Volume I: Hell-Tier Lord World Chapter 126: The Imperial Guard Legion
Entering through the tavern’s main doors, Chen Gu immediately took in the layout of the hall.
There were six sets of tables and chairs in all. Above each set hung a trailing vine, and anyone who wanted a drink only had to seize the vine and pour for themselves.
That, however, was not what caught Chen Gu’s attention. Two humanoid heroes were seated at separate tables.
From their attire, it was clear that both were elves.
The moment Chen Gu entered the tavern, they rose together.
“Greetings, my lord.”
“You two are...?”
Their courteous manner surprised Chen Gu. They seemed to know exactly who he was.
“My lord, we have sensed the Elven Breath upon you. We already know your identity,” one of the heroes explained.
Only then did Chen Gu understand.
He studied the two heroes carefully. One was male and the other female, and both were clearly of a higher level than the other heroes under his command.
The man wore a suit of green dragon-scale armor and carried a longsword. He looked like someone with a mind of his own; he was the one who had spoken.
The woman wore silver plate armor and held a short bow. Her silver hair fell over her shoulders, and while the male hero was speaking, she had tilted her head to examine Chen Gu.
Seeing that Chen Gu understood the reason for their attitude, the two smiled.
The male hero went so far as to display his attributes. Then he extended a hand toward Chen Gu.
“Deepwood Warden, Sulis.”
[Hero Attributes]
Name: Sulis
Quality: Purple (Level Cap: 15)
Race: Elf
Level: 1
Talent: Child of the Deepwood (While within a forest, the combat power of his soldiers increases with his level, up to a maximum of 50%)
Combat Attributes: Strength 9, Agility 9, Constitution 9, Perception 8, Intelligence 8
Campaign Attributes: Attack 1, Defense 1, Magic 1, Wisdom 1
Starting Skill: Level 1 Leadership
Legion: Elven Sword Dancers (30), Elven Archers (60), Wood Elves (100), None, None, None, None
Description: A powerful elf born in the deepwood and raised in the wilderness. As long as he remains within the deepwood, he is an invincible presence.
Chen Gu found Sulis’s circumstances rather intriguing. He sensed something unusual about the elf, an aura unlike that of the others.
Sulis gave him the impression of an elven leader.
As Chen Gu pondered this, Sulis smiled and said, “Please rest assured, my lord. As a Deepwood Warden, I was charged with protecting the Elven Queen. Since you possess the Elven Breath, you are the Elven King.”
“The Queen’s Guard?”
Chen Gu suddenly remembered the military organization under the Elven Queen.
It was said to be one of the three most renowned elite corps of the elven race, with even its weakest soldiers possessing the strength of seventh level.
“Yes. However, the Queen’s Guard no longer exists. My lord, would you like to rebuild the corps?”
“How long would that take? And would the rebuilt force still be an elite corps?”
Chen Gu was somewhat curious. If he could obtain an elite corps, he was certainly willing to invest in it.
“Recruiting the personnel will take three weeks. Once the ranks are filled, we will need to enter the Emerald Deepwood once.”
Chen Gu paused before realizing that the Emerald Deepwood mentioned here was not the capital of the Emerald Kingdom, but one of the elven race’s sacred lands.
It seemed that only the Elven King and the Queen’s Guard had ever entered the Emerald Deepwood.
Chen Gu had previously obtained a key that could grant entry.
“Very well. The key is in my possession. Tell me the organization of the Queen’s Guard.”
After a moment’s thought, Chen Gu nodded in agreement.
“The Queen’s Guard is commanded by three supreme commanders.
“Under them are three knight squadrons: fifty Green Dragon Knights, one hundred and twenty Unicorn Knights, and two hundred and fifty Silver Pegasus Knights.
“There are five guard squadrons: two hundred Deepwood Wardens, two hundred Emerald Guards, two hundred Temple Guards, two hundred Magicbane Guardians, and two hundred Deepwood Swordsmen.
“There are four archer squadrons: two hundred and fifty Huntresses, two hundred and fifty Phantom Archers, two hundred and fifty Deepwood Archers, and two hundred and fifty Secret Arrow Archers.
“There are two magical squadrons: one hundred Whisper Mages and one hundred Witheredwood Druids.
“In addition, there is one priest squadron, one hundred Hearts of the Deepwood.
“That makes a total of two thousand seven hundred and twenty soldiers.
“There are also eighteen heroes.”
“All elves?”
Chen Gu asked curiously. The organization seemed rather unusual.
Chen Gu had heard Alan speak about the elven armies before. Even elven legions had units that served as cannon fodder, such as fairies and forest spirits.
Yet from the sound of it, this Queen’s Guard was composed entirely of pure-blooded elves.
That seemed rather strange.
“Yes. Every member is an elf. The Queen’s Guard is small in number, but none of its soldiers are weak. Every soldier must reach the seventh level and complete a designated trial before qualifying for service.
“For example, a Green Dragon Knight must first reach the seventh level and then defeat a young green dragon.”
Chen Gu blinked. “I thought you were going to say that only elves were accepted because the Emerald Deepwood allows only elves to enter.”
“That is not the case, my lord. Others may enter the Emerald Deepwood as well. It is simply that very few can obtain any benefits from it.”
“Then the troops under your command are not Deepwood Wardens.”
“I am only level one at present, and my soldiers are not yet strong enough. They must undergo further training before they can be appointed as Deepwood Wardens.”
Chen Gu suddenly thought of a possibility.
“Does the Queen’s Guard have to consist only of those units?”
“Of course not. Every Elven Que—every Elven King has their own ideas.”
“If I could raise you all to the seventh level by some means, what sort of abilities or professions would you want?”
Sulis glanced back at the female elf, then considered the question.
“If it were up to me, I would want the power to charge head-on into battle.”
“A frontal charge? Did the Queen’s Guard ever fight the undead?”
“We did. It was an extremely frustrating battle. We never even got to see the queen one last time.”
Chen Gu thought it over before finally saying, “Very well. I’ll keep that in mind. We can discuss the Queen’s Guard gradually. And what about you?”
Chen Gu turned toward the female elven hero.
“My name is Nina. I am a Unicorn Shepherd.”
As she spoke, the female elf displayed her attributes.
[Hero Attributes]
Name: Nina
Quality: Blue (Level Cap: 10)
Race: Elf
Level: 1
Talent: Unicorn Maiden (After reaching level 5, each level gained increases the attack and defense of unicorns by 1)
Combat Attributes: Strength 6, Agility 10, Constitution 9, Perception 12, Intelligence 6
Campaign Attributes: Attack 0, Defense 0, Magic 1, Wisdom 2
Starting Skill: Level 1 Luck
Legion: Wood Elves (30), Forest Spirits (120), Fairies (150), Flower Spirits (100), None, None, None
Description: Nina grew up beside unicorns. Because of her exceptional perception, she can hear the thoughts of unicorns, who regard her as one of their companions.