The warning signs came suddenly.
Beyond the rolling hills, the orc banners began to flutter.
Then, the entire horizon started to rise.
“My god…”
A scout stationed in the watchtower raised his telescope, eyes fixed on the orcs.
What was rising wasn’t the land—it was the orc army.
“It’s not just one group. Look over there.”
As his comrade said, the horizon in every direction was trembling all at once.
They had been surrounded before they even realized it.
“That many?”
The orcs had been steadily losing troops over time.
The allied forces had responded calmly, managing to kill many orcs while minimizing their own losses.
Yet, so many still remained.
“Report back immediately!”
A swift-footed soldier hurried down from the watchtower.
The remaining scouts kept their vigil, watching the nearby area.
“How are the orcs holding up?”
A sentry waiting below the tower asked.
“Well…”
“Well?”
“This is bad.”
The scout’s hand trembled as he held the telescope.
Among the orc soldiers gradually coming into view, there was an orc banner—too many to count individually.
But that wasn’t all.
Orc cavalry mounted on komodo drakes broke formation and charged forward.
A thick cloud of dust rose.
One orc cavalryman raised his weapon and shouted something. Instantly, the entire cavalry brandished their weapons and let out a roar.
“It’s chaos… total chaos…”
Distracted by the commotion, the scout failed to notice the shadow flickering overhead.
Suddenly, his vision blurred.
He didn’t even realize he was dying.
As the scout collapsed, alarms blared.
“Look up! Look up!”
“Ring the bells, quickly!”
“War is upon us!”
The bells began to toll.
While the orc main force advanced from all sides toward the allied camp, arrows rained down from the sky.
“Wyverns!”
The orcs had tamed ancient worms, and now they were riding wyverns.
The allied soldiers’ gazes shifted upward.
The wyverns spread their wings, blocking the sun as they moved. From above, arrows poured down.
“Match their wings!”
The sentries responded in kind.
Soon, the entire allied force began to prepare for battle. Having endured countless ambushes, they were well-practiced at jumping straight into combat.
“Return fire!”
A volley of arrows shot upward from the allied ranks.
The wyverns gained altitude.
Arrows that missed their targets arced steeply and fell back down.
“It’s okay if we don’t hit them!”
A senior soldier shouted.
“Make them flee upward! Then they can’t aim properly!”
There weren’t many wyverns.
Thanks to the sentries’ efforts, casualties were minimal.
Soon, Ragna appeared.
“So, it begins.”
He gathered his messengers and assigned defensive sectors to each nation.
After giving his orders, Ragna looked up at the sky.
“Annoying. How did they even tame these things?”
They had come to fight orcs, but now ancient worms and wyverns—monsters of all kinds—were swarming.
“Wayne.”
Calling his name, a knight clad in black armor stepped forward.
“Yes.”
Wayne was the commander of the Third Knights.
“Take out those flying beasts.”
“Understood.”
Wayne took a bow from a soldier.
He immediately drew and released an arrow toward the sky.
A mana-infused arrow flew straight and true.
A wyvern struck directly in the head crashed down onto the allied camp. The orc rider writhed on the ground.
Soldiers rushed over, stabbing their spears and blades into the creature.
The orc foamed at the mouth and died.
Wayne continued shooting down wyverns.
Eventually, the wyvern pack retreated beyond the allied camp, circling at a distance.
When the battle resumed, they would target the allied forces again.
“Now the real fight begins.”
Ragna’s lips curled into a smile.
It was the most excited expression he’d worn since joining the allied army.
“Any other reports?”
“Yes. All preparations are complete. We just wait for the attack.”
“Sound the drums. Let’s get their hearts pounding.”
Ragna hadn’t expected Okua to take the lead, but he wasn’t worried.
They had repelled countless ambushes so far and had plenty of experience defending.
“What about dispel magic?”
“It’s a stalemate. Neither side will be able to use magic until the war ends.”
“Okua?”
“Not detected.”
“Keep monitoring.”
Though Okua hadn’t appeared, Ragna and the empire’s leadership all stared toward the same direction.
Beyond the horizon, a massive presence loomed.
It was overwhelming.
Amid the dust kicked up by the orc army, it felt as if a giant shaking the earth would emerge at any moment.
What kind of monster was Okua, really?
“It’s been a long time since I’ve felt something like this. It’s electrifying.”
Ragna chuckled softly.
Under the pressure of the battlefield, he felt more alive than ever.
A thrill he’d never experienced in the palace swept over him.
“What about Graham?”
“He’s forming a defensive line with the soldiers.”
“Reinstate him.”
“Should we just assign him to the Third Knights?”
“He’s not the type for that. Let him fight freely. He doesn’t need to be commanded.”
“Understood.”
“Tell Eisen to prepare that.”
“It’s not fully tested yet.”
“We’ll test it today. Where better than this stage?”
“Understood.”
The orcs were drawing closer.
Everyone present knew a brutal battle was about to unfold.
As Ragna imagined the coming scene, he suddenly furrowed his brow.
“That guy…”
“Yes?”
“Yuri Briol. Send this to him.”
He pulled a piece of paper from his pocket, scribbled something, roughly folded it, and handed it to his adjutant.
It wasn’t a long message.
The adjutant tilted his head in confusion.
“May I ask what it says?”
“If you’re curious, read it.”
“Yes.”
After reading, the adjutant’s head tilted slightly.
He glanced at Ragna out of the corner of his eye, then handed the message to a messenger.
“To the Third Prince of Briol.”
“Yes.”
The messenger took off immediately. This was a familiar task.
The entire camp was in chaos. The messenger passed soldiers shooting arrows skyward, ran past knights walking with helmets on, and ignored someone praying to the gods.
Soon, he reached the Briol camp.
And there, he witnessed a strange sight.
The Third Prince of Briol, now familiar even to the messenger, was perched atop a crate, speaking to the soldiers.
“So, here’s the thing…”
“Why the sudden seriousness?”
“When it’s time to be serious, be serious.”
“Are you scared?”
“Do you want to die?”
The mood was oddly lighthearted.
“I’ve got my eye on you. When this alliance ends and you go home, you’re gonna owe me.”
“I’m counting on it.”
“We’ll see if you still say that then.”
The Third Prince noticed the messenger and motioned for him to wait.
“Anyway, the big fight is about to start.”
“Yes!”
“Scared?”
“No…”
“Really not scared?”
“W-well, a little.”
“Me too.”
The prince jumped down from the crate.
“That’s only natural.”
He grinned.
“So fight Kurui and remember what they did. Keep that in your head. Still scared? If you are, don’t fight. Hide in the barracks.”
The messenger recalled what he’d seen in the last battle.
There was madness beyond savagery there.
Orcs were truly cursed creatures.
The prince slung his sword over his shoulder.
“We stand where we must fight, and face the enemies we must truly kill. There may never be a more honorable war. And we are Briol—not some pampered nobodies from other lands, but the real deal from Briol.”
He gestured toward the messenger.
“See? That’s why His Majesty sent us a letter asking us to do our best.”
The soldiers laughed.
Though the words could have been rude, with battle so close, survival excused everything.
The Third Prince took the letter from the messenger and smirked.
“What do you think His Majesty said?”
“To meet with the princess once…”
“Shut up.”
“Yes.”
“He’s telling me not to lead the charge.”
The prince roughly folded the letter and tossed it onto the crate. Then he smiled.
“You all know my answer.”
The soldiers chuckled low.
“I’d rather die standing in front than live hiding behind you. That’s me, Yuri Briol!”
Though his mission was complete, the messenger stayed to watch.
The prince had a presence that drew attention.
He kept shouting.
“So, my orders! Don’t die—kill! And when you return to Briol, be proud you fought alongside Yuri Briol!”
“Yes!”
“Same here! I’ll be proud to have fought with guys like you!”
The soldiers cheered.
The prince raised his sword.
“For Briol!”
“For Briol!”
With his sword slung over his shoulder, he strode toward the soldiers.
A path opened.
The prince passed through them and headed to the front lines. The soldiers followed in turn.
His swagger was less like a prince and more like the leader of a wolf pack.
The Briol banner rose proudly, fluttering in the wind.
The messenger watched, momentarily lost in thought.
For some reason, today he didn’t want to deliver letters—he wanted to fight with a sword in hand.
Briol’s position was slightly off-center from the orc front line.
Yuri stood beside a barricade made from carved wood.
The orcs in the first line were close enough now that he could see their faces.
“Jared.”
“Yes.”
“How’s it looking?”
The prairie wind swept in, tossing Yuri’s black hair in every direction.
He glanced back at Jared and gave a sly smile.
“Glad you decided to follow me, huh?”
“Not sure about that,” Jared replied.
Suddenly, memories from the past stirred within him.
One day, Yuri had stormed into the royal guard’s quarters and singled him out as a sparring partner. Without a second thought, he had stepped forward to face him.
That was how it all began.
If he hadn’t been a prince, where would he be standing now?
Would he have even joined the Alliance army?
Most likely, he would still be standing like a statue in the royal palace, just another member of the guard. Comfortable and easy, perhaps, but the colors of life would have been dull beyond compare.
“Why do you say that?” Jared asked.
“Do you even know what your face looks like right now?”
“My face?”
Only then did Jared realize he was smiling.
“You can expect even more. The Alliance army is just the beginning.”
“Are you serious?”
“Think I’m joking?”
“Well…”
With this prince, it felt like he was capable of pulling off something far bigger than just the Alliance army.
“What else do you plan to do?”
At some point, Jared had started to feel this way.
On the surface, the prince seemed to act on impulse, doing whatever he pleased. But in truth, it was different. It was as if he was preparing for something.
Yuri chuckled softly and motioned with his hand.
“Alright. I’m in the mood. I’ll give you a little hint today. Come here.”
“Well…”
“If you don’t want to, that’s your problem.”
Jared hesitated, not wanting to get caught up in whatever prank Yuri was about to pull. But he held back and leaned in close.
Yuri whispered.
“…”
Jared tilted his head in confusion.
He understood the words, but their weight was so heavy his mind couldn’t process them all at once.
It took several moments of chewing over the meaning before he suddenly jumped back in shock.
“No, what do you mean by that…?”
“Now you’re an accomplice.”
“Huh?”
“I told you this in secret, so if anything goes wrong, it’s on you.”
“My lips are sealed.”
“I know. That’s why I told you. You really are the talent I chose.”
“That’s not the point right now…”
“Enough.”
Yuri shook his head.
“First, let’s kill that orc. Then we’ll think about everything else.”
“Understood.”
As they spoke, the orc was closing in, now dangerously close.
Yuri gripped his sword tightly, waiting for the orc’s charge.
“Uh…”
Then it happened.
Yuri’s gaze shifted.
Not just him, but every knight standing on the prairie turned their eyes in the same direction.
What had once been a vague sense of a massive presence was now unmistakably asserting itself.
From behind the orc battalion, a colossal shadow moved.
It was like a mountain was shifting.
Yuri murmured the name.
“Okua.”
The creature was finally revealing itself for the first time.