Final Chapter. Towards Julian

“That is…”

Duke Gerard murmured in a surprised voice.

It was still noon here.

But after Yulian’s attack began, the area darkened as if night was approaching.

‘Could it be that Count Yulian’s breath has affected the area?’

If so, it was an absurd power.

A breath with such strong magic that it covers the sky with darkness.

Even Duke Gerard, who had collected all the information on Isrand, had never heard of it.

Gerard hurriedly turned his head.

At the end of his gaze stood the red-haired beauty, Ustina.

Even the famous Red Dragon was unconsciously opening her mouth.

“Yulian. What level are you at now…”

According to the records, Ustina, the Red Dragon, had clearly entered the realm of the Ancient Dragons.

Even she seemed to feel the current breath as an extraordinary power.

“That dense magic… it certainly has a similar feel to that cold-blooded Demon King. But the intensity and concentration are definitely much stronger and denser.”

Wilhelm, the best in the Empire, had a similar reaction.

When the color of the darkness covering the world gradually faded.

A huge crack was created in the main camp of the monster army, which had been despairing the Imperial army gathered here like a swarm of insects.

“Well… if you have this much power, I think I know where that confidence came from. It seems that about 30% of the enemies in the main camp of the monster army have collapsed.”

At the words of one man, Gerard watched him closely.

Michael, the commander of the White Night Knights.

The general who is taking on the rest of the monster army in place of Wilhelm, who is directly facing Pedro.

He was directly proving why the reputation of the White Night was known throughout Isrand.

“Not just me, but everyone’s reaction is similar. It seems that Count Yulian’s statement that he could block the monster army alone during the festival was not a bluff at all.”

The moment Duke Gerard said that.

A young woman appeared late to this place.

“I, Wilhelm, greet His Great Majesty.”

Wilhelm, the Margrave, only bowed his head to one person.

Princess Lilia, the Empress of Lamir, entered this watchtower.

“You can greet me a little more casually! Wilhelm-nim.”

Following Wilhelm, all the Imperial army commanders paid their respects to the Empress.

Gerard glanced at Ustina.

She also showed simple courtesy without much resistance.

‘Even if the Empress is a Saintess to Ustina, she’ll look like a rookie. That’s unexpected.’

But Duke Gerard was also vaguely feeling it.

He knew she was an excellent talent.

But Lilia, who had little experience in reigning over others with her own power.

He doubted whether the young Empress, full of kindness, could lead the Empire in this chaotic period.

But the current Lilia was different.

‘Her eyes have changed completely. No one can think of that Empress as a kid anymore.’

Her eyes were full of determination.

Although she was a young woman, she was a being who carried the lives of all the Empire’s citizens on her shoulders.

As such, she may have become serious about the weight of the crown.

But it was completely different from that look.

Gerard grew up in the prestigious Aitherne Marquis family, but he had worked countless times with commoners, not nobles, to become a great merchant.

So he remembered where he had seen those eyes.

‘The Empress has her mother’s eyes.’

It was the eyes full of maternal love to protect her child at all costs.

Gerard was newly surprised.

‘I see. The Empress has become a mother…’

Not only that.

A black-haired woman entered with Lilia.

Judging from her attire, she seemed like a maid attending the Empress.

But Gerard, who had already completed the investigation of Count Yulian, knew who that woman was.

‘That young woman is definitely Yulian’s maid named Aylin.’

At the same time, he was surprised once more.

Even Aylin had the same look in her eyes as Lilia.

Then it was obvious who the target was.

Both Lilia and Aylin.

Both were women who had a relationship with Count Yulian.

Gerard glanced at Margrave Wilhelm.

‘The Reinhardt bloodline is famous for being precious. Then…’

Margrave Wilhelm’s expression was the same.

Wilhelm, who was famous for his high loyalty to the Imperial family.

But now he was looking at the two of them with affection, as if he were looking at his granddaughter-in-law.

‘I guess so. It’ll be a celebration for the Lion Duke.’

And Duke Gerard recalled another woman who was hovering around Count Yulian, his own daughter.

Chloe.

‘Chloe needs to work harder. Originally, a man is a creature that changes once again when he has his own child.’

Unfortunately, Chloe, who had come to greet him a few days ago, was no different from usual.

It seemed that Chloe was far behind those two.

But she was the third child who resembled his personality the most.

She would be desperate not to lose to those two, so he didn’t worry too much.

In that short time, many thoughts were flashing through Duke Gerard’s mind.

Just then, Commander Michael shouted to the commanders on the watchtower.

“As expected, the enemy is moving as expected. They have started to rush towards our main camp, leaving Yulian-gong alone.”

At those words, some of the commanders buzzed.

“Then this is not the time for us to be gathered here! Because of that inexplicable… no, because of the festival preparations, the soldiers are currently in a relaxed state! We cannot stop the surprise attack!”

They were the generals under Tires.

They were the Royal Knights who had endured all kinds of humiliation and contempt even during the era of the corrupt Cardinal Grius and protected the Imperial Capital.

As such, they could not bear to watch the danger occurring in this outskirts, which was close to the Imperial Capital.

“It’s okay. In the name of the Emperor of the Empire, I will tell you that you don’t have to do anything. When the festival officially begins, you will be busy, so you don’t have to worry now.”

“…I understand!”

As they were from the Royal Knights, they immediately agreed to the words of Lilia, the Empress.

But they couldn’t erase their anxious eyes.

‘Well, it’s understandable. The monster army can also freely use bombardment magic using Mahon power. If we are in a relaxed state like now, we cannot withstand the bombardment.’

In fact, that story was also coming out among Gerard’s private alchemists.

He looked at Lilia’s expression again.

She was comfortable.

Even the magician who was casting the telescope magic was sweating with a pale face due to tension.

The square glass-like spell he had cast.

In that glass screen, which is now called a video, like a moving magic painting, huge flying monsters began to emit Mahon power similar to breath.

‘As expected… the current monster army cannot be countered with the existing Imperial army’s power.’

The Imperial army gathered here was unable to respond properly to that bombardment and burned alive.

It was incomparable to the other monster armies scattered throughout the Empire.

Most were Type 1 and Transcendental.

Nightmare-level monsters that had been abnormally strengthened by the direct influence of the resurrected God of Destruction.

As such, the nightmare before the Demon King’s army joined could not help but come to mind.

“Everyone, you don’t have to worry. And Knoia. Our humanity will never move according to your will. Aylin. Take my hand.”

But the moment Lilia whispered that.

Lilia and the maid named Aylin suddenly took hands.

Uuuuuuuuuung-

Then the bodies of the two began to resonate to the point that the watchtower, which had been firmly built with alchemy, shook.

“W-What’s going on?”

Everyone who turned their heads at those words saw it in the video.

Huge tree trunks began to grow in the area of the Imperial army’s main camp, which was preparing for the festival.

“S-Surely?”

Tires Naiat, the commander-in-chief of the Imperial army, opened his mouth wide.

Like his reaction.

The huge trunks and huge leaves that grew in an instant completely neutralized the monster army’s bombardment.

---

I was still hovering in the air.

It was so high in the sky that the monsters looked like dots.

But the traces below were all visible even from that high position.

It looked like a huge monster that would appear in mythology had scratched the ground wildly.

All the traces I created.

The Dragon Lord’s breath had turned half of the Demon King’s army’s main camp into ruins.

‘Still, Pedro is starting to react.’

The Allied Forces retreated their troops all at once.

They couldn’t properly analyze the reason.

The monster army retreated for a while and was only guarding the surroundings.

At that time, I flew up and attacked with breath.

Although they suffered considerable damage like now.

Still, it wasn’t for nothing that Duke Pedro was called a nightmare on the battlefield.

Unfortunately, unlike the human army, the monster army is under Knoia’s strong control, so they don’t even fall into chaos.

Under Pedro’s command, those monster armies quickly created a new formation with the remaining troops in an orderly manner.

And they launched a total offensive on the Allied Forces’ main camp, ignoring me in the sky.

‘Very textbook.’

If my existence is the most threatening to them.

Conversely, they will completely ignore me and continue their attack.

As much as they leave me alone, the damage may be great.

But Pedro and Knoia know very well that there are many people I have to protect.

Keuheuheuheuk-

A cloud of Mahon power hovering in the sky.

Numerous eyes and mouths were created there and began to laugh at me.

As expected, Pedro seemed to think that the damage I had inflicted was nothing.

‘And does that mean they are ignoring the rest of the Allied Forces that much?’

It meant that they could play with the remaining human and demon soldiers.

In fact, even the members of the Empire’s 10 Seats who had gathered in the Imperial army.

Even they, who had joined forces with my maternal grandfather, were on the verge of being killed by Pedro.

His confidence was not a bluff.

‘But there’s something they’re overlooking.’

It seemed that Knoia believed that they had completely succeeded in contaminating the World Tree.

I looked at the monster army’s bombardment that had started behind me.

It was as expected.

“It’s the World Tree! The World Tree is protecting us!”

Cheers erupted from the Allied Forces’ main camp.

It was a rough bombardment that created earthquakes around the area.

But after the dust cloud cleared, the Allied Forces’ main camp that was revealed was fine as if nothing had happened.

I moved my wings and returned to the main camp.

“How is it?”

And I came down to the watchtower in human form and said to the commanders gathered there.