Chapter 327: Youngsters These Days Are Truly Frightening (1)
Chapter 327: Youngsters These Days Are Truly Frightening (1)
"She’s a monster."
"Mmm, certainly..."
While the clash between April and the Overlord was in full swing, there were those watching the spectacle from a distance.
They were Grid, Envy, and Ras—direct disciples of the Jonsa.
Under the Jonsa's instructions, these three were orchestrating the war by manipulating the Overlord from behind the scenes. To them, April’s existence was an unforeseen variable.
"To think there was someone who could actually trade blows with the current Overlord."
"Tell me about it. Honestly, I thought the current Overlord could easily take the heads of the Double Dragon."
If Patrick had heard that, he would have brandished his twin swords and gone into a frothing rage, demanding they try it and see. Regardless, it seemed April’s performance had left a sour impression on them.
"What should we do? Should we pull some strings and eliminate her?"
"Is that even possible? Her skill isn't below that of the Sword Saint."
"Heh, why do you think I couldn't do it?"
The one burning with a competitive spirit toward April was Ras. Among the Jonsa's direct disciples, he was the most outstanding in terms of pure combat power. Seeing April’s prowess had clearly piqued his fighting instinct. However...
"Is there really a need for that?"
Grid didn't seem to agree. He spoke to his comrades.
"Our goal isn't to win this war. It’s enough as long as we make sure as much blood is spilled as possible."
"That’s true."
"If the balance of power is tight, that’s actually better. It wouldn't be strange for the war to drag on."
In fact, they had been worried that the Empire or the Holy Church State might intervene if the slaughter became too one-sided.
"Everything is for the day of Salvation’s Sunset. Do not forget our purpose."
At Grid’s words, the other two nodded in agreement. Indeed, the outcome of the war didn't matter to them. Only the process did.
Then, Envy, who had been listening, spoke up.
"Wait, if that's the case, I have a better idea."
"What are you trying to say?"
"We need more blood for the Sunset, right? Then, why don't we just..."
Upon hearing Envy’s plan, Grid and Ras momentarily wore expressions of sheer absurdity.
"Are you serious?"
"The most important thing is the Sunset. Isn't it?"
"……."
"It’s an opportunity to end this quickly without dragging things out. If we report this, even the Jonsa will approve."
"……."
It was reckless and absurd. But as they listened, it started to make sense. After all, the Sunset itself was what mattered.
Finally, Grid made up his mind.
"Fine. I’ll report to the Jonsa and seek his permission."
And a few days later.
The Overlord officially announced the existence of Dark Mages and declared his recognition of them. Naturally, this caused a massive upheaval across the entire continent.
* * *
June 5, 1531.
Every nation on the continent decided to dispatch troops to the Magellan Kingdom. The Empire and the Holy Church State, which had been observing the situation until then, were no exception.
The two nations joined the fray with the Sword Saint and Paladins leading their respective armies. Beyond them, the Atronia Kingdom, the Harbor Duchy, and even the Tower of Truth...
Every single nation on the continent sent military aid. The Tower of Truth went so far as to mobilize the Guardians—their hidden trump card that had been kept strictly under wraps.
Even the Schneider Duchy joined, with Grand Duke Schneider himself leading the reinforcements.
Such was the impact the announcement of the Dark Mages' presence in the Yuzef Kingdom had on the continent.
Now, the survival of the Magellan Kingdom was no longer the issue. From the moment the Yuzef Kingdom officially recognized and embraced the Dark Mages, they became the enemy of the entire continent.
As a result, a truly massive Allied Force was born. And this coalition would never retreat until they witnessed the Overlord’s downfall.
* * *
A massive round table, likely over five meters in diameter. The figures gathered around it were quite illustrious.
Duke Carlos Dante Reinardo, the Sword Saint of the Benator Empire.
Tatius Owen, the head of the Paladins of the Saint Louis Holy Church State.
Prince Gadius Gerard Magellan, Prince of the Magellan Kingdom and acting regent.
The First Sage, representing the Sages of the Tower of Truth.
Duke Mateus Edwards, originally from the Caesar Kingdom but now the only 7-Star Knight of the Harbor Kingdom.
Duke Derek Nicola, the King’s right-hand man, participating as the representative of the Atronia Kingdom.
And finally, Grand Duke Jacob Paulo Schneider, the Grand Duke of the Schneider Duchy—more famously known as the father of the Double Dragon...
All of them were the representatives participating in this Allied Force. Naturally, since they had gathered to form a coalition, they were there to hold a meeting.
The first to speak was...
"First, as the representative of His Holiness the Pope, I express my deepest gratitude to all of you for gathering your strength to punish the evil of the continent."
It was Tatius Owen, the representative of the Holy Church State. He stood up with a polite demeanor and bowed deeply toward the assembly.
On the surface, it seemed like a respectful and courteous gesture, but at that moment, the Empire’s Sword Saint spoke.
"Sir Owen, it is true that we have gathered to punish the Overlord of the Yuzef Kingdom and the Dark Mages. However..."
The Sword Saint narrowed his eyes slightly as he continued.
"We didn't exactly come here to help the Holy Church State. Let’s make that clear."
Tatius Owen maintained a calm poker face as he replied.
"O Sword Saint, I was merely expressing my gratitude. I don't believe there was any room for misunderstanding?"
"Is that so? I thought you were subtly stepping forward to seize leadership of this situation."
"Hahaha, you misunderstand. O 'former' strongest man on the continent."
"Really? I must have been mistaken then. I thought you were overreaching to restore your prestige after getting thrashed three-to-one in your own backyard."
"Hahahaha."
"Hohohoho."
From the moment the representatives of the Empire and the Holy Church State sat together, this kind of atmosphere was practically guaranteed.
'I'm so sorry.'
Ironically, it was the innocent Grand Duke Schneider who felt the most uncomfortable.
"That’s enough."
There weren't many people who could intervene in a power struggle between the Empire and the Holy Church State. But the person who just spoke was certainly one of them.
The First Sage, attending as the representative of the Tower of Truth. He stepped between the Sword Saint and the Paladin and continued calmly.
"I don't care how the Empire and the Holy Church State usually get along. But it is troublesome if you show such hostility even at the moment of forming an alliance."
At the First Sage’s words, both the Sword Saint and Tatius Owen took a step back.
Though they were grouped together as the Three Great Powers, the Tower of Truth was originally evaluated as having the lowest status among them. However, that was due to the Tower's nature of not being a nation and its small numbers; it didn't mean the Tower of Truth’s power was inferior to the Empire or the Holy Church State.
In particular, the Tower of Truth had mobilized its Guardians for this war. Unlike 7-Star Knights or Paladins belonging to a nation, there was only one case where the Tower of Truth moved its Guardians: when they intended to completely annihilate an entity they had designated as an enemy.
In other words, the Tower of Truth had mobilized its full strength, determined to see the Overlord’s end. Even the Empire and the Holy Church State had no grasp of what kind of monsters might be among the Guardians, the Tower’s ultimate force.
The First Sage continued quietly.
"The important thing is how to win this war effectively. So, let us move on to the main point."
The First Sage looked around the assembly.
"If anyone has a good idea regarding the conduct of this war, please speak up."
The First Sage had set the stage. However, no one stepped forward immediately. As they felt each other out, the first to speak was...
"I will say a word."
It was Prince Gadius of the Magellan Kingdom. He stood up and addressed the room.
"To be honest, with this much power gathered, what need is there for a complex strategy?"
Some nodded at his words. In truth, to punish the Yuzef Kingdom for announcing the Dark Mages, the nations of the continent had joined the war with their full national power.
As a result...
Imperial Army: 120,000.
Holy Church State Army: 190,000.
Magellan Kingdom Army: 50,000.
Harbor Duchy: 20,000.
Atronia Kingdom: 90,000.
Schneider Duchy: 20,000 Humans, 1,000 Elves, 50,000 Orcs.
And while the Tower of Truth didn't announce exact numbers, they were a group where quality mattered more than quantity, so numbers were meaningless.
In the end, even counting only the human soldiers, it was a massive army of 490,000. At this level, saying it would be easy to erase the Yuzef Kingdom was an understatement; it was almost excessive.
In Prince Gadius’s eyes, victory in this war was already guaranteed. While his nation’s survival had once been at stake, now that the situation had changed, his top priority was...
"If you leave it to us, our Magellan Kingdom will stand at the vanguard and defeat the Yuzef Kingdom."
This was it. He had to volunteer for the vanguard to claim as much merit as possible. That way, when the Yuzef Kingdom fell, they could claim the largest share of the spoils and compensate for their previous losses.
However, Prince Gadius wasn't the only one thinking that way.
"Considering the damage the Magellan Kingdom has suffered, it would be better for you to stay back. Leave this to me, Mateus Edwards, the gallant man of the Harbor Kingdom. Oh, for your information, I am a Duke now."
The person who cut in playfully was Mateus Edwards. He was originally from the Caesar Kingdom, but after his country was destroyed by the Overlord, he went into exile in the Holy Church State. However, due to his free-spirited nature, he didn't fit in there and left.
After wandering for a while, he settled in the Harbor Duchy, which was desperate for talent due to its waning national power. The Harbor Duchy treated him with extreme respect and made him the nation’s only Duke.
But for a young man still in his twenties to be properly recognized as a Duke, he needed military merit. He was just as thirsty for victory in this war as anyone else.
"Just leave it to me. Personally, I have a debt to settle with the Overlord."
"In terms of debt, can you even compare to our Magellan Kingdom, which has been ravaged by the Overlord all this time?"
"Have you forgotten? My homeland, the Caesar Kingdom, has been completely wiped off the map."
"You don't seem particularly sad for a knight of a fallen kingdom..."
"Ho, and what is that supposed to mean?"
Prince Gadius and Duke Edwards clashed subtly, their words sharp. Then, the Sword Saint spoke in a heavy voice.
"Enough."
He didn't release his aura to intimidate them. There was no need. The words coming from the Sword Saint’s mouth carried a weight all their own.
After silencing the two, the Sword Saint touched his forehead, thought for a moment, and said, "If you insist, let both nations stand at the vanguard together."
"You mean stand together?"
"With this brat... I mean, with the Prince?"
The sentiment of 'I hate this' was blatantly written on their faces, but the Sword Saint didn't even blink.
"Even if you combine the forces of both nations, it will barely be enough to serve as a vanguard. Is that not so?"
"Mmm..."
"Ahem..."
Neither could bring themselves to disagree. Even combining their military strength, the number was only 70,000. The number of 7-Star Knights in their combined forces was only two. In reality, that was just the right amount of troops to stand at the front.
"Understood."
"If the others don't object, we shall do so."
Thus, the meeting tentatively decided to place the Harbor Duchy and the Magellan Kingdom as the vanguard. For such a grand gathering of people, it was a rather unproductive decision.
'Is this really okay?'
Grand Duke Schneider couldn't shake the concern that the meeting's outcome was too negligent and haphazard. However, Grand Duke Schneider was too much of a "good man" to play the role of scolding people in a room full of such prominent figures.
Still, believing he had to fulfill his duty as a representative of a nation, Grand Duke Schneider spoke up with difficulty.
"Excuse me, may I say a word to the representatives of each nation?"
If Patrick had been there, he would have poked his father in the ribs and pointed out how unnecessarily and excessively polite he was being. But instead, the others felt a sense of freshness at the Grand Duke's demeanor.
'Is that man Grand Duke Schneider?'
'The father of the Double Dragon?'
Everyone who knew Patrick, including the Sword Saint and the Paladin, had the same thought.
No way.
Lies.
Their impressions were so different that it was impossible to believe they were father and son. But regardless, no one was going to stop Grand Duke Schneider from speaking. Even if Patrick wasn't there.
"Please, speak," Tatius Owen of the Holy Church State said.
Grand Duke Schneider spoke cautiously.
"According to the reports from my vassals, the power of the Overlord and the knights who follow him is extraordinary."
"That is a fact everyone knows," Duke Edwards said, as if asking why he was stating the obvious.
Grand Duke Schneider didn't show the slightest sign of offense at the blunt reply and steadfastly expressed his opinion.
"According to the reports, the other 7-Star Knights use pitch-black Aura Blades, similar to those once used by the Black Knight. Furthermore, the Overlord’s realm is estimated to have reached the 8-Star level."
"Mmm..."
"If the Dark Mages are added to this, we must consider the power our enemy possesses to be truly formidable."
"So, what is it you want to say?"
"I believe we should not send parts of the army ahead, but rather lead the entire force and advance together. We must concentrate our strength to defeat the enemy with minimal casualties."
Grand Duke Schneider closed his eyes and said everything he wanted to say. It wasn't a particularly special strategy. If one is confident in their strength, concentrating that strength to crush the enemy's core rather than dispersing it is the most basic of military basics.
However, if they operated according to these basics...
'Then our country won't have a chance to earn merit, will it?'
'That’s troublesome. Very troublesome.'
From the perspective of the Harbor Duchy and the Magellan Kingdom, who had already reserved the vanguard, this was absolutely unwelcome. If the war ended with the Empire, the Holy Church State, and the Tower of Truth fighting in the lead while they merely supported from the rear, there would be too little to gain even if they won. Therefore...
"Ahem..."
"Mmm, what do you all think?"
Prince Gadius and Duke Edwards sought opinions from their staff standing behind them. And their staff...
"That is not a good idea. Operating such a massive army might actually create openings. It could give the enemy an opportunity."
"Exactly. I believe it is better to first strike with elite forces to gauge their reaction and seize the momentum."
They barked out a load of utter nonsense.