Chapter 1042: Act 214 – The Flames of Dawn XV
The night in the imperial capital was destined to be restless. At the same time that Mister Brendel infiltrated the Frost Dew Manor, another battle erupted in Taitburg.
The commander of the attacking force was a delicate young girl, yet her strength and tactical skills left the city guards trembling in fear.
Medisa stood alone on the castle’s drawbridge, her mount by her side.
The war was nearing its end, but the scent of gunpowder still lingered in the air.
Holding a silver spear, her winged helmet sheltered her somewhat childish face. Under her determined silver gaze, the gates of Taitburg had long been opened, and the bodies of her enemies lay sprawled across the entrance, lifeless.
This was all part of Brendel’s grand plan, and it was just one scene in the greater scheme.
After a moment, the White City vanguard finally captured the last tower. Husher leaned out from there and waved to her.
Medisa nodded in relief:
“Good job, Uncle.”
“That’s your credit, Miss Commander,” Husher replied with a smile.
At this moment, the members of the Lubis mercenary group had already traded their old weapons for new ones. Husher, the mercenary leader, was clad in heavy armor, wielding a glimmering spear, which bore an inscription in Fanzan script—a proverb famous among the rural folk of White City:
Courage begets victory—
Inside the tower, chaos reigned. The bodies of seven or eight imperial soldiers were scattered next to a table and a window, and a few severed bows lay around, the small space thick with the smell of blood. Husher watched this scene, shaking his head blandly, pulling out a pipe to light it, the darkness momentarily illuminated and obscured as smoke wafted up.
This was a moment of calm after battle. The men were still immersed in the aftermath of slaughter, and the swirling smoke seemed to form a mirage, behind which lay the golden hall of the ten-city myth—home to warriors, a sacred temple of courage.
Flour frowned as she pulled her sister out from inside, eliciting a burst of laughter. Shadows beneath the castle wall hid a few stragglers seeking to ambush the two sisters, but Flour’s hand glinted with cold light, freezing half the wall in white frost, turning those few imperial soldiers into ice blocks.
The Lubis mercenaries summoned by the card had only a level disadvantage of ten compared to the Fran Knights. Now, with Medisa having touched the side of truth, the original Lubis mercenaries naturally gained strength as well, unlocking their elemental powers and becoming knights of the temple.
Inside Taitburg, the remaining city guards clung to the door behind the castle, while Himelam and her iron puppets and gargoyles made repeated unsuccessful assaults. The High Priestess, infuriated, personally took to the front lines, wielding a hammer of earth and mountains to strike the door. However, the door, reinforced by the wizard behind it, remained unscathed. Following a tremor, the entire wall on that side of the castle suddenly collapsed.
Nearly everyone was stunned by this earth-shattering blow. However, the High Priestess remained unfazed, as long as her goal was achieved.
Himelam finally pushed open the door. Coughing and covering her nose, she found the wizards and soldiers behind the door already dead, and the doorframe was all that remained amidst the swirling dust.
The collapsed wall made Taitburg resemble a gaping black maw, with the door serving as its prominent teeth.
The door creaked as it was pushed open, bricks and stones falling like rain. At that moment, Himelam suddenly felt a warning and raised her right hand. A halo from her ring expanded outward, forming a dome-like light curtain.
“Song of Protection—”
In the darkness, a massive axe swung down, followed by the sound of wind. The axe struck heavily against the light curtain raised by Himelam, which didn’t even ripple; it merely flickered briefly before vanishing into nothingness.
The shockwave from the explosion smashed the doors on either side to pieces, shattering the doorframe, and the two gates slowly fell forward and backward.
Suddenly, a fist emerged from the darkness, smashing down the heavy door to smithereens.
Wooden splinters flew like butterflies and then fell, and from the remnants stepped out a heavily muscled man, wielding a giant axe. From the style of his pants and greaves, it was evident that he was not a city guard but a royal knight.
He looked surprised as he cast a glance at the unscathed Himelam, asking, “What is this ability of yours? Why can you withstand my strike without a scratch, when you’re merely at the peak side of truth?”
“This is the Song of Protection,” Himelam genuinely replied, “a faith bestowed upon me by the goddess, unbreakable like mountains, as solid as the earth.”
“Is that so?” The man grinned and raised his axe, “Then I shall see just how far your faith in your goddess will hold up.”
Faced with the opponent’s attack, Himelam grew serious. Although somewhat naïve, she was not foolish. Her opponent clearly possessed the strength of the extreme realm; alone, even with the powers of earth and mountains, she could not hope to win. She had to find a way to hold on until Medisa arrived to support her.
Just as the man was about to strike, he suddenly stepped back. A light sound rang out, and an arrow burning with pale flames had already embedded itself in the spot he had been standing.
The marble floor, where the arrow had struck, held it firmly in place, and even now, the fletching quivered, testament to its great force.
The man lifted his head and, to his astonishment, saw three women in the sky overhead.
Or rather, three female beings—
They appeared as armored women, riding on white pegasi, which stood poised in mid-air as the bodies beneath the armor swirled with white flames. Beneath their winged helmets, their eyes glowed brightly, resembling stars. They held longbows woven from moonlight, and arrows of white hellfire were nocked, aiming down at him.
“Valkyries?”
The man was awestruck; these were legendary beings he never dreamed he would see.
“Well then,” his eyes shone with excitement as he raised his axe, “I have heard that Valkyries are the true warriors, born for battle; every move is an instinct for combat. Today, let me see what this so-called instinct for battle truly is.”
Filled with fighting spirit, he was about to strike when a voice from behind called out, “Hold it, Talier, do you not feel ashamed to flaunt your power before a little girl?”
The man was slightly taken aback, turning to see someone stepping out from the shadows of the hall—a figure with radiant green hair shining in the darkness, eyes filled with vast wisdom and resembling translucent emeralds.
“Veronika?”
He also noticed the others standing behind the female commander: the lord of the Mejotofen duchy, the head of the Kirk family, the Duke of Flowerleaf, his eldest son, the elder from the noble council, the Duke of Wallen, Cecil, and…
An old man whose figure had somewhat stooped, yet whose presence remained dignified as the empire itself.
Upon seeing this elder, he nearly instinctively knelt in homage.
During the era of Emperor Grantod, some said the emperor embodied the will of the empire, but there was one man who represented the empire’s majesty—Chancellor Nidwen.
Though he had long departed from politics, one could still sense the grandeur of the empire at its peak in him.
He need not speak, as he was already a living legend.
Some people hated him, those who had fallen out of favor in the power struggles, the noble forces under the Temple of Fire.
Some respected him; they were the old soldiers of the empire who had witnessed an era and the glory of being a soldier.
Talier, the captain of the royal knights, was not someone who had been directly promoted by him, but during Chancellor Nidwen’s heyday, Talier was merely a lowly captain; he was already well-acquainted with this great man’s formidable name.
He did not dare to speak to the old chancellor but could only ask Veronika, “Veronika, are you planning to leave?”
“Leaving this place would mean betraying Her Majesty the Queen,” Veronika sighed. “But now I have no choice, Talier.”
“What is the relationship of these people outside with you?” The captain of the royal knights frowned and questioned, “They are not imperial subjects; I see at least Fanzan people and elves among them, plus the war machines of the Buja.”
“Rest assured, Talier,” Veronika replied. “We will not betray the empire to outsiders. As for these young troublemakers…”
She could not help but smile at this point—
Who would have thought that fate would be so wonderful? She and that little fellow Erluin had only met by chance at the Loop of Trade Winds, even once having a hostile relationship, but because of her moment of kindness, she had no idea that one day she would benefit from this appreciation.
Though she was aware of Brendel’s purpose in coming to the empire, deep down, she still felt an immense debt to him.
“This troublesome little fellow is getting himself into deeper trouble,”
She couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
“Well then, I respect your decision,” the captain of the royal knights raised his axe. “Miss Veronika, if you wish to leave here, you must first consult my old friend.”
“Are you serious?” Veronika couldn’t help but shake her head. “Talier?”
“Of course, can’t you see the burning fighting spirit within me?”
“Is that so?” At that moment, a cool voice suddenly interjected, “Indeed, worthy of the empire’s courage. Then you should be prepared, right—”
At this moment, the captain of the royal knights saw yet another person beside Veronika, and he couldn’t help but widen his eyes: “The Seat of Sidney…?”
The last to emerge was indeed the statue of the lion palace’s saint, her expression as cold as ever, glancing at the knight captain before responding:
“These people are the ones I brought here. I am now taking them away; do you have any objections, Talier?”
“I, I…” The captain of the royal knights looked as if he had seen a ghost.
“What, do you also need to consult your old friend?”
“No, of course not,” the captain of the royal knights coughed lightly. “I suddenly recalled something…”
At that moment, he had already realized that the Taitburg castle surely harbored a secret passage. Such confidentiality would hardly be a secret for Sidney and Varla, who had once been at the pinnacle of the empire.
“What did you remember? Is there a certain noble lady of the imperial capital waiting for you? What happened to that burning fighting spirit in your chest?” Sidney asked unkindly.
The captain of the royal knights looked like he had something stuck in his throat, glancing helplessly at Veronika, but the latter pretended not to see it. He reluctantly pleaded, “Please, let me off the hook, Teacher…”
“Well, I have no intention of making it difficult for you; you may leave.” Sidney responded.
Only then did the man seem to breathe a sigh of relief, hurriedly bowing to the old chancellor before shouldering his axe and rushing away from the ruins.
Witnessing this scene, those present could only chuckle; no one found it strange, as everyone knew that this captain of the royal knights was once the proud student of the statue of the lion palace.
“Madam Sidney,” Duke of Flowerleaf finally spoke, “Please convey my gratitude to your friend Erluin; the Kirk family owes this lord a favor.”
Grid and Duke Frilan echoed, and with them taking the lead, the rescued noblemen joined in. In the crowd, only Duke Cecil remained silent.
Of course, this was not due to any enmity with Brendel but because the Cecil family had always been a vassal of the temple. Sidney had privately informed him of Brendel’s relationship with the temple, so his position was ultimately indifferent.
However, the nobles’ statements meant little to the statue of the lion palace; only when the eldest son of the Duke of Flowerleaf asked if his sister had arrived in the imperial capital did she slightly nod in acknowledgment.
Then she turned to Veronika, saying, “Currently, Mister Brendel is attracting the attention of the Silver Queen at Frost Dew Manor. Alone, he cannot oppose Her Majesty; you must come with me to support him.”
“No problem,” Veronika promptly replied, as she certainly did not want to see that little fellow Erluin face trouble because of her.
“Take me with you; I am going too.” At this moment, a somewhat aged voice suddenly rang out.
Everyone was taken aback and turned to the old chancellor who had spoken.
“Her Majesty’s shortcomings are not the fault of any one person,” Nidwen slowly began. “We all should bear responsibility for this; take me to meet her, and I will persuade her to show mercy towards your little friend.”
The female commander glanced at Sidney, somewhat uncertain.
The latter nodded slowly.
“What about the others?”
“Continue to act according to Mister Brendel’s original plan,” Sidney turned to the waiting Himelam, saying, “Miss Himelam, could you please escort these people to the west side of Rustra? We—”
At that point, she suddenly stopped.
Rustling sounds, the ground trembled slightly, and the debris within the ruins seemed to come alive, swirling wildly as if infused with magic.
This is…
“An earthquake?” Everyone’s first thought.
They quickly dismissed that idea.
Because the entire castle shook, the air let out moaning sounds, as if something were vibrating, wave after wave, with visible ripples appearing throughout the space.
Some small stones actually lifted off the ground, floating into the air, making the grand hall seem to lose a part of its gravity, as stone pillars creaked ominously, and with a cracking sound, some snapped and began to float in the air.
Veronika’s face changed dramatically.
Meanwhile, Himelam felt another world being stirred by something, the change of laws prompting such a significant reaction in the primary material world.
What monumental changes were happening on the other side of the world?
What was calling forth this phenomenon?
Sidney suddenly raised her right hand, and everyone saw the statue of the lion palace’s saint’s right arm from her wrist to her elbow, each golden rune lighting up in succession until they formed a mysterious pattern—
“This is…”
