Chapter 328: The Collapse of Arcadia (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 328: The Collapse of Arcadia (3)
The Luna Kingdom.
Three swordsmen stood as the absolute representatives of Luna.
Leo, the Knight Commander of the Royal Knights.
Jairo, the Swordsman of the Snowfield.
Caden, the White Flying Squirrel.
In terms of sheer skill, Caden fell far behind the other two. However, as one of the swordsmen representing Luna, he was no pushover. He was a 4-Star Aura Swordsman. His swordsmanship—which relied on swift, gliding movements across the snow to pressure his enemies—made him more than worthy of being called a master, at least within Arcadia.
Yet, Caden was currently experiencing a very strange sensation.
On the day of departure, twenty-nine soldiers assembled to leave for the Luna Kingdom, and their very presence stirred something deep within him.
‘...Every single one of them looks incredibly strong.’
Caden had lived in Arcadia his entire life.
He had only crossed the Endless Mountains for the sake of the Luna Kingdom. In truth, he didn't know much about Dmitry.
He knew of Chris and Kevin.
He recognized those two, as they had played massive roles in the war against the Kronos Empire. Yet, even excluding them, not a single person standing before him looked like an easy opponent. The first person his eyes landed on was Fred. Though Fred was clearly just a regular soldier, Caden lacked the confidence to defeat him easily based on his sheer aura alone. Next to Fred stood Logan. Meeting Logan's sharp gaze and taking in his robust build, Caden felt he wouldn't be able to defeat him, either.
And then, he saw Ares.
A sudden shiver ran down his spine, and Caden swallowed hard.
‘To think Dmitry has a powerhouse of this caliber.’
It was mind-boggling.
He was one of the top three swordsmen in the Luna Kingdom, second only to Leo and Jairo. Yet, even excluding Roman Dmitry, he had already counted five people he couldn't guarantee defeating. That wasn't all. The rest of the soldiers didn't look like ordinary troops, either. To put it bluntly, every single one of these men would have easily been inducted into the Royal Knights had they belonged to the Luna Kingdom. Yet, here they stood as mere common soldiers.
It was shocking.
With this level of skill, he was certain that a meager thirty of them would be of immense help.
But above all, when Roman Dmitry finally appeared, Caden felt an indescribable, overwhelming sensation wash over him.
Step. Step.
The soldiers lined up in perfect unison.
Even Ares, whom Caden had found so overwhelming, and Kevin, known as the Evil Ghost of Dmitry, stood at rigid attention the moment Roman Dmitry arrived. The formidable presence of the soldiers was completely eclipsed by their liege. Facing the intense aura radiating from Roman, Caden finally understood why Isabelle had told him to seek this man out.
Perhaps, just perhaps, asking Dmitry for help might truly be the choice that saved the Luna Kingdom.
"I will lead the way."
Caden bowed respectfully.
No one had ordered him to do so, but he felt absolutely compelled to lower his head.
*
One week ago.
The situation in the Luna Kingdom had been disastrous.
Sebastian, the High Priest of Luna and Isabelle's representative, delivered the news he had received from Caden.
"Dmitry has decided to send thirty people, including Roman Dmitry, to aid the Luna Kingdom."
"...Only thirty people?"
"Yes. But this was a choice Dmitry made at great risk to themselves. Dmitry has fought consecutive wars, and recently, signs of civil war have been brewing in the Valhalla Empire. In a situation where they could have easily refused to help us, they agreed to have Roman Dmitry personally make a move on the condition that we accept certain terms. Dmitry's forces will arrive two weeks from now. Until then, we must focus entirely on defending our fortress."
Deep sighs erupted from all around the room.
On the day Caden departed, the people of the Luna Kingdom had prayed fervently.
If God had not abandoned Luna, they hoped Roman Dmitry would appear like a hero and save their kingdom. But thirty people? It was impossible not to feel disappointed. Sebastian emphasized that Roman Dmitry personally taking action was a monumental feat in itself, but the listeners simply could not see it that way.
Recently, devastating news had been pouring in from all directions.
Tens of thousands of Orcs, led by Graxar, had slaughtered the other races of Arcadia. The gruesome remains of those who had been reduced to mere food plunged the Luna Kingdom into sheer terror. It was not simply a matter of death. Facing a reality where defeat meant being raised like livestock, the Luna Kingdom had desperately hoped Caden would return with a miracle.
Because their expectations had been so high, their despair was bound to be just as deep.
In truth, the people of the Luna Kingdom knew that expecting help from Roman Dmitry—a man with whom they had no prior relations—was a greedy wish. However, pushed to the edge of a cliff, they could no longer think rationally. While they understood that Dmitry could not afford to take on too much risk, a meager force of thirty people did nothing to soothe their despairing hearts.
It was then.
"High Priest. Thirty people cannot change the tide of war against tens of thousands of Orcs. If we cannot afford to wait and place all our trust in Roman Dmitry, the Luna Kingdom must make a decision and take action."
The speaker was the Swordsman of the Snowfield, Jairo.
Jairo looked at the leadership with a sharp gaze and spoke in an unwavering voice.
"According to Queen Isabelle, Roman Dmitry is an extraordinary swordsman. I do not doubt his skill, but we cannot entrust the future of the Luna Kingdom solely to him. Luna is a country with a long history. Although there have been few occasions for Luna to wage war in this land of harmony, as the only human nation in Arcadia, we have always defended our territory."
"But Jairo, this is a matter of reality. There is no way to defeat tens of thousands of Orcs with Luna's strength alone," Sebastian responded with deep concern.
The Luna Kingdom was, in fact, a very small country by the standards of the Salamander Continent.
Due to the bitter cold, its birth rate was low. Even compared to the Cairo Kingdom, its population was small. Furthermore, war was rare in Luna's history. Naturally, very few people had received military training, making the probability of defeating the Orcs—creatures born with the blood of warriors—extremely slim.
However, Jairo thought differently.
"I admit it. With Luna's current military strength, we can never defeat Graxar's Orc army in a head-on clash. I am not suggesting we end this war with Luna's power alone. Roman Dmitry will arrive in two weeks. Rather than standing idly by and watching Luna's storage vaults get plundered one by one until then, I believe we need to set the perfect stage to annihilate the enemy by the time he arrives. I will take the vanguard. If we take the initiative with Luna's strength, we can cripple the forces of evil."
"He is right!"
"Let us fight the Orcs with Luna's strength!"
The surrounding people voiced their agreement.
Stirred by Jairo's intense passion, they felt they could no longer just stand by and watch.
Beyond the fortress walls, their people were dying.
Their anger had already reached its boiling point. If they could not rely entirely on Roman Dmitry, they needed an extraordinary measure of their own.
"...Sigh."
Sebastian let out a deep breath.
If even the authority of the High Priest could not calm this boiling atmosphere, he had to choose the best possible course of action.
"Very well. How do you plan to face the Orcs?"
*
Rustle.
Jairo unfurled a map.
Pointing to the seventh storage vault that had just fallen to the Orcs, he spoke.
"Currently, Graxar's Orcs are here. Judging by their patterns so far, they are highly likely to leave for their next target within the next few days. Where do you think their next target will be?"
"...Probably the sixth storage vault."
The storage vaults.
This term referred to the lands blessed by Isabelle.
Isabelle had perfectly shielded certain areas of land from the biting cold, and the people of the Luna Kingdom planted crops in these fertile havens, which they called storage vaults. In total, the Luna Kingdom possessed eight such vaults. Graxar's Orcs had already captured two of them, and they were highly likely to target the others next.
Jairo shook his head.
"No. Graxar is an extremely bellicose creature, so he will undoubtedly attack whatever stands in his path first. What Graxar desires is to turn all other races, excluding Orcs, into food. If so, they will inevitably set foot in the territory of the Yetis."
The Yetis.
They were one of the non-human races of Arcadia.
Standing over three meters tall, covered in thick fur, and possessing immense physical strength, they were an exceptionally formidable race in combat—even when compared to the Orcs. However, their population was extremely small. With at most a few hundred Yetis, they would be wiped out without putting up much of a fight the moment the Orc horde attacked.
Jairo pointed to a specific spot on the map.
On the path leading to the Yeti territory, there was a narrow pass flanked by steep cliffs on both sides.
"Right here. The Orcs will pass through this gorge. Since we have never initiated an attack before, Graxar is highly likely to move his forces complacently. If we contact the Yetis in advance and set up an ambush here, we can definitely deal a devastating blow. The Yetis will block the narrow pass, and we will wait above for the right moment to trigger an avalanche. The Orcs will have no way to escape it. Of course, this doesn't mean we can completely wipe them out with this tactic alone. But compared to spending two weeks doing nothing, this will surely yield meaningful results."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Jairo was the Swordsman of the Snowfield.
Since he knew how to fight on the snow better than anyone else, his words carried immense weight.
Ultimately, after agonizing over the decision for a long time, Sebastian yielded to the majority.
"...Very well. But keep this in mind. If the operation fails, run away without looking back. If we lose a significant portion of our forces in this operation, we won't be able to turn the tide even with Roman Dmitry's help."
"I will keep that in mind."
Jairo stood up.
The other men followed him out.
Sebastian watched them leave with a deeply worried gaze.
Today, of all days, he missed Isabelle's presence terribly.
*
Everything went according to plan.
Watching from atop the cliff, Jairo spotted the Orcs marching in the distance.
‘Graxar. This place will be your grave.’
A few years ago, Jairo had met Graxar.
It was at a gathering where they fought representing their respective races. Having clashed weapons with him that day, Jairo had formed a positive impression of the Orc. In a peaceful world, those who purely pursued the martial path like himself were rare. Thus, he had thought highly of Graxar. But this war had completely changed his mind.
It was disgusting.
Graxar had laughed and chatted with the other races, all while secretly viewing them as nothing more than 'food' to be consumed at his leisure.
The goal of this operation was not merely to inflict damage.
After triggering the avalanche to throw the Orcs into chaos, Jairo planned to personally eliminate Graxar.
If he succeeded, they could rekindle the spark of hope in Luna.
Without Graxar acting as their focal point, the Orcs were not an insurmountable force.
Finally, the Orcs arrived.
As they entered the pass between the cliffs, the Yetis, who had been buried beneath the snow waiting for this exact moment, rose to their feet.
"Graaaagh!"
"Chwik! It's an ambush!"
"Chwik! The Yetis are here!"
Crunch!
A Yeti swung its massive hand.
It instantly crushed the body of the leading Orc, letting out a roar boiling with murderous intent. It was the start of the battle. With their massive bodies serving as weapons, the Yetis swung their arms, tearing the Orcs' flesh apart. The Orcs charged in unison, stepping on the corpses of their fallen comrades to leap into the air and plunge their weapons into the Yetis' bodies.
Thud!
Blood splattered across the white snow.
A Yeti shrieked in pain, but its bloodshot eyes focused on the Orc clinging to its body rather than its own wounds.
Crunch!
It was a brutal, primal sight.
As the deep snow was instantly stained red with blood, Jairo, camouflaged in white clothing atop the cliff, calmly bided his time. It wasn't enough yet. Even if an avalanche occurred, the Yetis could survive using their race's unique traits, but the Orcs would be buried alive and perish in the snow. Therefore, he had to wait for the perfect moment. He needed the enemy vanguard to advance deeper into the gorge so that a larger number of them would be swept away by the cascading snow.
However, as Jairo monitored the situation, his expression gradually stiffened.
Something was wrong.
Graxar was always at the vanguard of his forces, but no matter how hard Jairo looked, he could not find the Orc leader.
‘Could it be...?’
In an instant, goosebumps broke out all over his body.
An ominous premonition washed over him.
As he hurriedly tried to stand up, a horrific scream pierced his ears.
"Aaargh!"
"Ack!"
"E-Enemy! The enemy is here!"
Before his eyes, an unbelievable sight unfolded.
Led by Graxar, countless Orcs were emerging from the path leading up the cliff, right behind the ambushers.
"Chwik. Playing petty tricks, just as expected."
Only then did Jairo realize the horrifying truth.
The one who had fallen into a trap was not Graxar.
It was Jairo himself.