"Retreat! Quickly, retreat!"
Slark roared in frustration, attempting to flee with his remaining minions.
"Think you can just leave? Have you even asked me?" Ed sneered, already locking onto him.
Slark was startled and hurriedly waved his bone staff, unleashing a jet of inky-green energy that shot towards Ed.
Ed didn't flinch or dodge; the radiance of斗气 (Dou Qi, or Battle Qi) on his sword blazed brightly as he swung a decisive strike!
Swoosh!
The energy arrow was shattered in an instant!
Ed's sword momentum didn't stop, carrying a fierce killing intent as it lunged straight for Slark's throat!
A flicker of despair crossed Slark's eyes. He was just a priest, with extremely weak close-quarters combat abilities. How could he possibly stand against a third-stage Earth Knight?
At this critical moment, the Mud Swamp Crocodile let out a mournful wail!
Under prolonged consumption and slaughter, the Mud Swamp Crocodile, already riddled with wounds, had its movements growing sluggish.
The enraged Ironclad Rhino's horn, glinting with a chilling light, managed to overturn the Mud Swamp Crocodile, driving its horn deep into the crocodile's chest.
The Mud Swamp Crocodile's massive body twitched violently a few times before finally collapsing limply, its yellow eyes slowly losing their luster.
A third-stage magical beast, the Mud Swamp Crocodile, was dead!
Almost at the same time, Ed's longsword accurately pierced through Slark's final defenses, impaling his throat.
Slark clutched at his neck, his eyes filled with unwillingness and venomous resentment before finally collapsing powerlessly.
With the deaths of Slark and the Mud Swamp Crocodile, the remaining Viper's minions completely lost their will to resist and were quickly wiped out by the knights.
The battle was over.
The riverbank was a scene of devastation, littered with corpses and soaked in blood.
Only the Ironclad Rhino cow, though covered in wounds and bleeding profusely, stood tall in the end, emitting a tired yet victorious growl.
It glanced warily at Raylo, Ed, and the others, refraining from launching another attack.
Then, dragging its heavy and battered frame, it slowly turned towards the direction it had come from, where its younglings awaited.
The clamor of battle gradually subsided.
The knights and guards began clearing the battlefield, gathering spoils, and piling up the bodies of the Viper's minions and the Mud Swamp Crocodile for centralized disposal.
Raylo's gaze turned towards the Ironclad Rhino cow that was limping away in the distance.
Its silhouette stretched long under the moonlight, and after walking a few dozen meters, its heavily injured body finally couldn't hold on, collapsing to the side and slipping into unconsciousness.
"Ed, what do you think... should we deal with it?" Raylo suddenly asked.
Ed followed Raylo's gaze and was taken aback for a moment.
According to convention, the best way to handle such a formidable and injured magical beast was to kill it while it was weak and obtain its valuable materials like the magic core, hide, and horn.
The materials from a third-stage magical beast were quite valuable, enough to arm several knights.
"Sir, it's badly injured. Although it defeated the Mud Swamp Crocodile, it's on its last legs," Ed pondered and said. "If we act now, we should be able to take it down relatively easily. Its magic core and materials..."
Bolin interjected, "Sir, Ed's right. This Ironclad Rhino is too aggressive. Leaving it near the territory will always be a隐患 (yinhuan, or hidden danger). Taking it out now will solve the problem once and for all, and we'll gain a substantial amount of resources."
Raylo fell silent, not answering immediately.
Killing the cow and gaining immediate benefits aligned with a lord's cold and rational choice.
But...
Raylo thought of the two rhino calves, destined to become companions to the knights of Blackstone and guardians of the territory.
Perhaps these magical beasts didn't have the same strong bonds of kinship as humans, but even crows knew to repay kindness, and more intelligent magical beasts surely weren't entirely devoid of emotion.
It was a difficult decision.
Raylo took a deep breath, his mind made up.
"No," Raylo slowly shook his head, his voice not loud but resolute.
"We won't kill it."
"Sir?" Ed was puzzled.
"Send someone to follow it, keep a distance, don't startle it, and observe its movements," Raylo ordered. "Also, immediately send someone back to town to fetch the healer with all available potions and tools. We're going to... save it."
"Save... save it?"
The knight captain thought he'd misheard, his eyes widening in disbelief.
Spending precious potions to save a wild third-stage magical beast that could turn on them at any moment?
This was truly unheard of!
However, Raylo had already established sufficient authority, so although Ed and Bolin had differing opinions, they didn't object and instead carried out the orders immediately.
The sun dipped below the horizon.
Raylo led the knights, weary and reeking of blood, back to Blackstone Town.
Although they had emerged victorious from this battle, Blackstone still suffered significant losses.
Several guards and one knight had unfortunately perished, and over a dozen others were injured.
For Blackstone, which had just experienced a beast tide and had a small population to begin with, this was undoubtedly a heart-wrenching loss.
Raylo didn't rest immediately but, after a brief wash, summoned Ed, Bolin, and several administrative officials from the town to a small conference hall in the lord's mansion for a meeting.
"Last night's battle, although we won, exposed many problems," Raylo said, sitting in the main seat, his gaze sweeping over everyone. "The threat from the Viper's minions has been temporarily neutralized, but who can guarantee that the minions from the Jade Swamp won't strike again? In such a borderland, our military strength isn't enough to defend this territory."
Ed nodded in agreement, "Sir is right. If it weren't for the Ironclad Rhino's intervention this time, even if we had won, our casualties would probably have doubled. Relying solely on our current knights and guards to defend such a vast territory is indeed stretching us thin."
Bolin added, "Moreover, after the beast tide and this battle, our knights and guards have suffered significant losses and urgently need fresh blood."
Raylo said, "Therefore, I've decided to immediately begin selecting a group of promising young people from across Blackstone to train as knight apprentices."
This proposal wasn't unexpected, and everyone nodded in agreement.
It was a necessary step for the territory's development.
"For this selection," Raylo changed his tone, his voice clear and firm, "the age range will be set at fourteen to twenty. The most important point is..."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone again to ensure they were all paying attention.
"There will be no gender restrictions. As long as they meet the age requirement, are in good health, and show potential, whether they're boys or girls, they can all participate in the selection."
Raylo concluded, "As for the specific selection criteria and process, you all quickly come up with a plan. Announce this news today so that all the townsfolk know."
"Yes, sir!" everyone responded in unison.
That afternoon, a公告 (gonggao, or announcement) signed by the lord's mansion was posted in the most conspicuous spot in the central square of Blackstone Town.
The content of the announcement was simple: To strengthen Blackstone's defensive capabilities, Lord Raylo has decided to publicly select the first batch of knight apprentices from across the territory. Any young person, male or female, aged fourteen to twenty and in good health, is eligible to sign up.