The First Counterstrike
The familiar scent of earth rose sharply as he stepped onto the palace grounds once more.
“Whoa…”
It felt like coming home at last. His eyes stung with sudden tears.
“Um… Your Majesty? Where are you?”
Dave looked around with a dazed expression.
“What should we do? Maybe he didn’t come with us?”
Gemini fidgeted anxiously beside him, shifting from foot to foot.
Dave watched each elf descend with growing impatience, waiting for Kim Hwang-je to appear. But Kim Hwang-je had already stepped down and was crouched, running his fingers through the soil.
“That can’t be. We were clearly told he was coming with the elves.”
“Ah, there’s Mr. Seo Jun-seo.”
Gemini pointed him out. The two of them strode over briskly.
“Boss?”
“Oh right, I forgot to mention that my clone looks different.”
Kim Hwang-je gave his body a couple of light taps. He was currently wearing the Grim Bard, the Calamity set.
Because he was in Stealth Mode, his appearance was completely altered. Even though this was a clone, he didn’t have to grow gigantic inside the palace.
“Can you switch me back to my real appearance?”
“Of course, Master…”
Moreover, Calamity’s voice was sweet and gentle, like ASMR. It felt like someone was gently rubbing lotion all over his body.
In the next moment, the clone transformed into an exact replica of Kim Hwang-je’s original form. Even the glowing aura from the cloak and the shape of his items were perfectly recreated. Of course, since they were mere copies, they held no actual power.
“Your Majesty!”
Only then did Dave spot him and come running.
“We were quite worried after you vanished so suddenly last time. Are you well?”
Gemini grasped the hem of her robe and bowed deeply.
“Ah, about that time…”
“You don’t have to explain if you don’t wish to.”
How kind of her. Thanks to that, Kim Hwang-je suddenly recalled his final moments in the palace with vivid clarity. He had grown so enormous he reached the atmosphere, ultimately revealing the vast cosmic galaxy of his lower body to everyone present.
His face flushed bright red.
“Among the citizens, rumors spread that Your Majesty had ascended to the heavens. But now that you’ve returned, everyone will be greatly relieved.”
Dave said. However, with Nax watching nearby, he couldn’t go into every little detail.
“That’s good to hear. Is there a place for the elves to stay?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Thanks to the support funds, the Magic Tower residential district has been completed.”
“I see… Then, allow me to make some introductions first.”
Kim Hwang-je looked around. There she was.
Nax stood motionless, staring at the palace village cast in the shadow of the outer walls. How long had it been since she last saw such a lively crowd of people? To think a place like this could still exist.
“Nax! Come here!”
“Damn it… Am I a dog or something?!”
Even as she grumbled, Nax walked over to where Kim Hwang-je had called her.
“I’m here, Prince. What do you want?”
“Say hello. This man is the king of this palace.”
Nax stood still and looked Dave up and down. Practical armor and weapons meant for real combat rather than ceremony. A prominent scar crossed his otherwise handsome face.
Nax muttered under her breath.
“I see. A human. Prince, what exactly do you want from me? Are you telling me to bow my head to a human king?”
“I’m telling you to introduce yourself and cooperate.”
“…Damn it.”
While Nax grumbled, Dave first noticed her long green hair. She wore a black-and-white striped outfit of unknown origin. It looked like some kind of magical garment.
“Hmm…”
His gaze finally settled on the two horns sprouting from her head. As he stared at the smooth S-shaped curves of her horns, Dave spoke.
“Could you possibly be one of the great dragons?”
“Ha! Great? Watch your tongue in front of the Prince. You’re not trying to embarrass me to death, are you?”
Nax grumbled, then puffed out her chest.
“But let me make one thing clear. I am the green dragon Nax. Guardian of Shirayen Forest and the dragon who swore to protect the Shirayen elves. If you humans offer me sufficient tribute…”
Thwack!
Kim Hwang-je immediately struck Nax on the head with a knife-hand chop. How dare she eye someone else’s property?
Nax glared at him furiously.
“Ugh! Damn it! Damn it! To humiliate me in front of these insignificant creatures!”
“Shut up! Who told you to start extorting people again? Who’s protecting who here? I’ve told you before, your habits are completely rotten.”
“Uwaaaaaaaaah!”
Too furious to argue back directly, Nax roared toward a distant mountain instead. Dust clouds billowed up as her Dragon Fear spread in all directions.
The elves panicked at the thunderous roar. Seeing them tremble in terror, Dave spoke.
“Escort the elves.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
At his command, the surrounding knights quickly guided the elves toward the Magic Tower. The village chief, also led by the knights, somehow managed to gather the elves and head down to the village.
“Oh ho…?”
Nax flicked out her long tongue as she watched. How could a king and his knights remain completely unfazed after taking a Dragon Fear blast at point-blank range?
“How astonishing! What kind of humans are these that they don’t even react to Fear?”
“We have survived countless battlefields soaked in blood. We have slain countless enemies while wearing fear itself as our cloak.”
“Hoo… How interesting… Are you saying you grew stronger by surviving again and again? Survival of the fittest… That is indeed a beautiful tale.”
In truth, the citizens of Adel Kingdom had fought monsters to a degree that was almost unimaginable for Nax. Only the most exceptional had survived.
Unlike the elves who lived in the forest and specialized in archery, these knights were the kind who stood on the front lines and spoke to their enemies with steel. Nax licked her lips, pleased by their warlike nature.
“If I were to fight alongside you… it might actually be somewhat entertaining. Have you heard what your Prince is planning to do?”
“I have not. His Majesty has done astonishing things up until now. Whatever he plans this time, I will believe in him and follow.”
“Kuhahaha… Indeed, the ambition your Prince holds this time is tremendous. He intends to destroy the forward base of the Demon King Izukaya.”
“Izukaya’s?”
Dave looked at Kim Hwang-je. He had expected it to be on a fairly large scale, but this was far bigger than he had imagined!
“I never even dared to dream of such a thing, Your Majesty. You intend to launch a preemptive strike rather than focus on defense?”
Kim Hwang-je nodded.
“We still don’t know whether the Demon King’s army will come by sea or by land.”
“That is true.”
“So if we destroy their forward base, won’t they be forced to come by sea? While we’re at it, I’m also planning to steal a mountain of jewels from there.”
“…Then…!”
Dave murmured as if struck by lightning.
“This is the kingdom’s first counterattack…!”
“Y-You’re saying you’re going to attack the Demon King’s fortress directly?”
Gemini trembled all over. She understood all too well just how insanely dangerous this operation was.
The fall of Adel Kingdom. Throughout its entire history, they had never once managed a proper counterattack. They had only ever drawn the enemy in, blocked them, drawn them in again, and blocked them once more. They filled wells, spread poison, burned crops, set traps, fled into the mountains, gathered taxes from each region to form militias…
While knights threw away their lives, the people fled. Even such desperate efforts only bought them a little more time before despair set in. After all, they had witnessed ten thousand allied soldiers fall to just ten enemy knights.
“…And now we are launching a preemptive strike?”
Dave looked down at his gauntleted hands. The kingdom that had been left with nothing but its capital, drowning in refugees pouring in from across the land, was finally ready to thrust a spear into the enemy’s heart…!
“That’s right. Let’s go smash them.”
At those simple words, Dave’s heroic spirit blazed fiercely. Only then did he understand why so many of those “wooden airplanes” were necessary.
“The road to Shirayen Forest is long, treacherous, and teeming with monsters. Traveling by sea would require ships we don’t have and would take far too much time. But with these flying trees… our army can reach the enemy fortress directly!”
This was a revolution!
Normally, aerial infiltration was only possible for a small number of dragon riders. Teleporting an entire army with magic was prohibitively expensive. Yet the dozens of wooden aircraft before them could each carry more than eight knights.
The kingdom’s greatest fighting force could now be deployed straight into the heart of the enemy stronghold.
“Glory to the Empire.”
Dave gave a short reply, then turned to Gemini.
“Look, Gemini. Our Emperor has devised such a magnificent operation. No matter what, I wish to lend my strength to this plan. What about you?”
Though her face had gone deathly pale, Gemini bit her lip and looked at the green dragon.
“This is incredibly dangerous… but…”
Gemini gazed at Nax.
“If it’s an operation that even the great dragon has agreed to join, then His Majesty must have considered every angle carefully. I will follow the dragon’s decision.”
Huh…
Kim Hwang-je felt a little hurt. She trusted the dragon’s decision instead of his?
Gemini hurriedly added an explanation.
“Ah, Your Majesty. Of course I trust you as well. But dragons are masters of magic. They are the very embodiment of wisdom… or so we mages believe.”
“U-hahahahahahaha!”
Nax laughed with her nose in the air. Even in a prison uniform, her innate arrogance remained untouched.
“This young mage knows what she’s talking about! Of course, this reckless assault plan wasn’t my idea. It was your Prince’s. However, since I have witnessed his power firsthand, there should be no major problems.”
Thud!
At that moment, a heavy footstep rang out.
Kim Hwang-je looked around to see a shirtless hunter dropping from the sky. From the looks of it, he had used the portal from the enemy fortress he had been scouting, to the Stronghold, and then from the Stronghold to Kim Hwang-je’s location.
“Aigoo.”
But he hadn’t landed properly. His body was covered in countless small wounds.
“Oh dear. Where did you get beaten up this time?”
When Kim Hwang-je casually pulled out a bottle of Arbocil, the hunter threw himself to the ground in terror.
“Uwaaah! Your Majesty! Anything but that!”
“Heal.”
Gemini cast a simple spell to mend the hunter’s wounds. At the warm touch of her magic, tears welled up in the hunter’s eyes.
“It’s not like you have to cry over it…”
Kim Hwang-je stuffed the Arbocil back into his pocket.
The hunter pleaded desperately.
“Aigoo, Your Majesty. Please forgive this worthless one for causing you worry! I have simply returned after completing the reconnaissance mission you ordered. On the way back, I encountered an enemy scouting party…”
“Encountered?”
“I captured them all and interrogated them, but the bastards cast a reflection curse on me. I nearly died, but in the process I managed to gather additional information on their dark magic school.”
Oh. So that’s what happened.
“As long as you stop getting beaten up, it’s fine.”
Kim Hwang-je put the Arbocil away for good.
“So, what kind of enemy are we dealing with?”
“It’s not the 3rd Legion Commander named Felix or whatever. The one guarding the fortress is a fellow named Zakturus from the Flame Skull clan.”
“Flame Skull?”
“Yes. They are a demonic race known as Flame Skulls.”
Nax answered in his place.
“In our time, we called them Flame Skulls.”
“Exactly. They are giant skeletal beings with burning skulls. If you can just extinguish the fire on their heads, you can defeat them… but if it were that easy, I would have taken care of it myself long ago.”
“That’s not all. There were roughly three hundred demons. The fortress also has outer and inner walls.”
The hunter drew a diagram on the ground with his finger.
“The inner wall has only one gate and one path. If they lock the gate from inside, it will be impossible to enter.”
“Lock the gate? Why?”
“Well… to lock the gate and only target the enemy commander…”
“Ah. You don’t know about bombing yet!”
This guy was seriously strong.
“Pardon?”
Kim Hwang-je grinned.
“There is one. Something really strong. As long as Dave and Gemini are here, I can Bestow as much as I want.”
Even if it’s a whole mountain.