Chapter 754:The Past 2

Chapter 754: 754:The Past 2

Back then, Arcadia had only recently been formed, and it was surrounded by trouble from every side. The Empire refused to accept its independence and constantly placed pressure on its borders. Armies were stationed near important regions, and small clashes happened almost every day.

Inside Arcadia, the situation was not any better.

Countless rebellion forces were hiding beneath the surface. Some nobles refused to accept the new ruling family, while others wanted to take control of the newly formed nation for themselves. Bandits occupied roads and villages. Some cities lacked food, while others struggled with a shortage of weapons and soldiers.

There were also people who had lost their homes during the war and had nowhere to go.

The newly formed government had barely enough resources to maintain its army, and many regions were still recovering from the destruction caused by the previous conflicts.

Arcadia was surrounded by enemies.

It was struggling to stand.

And during those difficult days, Lancelot was not Duke Lancelot.

He was simply known as Lancelot.

It was not a noble name or a family name. It was a position given to people of the lowest status, almost like calling someone a slave. People like him had no title, no powerful family and no rights that could protect them.

Lancelot had been born beneath even the ordinary commoners and had spent most of his childhood working the land.

At the age of twelve, he was already helping his family in the fields. His hands were rough from working the soil, and his body was often exhausted before the day even ended.

Then one afternoon, while returning from the fields, he heard an announcement.

The newly formed army was recruiting soldiers.

Because of the constant wars, there was always a shortage of soldiers. The army had no choice but to recruit people from almost anywhere. They did not care much about their background or even their potential.

They were simply hoping to find a miracle among them.

If they recruited a thousand people and only a hundred proved useful, they would consider it worthwhile.

As for the remaining nine hundred...

No one cared about them.

Lancelot was one of those young men who decided to take the chance because at the very least he was promised to have his belly filled.

He joined the army with the hope of gaining a foothold in life.At first, he was nothing more than another foot soldier.

He carried a simple weapon and wore armor that barely fit him. His first battles were frightening. He saw men who had been standing beside him only moments earlier fall to the ground.

But Lancelot did not run.He followed orders.He trained whenever he had time.

He slowly learned how to fight, how to survive and how to work with the people around him.

His performance eventually caught the attention of his superiors.

He was promoted from a foot soldier to a squad leader.

Then he became a lieutenant.Years passed, and his experience continued to grow.

He fought in villages, forests, mountains and ruined cities. He traveled through different parts of Arcadia and saw the problems of the country with his own eyes.

He saw starving families.He saw burned villages.He saw children searching through destroyed houses for their parents.

He saw soldiers who continued fighting even when they had almost nothing left.

Yet what could he do?

He was only a soldier.

All he could do was follow orders and protect the people in front of him.

Eventually, Lancelot became a captain.

By then, he had gathered a small group of soldiers who trusted him completely. They had fought together for years, and each man knew how the others moved in battle.

They were not just soldiers anymore.

They were brothers who had survived countless battles together.

The days were difficult, but they were also fulfilling.

Lancelot had started with nothing, yet he had slowly earned everything through his own hands.

Then one day, his life changed.

He was leading his men through a forest when the distant sound of fighting reached his ears.

Lancelot immediately raised his hand.

"Stop."

The soldiers behind him halted.

He narrowed his eyes and listened.

The sound of weapons clashing continued in the distance.

"Hide. Don’t make a sound."

His men quickly moved behind the trees and rocks.Lancelot crouched down and carefully looked ahead.

What he saw made his expression change.

A carriage was surrounded by people dressed in dark assassin-like clothing.

There were dozens of them.

They were attacking from every direction.

A group of knights was desperately protecting the carriage, but they were clearly being overwhelmed.

Steel clashed and blood splattered across the ground.

One knight blocked an attack before another assassin struck him from behind.

He collapsed without making another sound.

Another knight charged forward and cut down two enemies, only to be surrounded by several more.

Lancelot’s grip tightened around his weapon.

This was not a simple robbery.

Someone had organized this attack.The battle became more violent as the knights slowly lost ground.

Then Lancelot saw one of the knights suddenly break through the attackers.

He was carrying someone in his arms.

The person looked extremely frail.

The knight staggered toward their position while blood covered his armor.

Lancelot’s men immediately raised their weapons.

The injured knight suddenly appeared in front of them.

He looked at Lancelot with desperate eyes.

"It’s Crown Prince Alaster. Please protect him. I will hold them back."

The words struck everyone like thunder.

Crown Prince Alaster.

The Crown Prince of Arcadia.

Someone who stood above millions of people was being hunted like an ordinary man.

Lancelot’s soldiers looked at one another.

Fear spread across their faces.

They were only a small group of soldiers.

How could they possibly protect the Crown Prince?

Lancelot also understood how dangerous the situation was.

But after looking at the frail young man in the knight’s arms, he made his decision.

"Protect the Crown Prince!"

His men hesitated for only a moment before following his order.

They surrounded Alaster and began retreating toward their camp.The injured knight turned back toward the assassins.

He knew what he had to do.

He raised his weapon and charged back into the battle alone.

Lancelot did not look back.

He led his men through the forest while protecting the Crown Prince.

But reaching the camp was not easy.

The assassins continued chasing them.

One soldier fell followed by another.

Lancelot tried to keep his formation together, but the enemy continued attacking from different directions.

By the time they finally reached the camp, several of his men were dead.