-17- Listen to the Whispers of the Abyss

The Vale, Gulltown, dusk was approaching.

Near the harbor of Gulltown, the largest square was lit with bonfires earlier than usual.

Numerous singers gathered here, singing a song with an unfamiliar melody together. The scale of the choir was unprecedented, and the melodious singing almost enveloped the entire area near the harbor, attracting more and more people.

Some began to inquire about the title of the unfamiliar song. It turned out that the song was called "Listen to the Whisper of the Abyss," said to be from Crackclaw Point across the southern straits.

As night fell deeper, the crowd finally began to disperse reluctantly, but the song still lingered in their ears.

Suddenly, bursts of exclamations erupted from the crowd.

In a direction to the west of Gulltown, a raging fire soared into the sky, painting half the sky red.

The next day, everyone in Gulltown knew that it was Wolfnir Meyer's mansion that had caught fire, and there was not a single survivor in the entire estate.

---------

Crackclaw Point, the battlefield of the old Crabb territory.

"Roarhhh!"

Shouting in unison, the wildlings, under the command of House Brune of Dyre Den, began to advance slowly towards Gallen's formation.

At a distance of 200 yards, Gallen raised his bow and arrow, and with a swoosh, a knight fell from his horse.

Emer urged her horse to move back and forth in front of the formation, shouting, "Hold steady! Hold steady! Wait for orders!"

After shooting down five knights in a row, the enemy knights dismounted from their horses and merged into the formation.

At this point, the two sides were more than 200 yards apart.

Gallen shot down the flag bearer of House Brune after shooting down the second arrow, then nodded slightly towards Emer.

"Fall back!"

Emer executed the order, and under the leadership of the Crabb soldiers, the "soldiers" turned and retreated towards the entrance of the Crescent Valley.

The movement on Gallen's side immediately caught the enemy's attention, and they hastened their advance.

Everything was proceeding according to Gallen's plan.

Just as Gallen was about to urge his horse to join the "retreat" group, a small accident occurred.

A round figure, like a meatball, suddenly joined the battlefield, holding a round shield and raising a war hammer, charging towards the army of House Brune and the wildlings.

The enemy noticed that Gallen and his men were trying to escape, so they scrambled to chase after them, causing the formation to become chaotic.

The meatball charged into the fray, knocking down two people with his shield and smashing the head of a nearby wildling with his raised war hammer.

Despite his bulky appearance, the meatball was extremely agile, blocking all attacks with his shield and easily crushing one skull after another with his war hammer.

The meatball seemed to have a beast-like intuition. After killing several people in succession, he began to feel that something was wrong and glanced in Gallen's direction during a lull in the battle.

Where are the people?

How come there's only one knight left?

I remember there's a lot of men here, the hell?

The meatball began to feel a little panicked. Even though he was brave, he couldn't kill them all. The meatball began to retreat consciously.

Gallen temporarily judged that the unfamiliar warrior who suddenly rushed into the battlefield was a friend, not a foe.

Gallen urged his horse forward and continued to shoot to cover. Wildlings near the unfamiliar warrior were shot down one after another.

Gallen targeted a enemy knight who was urging his horse towards the unfamiliar warrior, shooting the knight down with an arrow, and shouted loudly, "Mount up!"

The unfamiliar warrior heard Gallen's voice, directly knocked down the enemy in front of him with his shield, ran to the horse without an owner, and agilely leaped onto it.

Gallen continued to shoot to provide cover.

The unfamiliar warrior urged the horse closer, and as he approached, he spoke clumsily, "Lord Gallen, your reputation precedes you, and I admire... I forgot the words!"

"I heard about the summons to the old Crabb territory. I hoped to serve you, but I am a bastard, and I dare not meet you directly."

"I heard about the battle here, and I wanted to showcase my skills first, to gain your favor!"

Does this unknown warrior want to serve under him?

Gallen, while urging his horse to retreat, shouted loudly, "Stranger, tell me your name!"

"Oh, sorry, my name is Mordin Water."

As the horse galloped, Mordin Water's large belly shook up and down.

Gallen's lips curled slightly. "Then I welcome you, warrior."

Upon hearing Gallen's affirmative response, Mordin Water's simple voice carried a hint of tearfulness. "You're too kind, I thank you. I swear on my life to fight for... Uh... I forgot the words again. I'll try to eat less?!"

"As long as you fight for me, you can have all the food you want."

Mordin Water turned his head to look at Gallen's silhouette, stunned.

Regaining his senses, Mordin Water lifted his head slightly, and a determined look appeared in his eyes, accompanied by a simple smile.

...

...

Five days later, near Dyre Den.

Bloody hell....

Gallen, on horseback, gazed at the towering Dyre Den as if it were reaching into the sky, silent for a long time.