Ch.298299. High Elf (2)

# The Newly Built High Elf Palace in the New Continent, Office of the Immortal Lord

“…”

The Immortal Lord of this era, the great Queen Raphin Winstir Etlien, was handling the distribution of this quarter’s budget, moving her quill pen across parchment.

Normally, such mundane tasks would be performed by bureaucrats under Raphin’s command, not by her personally. However, most officials were currently scattered throughout the colonies to establish administrative systems.

Thus, even someone of the Immortal Lord’s stature had to allocate the budget directly, but Raphin Winstir Etlien herself didn’t particularly mind.

Rather, she was glad for the opportunity to momentarily forget this stifling reality, quietly immersing herself in paperwork to calm her mind.

And just then.

“…Enter.”

The moment Raphin acknowledged her aide’s arrival at the door, it opened, and in came the aide dressed in traditional High Elf attire…

For some reason, a gentle smile born of hope adorned her face.

“What is it, Aide?”

“…My Immortal Lord, reinforcements have arrived! Reinforcements!”

“Reinforcements? From where?”

Could there still be forces left to send them reinforcements? Perhaps from the Indian colony or other southern continent colonies?

With such thoughts, the Immortal Lord Raphin questioned her aide, who could barely contain her joy as she replied.

“The survivors of the Albion Island Task Force have arrived with the Dawn Empire’s army! The Commander-in-Chief is with them!”

“—The Commander-in-Chief?!!”

Upon hearing those words, Immortal Lord Raphin Winstir Etlien could not possibly remain seated and wait.

The Commander-in-Chief the aide mentioned must surely be the leader of the High Elf regular army—the Guardian of Albion. This Commander-in-Chief was not only the foremost warrior and commander among the elves but also… Raphin’s lover.

Though unable to bestow official titles like Prince Consort due to complex issues entangled with power, their romance was so famous that their relationship was practically half-acknowledged…

Could it be that he, who had chosen to stay behind on Albion Island to buy time, had returned alive from that hellish place?

*Thud!*

“I-I shall go out immediately! Attendants, prepare for my departure at once!!”

Driven nearly mad by the return of her lover whom she had presumed dead, Raphin managed to summon extraordinary self-control, barely restraining herself from rushing out unprepared.

She changed from her office attire into the white dress befitting an Immortal Lord, hastily adorned herself with accessories, and quickly placed the crown-tiara on her head.

Her handmaidens, well aware of the romance between the Commander-in-Chief and the Immortal Lord, deeply understood her urgency. Thanks to them, Raphin completed her full makeup in an instant and mounted the Immortal Lord’s personal transportation (dragon) waiting at the palace.

“Agraphi, quickly to the harbor!”

“…Yes, Raphin. What’s happening?”

“He’s here, hurry!!”

Raphin Winstir Etlien climbed onto the back of the Silver Dragon, her childhood friend and the only adult Silver Dragon remaining in this world. They took flight rapidly.

Not long after taking off, Raphin and Agraphi’s eyes caught sight of the colony harbor, where several massive ships—different in style from High Elf vessels—were docked.

These 5,000-ton ironclads, slightly smaller than the High Elves’ 6,000-ton battleships, were covered with red-painted iron plates and featured several rotating turrets on top—the typical form of Dawn Empire warships.

And through the wooden planks extended from the ships, several people were disembarking onto the pier.

※ ※ ※

Dismounting from Agraphi’s back, Raphin watched with trembling heart as the soldiers of the Guardian of Albion began to disembark.

Perhaps sensing her thoughts, the soldiers of the Guardian of Albion quietly moved to the side of the pier. Into Raphin’s field of vision came a group of warriors.

Ten snow-white warriors clad in full mythril armor, elite soldiers of at least intermediate rank among the Guardian of Albion.

And among these warriors, her long-awaited lover approached the Immortal Lord Raphin along the pier, smiling awkwardly.

A handsome man wearing pure white magical full plate armor made of mythril, with a blue-dyed mythril cape draped behind him.

The Commander-in-Chief of the Guardian of Albion—Raphin’s lover—wore a beautiful sword at his waist, a national treasure of the Elf Kingdom. He approached the frozen Raphin with a silly smile and knelt before her.

“My Immortal Lord, I have returned to your presence.”

“…Yes, well done.”

Amidst a flood of emotions, Raphin respected his wish to present himself as Commander-in-Chief rather than lover, and greeted him accordingly—

At that moment, a figure exuding a heavy presence emerged from one of the Dawn Empire’s ships.

Clad in jet-black steel armor, this massive warrior stood at least two heads taller than the elves, whose average height rivaled 2 meters. His armor was adorned with all manner of decorations symbolizing past achievements and glorious history—a giant warrior of the Dawn Empire.

In one hand, covered by a plate gauntlet, he held aloft a large banner bearing the emblem of what they called the Sacred Assault Corps, a unit specializing in close combat.

From behind his helmeted head emanated a distinctive red aura—he was a great warrior whose fame was known even to Immortal Lord Raphin Winstir Etlien.

“It is an honor to meet the Immortal Lord.”

“The honor is mine. I am well aware of your reputation, Lord Persha.”

Persha—the captain of the Sacred Assault Corps chosen by the God of Vengeance, a great warrior who had lived for at least several hundred years, remarkably long-lived even by elven standards.

He stood proudly before the Immortal Lord, but a high-ranking warrior who had lived for centuries certainly had the right to maintain such an attitude.

“This way, please follow me.”

Thus, the Immortal Lord treated Persha with considerable courtesy, and Persha likewise showed the highest respect one could offer to a foreign sovereign.

※ ※ ※

Later, in the temporary reception room of the High Elf Palace.

In this room, furnished with a throne brought specifically for the occasion, Persha revealed the purpose of his visit.

“With the entire world engulfed in demonic invasions, our Dawn Empire has dispatched the Sacred Assault Corps to eliminate the dimensional gate in the New Continent.”

After briefly explaining what would happen if the demons’ invasion succeeded, Persha expressed his desire to join the front lines with the 1,000 Sacred Assault Corps members he had brought.

There was no reason whatsoever to refuse the addition of these fierce zealots as allies.

The Sacred Assault Corps members who came as reinforcements used giant spiders called “Bus-spiders” as both beasts of burden and mounts. These bus-sized spiders could carry loads exceeding tens of tons, functioning almost like APCs (Armored Personnel Carriers).

When moving, they rode these giant arthropods (intermediate level, powerful) to compensate for infantry’s low mobility. In combat situations, they charged into enemy lines together, then dismounted to demonstrate the terrifying impact of the Sacred Assault Corps.

The bond between the two species was not merely one of taming but a connection between sentient beings, capable of exerting tremendous power.

In just one week, these strange bio-infantry destroyed 9 demon outposts, rescued 13 endangered elf settlements, and eliminated 2 greater demons (high-ranking demons).

Due to the vast plains of the New Continent, the already inferior demon forces were picked apart by this insane army with its mobility and combat power.

These mere 1,000 soldiers achieved what seemed like a miracle, managing an entire front line in just a few weeks.