I snapped the hilt of my katana firmly into its scabbard on my back and stepped out into the corridor.
Right at that moment, I ran into Velmora.
Seeing me rushing toward her in a panic, she instinctively pulled back into a defensive stance with her dragon reflexes.
Catching my breath, I said quickly, “I’m sorry.
Have you seen Luna?”
Nodding slightly, she replied, “She was bringing you healing soup, My Lord.”
Something was definitely missing.
Within the boundaries of the palace, I couldn’t feel even the slightest trace of her mana.
Slapping myself hard across the face, I muttered, “Get it together, Kaan!” Now was not the time to panic; I had vital tasks to attend to.
Last night, before he even had a chance to inform me, Ermo had taken the Red Legion—which had been placed under his command by a sudden decree from the council—and set out toward the northern border.
I had an entire golem army that I urgently needed to deliver to Ermo.
Furthermore, I would have to teleport those golems directly to the specified coordinates.
Since I wouldn’t be teleporting myself this time, I didn’t need to worry about that damn backlash and HP damage that had hurt me earlier.
With a bitter emptiness left by Luna’s sudden disappearance, I went to the laboratory and gloomily completed the final checks on the golems.
As planned, when the time came, I released a massive flow of mana and successfully teleported the golem army to Ermo’s coordinates.
Little Kyso had been by my side from the start, watching with immense curiosity as the golems vanished.
Once the process was completely finished, I picked him up in my arms and began walking to take him outside.
Squirming in my arms, he suddenly asked, “Uncle, hasn’t big sister Luna come back yet?”
Lifting him slightly higher, I looked into his eyes.
“What do you mean, hasn’t she come back?
Did she go somewhere?”
Kyso put his little hand to his lips, thought for a moment, and whispered: “Big sister Luna told me yesterday that she might have to go far away from here soon.
She said the places she goes are always very cold…
She said this was the best thing to do for Kaan.”
The moment I heard this, realization struck like lightning.
The lands of the Ice Elves… The pieces suddenly clicked together, and the “missing spear” theory Scatroj had mentioned became clear.
But the real big question was: Had she been kidnapped, had she gone of her own free will, or had she been threatened by someone?
While I was pondering these thoughts, Ermo suddenly activated the emergency frequency channel I had installed inside the golems.
His voice echoed directly in my mind: “Kaan!
The golems arrived just in time; we took control of this place within seconds.
There was barely any need for Kaju’s legion to intervene.
But this incredibly easy atmosphere makes me highly suspicious…
I expect we’ll return to the capital within a few weeks.” And the channel closed.
Accompanied by Kyso, I was heading over to talk about this bizarre situation in detail with Velmora when we ran into the President of the Dragon Council in the corridor.
The old dragon leaned down slightly and opened his arms to show affection to Kyso.
Right at that instant, I released all my mana like a protective shield.
“Your mana and intentions do not seem friendly at all, sir,” I said in a voice as cold as ice.
“I am sorry, but while his father and mother are not here, I ask you to excuse my excessive protectiveness over this child.”
The old dragon brought his hand to his chin.
Scanning me from head to toe with his golden eyes, he growled: “For a human…
you are a highly insolent creature, severely overstepping your bounds.” After a brief silence, he added, “Let it slide this time,” and walked past us with an arrogant demeanor.
When we stepped into the courtyard, Velmora was personally training the units on the military grounds in Ermo’s absence.
Seeing Kyso with us, she wiped her sweat and ordered a servant to bring sweets for the child.
Standing like statues right behind Velmora were two massive guards belonging to the Gold Legion; they were an elite unit composed of the purest dragon nobility, serving only ancient leaders.
Velmora had just taken a step forward to take Kyso into her arms when…
I suddenly collapsed onto my knees.
My head began to throb terribly, as if being hit from the inside by a sledgehammer.
This pain was a mental backlash caused by Enwoybi forcing a telepathic connection with me from a vast distance through his high-intensity magical pressure.
Enwoybi’s panic-stricken voice battered the walls of my mind: “Kaan!
Those radical elf dynasties that have been hostile to me were unusually quiet for a while.
Suspecting the situation, I paid short, bloody visits to their camps.
According to information given under torture by high-ranking figures I captured, that fortress siege in the north was completely a massive deception!
Their true target is your heart, where the Dragon Council resides; namely, the Sun City!
Several rebel elf dynasties, human kingdoms, and a total of twelve Demon Lords have united the demon race under their banners and are marching toward the capital with a massive army from three different fronts!
The dynasties managed to keep the transit of these massive armies through the borders a secret by falsifying official logistics reports.
They will arrive at the capital within a few days at most.
The thirteenth Demon Lord is likely putting on a fake show in the north right now; this move will keep Ermo and his men distracted there for at least a few months.
And by that time, the capital will have already fallen!
I have sent a few brigades from my own loyal units to support you, but I am currently dealing with the internal lines of the elves aiding them.
I will relay the situation to Scatroj as quickly as possible, but it will take at least two weeks for his armies and mine to reach you under the best conditions…
I hope you can hold out until then.
If you feel the situation is completely spiraling out of control, I am sending you a set of secret coordinates; teleport there.
I had a special room prepared through priests that is completely isolated and prevents backlash damage; you will be safe there.”
And suddenly, the system in my mind crashed; the communication cut off.
I was sweating profusely.
Velmora grabbed my arm in terror and barked orders to the servants, “Quick, take him to the lady’s chamber!” However, with the servant’s support, I managed to straighten up on my own two feet, albeit with difficulty.
“No!” I shouted with all my might.
At the relentless pressure of mana in my voice, everyone in the courtyard winced and recoiled.
Accelerating myself with magic, I swiftly distanced myself from there.
Velmora wanted to follow me, but I suppose Kyso’s safety was far more compelling to her, so she remained at the palace.
I burst directly into the secret strategy room of the Dragon Council President.
Inside, the president and the Grand General were discussing the fake war in the north over a map.
Seeing me break into the room as if crashing through the door, the president raised his hand in disgust and turned to the guards: “Throw this tactless piece of filth out of this room immediately!”
Using a massive magic circle that formed under my feet within seconds, I instantly froze the guards rushing toward me into ice statues.
Turning toward the council president and the general, I screamed at the top of my lungs: “They are coming!
A massive, pitch-black army is marching upon us!”
Raising my hand, I projected the hologram map I had copied from Enwoybi’s mind into the center of the room.
I pointed out the massive red dots advancing toward the capital from three fronts.
Leaning back arrogantly onto his throne, the council president mocked: “Nonsense!
A cheap human lie.
No one would dare oppose the dragon race.
We are the absolute rulers of this realm!”
However, the Commander-in-Chief beside him was a much more cautious and experienced soldier.
Keeping his eyes fixed on the hologram, he asked, his voice cold as ice, “How can you prove this to us, human?
You must know that if you are lying to us right now, you will never leave this room alive.
Not even Lady Velmora, whom you trust so much, can save you from our hands.”
Seeing that the Commander-in-Chief was finally taking me seriously, I slammed my hand onto the map: “Send your fastest scouts to the borders!
They will arrive here within three days at most.
And they are coming to mercilessly slaughter every living soul in their path!”
The Commander-in-Chief stood up, sweeping his cloak.
“Wait here.
I will go and verify this situation myself,” he said, and dashed out of the room at the speed of light.
I made myself comfortable, settling into his vacated grand strategy chair.
The council president was muttering to himself, completely unable to comprehend why the Commander-in-Chief would take the words of a human like me so seriously: “He would never take such baseless rumors seriously…
I don’t understand.” He was trying to ignore me entirely.
Barely ten minutes had passed when…
the Commander-in-Chief teleported back into the room.
A horrific hole, nearly the size of a large spearhead, had been blasted through his left arm.
While piercing a dragon scale under normal circumstances was already impossible, piercing through a high-level mana master wearing ancient armor reinforced with mana was literal madness.
The council president leaped up in horror.
“What happened to you?!” he shrieked.
Without wasting any time, I rose from my seat, placed my hand over his wound, and set to work healing him with my most potent restoration spells.
The Commander-in-Chief was initially startled by the immense speed I displayed as a healer; however, given the severity of the situation, he brushed it aside and turned directly to the president:
“This human understated it, President!” he said, his voice trembling.
“Three major races have allied, and backed by a massive army, they are marching directly here, to Sun City!
This treason is the sole reason we haven’t heard from the borders for a while.
The bulk of their army is in a feigned position to distract Ermo and his men in the north, while the rest are coming from the south to tear this place down.
I immediately dispatched my fastest messengers to both sides; however, even if they return with their armies, they can reach here in a week at best.
Furthermore…
from what I saw, every invading kingdom is coming with all of their legendary ‘Spears.’ Under normal circumstances, the Spears are a kingdom’s absolute power and never leave their barracks unless it is a national, mortal war of survival.
These bastards have completely sworn to wipe this place off the map.
But fortunately…
our own Spears are still safe in the capital.”
Turning toward the two of them, I gripped the hilt of my katana.
“We must wear them down and delay them on the road with hit-and-run tactics before they even arrive here.
If you permit, I can strike a major blow to their front lines with a small elite unit assigned to me,” I said.
The Commander-in-Chief liked this daring idea.
He placed his heavy, armored hand on my shoulder.
“I understand you, human; it is a fine idea.
However…
this is not your war.
Vanish from here and save yourself,” he said.
Pushing his hand firmly off my shoulder, I hovered slightly using my magic power to match our heights.
Looking straight into his eyes, I said, “The wife of your future kingdom’s prince and that little child are currently waiting defenselessly in this palace, General.
I believe I don’t need to say anything more,” and I walked out of the strategy room without looking back.
I immediately returned to my room and began devouring all the food on the table like a madman.
Because entering the field with an empty stomach right before the massive war I was approaching was the last thing I wanted.
Shortly after I finished my meal, a servant knocked softly on my door: “My Lord…
The hit-and-run team has been formed in the courtyard.
They are only waiting for your arrival to move out to the battlefield.”
When I went down to the military square, I saw Velmora, clad in heavy battle armor, standing before the legionnaires.
Walking up to her, I furrowed my brows.
“While Ermo is this far away, I can never allow you to risk your life here, Velmora.
You must stay at the palace,” I said.
She took an arrogant yet noble step toward me.
“I think you are forgetting exactly who I am, human?
I am…
the daughter of the founder of the Ancient Dragons, the ancient dragon descended from that most pure lineage!”
I nodded, shaking my head in resignation.
“Fine…
Ermo is definitely going to kill me for this when he gets back,” I muttered.
The elite captain of the team raised his massive, shimmering sword toward the sky and roared to all the soldiers: “Remember!
Our sole purpose in this mission is to slow down the enemy and delay their advance!
We shall absolutely avoid entering a direct, head-on clash.
And we will show those wretched allies the absolute supremacy of the dragon lineage with blood!”
As all the other dragon soldiers raised their weapons and let out battle cries, the lead captain transformed into a massive dragon form and flapped his wings into the sky.
While the others transformed behind him to follow, I looked at Velmora one last time.
She bowed her head respectfully and, after transforming into a majestic dragon, slowly lowered her head toward the ground so I could leap onto her back.
With a single movement, I vaulted onto her back.
As she flapped her wings, piercing the clouds of Sun City to soar through the sky, Velmora spoke to me through my mind: “Are you excited, My Lord?
This will be your first great, real war in this world.”
Laughing, I leaned back against her armored scales and loosened my katana.
“Don’t worry about me, Velmora…
You should worry about the difficult explanation you’ll have to give Ermo when the war is over!”