The White Apostle had once joined forces with the Lychness Knights to hunt down the Shadow Dragon. They had formed an alliance long before, successfully completing the mission without suffering any casualties. It was likely that this time, they intended to collaborate with the Lychness Knights again to combat the monsters.
‘No one has ever accomplished such a feat.’
Of course, the Shadow Dragon’s invasion was an unforeseen event. However, the White Apostle did not flee; instead, he fought alongside the Lychness Knights against the Shadow Dragon. Even Setinos Quasar would feel fear before the Four Calamities, yet he overcame it and boldly moved forward.
‘Zion Laird…’
Baltz had long anticipated meeting Zion Laird. Known as a swordsman who could wield sword energy at a young age and having played a significant role in defeating the Shadow Dragon, Zion was someone to be admired. Ideally, they should have met when Zion first arrived in the border region, but he never visited Alriad Castle before leaving.
Time passed, and a new year began. After a long wait, Baltz finally had the opportunity to meet him.
‘Hanette Adelaira is remarkable too.’
No other noble lady would learn magic and venture to the border region. While there were cases involving the king or the royal knight commander, they were rare. Moreover, she had gained the title of Mage in a short time and even defeated the Shadow Dragon, proving herself a born genius.
‘Quite… destined, isn’t it?’
The daughter of a Duke and the son of a Marquis, a mage and a swordsman, outstanding talents and excellent appearances, and companions running the same knightly order. They were a well-matched pair, filling each other’s gaps. Although their relationship began as a strategic marriage, how could they achieve such harmony?
‘I don’t believe in fate, but…’
Baltz recalled the Silver Phantom Thief, feeling a peculiar sense of incongruity. His connection with the Silver Phantom Thief was also born of a small incident, perhaps even fate. What if he had killed the Silver Phantom Thief back then?
‘It’s because I was incompetent that the Silver Phantom Thief survived.’
At that time, the Silver Phantom Thief had killed people, and Baltz, as a knight with a mission, sought to capture or eliminate him. However, he failed to capture the Silver Phantom Thief, resulting in a failed mission. Years later, they met again, but the king and Baltz knew the truth, so they tacitly buried the incident.
‘I must be getting old, thinking about fate… nonsense.’
Baltz laughed at himself, his eyes sharp. Everyone had the opportunity to carve out and change their destiny. Of course, circumstances and conditions imposed limitations, but one shouldn’t give up easily. The more you give up, the more you lose, and eventually, you fall without ever rising.
‘You must break the predetermined to become stronger.’
Baltz had experienced many rules and conventions throughout his life. They said he couldn’t do it because he was a commoner, that he was too weak, that he wouldn’t be acknowledged no matter how strong he became. Ignoring the prejudice and ridicule, he pushed himself beyond his limits through relentless training.
As a result, he became a knight from a commoner background, promoted to knight commander, and eventually led hundreds to thousands of soldiers as a frontline commander.
‘If I had succumbed to fate… I wouldn’t be here.’
Confirming no monsters were in sight, Baltz slowly turned around. Currently, he was commanding a rapid deployment unit at the frontline, acting as a member of Setinos Quasar. He could use his authority to gather all the frontline troops or get additional support from the capital.
A commoner who once only relied on a bow and arrow had, over decades, become one of the king’s closest aides.
‘If I’m wrong…’
A knight was running toward him. Baltz wondered what report the knight would bring.
“Commander! The White Apostle and the Lychness Knights are heading toward the castle!”
“A distinguished guest is coming. I will personally go out to greet them.”
“Understood!”
The commanders and knights of each unit would also show up out of courtesy. Involved were the king, the Kinesien Sacred Order, the Magic Society, and Setinos Quasar.
‘Last time, the Four Calamities appeared… this time, is it the turn of the Three Great Kings?’
Alriad Castle, Tactical Conference Room.
Baltz and the commander were listening to Enrite’s explanation. The lack of precise reasons in the king’s letter and the speculation about a possible arrival of mages from the Magic Society were all related to this. However, there had been no contact from Silver, nor any signs of monster attacks.
“Do you know the exact timing?”
“I don’t know precisely. If it’s early, it could be this month; if late, next month.”
“That’s why you sent the letter months in advance?”
“His Majesty thought that warning about an unseen enemy wouldn’t be believed by the soldiers. So he issued the orders first.”
Enrite conveyed the king’s intentions, awaiting more questions. The king had accepted his advice and issued royal commands. Enrite persuaded the Kinesien Sacred Order with his authority and accomplishments, and the Magic Society was influenced by the Azure Sage. Baltz would have many questions, so Enrite needed to explain thoroughly to gain his cooperation.
“Where did you get this information? I haven’t heard anything from Silver.”
“…I obtained it through another source.”
“Can it be trusted?”
“Yes. The same source helped us prepare for the Shadow Dragon.”
Zion, overhearing their conversation, held his silence. Enrite was deliberately hiding how he obtained the information to avoid controversy. Revealing that he got the information from Zion would lead to questions about the basis and responsibility for it. Enrite was taking on all the burden to protect Zion.
“So, you informed Silver?”
“At the time, I wasn’t sure, so I just told him to keep an eye out. That’s why we responded quickly.”
“…I see. In that case, it’s probably trustworthy.”
Baltz harbored doubts but did not pursue the matter further. Enrite was also a Setinos Quasar, having proven himself with his achievements. Though the information could be wrong, preparing for an invasion meant that, at worst, they would endure some hardships without suffering any real harm.
“Does your presence here relate to this information?”
“There’s no other place that can accommodate tens of thousands of undead at once. Spreading our forces out would only result in a massacre like other monster attacks.”
“Hmm… I see. So that’s why you chose this place.”
Baltz nodded, envisioning the troop deployments in his mind. Other castles had narrow terrains, making it impossible for many monsters to enter at once. Attacking from blind spots would lead to encirclement, making retreat difficult. To push with tens of thousands of troops at once, they had to target the expansive plains of Alriad Castle.
“If you received the information early, you must have a strategy in mind.”
“It’s not much different from yours. We’ll bring in some troops from each castle to reinforce Alriad Castle, check the walls and supplies in anticipation of an invasion.”
“That’s right. The basics. They might also try to bypass us, so we need to operate the forces separately.”
“…From there, I devised a different strategy. You might think it’s reckless and foolish.”
“What kind of strategy makes you say that?”
“We need to abandon Alriad Castle.”
“……?”
Baltz’s expression froze, and he couldn’t utter a word. The commander and knights from various units looked at Enrite with suspicion. Only Zion and Hanette remained composed.
“White, what are you saying? Abandon the castle?”
“The Abyssal King will try to bring down the walls.”
“The walls have been maintained for a long time and are reinforced with magic. The Three Great Kings are strong, but they can’t bring down the walls.”
“That might have been true in the past, but things have changed. He’ll have the power to break through the walls now.”
Even Enrite found this hard to believe. Alriad Castle had never fallen since it was built. It had withstood all attacks, even those of the Three Great Kings and the Four Great Calamities. But the idea that the walls would collapse because the enemy was slightly stronger was unfathomable.
“When the time comes, we won’t be able to avoid it. We need to prepare now.”
“If Alriad Castle falls, monsters will flood into the eastern region. Even if we gather troops, we don’t know how long we can hold out. And you’re suggesting we abandon the castle?”
“We need to abandon the castle and think ahead. It’s better than letting the soldiers die in vain.”
“How can we defend the frontline without Alriad Castle? It’s the central fortress guarding the frontline!”
Baltz shouted, his eyes wide. Enrite seemed unaffected, as if he had anticipated this reaction. Zion, who had been silent, slowly spoke up.
“…We can change the inner walls.”
“Change the walls? What do you mean?”
“Alriad Castle narrows as you move inward. Fighting from the inner walls will allow us to surround and attack the monsters effectively.”
In the original story, the Abyssal King used the Earth Magic Sword to partially destroy Alriad Castle’s walls. This allowed the undead to infiltrate the castle easily, resulting in the massacre of many knights and soldiers. Zion aimed to minimize allied casualties while effectively utilizing Alriad Castle.
“Wouldn’t that still mean abandoning the castle?”
“Isn’t it better than losing the castle and our soldiers? Are you underestimating the power of the Abyssal King and his monsters?”
“…Are you trying to teach me?”
“I risked my life to come here. I’m not saying this just to save myself!”
Zion had spent countless hours devising this strategy. Even in the original story, there were discrepancies, mostly related to the Magic Sword users. Though the Abyssal King was also a Magic Sword user, he wielded the sword forcibly, unlike the others. Thus, this invasion would follow the Abyssal King’s will, necessitating bold strategies to counter it.
‘The Abyssal King will use much of his power to break the walls… We can win if we fight then.’