Episode 387
“Rooooar!”
The Twin-Headed Cyclops let out a monstrous bellow as it charged toward the Northern Duke. Without its mace, it seemed intent on crushing her with its sheer bulk.
The Northern Duke, who had been observing quietly, raised her massive greatsword with one hand. Despite its weight, she sprinted forward, gaining momentum before hurling the sword directly at the Cyclops.
“Thwoom!”
The air split with a deafening sound as the greatsword flew toward the beast. Caught off guard, the Cyclops tried to halt its charge, but it was too late. The sword pierced through its forearm and continued through its chest.
With a thunderous crash, the Cyclops, now sporting a gaping hole in its chest, fell to its knees and collapsed. The Northern Duke walked over leisurely, placing her foot on one of the creature’s heads.
With a slow, deliberate motion, she crushed it as if a giant hammer had descended from the sky, shattering the skull into pieces. She then turned her attention to the remaining head, stomping it into oblivion.
Raising her hand to the sky, the greatsword, which had vanished into the air, returned to her grasp as if summoned. She turned her gaze toward the other Cyclopes, who were now hesitantly retreating.
With a leap, she soared into the air, her sword poised for action. The phrase “one stroke, two halves” perfectly encapsulated her swordsmanship. Each swing of her blade cleaved the Cyclopes in two, leaving a trail of bisected bodies in her wake.
The once formidable horde of Cyclopes, numbering in the dozens, now lay scattered around the fortress walls, lifeless.
Step by step, the Northern Duke made her way across the blood-soaked snowfield toward Sven and Nikolai. She retrieved something from her coat and tossed it to Sven—a potion known for its healing properties.
Sven quickly administered the potion to Nikolai and applied a salve to his shoulder and leg wounds. Thankfully, his injuries didn’t seem life-threatening.
Just then, the fortress gates swung open, and rangers and knights rushed out with carts.
“Quick, load him up and get him inside! We need to get him to a healer!”
The rangers swiftly splinted Nikolai’s shoulder and leg, securing him on the cart before wheeling him inside. Sven and the other Northern knights bowed their heads toward the Northern Duke.
The Duke, observing this, removed her wolf-shaped helmet, revealing a delicate face that seemed at odds with the ruthless warrior who had just decimated the monsters. Her braided golden hair cascaded down, and her sapphire-like eyes shone as she looked at the knights of Himonas.
Sven addressed her, “My lady, these damned monsters just keep coming.”
Though Sven tried to restrain his language, the anger in his voice was unmistakable. Alicia turned her gaze toward the icy mountain range.
“Prepare an expedition,” she commanded, her voice husky and fierce, a stark contrast to her delicate appearance. Holding the emblematic sword of the Northern Duke, the ‘Fenrir Blade,’ she continued, “We’re going to wipe out those wretched monsters.”
The sound of hooves thundered as Zeke rode toward the Northern Continent, accompanied by the elite knights of the Black Sword Order and the formidable Barbarian knights. The Black Sword Order’s elite guard, known as the Black Spirits, followed closely behind, consisting of Liam, Felix, Diego, Aster, and Rick.
Having honed their skills in various battles and trained in the Shadow Aura technique under Duke’s guidance, they had all reached the level of Blue Knights. Zeke had organized them into a special unit to gain more combat experience.
Following the Black Spirits, the massive Barbarian unit charged forward on their fierce unicorn mounts. On the opposite flank, the knights of the Turn family, equally imposing, rode their rugged warhorses, keeping pace with Zeke.
At that moment, someone rode up beside Zeke. It was Reina Draker. Her hair had grown longer, and she had shed her youthful appearance, now standing as a confident knight of the Draker family.
“Zeke Draker, the information about the monsters invading the Ice Mountains is accurate, right?” she asked.
Zeke nodded, “You’ve grown more skeptical since we last met, Reina Draker.”
Reina frowned, “It’s not skepticism; it’s about being precise!”
In her past life, Reina had been one of the Five Star Knights, renowned as the Knight of the Flash. Her potential was immense, and she had grown significantly in the time they hadn’t seen each other. She had surpassed the level of a Purple Knight and reached that of a Blue Knight.
Reina’s rapid progress was largely due to her relentless efforts to keep up with Zeke. However, Zeke’s growth had been even more astonishing. Having become a Black Knight and the guardian of their family, Zeke’s achievements had inspired both admiration and awe in Reina.
When Zeke requested reinforcements from the Turn family, he specifically asked for Reina, and she eagerly accepted the call. It had been years since the Trials of Strife, and the prospect of meeting Zeke again filled her with anticipation, though she didn’t show it outwardly.
However, Zeke’s reaction upon their reunion was not what she had hoped for. He treated her with the same casual familiarity as before, leaving Reina feeling slightly disappointed. As a result, her words to Zeke came out more curtly than intended.
While Reina masked her complex emotions, Zeke’s mind was equally preoccupied. The reason for the Turn family’s involvement in the Northern Continent expedition was none other than a directive from Arthur Draker, which included a proposal for marriage with Reina.
“Marriage with Reina, huh,” Zeke mused. Though they were cousins, Reina’s mother had been adopted into the main family from a branch line, making their familial connection somewhat distant. Historically, the Draker family had encouraged close-kin marriages to preserve pure bloodlines, and cousin marriages were not uncommon in the Central Continent.
Both Zeke and Reina were pure-blooded Draker awakeners, so the family was keen on their union. Arthur had conveyed the family’s wishes and arranged for their meeting. However, Zeke had little interest in marriage, as he had a mountain of other responsibilities to tackle.
Yet, he couldn’t completely disregard Arthur Draker’s wishes, so he devised a clever plan. He requested the necessary troops from the Turn family for the Northern expedition, using his reputation to his advantage.
Zeke’s fame had soared after defending the Holy Kingdom of Vadoka and repelling the invasion of the Dorata Republic. As a knight of salvation, he called upon the Turn family to join the expedition against the invading monster horde.
Rex Turn, moved by Zeke’s fervor, not only sent the knights but also provided essential supplies. Zeke, along with the Black Spirits, the Barbarian unit, and the Turn forces, advanced toward the North. Meanwhile, Bacchus and Carmilla had discreetly made their way to the North for a separate meeting.
“Things are going better than expected. The Black Sword Order can’t move easily right now,” Zeke thought.
The Black Sword Order was currently stationed in ‘Heli,’ a key city connecting Midland and the Rom Empire, after resolving matters in the Holy Kingdom of Vadoka. Zeke had tasked Boris and the intelligence unit with eliminating the remnants of Siemens in Heli, while also strategically positioning the Black Sword Order to prevent Rom’s influence.
Duke, Andrei, and Owl, who had recently joined the Black Sword Order, were restructuring the unit and strengthening its forces. After the events in the Dorata Republic, Julius, the consul, had fully aligned with Zeke.
Julius was preparing to dethrone Abel from the imperial seat, rallying support from the second and fourth princes to assert the legitimacy of the imperial authority. Consequently, Daria Calvi and the knights of the Imperial Palace, who had been hesitant, decided to join the effort to reclaim Rom.
With the addition of Caliso, who had a knack for riding the tides of change, the 20,000 imperial soldiers who had surrendered in the Holy Kingdom of Vadoka were persuaded to side with Julius. As a result, Julius was rapidly gaining both legitimacy and strength to reclaim Rom.
Julius, stationed in Heli, was also discreetly communicating with the imperial army’s commanders, preparing to pressure Abel and Siemens. The challenge remained that the imperial Black Knights had yet to respond.
The moment the Empire’s Black Knights made a move, it seemed the civil war within the Rom Empire would ignite.
Zeke, who had been lost in thought about Helly and the Rom Empire, lifted his gaze.
The Northern Continent Expedition, led by Zeke, was headed not to Himonas, but to Barkal.
Himonas, located at the northernmost tip of the continent, had roads that were poorly maintained.
The safest and quickest route was the old highway from the days of the Holy Empire, connecting Barkal to Himonas, so they were heading to Barkal first.
Moreover, they needed to stop in Barkal to purchase supplies and winter gear to withstand the northern cold.
For Zeke, who had experienced the battlefields of the Northern Continent in a past life, this was familiar territory. However, for the knights from the Central Continent, the idea of removing their armor to don winter gear was likely baffling.
As they pressed on, Felix approached Zeke.
“My lord, it seems we’ve reached Barkal!”
Zeke, too, was gazing ahead at the distant cityscape of Barkal.
But then, something unusual caught his eye.
“What is that?”
He noticed a line of flag bearers and troops arrayed in front of Barkal.
Zeke scrutinized the flags of the forces stationed before the city.
“The Empire’s flag and… the Knights of the Great Sea Palace.”
Unexpectedly, the Knights of the Great Sea Palace, one of the 13 legions that had sided with Abel, had appeared in Barkal.
Seeing the city gates firmly shut behind them, it was clear the knights hadn’t come with friendly intentions.
Zeke recalled that the Knights of the Great Sea Palace had aligned themselves with the schemer Azmun Barrios.
“Have they chosen Barkal as a forward base for invading the Northern Continent?”
If the monster legion attacked Himonas, the northern knights would be forced to focus their attention there.
Meanwhile, if the Knights of the Great Sea Palace seized Barkal, a key point of communication between the Central and Northern Continents, the Empire would gain a significant strategic advantage.
They could simultaneously keep Himonas in check and pressure the central kingdoms and Midland cities.
“Sounds like a plan Azmun would concoct.”
As they drew closer to Barkal, Reina also noticed the Imperial forces camped outside the city.
“Why are Imperial troops in the Northern Continent…?”
Zeke paused the march and called Reina aside to explain the situation.
“It seems the Empire is planning to invade Barkal.”
Reina was taken aback by this revelation.
“An invasion without even a declaration of war?”
“These are the same people who turned Rom into a bloodbath and usurped the throne. What meaning does a declaration of war have to them now?”
Reina nodded, understanding Zeke’s point.
Zeke looked at her and said, “Do you think they’ll just let us pass quietly to Himonas?”
Reina shook her head. She knew all too well that the Empire would never allow that.
Then Zeke lowered his voice and said to Reina, “Let’s strike first.”