A large map was spread across the long wooden table.
Red marks and black lines covered almost half of it. Villages were crossed out. Forts were circled. Whole regions of Frontier were now shaded dark, showing they had fallen into demon hands.
The room smelled of oil lamps and old parchment. No one spoke loudly. Even breathing felt heavy.
King Alberetch stood at the head of the table.
Dark circles sat under his eyes, and his hair had more gray than before. In just a few months, he aged beyond years.
The most cruel part of the situation was clear to everyone.
They were still alive only because the enemy had not used its full strength.
The only thin ray of hope was the appearance of a Legendary Knight who had started helping on the front lines. That one figure had saved several cities from falling. But one person could not hold back a tide forever.
At that moment, a courier stepped forward and bowed.
