Hiiiing!
A messenger galloped swiftly to the tent of Frets Maise, captain of the Knight Order of the Cancer Palace, right in the center of their camp.
The messenger dismounted and rushed into Frets Maise's tent.
"Captain! Urgent dispatch from Rom!"
Frets, who had been lounging with male slaves stripped to the waist, scowled at the sudden intruder.
He waved the slaves away and turned toward the messenger with a displeased expression.
With his face powdered white and lips painted red, Frets looked like a theater actor.
Still wearing a sullen look, he addressed the messenger.
"What urgent news from Rom all of a sudden?"
His voice was thick with irritation at the interruption of his pleasure.
The messenger handed over the telegram to Frets.
He unfolded it and scanned the contents quickly.
Then he crumpled it up and tore it to shreds.
"Damn it! That Dark Mage dares treat the Imperial Army like errand boys?"
The letter to Frets had come from none other than Lopocale, a vassal of "The Squelching Pit of Darkness," disguised as an Apostle of Narak.
Frets had long been displeased with Lopocale, who stuck close to Abel after seizing Rom, manipulating the Imperial Legions to his whims.
Lopocale had once again ordered Frets to seize Barkal as quickly as possible and then strike Mycenae, home of the Agamemnon Family.
His goal was to hit Mycenae—Zeke Draker's potential base—first and scatter his focus.
But Azmun Barrios, captain of the Knight Order of the Capricorn Palace and architect of the Imperial Legions' strategy, thought differently.
'Touching Mycenae would rally all the central noble families against us. It made no sense to strike there first. Hitting Panstus under the Graham Family or one of the neutral cities would yield far greater gains.'
Panstus was the financial heart of the central region, and the neutral cities dominated pharmaceutical production on the central continent.
They were easier to take, and the rewards were substantial.
Mycenae, however, offered little return for the effort.
Moreover, with Zeke Draker—a Guardian Knight of the Draker Family and a Black Knight— as heir to the Agamemnon Family, a counterattack was likely.
Lopocale's motive was to capture Zeke Draker, but Frets saw no reason to take such risks.
Grinding his teeth at Lopocale's command, Frets followed Azmun's lead.
'That clueless Dark Mage, who played at corps commander.' Frets rose and stepped out of the tent.
Gazing at Barkal's walls, he asked his adjutant, who had followed behind.
"Still no word from the Barkal Assembly?"
Barkal was an autonomous city governed by its assembly.
Home to humans, dwarves, and various races, it was run by representatives from each race and district who held voting rights to decide city policies.
Decisions on any agenda thus took considerable time. But this was no ordinary circumstance.
Frets had encamped with his forces and requested entry from the Barkal Assembly.
The ostensible reason was that a monster legion had appeared in the northern continent, putting the city at risk, so the Imperial Army would provide protection.
But the assembly saw through Frets's obvious intentions.
They had barred the gates and hunkered down in silence.
Hearing from his adjutant that there was still no reply from Barkal, Frets clicked his tongue.
"Well, we've waited long enough. If they're set on drinking their own poison, what can we do?"
With a cruel smile, he stared at Barkal's walls.
Frets, leader of the Knight Order of the Cancer Palace, was a powerful knight with the strength of a Red Knight, but he was also notoriously sadistic.
He had a vicious streak, crushing those he deemed weaker and forcing total submission.
Peaceful Barkal was little more than easy prey he could conquer in two days.
Frets issued an order to his adjutant.
"Contact the Dark Mages. Once the monsters hit Barkal, they'll kneel and beg for our help."
"Understood, Captain."
Frets prepared for departure, anticipating Barkal's ravaging by the monster legion.
But events unfolded far differently from his plans.
At first, the monsters descended to attack Barkal, just as he intended.
Before they reached the walls, however, another force struck them down, sweeping the monsters away in an instant.
Frets gaped at the bull emblem on their armor.
"That's the Thurn Family crest?"
It made no sense for the Thurn Family, based in Midland, to suddenly appear in the northern continent.
In his bewilderment, Frets spotted a young knight leading the Thurn Knight Order.
'A woman...?'
Reina charged forward with the Thurn Knights, cutting through the monsters like autumn leaves in the wind.
Frets quickly recognized her as Reina Draker, daughter of Rex Thurn.
'Why the hell were the Thurns here out of nowhere?'
Before heading north, Azmun had warned Frets not to engage the Grand Duke of the North from Himonas head-on if she appeared.
He had been wary of any knights from Himonas, yet here came an unexpected force from Thurn.
Grinding his teeth as he watched Reina flash her sword like lightning, Frets seethed.
'That fresh-faced girl, barely a Blue Knight, dared interfere with my plans?'
With the Thurns' sudden arrival, the monsters retreated back into the mountains.
Once they were gone, Reina turned her mount toward the Knight Order of the Cancer Palace camp and rode forward, shouting loudly.
"I, Reina Draker—Pureblood Awakener of the Draker Family and heir to the Thurn Family— stand here to halt the monster legion invading the northern continent! Imperial Army, explain why you bring troops to threaten Barkal!"
Frets realized she had stolen the justification he had been angling for.
Had his forces slain the monsters, he could claim legitimacy for their illegal occupation of the area before Barkal's walls.
But now, they looked like nothing but a threat to the city.
Glaring at Reina Draker, Frets ground his teeth.
"Insolent wench. Arrogant pup still smelling of mother's milk."
Though his words dripped venom, Frets rapidly calculated the power disparity between the Thurn Knight Order and his own Knight Order of the Cancer Palace.
Reina herself was still green, but the knights behind her were no pushovers.
With Barkal's walls at their backs, a direct confrontation favored the enemy.
'All things considered, we were at a disadvantage here.'
Frets, sadistic yet averse to needless losses, decided against a frontal assault.
Instead, he would spring a trap to capture Reina Draker.
"Send word to Reina Draker. I wish to meet her alone."
Reina's side replied affirmatively.
With the camps facing off, a neutral ground was set between them for Reina and Frets to parley.
The two met on horseback in the space between their forces.
Frets smiled at Reina.
"Reina Draker, I've heard tales of your prodigious talent. A pleasure to meet at last." Ignoring his feigned warmth, Reina cut straight to the point.
"Why is the Imperial Army encamped here? Barkal is an autonomous city with recognized rights—the Empire has no authority to interfere." Frets replied in a sly tone.
"Of course. But Barkal lacks defenses against a large-scale invasion. If monsters attack and its citizens suffer, that would be tragic, wouldn't it? Out of humanitarian concern, the Empire dispatched troops to protect them."
"If that's your intent, you can withdraw now. The Knight of Salvation, Zeke Draker, will soon arrive with forces to eradicate the invading monsters from the northern continent." Frets flinched at the mention of Zeke Draker.
'He's coming here?'
As a Black Knight and Guardian Knight of the Draker Family, Zeke was their top target.
'If he brought troops, it would become impossible to use the monsters as an excuse to take Barkal.'
Frets realized he needed to deal with Reina and enter Barkal before Zeke arrived.
Looking at her, he said, "The Knight of Salvation! I've long admired him."
He continued, "If so, all the better. With your aid, Lady Reina, we could scout the Ogre
Mountain Range and locate the monsters' lair. Then, when the Knight of Salvation arrives, we could wipe them out in one fell swoop."
Reina pondered his words before asking, "Have you pinpointed where the monsters are emerging from?"
Frets nodded. "Yes. We knew, but as I said, Barkal's defenses are inadequate—we hesitated to act lest it worsen. But with you and the Thurn Knights' help, it's feasible."
After a moment's thought, Reina nodded. "Very well. Then let's head to the Ogre
Mountain Range together and strike the monsters."
Frets smirked inwardly as Reina fell neatly into his trap.
*
Reina led the Thurn Knight Order, joined by the Knight Order of the Cancer Palace, toward the Ogre Mountain Range.
Frets planned to ambush Reina's side the moment they entered the dark mages' barrier zone, then unleash more monsters on Barkal.
'Eliminate the Thurns and seize Barkal as soon as possible. Once we were in, even Zeke Draker couldn't touch us.'
Soon, the troops entered the barrier zone set by the Dark Mages, and the knights grew alert, sensing something amiss.
Reina turned to Frets. "Sir Frets, this place... it feels off. Is there no other route?"
Frets shook his head. "This is the only path. No alternatives. We're almost through— don't worry."
Though uneasy, Reina nodded in agreement.
Frets grinned at her naivety.
'An inexperienced girl like her? She'd die here, and we could blame a monster attack.
Clean and simple.'
He led them deeper into the barrier's heart.
Only Frets, bearing a totem immune to the barrier's effects, could wield his aura properly here.
They reached the barrier's core.
Woooong!
Dark Mages emerged from the woods around them.
Reina cried out in alarm, "Enemies! Prepare defenses!"
The other knights drew their swords, only to shout in confusion.
"My lord! My aura won't respond!"
"Something's wrong!"
In the chaos, Reina whirled to Frets. "Sir Frets! What is the meaning of—"
Frets drew his sword with a venomous smile, his blade igniting with an aura blade.
"Excessive chivalry can be poison."
Without hesitation, he swung at Reina.
But then— Crack!
An ordinary knight beside her stepped forward and caught Frets's blade barehanded.
Stunned, Frets stared blankly.
In that instant, the knight's form shifted.
Frets recognized Zeke as the transformation magic faded.
"Z-Zeke Draker!"
Zeke, now gripping a massive hammer, swung his arm.
Frets panicked. "W-Wait!"
With a whoosh of air, Frets's head shattered into pieces.