Arthur had already lost count of how many orcs had died by his sword, nor was he clear about the battle results of Nepheli Loux and the Kingrick Royal Army.
When the first ray of morning sunlight merged with the golden glow emanating from the Erdtree, the bodies of the orcs and wargs, to the dwarves' astonishment, transformed into golden particles and were absorbed by the Erdtree.
Fili and Kili, the dwarf brothers, looked at the Erdtree gently swaying in the breeze, their eyes filled with expressions of awe.
"So beautiful."
"Yes, and Arthur said this Erdtree is still just a sapling. I can hardly imagine how magnificent it will be when it reaches maturity, brother."
Dwalin plunged his battle-axe, stained with black orc blood, into the ground, then looked up and said with a smile, "Perhaps by then, we'll be able to see this golden glow even from far away in the Blue Mountains."
Then Kili quickly said, "No thanks, I don't want it to be as bright as day at night when I'm trying to sleep."
Fili then looked at the surrounding bodies gradually turning into golden particles, undergoing the return-to-tree phenomenon, and asked curiously, "Are these bodies being absorbed by that tree?"
Kili and Dwalin exchanged glances and began to voice their opinions, all at once.
It wasn't until Arthur walked over and heard the discussion of Fili and the three dwarves that he smiled and said, "Not the bodies, but the souls of these orcs and wargs have become nourishment for the Erdtree's growth. It's the only contribution these evil creatures have made."
Fili and the others had no other opinions about the Erdtree absorbing the souls of the orcs and Wargs; instead, they agreed with Arthur.
It was better for these hateful evil creatures to contribute something to wizards after death than to slaughter innocent beings everywhere while they were alive.
After Arthur explained this, he immediately asked with concern, "Fili, Kili, and Dwalin, thank you for your support. Are you injured?"
Fili shook his head: "No need to thank us; we didn't do much. The soldiers of your territory are truly formidable. Those orcs threw away their armor and fled under your soldiers' attacks. When we charged out of Haight Fort, we only encountered orcs who had routed to this outpost."
Dwalin then pointed to the Pumpkin Head Soldiers who had quieted down under the Erdtree's glow and asked, "Arthur, are they Trolls?"
Curious Kili also nodded repeatedly; he wanted to ask that too.
Arthur was startled, then looked at the Pumpkin Head Soldiers sitting obediently on the ground, enveloped in golden light, and shook his head slightly: "No, they are just poor, mad people. Something bad happened in my homeland, and some soldiers became mentally unstable and panicked because of it. Those oval, bulky helmets were put on them to calm their emotions and prevent them from harming others."
"After they came to The Lands Between, I tried to remove their helmets… but unfortunately, even with their helmets off, they couldn't return to their former normal state of mind, so they can only continue like this."
The three dwarves, upon hearing Arthur's explanation, all without exception, showed sympathetic expressions towards the Pumpkin Head Soldiers.
Kili tried to find a topic and said, "Actually, when they're quiet, they're quite cute in a way."
Then he was subtly kicked in the foot by Fili.
Dwalin performed a dwarf's bow to the two Pumpkin Head Soldiers and said, "They are reliable warriors."
"I believe that once the Erdtree is fully grown, these soldiers' conditions will be cured. For now, let's return to Haight Fort. After fighting all night, I think you might need some rest. Let's enjoy a victory feast together first, then have a comfortable sleep." Arthur called out.
Upon hearing the word "feast," the three dwarves' stomachs simultaneously rumbled, making them laugh.
"Then we respectfully accept," Fili said.
After the dwarves left the outpost, Rogier's elegant figure just happened to emerge from within the outpost.
"Why didn't I see you in last night's battle?" Arthur opened his arms, embraced Rogier in a friendly hug, then separated, and teased him.
Rogier adjusted his wizard's pointed hat and said with a hint of fatigue, "A few orcs, scared by the Pumpkin Head Soldiers, escaped from the outpost, right into where I was hiding. So I went to hunt them down, and unfortunately, along the way, I encountered more fleeing orcs and wargs. They saw that I was alone and not wearing armor, so…"
Rogier shrugged helplessly at the end, quite speechless about the orcs who attacked him when they saw him alone.
"The only good news is that many orcs died on this land, so you should be able to summon some things from The Lands Between again. I wonder which familiar faces we'll see this time," Rogier said, a smile playing on his lips as he spoke.
Arthur quipped, "Actually, if you don't mind, I can bring Darian over right now."
When Rogier heard the name "Darian," an awkward expression appeared on his face: "Uh, I still need a bit more time. If I see him now, I'm still not quite prepared for how to face him."
Arthur shrugged: "Whatever, since we're no longer in The Lands Between, your conflicts with D don't matter anymore. And even if you went your separate ways, D is still watching you."
Rogier sighed and said, "I know, I know. It's just…"
He tapped his forehead, his tone a bit helpless: "It's just that suddenly having eight similar memories, meeting him now is more awkward."
Arthur said, "At least no more tragedies will happen, right?"
Rogier was silent for a moment, then finally let out a long sigh, looked up at the Erdtree, and laughed: "You're right, Arthur. At least we're not breaking up over the 'Deathblight' anymore. Both he and I owe each other an 'I'm sorry.'"
"While I don't particularly want to interrupt your conversation about male friendship, I think it's time for breakfast. Last night was too noisy outside, I couldn't even read in peace." Sellen's sleepy voice abruptly interjected into Arthur and Rogier's conversation.
When Rogier saw Sellen, wearing her Witch's Glintstone Crown, emerge from the underground passage, he subconsciously touched the hilt of his rapier.
But Rogier quickly realized that Sellen was not his enemy and removed his hand from the hilt.
However, the title of "Witch" and the rumors from her Caria Academy still made him a little unaccustomed.
"Heh." Sellen let out a soft laugh when she saw Rogier's subconscious action.
Arthur smiled at Sellen's appearance: "Kenneth Haight should be ready at Haight Fort, Teacher. You can go straight there."
Sellen nodded slightly: "Mm."
But she hadn't walked many steps before she was attracted by the orc bodies undergoing the return-to-tree phenomenon, approaching them to observe closely.
Arthur knew that once his teacher entered this state, she wouldn't do anything else until her desire for observation was satisfied, so he took Rogier and left the outpost first.
When he arrived at Haight Fort, he saw that Nepheli Loux had already arrived, followed by the knight captain who had fallen to the path of blood.
The knight captain was relatively quiet at this time, or perhaps it was truly because there were too many orcs last night, making him tired from killing.
Nepheli Loux pointed to the knight captain and said to Arthur, "I brought him back in your name, otherwise he would have continued chasing into the plains outside. He didn't even have the strength to hold his sword anymore and was quite injured; I helped with some basic wound care. But these people who believe in the Mother of Truth are truly…"
The young Storm King shook his head, and after the knight captain saw Arthur, he dragged his weary body, knelt on one knee, and said with a hoarse and trembling voice, "Reporting, my Lord, I killed a total of 54 orcs last night."
Holy cow, that many?
Even Arthur was surprised by the number of kills.
Last night, after the orc captain who was giving orders was dealt with by Nepheli Loux, the orcs fell into a rout.
Aside from the initial dozen or so orcs who dared to actively approach Arthur and were smashed by his greatsword, Arthur actually killed fewer orcs when they were fleeing later than he did at the beginning.
He himself calculated that he had killed just over thirty orcs.
Of course, this was also related to Arthur only fighting within the outpost.
The knight captain alone killed 54 orcs, and it's possible that the wargs were just used as mounts and weren't even counted as enemies by him, which is indeed quite impressive.
Arthur looked at the knight captain, whose body was trembling and whose physical strength had been pushed to its limit: his golden and green knight's armor was stained with the black blood of orcs, orc weapons had left marks on it, his dark green knight's cloak was tattered, and several broken arrows were stuck in the chainmail at his joints.
But the knight captain still insisted on standing there, waiting for Arthur's arrival.
Arthur nodded in praise: "Well done, you deserve a reward."
Then Arthur took out an exquisitely crafted amulet from his spatial backpack, a blood-red amulet made in the likeness of the Lord of Blood's joy. Holding it, one could almost feel the gaze of the Lord of Blood himself.
And the name of the amulet was precisely [Lord of Blood's Joy].
The knight captain saw the amulet in Arthur's hand, and his legs trembled as he stood up, walking step by step to the other party.
Perhaps from excitement or exhaustion, he tremblingly extended his hands and solemnly took the amulet, clutching it to his chest.
"Thank you, sir," the knight captain said hoarsely after a few gasps.
Arthur replied: "This is proof of your valiant combat, but it's not enough to earn the Pureblood Knight Medal. Go and treat your wounds first, lest you suffer from hidden ailments."
The knight captain nodded, dragging his injured and weary body away.
Nepheli Loux's gaze withdrew from the knight captain and she reported to Arthur: "Yesterday night, over 70% of the orcs and wargs were eliminated by us. Seven of our own personnel sustained minor injuries, and three sustained serious injuries. Rest assured, the seriously injured soldiers are out of danger, their bodies are fine, and their movements are not a problem."
Arthur breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, then asked seriously: "How did they get injured?"
Nepheli Loux's expression became strange: "It could be said that part of it was your fault."
Arthur felt strange, pointing to himself in confusion: "Me?"
Nepheli Loux nodded vigorously, and the female warrior said helplessly: "You might be underestimating your standing in the hearts of those soldiers. Your words are no different from a divine oracle to those who believe in the Erdtree. Because you gave the order to kill as many attacking orcs as possible, those soldiers, much like the knight captain, pushed their physical strength to the limit, wanting to kill one more orc for you. The seriously injured soldiers were all due to exhaustion leading to a bitter struggle."
Rogier, who was standing by, nodded in agreement at this point: "She's not wrong about that. As the master of the Erdtree, you are no different from walking faith in the eyes of the soldiers, not to mention you also bear the title of Elden Lord. When their faith and their king, who leads them, personally give them orders, it's already quite good that they can maintain rationality."
After hearing Nepheli Loux and Rogier's words, Arthur sighed: "It seems I really need to pay more attention to my identity from now on; I am no longer an unknown tarnished in The Lands Between."
Kenneth Haight, seeing that Nepheli Loux had finished speaking, also stepped forward: "Tanes, Your Majesty, I also have something to report to you."
Arthur wanted to tell Kenneth Haight not to address him that way, but remembering what he had just said, he could only nod in acquiescence: "Speak."
Kenneth Haight immediately said: "Although the orcs did not break through Haight Fort last night, they consumed a large number of arrows."
Then Kenneth Haight coughed lightly, showing a slightly embarrassed expression: "Mainly because the demi-human collective is not very good at archery or operating ballistas, many arrows were wasted by them. Plus, when we were in The Lands Between, Haight Fort had not received supplies for a long time, so the arrow reserves are a bit insufficient. So, if possible, Tanes, Your Majesty, please replenish the arrows as soon as possible, so that we can maintain yesterday's suppressive power if we encounter another large-scale orc attack."
"We also need to inspect and repair the weapons of the knights and soldiers. If there are damaged weapons, we also need to consider replacement. Oh, and also, I just saw you bestow a reward upon the knight captain, and you also need to bestow deserved rewards upon those brave soldiers and demi-humans..."
Kenneth Haight's words made Arthur show a pained expression; he now somewhat missed his days of traveling with Melina alone in The Lands Between.
At that time, he didn't have to worry about whether there were enough arrows or food; he only had to take care of himself.
But now, the people and matters he had to worry about suddenly increased.
However, Arthur still listened carefully to Kenneth Haight, then said: "I understand. I will handle the rewards, and I also have a temporary solution for the arrows and weapons. However, relying solely on the reserves I captured in The Lands Between is not a long-term solution for the arrows and weapons. Kenneth, in the past, how did Haight Fort handle these issues?"
Kenneth Haight said: "Uh, before the Shattering, most of Haight Fort's supplies were provided by Morne Castle in the Weeping Peninsula, and a small portion by Stormveil Castle. This is because Morne Castle is very close to Haight Fort, making supply transportation very convenient."
He added: "Before the Shattering, Morne Castle already had the ability to produce arrows and weapons. After all, Haight Fort is purely a military fortress, while Morne Castle is a large castle with a large population of the Golden Lineage."
Morne Castle, huh.
When Arthur heard this name, what appeared in his mind was not the ancient gray castle, but the figure of an innocent girl lying in a pool of blood and the sorrowful sight of Edgar, the Lord of Morne Castle, weeping on his knees.
But soon, Arthur's eyes deepened, and the figure of the girl lying in a pool of blood overlapped with a blind witch of the same appearance.
And what this witch represented behind her made Arthur let out an angry growl: "mad flame."
This word made him clench his fists.
In a certain cycle, Arthur had been misled, believing that becoming the Lord of mad flame could save the girl destined to burn herself, and could solve the cycle of The Lands Between.
But the result was that everything in The Lands Between fell into chaos, with living beings suffering immensely.
The servants of mad flame deceived him.
Arthur could not forget Melina's gaze towards him in that cycle.
The girl passed through the ominous orange-yellow flames, her eyes filled with surprise, sadness, disappointment, anger, disbelief, and... hatred as deep as the sea.
"Tanes, Your Majesty?" Kenneth Haight's cautious voice brought him back from his anger.
Arthur nodded to Kenneth Haight: "It's nothing, you all go enjoy breakfast first, let me think about some things alone."
Nepheli Loux was closer to Arthur, so she naturally heard the words Arthur spoke in a low voice.
Having memories of that cycle as well, she understood what Arthur had just been angry about, so she merely patted his shoulder and said in a firm tone: "I will become your wings and face that twisted evil flame with you."
Then she pulled away Rogier and Kenneth Haight, who were unclear about what had happened. Before leaving, she paused and said: "I'll have someone save you a portion of breakfast."
Arthur nodded, and after they left, he looked up at the Erdtree and exhaled.
The food problem could be solved by the rations and crop seeds brought by the dwarves, but the weapon aspect had to rely on himself.
Morne Castle, Morne Castle...
Arthur had already made a decision in his heart to summon this city.
According to Kenneth Haight, Morne Castle had the function of producing arrows and weapons, and there were also many civilian residential areas inside.
These two points alone were enough for Arthur to summon this city.
Moreover, a more important point was that Morne Castle possessed a Golem Guard, a large automatic defensive magic puppet.
With it, the soldiers' warning work would become very easy.