Episode 120

The White Apostle once subdued the Shadow Dragon together with the Lihines Knights.

They had formed an alliance long before that, and finished safely without even taking casualties.

Maybe that’s why he was trying to deal with the Demon Beasts with the help of the Lihines Knights this time as well.

‘It’s something no one has ever done.’

Of course, the invasion of the Shadow Dragon was an unexpected situation.

However, the white apostle did not run away and fought against the Shadow Dragon with the Knights of Lihines.

Even if it was a Setinos Quasar, he would have fear in front of the four major disasters, but he overcame it and bravely moved forward.

‘Shion Regard… … .’

Balz had been looking forward to meeting Shion Reggieard all along.

He was known as a swordsman at a young age, and he did a great job in defeating the Shadow Dragon.

Originally, they would have had to face each other from the first time they came to the outskirts, but in the end, they didn’t visit Aliard Castle until they left.

Time passed and the next year passed, and after a long wait, we finally got a chance to meet.

‘Even Hanette Adelaide is amazing.’

No aristocratic lady would try to visit the remote area while learning magic.

Of course, there were cases like the king or the head of the royal knights, but it was not common either.

Most of all, since he obtained the title of mage in a short period of time and even defeated the shadow dragon, shouldn’t he be considered a natural genius?

‘quite… Isn’t it fate?’

The daughter of a duke and the son of a marquess, a wizard and a swordsman, outstanding talent and decent appearance, and a colleague who runs the same knights.

They were a pair that matched so well, and they were filling in each other’s shortcomings.

It is obviously a relationship formed through an arranged marriage, but how can it be harmonious?

‘I don’t believe in fate… … .’

Recalling the silver phantom thief, Balz is obsessed with a strange sense of alienation.

He and the silver phantom thief were also connected by small incidents and fate.

What would have happened if he had killed the silver phantom thief then?

‘The silver color survived because I was incompetent.’

At that time, the silver phantom thief killed people, and as a knight who received the request, he tried to arrest or kill him.

However, in the end, the silver phantom thief was not caught, and the mission ended in failure.

After many years, they met again, but the king and himself knew the truth, so they buried the incident implicitly.

‘I guess I’m getting old now. What a fate… It’s not fair.’

Balz laughed at himself and showed sharp eyes.

Everyone has the opportunity to pioneer and change their destiny.

Of course, there will be restrictions depending on the given environment and conditions, but you should not give up easily.

The more you give up, the more you will lose, and in the end you will fall without being able to climb up.

‘Don’t get caught up in what’s been set. I can only become stronger if I break it.’

Baltz has experienced many rules and customs throughout his life.

Saying you can’t because you’re a commoner, saying you’re not even close to your level, saying that no matter how strong you become, you won’t be recognized.

Baltz ignored the prejudice and ridicule, and tried to overcome the limit through repeated training.

As a result, he became a knight from a commoner, was promoted to a knight commander, and became a vanguard commander, and was able to command hundreds of thousands of soldiers.

‘If I had obeyed fate… I wouldn’t have been able to come to this place now.’

Baltz slowly turned his back after confirming that there was no Witchbeast.

Now he is in command of the frontline dispatch unit, and he was active as a member of Setinos Quasar.

He could use his authority to mobilize all troops on the front line, or receive additional troops from the capital.

A commoner who believed only in bows and arrows became the king’s closest aide over a period of more than ten years.

‘If I’m wrong… … .’

A knight under his command was running towards him.

I wondered if it was possible to predict what kind of report would come.

“Captain! The White Apostle and the Knights of Lihines are said to be heading towards the castle!”

“A valuable guest has arrived. I will go out to meet you myself.”

“All right!”

Perhaps the commander and the knights of each unit would show up as a courtesy.

It was because the King, the Kinesian Holy Church, the Magic Society, and even the Setinos Quasar were intertwined.

‘Because the four major disasters came last time… Is it the turn of the 3rd demon king this time?’

* * *

Aliard Castle, tactical meeting room.

Balz was listening to Enrite’s explanation with the commander.

The fact that the exact reason was not stated in the king’s letter and the speculation that a magician from the Magic Society might come was related to this.

However, there was still no contact from silver, and there was no sign that the monsters could attack.

“… Do you know the exact time?”

“I don’t know the details. They will attack within this month at the earliest, or next month at the latest.”

“So you sent a letter several months in advance?”

“Your Majesty thought that the soldiers would not believe you if you warned them about an enemy that did not appear. So you gave the order first.”

Enrite conveys the king’s will instead and waits for another question.

The king accepted his mantra and gave the king’s order.

The Kinesien Holy Church persuaded them with their authority and achievements, and the Blue Sage helped the Magic Society.

Baltz probably had a lot of questions, so he had to convince him and get his cooperation.

“Where did you get the information from? I haven’t heard anything from Silver.”

“… It is information obtained through other channels.”

“Can I trust you?”

“You can believe it. The Shadow Dragon could also be prepared through that route.”

Shion overhears the conversation between the two and swallows silence.

Enritte was deliberately hiding the method of acquiring the information to avoid controversy.

From the moment you say you got the information from yourself, you will be asked for the basis and responsibility for it.

Enrite believed in herself and tried to take on all the burden instead.

“I guess you talked to Silver.”

“At the time, I wasn’t sure, so I just said to keep an eye on it. That’s why I acted quickly.”

“… Did something like that happen? Then you should believe it.”

Baltz was suspicious of that statement, but did not ask further.

Because he was a Setinos Quasar like himself, and he had already made achievements worthy of it.

Of course, it could be wrong information, but since it was to prepare for the invasion of the enemy, even if it suffered a little, the allies would not be harmed.

“Did your coming here have anything to do with that information?”

“This is the only place where tens of thousands of undead can be brought in at once. If you disperse your forces, you will only be attacked like other demon beasts.”

“Well… Right. Is that why you chose this one?”

Balz nodded as he tried to arrange the troops in his head.

The terrain of other castles was quite narrow, so many demons could not enter at once.

However, if you aim for a blind spot, you will be surrounded and it will be difficult to retreat.

In order to push tens of thousands of troops at once, they had to aim for Allied Castle, which was spread across a vast plain.

“If I had gotten the information sooner, I think I would have come up with a strategy.”

“It won’t be different from the strategy you’ve come up with. For each castle, take some of the troops and place them in Aliard Castle, and check the walls and supplies in preparation for an enemy invasion.”

“hit. A very basic beggar. It may be possible to make a detour, so I plan to operate the troops separately.”

“… From there I came up with another strategy. They probably think you are reckless and stupid.”

“What strategy did you come up with to say that?”

“We must abandon Castle Allied.”

“… … ?”

Balz shows a stiff expression and doesn’t say anything.

The commander and the knights of each unit only look at Enritte with suspicious eyes.

Only Shion and Hanette showed a calm attitude.

“White, what are you talking about? Are you going to give up your castle?”

“King Narak will try to tear down the wall.”

“The castle walls have been repaired for a long time, and they have been enchanted. Although the three great demon kings are strong, they cannot break down the wall.”

“It was like that in the past, but it is different now. It must have the power to break down the walls.”

In fact, even Enrite couldn’t believe this guess.

Allied Castle has never collapsed since it was built.

No matter what demons attacked, he had withstood it without fail, and had even blocked the attacks of the 3 great demon kings and 4 great disasters.

But just because it was a little stronger, the walls wouldn’t collapse.

“When that time comes, there is no escaping it. You have to be prepared right now.”

“If Allied Castle is breached, the Witchbeasts will push into the eastern area. It is not known how long they can hold out even if they gather troops. Are you still saying that you have to give up your last name?”

“You have to throw away your last name and think about the next one. Isn’t it better than soldiers dying in vain?”

“How can you defend the front line after abandoning Allied Castle! Allied Castle is the central fortress that guards the front line!”

Balz raised his voice with his eyes wide open.

Enrite didn’t even show signs of agitation, as if he had already expected it.

Then, Shion, who had been quiet for a while, slowly opened her mouth.

“… Can’t we just change the inner wall?”

“Changing the walls? What does that mean!”

“Allied Castle gets narrower as you enter from the outside. If you fight on the inner wall, you can fight with advantage while surrounding the monsters.”

In the original story, King Narak used the Demonic Sword of the Earth to partially destroy the walls of Aliard Castle.

As a result, the undead easily penetrated into the Allied Castle, and many knights and soldiers were massacred.

That’s why Shion tried to use Aliard Castle effectively while reducing the damage to allies.

“But wouldn’t it be like giving up the castle!”

“Isn’t it better than losing the castle to the enemy and sacrificing your allies? Doesn’t the purple priest look down on the power and magic beasts of the Narak King?”

“… Are you trying to teach me now!”

“I also risked my life to come here. I am not telling you to live alone!”

Shion constantly pondered to come up with this strategy.

Even in the original content, there were mistakes, but most of them were connected to the magic sword user.

Of course, the King of Narak was also a demonic sword user, but it was only a demonic beast forcibly using the demonic sword.

In other words, this invasion will be carried out according to the will of the Narak King, and in order to respond to it, a bold strategy had to be used.

‘Because King Narak uses a lot of mana while destroying the walls… If we fight then, there will be a chance.’