At the edge of the southern district, Knight Commander Tedric is waiting for Kaien to open the Gates along with the other soldiers of Reilaea.
Tedric figured that the Gates would appear any minute now. And so he ordered everyone to gear up and prepare themselves.
"Everyone, get ready! Any minute now, the Gates will be opened by Kaien! When that happens, we are entering battle right away!"
"Sir!"
As instructed by the Knight Commander, the other Knight Commanders and soldiers started gearing up. The melee fighters take up their swords, spears and armors. The long range soldiers armed themselves with their bows and arrows. And the mages of Reilaean army gears up to give support to the front liners.
The only thing they are waiting for is the opening of the Gates. And soon enough, the time that they've been waiting for has finally come.
Two distorted shape of a black circle big enough for a person to enter appeared in front of them in midair. Some of the knights aren't sure on what appeared before them at first glance. Unlike the veteran soldiers of Reilaea, especially those who were present when the decade war occurred, this is the very first time that the young new recruits will see a taboo scroll called Gates to be used.
"It's time! Advance!"
As four more Gates opened up in front of them, Tedric heeded the soldiers to follow his lead and entered the Gate.
Without objection, the soldiers followed the Knight Commander's lead and entered the Gates one by one, following with their loud roar.
With just a few steps, the scenery of Reilaea changed to that of Kruule. The loud banging sounds of blades clashing and the screams of people left and right rang through the Knight Commander's eardrums.
His eyes hovers around all through different directions as he try to assess the situation.
"There are people fighting... Did the people that were enslaved started a rebellion?"
Soon after, the soldiers of Reilaea that followed Tedric's lead came out of the Gates one after the next. Just like they were told, the moment they took a step into Kruule, the battle begins. They charge in as they give support to the people of Kruule that were fighting the soldiers of King Castile, overwhelming them with the sudden spike in numbers.
"Those armor... They are the soldiers of Reilaea!"
"Reilaea has invaded the north sector of Kruule!"
"The slaves are also fighting alongside them! We are being outnumbered!"
"Call in reinforcements quick!"
While the soldiers of Kruule are in a panic, Tedric who continues to observe the surroundings caught the sight of Kaien facing him.
"I'm glad you all stayed up and waited for this moment." Kaien told the other Knight Commander as he gave him a smile of relief.
"Kaien..."
Tedric traced Kaien's body from his head to his torso. There, he sees the hole in the young Knight's abdomen. Panic and worry quickly resurface onto his face, Tedric came rushing towards Kaien.
"Kaien! Are you all right?!" Tedric asked in concern to Kaien's condition.
"I should at least be able to carry myself back to Reilaea and have my wound treated." Kaien answered.
"I see."
"Before I go, there's a slight change into our plan."
"Is that so? Then I'm all ears."
Kaien proceeds to explain the entire plan onto confronting the enemies coming from the Kingdom of Kruule. Originally, the Knights of Reilaea would confront both the loyal soldiers of Castile as well as his slaves the moment they entered the enemy territory. But now that the slaves have been freed from their collars, Kaien decided to change the way on how they're going to deal with the other slaves that haven't been freed yet.
At first, they were supposed to capture the slaves who were forced to fight against their will. They will then be put in an isolation room until Edle and the others figured a way to take out the deadly collars without making a mistake and accidentally kill its wearer. But now, thanks to Rein, a former henchman of Celestine, she was able to extract the powerful lightning out of the collars that enslaved the true people of Kruule.
Now, all they need to do is to capture the slaves and bring them to Rein in order to free them from the collars.
"Rein? The one who were with us back in Reilaea, was it? Where is she?" Tedric asked Kaien and the others as his eyes wander around, looking for the girl named Rein.
Lira then stepped forward and showed Tedric her finger pointing to where Rein is at the moment.
"She is in the barracks along with David and Susun. There should be more people that she's freeing from the collars over there."
"I see. All right. I'll order our Soldiers to gather the slaves to the barracks."
Just as Tedric gave the elven woman a reply, they heard a voice calling Lira and Jinrah from the distance.
"Hey, Lira! Jinrah!"
Lira and the others turned face to the direction the voice is coming from and sees Sieghart running towards them.
"Sieghart!"
Sieghart's eyes moved to the side of Lira and was excited to see Tedric standing beside the elven woman and the others.
"Tedric! You finally came."
"Well, it's about time we join up with you all here."
Before they could start chatting like the usual normal days, Kaien jumps in and interjected quickly.
"Looks like everyone I needed has gathered here. That makes taking orders a lot easier."
Kaien paused for a moment to take a quick glance to the east, before shifting his gaze back to everyone.
"Sieghart, Jinrah, and Lira. There's some things I want you three to do. Will you give me a listen?"
The three looks at each other, they felt new to see a young Knight Commander giving them orders.
"It feels too unsual to see a young man giving us orders, but..." At first glance, Jinrah's remark sounded like he doesn't want to be ordered by someone younger than him. It didn't feel right for him to be following orders from a young man who probably knows a lot less than he is in the battlefield.
"...I guess you can't become a Knight Commander like Tedric if you weren't someone suitable for that rank."
Being a Knight Commander, the highest rank of a soldier in Reilaea is not something a knight can get so easily. Jinrah figured that Kaien has enough knowledge to be able to stand beside those remarkable soldiers at a young age. Eventually, he acknowledge Kaien and decided to do whatever he orders during this fight.
"Sorry. I know that being a Knight Commander bears a great responsibility. I also knew that the difference between me and Tedric is immeasurable in terms of our experience in battles, or the way we enact the things we think is the right choice. So I understand how you feel."
Jinrah and everyone else was stunned by the words he spat out directly to himself.
"I'm a knight who gave up fighting because I got wounded once while watching the others risking their lives even though the odds aren't in our favor." Kaien took a glance to Selene and Itsuo standing before him as he felt disappointed to himself.
"Kaien..."
"Hey...!" Jinrah tried to approach Kaien in hopes to stopping him from degrading himself in front of everyone.
But continuing to speak, Kaien stopped Jinrah from approaching him.
"To think that I vowed to myself that I would always be beside Edle in his time of need. How am I supposed to protect him with my current self. What an idiot. I hate myself."
"Hey, stop it alre--"
"That's why, I will make a vow once more. From this day forward, I will thrive to become a Knight who can protect the Prince from danger. I want to grow up and become a knight who will risk his life for the sake of the people he cared about."
Jinrah and the others thought that Kaien would slowly drift away from his path, considering all the things he had spoken to them not long ago.
But after mustering the courage to make a vow to himself once more, the silhouette of a young man growing up by acknowledging his flaws left everyone speechless. Unlike before, Jinrah finally sees Kaien as someone he can follow orders from. And it made him regret saying the things he told the young knight earlier.
Jinrah clench his fist, and he inches closer to Kaien before lightly giving him a smack in his head.
"Ah...?"
"It looks like I was wrong for thinking that you're a kid. I'm sorry." Jinrah sincerely apologized. "So what do we need to do?"
Both Lira and Sieghart were at a loss after what Jinrah did. But before long, the two stood beside Jinrah as they asked the Knight Commander the same thing.
Kaien was lost in his thoughts ever since Jinrah gave him a light tap in the head. However, after standing up in front of him. He later realized that this is the first step onto fulfilling the vow that he made. Atlast, Kaien gave the three Adventurers their tasks.
.
.
.
Several moments after giving Sieghart, Lira and Jinrah his orders in detail, the three scattered into three directions. Sieghart goes down south, while Lira flies to the west, and Jinrah goes up to the east.
Meanwhile in the same area they were all together not long ago, the Gates that Kaien opened had finally closed up. The soldiers of Reilaea are all in Kruule now. That completes Kaien's job to open the path for the allied soldiers to join the battle.
Kaien walks up to Tedric to give him the Gates while keeping one for his return to Reilaea.
"I'm sorry, Knight Commander Tedric. I'm leaving the rest to you."
"Leave it to us. By the time we return victorious, you better be fully healed. I'll treat you to your very first drink."
Tedric gave his farewell to the young Knight Commander and then went on his way to give orders to the soldiers, telling them to take the slaves into the barracks.
Watching the distance between them widening, Kaien finally decided to open the Gate and return to Reilaea. After opening the Gate that leads back home, he noticed Selene and Itsuo standing behind him. Both adventurers can be seen fully exhausted.
"I guess... This is our exit from the spotlight..." Itsuo stated as he continues breath sharply.
"You... You two didn't leave me behind even after telling you that winning is nearly impossible. Although your actions were unreasonable back there, I am truly grateful that I am still alive. I owe you two my life. Thank you."
The young knight showed his sincere gratitude to the two who helped him get out of that dire situation alive. He bows down to his knees to the two young adventurers before him.
Itsuo who is looking at Kaien with a blank expression on his face walks up to the Knight. He then reach out to Kaien with his open hand.
Kaien look up to see Itsuo's palm close to his face.
"You don't owe us anything."
"Huh?" Itsuo words bewildered Kaien.
"You're alive because you're not weak. Only a strong man can acknowledge his own weaknesses. Only by accepting your own weakness can you overcome your weak self. And you did just that. Although I guess you couldn't see it yourself yet."
Kaien couldn't accept what Itsuo told him. Accepting one's own weakness and overcoming them by spouting words isn't all that realistic, that's what he believed. However, Kaien got a hunch that Itsuo had gone through the same thing as him, that is why he is able to say those things and encourage people. And thanks to that, Kaien grows even more determined to overcome his own weaknesses. Kaien hides his face from the two.
Itsuo and Selene takes the lead towards the Gate.
"Let's leave the rest to Christa and the others. By the time the sun rises, it'll be our victory."
Selene, Itsuo and Kaien have taken their exit from the battlefield.
.
.
.
The battle goes on in the Kingdom of Kruule. Knight Commander Tedric lead the charge against the soldiers of Castile together with the people that broke free from the collar. And although reinforcements from the enemy arrive one after next. Tedric and the others were able to fight and push the enemies to the corner.
Meanwhile, Lira is heading west as part of Kaien's orders. Lira was instructed to go to a huge facility located in the western sector of Kruule to destroy all the potions they are manufacturing as well as other dangerous poisons the alchemists of Kruule can use to turn the tides of battle against them. At the same time, she must find and collect the antidotes that will cure the people of Reilaea that fell victim to the sleeping poisoning of Castile.
On Jinrah's side, he was ordered to go to a factory residing in the eastern sector of the Kingdom and destroy all the magic swords and other magic weapons that they are creating for the enemy soldiers.
And lastly, Sieghart. While the soldiers of Reilaea are busy fighting most of the soldiers of Kruule, Sieghart was instructed to make his way through the sloping landscape of the road to the highest part of land of Kruule - The inner sector. The inner sector is where the royal castle is located, and is the tallest structure in the entire Kingdom, thanks to the shape of the land that looked like Kruule is sitting around a sloping mountain.
"So that's the castle, huh..."
Sieghart must reach the royal castle and help rescue the rulers of Reilaea, Loilisn and Meleia along with Edle who is also heading there.
While everything is transpiring all at the same time, Christa and Edle arrived at the sector that is known to be the place where a slave prison and torture chamber for traitors resides. It is also known as a home for the dragons and other creature that is being tamed by Celestine and Castile - The Southern sector.
"So we ran all the way to here...?" Edle's voice echoed all around the quiet dark area.
"It's all quiet down here. The only thing we heard was from that giant magic arrow that exploded in the air a while ago."
After parting ways with Kaien, Itsuo and Selene. Edle followed Christa's lead to find the exit that'll lead them to the inner sector. But after all that endless running, the only thing that they find is an exit far from where he's supposed to go. Or so what Edle thought.
While they were on the way, both him and Christa went passed a lot of entrances as they tread straight down in the same direction that Christa is hustling towards.
Perhaps Christa can somehow tell that a trap was set onto the caves that they ran passed to. And to avoid them, she went all the way to the south. And that's why they ended up in the southern sector of Kruule. Even so, to go all the way passed the destination they're going to in order to avoid the traps the enemies placed for them, Edle believed that a trap is not something that can easily stop them from their tracks, especially that he is with Christa. Someone who is exceptionally powerful.
Edle shifted his gaze onto Christa who seem to be scanning their surroundings rather carefully. He then asks himself a question.
"Christa... What are you up to?"
At that moment, Edle is completely fixated on Christa. Without realizing it, he lowered his guard on his back. He is completely unaware that someone or something is approaching him from behind.
"Hmm?" Christa was alerted by the faint sound of metal coming from somewhere.
Whatever it is that is approaching Edle from behind, it continue to inch closer and closer to the Prince.
Before long, Edle's ears caught the same faint sound of metal coming from somewhere.
"Metal? Where's that sound coming from?" Edle whispered to himself as he cautiously wander his eyes around.
The Prince couldn't find the source of the sound. Until it eventually stopped. Now he's more concerned on what will happen next. He could pinpoint if there is an enemy coming from somewhere with the sound he just heard. And that makes it even harder now that the sound has stopped from making a noise.
Once again, Edle left himself unguarded. His back is so open for any surprise attacks. And that's what the enemy hiding in the shadows has been waiting for.
The sound of metal moving from the ground did not disappear because it went away from where Christa and Edle could hear it. The sound disappeared because whatever's making that noise have finally entered its range to prepare and strike Edle from behind.
And just then, he felt that is someone is staring daggers at him with killing intent.
"...!"
It was the time to strike, something from behind Edle lunges towards him like a snake that strikes its prey with its deadly venom. However...
Grab...
"..."
"Wha?!"
For all he know, Christa is standing in front of Edle. But in that split second, the girl with the crimson eyes suddenly appeared behind him. And it seemed like she catches something with her right hand. Something that Edle couldn't see with his naked eyes.
"Christa!"
"I managed to grab it in time."
"What is--"
Edle's jaw dropped in confusion as blood started dripping from Christa's fist. Something cuts her hand after she grabbed it.
"Christa... Your hand...!"
Though her blood drove Edle in a panic state, Christa remained calm. It didn't even look like she was bothered by it. She tightens her grip as she speaks.
"Show yourself."
Christa referred to the enemy hiding in the shadows. Edle looks around to find the enemy the girl is calling but he still can't see anyone in the vicinity. That is until a hearty laugh of a young woman rang through their ears.
"This voice..."
Edle recognized the mischievous voice of a woman. It was the voice of the young Princess he fought back in Reilaea, it was the voice of the daughter of the King of Kruule who attacked the Kingdom of Reilaea.
"Celestine...!"
The Princess of Kruule appeared quite a distance away in front of them.
"My... So you remember my voice, how nice of you, my sweet Big-brother." The tone in Celestine's voice sounded like she's charming men while trying to poke fun on Edle.
"Don't you dare call me your Brother!"
"You're as hot headed as ever, I see."
After exchanging words with one another, Edle draws his sword and asks Celestine about Elena and the others. As well as the antidote that will cure the poison he inflicted on Ordeus.
"Where is Mother and the other rulers?! And where's the antidote that'll cure King Ordeus?!"
"You're quite hasty, I see..."
"Answer me!"
"Yes, yes." Celestine shrugged at Edle after managing to make him scream angrily once more. She then gave him answers.
"Queen Elena, and the other Kings and Queens are still in the royal castle, the place where you're supposed to be heading instead of coming all the way here."
The look in Christa's eyes becomes stern after hearing Celestine's remark.
"And regarding the cure to King Ordeus's poison..."
Still wearing the same night gown in the banquet hall in Reilaea, Celestine pulls a small bottle containing the cure in the middle of her chest.
"Here it is."
Seeing the cure to Ordeus's poison casually being lifted between Celestine's index finger and her thumb, Edle tightens his grip to his sword.
"I knew it. Before I deal with Castile, I'm gonna have to take you down firs--"
Just when Edle is preparing to fight Celestine, his body froze up after witnessing the Princess throwing the only cure in the air.
"Wha...!"
the bottle went all the way across the area into Edle. The Prince lets go of his sword the moment his body become able to move.
Edle's heart begin to race as he extends his arms to catch the bottle. The bottle landed safely on both his hands after stretching his arms to the right spot.
Edle let out a sigh of relief before calling out Celestine and her carelessness.
"You careless bastard!"
"The cure is now in your hands. Now you can leave."
"Huh?!"
"Like I said before, I have no interest in any of this. I don't give a damn about Father's desires. I'm only interested in people. And I happen to find someone even more interesting than you."
Celestine averted her lustful gaze on Edle after her comment.
"Say what?"
Just then, a hand was stretched in front of Edle.
"Edle. Get to the royal castle."
"Huh? Christa? What are you?"
Christa stood before him. She then urges him to go once more.
"The plan is for you to get to the castle and save your Mother and the others. That's why you should go."
"But--"
Just now, Edle finally realized the answer as to why Christa lead both of them towards the southern sector of Kruule.
Until all of them got seperated with each other, Christa was always been with Susun. Susun is a former henchman of Celestine. And if Susun is familiar with all sectors of Kruule, then it's only natural for her to tell Christa about them, especially the southern sector, where it is known as the place where dragons and a mythical creature is being tamed.
She must have known that the enemy would use the dragons just like they did in Reilaea back then. She wants to get rid of the tamed beasts before they could be used to turn the tides against him and the others.
"If that's what really in Christa's mind, then I have no room to complain. However..."
However, the entire southern sector has been awfully quiet ever since they arrived. If dragons are really being tamed here, this place won't look like a ghost town. Still, the enemy that appeared before them is Celestine which is troubling all the same.
Edle thought pondering more over this quiet atmosphere would just be a waste of time. And so he finally sets his mind.
"I'm going."
"..."
Edle turns his back, facing Christa.
"Be careful, Christa."
"Leave it to me."
Christa gave him a short, yet confident reply. After that, Edle started running north towards the royal castle. As he picks up speed, Edle erases his worries and sets his mind onto saving his Mother and the rulers.
"Wait for me... I'm going to take down Castile, and save you and everyone else, Mother!"