Taste this, beast, Kaled silently repeated in his heart. The recoil from the blade nearly sent him flying, but he managed to steady himself. The blade deeply pierced the Two-legged Flying Dragon’s neck. Yet, the tight muscles, the interlaced scales, and the solid bones prevented the dragon from being decapitated by this blow. Instead of attempting another assault, Kaled immediately withdrew his sword and raised it skyward.

"Clang~" The poisonous sting on the dragon’s tail was deflected by this strike. Kaled carefully unleashed his fury, he swung his sword, severing the sting at its base. The Two-legged Flying Dragon’s expression of pain brought Kaled deep satisfaction, and he suddenly regretted not beheading the dragon earlier, missing such a golden opportunity. His battle was forced to prolong.

Fighting a beast is not like training; the Two-legged Flying Dragon is not a wooden stake. The beast, suppressing its pain, forcefully thrust its sharp horns against Kaled’s chest. The finely-crafted armor emitted a twisted noise. Kaled felt a faint ache in his chest. He swung his sword in retaliation, the sharp blade skimming across the dragon’s horn, sparks flew. Faced with the dragon’s renewed assault, Kaled had to bring back his sword to defend, and was knocked back, landing four or five meters away on the ground.

His internal organs ached painfully. Kaled thought he could still get up, and he did. Luckily, after repelling him, the dragon suffered a flanking attack. Sir Bertrand’s bow, empowered with the Power of Starfire, sneakily attacked the beast: "Lord Kaled, do you need assistance?"

"..." Kaled tightened his grip on his sword hilt, pondering what caused him to fall from advantage to disadvantage. Arrogance? Underestimating the enemy? Or pride?

This is indeed another test given to me by the Lady. I die, or this monster dies, Kaled thought. He declined Bertrand’s support, wanting to face the Two-legged Flying Dragon alone.

Kaled raised his sword once again, charging forward. Now, the dragon was heavily injured, and the blood-loss forced the monster to realize it must escape with all its might. However, Kaled would not give it this chance: "For the Lady!"

Durandal pierced into the dragon’s neck once more, the blood spraying out soaked the longsword and dyed Kaled’s cloak and the nearby snow red. Under intense pain, the dragon thrashed its body wildly, nearly tossing Kaled away. The Expedition Knight stubbornly controlled his body, withdrew his sword, and thrust it fiercely into the dragon’s blood-filled maw: "In the name of the Lady! Pronounce your death sentence, monster!"

The sound of the blade tearing through flesh echoed one after another. The Two-legged Flying Dragon tried frantically to flap its wings while screaming, but Kaled had no intention of giving his enemy any more chances. He gripped the dragon’s horn with one hand and forcefully drove the blade into the creature’s skull with the other.

"Wu~ wuwuwu~" As the sword delved deeper, the monster gradually ceased movement, its body stiffened for a moment, finally stopping altogether.

"Ah~ for the lady~" Kaled, with multiple damages on his body now, let out a long breath, one chop severing the dragon’s head. The Expedition Knight then knelt reverently, offering prayers to the head, thanking his Lady for granting him victory.

The Expedition Knight’s prayers were not without response. Amidst the mist and the glow belonging to the Lake God, a beautiful figure shimmered in the dense mist, smiled at Kaled, then faded away, becoming invisible.

Upon witnessing the Lake Fairy’s fleeting silhouette, all the peasants knelt.

Kaled only felt an indescribable sense of comfort welling up in his heart. The Lake Fairy’s blessing empowered his battle, making him even stronger.

"Is this how the Holy Grail Knights of this country are trained?" muttered King Belgar in the distance: "Heavens, this is too difficult. How many people will die like this?"

"But I am greatly envious... I don’t even have the qualification for an expedition," Sir Bertrand stroked his beard, then called out: "Lord Kaled, do you need rest?"

"No need, this is just a small episode on the journey. Go clean up the battlefield." Kaled shook his head indifferently. This was merely a tithe to the Lake Fairy on his journey.

The soldiers immediately surrounded the Two-legged Flying Dragon, especially Bertrand. He drew out his sharp knife and carved out the dragon’s heart. The knight intended to use the dragon’s heart to craft new black arrows.

After cleaning up the battlefield, the army moved on.

A day later, this army met up with a team of Ranger Knights dispatched by Duke Hagen of Jisoleox. The leader of these Ranger Knights was a Kingdom Knight, named Sir Kelson: "It’s an honor to rendezvous with you here, King Belgar, Lord Kaled, Sir Bertrand."

"I salute you, Sir Kelson. Where is the insurgent stronghold?" King Belgar said loudly: "I wish to resolve this quickly and start building the trade post."

"As you wish, I will lead you there."

......

On the mountain road, the Peasant Army crowded together, advancing slowly. Captain Remon held his long halberd tightly with both hands, exhaling cold breath: "Damn it, I miss my mother’s stew. Going to battle during the Winter Festival is not a good idea."