The camp where the mercenaries are located has now become quiet.
Islandil reappeared in the camp.
Looking at the Noldor warriors cleaning up the human corpses, he seemed to be in a bad mood.
"How much have we lost?"
The Twilight Knight beside him replied, "Your Highness, a total of ninety-two people were lost. The human losses were more than thirty times ours."
Islandil sighed: "Alas... But the number of humans is more than a thousand times ours... Ninety-two tribesmen, how many years will it take to make up for it..."
The Twilight Knight also fell silent.
With the loss of less than one hundred Noldor elves, they inflicted nearly three thousand casualties on mercenaries and even basically achieved the goal of annihilating the enemy. This was undoubtedly a glorious victory.
There will always be casualties in battle, and this battle was quite successful. If the human army was allowed to go deep into the forest, the final losses would probably not be less than this.
But Islandir still felt distressed.
Every death of his people means one less. The population of the Noldor elves is too small...
The loss of a hundred people is not worth mentioning for humans, but for the Noldor, it is a huge loss.
Therefore, Islandil's brows have never been relaxed .
Not long after, he was found by a Noldor noble.
"Your Highness, I brought Lisa Dilan, who brought you a reply letter from Baron Leon. It is said that Baron Leon asked him to hand the letter to you personally."
The frown on Islandir's face suddenly relaxed a lot: "Let him come to see me."
Lisadilan walked over with some uneasiness, handed over Leon's reply, but didn't know what to say.
"Your Highness, I am so sorry..."
Risadilan looked a little embarrassed. He had imagined many times along the way how to face Islamdir, but when he really saw him, his first words were to apologize.
"I remember that you never apologized to anyone... Lisadiran, you have always been an extremely proud nobleman, challenging others to a duel whenever you disagree with someone..."
While opening the letter, Islandil glanced at Sadilan with a complicated look.
"Your Highness, I now understand your teachings. I am sorry that I did not obey your decrees."
Lisa Dilan bowed his head and apologized again.
"It seems that the human lord you served probably taught you a lot... He asked you to hand the letter to me personally... This should be to ensure that you can see me, right? It seems that Baron Leon treats you well..."
Islandir nodded, opened the letter, took just a glance, and smiled.
It seems that Leon's writing style, which was the same as that of the Noldor lord, worked.
"He did teach me some things, such as humility and tolerance, and respect for the law... Your Highness."
Lisadilan's expression became more complicated. To be honest, Leon originally used "poison" to control him, but the Noldor elves themselves knew that the so-called Hundred Days Heartbreaking Poison was probably not real.
But he just didn't dare to gamble - so he realized that he was not as brave as he thought, and he did learn to be tolerant.
But apart from this, Leon really treated him as his own, hiding nothing from him, and treated him no differently than Anson or Sarah, and paid him according to Klose's salary.
So Lisadiran was in a strange mood. He had been controlled by Leon, but he did not think Leon was hateful. After all, Leon was indeed a reasonable and trustworthy person.
Instead, he was gradually getting used to serving this lord - it was indeed easier than being a killer.
Lisa Dilan didn't know that his way of thinking was called 'inertial obedience'...
"It seems that he really treats the Noldor and humans equally... I have to meet with Baron Leon, Lisadiran. But I can't let a sinner be the messenger. From now on, I forgive your sins. You go and arrange a meeting between me and him - I think this is probably his intention to let you hand the letter to me in person."
Islandil rolled up the letter again. He did seem to have some obsessive-compulsive disorder. The letter was rolled neatly and the sealing wax was pressed back onto the original seams.
"No, Your Highness, your current pardon is not legal. I will use the laws of my clan to atone for my sins... Lord Leon also allowed me to fight for my clan, even if it means fighting against humans - as long as my clan does not attack his territory."
Risadiran refused Islandir's order to pardon him.
"Very good, it seems that your pride is still there. I look forward to you fighting for the family. But you must understand that according to the family's decree, the merit of killing the enemy alone cannot atone for your sins. Only saving the tribe members or bringing back new knowledge can atone for your sins..."
There was a hint of relief on Islandil's face. To him, Risadilan was just a young junior.
This junior ignored the law and killed his nephew in a duel. Of course he should be punished.
But now that he had become obedient to the law, Islandil felt that this was the meaning of punishment.
In the eyes of a lord, if a sinner turns back and is willing to contribute to the family, this result is much better than killing the sinner.
"Your Highness, I will do it. I will arrange a meeting between you and Lord Leon first..."
Lisa Dilan said as he bowed his head.
But before he could finish his words, he was interrupted by another voice.
"Your Highness, there is news from the north...Ardarian has been defeated!"
Another Twilight Knight hurried over and reported a huge piece of bad news.
"Aldarian? Defeated? He has never been defeated on the battlefield before!"
Islandir found it unbelievable: "What's going on?"
"Aldarian led his troops to pursue a hundred-man team of the Ebony Gauntlet Knights all the way to the border of the northern grasslands, but was ambushed by the sudden appearance of the Jatu army, which was said to be the army of the Destroyer Juda! Aldarian's tribe suffered heavy losses, with at least two hundred people killed. Now Juda's army is still pursuing him and has already chased him deep into the forest!"
The Twilight Knight quickly recounted the military situation.
"Zuda the Destroyer? His army actually chased into the forest?"
Islandil frowned tightly. He did not expect that the most powerful warrior of the Noldor tribe would be defeated! He did not expect that the most terrifying warlord of Jatu on the grassland would enter the Noldor Forest!
"According to the tribesmen's report, Zhuda's troops numbered about a thousand people. They abandoned their horses and entered the forest, marching southwards..."
Twilight Knight pointed to the northeast and said, "Judging from the time, they may be about to enter the territory of the Finwe family. After Lord Aldarian was defeated, there is no one in the north who can stop them!"
"Gather all the troops here! We must go to the rescue immediately! Juda's army must be coming for the elven horses of the Finwe family!"
Islamdir did not hesitate and immediately ordered the army to be assembled.
"Your Highness, Lord Li Ang..."
Risa Dillan asked.
Islandil sighed and told Lisadiran: "It seems that we can't meet him for the time being. Go tell Baron Leon that for his sake, I will let go of the Ebony Gauntlet Knights who escaped from Mount Dengil and leave all the spoils here to him. This is the greatest kindness I can show him. In addition, I hope Baron Leon can provide some help in rescuing the Finwe family. I know that the Jatu are also his enemies, and Baron Leon's Noldor blood is likely from the Finwe family."
Lisa Dilan nodded and left.
Leon showed his intention to coexist peacefully, so of course Islandil had to give something in return to prove the sincerity of the Aino family.
Although the proud Noldor elves were not happy to do such a favor in their hearts and would not easily ask for help from others, but as a lord and due to the limitations of the current situation, Islandil still did it.
Yes, it's a favor.
Islandil was going to take all the troops to rescue the Finwe family urgently. He had no time to collect the spoils. He also had to take away the 300 cavalrymen who were chasing the Ebony Gauntlets. He had no time to clean up the escaped Ebony Gauntlets.
Then just say it as 'letting the Ebony Gauntlet Knights and leaving all the spoils'. In Islandil's opinion, this would allow Leon to see his sincerity - the Noldor elves were able to let go of their most hated enemy, the Ebony Gauntlet Knights, which was a great favor.
A family leader who has lived for hundreds of years is certainly proficient in these tactics.
However, the Lord was not very happy after receiving this news - he had already offended the Ebony Gauntlet Knights, and he didn't care whether the Noldor would let them go...
But, Islamandil has already forced me to do him a favor. If I don't accept it, wouldn't it be considered that I look down on Islamandil?
Fortunately, Islandil still gave some practical benefits - the "trophies" he mentioned were actually the equipment of the mercenaries and the money they had.
King Ulric must have paid a large deposit to hire these mercenaries. Most of these mercenaries probably didn't have time to spend the money, so they must still have the money with them...
Therefore, the lord is still very happy to accept this kind of favor, and work like cleaning the battlefield can still be done.
But just before leaving, the Lord suddenly had an idea and told Anson: "Go and bring out all my flags."
…
The members of the Ebony Gauntlet Knights all had mixed feelings at the moment.
There is both the relief of surviving the disaster and the shame of fleeing without fighting.
In the eyes of Dumbledore, the knight commander of the first brigade, they were indeed lucky to have survived. Dumbledore certainly knew what would happen if they faced the Noldor with the same number of people.
But just when the Noldor cavalry had rested and were preparing to attack, they strangely withdrew suddenly.
Dumbledore was not sure why at first, as he did not see any reinforcements nearby...
So he continued to guard the top of the mountain cautiously for most of the day, until he saw Li Ang's flag appear at the foot of the mountain, then he slowly went down the mountain.
The lord was waiting at the foot of the mountain, with only thirty or so cavalrymen around him, but each of them held a golden griffin flag in his hand - this was all his flags, not a lance flag, but the lord's flag.
"Master Leon...how is this..."
Dumbledore still didn't quite understand the situation.
"You want to ask about the Noldor troops? They are gone. Why do you think I have so many banners..."
The Lord started to deceive without blinking.
"Just looking at the number of flags, one might think this is an army of 3,000 people... I understand. Thank you for your selfless help , Lord Leon!"
Dumbledore was very smart and guessed the Lord's intention at once - he thought Leon used a large number of flags to disguise as an army and scared away the Noldor...
In Dumbledore's opinion, although Leon had not supported their actions at all before, he still sent troops to rescue them at the most critical moment - this was indeed worthy of admiration, and the previous minor friction was not worth mentioning.
"Dumbledore, I know your mission is arranged by the kingdom, but I think you can understand why I was reluctant to let you enter before... The hatred between you and the Noldor is too deep. If you are stationed in the villages under the White Hart Castle, what do you think will happen to those villages?"
The lord took the initiative by putting on a helpless expression.
"I didn't expect that Noldor would take the initiative to attack. In fact, I thought I was doomed this time..."
Dumbledore nodded to show that he understood Lord Leon's painstaking efforts...
Amy, who was accompanying him, was full of admiration. Did Leon actually resolve the previous conflict? It looked like the Ebony Gauntlet Knights had to thank Leon...
This ability to turn accidents into sophistication and make people owe you favors is probably called cunning...
"Lord Leon, in the camp over there..."
Dumbledore asked about the situation with a somewhat sad face.
"Those mercenaries are gone, not a single one is left..."
The lord shook his head.
"I would like to ask you for a favor, Lord Leon!"
Dumbledore swallowed his saliva. The annihilation of the mercenary group was expected. He also knew that Leon's troops could not save those mercenaries. It was good enough to scare away the Noldor cavalry.
"Dumbledore, I think I understand your intention... You want me to conceal the war report from the kingdom, right? I can guess why you appear here instead of in the camp..."
Leon looked at Dumbledore with a complicated expression.
He knew that Dumbledore would definitely ask him not to make public the deaths of the mercenaries in the camp.
Since the Ebony Gauntlet Knights are now fully staffed, it is obvious that they probably escaped without a fight... If people knew this, the reputation of the Ebony Gauntlet Knights would be ruined.
You know, this Knights have always boasted that they "dare to charge the Noldor under any circumstances"...
"Lord Leon, when I saw your golden emblem, I guessed that you probably knew the mission of our Knights... So you must understand that even if I can't complete the mission now, I can't let people know that those mercenaries are gone so quickly - otherwise, my end will definitely not be good."
Dumbledore's expression was equally complicated.
Of course, he didn't dare let anyone know that he fled without a fight, and he couldn't even let anyone know that the mercenaries had been wiped out, otherwise only most of the Ebony Gauntlet Knights would be alive - if this got out, everyone would guess how they survived...
There is also suspicion that he deliberately killed those mercenaries.
Although he did abandon those mercenaries and ran away, and did intend to harm those mercenaries and make them block Noldor, he couldn't admit it...
"Dumbledore, we are destined to meet each other. I can help you this time. But the question is, where are you going now? You can't go back to Cliff Bay now? I don't dare to let your knights stay in White Hart Castle, otherwise it will definitely attract the Noldor army..."
The Lord shook his head, as if thinking about Dumbledore.
"Ah... you are right..."
Dumbledore let out a long sigh.
Indeed, he cannot go back . He has to wait at least ten days or half a month, otherwise he will be considered to have failed in his duty.
But his troops really couldn't stay in White Deer Castle now, and his men probably wouldn't dare to enter the forest again. He had nowhere to go now.
"How about this? You go to the west of Brave Shield. I heard that Judah the Destroyer has entered the Noldor Forest. So you know why the Noldor army took the initiative to attack? The Jatu defeated a Noldor army in the north of the forest, and then they left a lot of war horses at the edge of the forest and chased into the forest..."
The lord pointed to the northeast and said, "The Noldor in the forest are not easy to deal with, but the Jatu who have dismounted are easy to deal with. I think they will definitely take some Noldor prisoners with them when they leave the forest. You go and take away their horses, and then stop them outside the forest, and those Noldor prisoners will fall into your hands. This information was not easy to come by. If you can get the Noldor prisoners, remember to bring those Jatu horses to my Maixiang Territory..."
"Thank you for your advice, Lord Leon!"
There was light in Dumbledore's eyes. He knew that this information must be true and reliable, because the Knights of the Ebony Gauntlet did send a team to lead Aldarian's troops to the Jatu Grassland.
If the Jatu chased into the forest, then this would be his best chance now - the Jatu would definitely take the Noldor prisoners with them when they retreated. If he could really get the Jatu's horses first, then he might be able to defeat the Jatu and take the Noldor prisoners. Even if there were no noble girls among them, at least it would prove that he had tried his best!
"Lord Leon, thank you for your help. The Ebony Gauntlet Knights will repay you!"
Dumbledore led his troops all the way north, marching at a very fast speed the whole way.
The lord obtained a large amount of dinars and various equipment from the mercenaries who died in the camp.
The cash alone was almost 100,000 dinars.
This was considered unexpected wealth, but there was a price to pay for it - he had to rescue the Finwë family of the Noldor.
Leon did not fool the Ebony Gauntlet Knights. In fact, he had originally planned to go to the northern grassland to pick up bargains by himself. He even sent a letter to Baron Leofric, asking him to try to pick up a large number of war horses at the junction of the grassland and the forest.
But after thinking about the second half of what Islandil told him, the lord finally decided to lead the army directly into the forest to rescue the Finwe family head-on.
The Jatu were also his enemies, and Leon's Noldor blood was most likely from the House of Finwë.
The Lord thinks that this must be supported head-on.
It was not for any blood relationship, nor for the gratitude of the Noldor.
But it was for the technology mastered by the Finwe family - the Noldor elven horses and enchanted equipment.