradually passed through the long road to approach the palace. However, it then turned into a fork road and so it went towards a solitary Summer Palace next to the Palace.

Before the carriage reached the door of the Summer Palace, a group of Royal Knights approached the carriage. The leading officer of the group shouted at the carriage to stop. He then knocked on the window and exchanged a few words with the people inside the carriage. After that, the officer immediately showed a respectful expression and took his subordinates to lead the carriage towards the door of the Summer Palace.

Moments after that, the main door of the Summer Palace opened. The Crown Prince of Sauron Kingdom, Aven, walked out wearing a shining knight’s armor. There was sweat on his forehead and his face was red as if he had just had intense exercises. A few soldiers beside him dressed in an officer's uniform also had a similar appearance and sweating face. It was obvious that they had been training together.

The servant bowed and opened the door of the carriage. Instantly, a pair of white legs stepped out from the door of the carriage, followed by an impressive figure. That woman had curly hair. Her proud figure stuck out through her thin tight-fitting dress. The hems of her skirt were much shorter than the average ceremonial dress exposing her pair of slender thighs. She smiled at the Crown Prince as she got down the carriage. Her skirt gave a very captivating sight with every step she took.

"Miss Nedis!" The Crown Prince did not seem to show much reaction to her charm. He still maintained a friendly smile. "I did not expect a noble guest like you to visit me today!"

Nedis gave a shallow smile. However, her fluttering eyes seemed to steal the soul of all the nearby men. She smiled with pursed lips and whispered, "Your Highness, I have come bringing you a few good gifts. I got some good wine from the southern continent. Besides dealing with some business matters, I have come to the Sauron Kingdom this time to bring you these gifts."

At that moment, another person walked out of the carriage. The face of this tall and sturdy person was full of beard. His pair of eyes were like lightning. He wore a simple attire. It was Darke!

However, Darke did not carry his signature longbow behind him.

Nedis smiled and said, "Your Highness, I also brought you a noble guest…This is my good friend, Mister Darke. I know that Your Highness is interested in martial arts. This person, Mister Darke, is a master of archery!"