34

The Witcher: The last King of the elves

Chapter 34 - Army

“Time…” Thranduil, beneath the ancient War Tree, was contemplating the life that was being born.

Countless figures appeared out of nowhere, accompanied by a powerful golden light. There were thousands of elven archers, all clad in silver armor. They carried quivers on their backs and wielded long elven bows; at their waists, curved swords gleamed, displaying their elite skill and valor.

“Today’s five thousand archers must join the defense of the wall. Reinforcing the northern gate must be the priority so that the humans do not discover the ancient trees.”

Feeling the cold morning air and the breath of all the elves born this day, Thranduil began giving them orders as soon as they saluted.

When he had first arrived in this world, he had never imagined that one day he would command an army of such scale, composed entirely of elves.

And upon learning that they were being suppressed by the humans and were still at war with the demons of the north, he had planned, somehow, to grow strong without drawing attention.

But when his ancient blood awakened and healed all his wounds, the desire of every elf grew within his heart.

He wanted to declare war on humans, to eradicate the darkness, and to reclaim this world.

Today Thranduil could say that things were different. Not only did he possess great power, but he had also become a King with a great army. Even if not for himself, but for these elves who were utterly loyal to him, he had to fight with all his strength.

Though even the demons had been defeated, and despite the tools granted to him by destiny, there still lurked beings of immense power.

The Continent was in danger; troops alone would not suffice, for there was yet another prophecy.

“The White Hell…”

…

Thranduil brushed aside the strange thoughts from his mind. Then he ordered the newly trained elven archers to withdraw.

Soon, only the hippogriff riders and clerics remained before him.

Five hundred warriors of the skies together with five hundred clerics. If they had been elven archers and swordsmen, he could have trained many more, but this small number had cost him greatly.

“All praise to His Majesty the Great Elven King!”

“We swear loyalty to you until death!” All the elven priests and hippogriff riders present saluted Thranduil with fervor.

Their expressions and eyes reflected admiration and zeal for Thranduil. For them, it was an honor to have been “trained” to serve the great Elven King.

“Rise, my warriors!” Thranduil’s gaze swept over these elves one by one.

The attire of an Elven Cleric was similar to that of an Elven Mage: a standard magical robe and a magic staff. The difference was that their robes were pure white, like moonlight, and the tips of their staffs were shaped like crescent moons.

The Hippogriff Knight was clad in heavy silver-gray armor, armed with the standard knight’s lance and a heavy sword.

Although they were all female elves, they gave off an impression of majesty and extraordinary might, like goddesses of war.

Then came their mounts.

The Hippogriff was also a magical beast, but its lineage was far superior to that of the mountain leopards used by hunters. At the same level, not only did it have greater combat power, but it could also fly.

This was an aerial cavalry unit!

At that moment, the five hundred horned hippogriffs crawled alongside their masters. They measured about seven meters long, with the head and wings of an eagle, the body of a beast, four legs, and were covered in dark purple scales. Their slender tails resembled those of pangolins.

They looked like a blend of an eagle and an armored monster.

Their appearance was truly fantastical.

…

“[…

[Elven Cleric]

[Innate Abilities]: Blessing, Treant Summoning, Language of Nature, Purification of Darkness.

[Information]: Elven clerics hold a high position among the elves. They possess the astonishing ability to communicate with nature. On the battlefield, their blessings can greatly enhance the combat effectiveness of the legion.

Furthermore, for anyone cursed by darkness, clerics are the ones responsible for cleansing all evil.

[Blessing]: Significantly enhances the strength, defense, and speed of a unit for two hours. The higher the level, the more targets can be blessed and the longer the duration.

[Treant Summoning]: Elven clerics can summon ancient trees of a certain age and transform them into treant warriors.

[Voice of Nature]: Elven clerics can communicate with all plants and animals in nature, even with the weeds at the roadside.

[Purification]: They wield the power of Light to cleanse curses.

…

[Hippogriff Rider]

[Innate Abilities]: Cavalry Charge, Blessing of the Wind’s Power, Life Sharing.

[Information]: Hippogriff Knights were once a renowned cavalry unit within the Elven Empire. Unmatched in valor, they dominated the skies; even dragons feared their indestructible lances.

[Cavalry Charge]: When hippogriff knights charge, their lances can pierce through even the toughest armor, greatly increasing their damage.

[Blessing of the Wind’s Power]: In a storm, the flight speed of the Hippogriff Rider is faster, and their combat power is stronger.

[Life Sharing]: The hippogriff riders and their mounts establish a special life-sharing contract. Even if one suffers fatal damage, as long as the other survives, the fatal blow has no effect.

…]”

“Truly powerful troops.” Thranduil would not hesitate to spend more crystals to train elves in these classes.

This was mainly because of the innate abilities of these two kinds of soldiers. The elven cleric being able to summon treants had been a great surprise to him.

“You will take command of the aerial troops, and as for you, I entrust you with the order of clerics.”

Before Thranduil, two elves—one woman and one man—knelt and said: “We shall follow your orders until the end of time.”