chapter_0028

Chapter 27 : Allied Forces War Begins

A few days after the king regained consciousness following the sage’s treatment, golden sunlight streamed through the large windows of the royal palace’s grand conference hall.

King Leodel Eldrian, seated on his throne, let out a deep breath and offered a grateful gaze toward the sage standing before him.

Despite not yet having fully recovered from his injuries, the king had gathered all the kingdom’s key figures to express his gratitude to the sage who had healed the fatal wounds inflicted by Ternak, the commander of the Demon King’s 8th Elite Corps — and to formally welcome the reinforcements sent by the Velodenit Empire.

“You are the sage, are you not?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

It was Princess Armis who proudly answered on behalf of the sage, her voice clear and confident.

Though the king had often been dissatisfied with the princess, this time he had no choice but to acknowledge her efforts.

“…You brought this person here yourself, didn’t you? You’ve done a great thing. Well done.”

“I only did what was expected of me as a princess, Your Majesty.”

Watching this exchange, Prince Leonid ground his teeth in frustration.

“Hahaha, not only skilled but of noble character as well.”

“You flatter me. I am not such an extraordinary person.”

“Hmm… In any case…”

The king’s gaze shifted to the woman seated opposite the sage — Princess Violeta of the Velodenit Empire.

“I was overjoyed when I heard of the reinforcements you led here, Princess Violeta.”

“I will ensure the Demon King’s army is utterly annihilated and restore all the lands they have taken.”

“Your words bring me great relief. However…”

King Leodel’s face clouded with concern.

“You must be cautious, Princess. If you mistake them for the demons of old and act rashly, it will lead to disaster.”

He added a somber warning.

“As it did for me.”

“……”

Unable to respond, the princess sat in troubled silence.

Prince Leonid, seated beside her, quickly spoke in her stead.

“Do not worry, Your Majesty. I will assist the princess and see to it that the forces of evil are eradicated.”

“I heard you acted as an envoy during my absence. You did well. With my children having grown so capable, I could die without regret. Hahaha.”

Only after hearing the king’s praise did Leonid finally seem to relax.

“But be careful. You, especially, must act with caution and restraint.”

Knowing his son’s tendency to act impulsively at crucial moments, the king couldn’t help but worry.

“Now, let’s get straight to the point.”

At the king’s signal, soldiers waiting outside entered the room, carrying a large strategic map, which they placed at the center of the conference hall.

Duke Waltheim, Prince Leonid’s closest aide, stepped forward to explain the current state of Eldrian’s frontlines.

The situation was dire.

The northwestern border territories had already fallen into the hands of the demonic forces, and the 8th Elite Corps was rapidly advancing toward the capital from the northwest corner of the kingdom.

Duke Waltheim , watching closely, offered a sharp observation.

“It seems like the 8th Elite Corps is acting independently.”

Duke Waltheim immediately countered.

“The 9th Corps from the west and the 7th Corps from the north may be providing support from behind.”

There was no real evidence for this claim — it was merely a rebuttal fueled by the fact that the statement had come from Duke Waltheim , Princess Armis’s closest ally.

“Given that the very survival of the kingdom is at stake, I believe we should concentrate all our forces at the center and prepare for the enemy’s advance, Your Majesty.”

“I agree that we must gather our strength, Duke Waltheim. But simply waiting for the enemy to come is not the right course of action. The longer this war drags on, the more our lands will suffer and the greater our losses will become. We must strike swiftly before the enemy can fully prepare.”

With the two dukes at odds, King Leodel turned to the imperial princess.

“What are your thoughts, Princess Violeta?”

“……”

The room fell silent.

The princess still hadn’t gathered her thoughts — her mind remained clouded by the strange, almost fantastical stories her father had told her before her departure for the frontlines.

And now, sitting across from her was the very figure at the heart of those stories — an unsettling presence that only deepened her unease.

Seeing the princess’s unexpected hesitation, Prince Leonid seized the moment.

“I see no reason for hesitation. We must crush the momentum of these beasts, who advance without restraint.”

“I did not ask you.”

The king’s sharp rebuke did nothing to stop his son’s eagerness.

“With the princess’s holy-class sword and the many grand-class nobles of the empire here, I believe our chances of victory are more than sufficient. And if we combine their strength with Eldrian’s forces, our triumph is assured.”

“Prince Leonid’s words are not entirely without merit.”

At last, Princess Violeta spoke up — and to everyone’s surprise, she agreed with Leonid.

“Even though I wield a holy-class sword, I was defeated by a mere corps commander of the enemy forces. Are you truly confident, Princess?”

“No matter how powerful the commander may be, even he cannot overcome a numerical disadvantage.”

“So your strategy is an encirclement?”

“Indeed. We will cut off their retreat and attack from both flanks. For a force that knows only how to charge forward, it will be a fatal blow.”

On the surface, the princess’s plan sounded reasonable enough.

But the sage — having already experienced the overwhelming power of the 8th Corps commander firsthand — couldn’t shake a deep and growing sense of dread.

Feeling that the situation was starting to take a dangerous turn, the sage intervened.

“That may be true, but the strength of the demonic beasts may far exceed our expectations.”

It was a fear born from his firsthand experience with the devastating power of the Destruction Saint’s ultimate technique — and the terrifying malice he had felt from it.

“Why so nervous, sage? Have you lost your courage? If something happens, you can just fix it like last time, can’t you?”

It was Darkin, who had always harbored hostility toward the sage, speaking with a mocking tone.

But amid the exchange, King Leodel caught onto something important in Darkin’s words.

“Oh? Sage, have you fought and won against the demonic beasts before?”

“N-No, not at all. It was only thanks to my master’s help back then — I didn’t do much of anything myself.”

“Your master? Where is this master of yours now?”

“Well… my master is quite elusive… even I don’t know their whereabouts…”

“What a shame.”

The king sounded both intrigued and regretful — with the kingdom in such a dire state, even a single additional powerful ally would have been invaluable.

“In any case, I will march alongside Prince Leonid.”

“If that is your decision, Princess, I won’t stop you — but please, I beg you to be cautious. The future of this kingdom rests in your hands. Exercise the utmost caution.”

“I will keep that in mind, Your Majesty.”

The sage looked at Princess Violeta with worried eyes.

“Violeta…”

He couldn’t help but feel both frustration and concern as she kept pushing herself into dangerous situations.

The words of the emperor echoed in his mind — the plea he had made back at the round table conference.

“Even if my body is no longer whole… please, just bring my poor child back safely.”

But with King Leodel still recovering from his injuries and unable to leave the palace, the sage was once again forced to stay behind — separated from the princess as she marched into battle.

And though Violeta outwardly appeared calm and composed, her heart was in turmoil.

The strange, almost absurd stories her father had told her kept clouding her mind — along with the unpleasant feelings she harbored toward the sage.

In such a state, it was impossible for her to make a sound judgment.

***

With the allied forces of the Velodenit Empire and Eldrian Kingdom gathered, Princess Violeta took command of the united army and set up their formation along the projected path of the Demon King’s 8th Elite Corps, led by Ternak.

The central force, led by Violeta herself, positioned itself directly in front of the approaching enemy.

The left flank, commanded by Cedric Layton, and the right flank, led by Prince Leonid, hid in ambush within the mountains on either side.

As expected, the 8th Elite Corps began their relentless march toward the capital — a terrifying and unstoppable advance.

“Saintess, prepare yourself.”

Given the overwhelming malice emanating from the approaching army, the role of the Church’s forces became even more crucial.

Lumiènne, along with the cardinals, priests, and nuns of the Church, stood ready to deploy the Sanctuary of Healing.

Watching the preparations from afar, the 8th Corps Commander Ternak licked his lips with twisted delight.

“Kihihihik! When we win this battle, I’ll let you feast on all the beautiful human women you desire!”

“Grooooaaah!!”

“Krraaaaahhh!!”

“Wu! Aa! Aa! Oooo!”

Ternak, a dark orc who exuded the aura of lust, led an army of grotesque and twisted orcs.

The hulking orcs, each mounted on female centaurs, displayed their depravity without restraint — even in the moments just before battle, they violated the centaurs with their brutal hands.

The horrific sight began to visibly shake the morale of the allied soldiers.

“Do not be afraid! You have me — a Holy-class princess! We will surely emerge victorious!!”

“Kihihihik! That one’s mine!! Charge!!!!”

Despite their title as an “elite” force, the 8th Corps charged forward with chaotic abandon — an undisciplined and frenzied assault.

Princess Violeta raised her hand, unleashing black flames infused with divine power.

The flames rose high into the sky, signaling the flanking units to begin their attack.

With a thunderous roar, the soldiers on the left and right flanks emerged from their ambush, charging down toward the enemy.

Violeta led the central force, driving them forward into the sea of black flames that engulfed the enemy’s ranks — setting the stage for a perfect three-sided assault.

Everything seemed to be going according to plan… until Ternak and his orcs emerged unscathed from the inferno.

“…What?!”

The sight of the demonic army, completely unaffected by the holy flames, left Violeta stunned.

Each individual beast exuded a malice and ominous energy far greater than anything they had faced before.

“S-Saintess! Deploy the Sanctuary! Hurry!!”

For the first time, Violeta’s voice was filled with fear and desperation.