Imperial War (3)
Kwaaang-!
“Kyaaagh!”
“What is this all of a sudden?!”
As the strongest country on the continent, Jeron, the capital of the empire that had been in peace for a long time, was filled with sudden explosions and screams.
[Hee hee hee!]
[Aww…]
Numerous ghosts flew through the air, letting out ghostly cries.
visor-! Chun!
“Stop!”
“These guys! How dare you say where is this place!”
The guards and guards of the aristocrats deployed throughout the capital clashed violently with the undead and other followers of evil who had attacked.
But out of all of them, there was one place that stood out the most…
Naturally, the imperial palace located right in the center of the capital was that place.
[Kwoaaa——!]
[Kiyaaa——!]
A dragon’s roar that terrifies those who hear it.
and at the same time.
Two streams of black energy, like the image of death, pierced the imperial palace.
cooong! Kwaaang—!
Fortunately, the brilliant silver barrier surrounding the imperial palace succeeded in blocking the terrible aura, but those gathered inside could never laugh.
I felt the barrier visibly shake every time I blocked each attack.
“Kuh! Even the dragons that even the Immortal King didn’t have enough…! What is the current damage?!”
“There are only 4 stragglers so far! But if attacks of this magnitude continue, there is no guarantee how long others will be able to hold out!”
On top of the magic circle that formed the backbone of the barrier, the lord of the mage tower in the imperial palace, the archmage Marquis Lawrence, gnashed his teeth and glared at the image that appeared in front of his eyes.
The dragons seen by the interception magic activated right after the breath retreated back, but Hans, the immortal king, did not pay any attention to it and was preparing for a follow-up blow, raising the dark energy of death.
“Damn it! The next attack is coming! Prepare for shock, everyone!”
Whoops-!
As soon as those words were finished, an explosion erupted, and a huge magical shock began to flow back along the barrier surrounding the imperial palace.
“Cuck!”
“Ugh… I’m sorry. Anymore···.”
The two wizards who couldn’t overcome the additional accumulated shock left the magic circle in blue.
As a result, six people have fallen out so far.
Even though he was only assisting to raise the effectiveness of the barrier to the limit, the aftermath was unbearable.
‘Of course, only the young guys who are in the middle of learning are the only ones who have fallen out, but right now, even one hand is urgent. If they fall in like this one by one, it will be a difficult situation even for high-ranking mages to endure.’
If Lawrence himself gritted his teeth and clung to defense, he could have lasted for a few hours, but without a counterattack, he was just a punching bag.
As long as you don’t know what will happen next, it won’t do you any good if the current situation continues.
“Kuh, Viscount Pristine! The imperial palace is in such an uproar, where are you and what are you doing right now? Couldn’t it be that even in this situation, you’re still sticking to the princess’s side?!”
There were a total of three archmages who had been residing in the imperial palace.
One attended the summit with the crown prince, and the other, Lee Se-ah, was still unknown.
I’m sure it’s not that I’m still not understanding the situation properly.
“That… well, I recognized it… It is said that Viscount Pristine left the imperial palace with the princess in the morning.”
“What? Are you saying you’re out there right now? Even with the princess?”
Even at the moment when Marquis Lawrence panicked, the reverse flow of magic continued.
They were able to resume their conversation only after two more wizards had fallen behind.
“Wait, come to think of it, didn’t His Highness also say that he was returning from the Holy Land today?”
“you’re right. Well, actually, the scheduled time has already passed… Judging by the timing, it’s probably by now somewhere in that mess…”
“···Oh My God. Timing sucks.”
Eventually, he had no choice but to close his eyes.
At this critical moment, all of a sudden, the two archmages and the two heirs to the throne were all out there.
It’s not the safest place, but there where you don’t know what kind of danger will come.
Kwaaang-!
However, as if he didn’t care about his miserable feelings, the Immortal King’s attacks continued without stopping.
***
Kwaaang-!
In the direction of the imperial palace, a strong explosion erupted once again.
“Princess, please come this way.”
Lee Se-ah, who lightly pulled Princess Riley, stretched out one hand in the air, and the blue aura instantly condensed and blocked a flying stone fragment.
“Thank you, Viscount Pristine.”
They were having a formal conversation as there were attendants and escort troops nearby, but they moved to find a safe place again, sharing their feelings with just their eyes.
‘Why is this happening right now? …If you’re going to give me a warning, please be more precise.’
Seah Lee sighed inwardly and resented the church.
It was an inevitable choice for the princess and her party to leave the imperial palace on the day of the prince’s return.
As he used the church’s warning as an excuse to recruit additional troops to escort him, signs of exerting influence on the military side were detected.
If political issues intervene, even the princess could not stand still.
I couldn’t be late even responding in a situation where I was already inferior, and rather, I had a thought of using this well to make it a stepping stone for a counterattack.
‘It’s become a pointless thing now.’
However, the warnings from the church were only about ‘something is going to happen in Jeron soon’, so it was impossible to just hide in the palace without a promise.
Who the hell would believe and follow a leader who doesn’t even come out of the house because he’s scared of just that abstract word?
‘As long as the defense barriers in the capital are activated, even I, a great wizard, cannot teleport at will. In order to move safely, an authorized magic circle is required… No, there’s no way they left the passage open when the imperial palace is under attack like that.’
In case of an emergency, there would be a passage for the escape of the command center, but there was a risk that the enemy would infiltrate, so all entrances would have been blocked.
In the end, she had no choice but to give up on returning to the imperial palace and try to survive on her own outside.
‘The distance is a bit far, but I think it’s safest to go to the Great Hall and use the gate. In case of emergency, throw away everyone else and take care of Riley…’
“ah.”
Lee Se-ah, who was leading the party while thinking of a solution, hesitated without even realizing it.
As she continued to secretly scatter magical energy while moving, she sensed a very familiar aura in her senses.
“Viscount Pristine? What happened?”
“that is···.”
Even as she opened her mouth to Princess Riley’s question, her expression frowned and didn’t know how to straighten it.
That should be the case, this magical power that I felt right now…
“It looks like His Highness the Crown Prince is nearby.”
Like her, this aura of distributing magical energy to explore the surroundings definitely belonged to Earl Garfield, who had participated in the summit meeting with the crown prince.
As much as he sensed him, he must have figured out where he was.
No matter how bad the situation was, considering what the prince had done in the past, being with him wouldn’t be a very good idea.
Riley’s expression lightly frowned, as if she thought the same thing.
“…it’s approaching this way. What should I do?”
However, it seemed that the other side’s judgment was different from theirs.
Well, even if they did dirty things, the prince’s side did it, but since this side kept only certain lines, they had to think differently.
There was still quite a distance, but it was difficult to avoid them now.
The 5th princess who ran away in fear of the crown prince, an egotist who refused to join forces in a crisis situation, and a small person who abandoned the cause and put personal feelings first…
Because I didn’t know what kind of frame the other side was going to use this for.
“Whoa—I can’t help it now that it’s like this. Everyone stay tense until the end, and make sure you never show any gaps.”
In the end, the moment when they made up their minds and were about to move towards the prince and the others.
“ah?”
Seah Lee, who hesitated once again, turned her head to one side.
In a similar direction to where the prince and the others were, but in a farther place…
“This···.”
Like the blazing sun, hot, passionate, and brilliant energy.
goooh—
Come at breakneck speed.
Whoa-!
It passed them by, leaving behind only the remnants of a strong afterstorm and light.
“Kyaaak!”
“Pa, fast…!”
The ladies-in-waiting closed their eyes and turned their heads due to the sudden gust of wind, and the knights who were in charge of escorting the princess swallowed dry saliva with their swords half raised.
He was the one who left a strong presence in them just by passing by, but actually, that wasn’t the important thing right now.
Knowing this well, Seah Lee immediately raised her senses and turned her head toward the imperial palace where the energy was directed.
Then, as if the time was right, there.
Wooo!
The intense aftermath began to spread along with an incomparable binge drinking.
Fortunately, it was suppressed to the fullest thanks to the barrier that covered the entire capital, but it was a shock wave that was on a different level from those that have exploded so far.
“…saint, Heinrich St Landgarde…”
Seeing the energy emanating from the source, Lee Se-ah involuntarily uttered his name in a low voice.
“Yes? Could it be that the saint just passed by?”
“Yes? Are you talking about the saint of the main denomination? That hero…!”
“Sir, did you say that the Holy Son just passed by us? Oh, Lord God!”
Not only the princess but also others reacted at once to her self-talk.
There are even believers who pray to God without even realizing it.
However, a saint was originally such a being.
If I had to judge his status, he would be on the same level as the emperor… no, in the current continental crisis, it would have to be seen as more than that.
‘In hindsight, that man can be said to be the main character of this world.’
God’s chosen savior of this world.
Of course, the weight proportional to the value of that heavy name would always be weighing on his shoulders.
Sacrifice and dedication must have been the same as everyday life for him.
She had to be seen as a great man who was about a million light years away from Lee Se-ah, who was burdened with taking care of only one person.
‘…what is that person thinking right now?’
Whether it’s a sense of responsibility for this situation or a sense of noble mission… though she probably won’t ever understand him.
***
“Don’t panic, hold the line! The barrier is still intact!”
“Don’t be rash! You are the imperial guards of the proud empire! Are you going to disappoint His Majesty the Emperor!”
Heinrich lightly licked his lips as he heard the noisy chatter of those preparing to fight at the boundary of the barrier.
‘The timing was just right.’
The Great Temple of Jeron was on the outskirts of the empire’s capital.
In fact, except for the Holy Land, the situation was similar not only in Jeron, but also in places where facilities larger than the temple were located.
Aside from the large land it occupied, it was because the rulers of the land were not very pleased with the armed groups such as the Holy Knights and the Templars who resided there.
Of course, since this was the capital of the empire, where even the emperor resided.
In fact, ordinary residents used small prayer centers or temples located throughout the city, so the accessibility of the Great Temple, which was no different from a special facility, was not particularly relevant.
However, that meant that the distance between the Imperial Palace and the Great Hall in the center of the capital was bound to be that far.
It was a story that unless you had superhuman abilities like Heinrich, you couldn’t cover that distance in a short period of time.
‘Yeah, like the prince who was still in the middle of nowhere. …I didn’t know that Seah Lee and the 5th princess would exist.’
Snuggle Geek! Quaang!
He swung his lightsaber and slashed the black scythe that was blocking his way, and immediately rushed back to the Immortal King and cut off the energy of death.
[Ha ha ha! Also! I thought you would block me. My only adversary, Heinrich! I don’t know how he knew and came so quickly, but if he’s a hero, he’ll have to do that. hehehehe!]
“Everything in the world is under the will of the Lord. You cannot escape that fate either! Like all the immortal kings of the past, you will soon follow them, Hannibal!”
The Immortal King and the Knight of Light confronted each other against the background of the imperial palace surrounded by brilliant brilliance.
On that fairytale-like fantastic stage, a gloomy voice that seemed to have come up from hell and a firm voice full of conviction resonated and resonated.
[Quooo——!]
[Kyaaa——!]
As if to harmonize with it, the Bone Dragons that were hovering in the sky avoiding the beams extending from the imperial palace looked down at Heinrich and let out a roar at once.
However, the Immortal King waved his hand lightly as if to block further intervention and looked down at him again.
[It’s interesting, very interesting. Knight of Light, Heinrich Saint Landgard. do you know Every time I face you, every time you block my way, I desperately realize that I am alive. Even though he is already dead!]
As if to embrace the world, he raised his head with his hands wide open and looked up to the sky.
[Ego-! Teach me more, teach me more. life! The will to live! A strong heart that will not be broken even in the face of death!]
It’s a voice that doesn’t feel emotion, even though it’s a voice created by resonating magic, it’s deeply felt…
It was only an ‘obsession’ for what he didn’t have.
And as if in response, Heinrich, wrapped in auspicious light, slowly raised the holy sword and opened his mouth.
“Now I know for sure. The reason why such a revelation came down to me that day.”
The light of the blade that moved gracefully embroidered the air beautifully, and the tip of the sword finally aimed accurately at the Immortal King.
as if it were a play.
“This is also the guidance of God.”
It was really a play.
