Chapter 194
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah."
Returning to the Caion Unit's camp, Damian collapsed onto the bedding inside his tent.
His body was exhausted, but more than that, the mental fatigue weighed heavily on him.
Seeing Damian fall into his bed as if collapsing, Dianal silently stepped out of the tent.
Then—
"Is the commander inside?"
"He is resting. No one is to disturb him until he emerges."
Dianal firmly turned away the unit members who had come looking for Damian.
The soldiers nodded understandingly.
"Understood. Please let us know when he wakes."
"Got it."
Dianal remained stationed outside the tent, ensuring Damian could rest undisturbed.
After all, Damian needed whatever peace he could find after the battle that had taken place today.
The day’s battle had been brutal.
The Caion Unit had no direct role in the fighting and had to watch from the sidelines, but what they witnessed was a fierce struggle.
The allied soldiers pressed forward relentlessly, even though Alexandro, the empire’s strongest warrior, guarded the pathway.
It was not something that could simply be described as impressive.
If there was one regret, it was that the difficult terrain prevented them from fully utilizing their numerical advantage.
‘A solution will come soon.’
With this first attack, they had managed to bring down two sections of Everblade’s walls.
For a first assault, the results were significant. Another strategy would soon take shape.
All they could do now was wait for the next decision.
And after about two hours—
"Hah. Still standing guard?"
"Did you rest well?"
"My head feels clearer now. I suppose fighting inside Everblade all night took its toll."
Damian stretched, then patted Dianal on the shoulder.
"Thanks. What about the others?"
"All standing by. The moment orders come, we're ready to deploy."
"Good. Keep everyone on alert."
"Yes, sir."
Damian turned his gaze toward Everblade.
From the entrance, the pathway narrowed steeply. The key question was how to force their way inside.
‘The most effective method would be to use aura to carve a path through the bottleneck.’
But the problem was Alexandro.
Deep in thought, Damian headed toward where Kiaran was strategizing.
Even while allowing the troops to rest, the commanders were undoubtedly still engaged in planning.
Upon arriving—
"Ah, Damian. Feeling better?"
"Yes. Thanks to some rest. What’s the situation?"
At his question, Kiaran smirked slightly.
"The first day was our victory. Those thick walls were destroyed, and they can’t fully repair them. At best, they’ll try blocking the gaps with rubble."
A temporary barrier could be easily breached with magical weapons.
"If we can break through the entrance, Everblade will fall. The real issue is that steep approach…"
They had widened the path as much as possible, but it still wasn’t enough to maximize their numerical advantage.
Even so—
"They’re just as unsettled as we are. We seized the momentum today, and we must take full advantage of it."
"Understood."
"Until we finalize our next move, rest while you can. Once the battle resumes, there will be no time for breaks."
Damian nodded and turned away.
He saw officers moving efficiently, coordinating supplies and security.
Then, he turned his gaze back toward Everblade.
Just as Kiaran said, their enemies were likely just as troubled.
But regardless of the situation, one thing was certain.
‘We will win.’
Damian focused on maintaining the battle-hardened state he had acquired overnight.
***
"…We took a serious hit."
Everblade’s lord, Astin Roniel, murmured.
No, calling it just a "hit" wasn’t enough.
In a single night, two sections of Everblade’s supposedly impenetrable walls had been breached.
No one in history had ever managed to break through Everblade, making this all the more shocking.
Astin turned to his officers.
"But how did those four infiltrate the fortress?"
That was the biggest mystery.
Alexandro had held the front, and the eastern and western flanks were impassable.
One of the officers hesitated before speaking.
"According to eyewitness accounts… they flew."
"…What?"
Astin’s expression contorted.
"They flew? What kind of nonsense is that?!"
Astin roared in disbelief, but another officer quickly reinforced the claim.
"We don’t know what method they used, but the reports are consistent. The four infiltrators literally flew into the fortress."
"What? Then are you telling me they launched themselves with catapults?!"
Astin’s face twisted in bewilderment.
It was a situation he couldn’t even visualize.
Had they truly been flung in using siege engines?
Another officer spoke up.
"We have sent out search parties beyond the collapsed walls. The terrain is difficult, so it will take time, but we should receive a report soon."
"…Damn it."
Astin pressed his temples.
Another officer stepped forward.
"First, we must begin immediate repairs. We won’t fully rebuild the walls overnight, but we must take measures."
"Station guards at the breaches and prioritize reinforcing the main gate. Stack rubble high enough to prevent immediate crossings."
"Understood."
Everblade was in chaos.
Over a thousand soldiers had perished inside the fortress in just one night.
Armies required large numbers, but seeing such overwhelming force from just a few individuals made everything feel futile.
It felt less like a war between armies and more like a battle between legendary warriors.
"…Are you alright?"
"My head hurts. I never imagined Everblade, which had never fallen in history, would face such a crisis."
The enemy had two Aura Masters.
Everblade had only one.
The only solace was that their one master—Alexandro—was strong enough to rival them both.
Astin exhaled and examined the map on the table.
Somehow, they had to stop them.
Then—
"L-Lord Astin!"
"…?"
Astin saw a soldier rushing into his office.
Judging by the soldier’s expression, something significant had happened. Astin immediately asked,
“What is it?”
“Lord Ailes Vilzen has arrived from the capital.”
“Ailes Vilzen?”
Astin shot up from his seat in shock.
Why had he come here? Had he already seen the chaos unfolding within Everblade?
Flustered, Astin hurriedly left his office and made his way outside the fortress.
However, before he could even reach the gates—
Step. Step.
Ailes Vilzen was already approaching.
Ailes looked at Astin and spoke.
“I have assessed the situation in Everblade.”
“……”
Skipping any formalities, he went straight to the point.
As the rumors suggested, his personality was far from ordinary.
Astin maintained a calm expression and spoke.
“Let us go inside and discuss this in my office.”
“Very well. Also, summon General Alexandro.”
“…Send for General Alexandro immediately.”
“Yes, sir.”
Aide promptly ran off to find Alexandro.
Shortly after, Ailes and Astin entered the office.
“What’s the extent of the damage?”
“Beyond the collapsed walls, we lost many soldiers and knights inside the fortress. The estimate is around one thousand. An additional thousand perished in the battle outside.”
“Looking at the terrain, no more than two or three thousand troops could have clashed at once.”
Even with superior numbers, the narrow passage limited how many could engage at a time.
That meant the number of casualties inflicted by just four enemies was nearly equivalent to those lost in the main battle.
Moreover, many renowned knights had fallen inside Everblade, making the losses even worse.
“Tch, to think this fortress would be in such a state…”
Ailes clicked his tongue in frustration.
For some reason, the situation was continuously unraveling beyond expectations.
“General Alexandro has arrived.”
Alexandro entered the office, and Ailes greeted him respectfully.
“Welcome, General. You have fought well.”
“Hm. So, you’ve finally arrived?”
Alexandro seemed somewhat surprised by Ailes’ presence.
Ailes nodded.
“I would have sent notice beforehand, but given the circumstances, I moved as quickly as I could.”
“There was no need to ask for my permission. More importantly…”
Alexandro trailed off, and Ailes nodded.
“Yes, let’s begin the strategy meeting.”
Alexandro nodded in agreement. Strangely, seeing Ailes seemed to put him slightly at ease.
“The enemy outnumbers us significantly. What is the situation elsewhere?”
“General Calon is currently leading forces from the Artian Kingdom through the mountain range into Baroque territory. That seems to be why Duke Hainel is absent from the allied forces here.”
“…I see.”
Though he spoke calmly, Alexandro was visibly taken aback.
Could they truly have found a path through the mountains instead of using the waterways?
“So that’s why Duke Hainel isn’t here.”
Had he been present, their situation would have been far worse.
Ailes nodded.
“But since he left, General Calon will have limited effectiveness. We must now rely on General Galveron’s efforts in the east.”
Ailes moved to the large map spread across the table.
“For now, the allied forces have set up a base directly in front of Everblade.”
In terms of distance, cavalry could reach them within minutes.
Setting up camp right outside the fortress made it clear that the enemy had no intention of retreating.
The only relief was that Everblade’s natural terrain favored defense.
Thus, Everblade had rarely been the one to launch an attack first.
However…
Thud.
Ailes tapped the map with his baton, pointing at the enemy encampment.
“We will launch a preemptive strike on the allied forces stationed here.”