Reunion (1)
Time flew by like an arrow—two months, then three. An unprecedented sight unfolded before the eastern gate of Istius.
Soldiers conscripted from every nation formed the core, bolstered by renowned knight orders, holy knights from the Holy Kingdom, and even battle mages from the Magic Tower. Mercenary bands with hefty reputations had joined too, all arrayed in formation.
Leading the vanguard stood Adelaide.
Upon her return to Istius, she had announced the Demon King's revival. In the process, she proved the power of light and earned the title of Hero. She was simultaneously entrusted with command of the vanguard, roughly three hundred strong—an elite detachment handpicked from various knight orders.
Zenon's dagger hung at her waist as always. Beside it dangled a one-handed sword, a holy blade said to have been wielded by generations of heroes, gifted by the Holy Kingdom.
"Hero."
A young man's voice called from behind. Lorian, the knight assigned as her adjutant.
"What."
"A messenger from the main force. They say preparations for departure are complete."
"Got it."
"And... a word to the troops might boost morale."
"No need."
"But this is the vanguard's first march—"
"Lorian."
"Yes, Hero."
"Follow my orders. Don't expect anything else."
Lorian's mouth snapped shut. A flicker of bewilderment crossed his face, but he quickly straightened and withdrew.
Adelaide kept her gaze fixed eastward, unmoving. Beyond lay the Demon King's territory, and within it, the Demon King's Castle—and inside that...
The splint on her left arm had long been removed. Three months was ample time for a fracture to heal, even without the Hero's power.
"Vanguard, advance."
The order from the front rippled through the adjutant to the entire formation.
Adelaide stared straight ahead. With every step of her horse's hooves, the dagger at her waist let out a metallic scrape.
She had stayed behind to save her subordinates—and gotten captured, knelt in defeat. All the humiliation had begun there.
If only she hadn't stayed. If only she hadn't cared for her subordinates in the first place—Ailin never could have made that offer.
In the end, all her subordinates died. Adelaide's sacrifice saved nothing. Not from start to finish. Not a single one.
So this time, she wouldn't do that. No need to memorize three hundred names. No need to remember faces. Command, order, fight. That was it. Nothing more was required.
Nothing more she could bear.
"Hero."
Lorian spoke up again.
"Why are you calling me."
"If... anything's bothering you, please tell me. I'll support you as your adjutant."
"Nothing's bothering me. Except the noise."
"...S-sorry. I'll withdraw now."
Lorian backed away, falling silent. If her adjutant had been Zenon, he wouldn't have retreated so easily.
...Stop.
Adelaide clenched her teeth. The moment the dead flashed in her mind, her eyes burned hot—but she quelled it quickly. She'd already cried it all out. Hadn't she wept everything in front of Grandpa's hut?
The subjugation army marched eastward. Istius's walls faded behind them, familiar landscapes gradually turning alien.
Ten days passed like that, and by the morning of the tenth, the surroundings had changed dramatically. The ground was dry soil mixed with black gravel. Sparse grass dotted it, and the sky hung murky and alien. The energy rising from the earth felt deeply ominous.
And yet, somehow familiar. Like Ailin's shadows.
"Hero, the scouts are back."
Lorian came running. Ten days in, he was still talkative, but his reports were impeccably precise.
"What'd they say."
"Two days ahead... the sky turns pitch black."
"The sky turns pitch black?"
"Even in daylight, no sun visible. All three scouts confirmed it."
"...Yeah, figures."
Adelaide nodded. She knew Ailin had gone east, and that it would match the Demon King's territory in name and nature.
"And a messenger from the main force. Supreme Commander Duke Kamur requests a meeting at camp tonight."
"Got it."
"Will you attend?"
"Of course. It's the supreme commander's request."
The commanders gathered in the large central tent at camp. Duke Kamur, supreme commander of the kingdom's army and overall leader of the subjugation. Past fifty, yet only his streaked beard betrayed age; his build was far from frail.
Flanking him were commanders dispatched from various nations, the Holy Knight Captain from the Holy Kingdom, the Vice Tower Master, and more.
"Hero, you heard the scout report?"
"Yes."
"We'll reach the border in two days. Let's discuss the advance plan afterward."
Duke Kamur unrolled a parchment map. At the end of the eastward path from Istius loomed the Demon King's Castle, marked by estimation.
"Scout reports combined: four to five days from the border to the castle. Following the central route means passing through here—" He pointed to a spot on the map. "—this canyon."
"Any enemy reports in the canyon?" the Vice Tower Master interjected.
She looked barely into her early twenties, red robes and white hair tied up.
...For a split second, Ailin's face flashed by, making Adelaide frown.
"Not yet. But ambush potential is high."
"..."
"...Hero?"
"Nothing. Continue."
"Ahem. Past the border, the environment changes. Per Holy Kingdom intel... in areas thick with dark mana, magic efficiency drops by at least thirty percent. Factor that in."
"Thirty percent?"
"Worst case. Even best-case, expect twenty."
The Holy Knight Captain crossed his arms. "The Lord's light will strengthen instead. In the Demon King's land, holy power manifests more intensely."
"Good news, then."
"Just remember our numbers are limited. Holy Knights support the main force, not lead it."
Duke Kamur tapped the Demon King's Castle on the map. "The Demon King—we know only what the Hero testified."
"Is that so."
"Wields dark power, manipulates shadows, at least two demon lieutenants. Accurate?"
"Within what I confirmed, yes."
"And the Hero clashed directly and survived."
"...Yes."
"Hard to quantify the Demon King's combat power, but... you lost. Means regular troops can't match it."
Silence fell briefly. Adelaide said nothing. She had lost, after all. But the three-day standoff ended because Ailin couldn't kill her. She couldn't explain omitting that from her report.
"Here's the plan." Duke Kamur straightened. "Past the border, main force splits into four columns. Vanguard secures the front with scouting and disruption; main follows. At the castle: surround and siege. Holy Knights and Hero handle the Demon King directly."
"No objections."
"Other commanders?"
The foreign commanders grumbled but nodded one by one. The Holy Knight Captain's silence signaled approval; the Vice Tower Master voiced agreement.
Adelaide exited the tent as the meeting ended. Stars littered the sky, but the east remained unnaturally dark. She stared long at it.
Until Lorian's footsteps approached from behind.
"Hero, bed preparations—"
"Lorian."
"Yes?"
"Changing the plan."
"...Suddenly, now?"
"When we reach the Demon King's Castle, I'll go in alone."
"...What? The supreme commander's plan is surround and siege—"
"Main force handles surround and siege. Vanguard holds the defensive line. I'll enter the castle alone."
"That's suicide! Facing the Demon King by yourself?"
"Yes."
"...!"
"I'll tell the supreme commander myself. You just relay to the troops."
"Hero, shouldn't the Holy Knights join? The power of light—"
"No need."
"Why not? More forces mean—"
"More forces mean more deaths."
Lorian froze, but Adelaide kept her eyes eastward, continuing. "You weren't here by choice. Assigned by knight order orders."
"...Yes."
"So don't play loyal. Just follow orders."
"But Hero—"
"Lorian."
"...Yes."
"That's an order."
Wind stirred Adelaide's blue hair. Lorian stood frozen a while, then bowed and withdrew. One step, two. As his footsteps faded, her gaze remained fixed.
She had to go alone. Simple reason: Bring subordinates, and Ailin would exploit them. Hostages, weaknesses—unable to abandon them, she'd kneel again. Couldn't repeat that end.
...And one more thing. This she told no one.
She'd seen what happened to those who came between her and Ailin. That demon trying to kill her—Livaton, was it? Ailin's shadow slit her throat without orders.
Reason: one. She'd tried to kill Adelaide.
Adelaide still couldn't parse what that meant. Only certainty: anyone stepping between her and Ailin spelled trouble.
No matter who it hurt.
Adelaide's eyes darkened.