Capital City of La Grange.
Above the once grand capital of the former Holy Kingdom of Rutheginea, a massive swirling black storm cloud had taken residence for some time.
This ever-growing cloud poured down relentless rain, plunging the city into perpetual darkness and dampness, causing many of its inhabitants to flee.
Particularly, the wealthy and those who could afford to move were the first to join the exodus.
Despite the exodus of many elites, the city’s population did not decrease. In fact, it increased.
In these turbulent times, many sought the safety of the city walls, especially from the east and north. Seeking refuge from the impending doom, many came flocking to La Grange to seek shelter.
The refugees who had no idea what was happening in the high city of La Grange were confronted with peculiar never-before seen statues erect all over the so-called eternal city.
These grotesque and eerie statues made of glistening black crystal stood amid the relentless rain pouring down upon the city.
Though refugees had no way of knowing the true nature of these figures, there was a small group of shadowy figures lurking and working in the back alleys secretly whispering amongst themselves.
That the statues were idols of evil gods, defeated long ago by the gods.
“…”
Emperor William Quinton Marlboro stood on the terrace of the floating palace above the capital city, staring down at the gloomy garden drenched in rain.
Once filled with vibrant flowers, the garden was now filled with nothing but dead grass and withered trees.
An officer trudged through the muddy garden, splashing mud as he approached and knelt before the Emperor.
“The Barbarians have begun their advance southward. From our analysis of their route, it appears their target is here, La Grange.”
The Emperor, hands clasped behind his back, asked in a low voice,
“What about the whereabouts of Kromgard?”
“The location of the Wandering King is unknown. He has not been spotted since attending the session of the World Parliament presided over by Sungchul Kim.”
“Is that so?”
The Emperor nodded his head and waved his hand, dismissing the officer.
There was naught but the endless sounds of downpour echoing on the terrace for a while.
Standing alone in the rain, the Emperor gazed towards the distant north.
“They are finally coming.”
The Barbarians, each said to be possessing strength rivaling that of the members of the Thirteen Champions of the Continent.
Such monsters, numbering over a hundred thousand, were now heading straight for here, to La Grange.
No king, no matter how stout-hearted, could possibly remain calm in the face of such news.
Yet, the Emperor felt an odd sense of welcome towards their incoming invasion. It was because the unusual behavior of the Barbarians only deepened his conviction.
The Emperor surveyed an area on the outskirts of the city, encircled like an island by high walls.
Old Town of La Grange.
On paper, it was land where no one lived, and in reality, not even ants wandered its dead streets. But beneath the urban core lay secrets of the Holy Kingdom of Rutheginea passed down through the ages.
The Emperor gazed at a towering spire in the old town.
At first glance, it appeared to be nothing more than an old and unremarkable tower. However, what flowed from its peak was an infinite and vast stream of pure magical power.
Below the spire, beneath a massive magical circle, magicians were manipulating the power radiating from the tower to create a giant thundercloud that enveloped the city.
The Emperor’s gaze moved beyond the spire, finally settling on the thundercloud that covered the entirety of La Grange.
“He will eventually show himself here.”
As the Emperor spoke, he gazed at the thunderclouds that seemed to engulf the city with rain.
His eyes, full of certainty, shone in the darkness.
“But it won’t go as you think.”
*
The fleets of the Ancient Kingdom and the Elvan Confederation of Kingdoms appeared on the eastern border of the Human Empire.
Dozens of ships lingered under the sky. Meanwhile on the ground, the Dwarves’ mobile fortresses had completed their long-distance teleportation, revealing their massive presence.
The sight of the moving sky fortress and the land fortress gathered in one place was quite the spectacle to behold.
In the center of it all, aboard the red airship Sylphid, Sungchul Kim, the commander of all these forces, sat at the command seat, overseeing the entire situation.
“A large military forces have been spotted approaching from the east.”
A cheerful cleric, who had more or less become a regular crew of Sylphid at some point, reported to Sungchul.
Through a crystal sphere attached to the commander’s seat, Sungchul could identify the approaching military forces.
At the forefront of the forces was a beautiful woman with flowing red hair, McRaed, the leader of the Eastern Coalition.
“We’re all here now.”
Marakia, who was growing taller every day, straightened his elongated neck and grumbled.
He was right.
Currently, nearly all the available forces left in the world were gathered on the eastern side of La Grange.
The reason why the eve- stubborn and arrogant power-hungry leaders willingly lent their armies was to tackle a greater Calamity.
The third Calamity as prophesized by the Scrolls of Calamity.
The unification of all crowns under a single King.
The last crown, a golden crown descending from the ancient Kingdom of Rutheginea, was currently in the possession of the Emperor of the Human Empire.
Sungchul’s reason for summoning the full combined force of the continent was to rein in the final crown.
The Emperor turned away all the envoys sent by Sungchul and showed no willingness to engage in any dialogue.
In the midst of it all, the Barbarians were marching south toward La Grange.
If left unchecked, not only the Emperor but also the lives of a million gathered in La Grange would be lost.
Sungchul did not wish for such a thing to come to pass.
In most nations, including the Dwarf Kingdom, there was overwhelming support for immediately joining forces with the armies of the Wandering King deployed around the outskirts of La Grange, to forcibly seize it and establish a single ruler to oppose the massive Barbarian threat.
As a result, tens of thousands of troops had gathered on the eastern plains of La Grange, and their numbers were swelling by the moment.
As the Chairman of the World Parliament, Sungchul could not oppose this dominant opinion. He had tried to negotiate several times, but each attempt was thwarted, leading only to wasted time.
The Barbarians surged southward with unstoppable momentum, capturing and burning numerous cities between La Grange and the north.
According to the scouts’ reports, the Barbarians invariably held a festival of blood each time they conquered a city, carrying out massacres that bordered on extermination until they were exhausted.
Although unconfirmed, some scouts reported hearing an overpowering voice and laughter echoing during the Barbarians’ blood rituals.
Either way, the news was undoubtedly chilling.
While the entire army was setting up camp, Sungchul and the leaders of the World Parliament gathered in Sylphid to start a strategic meeting.
“There’s need for mercy, right? Let us launch a surprise attack on La Grange, capture the city, and drag out the Emperor.”
Daincraft, who had transformed from Sungchul’s worst enemy to his most fervent supporter, began the talks.
“It seems to me that the Emperor is no better than a child who doesn’t want to let go of his toys.”
Arcanite expressed his thoughts in his usual sarcastic tone.
McRaed offered an even more radical opinion.
“The Emperor deserves to be executed. It’s not directly his fault that the East was destroyed, but it’s true that he and Aquiroa, as key figures of the old World Parliament, chose to intentionally neglect the eastern regions and abandon it to its fate.”
She was already contemplating on what was to happen to the Emperor.
Though their perspectives and opinions varied, their goal was clear.
To begin the siege of La Grange.
According to rumors, the vanguard of the Barbarians has already reached the Golden City, a week’s march from La Grange, and taken it.
There was no time left to waste.
It was imperative that the internal conflict between the nations of the world be resolved before the main invasion of the Barbarians could take place.
However, Sungchul still hesitated to launch the attack even now.
It was because his faith in the Emperor had not yet shaken even at this moment.
“…”
Had it not been for the meeting at the Tower of Recluse, Sungchul might have already issued the command to attack La Grange without any second thoughts.
That was how significant the meeting was to Sungchul.
The sensation of an chronic ache being relieved effortlessly in warm water…
The sensation Sungchul felt back then was genuine.
‘William. Just what are you thinking?’
The Emperor he knew was once a man Sungchul could truly believe in and entrust his life to.
Although he had changed into a disappointing figure over time, the last time Sungchul had met the Emperor, William was regaining the appearance of how he had once was, someone Sungchul deeply trusted and could rely on.
Such a person must have some reason for devising a horrific scheme that even the Order of Extinction was worried about.
This hesitation caused Sungchul to delay his decision.
“We must end this in some form or another soon.”
Daincraft urged Sungchul again.
Though the other lords did not speak, their eyes and attitudes firmly supported Daincraft from behind.
“Um…”
Bertelgia sensed the surrounding air was not pleasant, assessing Sungchul’s mood.
Sungchul’s heartbeat was normal.
However, a thick cloud similar to what hung over La Grange loomed in his mind.
He was conflicted between duty and faith.
“Let’s take a rest for today. The soldiers are also tired, and we have not yet joined forces with the Wandering King’s army.”
Ultimately, Sungchul could not reach a conclusion.
Alone in his cabin, Sungchul spent the night restless, drinking a glass filled with strong liquor.
Bertelgia played with the keys to the vault of the Troimea while gazing intently at Sungchul.
His face was expressionless as always, but Bertelgia knew.
Sungchul’s internal struggles were still ongoing, with no end in sight.
Alcohol could not offer him any solace.
There was only one answer to end Sungchul’s torment.
To make a choice.
“What do you want to do?”
Bertelgia asked, to Sungchul whose eyes were drunk and unfocused and staring into a void in space.
“…I intend to send an envoy once more.”
Perhaps that was the last consideration Sungchul could afford to the Emperor.
Beyond that, the kings would not wait.
Refusing to take action could lead to a total collapse of the hard-earned unity in an instant.
But Sungchul was well aware.
He had already sent numerous envoys.
It was completely unlikely that sending an envoy at this point would be any different from any other time he had tried to send an envoy.
That is why Sungchul could do nothing but drown himself on alcohol.
To soothe the disappointment of unreciprocated faith.
The bottle tipped, pouring the amber liquid into the glass.
Sungchul stared at the glass with unsteady eyes before downing it in one gulp.
Feeling the powerful sting of the alcohol rising from his stomach, Sungchul squeezed his eyes shut before letting out a sigh.
Observing this, Bertelgia suddenly tucked the key away before speaking up.
“Why don’t you go there in person?”
Hearing this, Sungchul’s eyes trembled.
“You’ve snuck in there once before. How about going in person again and meeting him?”
“But, Bertelgia. My position then and now are different. Back then, I was the Enemy of the World, but now I’m responsible for the World Parliament…”
“What do you mean things are different?”
Bertelgia cut off Sungchul’s words.
“You are still you.”
Bertelgia fluttered her pages and flew up, tapping the edge of the book against Sungchul’s heart.
“You could get there and back in less than an hour, couldn’t you?”
“…”
The fog of intoxication clouding Sungchul’s eyes began to clear like the mist under the morning sun.
Bertelgia looked at Sungchul again and said,
“Who could possibly stop you?”
Hearing this, Sungchul closed his eyes and let out a chuckle. A smile finally appeared on his face, which had been rigid for a long time.
“You’re right.”
Still smiling, Sungchul gazed out of the dark window. Occasionally, thunder rumbled in the western sky, where clouds loomed above the massive city walls of the largest city.
Sungchul poured one last drink into his glass and downed it in one gulp. But this one wasn’t to soothe his troubles.
Rather, it was to steel his resolve.
“William.”
2 more chapters are out. Click Next Chap.
Thank you!
Bertelgia is the best book.