A corner of the dark sky lit up.
The streets of Astrisha are still bustling with stories about the crown prince and the two princes who rushed through the royal road of Kairisis to escape the capital in the morning. Even though evening had arrived, no one left the place, so the sky in the crowded place continued to shine like that.
At first, no one paid attention to the light. However, as the flashes continued several times, people gathered in street cafes began to look out the windows one by one.
âIs it going to rain?â¦â
Someone said something like that.
The sturdy cafe owner, who had brought four fresh cups of tea and set them down where they were sitting, also looked out the window.
â Flash!
The sky once again took on a blue-purple glow.
âWhen I was young, I went to Secretia. The sky was shining blue. I looked up at the sky to see what this was, and suddenly something fell. At first, I was happy because I thought it was snow, but it wasnât snow.â
âthen?â
âBlobs of light, just like blue fireflies, fall like snowâ¦â
âYou mean Serentiâs time?â
âYes, that was it. When I came back, everyone around me knew what it was, but I had never heard of it, so it was so amazing. I became pious.â
âThis guy is lucky. My daughter said she would see it, and she went to Secretia twice. But every year she went, she wasted it.â
âI heard she came this year too. I guess she didnât go this year?â
âThatâs what I said. I couldnât go this time because I had a lot of work to do, but I came this year anyway. So Iâm looking forward to leaving, saying Iâll go again next year.â
While putting down four cups of tea, I heard this comment from the guests sitting down. The cafe owner, who had no choice but to eavesdrop on the customersâ conversation, looked out the window once again and opened his mouth.
âIf your daughter is leaving, I think it would be better to ask her to set a date for the year after, not next year.â
Among the guests who heard this, the woman who had mentioned her daughter turned her head. She could have expressed her displeasure at the cafe owner who interrupted the conversation, but instead she turned on her face and asked. This is because it was not my first time meeting her and we had developed a certain level of familiarity with her.
âCan you know that in advance? They say itâs impossible to predict.â
âAh, yes. Thatâs true, but⦠I guess my sister heard that story somewhere. If you donât know if youâll come or not, wouldnât it be better to go in the year when people say things like that?â
âIf itâs your sister. You mean Lord Zeia?â
âIs there any other way?â
The woman, looking at Scarlett, the cafe owner, smiling awkwardly and answering, shook her head.
âIâll tell you to do it. I guess itâs up to him to believe it or just do it next year.â
If you had known that the story was âhigh-quality information that the crown prince, who remembered what his younger brother who lived in the future died and returned to the past told him, secretly hinted at it for the division commander who wanted to see Serentiâs timeâ, you wouldnât have received such a lukewarm response. It wouldnât have happened.
However, since neither the customer nor Scarlett knew that fact, the high-level information was being treated as nothing more than a âcard.â
Scarlett bowed her head and came to her seat carrying her tray. And once again she looked out the window.
â Flash!
The same light illuminated the sky again.
Scarlett let out a silent sigh and checked her watch. This is why I am reminded of my older sister, who generates electricity of a color similar to the light that is lighting up the sky right now.
âIf it rains, your legs will get sore⦠I donât know if youâve eaten dinner.â
Scarlett got up from where she had been sitting for a while and started walking around her kitchen.
â Clatter, clatter, clatter!
While I was thinking about it, I decided that I should make a sandwich and bring it to my older sister, who had injured her thigh during actual training.
* * *
score.
Twenty wizards were mobilized.
â Pajijik pajik!
â Ugh!
Clouds gathered in the clear sky.
The clouds that had been forced together were colored black. It didnât take long for the blue-purple light to shine through, but to those waiting and watching, each moment felt too long.
âNeedlen.â
Because of this, he tried to control his nervousness and called the other division commander standing next to him. Looking at the guys coming from afar and the Balkan members who were keeping them in check with their tightly gripped swords.
Zeonâs guys keep coming.
From about a hundred steps to about fifty steps. And now, when the distance is only about 30 steps away.
âitâs okay.â
Needlenâs long-awaited voice was heard.
Raj Ibeka, another division commander who had called Needlen, immediately nodded his head. Then he took a long breath and opened his mouth again.
âUnfold the shield!â
A loud voice burst out from the mouth of Raj, who was usually quite quiet and could understand Plantzâs words the best among the knights. The same command flowed simultaneously from the magic tool for sound amplification provided to the members standing in the middle and was conveyed to all members.
â Ugh!
â Ugh!
At the same time, huge shields surrounded the front of Vulcan as if protecting it.
okay.
Twenty wizards were mobilized just to put on that shield. A sturdy shield created by as many as twenty people unfolded in an instant, blocking everyoneâs path.
Needlen, who saw this, winked at the other three wizards standing nearby.
Nod.
Those who were looking at Needlen Bay with concentrated faces moved their heads. At the same time, the four wizards, including Needlen, unleashed the magic they had gathered so far.
â â¦â¦ Rumbling.
The sky cried.
â Coogung⦠Coogungungâ¦!
Light continued to flash through the gathered clouds.
â Damn it!
â Blah blah blah!
It sounds like firewood is being torn apart by strong force.
Scarlett was particularly afraid of that sound as a child. I remember pulling the blanket over my head and patting Scarlett, who was hiding under the pillow, saying that the sound of the sky splitting and the clouds tearing apart was scary.
â Kugugugugung Kugugugoongâ¦!
The sky cried. It vibrated.
and.
â Quaaaang!
The first lightning struck the ground.
â Kwaang kwaaang!
â Rumbling⦠Kwaang! bang!
â â¦â¦ Kugugung kwaaang!
Second and third.
Countless lightning bolts headed toward the earth.
To be precise, it was aimed at the enemies that filled the land. It fell without hesitation towards the four hundred uninvited guests who had come to visit Zeon.
â Pajijik! Pajik!
An electric current flowed through the water that flooded the floor of the royal forest.
The power of the lightning struck without hesitation and extended towards the warriors who were outside the range of the lightning. It climbed up the bodies of those who stepped on it and burned them inside.
âThe lightning is Vice Commander.â
âItâs possible because the president of the association has dual attributes. That too.â
âyes. youâre right.â
âI keep thinking about making things on my own.â
âAre you telling me to try it as if I had fused magical powers?â
âThere are over 500 wizards in the Balkans. Canât we all just give up the idea of fighting? âItâs the military.â
Euriaâs lightning.
created it Needlen supplies electricity and the other three wizards supply water. Four wizards embodied the magic that Euria created alone.
The shield protecting the allies from the power of the lightning that was constantly striking flashed endlessly. Parts of it repeatedly blinked for a moment and then solidified again. Beyond the thick film that was created, I could see the blackened people falling one by one.
ânext!â
By the time the lightning that struck dozens of times faded away.
Razâs voice was heard giving the next command.
â Howling!
â Pajik Pajijik!
Spheres with different powers were created in the hands of wizards who had been preparing from long ago. Just as we used against Calian not long ago, three wizards with completely different attributes came together to create spheres containing their own power.
âRemove the shield!â
â Faaah!
Needlen, who was checking the progress of the magic, shouted and at the same time, the shield surrounding everyone disappeared. Then the enemies rushed in as if they had been waiting for that. However, none of the Balkan crews moved. They did not come forward to deal with them. instead.
â Slut!
The sound of something flying through the wind was heard.
The flames, ice, lightning, wind, and pieces of earth created by the wizards flew toward Zeonâs soldiers, each filled with their own power. At the same time, Needlen raised his voice again.
âshield!â
â Ugh!
Those who confirmed the abnormality were seen spreading out.
The wizards who were following them with their eyes moved the magic sphere I sent towards them. And then he pushed his own into the spheres of the other wizards nearby.
Another one in the sphere of ice and fire.
Another one in the sphere where electricity and water are gathered.
By force, magic of different attributes was integrated into one.
The forces that are forced together expand in size to encroach on each other. However, the magnitude of the force is the same. They had equal magical power, with no one being superior. Nevertheless, it continues to fight for power as if it has no intention of accepting other magical powers as its own.
â â¦â¦ Kugu Palace.
An uneasy sound was heard.
Zeonâs wizards, who checked what was placed above their heads, created red shields to protect the soldiers.
âPrepare for impact.â
The shield dismantled, the sphere of magic flew, the shield unfolded again, the magic bullets above the head merged into one, they bit each other until they made a quiet sound.
It took just enough time to take one long breath.
It was accomplished in just that short period of time.
â Flash!
Needlen blinked.
Raz tightened her grip on her sword.
and.
â â¦â¦ Kwaaaaang!
â Kwaang kwaaang!
Exactly the same horsepower, exactly the same size and speed.
The results of their efforts exploded in a huge way before the eyes of the wizards who had worked hard to create it. As if devouring everything around me, it sucked in air and gave off light, eventually sweeping away everything around me.
â Kwaaaaang! Quaaaang!
In the middle of the forest.
Zeonâs soldiers, who appeared where there was nothing, were pushed back and torn apart by the force of the explosion.
â Kugugoong⦠Kwaang!
I was hit with my bare body by a huge vortex that could not be created by any fireball or magic bullet.
Their bodies turned red.
New skin appeared on my burning body. Flesh grows inside the deep wound. Penetrating wounds fill and heal.
A warrior from the great desert standing in the middle of Zeon raised his voice.
Commands were delivered to the soldiers who survived the huge explosion amid lightning. Those who had spread out gathered together in perfect order.
Raz, who had no reason to watch, opened his mouth quietly.
ânext.â
The wizards took the shield.
Instead, he stood behind the knightsâ shields and gathered magical power.
â Howling!
â Blah blah blah!
It was a fierce battle with lightning and explosions that did not discriminate against the opponent. Meanwhile, fifty wizards who were watching the enemies who were raising their voices in an attempt to gather strength released their magic power all at once.
â Iâm sorryâ¦!
-Ssam! Scum!
Those who opened their mouths even once during the melee were given priority for attack. The third attack that flew like that hit the heads of those who were their âheadsâ.
Four ice arrows and five electric spikes hit the head and heart of the warrior who had just gathered Zeonâs soldiers and rushed forward.
â Shake it off!
The guy who got hit by all of them with no time to dodge fell helplessly on the wet ground.
-Ssam!
â Kwasik!
Those who were maintaining the battle lines by recovering their bodies burned by lightning and regenerating the wounds torn by the explosion lost their lives in an instant and were thrown away.
â Hiss!
-â¦â¦Suddenly!
Zeonâs soldiers stopped.
If you go ahead, you die. If you open your mouth, you die. If you use magic, you die. If you are discovered to be a healer from Tensil, you will surely die.
âDonât worry Alan Manasil.â
âAlan Manasil canât do anything. Donât worry, just bring back the people you sent to Shurinz and join the Kairisis side.â
It was four hundred.
The path through the forest was opened for Sabaek.
Zeonâs soldiers, who had turned the eyes of Balkan towards Shurinz, headed to the royal forest of Kairisis.
âAnyway, those Kairis guys will be busy watching the outer castle and keeping a lookout for Brisen. Rest assured, you wonât expect to be hit in the middle.â
Without warning, they struck the heart of the capital of this great kingdom. As many as four hundred people.
So, I thought I would see the backs of people panicking and running away. I imagined Balkanâs urgent appearance as he quickly turned back the guards of the outer castle and rushed out of the palace.
So we opened the âdoorâ to a place in the forest and came out to reorganize our battle lines. Each person wanted to disperse in their intended direction. However, I met a hundred Balkan knights and wizards.
âRetreat!â
A hundred Balkan men, ahead of Zeonâs four hundred, began to slowly retreat.
âChase!â
I didnât think about why the Balkan bastards were in the royal forest. Arenât they the ones who will kill everyone anyway? Thatâs why I chased him.
One hundred to four hundred.
I thought it would be a one-sided fight. however.
âreversal! âSurround!â
It turned into a one-sided fight in a different direction than they expected.
When they came to their senses, they were completely surrounded by six hundred Balkan knights and a hundred wizards were pouring blood towards them.
âInformation leaked out. Otherwise, thereâs no way the Kairis guys would have surrounded this place as if they were waiting.â
âWhether it leaked or not. Think about that later. What are you going to do? Retreat?â
âFour hundred to seven hundred. There is a good chance of winning that way. There is no sword master or archmage among them.â
âAre you really sure that the archmage canât come?â
âOf course. It is we who win.â
âokay.â
I thought I had a chance of winning. With the wizards at the forefront, they raised their swords.
But then lightning struck.
Even though the head of their wizard association was clearly in Shurinz.
ânext!â
A large-scale explosion that had never been seen before followed. A volley of fire aimed at Zeonâs leadership continued.
The knightsâ attack continued, surprising even Calian, who surrounded Zeonâs scattered warriors. A concentrated barrage of fire aimed at the gathered magicians of Zeon ensued, causing even Calian to get his feet wet.
âThere is no need to capture him alive. There is no need to keep him alive!â
So it was a one-sided fight.
âDonât let a single one escape!â
It was a one-sided drive by Vulcan against Zeon.
* * *
â The royal forest area is being completely protected.
â Then, what about the palace? Master.
â Balkan remains in the royal palace. It stands guard over the ruins of Arpia Palace and Heysia Palace.
â What do you plan to do, Master?
â You are now in the forest north of the palace. Couldnât they come in here? I heard that Sispanianâs protective magic is so grandiose that I thought I would surround myself with it.
-Why donât you take Lord Hertz with you?
â I have become a troublesome and noisy person. Once the protection magic is encircled, no magic will leak out. Communication will be cut off, so donât worry about the old man not answering. Itâs still cold in the mountains, so donât wander around late at night and donât waste your time waiting all night. Get a good nightâs sleep as soon as you get to Schurinz. I will contact you again when everything calms down.
â â¦â¦Do you always worry about me?
-What else is there for a father to do other than worrying about his son all the time?
Calian let out a short sigh.
And after finishing the conversation by saying I understood, I turned my head.
âIt is said that Zeon uses the forest path.â
The only one who immediately understood Calianâs words was Plantz.
âDid Danu intervene?â
âYes. The Mother Tree of the Elves intervened. It seems that they all withdrew from this side and flocked to Kairisis. That is why there were no more raids on us.â
Calian, who gave a short answer to Plantz, looked at Lemain. And I explained the situation to everyone else, including Lemain.
It was reported that Danu had opened a forest path and had invaded the royal forest of Kairisis through it. He explained that an unknown group named Zeon includes wizards, swordsmen, and even healers from all kinds of countries, and that warriors of the Great Desert, several times larger than Kairis, also belong to Zeon.
âThat Xeon attacked Kyrisis.â
âAre you saying that the elves helped them do that?â
âAt least it is certain that their mother tree helped. I donât know yet whether it was good or bad, willing or unintentional. While Danu intervened, Sispanian did not step forward. So, we do not know if the forest north of the palace is safe.â
Lemain nodded slowly.
âFirst of all, Your Highness must stay at the villa. Your brothers must also go to the villa. If, by chance, they take over the royal palace, Your Highness must immediately declare Shurinz as the capital and make the villa in Shurinz the royal palace. After that, Kairi âWe need to retake the Sith, so please go to the villa just in case, Your Majesty.â
âWhat are you aiming for?â
Slayman looked at Kalian.
âIf that many people had been sent this way, no one here would be alive. Why did they bother to attack this side and then return to the palace?â
â Knock knock knock.
Instead of answering, Calianâs fingers moved.
They donât know Kalyanâs condition.
So, he probably doesnât intend to put Kalyan in danger by aiming for the throne. In that case, it would be better to drive those four hundred to Shurinz and kill Calian. Neither Lemain nor Slayman are their top targets. Itâs the same reason. If those four hundred had come here, as Slayman said, they would all have been dead long ago.
Attack the royal palace.
Le Main moves the capital and escapes from him.
However, this is the situation on this side. They donât care about that. Their real purpose. that.
â Knock knockâ¦â¦knock.
I thought about why Kalyan came here in the first place.
He recalled why Calian had come on Alanâs behalf.
I figured they would have thought that Allen would come this way rather than Calian himself. I thought he might have the means to attack Alan.
âCalian.â
âyes.â
âWhat are you thinking?â
â Knock⦠Knock. Talk.
So Kalyan came.
Leaving Alan in the safest palace⦠Calian came.
Because the palace has Vulcan Sispanian protection magic.
ââ¦â¦Kalian.â
â Talk.
â Talk. Talk.
Calian raised his head.
âMaster is in danger.â
â â¦â¦Talk.
Unless you can call Alan.
Shouldnât we just leave Alan alone?
Wouldnât it be okay to leave Vulcan outside and create a situation where Sispanianâs protection magic canât be activated?
âDanu⦠I donât like it. It might not be just my brother.â
It was Planz that day who started the war, and Alan was the one who most closely helped in that war. Calian thought so. If that is really true, Danu may be pouring out his second grudge now.
The reason Sispanian stopped the fight between Alan and Adelia, who visited Danu, may not have been to help Danu. Rather, it may have been to save Alan and return him from Danu.
â Drurk!
Calian stood up.
A loud scraping sound, as if it was Calianâs intention, echoed throughout the room. Jump and jump. Kalian quickly moved his feet and went out of the living room. Plantz hurriedly followed behind him.
The sound of his footsteps disappeared and he continued to walk quickly.
The lingering smell of blood wafts out.
âCalian.â
âPlease take your Majesty and Brother Randel to Shurinz. Be sure to keep Prince Siegfried by your side.â
âCalian.â
âPlease keep the ring I gave you to Ayla. I will contact you.â
â Woe!
Plantz grabbed Calianâs arm.
He looked at Planz with the already half-crazy look in his eyes.
âAnswer. Kalian.â
ââ¦â¦ yes.â
He called out the name again.
âHere it is.â
âI lost contact with Master. I must go in person.â
âI told you to stay.â
âDanu canât kill me. I have to go and stop him so Danu will retreat.â
âHow can you be sure whether it was Danuâs doing or not? Itâs all speculation.â
âYou never know. What if itâs not speculation but fact?â
âCalian.â
âIf nothing happens, I have to go.â
âIf you use the movement magic circle again, youâll die.â
âI wonât die.â
âStubborn again.â
âolder brother.â
âDonât go.â
âThen what about Master?â
What about my father?
do.
Calian asked.
* * *
The forest north of the royal palace.
It felt like the huge curtain surrounding the place blocked the flow of time.
Otherwise.
Otherwise.
â¦â¦ how.
âfather.â
Long dark blue hair fluttered in the wind.
Silver-gray eyes, identical to Alanâs, moved gently.
I couldnât say anything as I looked at my son Ronil.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
âDonât do anything, father.â
He couldnât make a sound as he heard those words.
Just like that time, just like that day.
Just like the day I lost Ronil.
âDonât do anything. This time too. Just like that time.â
Like that day when he couldnât do anything.
Even though I know itâs false.
Even though I knew it was fake.
He couldnât say anything or anything.
âTake it.â
The false man, the fake man, held out something.
âfather.â
That one word struck me so deeply.
He knew it was a lie, he knew it was fake, but he couldnât reject his outstretched hand. Even though I know I shouldnât take it. Even though I definitely know.
âThis time, let your father take it, not me.â
He couldnât refuse.
âRonilâ laughed.
I brought what was in my hand to Alanâs hand. Unable to say anything, Alan couldnât do anything and he just looked at it. âRonilâ extended his hand to receive what was handed to him.
â Kwagak!
But then.
A crack appeared in the thick protective layer.
There was a crack in the deep wall that separated the world Alan had created from the palace forest.
â Kwakagak!
I was shocked once again.
Alan turned his head. âRonilâ turned his head.
Alanâs protective shield, which did nothing, split apart. In between.
â Boo!
Something flew in.
Alan looked at it.
He did nothing but just looked at the figure.
Something flew in and swung what was in my hand.
â Suddenly!
It was a sound that Alan couldnât have made with his own hands. Ronilâs hand, which was held out to Alan, was cut off.
Ronilâs royal blue hair was seen slowly turning red. I could see his long hair slowly getting shorter. I could see his sharp eyes slowly changing. I could see his long fingers slowly becoming stubby.
I could see him turning into someone who was no longer Ronil.
-Chaeng!
âThe person who is no longer Ronilâ swore.
And then he pulled out the dagger in his bosom.
Something flew in and someone swung what was in their hand again. I returned the sword sent by âsomeone other than Ronilâ. His dagger flew away and fell to the ground.
Someone who flew in brought down the sword in his hand strongly.
â Boo!
â Kwaaak!
The shoulders of âthe person who ceased to be Ronilâ sank.
Even after the sword caved in his shoulder, it continued to go down without stopping. Thatâs because the person who came through Allenâs protective shield didnât let go of the sword in his hand. Because I kept lowering my sword.
â â¦â¦ Kwasik!
In the end, the sword stopped only after splitting the heart of âthe person who was not Ronilâ.
The sword that stopped like that was pulled out.
The person holding the sword brushed off the blood of the ânon-Ronilâ that was on his sword. And then he turned his head.
He turned his head away from the body of the person who could no longer be âRonilâ and looked into Alanâs silver-gray eyes looking at him with his own blue-gray eyes. In a low voice, he quietly called out to Alan.
âMarquis Manasil.â
Alan squeezed my hand, which was still outstretched, and let out a long sigh. He held his trembling fists tighter and looked at the person who found him. His long, drawn out sigh continued again.
â⦠Have you seen what you miss?â
The person who played with the sword asked this question only after changing âRonilâ to âsomeone who is not Ronilâ in front of Alan so as not to kill his son with the same face twice.
âYeah⦠I saw something like that for a while.â
Alan, sinking in despair, wiped his face.
The person who was watching the scene carefully nodded his head.
Siona, who had used all her might to create a small gap in the archmageâs shield, left Siona Hill behind and the person who flew through the gap Siona had made smiled a small smile. And at this moment, I said what I had to say.
âMarquis Manasilâs second son is very worried.â
Kalyan is worried.
Demirea said.