The Eve of Battle
What is a scream of despair? Most people know it as a word that describes crying out with every ounce of one's soul. A sound that only tears its way through the throat when one is drowned in agonizing pain or sorrow. At this very moment, that powerful, desperate wailing was echoing fiercely inside Rowen's head.
Shut up, Valenos!
It's just one! It's not even that big, so what the hell is your problem?!
How can a Spirit King be so incredibly inflexible? Help me out here, would you?
Crying like this wouldn't do any good. No matter how much noise the spirit made, no one but Rowen could hear him. Most importantly, it wasn't Valenos who controlled Rowen's body. No matter how much he screamed, in the end, he had no choice but to follow Rowen's decisions.
Which only made it more frustrating for him! Valenos wept and wailed in despair. It was still a young mana stone, but if it absorbed more life and grew, what a cute little spirit child would have been born... Rowen, that wet-behind-the-ears brat, would never understand. Valenos beat his chest in agony.
Rowen knew exactly how heartbroken Valenos was. Since they had merged and shared a contract, it wasn't as if he couldn't feel the spirit's pain. But so what? That was none of his business, and the Spirit Realm was practically overflowing with spirits anyway. Besides, it was a material meant to be used for crafting magic swords. It was bound to be used eventually, so wasn't it better to put it to good use now?
They were short on the timber needed to build ships for the war. Exchanging a single, small mana stone for an ample supply of high-quality wood was a dirt-cheap bargain. Since Sirayunsul had also agreed, Rowen was simply going through with the transaction.
Then just give up already.
Rowen lightly pried a single mana stone free. An ice-clear, transparent gem caught his eye—a crystal of highly purified mana. Though used in various fields, it was an incredibly rare mineral that was nearly impossible to obtain. Clutching the mana stone in his hand, Rowen headed toward the harbor.
"You're here?"
"As requested, the timber is more than enough. It's practically overflowing."
"Thanks."
"...Hey, bastard. Are you sure you're okay with trading a mana stone? This is something we can't even find in Kaliaarun."
"I told you yesterday, I don't need this. And it's just one. It's not a big loss."
"Well, if you say so... Fine. A win-win is a win-win."
The moment the deal was sealed, Valenos let out a silent shriek. Was it just his imagination that a faint tremor rippled through the entire North for a split second?
The Stormy Seas. Near the Tears of the Ice Dragon, far from the harbor. The relentless, pattering rain showed no signs of stopping, churning up massive waves. Thunder rattled the ears, and lightning flashes left both the eyes and the heart in a state of constant unease.
The vast ocean. This place, commonly known as the Stormy Seas, was filled with fierce, howling winds. High waves swelled and crashed. However, the ship built with Kaliaarun's support easily withstood the waves, sailing straight ahead without a single wobble. The Northern army, having departed from Winterer, was currently en route to Kaliaarun.
The sky was dark and oppressive. Back in the North, even when a heavy darkness settled over the night sky, the beautiful Milky Way would always reveal itself. But this place was different. Just looking up at the sky was enough to make one feel utterly miserable. Rowen stepped inside to escape the rain. No matter how much he wanted to monitor the situation, loitering on the deck would only restrict his movements until they cleared this sea zone.
Spending long hours on a tossing ship was never pleasant. While some had the stomach to endure it, others did not.
"Are you alright?"
"...Yes. I'll just stay like this for a little while."
"Alright. Let me know when you feel better. Or would you rather lie down?"
"I am fine, Young Master."
"...Ugh."
Arahan clung tightly to Rowen's chest, showing absolutely no intention of letting go. She was using her motion sickness as an excuse, but no matter how he looked at her, he couldn't imagine her being weak to seasickness. Well, she was human, so it was possible. But her dark, sunken eyes and the crooked, peculiar smile playing on her lips looked exactly like...
Let's stop thinking about it.
Because sometimes, knowing the truth was the most terrifying thing of all. Rowen resigned himself to his fate and simply patted Arahan's back. With every touch of his hand, Arahan's expression softened with relief. Well, this was his first time taking a long voyage with her, so he had no way of knowing whether she actually got seasick or not. As he comforted her, he spoke to Valenos.
"What?"
Why was he acting like this now?
"And what's your problem now?"
What on earth was wrong with him? Ever since they exchanged the mana stone for Kaliaarun's timber, Valenos had been in this foul mood. The area around the Soul Spring was practically packed with mana stones anyway. All Rowen did was break off one tiny piece and hand it over. What was he so upset about? Rowen shook his head, genuinely baffled.
"Are you sulking?"
"You know, you actually have a lot in common with Uba."
"Yep, you're definitely alike."
Honestly, they had plenty of time to trade jokes like this. But Rowen's heart was racing with urgency. The moment they crossed these seas and arrived in Kaliaarun, they would join forces with the exorcists and immediately launch a surprise attack on Arkanthia.
The second the exorcists reached the shipping route heading toward Lugion, the capital of Arkanthia, Winterer's Frost Knights would strike them from the rear. Since only Rowen and Sirayunsul knew the intricate details of the operation, the soldiers simply followed their commands. Regardless, Rowen could not put his mind at ease regarding the war that was about to unfold.
"Do you think they'll intervene?"
"Yeah."
The Prophets. The leaders of the demon cult, corrupted humans who had received power directly from the Demon King. In other words, the heads of the Demon Humans. Recalling Tesiah, whom he had faced two years ago, they didn't seem like a massive threat, but... too much time had passed to simply ignore them now.
"Hmm... Honestly, without them, Arkanthia isn't a formidable opponent."
"I'm not underestimating them. I'm saying my soldiers, who will have to fight them, are no pushovers either."
However.
"If the Prophets intervene here, the entire landscape of the battle will change drastically."
For instance, without them, victory would be guaranteed the moment they ambushed Arkanthia. The enemy had no idea they were coming—unless there was a spy in Winterer or Kaliaarun. In the first place, Arkanthia was Muron's country. A nation of magitech that Muron had built on a whim. It was the first continent to declare independence from the four continents under the Pentagon's jurisdiction. Therefore, it was highly unlikely that the remaining Prophets would clean up the mess Muron had left behind.
But there was always an exception. What if the Prophets did intervene in the war? There were three of them left. If that happened, Arahan, Sirayunsul, and Rowen would have to face them in individual combat. While there were other commanders among the soldiers, a battlefield where the king had departed was bound to lose its morale quickly. Even putting that aside, the key was whether the soldiers could protect themselves from magitech. Should he trample over the magitech alongside his soldiers? Or should he leave the command to his officers and confront the Prophets himself? Rowen had to choose his strategy at this crossroads.
"Am I worrying too much?"
Valenos pondered for a moment before speaking.
"I've already discussed that with Sirayunsul. It's actually perfect timing, I was just about to bring it up with you. You didn't answer when I called earlier."
"Anyway, I have a favor to ask. Help me borrow your puppy."
Puppy? Valenos seemed completely lost, having no idea what kind of nonsense Rowen was spouting. A puppy? What on earth was he talking about? He had never raised a dog in his life!
"I mean the Ice Dragon. Our mages summoned it briefly in the past, but that has a strict time limit."
"I need the other guardian of the North, the one who shared his life with you. I can fly, but I can't deal with every single flying ship on my own."
"Exactly."
However?
"...What should we do then?"
Well, to be perfectly honest, it wasn't that big of a deal. He could just summon it by force and put it to work. Since it was for the sake of the North, he believed the dragon would understand. Even if it was old, it was still a guardian of the North. It surely knew how to separate personal feelings from public duty.
"Oh, you caught me?"
"Ha, spot on. I guess a direct contract really does mean we're in sync, huh?"
Valenos was utterly appalled. He was breaking out in a cold sweat, completely horrified! Rowen, that damn contractor of his, was harboring some truly terrifying thoughts!
"I heard dragons only get stronger as they age. It's not like the enemy is going to deploy their flying ships one by one anyway. Arkanthia is packed with magitech. We just need to freeze and burn everything to the ground, and that'll be that."
"I've already talked to Sirayunsul about that. I'm sorry, but they'll just have to fend for themselves."
There was no other way. Rowen didn't feel good about it either. The current citizens of Arkanthia were merely caught up in the mess Muron had created on a whim. However, the majority of them were drunk on power, willingly implanting magitech into their own bodies. A civil war between those who craved power and those who rejected it was raging in Arkanthia every single day. This was the landscape he had witnessed through Crystallization, filled with countless collapsed buildings. A massive power without a leader was the perfect recipe to drive people mad. And that was exactly what magitech sought to achieve.
Magitech—the technology of the demons, the craft of Pandemonium's denizens. Since it was fundamentally a technology born from demons who craved conflict, slaughter, and tearing one another apart, it was perfectly designed to feed on human emotions. It would slowly take hold of them, dragging them down into corruption. Because of this, it was fair to say that Arkanthia was divided into two factions: humans and Demon Humans. While the Demon Humans were further split into civilian organizations and the demon cult, in Rowen's eyes, they were all the exact same bastards.
Rowen let out a sigh as he replied to Valenos. "I don't feel great about it either. But those people probably don't love magitech blindly. Because of that one thing, Arkanthia is in a constant state of civil war. Who would actually want that?"
Therefore.
"If they cross paths with our soldiers, they'd better pray they side with us."
Otherwise, they would all be consumed by the flames of war. It was heartbreaking, but there was no helping it. His hatred for magitech outweighed any sympathy he had for them. Rowen simply pressed forward. Toward his goal. Forward.