Chapter 100: Close Quarters Combat

"Did you hear anything just now?" Edith asked Brian, who was directing the soldiers to set up the defense line at the bottom of the cave.

"Sound?" Brian stopped what he was doing and looked around with a puzzled expression. "No, Edith xiaojie, I didn't hear any other sounds besides the water."

"Is that so?" She frowned. "Did I hear it wrong?"

"What kind of sound was it?"

"Like a horn, very turbid... very close to the sound of water," Edith paused. "It seemed to come from the south."

That was the direction the witches were exploring – the turbulent underground river flowed from north to south, disappearing into the dark cave. Although strange glowing plants grew on both banks, they couldn't illuminate too far. The entire waterway was like an entrance to the abyss, swallowing everything she saw.

"Well... I think it might be an illusion caused by being deep in the snow-capped mountains, unable to see the sky, and even lacking firelight." Brian gave a considerate smile. "It's normal for you to feel nervous, especially for someone who hasn't been on the battlefield. If you feel uneasy, you can return to the entrance of the passage with Maggie xiaojie later."

Familiar expression, and familiar words... Edith was not surprised by the firearms battalion commander's words. Although she was wearing light leather armor and a helmet, and a sword hung at her waist, most people still regarded her as an observer sent by the City Hall, or... a pearl-like woman, as her title suggested, beautiful and fragile. Because of this, concern and flattery were very common.

But they didn't understand that the pearls produced by the Northern Giant Clam were all soaked in blood.

The blood of fish, the blood of aquatic beasts... even the blood of fishermen.

That's why they can grow so huge, giving birth to round pearls the size of fists.

Perhaps the only one who ignored her appearance from the beginning, and even regarded her as an opponent, was Roland Wimbledon.

"Thank you, but it's better for me to stay here. If I run back alone, wouldn't that be a disgrace to His Majesty's City Hall?" However, Edith didn't reveal what she was thinking. She smiled and declined Brian's suggestion, and the smile made him slightly stunned. After a while, he turned his gaze away embarrassedly.

"I don't think His Majesty and Barov would mind..." Brian coughed twice. "I just don't quite understand, why did you follow the First Army to such a dangerous place?"

"That way you will trust me," Edith said frankly.

"Wh... what?"

"You should have heard about the Battle of Divine Will," she said frankly. "When a decisive battle that determines destiny arrives, His Majesty naturally cannot take care of all aspects of the battle. He needs many officials to assist him in commanding the army, and the army also needs people from the City Hall to provide logistics and security. At that time, will you trust an official who has fought side by side with you, or a guy who sits in the office and deals with manuscripts all day long?"

"..." Brian looked surprised and said after a moment of hesitation, "You really dare to say these things..."

Of course, Edith knew what he meant. Even a former patrol captain born and raised in a village could understand the meaning of these words. To put it nicely, it's called assisting in command, but to put it badly, it's called interfering in power. If it were any other lord, this would be absolutely intolerable, especially the knights under his command, who must be controlled by himself.

But now the number of the First Army has exceeded five thousand, and the Knights' approach is obviously too outdated – in fact, the Staff Department that His Majesty established is an organization between the army and the City Hall. The ultimate power still belongs to him, and the command will only be further spread. It was because she understood Roland Wimbledon's thoughts that Edith dared to say these words. She didn't intend to join the Staff Department, but just wanted to expand her influence as much as possible.

"If it were any other king, I wouldn't dare to, but His Majesty Roland is different..." she smiled. "You know, even the City Hall officials will have to participate in battles on the front line in the future before they are eligible for promotion. Since I said it in front of everyone, I have to set an example."

"His Majesty... he agreed?"

"No, it can only be said that he didn't object."

"Uh, doesn't that mean he agreed?" Brian asked puzzled.

"Politics can't be understood that way," Edith spread her hands. "Even a verbal promise may not count until it becomes a regulation, let alone silence."

"I see..." The firearms battalion commander couldn't help but sigh, "Politics is really complicated."

"You're right."

In addition, further approaching the witches, understanding their abilities and personalities, and getting along with them was also the purpose of this trip.

His Majesty undoubtedly devoted a lot of energy to the witches, and the construction of Neverwinter City is also inseparable from the witches. If you want to reach the top of power, you naturally need to win their support.

Currently, the plan is proceeding very smoothly. Probably because she is also a woman, she will not be repelled when contacting witches. This has become an obstacle for Barov.

"The next batch should be God's Punishment Witches, right?" Edith changed the subject.

"Well, it should be. Maggie xiaojie can only transport five or six people at a time. It will take at least ten trips to establish an outpost." Brian also cooperated and replied, "By the way, where do you think the second jiqiang should be placed?"

"A place with higher terrain... Well, I remember there seems to be a rocky area behind me..." As she turned to look at the cave behind her, a glowing plant seemed to be distorted, as if something had broken the stability of the air, and the scene became blurred.

What is it?

Before she could warn the First Army soldiers facing her, the air twisted violently again, and this time the ripples appeared behind the jiqiang team members.

With a soft swish, a soldier's head rolled down from his neck, his smile still frozen on his face.

"Enemy attack!" Edith shouted at this time, "The enemy is invisible!"

Almost as soon as the words fell, two more soldiers were pierced through the chest. The ripples were stained with a little red as blood splattered.

There's more than one!

Her mind raced, and she threw a bishou with one hand, straight towards the position where the first soldier fell. At the same time, she drew her sword and followed - when the bishou was knocked away by an invisible object, her long sword pierced into the root of the ripple from another angle.

Edith knew that if she retreated blindly, she would be sandwiched from the front and back – there was only one bonfire here, which was the only reliance to detect the enemy's movements. Without the fire, they would have no way to resist this almost invisible monster, so they must not run away easily!

While she could still roughly determine the enemy's location, offense was the only chance of victory!

A soft touch came from the tip of the long sword, as if it had pierced into flesh, which made Edith's heart rejoice.

She was right, whether it was a human or a beast, the connection between the weapon and the body must be a weakness – such as the hand holding the sword, and the end of the claw. Once injured, it would lose its ability to attack in a short time.

As Edith was about to retreat, a gust of wind swept towards her from the other side, so fast that she felt a chill on her face.

Damn it, this guy actually has two weapons?

Years of fighting experience made her subconsciously let go of the right hand holding the sword and rolled to the ground. Something seemed to brush past the back of her head, and a head of long hair suddenly flew apart, blooming like a withering petal, scattered everywhere.

Without bothering to get up, she shouted directly to Brian, "Quick, shoot at me!"