Chapter 1021: Act 192 – The Battle of the White Lion XV
It seemed that Fatan Port had never considered deploying defenses on the surface of the sea. At this moment, the entire bay of Fatan Port and several miles of coastal waters were filled with solid ice. The undead could easily deploy their army across this frozen surface, which humanity had no means to counter.
Due to insufficient forces—
The faces of the noble officers on the walls had all changed. Once the undead deployed tens of thousands of troops on the sea, what could they use to defend? Relying on fewer than two thousand harbor guards in Fatan Port, alongside the even smaller White Lion Guard of the Erluin people?
Fortunately, they had not yet been completely frightened, for the Crown Prince was still within the city. The nobles turned to Delphine and suggested, “Miss Delphine, recall the troops outside the city; we can only engage them in street combat now!”
Street combat? Delphine slowly shook her head. In the darkness, her steadfast gaze seemed to pierce through the entire battlefield. The cold rain hit one uninjured side of her face, her smooth complexion faintly hinted at paleness. The Chancellor’s daughter replied decisively, “It’s not time yet, Miss Oni. You and the others should descend the walls first. Baron Ludwig, you can leave as well.”
Eynid stood in the rain. “Miss Delphine, aren’t you coming with us?”
“No,” Delphine replied. “I said, it’s not time yet. Earl Orkans, you stay as well. I’ve heard you have experience in the Holy War; this current battle should not be much for you.”
Earl Orkans was slightly taken aback. These words seemed to awaken boundless ambition within him. Recalling his decades of military experience, the present situation did indeed seem trivial in comparison. “Alright, I will stay,” he replied, then turned to Baron Ludwig and said, “Baron, you all should go down; it won’t be safe on the walls anymore.”
“What?” Baron Ludwig said disgruntledly. “Do I look like a coward to you?”
“Baron, there’s no need to be stubborn.”
Seeing that Earl Orkans’s attitude did not seem to be false, the aging lord of Fatan Port’s stance appeared to soften a bit. After all, he was not as young as the others; standing in the rain for a while began to take its toll on him, and he nodded before descending the walls with the others.
A young priest passed by those descending the walls and hurriedly came to Earl Orkans’s side. “My lords, the rituals and artifacts are ready, but the eclipse will affect the power of the golden flame, greatly reducing the effectiveness of the holy magic. Bishop Jurfo asks if we should delay the magical rituals?”
Jurfo had been promoted to the Bishop of East Meze, while the original bishop was stationed in Foden, which was currently under the control of the Silver Queen.
“What does Lady Sidney say?” Delphine inquired.
“Lady Sidney says she trusts Earl Toniger.”
“Then my answer is—me too.”
Delphine responded, tilting her head back against the rain and gazing silently toward the cliff above the sea.
Rain and snow fell gently, quickly accumulating ice and snow on the bare rocks. Doors of light were slowly opening in the void, figures dressed in holy robes and holding staves stepped out. The priests came one after another to the edge of the cliff, the icy wind billowing the hems of their robes as they slowly raised their staves. A ray of golden light seemed to pierce through the clouds, cutting through the darkness and descending from the heavens, echoing in response as it shone upon the staves, countless staves sparkling brightly in unison within the darkness.
In the midst of this golden light, Sidney lowered her head, overlooking the entire battlefield. The fierce battle below the cliff mirrored in her platinum eyes. Her expression solemn, she slowly extended her hand towards the void below.
The undead’s assault was once again halted. The Erluin people were not completely defenseless on the ice. The army of skeletons encountered the stone golems gifted to Brendel by Bud. Although few in number, they inspired a deep sense of vigilance in Sok on the city walls: why had the Bud people not yet deployed their fleet? He looked up towards the direction of the port; it was pitch black towards Fatan Port. The eclipse had facilitated the undead army’s movements, but events were often not entirely as one might wish.
At this moment, a scout knight finally arrived at the cliff fortress from the rear. The young man brought news from the White Legion’s army:
“Sir Sok, in fifteen minutes, whether the Bud fleet appears or not, the White Legion will launch an attack on time.”
“Why? Can’t we wait a bit longer? My target is the Bud fleet!” Sok was increasingly astonished.
“The lord believes we have wasted too much time. The Bud people may have seen through this point; we must force them to show themselves,” the young man relayed.
Sok nodded helplessly. If that were the case, the element of surprise would be lost, yet the battle at Fatan Port had indeed begun to put him on edge. He also agreed with Sir Erich, commander of the White Legion’s griffon corps. Previously, the human mages’ counterattack in Fatan Port had been decisive, directly depriving the undead of long-range magical support. That scene had reignited his earlier suspicions; it likely indicated that the enemy had made preparations.
But if that were the case, why had they abandoned the cliff fortress?
A faint unease lingered in his heart. However, at this moment, the undead army had completely deployed on the ice, entangled with the stone golems in Fatan Port, and between the cliff fortress and the outer city walls, both sides were engaged in a bloody melee where retreat had already become impossible.
At this time, all they could do was continue to advance.
Until a victor emerged.
Just then, a rumbling sound like thunder echoed through the air, as if a giant beast beneath the earth was breaking free, resonating across the entire battlefield, reaching the ears of everyone involved in the conflict in an instant.
“What is that sound?!”
“Oh my, look at the surface of the sea!”
Sok, standing on the southern wall of the cliff fortress, suddenly widened his eyes, staring at the bay of Fatan Port as though he had seen a ghost.
……
In the solemn and sacred hall, a dark and profound archway seemed to hold an angel, quietly gazing at everyone below, leaving the hall in silence. After a choir sang a hymn, they went to rest in the back. Many citizens sat in their seats praying silently, while the sounds of fighting from the direction of the port drifted here, a distant echo as if it were happening in another world.
A face on the great door of the Fusha Cathedral was observing the glum Haruze not far away. “Hey, little guy, you don’t look too happy?”
The young prince lifted his head apathetically to glance at it—its name was Jurfo, bearing the same name as the cathedral’s host—this was its own claim: “I want to fight too, but they always look down on me. Jurfo, am I really that useless?”
“No, I don’t think so. It’s because you are a , you know? Status is always particularly important for humans. Even doors have ranks, just like me; I’m the grand door of the cathedral, far more precious than those shabby and broken commoners’ doors. I think those monks wouldn’t let me be easily damaged.”
“But it’s not like that! Prince Rainwright has experience in leading from the front, and the teacher often teaches me that as the future king of Erluin, I must protect my people from harm. But everyone is fighting for Erluin’s future, and I can only stay here. I don’t understand why!” Haruze exclaimed loudly.
“Um, let me think,” Jurfo displayed a contemplative expression. “Perhaps you would like to hear my story.”
Hearing about a story, the young prince showed a bit of interest, looking curiously at the face on the grand door of the cathedral.
“Do you know, when I was young…”
“Wait, how can a door have a young age?” Haruze questioned skeptically.
“Don’t interrupt. At that time, I was not yet a door; I was a teak tree, to be precise, a sapling. Back then, I had not yet been entrusted with my responsibilities…” Jurfo wasn’t truly angry about being interrupted; on the contrary, he was pleased that Haruze took his words so seriously. He rambled on for over ten minutes about the journey of a teak tree from growth, to felling, and finally being made into the grand door of Fusha Cathedral. This lengthy tale was filled with meaningless specifics and fancies, yet Haruze listened very intently.
Finally, it summarized, “In short, what I want to say is that gold will shine wherever it is, just like when I was still in the mountains mingling with those useless guys, I already understood this deeply, which is why I have achieved today’s success. Do you understand, little guy?”
“Jurfo, thank you. I understand your point!” Haruze did not question the fact that Jurfo’s so-called success was merely being made into the grand door of a cathedral, expressing excitement: “What you mean is, when I grow up, I’ll be a real man!”
“Uh…” Jurfo was taken aback. “Well, that is one way to interpret it. In any case, as long as it helps you, little guy.”
“Thank you so much!” Haruze, however, was very excited. “Jurfo, you’ve really helped me a lot!”
“Um… wait, what are you planning to do?”
Haruze turned around, his beautiful silvery-gray eyes sparkling:
“I want to grow up right now!”
Fifteen minutes later—
A slender figure stealthily rushed out from the back door of the cathedral. This was undoubtedly a stunning half-elf maiden with a long neck and picturesque features. She wore a somewhat worn-out clerical robe, her silver hair cascading down her back, casually tied into a long ponytail. The tips of her hair revealed pointed ears, and her face was flushed, radiating a nervous and delicate aura as if she would topple over with a gust of wind. As soon as the maiden rushed out of the church, she was caught by the soldiers guarding the White Lion Guard outside. The young men from Toniger were nearly taken aback upon seeing her:
“Your Highness… Princess?!”
“N-no… I’m not!” Haruze was taken aback for a moment, then realized what was happening. Her face flushed slightly, and she waved her hands awkwardly. “I’m not Princess!”
She never imagined that the growth acceleration spell, classified as a transformation magic, would not only make her grow rapidly but also lengthen her hair and stretch her original clothing, causing her to struggle to find a clerical robe that somewhat fit her size. The only flaw was—this very situation.
“Not? Your Highness?” The soldiers looked at Haruze with suspicion. To them, this individual clearly resembled the long princess of Erluin—Grifian.
“No, I—what I mean is…” Seeing the soldiers beginning to doubt her identity, Haruze felt a bit uneasy and quickly corrected herself. “I… right! I’m the younger sister of Princess! My name is… oh yes, Fusha! I am on a secret mission with the embassy!”
Fusha? Princess Grifian has a younger sister? The young soldiers of the White Lion Guard fell into confusion. Most of them, before joining Brendel’s army, were merely young men from rural Toniger or Minthai, or at best, the offspring of minor nobles. Although they knew Princess Grifian and Prince Haruze, they weren’t really clear on who the royal family members were. Moreover, Haruze in her current guise truly resembled her sister, making it hard for anyone to deny.
After a moment’s deliberation, the soldiers confirmed the authenticity of the “Princess” before them. Other than that, the royal aura she possessed was unmistakable—such things cannot be feigned.
“Princess Fusha,” they hurriedly asked respectfully, “What are your orders?”
“Orders,” Haruze sighed in relief. Although the current situation was a bit beyond her expectations, it was at least moving in a favorable direction. She quickly replied, “Take me to the front lines!”
“To the front lines?” The soldiers exchanged glances, “Your Highness, shouldn’t we consult with the lord’s opinion?”
“N-no need to bother the teacher,” Haruze jumped, shaking her head. “This… this…”
The soldiers of the White Lion Guard were puzzled, staring at this little princess who was sweating and flustered when suddenly, a loud rumble echoed through Fatan Port.
Including Haruze, everyone’s attention was immediately drawn to the source of the massive sound. They turned their heads, uncertain, towards the direction of the noise, which sounded like rolling thunder, relentless and accompanied by crackling and snapping sounds. It was as if a giant beast was breaking ground, causing the whole earth to tremble.
“What’s happening? What is that sound?” someone in the crowd asked, surprised.
“It seems to be coming from the port!”
“Ah—” Haruze suddenly gave a low gasp, shocked as she looked towards the east of Fatan Port—the direction of the Sacred Inner Sea.
A dazzling light was rising from the darkness.
……
Sok was dumbfounded, watching the unfolding scene. The eternal darkness was receding, and a brilliant red sun rose from the sea horizon. The storm at sea seemed to settle in an instant; sunlight pierced through the dark clouds like swords, the lightning and illusions beneath the cloud layer dissipating, and darkness was retreating from the entire world. Meanwhile, near the shore, the thick layer of ice was melting and cracking, fearsome fissures appearing on the ice, as if the centuries-old frozen solid was breaking apart, rising and sinking. And on that ice, the undead army faced near-total annihilation in an instant.
Everyone bore witness to this scene. Countless undead were swallowed by the broken ice, the sea and shattered ice surging in waves, and soon there was nothing left.
How could this happen? Sok felt utterly baffled. Wasn’t it stated that the eternal night would last three days? He had anticipated all possible scenarios, even including a failed ambush, or a major incursion by the Bud people, but not this one. He couldn’t fathom why the Madara people would dig their own graves, dragging the White Legion down as well.
Suddenly, a strong sense of alarm arose in his heart. Instinctively, he raised his head. With the first rays of morning light, he was horrified to find that the direction of the Fatan Port was completely empty; there wasn’t a single shadow of a fleet in the sky.
It was a trap, Sok felt an icy chill grip his heart.
“Retreat!” At that moment, he had only one thought in his mind. He could not help but roar to all the undead within the cliff fortress: “Quickly retreat!”
But unfortunately, it was still a little too late.
On the cliff, the platinum-colored gaze of Sidney reflected the morning sun’s radiance, like a blazing flame burning fiercely—
“Great Ascendancy Spell, Holy Judgement of Kings—”
