Duke Pendragon

“Heuk, heuk…”

Thousands of people marched nonstop through the territory of the Pendragon Duchy as the hot summer rays bore down on them.

“Your Excellency, our troops are way too exhausted. What don’t we let them take a little break?”

“Nonsense. We will reach the gate in a little while. Keep feeding the soldiers salt and water. Make them hold out somehow, whatever it takes.”

Count Louvre was firm, or rather, a glimpse of madness could be seen within his resolute expression. A strange light glimmered in his bloodshot eyes, while sweat drenched his clothes like pouring rain.

“…..”

The knights and nobles of the Great Territory of Alice were unable to find words to respond. The dice had already been cast, and their fate could only be in accordance with their lord’s orders.

“Heugh…”

Eventually, some of the soldiers collapsed. They could not continue to march under the extreme heat without rest.

“Leave behind those who fall behind.”

Several soldiers attempted to support their fallen comrades, but they had no choice but to turn a blind eye after hearing the orders of their high lord. As such, the remaining soldiers continued walking without rest. A heat haze hung over the dirt road.

A couple of hours later, the army of the Great Territory of Alice finally arrived at a place where Bellint Gate was visible.

“I will have them set up camp, my lord.”

Baron Stones spoke with a relieved expression. Surely, they could find some rest now. However, Count Louvre turned his bloodshot eyes towards Baron Stones and spoke unexpected words.

“No, we do not need to set up camp for the soldiers.”

“What?”

Baron Stones responded with disbelief, wondering if he had misheard. Count Louvre explained himself in a dry voice.

“We will carry out an attack before sunset. If we succeed, we will not need a military camp. If we fail, then we can set up camp after retreating.”

“…..!”

It wasn’t only Baron Stones who was shocked by Count Louvre’s words. The nobles and knights nearby also expressed disbelief.

Their lord was speaking absurd words. How could they launch an attack when both the knights and soldiers were in such an exhausted state? Moreover, they were launching a siege against enemies who were well-rested and in a geographically superior position. The enemy would be overflowing with stamina and have high morale. To attack now would be no different from suicide.

“Y, your Excellency, the soldiers are extremely exhausted. With all due respect, it may be better to let them take a rest today and launch an attack early tomorrow morning…”

“Shut your mouth! Have you already forgotten the beings that are behind us? We do not know when those motherless orcs and centaurs will hit our rear. Yet you still insist we set up camp and take a day’s rest?”

“…..”

Baron Stones remained silent.

It was just as Count Louvre said.

On their way here, the army of Alice had to be vigilant and alert in case the centaurs and orcs attacked again. Not to mention when they were on the move, even at night, they were constantly forced to have the griffons scouting the area. Even the strongest of their griffons were exhausted from constantly flying around.

“We will not set up camp. Set up simple tents to block the sunlight and have them rest. We will attack before sunset.”

“As the lord wishes!”

Everyone bowed their heads at Count Louvre’s icy words.

Mercenaries and soldiers ate and rested under makeshift tents erected with sticks and pieces of cloth, while the nobles rested in large, proper barracks.

Count Louvre also retired to a private camp, which was guarded by two soldiers. No one heard from him. In addition, no one visited or looked for him, perhaps because of his strict orders.

“…..”

Count Louvre took off his armor and washed his face with cold water. Then, he looked up in the mirror. The face stained with hostility and vengeance was completely contrasting from his earlier years. The cool, solemn expression was nowhere to be found, and his appearance was hateful and hideous.

“Hehe…!”

The smiling face that stared back at Count Louvre was drenched in madness.

But what did it matter?

He would soon achieve vengeance for his son…

“I will surely kill you. I will kill everyone and burn them. Not a single head of grass, not a single mutt will be left alive… Keuhehe!”

Count Louvre mumbled while staring at the mirror, his eyes opened abnormally wide and without blinking a single time.

“Do you not think so? I did as you told me to, so you need to keep your promise, hmm?”

It wasn’t known to whom he was speaking to initially, but at a certain point in time, a shaded figure wearing a gray robe had appeared behind his reflection in the mirror.

“I will keep my promise…”

The Nameless Necromancer said while taking off his hood, and Count Louvre turned around.

“Of course, you must. I came all the way here while trusting in your words. Now, should we talk about it now? How will you eradicate the seeds of Pendragon?”

Some would call him crazy, but he had led his entire army all the way here, solely based on the words of the mysterious sorcerer. And now that he had already encroached on Pendragon’s territory, there was no turning back.

Therefore, he needed answers to his questions.

“Do you know of Elsaroa, the Queen of Death?”

“…..!”

Count Louvre’s bloodshot eyes filled with shock. He never thought he would hear the name of the unprecedented witch who terrorized the world hundreds of years ago.

“Yes. I have summoned Elsaroa once again. And currently, she is at the center of the Pendragon Duchy, Conrad Castle.”

“Hooh…!”

Count Louvre’s eyes glowed with joy.

The story of the Queen of Death and the progenitor of the Pendragon Duchy was famous. The very first Duke of Pendragon had been the greatest contributor to building the foundation of the Aragon Empire after killing the witch.

However, Count Louvre soon spoke with a look of doubt.

“But could not Duke Pendragon kill her? Or perhaps even one of his knights… That’s right, would it not be possible for that knight named Isla? The one who was recently crowned as the Knight King of Valvas.”

The Nameless Necromancer had maintained an expressionless face so far. After hearing Count Louvre’s words, a cold smile slowly crept up on his face.

“That is correct. That is why I had her possess the child named Serin Reiner, the one who was supposed to become Elkin Isla’s bride. The King of Griffons, the one born with its blood, Elkin Isla – he is only capable of killing Serin Reiner, at the expense of his love for her.”

“Hmm?”

Confusion was evident in Count Louvre’s face. He did not understand the meaning of the Nameless Necromancer’s words. As if having expected Count Louvre’s response, the Nameless Necromancer continued while slowly approaching him.

“Luna Seyrod, Elsaroa of Alcantia, and Serin Reiner. Three souls are contained in a single vessel. The reason I chose Serin Reiner was to eliminate Elkin Isla, the strongest one besides Duke Pendragon. In the end, even if he manages to kill the Queen of Death, in reality, he will only be causing Serin Reiner’s soul to disappear.”

“…..!”

Count Louvre became wide-eyed after finally realizing something.

“Perhaps… Since the souls of Luna Seyrod and Elesaroa are still in the body, only one can be eliminated by Duke Pendragon?”

“That is correct. Both Luna Seyrod and Elsaroa have strong affection for Duke Pendragon, and only Pendragon can purify their souls. But the law of causality dictates that only one soul is allowed per person. Pendragon will not be able to remove the soul of the other, regardless of whichever it is of the two. Even if Soldrake steps forward, it will be impossible.”

“Ohh…!”

The Nameless Necromancer smiled deeply while gazing straight into the eyes of Count Louvre, which were filled with joy.

“The soul that remains at the end will become the Queen of Death. She will revive endlessly and eventually turn everything in the Pendragon Duchy into ashes. In addition, she will not be able to leave the duchy’s land due to her strong love and affection for Pendragon. In the end, this land, just as you wish, will be transformed into the land of death forever…”

“Hehe… Huhahahahaha!”

A grotesque laugh burst through the strangely twisted lips of Count Louvre.

How refreshing would that be?

He could kill Duke Pendragon, then have everything on the land annihilated into nothingness. Was this not the best gift to appease the soul of his deceased son?

“If that is possible… Heuheu! If that is really possible, I do not mind losing everything I have. Keheuheuheu!”

“Yes. That is why you must initiate the battle before the sun goes down. The Queen of Death requires the blood and souls of many to truly awaken. Such is the way of causality…”

“Keuk! Good! They are only swine and mutts to me. I am their high lord, so they should be grateful that they will be laying down their lives for me. Kekeuk! Keheuheuheu…!”

Count Louvre’s maniacal laughter resonated quietly throughout the tent. His mind and humanity had been devoured by his hatred for Duke Pendragon. He was no longer human, but a monster consumed by revenge.

***

“…..”

Conrad Castle’s palace was dead silent. It was a silence of shock and sadness. Elkin Isla, the Knight King and the strongest knight of the Pendragon Duchy, was dead. He had brought Eltuan to Conrad Castle with his life on the line, and after hearing Eltuan recount her experience, the people of the Pendragon Duchy were made speechless.

But one person, Vincent, soon spoke in a stifled voice.

“We must send a griffon to the imperial castle right away to inform His Excellency the Duke of this matter. And we must also send a letter to Bellint Gate to alert Sir Killian and have him make preparations.”

“But how do we deal with such a witch?”

The people’s expression turned even darker at Sir Campbell’s lamenting words. Just as he said, Killian would be rendered helpless in front of the witch, since even Isla had been unable to kill her.

“Remember what the witch said as she left.”

‘One of the three has died. But I still remain two, and Pendragon can only kill one of the two. ‘

Everyone shuddered when they recalled her words. However, they were still ignorant of the meaning behind her words.

“One of three has died. The witch was probably referring to Miss Serin Reiner. Black magic, or more specifically, dark sorcery, usually devises magic that allows only a certain person to remove something from a medium. That is the law of causality of magic. Only Sir Isla was able to purify Miss Serin Reiner’s soul from the Queen of Death.”

“Ah…! That means…”

“Yes. Two still remain. It probably means that there are two souls remaining in the witch’s body. And according to what the witch told Baroness Conrad before revealing her true self, one of them must be Lady Luna Seyrod.”

“…..”

People had grim expressions after hearing his words.

It was an unbelievable tale to hear that Luna’s soul was contained in Serin’s body. But what did it matter? She spoke such words before proceeding to attack Lindsay…

“The lord will be able to purify or remove the soul of Lady Luna Seyrod, or the other person. That is what the witch said.”

“B, but the words she spoke before leaving were…”

Lindsay stammered with a pale expression. Others turned pale after recalling the witch’s final words as well.

‘And that will be the blessing of death for Pendragon.’

According to the witch, Duke Pendragon would die the moment he managed to kill one of the two. Just as it had been with Isla.

“…..”

Vincent bit his lips, and blood started to flow. But he could not find words to speak. Even though he was called a genius, he could not come up with a solution.

‘But…’

He raised his head after making a determination.

“There must be a way for Lord Soldrake, the other dragons, and the angel from the Lindegor family. This crisis reaches far beyond the Pendragon Duchy. The whole empire might experience a recount of the event from hundreds of years ago. If we inform the lord, he will surely lead all the dragons and the angel to this place.”

“…..”

Even after hearing Vincent’s hopeful words, everyone’s expression remained grim.

“All right. Let us do as Sir Vincent suggests.”

Heads turned towards the pure voice. Despite the shocking, seemingly hopeless situation, Elena did not lose confidence as the senior of the Pendragon Duchy. She spoke while turning towards the crowd.

“Send the fastest griffon to the imperial castle and accurately inform them of the current situation. And deliver the news to Bellint Gate as soon as possible. Lock down Conrad Castle, and we will clean up the mess.”

“As the duchess wishes!”

The people of Pendragon bowed.

Two griffons departed from Conrad Castle. One was headed to Bellint Gate, while the other furiously flapped its wings towards the imperial castle. A few hours after the griffons departed, the most desperate battle in the Pendragon Duchy’s history commenced at the Gate of Bellint. It was a battle that could determine the fate of the Pendragon Duchy.