Episode 242
The Divine Sword, Vadel, and the Hero from Another World.
Their battle marked the end of the Empire’s continental unification war. After that day, the bodies of the two warriors who perished together vanished without a trace.
Yet, no one in the Empire doubted that the remains of these formidable fighters had fallen into the hands of the Imperial family and the Red Tower.
Sir Vadel, known as the greatest swordsman of the continent, had his body, including the “Aura Heart,” transplanted into the First Prince Lancelot.
Along with his unyielding spirit that refused to die.
Thus, even after experiencing death, Sir Vadel was here.
Now, as the Emperor and the Empire’s standard-bearer, he advanced towards the Grand Duchy of Lancaster, the land of his old friend and now ruled by his daughter, Charlotte.
It was at this moment that the Second Prince, Galahad, halted his horse.
“What is it?”
The Divine Sword Vadel, now also First Prince Lancelot, spoke. Galahad responded with a chuckle.
“Ah, I’m just not used to this kind of role-playing.”
Galahad’s voice was strangely foreign.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, the world beneath the two princes shifted. A barrier of thought that rejected all other beings enveloped them.
“Do you remember that winter night?”
”…!”
Within this altered world, Galahad asked. No, it wasn’t just a question. The scene before them was unmistakable.
A white, dark winter night unfolded there.
How could one forget?
“It was a night none of us could ever forget.”
“The Hero from Another World…”
The Divine Sword Vadel murmured softly.
“How on earth are you here?”
“Just as I said, I died and came back.”
The Hero from Another World replied nonchalantly.
“And how did you end up wearing the First Prince’s skin?”
Galahad, the Hero from Another World, questioned Sir Vadel, now First Prince Lancelot.
“Even the Empire couldn’t foresee this.”
Sir Vadel replied, and the Hero laughed.
“Do you really believe that? Who transplanted your body into the First Prince’s?”
After laughing, he asked again. Sir Vadel fell silent, and in that silence, he recalled the man.
The man known as the Crimson Duke.
Amidst the battles raging everywhere, Dale lowered his head.
A ridiculously large map of the entire continent lay before him, filled with countless chess pieces symbolizing various military units.
Clack.
At that moment, another battle concluded.
Dale moved a chess piece, calmly marking the outcome on the map. Though the battle took place over a thousand kilometers away from the Saxon Duchy where Dale resided, physical distance was of no consequence to him now.
His eyes and ears, tinged with blue, recorded the results unfolding on the battlefield.
He looked down at the map again, observing the ever-changing front lines amidst the constant battles.
A man who is everywhere and nowhere.
It was time to wield the influence he held as the pinnacle of the Tower of Deception and Lies, the Blue Tower.
Clack.
Thus, Dale moved another chess piece.
A black knight, symbolizing the Saxon family’s pride and the battlefield’s destroyer, the “Black Cavalry.”
At that moment.
The commander’s orders were issued, and no messenger was needed to relay them.
A blue butterfly simply took flight.
”…The Duke has given the order.”
Understanding its meaning, Sir Bale of Baskerville led the Night Raven Knights, pulling the reins of his horse.
The independent guerrilla units scattered across the continent to carry out their missions. Yet, in this world, there was no easy communication like radio.
This is why the tactics of this world remain largely medieval.
But this did not apply to Dale, who had cast his web across the entire continent.
“We will pass through Baron Pavel’s territory and break through the enemy’s rear in the barony where the battle is taking place.”
“Understood!”
Sir Bale of Baskerville spurred his horse, and the Black Cavalry began to move.
“For the Duke has given the order! Everyone, move out!”
“For the Saxon family!”
And elsewhere, dozens of kilometers away, the cavalry led by Sir Helmut Blackbear also began to move.
The battlefield destroyers, poised and waiting across the continent, began to mobilize one by one.
And the forces of the Saxon family, now making their mark on the battlefield, were not just knights.
“The commander has given the order!”
The heavy infantry of the Black Armor Company, led by Sir Yones, also began to move.
In perfect coordination with the black magic units honed for battle.
With the blue power that could issue orders regardless of distance or location, the silence was finally broken, and the blue power revealed itself on the battlefield.
And it was never just the role of “Dale, the Master of the Blue Tower.”
The masters of deception and lies, the Sorceress Council supporting the Blue Tower Master, were no exception.
Not long after.
Count Philip of Brandenburg, participating in the battlefield as a standard-bearer of the Emperor’s faction, was no exception.
And with his proud St. Magdalena Knights, he finally began his advance to prove his valor in battle.
As he started to break through the noble factions’ forces blocking his path one by one, the victories of Count Brandenburg far exceeded initial expectations.
Even a noble on the path to ruin does not lose their power overnight. No, this war was the perfect opportunity to revive the count’s family amidst crisis.
“Charge, proud Knights of St. Magdalena!”
Thus, Philip shouted desperately, breaking through the enemy’s front line early and continuing his relentless advance.
“Count! The Saxon family’s ‘Black Cavalry’ has blocked the retreat route, according to the scouts’ report…!”
“What?!”
And what blocked Philip’s advance, then and now, was always the same presence.
The independent guerrilla unit of Night Raven Knights was altering the course of the battle, controlling the battlefield’s direction.
Their movements were beyond description, as if a god from above was directing their forces. It was an inexplicable maneuver.
The battlefield destroyers, intercepting enemy forces in perfect sync with every move, turned the tide of battles one by one under Dale’s command.
And just as the blue power broke its silence, the red tower’s silence was also broken around that time.
An extraordinary stronghold is heavy.
Especially in battles of this scale, it is even more so.
It’s not without reason. If their presence alone can change the course of a battle, the key to determining the war’s outcome lies in where to “deploy” this strategic weapon.
If one recklessly advances with extraordinary strongholds, the opposing side, reading and countering their movements, can make various decisions.
“The Duke has ordered us not to engage with the red tower’s enemy mages and to retreat immediately!”
“Pull back the front line! Retreat!”
As soon as high-ranking enemy mages appear in the war, they refuse to engage and retreat.
For instance, the presence of the Crimson Duke alone has the power to control battles and even the war itself.
But if the Crimson Duke advances into enemy territory, how long will it take for him to occupy it?
Meanwhile, if a separate force attacks the capital in his absence… what meaning would the Crimson Duke’s victory hold?
Conversely, if the Crimson Duke remains entrenched in the capital for defense, the rest of the territory, excluding the capital, will be ravaged.
This is why the presence of extraordinary strongholds cannot overshadow the importance of infantry.
No matter how powerful they are in war, they are ultimately just one cog in the machine.
Dale understood this fact precisely.
Thus, he calmly fulfilled his role on the blue web his mother had woven for him.
The Imperial Capital.
Bad news continued to pour in from all directions. Reports of which noble had fallen or defected on which front, who had fled, and who had surrendered.
It was a cascade of defeats spreading across the entire continent.
Emperor Arthur, seated on the golden throne, remained silent amidst the deluge of reports.
“The situation is turning unfavorable.”
The Crimson Duke spoke beside him. Emperor Arthur did not respond.
“It must be the Shadow Lord using the blue web. They are isolating the extraordinary strongholds and securing decisive victories in regular battles.”
“Truly wise.”
Finally, after a long silence, the Golden Emperor spoke, and the Crimson Duke smiled silently.
Avoiding battles with high-ranking enemy mages and the like, isolating them, and securing certain victories in other battles.
It was a battle strategy that seemed to come from an ideal, and the Shadow Lord had the power to make it a reality.
“It seems that merely observing the current state of the war is no longer a wise decision.”
“What do you propose?”
“I request that Your Majesty personally lead the troops into battle.”
The Crimson Duke bowed his head as he spoke.
“Before the losses grow any worse, we must rally all scattered forces and advance towards the Duchy of Saxony. We need to bring this to a decisive large-scale battle.”
”…”
The Golden Sovereign remained silent, pondering the suggestion. But the silence did not last long.
“When the war ends, what do you think will remain on this land?”
“Ashes, I suppose.”
The Crimson Duke replied calmly.
“Regardless of who claims victory, the defeated will resist until the bitter end. What will remain is the scars of war, a wasteland of fire and blood.”
“A truly hollow victory.”
The Crimson Duke did not respond, maintaining an inscrutable smile, his true intentions hidden deep within his heart.
Not long after, the Empire’s forces, scattered across the continent, began to gather one by one.
Word spread that the Golden Sovereign, Emperor Arthur himself, was leading them into battle.
Towards the frozen lands of Saxony, where the Shadow Lord, the Duke of Darkness, awaited.
At the same time, news came that the two princes of the golden bloodline, Lancelot and Galahad, had vanished.
The sacred sword Vardel and the warriors from another realm.
The Golden Sovereign and the Shadow Lord.
The Crimson Duke and the Duke of Darkness.
Each believing themselves to be the main player or the hidden hand in this grand stage, they all began to converge towards a single point.
Into the remembered landscape of a bright yet dark winter night.