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The vanguard of Eramenia advanced north through the forest. The heartbreaking fact for the continent’s finest elite soldiers was that the wasteland they were traversing was actually part of the forest.

It was confirmed that 25,000 fairies died and nearly 10,000 elves suffered severe injuries from the dragon attacks. Given that Eramenia openly advocated the notion of “a 150,000-strong army can sustain society with only 50,000 people” out of a total population of 200,000, the societal impact of this population loss was not too severe.

Despite this, the attack left an indelible scar and shock in the hearts of the Eramenian people, far greater than the devastation caused by the fairy civil war a thousand years ago. In particular, the thoroughly scorched northern region of the forest, perhaps intended to facilitate the invasion route, was reduced to a wasteland where no traces of Eramenia could be found, painfully stabbing the hearts of Margaret’s Legion.

“At least the path is smooth. Isn’t the forest not a suitable terrain for the army to advance?”

Margaret spoke in a tone that was hard to discern as either self-soothing or self-deprecating. Jeongjae, who was riding alongside her, shook his head.

“Will we be able to see this forest return to its former state?”

“Are you asking if you’ll see it in your lifetime? That seems unlikely. But if the question is whether this forest will eventually revive, then yes, probably. Don’t worry too much. Eramenia’s vitality is not weak. It’s just…”

Margaret firmly grasped a nearly charred branch and broke it with her hand.

“It’s so incredibly vigorous that the scars will remain forever.”

“The dragons will have to pay the necessary price.”

“The ones that have already died have begun to disassemble the flesh and skin of the corpses. I don’t know what they will be used for, but they might become materials for magical tools.”

“That’s not the issue at hand.”

Jeongjae spoke in a slightly subdued voice. Margaret glanced around, worried that the nearby elves might hear, and then whispered a voice that was quiet enough only for Jeongjae.

“Anger is a good motivation. But I fear using that anger as well.”

“What do you mean, Margaret?”

In sync with Margaret’s almost whispering voice, Jeongjae queried in a small voice. The Fairy Lord let out a shallow sigh before replying.

“If we could drive the dragons out of the battlefield, then that would be the best outcome. We’ve already taken down more than three dragons, and at the very least, we’ve repaid what we’ve suffered. What I mean is, while I absolutely detest those creatures… there’s no compulsory need to seek vengeance against the very species of dragons. However, I also worry that voicing such thoughts might betray the expectations of the elves who follow me.”

“You might betray them. At the very least, there shouldn’t be an elf who doesn’t feel betrayed.”

Jeongjae was somewhat taken aback by Margaret’s words. Despite his friendship with Margaret, he too was filled with rage upon witnessing this tragedy. The sight of Eramenia, which had seemed holy and inviolable, reduced to this wreckage filled him with fear and a burning desire for revenge.

However, Margaret, who likely held even greater affection for this land and also felt a sense of responsibility towards the fairies, cautiously unveiled her inner thoughts, saying, ‘If we can tie up this conflict with the dragons like this, then that would be good.’ It was rational, but so reasonable that it was rather surprising.

“I’m not afraid of the dragons. If they challenge us again, I will make sure they pay the price. If the moment comes where I must face one of them in a duel, I won’t hesitate. However… I fear that unnecessary blood may be shed due to my judgment.”

“Then do as you think. Seeking revenge is a warrior’s virtue. Perhaps preventing that revenge could be a lord’s virtue.”

“You’re speaking my mind for me. You always do. While it seems like you’re just joking around, ultimately you say exactly what I want to hear. And none of it is merely flattery. For just a human.”

At Margaret’s words, Jeongjae couldn’t help but chuckle. Just then, he spotted an elven soldier on horseback returning towards the vanguard. It seemed to be a scout sent ahead towards the ravine.

“The scouts have returned. Did they discover anything?”

“They might not have seen anything. Let’s hear what they have to say first.”

Margaret said as she personally led her horse forward. Jeongjae followed behind her, eager to hear the report of the scout. The elven scout dismounted and bowed his head respectfully to Margaret.

“I’ve returned. There was nothing until we passed through the ravine, but the enemy has set up a fortification beyond it. They seem to be trying to block the exit and prevent our forces from passing through. Additionally, from the flags, it seems the Succubus Queen is personally commanding them.”

“Elios, huh? He’s not a trivial opponent if we confront him directly. How was the fortification?”

“It’s solid. However, with our forces, we might be able to break through.”

Jeongjae and Margaret exchanged glances upon hearing the scout’s report. Jeongjae was the first to speak.

“The Demon King has been injured. He’s likely in a position to demand a response from the Succubus Queen similar to what he asked of Walter while pulling back himself.”

“Are you suggesting a delaying defense? Right. The Eramenian forces are well-trained. The Demon King’s army controls a vast territory. I don’t think the Succubus Queen has the power to crush our army in one fell swoop. We have no choice but to expect a protracted guerrilla warfare.”

“Is there any way to annihilate them all at once?”

“To do that, I’ll need your assistance. For now, let’s move forward. There’s no worse choice than hesitating while the morale of the army is high.”

Following Margaret’s decision, the elven army of 15,000 continued to advance north. The fairy troops that had recently been traversing the wasteland soon reached the northern border of the Kingdom of Eramenia.

The only northern entrance leading to the kingdom was composed of steep mountains and a massive ravine. Essentially, it was nearly impossible to access the forest without passing through the ravine. Considering the mountainous barrier to the west of the kingdom, this ravine path could be regarded as the only route leading into Eramenia.

“It’s a treacherous terrain, no matter how many times you look at it. Are they really trying to block us from the rear without hiding their forces here?”

As Margaret entered the ravine, she glanced around. Jeongjae deployed a search magic circle to scan the area for any potential threats. There didn’t seem to be anything amiss. Once he confirmed that his inspection was safely completed, Margaret exhaled a sigh of relief and inquired.

“Is there nothing here?”

“It seems that way. I haven’t thoroughly surveyed the entire ravine, but there aren’t any signs of hastily cast spells. Any form of sorcery usually leaves traces behind. If the Demon King had retreated and hidden magic traps here, my search magic shouldn’t have missed them.”

“Then let’s proceed. Once we cross over, we’ll crush the Succubus Queen and rush east.”

“Then this is the largest mobilization in Eramenia’s history, isn’t it? At least, when considering the scale of the elven army crossing the border.”

“That’s correct. Cherish this moment in history, Wizard.”

Margaret’s legion entered the ravine without any issues and began their advance to the north. As Margaret, who was leading the front, was scanning her surroundings, she suddenly lifted one hand as if sensing something and commanded the army to halt.

“Wizard, use reconnaissance magic here. Quickly!”

“Uh, um? Got it.”

Confused, Jeongjae activated the search magic circle and began to inspect all corners of the ravine. Just when he thought he couldn’t find anything suspicious no matter how hard he searched, faint traces of black magic caught the Grand Mage’s eye.

“This is…”

“What’s wrong? Is there something?”

“A cloaking spell… it seems ancient or… exquisitely crafted… wait a moment, if I take this and trace it back…”

Jeongjae felt an ominous premonition and began to enhance the search magic further. A brief moment later, the Grand Mage stood frozen in place, his face turning pale as he stammered to speak.

“A-ah… ah…”

“What is it? What do you see?”

“Damn.”

Instead of elaborating further, Jeongjae could only utter this brief word. There was no way to give a detailed explanation. Before his eyes were hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of cloaking spells. They densely filled the entirety of this ravine, excessively numerous and powerful threatening to overwhelm it.

Upon hearing Jeongjae’s words, Margaret too realized the gravity of the situation. The Fairy Lord hastily turned her head and shouted.

“Retreat! Retreat! It’s a trap! Our forces are completely surrounded! All troops, retreat beyond the ravine!”

Just then, a deafening roar shook the heavens, and explosive devices hidden beneath the cloaking magic erupted in unison, lighting the surroundings in flames that engulfed the Eramenian army. The elite Eramenian troops, despite the shock, did not falter like mere rank-and-file, but they were still taken aback by the unexpected circumstances.

While Margaret struggled to maintain order, Jeongjae attempted to douse the flames with extinguishing magic. However, as soon as Jeongjae quelled one fire, more explosions sent a dozen or more fires leaping into the air.

Chaos ensued, and among the total mayhem, Margaret fought to hide her bewilderment as she tried to command her soldiers, but upon catching sight of the figures revealed beyond the ravine, she lost her composure and her face went pale.

Three women appeared atop the high cliff. The one in the middle looked disheveled and still recovering from burns—Violet Moriarty. Beside her stood the Succubus Queen, the Demon King’s mother and his closest aide.

And, on the other side, was even the Gargoyle Queen, the top warrior of the Demon King’s army. Jeongjae cursed loudly.

“That’s impossible! If the Gargoyle is here, who the hell is stopping the Imperial army!”

“Probably an empty royal guard. It’s likely just a few thousand orcs at best.”

Margaret muttered, her face as white as a sheet. The flames continued to surge, and the Eramenian army, trapped right in the middle of the ravine, scrambled frantically to extinguish the flames. Yet, the moment the Demon King and his close aides revealed themselves from the cliff, the elves realized they had stumbled into the worst trap they could ever imagine and began reaching for their return stones one by one.

Jeongjae and Margaret too hurriedly extended their hands towards the return stones to escape from this situation.

But the teleportation failed to resonate.

“The forest’s magic is broken. Escape is impossible.”

Seeing that no one could make it out of the battlefield, Margaret uttered in a dazed expression.

“What on earth! There was nothing here!”

“It was part of the plan from the start, Wizard. The Demon King devised this entire battle strategy right from the beginning.”

Margaret stated.

“The dragon’s assault was merely a means. He intended to crumble Eramenia’s magic to seal the power of the return stones and provoke us to draw north. The Demon King… believed that if left unchecked, we would eventually declare a full-scale engagement ourselves. So, while our political opinions remain divided, he recklessly drew us out north to annihilate the vanguard…”

“From the shock of the defeat, Eramenia will remain silent for a time.”

Jeongjae scowled up at the Demon King surveying the situation from the cliff.

“In that case, it’s not surprising that you didn’t notice the magic here. This is the scheme of the world’s greatest dark magician, the Demon King. I can’t even fathom how long this plan has been in the making. But… he surely anticipated that you would conduct search magic here and would have made appropriate preparations. This isn’t a hasty ambush. It’s a trap created solely to capture me. I’ve stepped right into it. This is the end.”

Even though no attacks had yet been executed aside from the flames, Margaret appeared to have lost nearly all resolve. She looked as if she could no longer even maintain her balance atop her horse.

On the cliff, the Demon King nonchalantly gestured towards the Gargoyle Queen and the Succubus Queen.

“15,000, huh? I had hoped to kill a bit more when we made our plans, but what a pity. If I can’t kill the Grand Mage and the Elven Princess here, then I can’t boast about my victory. Go, my two queens. Don’t worry about the others and make sure to bring me their heads. Attack!”

At the Demon King’s signal, the vast army of orcs hidden in both ravines began to surge forward like a tide.

No, it wasn’t just the orcs. An array of forces unlike anything one could ever hide within the ravine was rushing in to take down the elven legion, from mounted shadow knights to robed lich spellcasters, to even hulking ogres wielding enormous battle hammers.

And as Margaret stood stunned, unable to process the shock, she muttered to herself.

“It’s… over…”

 

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