Henry:
"So the main matter I wished to discuss with you—"
Emily:
"I understand, Father. I agree."
Henry:
"Very good. I know you are the pride of our family. Then I shall send word to King Gerald of Kravendorn. Rest assured, his son Calen is a true noble—handsome, strong, and truly worthy of you."
Emily:
"As you see fit, Father."
Henry:
"My daughter Emily, trust me—everything will turn out well."
Emily (thinking):
If you had not been weak, none of this would have happened, Aeth. This is all your fault.
Royal Palace of the Kingdom of Kravendorn…
A few days later, King Gerald received a response from King Henry of the Kingdom of Elarion. Upon receiving it, Gerald summoned his son Calen.
Gerald:
"Calen, Henry has replied. Congratulations, my son. Soon we shall announce your wedding to the entire world. This will also be our greatest support in the coming war against the demons."
Calen (son of Gerald):
"This is truly wonderful news. I eagerly await the wedding, Father."
Gerald:
"Three months from now, there will be a gathering and banquet of the four great human kingdoms. There, we will announce your wedding and our alliance with Elarion. This will also solidify our position among kingdoms that once looked down on us—it will be our victory.
Our first victory was placing Elarion and the Chaos Empire into positions dependent on us. As for the destruction of the Chaos Empire, that will be carried out by the demons. There is no need to rush; in the end, everything will belong to us."
Calen:
"Our rise will echo throughout the world. The Chaos Empire that once looked down on us now lies beneath our feet. Even Elarion, which once ignored us, now offers its princess out of fear. This is absolute victory."
Gerald and Calen both laughed loudly, celebrating their triumph.
Calen (thinking):
Aeth, you always ignored me and saw me as insignificant. Yet I took your empire from you. Now, the next thing is the woman you loved most. Just like your empire, Emily will also be mine.
There are five great human nations in the world: Kravendorn, Elarion, Ravethor, Valgorn, and the Chaos Empire. In the past, the Chaos Empire stood at the center of these four nations, while Kravendorn was a small country beside it.
Aeth's ascension to the throne and the demons' declaration of war changed everything. The betrayal of land-owning nobles within the Chaos Empire and the temple's support for Kravendorn led to the fragmentation of these lands. At present, the Chaos Empire has become the smallest human empire in terms of territory.
Although the largest portion of the Chaos Empire's former lands now belongs to Kravendorn, the other kingdoms also attracted nobles by granting them lands, titles, and royal status. Additionally, after the demons declared war, they occupied the southern regions of the Chaos Empire. Thus, the Chaos Empire became completely fractured.
The reason Gerald speaks of "four great human kingdoms" is his deliberate disregard for the Chaos Empire. In truth, the demons do not share a direct border with the Chaos Empire alone. Although the Spirit Plains and the Dragon Realm occupy vast territories, their borders nearly meet. Beyond the Forest of Dreadful Creatures lies the vast Neravel Sea.
In other words, the Chaos Empire is not the demons' only route into the human kingdoms. However, due to its immense territory and proximity to the demons, it became their primary target. The reason the demons have not launched a full invasion until now is that the land passing through the Chaos Empire is extremely critical—bounded by the impassable Spirit Plains to the west and the impenetrable Forest of Dreadful Creatures to the east.
This is the true reason behind the human kings' discussions. If the demons were to travel a great distance and pass behind the Spirit Plains, Ravethor would become their first target. While this would buy humans time, the most likely and fastest route remains passing through the weakened Chaos Empire.
This is precisely what Gerald referred to when he spoke of the meeting of the four great kingdoms three months later—whether Ravethor would be fortified with all forces, or whether a critical passage through the Chaos Empire would be chosen as the most probable option. For this reason, all armies would be positioned to support Kravendorn.
Aeth anticipated this, which is why he chose to strike Kravendorn before it could be reinforced. All of this information had been obtained by Fredrin through interrogations conducted before the elimination of the enemy spies within the palace.
To Aeth, this was the most appropriate and decisive move. The greatest defense is offense.
The armies led by Aeth and Ferdinand departed from the capital. Aeth reached his designated position within one week, while Ferdinand arrived in two weeks. From that point onward, everything depended entirely on whether the plan progressed correctly.
Since Aeth himself had devised the plan, he never left anything to chance.
The day of battle arrived. Aeth's forces laid siege to Eryndor Fortress. On the high ground before the fortress, Aeth's cavalry appeared—with Aeth standing at the forefront.
Inside Eryndor Fortress…
Panic spread throughout the fortress. Voices echoed among the people.
"They're attacking Eryndor…"
"The demons have attacked…"
"They don't look like demons…"
"The Chaos Empire fell this quickly…"
"If it hasn't fallen, what fool would attack Eryndor…"
"These walls are unbreakable…"
"Someone intends to sacrifice their army…"
At that moment, inside the castle…
Guards:
"Lord Eldrin, the city is under attack!"
Eldrin (Lord of Eryndor):
"Who!? The demons have attacked!? That cannot be possible so soon!"
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