Tale of the Fake Hero

Chapter 34 – The Prelude to All-out War, The Battle of the Red Mountains (2)

“Kaisen Alter Aradamantel, welcome to the strongest unit on the central front.” Loveris finally took off her colored glasses, placed them on the table, and stared at Kaisen.

That graceful movement took his breath away. Her restrained tone, sophisticated vocabulary, and restrained movements all showed that she was a true noble.

‘I can’t believe there’s someone who possesses such natural dignity…’

Kamila had been rough, and Sharon was more casual and teasing.

Those two people were full of personality, but the woman before him was a hero whose atmosphere stood in severe contrast to theirs.

“It is absurd to say that I saved them both…”

Thinking about it, it was only natural—Loveris was the eldest daughter of the empire’s leading family, the Paige-Burbank family.

“Stop. Don’t be so humble. I’m just trying to tell you that you’ve already earned my interest.”

“…?”

“I respected both of them. Is there a Fake Warrior who doesn’t? They called me Loro, Senior Sharon first gave me the nickname. Before I became a Fake Warrior, I had the middle name of Roradi.”

A faint trace of a smile appeared on the corner of Loveris’s mouth before it quickly disappeared, as if she were recalling a distant memory.

The smile was almost a shock to Teval and Mern, who were observing from outside the tent. It was unprecedented for their leader to tell someone her nickname and smile upon meeting them.

“We have a connection.” A witch in an alluring red silken robe spoke from the other side of the barracks, exhaling cigarette smoke. Wearing a conical hat, the witch bit her smoke pipe and winked at Kaisen when their gazes met.

[This is Marshal Melvin. Is Loveris there?]

The smoke from the pipe swirled on the table and formed the shape of a middle-aged man.

It was a communication spell that connected minds. It required great knowledge, and it was possible to gauge the witch’s skills from just that spell.

“I am here.”

[A large unit of uruks is moving to the plains. Ogres and trolls have been confirmed.]

“So they’re thinking of using the trolls and conducting a siege in the plains. How big is the uruk army?”

[The Nuwigin Clan is in command of 17 allied clans.]

“The Nuwigin is 3rd in the hierarchy of Hai-khun-tark. It will not be an easy fight.”

[Other than the Iron Cross, there is no way to break through Nuwigin’s heavy infantry phalanx. Estimated arrival time is two days. Take the Iron Cross and join the fight immediately.]

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

The Knights of the Iron Cross was composed of 522 knights.

Traditionally, a knight had one squire and two or three attendants to look after his war horse and armor. Since they were also armed and rode horses in the rear, the Knights of the Iron Cross were reorganized into a large unit of nearly 2,000 men at the start of the battle.

“Kaisen, do you know how to ride a horse? I believe the White Bone Corps was an infantry unit.”

“I learned horseback combat in The Temple of the Sword of Bravery.”

“Yes, there was that. That is more than enough.” Loveris grabbed her treasured sword, Schirpin, from a nearby shelf.

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Schirpin awoke in the hands of its proxy wielder and resonated with Aradamantel, exhaling a long, white breath.

Since Schirpin did not have a scabbard, Loveris carried it on her back with a special sling secured to a sword belt. Considered one of the most powerful holy swords, it had a heavy and great majesty to it, unlike Aradamantel’s clear and cold aura.

“I said earlier that there is no need for another hero, but I actually think it’s not a bad idea to have new special forces.”

Kaisen followed Loveris out of the barracks.

The garrison was already moving according to Teval and Mern’s orders—the squires were taking care of the knights’ swords and shields, and the servants were leading the war horses out.

“Herwell, bring Bloodwind.”

“Huh? Captain, you mean that Bloodwind?”

“Did another Bloodwind appear without my knowledge?”

“No… I’ll bring him.”

One of the servants led a red-maned warhorse over.

“Bloodwind is fierce, but you have the dragon spirit to control his temper, so don’t worry,” Loveris explained.

“Yes.”

The horse, which was snorting as it tried to bite off the servant’s head, actually went quiet when Kaisen touched it.

Did living beings have a natural instinct to be awed by the presence of a dragon in Kaisen’s soul?

He had never been interested in horses and had no eye for breeds, but Kaisen could tell at a glance that the horse was from a prized stock.

“It is a horse of the Solondian breed. It is suitable for a Fake Warrior… Although the breed was almost lost with the fall of the Adrion Continent.”

The horse’s legs stretched out, and the shine through his flowing mane was like a field of silver grass dancing in the wind.

When Kaisen stretched out his hand and stroked his head, the horse snorted cautiously and rubbed against Kaisen’s hand in submission.

Kaisen held out the apple Loveris had given him to help gain the horse’s friendship, and Bloodwind ate it with pleasure. “Please take care of me in the future, Bloodwind.”

Loveris spoke. “He’s more obedient than I thought he’d be. I have to deliver this letter to the post station. Herwell, harness the horse. Use the equipment that belonged to the original owner.”

“Oh, yes…”

Kaisen couldn’t understand the meaning of the uncomfortable and perplexing glances being sent his way.

The weather in the empire was cooler than in the republic, so Kaisen considered the clothing rather extreme in how much skin some of the people showed.

Eventually, Alidona, a member of the Iron Cross hero party, told him. “The empty seat you filled makes others uncomfortable to think about. It’s even more so since Loro willingly gave it.”

“…?”

“Margaret, Loro’s deceased disciple, rode this horse. Even though you are not her disciple, your position is similar, but everyone will get used to it soon enough.”

* * *

Depending on the flow of the westerly wind, there was a section of land that glided over both the continent and the peninsula—it was called the Floating Castle.

Though mortals called it a castle, it was natural and composed of trees, and a large tree known as the World Tree rose from the lake at the center of the land.

Elegantly wrapped around the tree’s trunk was the body of an old water dragon. Its green body had assimilated into the World Tree over time, changing into the same material and color as the tree.

A pure-white being sat on the tree’s trunk.

Was it because they had been sleeping in that state for nearly 20 years? Their snow-white skin was covered with moss and new tree shoots. Even that appearance seemed holy.

On that land of water, trees, and pure whiteness, a yellow dragon landed.

Shhhh—

Just as the rays of dawn scattered into countless particles, the dragon’s form broke apart and radiated light.

「Mir…」

The form of a woman with beautiful blonde hair wearing an old hat materialized. Surprisingly, that dragonkin with cross-slitted eyes was one of the Three Heroic Dragons, Setsunen, ruler of lightning.

「I heard that you sent a clone to Kerknude?」

She knew the reality of the land—the sad and desperate truth was that the World Tree and lake were only floating in the air through the power of the white dragon, the Heavenly Castle.

「You commanded the fairies on the Edea Peninsula at the same time. You overdid it.」

It was because of the ‘Black Summer’. When that battle reached its peak, Mirngadia suffered a deep cut from the abyss and had no way of maintaining her body other than by the World Tree.

It was why he chose that method to protect the world. If his body was to be fixed to the ground, he could move by moving the ground. If so, wouldn’t it be possible to send his clone farther away?

「You couldn’t ignore it because it was Raminea’s son, huh?」

A dark fairy attendant spoke. “A large enemy force is approaching the Red Mountains.”

Dark fairies were beings that supported the White Dragon army since ancient times with all their hearts. Such a responsibility was the pillar of their tradition, history, and honor.

Even in that era where the World Tree glided across the sky, their loyalty and traditions continued.

“The invading army of the demon central front gathered together and divided into three directions.”

Originally, Mirngadia was able to simultaneously observe hundreds of battlefields from the floating World Tree.

Since he was dying due to the erosion of the abyss, such a level of attentiveness was impossible. Therefore, his dark fairies filled in the perceptual gaps by giving oral reports.

“The Nuwigin Clan and the troll tribes form the left wing and are heading toward the plains. It is a large unit numbering over 500,000, including minor demon races.”

“The formation of the enemy main force heading toward the 2nd army cannot be confirmed. The volcanic ash is too thick.”

“The necrons’ 240,000 troops are heading east to Mythic Peak on their own.”

An answer to Setsunen’s earlier question finally came. Not through sound, but by sight.

[Nen, release the lightning barrier.]

The lake rippled gently as threads formed with aquatic plants intertwining on the trembling water surface.

Mirngadia’s body was asleep, so he could not use his voice.

「Okay.」

Setsunen threw back her old conical hat and clasped her hands together reverently.

A clear and noble brilliance spread out from her joined hands, to heaven and earth, to the entire Red Mountain Range beneath the floating castle.

Electrical Reverberance Formation…

The waves of light pulled out the soul threads from the body of the chosen person and tied them together—it was how two consciousnesses could synchronize.

It was a miracle that only Setsunen, who could read people’s minds, could pull off. Its capabilities allowed him to easily surpass the barrier applied to the battlefield.

[Marshall Melvin, we have made a connection.]

[From the Avino 2nd Infantry Regiment, Deputy Marshal Lockhart has been connected.]

[The Knights of the Iron Cross’ leader, Loveris, is being connected.]

The voices of those individually scattered across the battlefield were transmitted with a crackling sound as fragmented information was concentrated.

It allowed an immediate transfer of commands. With that power of light, Setsunen had saved countless lives in the fierce chaos of the central front.

[I, Mirngadia of the Heavenly Castle, will take command of the defensive battle in the plains as of this moment. 1st District Army, list your numbers from the marshal to the 2nd-in-command with authority.]

All of that fragmented information became part of a larger whole.

When thinking of how to use the power, Mirngadia explained it to Setsunen as:

[1st Infantry Brigade… check]

[Knights of the Iron Cross… check.]

[22nd Infantry Brigade… check]

[36th Infantry Brigade… check]

…

[Iron Fort Heavy General Corps… check]

[11th Armored Battalion… check]

[4th Independent Armored Company… check]

…

…

[1st Artillery Brigade… check]

[23rd Artillery Brigade… check]

[116th Artillery Regiment… check.]

[217th Independent Artillery Battalion… check.]

…

…

[1st Fighter Wing… check.]

[3rd Fighter Wing… check, end of roll call.]

An army was as strong as its whole. Individual strength was necessary, but solidarity of the whole was more important.

With that tactical idea, various fallen countries, small countries, and expeditionary forces that had banded together and carried out operations without unity were reorganized into a single army.

[As of 11:00, the 1st District Army will begin the defensive battle for the plains. There are around 500,000 enemies. All units, move according to my command.]

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