Episode 388
Neigh!
A messenger galloped swiftly to the tent of Commander Frets Maise, situated at the heart of the Gohai Palace Knights’ camp.
After dismounting, the messenger hurried inside the tent.
“Commander! Urgent news from Rom!”
Frets, who had been lounging with shirtless male slaves, frowned at the sudden intrusion.
Waving the slaves away with a dismissive gesture, he turned to the messenger with a look of irritation.
With his face painted white and lips stained red, Frets resembled a theatrical actor.
Still displeased, he addressed the messenger.
“What urgent news from Rom could possibly warrant this interruption?”
His voice was thick with annoyance at having his leisure disrupted.
The messenger handed him the telegram.
Frets quickly scanned the contents, then crumpled the paper and tore it to shreds.
“Damn it! That dark sorcerer dares to treat the imperial army like errand boys?”
The letter was from none other than Lopocale, a minion of the ‘Creeping Abyss,’ disguised as an apostle of the void.
Frets was displeased with Lopocale’s manipulation of the imperial legions, using them to further his own ends after seizing Rom with Abel.
Lopocale had reiterated his order for Frets to capture Barkal swiftly and then attack Mycenae, home to the Agamemnon family.
Lopocale’s aim was to distract Zeke Draker by striking at Mycenae, his stronghold.
However, Azmun Barrios, the commander of the Magal Palace Knights, had a different strategy.
“If we provoke Mycenae, all the central noble families will rise up. It’s nonsensical to attack there first. It’s more beneficial to target the Pansthas of the Graham family or the neutral cities.”
Pansthas was the financial hub of the central region, and the neutral cities were the center of pharmaceutical production on the central continent.
They were easier to conquer and offered substantial gains.
In contrast, Mycenae offered little reward for the effort required.
Moreover, Zeke Draker, the black knight and guardian of the Draker family, was the heir to the Agamemnon family, making a counterattack likely.
Lopocale’s orders were driven by a desire to capture Zeke Draker, but Frets saw no reason to take such a risk.
Following Azmun’s lead, Frets seethed at Lopocale’s command.
“That damn sorcerer thinks he can play commander?”
Frets rose and stepped outside the tent.
Gazing at Barkal’s walls, he asked his lieutenant, who had silently joined him, “Has there been any response from the Barkal council?”
Barkal was a self-governing city, run by a council representing various races, including humans and dwarves.
Decisions took time, but this was no ordinary situation.
Frets had requested entry to Barkal under the guise of protecting the city from a monster horde threatening the northern continent.
But the council saw through his intentions and locked the gates, opting for quiet resistance.
Hearing no response from Barkal, Frets clicked his tongue in frustration.
“Well, we’ve waited long enough. If they want to drink their own poison, so be it.”
With a cruel smile, Frets eyed Barkal’s walls.
As a formidable red knight and a ruthless leader, Frets was known for crushing those weaker than himself into submission.
Peaceful Barkal was an easy target, one he could conquer in just two days.
Frets ordered his lieutenant, “Contact the sorcerer. When the monsters attack Barkal, they’ll beg us for help.”
“Understood, Commander.”
Frets prepared for battle, anticipating Barkal’s downfall at the hands of the monster horde.
But events took an unexpected turn.
Initially, the monster horde descended on Barkal as Frets had planned.
However, before they reached the walls, another force appeared, swiftly decimating the monsters.
Frets gaped at the bull emblem on their armor.
“That’s the Turn family crest?”
The sudden appearance of the Turn family, based in Midland, in the northern continent was baffling.
As he watched in disbelief, Frets spotted a young knight leading the Turn forces.
“A woman…?”
Reina, alongside the Turn knights, cut through the monsters like a storm.
Frets quickly recognized her as Reina Draker, daughter of Rex Turn.
“Why have the Turn family shown up here out of the blue?”
Before the Gohai Palace Knights set out for the northern continent, Azmun had warned Frets to avoid direct confrontation with the northern duke of Himonas.
While wary of Himonas sending knights, the unexpected arrival of Turn forces caught him off guard.
Grinding his teeth, Frets watched Reina’s sword flash like lightning.
“That upstart blue knight dares to meddle in my plans?”
With the Turn forces’ sudden intervention, the monsters retreated to the mountains.
After the monsters withdrew, Reina turned her horse toward the Gohai Palace Knights and shouted,
“I am Reina Draker, pureblood of the Draker line and heir to Turn! I stand here to stop the monster horde in the northern continent! Why does the imperial army threaten Barkal with its forces? Explain yourselves!”
Frets realized Reina had stolen the justification he sought.
Had they defeated the monsters, they could have justified their presence before Barkal’s gates. Now, they appeared as aggressors.
Grinding his teeth, Frets glared at Reina Draker.
“Arrogant girl. So full of herself for a mere fledgling.”
Despite his words, Frets calculated the power difference between the Turn and Gohai Palace knights.
Reina herself was inexperienced, but the Turn knights were formidable.
Moreover, facing them with Barkal’s walls at their back was disadvantageous.
“Considering everything, we’re at a disadvantage.”
Frets, ruthless yet loath to waste his forces, decided against direct confrontation, opting instead to trap Reina Draker.
“Tell Reina Draker I wish to meet her alone.”
Reina’s side responded positively to Frets’ message.
Amidst the standoff, a meeting was arranged between Reina and Frets.
The two faced each other on horseback between the opposing camps.
Frets greeted Reina with a smile.
“Reina Draker, I’ve heard much of your prowess. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Ignoring the pleasantries, Reina cut straight to the point.
“Why is the imperial army stationed here? Barkal is a recognized autonomous region, and the empire has no right to interfere.”
Frets replied smoothly, “Of course. But Barkal lacks the defenses for a large-scale invasion. We can’t let its citizens suffer at the hands of monsters. Out of humanitarian concern, the empire dispatched troops to protect them.”
“If that’s your purpose, you can leave now. The savior knight, Zeke Draker, will soon arrive with forces to deal with the northern continent’s monsters.”
Frets flinched at the mention of Zeke Draker.
“He’s coming here?”
Zeke Draker, the black knight and guardian of the Draker family, was their most watched adversary.
“If he arrives with his forces, using the monster threat to seize Barkal is impossible.”
Frets realized he needed to deal with Reina and enter Barkal before Zeke Draker’s arrival.
He addressed Reina, “The savior knight! I’ve long admired him.”
Continuing, he said, “If that’s the case, even better. With your help, we can scout the Ogre Mountains and locate the monsters’ base. When the savior knight arrives, we can wipe them out completely.”
Reina pondered Frets’ words before asking, “Do you know where the monsters are coming from?”
Frets nodded, “Yes. We knew, but Barkal’s defenses were too weak to act. But with your help and the Turn knights, it’s possible.”
After considering Frets’ proposal, Reina nodded in agreement.
“Very well. Let’s head up to the Ogre Mountains together and take down some monsters.”
Fretz couldn’t help but smile inwardly as Reyna fell right into the trap he’d set.
Reyna led the Knights of Turn, joining forces with the Knights of the Grand Palace, to ascend the Ogre Mountains.
Fretz planned to ambush Reyna’s side the moment they entered the territory where the dark sorcerers lay in wait, sending more monsters to attack Baikal.
“Eliminate the Turn scum and seize Baikal as soon as possible. Once I’m in, even Zeke Draker won’t be able to do anything about it.”
As the troops entered the sorcerers’ barrier, the knights sensed something amiss and reacted with heightened alertness.
Reyna turned to Fretz, her voice tinged with unease. “Sir Fretz, this place… it doesn’t feel right. Is there another path we could take?”
Fretz shook his head. “This is the only way. There’s nothing to worry about; we’re almost there.”
Despite her reservations, Reyna nodded, albeit reluctantly.
Fretz grinned slyly at her compliance. “What can a naive rookie like her do? Once she’s dead and the monsters attack, it’ll all be neatly resolved.”
He led the troops deeper into the heart of the barrier, where only he, armed with a totem from the sorcerers, could wield his aura effectively.
It was when they reached the very center of the barrier.
A low hum resonated through the forest as dark sorcerers emerged from the shadows.
Reyna, startled, shouted to her knights, “Enemies! Prepare for defense!”
The knights drew their swords, only to cry out in confusion, “My lady! Our aura isn’t responding!”
“Something’s wrong!”
Amidst the chaos, Reyna turned to Fretz, her voice demanding answers. “Sir Fretz! What’s happening—?”
Fretz drew his sword, a sinister smile on his lips, as an aura blade flared to life. “Excessive ambition can be your downfall.”
Without hesitation, he swung his sword at Reyna.
But then—
Crack!
A seemingly ordinary knight stepped forward, catching Fretz’s blade with his bare hand.
Fretz stared in disbelief, unable to comprehend the situation, until the knight’s form began to change.
Realization dawned as Fretz recognized Zeke, who had dispelled his transformation magic.
“Z-Zeke Draker!”
In an instant, Zeke swung a massive hammer with a powerful arc.
Fretz, panicking, shouted, “W-wait!”
But it was too late. With a whoosh, Fretz’s head shattered into pieces.