"Normal speech"
'Thought'
(Silent magic)
[Normal magic]
{Change of location, time or POV}
Well, well… It seems like destiny didn't like at all my decision to update twice a month seeing how the exact day I was supposed to publish we had a two-day straight internet breakdown. I am kinda thinking about returning to the usual once a month if this is the result… just kidding! Glad to see you are all enthusiastic about the new schedule update!
Make sure to leave tons of reviews!
Now, without further ado, let's begin!
If you wish to read the next 17 chapters some cool art!
- Chapter 53: To be King
- Chapter 54: Friends
- Chapter 55: King vs Knight
- Chapter 56: Two Dreamers
- Chapter 57: Past, Present, and Future
- Intermission IV: Hopes and Dreams for this Cruel World
- Chapter 58: One-Hundred Twenty Thousand Reasons
- Chapter 59: The Calm before the Storm
- Chapter 60: War of Ice, Fire, Lightning, and Air
- Chapter 61: The Eclipse over the Dragon Lord
- Chapter 62: That Lie we call Reality
- Chapter 63: Just Myself and nothing more
- Chapter 64: Recruitment
- Chapter 65: End of Vacation
- Chapter 66: Game of Masks
- Chapter 67: Falling into Place
- Intermission V: The Fool who fooled the World
And many other things, consider joining the P atreon!
Link: p atreon (dott) com / zerosenpaiwriter
Beta Reader: Skarborr (Nice chapter as usual.)
Chapter 52: Sneak Attack
Pe Riyuro glanced down at the dwarves brought low before him in satisfaction. All those months of scouting were finally brought to fruition, though he would have liked using the information to launch an attack directly on the capital but this will do too.
Once Feo Raidho went down the Dwarves will be done for anyway.
"Did you get them all?"
He asked the most prominent of his warriors who sported various scars all over his red furred body.
"Yes, Greatest King, the rest were killed, and no one escaped us."
The experienced warrior bowed deeply to him much to Riyuro's satisfaction. The plan had indeed gone smoothly, they were just a mere few hours away from the capital with a force of 20.000 and the dwarves had no idea what was coming.
It was so tempting to just charge in and storm the city, but alas, that was a fool's dream, the great bridge stood in their way and he had no doubt the dwarves would blow it up if they felt like there was no other way. He couldn't risk losing so many of his troops with just a remote possibility of victory.
No, he would make it seem like he was about to storm the city and then organize a siege instead. That will make the dwarves wary, and with some luck, they would even recall some troops from Feo Raidho, leaving the city even more defenseless.
Yozu should be attacking that city in just a couple of days if he stayed true to their plans and schedule. With their capital sieged, even if word of the attack on Feo Raidho reached them, the cowardly dwarves would not dare send reinforcements with 20.000 of his kin at their doors.
This was a delicate plan balancing on their ability to sell their fake attack while not seeming suspicious, and the ability to time their true invasion just at the right moment to find their enemy defenseless before them. That is why he gave command of the true army to Yozu, there was no one else who he trusted more to carry out his plan with the perfect timing required.
"Have some warriors escort this bunch back to Feo Berkana, we will put them to good use."
He instructed the elite warrior waiting for orders. The kneeling dwarves before him were immediately brought away from his sight.
Once Feo Raidho was gone, they will finally have a direct road to the capital with no stupid bridges in between.
The dwarves will die like rats trapped in a corner.
Finally, all the generations who suffered and spilled blood would be avenged. The Quagoa will rule this underground kingdom.
The dragons will be next. Once they have enough numbers and the remaining dwarves were put to use in order to create proper weapons, they will topple those arrogant flying lizards too!
It would be a stretch to say he would achieve such an ambitious goal in his lifetime, but he could be damned if he didn't make sure that the next generations will be ready to take on such a challenge.
Speaking of which, he still needed to find his mate, he would not just have an offspring with anyone, she must be a good match to pass on both of their best qualities. He had various specimens in mind, some of the smartest Quagoa there were, though they mostly lacked in the physical department.
He just pushed the thought out of his mind for the time being, he would ponder it once the dwarves were dealt with and his species was finally secured and with no enemies.
That was quite the enjoyable dream, but now it was time to fight and work for that dream.
Roaming his gaze around his makeshift encampment he finally spotted the Quagoa he was looking for.
"Rayu!"
He called for the red furred Commander in Chief of his army, he could trust this one like a brother as they came from the same tribe and were rivals in their youth, just before Riyuro left him in the dust during their adolescence. Still, he was one of the few he would trust with his back on the battlefield as there weren't many who could boast the battle prowess of this warrior.
"Hail king!"
Rayu greeted with a mocking bow, the red Quagoa never liked all the formalities that came with rank. We were given a title for our ability to bash skulls, that was all he said when the subject was brought up.
Riyuru swung his fist hitting the slightly shorter Quagoa on the top of his head, not too hard but hard enough to cause pain.
"Speak as you wish when we are at peace, but now we are at war and you will behave accordingly or I will have you removed."
He said harshly, he could not show any preferences or accept misbehavior if he wanted to continue ruling.
"Tsk, you still have a rock jammed up your ass I see, don't you Riyuro?"
The only reason why the red Quagoa wasn't begging for his life on the ground was because his words were spoken softly enough to not be heard by others. For all Rayu was a competent commander and fierce warrior, he truly was a pain to work with, hence why he still preferred working with Yozu most of the time.
Alas, he will deal with what he has to.
"We are marching now, it is just a matter of time before the dwarves realize their patrols didn't come back and, by then, we must be upon them."
He instructed his shorter kin who rewarded him with a full feral smile.
"Now you are speaking my language Riyuro… I will drench the caves in dwarven blood."
The bloodthirsty Quagoa said enthusiastically.
"You heard the king! Move your asses! Today we will make sure the dwarves dine on the bottom of the chasm!"
His claim was answered by numerous cheering from other Quagoa in the vicinity.
'I leave the rest to you Yozu' Riyuro thought as he began moving away from the horde of his kin gathering.
{Feo Jera}
{Satoru's P.O.V.}
It was about time, they had to wait almost a week to get an audience with the Regency Council but finally they were there. The tension these last days had been quite unbearable, it wasn't like anyone said anything but the air had never been heavier than this before. Both Renner and Lakyus rarely spoke, and when they did, they did not speak to each other.
"I will go in first then and have you announced when it is your time to come in."
The Commander in Chief said before entering the council chamber.
Satoru felt like sighing in resignation at the moment. He knew that what he was about to do would only lead to a future headache, but he could not help himself. He glanced at the princess and her knight, he wanted them to make up, and he had just the right plan to set Lakyus straight, he would just have to get mixed up a little with all of this.
He glanced at the black-haired woman chilling in the background, she had no interest in meeting the council so she stayed back, though, since she agreed to his terms, he would at least get something useful out of this headache.
It didn't take long for them to be announced and so his group entered the council chamber, the only ones remaining behind being Lin, Leinas and Zaryusu.
The double doors opened revealing an elaborately carved room, the stone walls had imageries meticulously carved into them and the clearly runecrafted lanterns illuminated the room with a pale blue light. This was what he expected from a kingdom of craftsmen like the dwarves, though, it was quite underwhelming to see that the only room which could be called beautiful was also the most important one in the entire kingdom. He would have expected this to be quite the norm among the dwarves… maybe the old capital held more pieces of art similar to this?
Not that he had time to ponder such thoughts as the figures he was eager to meet finally made themselves known.
Sitting on a higher platform were the eight current members of the Regency Council, they looked all very similar to each other if not for their varying ages and hair color much to Satoru's chagrin, he should make sure to not confuse one for another. Their higher position was surely so that they would look down on whoever entered the room, though Satoru almost reached them with his height, making the scene quite comical in his own opinion.
"Welcome, visitors from the human kingdoms, please have a seat."
A dwarf occupying one of the central positions spoke up first as he invited them to sit on fine looking chairs that were apparently prepared for them judging by the exact number.
He bowed his head slightly as his group proceeded to sit where indicated.
"Then, as Cabinet Secretary, I declare this audience accepted and started, please allow us to present ourselves?"
The now revealed Cabinet Secretary said as his words were followed by the introductions of all the dwarves in the room. Satoru decided to disregard their names after the second, there was no way he would ever remember any or he would confuse them embarrassingly, he rather paid attention to their given title.
Special exception was made for the Forgemaster, Master of Caves and Mines, and Guildmaster of the Merchant Guild.
Once they were finished the young blonde princess stood up from her seat giving the council a clearly refined bow.
"It is an honor meeting you all, my name is Renner Theiere Chardelon Ryle Vaiself, third princess of the Re-Estize Kingdom, I stand here with Ser Gazef Stronoff, the Warrior Captain, as my chosen protector, the heir of the noble Aindra house, Lakyus Alvein Dale Aindra, Marquis Satoru, the 6th tier magic caster, and his apprentices."
The princess presented herself and her entourage elegantly, as expected from a royal princess.
Her words sent low mutterings all around the room from both some council members and standing guards.
"It is a pleasure making your acquaintance Your Highness, we are most honored to host you in our ancient kingdom, though, we are regretful to inform you that you caught us at a most unfortunate time we are afraid, as you probably already know."
Well, that seemed to be as good a time as any to insert himself into the conversation and try to enact his plan.
"That is indeed true, we have witnessed with our own eyes the savagery of the Quagoa, a most unrefined display I may add, as they made an enemy of us without thinking about the repercussions of such an act."
He interjected calmly, eliciting a stare from the blonde princess who apparently did not expect him to speak up, or say those words. Nonetheless, she seemed to not want to interfere with his doings and limited herself to staring. He will need to make up for this later, he hoped that choosing the bedtime story for today would suffice.
"Indeed Marquis Satoru, the Quagoa are most uncivilized demi-humans, we are afraid our kingdom is not as secure as we would like it to be."
Admitted the Cabinet Secretary who launched a quick glance at the Commander in Chief who didn't seem to have any intention of giving his insight on the matter.
"Umu, that is one of the main reasons I requested an audience with your esteemed council."
Satoru said standing up to be almost on level with the councilmen who were now staring at him more acutely than ever before, he had no idea if his move was seen in a bad way since their expression was unreadable under all that facial hair.
"I would like to establish commercial relations with the Dwarven Kingdom, most of all for your renowned Runecraft art! An art seldomly seen around the world these days… but since the threat of the Quagoa is still looming upon you, I understand that these matters cannot be addressed right now, but I think I might have a solution if you are interested in hearing me out."
The masked undead paused as the dwarves seemed to contemplate his words as they looked at each other and muttered things that even he could not understand.
Seeing as no one stopped him in his tracks he decided to press on and hopefully finish this.
"Having studied a map of the kingdom kindly provided by Feo Raidho's Lord Commander my understanding is that there are only two ways the Quagoa could attack you in mass at the moment, the long tunnel leading directly to the current capital and the tunnel leading to Feo Raidho… since your military power isn't enough to defeat them, I would suggest the next best option would be cutting them access completely from the Dwarven Kingdom by collapsing the tunnels… as a 6th tier magic caster I could do it easily and quickly so to avoid the Quagoa realizing what is happening and taking countermeasures."
His idea was received with seemingly mild skepticism, especially from the Commander in Chief.
"Apologies, Marquis Satoru, but that would only be a momentary solution to our situation, the Quagoa are expert diggers, with their claws they would have no problem digging through the rabble to reopen the tunnel."
His words seemed to meet the general consensus of his kin who nodded solemnly at his words.
"Ah, you seem to have misunderstood me Commander in Chief, I will not merely block the tunnels with rubble, I will completely collapse them leaving you cut off from the rest of the mountain, I am sure that the Quagoa are able diggers, but their expertise is mostly into creating small tunnels they could crawl through in a line, do they have the necessary knowledge and technology to rebuild a several kilometers, large enough for an army tunnel? I doubt they do… and even if they actually can, it would take years to do so, you will have time to rebuild your country and make allies that could help you if the Quagoa ever manage to break through."
His words were met by a chorus of hopeful mumbles, some of them loud enough to be heard.
"Is such a thing truly possible Marquis Satoru?"
Asked the Cabinet Secretary, who seemed to be the one most skeptical of his words still.
"You should not underestimate the prowess of a 6th tier magic caster, Cabinet Secretary, we are few in the world, but we can be quite the menace whenever we feel like it."
Satoru said lightheartedly.
Yes, this was the best option, he could still get a deal as he initially planned, this kingdom would be safe and, most importantly, Lakyus' words would be forgotten and just be water under the bridge, saving her face for once.
She and Renner will talk this over and everything will return to normal.
"Your words have merit, Marquis Satoru, but I am most worried of what you hope to get out of this agreement."
Finally the Guildmaster of the Merchant Guild spoke up. This was a once in a lifetime occasion to make a first good impression.
"Esteemed Guildmaster, I have ascended to the rank of nobility only as of late. Before that I was, and still am, a merchant at heart, I perfectly know that a party in need is often exploited in a deal… but, alas, I have no need for exploitation as I am an avid collector as well, and having a monopoly on Runecraft products would be the best outcome for me."
Satoru explained to the man who hid his expression behind his well-trimmed beard.
"Forgive my rudeness, but I hardly believe that a commercial agreement for Runecraft items is the only thing you could want out of this."
It seemed like he sold himself too short, well, that was his own fault for trying to deal frivolously with a master in the business. 'It seems like that title is not merely for show' Satoru thought while repressing a heavy sigh, it seems like he would have to put everything on the table.
"Indeed, Guildmaster, it seems your title is well deserved… as transportation costs from here to my territory would turn out to be extremely high, to the point of the products not being sellable, I would like to bring directly the Runecraft Blacksmiths to my territory to live there under my protection."
There was no point in beating around the bush anymore.
His words seemed to have once more turned the room upside down as many raised in either protest at his words.
"Calm yourselves!"
The Cabinet Secretary shouted while banging his callous fist on his desk, seemingly denting the wood, but managing to stop the outcries, nonetheless.
"Marquis Satoru, from my understanding the human nations are still engaged in the common practice of slavery, and, while we are eager to find a solution to our problems, we are still unwilling to sell out our own countrymen into slavery for it!"
The dwarf said harshly as he seemed extremely pissed at the sole suggestion. Satoru should have expected that, it was a fair assumption, he was so eager about getting what he wanted that he didn't even consider how it could look from the other side.
He was about to clear up the misunderstanding when he heard the sound of shifting clothes next to him. His gaze immediately fell on the one who stood up from her seat, a certain blonde princess seemed like she wanted to say something.
"Forgive my intrusion Councilmen, but I believe you are running to conclusions without proof of your words… It may be true that Re-Estize is still a country where slavery is legal, but that is soon to be changed as the vile practice is in the process of being outlawed as we speak… and the one to thank for this change is no other than Marquis Satoru himself!"
She declared loudly, gathering the attention of all the councilmen in the room.
"This man before you despises slavery, and has showed many a time his unwilling to work with slavers or even countries in which the practice is still often used, like the Baharuth Empire who, at the moment, still has a largest slave market on the continent as well as the greatest magic items market, of which Marquis Satoru is a great provider, and yet, he has refused many a times to sell to that country due to their slavery, cutting off gargantuan profits to maintain his point against the vile practice!"
She proclaimed for the whole room to hear. Well, that wasn't exactly true, he just didn't sell there because there was too much competition, and he hadn't enough production power to really export that much after the Draconic Kingdom basically bought his entire stock. Still, Renner really knew how to speak to a crowd, she could twist reality just enough to turn everything in his favor, he would really have to spoil her rotten if this worked. She would make a truly nice politician, or queen, in her case.
"If my words are still not enough to convince you, you can still send a token force of your choice to Re-Estize to confirm my words, I am sure you will hear nothing but good things about Marquis Satoru and his edicts."
She concluded before sitting back down.
The room was now silent with many of the councilmen seemingly pensive once more with only a few remaining skeptical but not enough to be outraged as before.
"I am sure your words hold true, Your Highness, and you certainly have given us much to think of, Marquis Satoru, I think we should take some time to speak among ourselves and postpone-"
The Cabinet Secretary was interrupted when the double doors slammed open as a dwarf ran into the room much to the outrage and displeasure of many a councilman.
"What is the meaning of this?!"
The Cabinet Secretary almost shouted as the intruding dwarf cowered before the councilmen's raging gaze.
"Y-Your Lordships! I-it's the Quagoa! T-They are at the G-Great Bridge!"
The dwarf, a guard judging by his armor, nearly shouted while stuttering in panic and fear. A sentiment that soon spread to all his kin in the room.
"What?!"
"How could this be?!"
"Where are the guards?!"
"We need to evacuate immediately!"
"Destroy the bridge!"
Those were only some of the shouts that could be heard in the room as the others were dwarfed in volume.
"ORDER! ORDER!"
Again, the Cabinet Secretary yelled as loud as he could to get over the volume of all the other councilmen.
In the meantime, Satoru looked around, both Arche and Rayne seemed quite taken aback from what was happening and uncertain on what to do. Gazef seemed the most worried as he gazed down at Renner, speaking of which, the princess just sported an uncaring look on her face as if nothing happened. Lakyus, on the other hand, was sporting an expression Satoru never saw before on her face, as if she was refraining herself from speaking up and that was causing her physical pain. He was pretty sure he knew what the barely teenager had going through her head, and he knew that he would have to do something about it soon.
But then, an idea sparkled in his mind, he just might have found the right way of approaching the phase she was going though. He would show her what it was like. Yes, that was a good idea! She was but an idealistic girl who thought conflicts should be resolved with words and that everyone could be made to be good and fair.
He will show her what a true battle was like, it might be a little extreme, but she needed to understand that not everything can go her way only because she wants it to.
The room had returned to a civil sound level when the Cabinet Secretary decided to address the Commander in Chief.
"How could we not know of an army at our doorsteps?!"
He questioned harshly as in turn the Commander in Chief turned his attention toward the still cowering guard.
"What happened to the patrols?"
He questioned in a firm tone as the guard dwarf looked everywhere apart from him.
"T-they moved out this morning as usual, t-they should have returned an hour ago, b-but we thought t-that they were j-just delayed by taking the long way b-back, s-so we waited a little longer and then s-sent the reinforcement scouting team, b-but they came back not even ten minutes after they departed a-and they said an army was coming."
The guard stammered out.
"This is too perfect a timing, they knew the guards' patrol time… but how?"
The Commander in Chief seemed to mumble to himself but his words traveled fast through the now silent room.
"We must mount a defense right now! We cannot allow them to pass the bridge or it will be our end!"
The Commander in Chief seemed to recover as his gaze hardened.
"What is the garrison currently doing?!"
He asked the guard who seemed still scared shitless.
"T-the gates are shut, t-they were positioning themselves on the walls as I was leaving."
The guard said weakly prompting the Commander in Chief to stand up and bash his desk with his fist, completely destroying it in the process.
"WHAT?! Do you mean to tell me they left the Great Bridge unguarded! THOSE IMBECILES! IF ALL WAS LOST THEY SHOULD HAVE AT LEAST DESTROYED IT TO STOP THE ADVANCE!"
He shouted enraged at the news as every other councilman seemed greatly unnerved by his behavior.
"How many are there?"
He finally asked after seeming to have calmed down the bare minimum to not begin shouting again.
"The scouts said… they s-said more than 10.000…"
As that number was dropped the room descended into pandemonium again.
They all seemed to have forgotten that Satoru and his group were still there, he noted, well maybe it was about time to remind them.
"How many men do we have?"
Asked the Cabinet Secretary with barely contained fear.
"A little over 7.000, if this was a siege I would say that this would be enough, but since we already lost our upper hand with the bridge… the only remaining fortress is the gate itself, and I fear they will be able to tear through it given enough time, their claws are perfect for cutting through metals as are their teeth."
The Commander in Chief explained sounding already almost defeated much to the room's further panicked mumbling.
"Excuse me, councilmen, I would like to set my skills to good use in defense of the city, if that is not a problem, we were discussing trading after all, and it would be a shame to just have come all the way here to run away without achieving anything."
As Satoru spoke those words, the entire room looked at him as if he was mad or just turned into a dragon in front of them.
"M-Marquis Satoru, this is a dangerous situation! It would be better if you just evacuated with your group back to Feo Raidho and-"
The Cabinet Secretary could not even finish before Satoru stepped in.
"I apologize but that is not quite the wise choice, not that I am not concerned for my own wellbeing, but using that route could be far more dangerous than you might imagine… there is always the possibility of the Quagoa having organized a pincer attack from both fronts and if we ran in that direction, we might encounter an approaching second army."
That was total bullshit of course, he perfectly knew there was no army coming from there as he checked the tunnel and nearby areas through magic ever since they were first attacked by the Quagoa, but he needed the council well panicked and desperate for what he had in mind.
Also, it wasn't like he couldn't just teleport away with his entire group if the need arose.
"T-that is impossible."
The dwarf protested weakly as if he wasn't sure of his own words.
"I doubt they would have launched an assault of this caliber if they didn't have something planned to assure their victory, don't you think?"
The magic caster continued to push.
"Do not misunderstand my actions for charity, Cabinet Secretary, I am doing this primarily to protect myself and my group and killing a few thousands may just be enough to push them back."
He assured with the calmest tone he could muster.
"A-a few thousands…?"
The Commander in Chief questioned as if the sentence was an absurdity even to utter out.
"Indeed, I know that your Kingdom is not familiar with arcane magic as you prefer your Runecraft and Druidic magic, but you should not underestimate what an arcane 6th tier caster such as myself can do on the battlefield."
Satoru looked straight at the Cabinet Secretary and Commander in Chief before turning to leave the room followed by the rest of his, either shaken or unsure, group.
As soon as they left the council room they immediately came face to face with those who were left behind to which he had to explain what was happening. Both Leinas and Zaryusu seemed quite worried while Lin just gave him one of those bloodthirsty smiles that, in a weird way, reminded him of Renner's. He had to mentally apologize to Renner for even considering the comparison.
"Satoru, don't go."
Speaking of which, the words the princess just spoke were full of intent and resolution as if she was ordering him around, which was quite the amusing thought for him. But then again, looking at her he could feel something wrong in the harsh facial expression she had, as if there was a crack there and she was hiding her true feelings at the moment.
He went down on one knee so that they would almost be on the same height.
"I am going to be back soon, okay?"
He tried to reassure her, not that she seemed very convinced by his words. She came closer to hug him, something he let her do without resisting, if that's what she needed to reassure herself, he would not interfere.
"Remember your promise, you promised it to me, so you must come back."
She whispered to him much to his confusion. 'What is she even talking about?' he really was confused at that moment, he hardly promised anything in his life, so what possibly… oh, oh dear, was she still hang up on that one? He felt like facepalming now, when he made that promise under the moon more than a year ago he didn't think it would really amount to anything. At the time it was just a child asking for a promise, but right now things changed, she changed… and he probably changed too.
But a promise was a promise, and he never broke one before, it was a sort of code of honor in Ainz Ooal Gown. You stick to your word.
Oh well, he wasn't planning to go anywhere anyway.
He stood up forcing Renner to release her grip on him, he offered her a small nod to reassure her and then turned to Gazef.
"As I am sure you will remain with the princess, in case anything happens, I will leave you with these."
As he said that he hid his gloved hand behind his gown to access his inventory and took out what he wanted before offering them to a dead serious Warrior Captain.
"These are four scrolls, the first two are Teleportation scrolls capable of transporting you both once per use, the other two create a barrier which can repel any living creature for around four hours each."
He explained as Gazef accepted the scrolls offered to him.
"Thank you, Satoru, I will put these to good use, let us hope it doesn't come to this though, I am not sure the kingdom would survive losing you, so stay alive."
The Warrior Captain used the occasion to shake his hand as well.
"Umu, it may not look like it, but I am perfectly capable of running away in various ways if the need arises."
He half-joked, eliciting a small smile from the brown-haired man.
"Now, Lakyus, Rayne, Arche, with me!"
The three barely teenagers gawked at him as if he grew a second head suddenly as their names were called clearly.
"What are you looking at me like that for? Lakyus, you wanted to bring some peace to these people and stop conflict, right? Then, you should know that to stop war you must first understand what war is and what it looks like… My apprentices, you two must decide your path in life, if you wish to become battle casters, you will need to understand what that entails, the good and the bad, if you decide you cannot get over this then you are not cut out to battle with magic and you should just join the Magician Gild, if you wish to continue studying magic at all."
His words might have seemed harsh but that was all part of his plan. He will show Lakyus what kind of horror war truly was, how men became mere beasts on the battlefield and how there was no way of changing the way the world worked. It will be a hard slap in the face but a necessary evil, nonetheless.
As for Rayne and Arche, those two just needed to set their mind straight. He couldn't have them freezing up every time a dangerous situation came up and this would be a good safe testing ground to see how they would react. He really wanted to see how much someone could grow with the help of Yggdrasil's gear. Those robes he gave them weren't for show, he didn't mention it, but they had a quite valid EXP boost on them and allowed the caster to cast spells with less mana, making them the perfect fit for early game EXP grinding, that was until they reached level 50, but it would be a long shot if they even got near that.
The problem was, they didn't really fight anything at all till now, and he had to get rid of that fear of facing a dangerous opponent. Maybe he should have chosen someone older… no, that would not have worked! He couldn't see a full development in that case, nor would he have a sway over them.
"No fancy speeches for me, Satoru?"
The teasing voice returned him to reality, not that he enjoyed hearing it.
"You would do whatever you wanted no matter what I said."
He decided that cutting the conversation short was his best bet in this situation.
"You know me so well already… our deal was a little different, but I can roll with this too."
The explorer swapped a strand of her black locks behind her ear as she spoke. He decided to ignore her.
"Zaryusu, I understand this is not your battle and you ended up in the middle of it due to me, for that I apologize."
The undead continued as he gave a slight bow to the lizardman who seemed taken aback.
"L-Lord Satoru, there is no need! Y-you have given my kin hope for a better future! I will gladly fight by your side if it means repaying even a bit of the debt my kin owes you!"
The wielder of Frost Pain proclaimed with a bow of his own. Satoru mentally sighed, he would have preferred for the lizardman to remain out of this, he would be one less person to worry about.
It seemed just like he was stuck in hard mode permanently. 'God I hate protection quests…' he lamented as he prepared himself for a long day.
{Pe Riyuro's P.O.V.}
The Quagoa King could not believe this. It was almost inconceivable… he thought he would have to use his strategic mind to the fullest to just put up a convincing attack while trying to avoid too many casualties or prompt the dwarfs to destroy the bridge in a last desperate attempt.
A carefully calculated balance that would distract them long enough for Yozu to attack Feo Raidho.
Instead, the dwarves had panicked and left the bridge undefended and easy for the taking! They had passed it and now found themselves in front of the capital's gates!
Of all he expected today, having an actual chance at taking the capital, and ending this war once and for all, didn't linger even in the back of his mind, and yet… it seems like Pu blessed them today.
Now, it wasn't like he already won, he knew that taking the city would be costly and that if he just launched himself at the gates, he would likely suffer major casualties without the certainty of breaching it.
He could not count on the unlikely possibility of the dwarves panicking a second time, no, they would probably fight to the death, every last one of them, this was their final stand.
He regretted having Yozu attack Feo Riadho, if the full might of the Quagoa was at his back he was sure this would be an utter victory.
He shook his head, all he needed to focus on now was how to breach the gates. He could just test the waters first, to check what the dwarves had up their sleeves just in case they had some sort of secret weapon.
After having his mind made up he gestured for Rayu to send the scouting group forward.
Around a hundred of his kin charged toward the gates as arrows rained upon them, courtesy of the crossbow wielding dwarves upon the walls. His kin died one by one, those were not normal arrows, Riyuro was sure of it. No iron or steel arrow could ever pierce their skin like that. No, those arrows went clean through flesh and bone, there were only few rare metals that could do that.
Mithril or Adamantite was the answer, probably the former rather than the latter, there was no point in wasting the incredibly rare Adamantite on simple arrows after all.
But that also meant that their ammunition was incredibly limited. Mithril might have been less rare than Adamantite, but there were just so many arrows you could make out of it.
The answer to his dilemma was simple but it pained him nonetheless.
His precious kin will die to exhaust the enemies resources and then they will breach the gates.
With a heavy sigh he gestured for Rayu to commence the advance of their vanguard. He would leave his precious elites behind, if he was going to lose his troops he might as well lose the less valuable.
As expected the rain of arrows continued for almost an hour in which he might have lost around 1.000 of his kin but then the Quagoa stopped dropping dead.
Not that the dwarves stopped shooting, no, but now the arrows mostly bounced off his kin's skin instead of piercing it.
Riyuro felt like grinning, it was finally over, those they lost will feast in the afterlife alongside Pu and will be honored greatly once this war was over.
He just had the time to finish that thought before he was blinded by a sudden shining light.
He grunted in pain as he shielded his eyes with his claws as the light slowly subsided to an acceptable level.
Did the dwarves try to blind them in a last-ditch effort? Desperate as they were, he would not have problems imagining it.
But when he finally regained his full sight, the scene that awaited him was not one he expected or thought even possible at this point.
His troops, his kin, what remained of the 2.000 he sent to exhaust the enemy, they… they were burned to ashes, or still in the process of burning.
A fire like no other engulfed the front of the gates and even part of the walls.
Was there even a weapon capable of setting almost 1.000 Quagoa aflame?! Was this the last weapon of the dwarves?! Well, if it was he was sure this was a one time only thing, otherwise the dwarves wouldn't have been losing this war the entire time.
Yes, that must have been it! For all the loss was regrettable, this time around the dwarves were really finished.
But just to be cautious, he would once more use a token force before launching a full scale assault.
At his command, 500 more of his troops charged the gates.
Riyuro expected arrows, even more fire, but what he received shocked him once more.
Lightning descended upon his kin impacting on them before spreading to all those nearby, killing most of his force instantly.
Feeling his rage boil, the Quagoa King glared upon the walls as if in search of whoever was responsible for this. And against all odds… he found them, a black figure towering over the dwarves, their blue eyes shining like gems in the darkness of the cave, their hand still outstretched as lightning was erupting from it once more to finish off the few who survived their initial slaughter.
He heard of the elemental magic, mostly due to some of Frost Dragons being capable of it, but he never knew the dwarves had the capability of it!
What even was that black thing?! A golem of some sort? No matter! He will smash it to pieces! Upon all he lost today, he swore vengeance.
The time for idle exchanges was done! Now it was time for a true battle!
"QUAGOA! ONWARD! KILL THEM ALL! FOR PU! FOR HONOR! FOR YOUR KING!"
He shouted as his troops seemed reinvigorated by his words of assurance as they cheered.
"FOR THE KING! FOR PU! FOR VICTORY!"
They shouted back before descending in mass upon the dwarves.
No matter what, he will win this! Even at the cost of his own life!
A.N.
Ohohoh… war is upon us folk! Well, as much as a conflict where Satoru is involved can be called a war.
Sorry for the delay, I had to visit my dentist and the pain kept me from concentrating these last days. I hope the slightly longer chapter made up for it.
Since many usually ask me questions about my writing or about the story, I had an idea of answering those questions on one of my AN once I gather a few. So if you have any questions about my writing, the story or anything at all, ask away!
That said I am also curious how you think this "war" will go and what will be the outcome.
So make sure to leave a review / comment with your thoughts, will you?
Stay safe! Till next time!