anwhile, at the damaged outpost, Vinea and Velvet stood listening to the empress who received information to return to the capital.
"The strange light from the world tree likely ans that they succeeded." Empress Sarina spoke with a dignified voice, her trusted knights nodding while also curious about what they gained, as even in the books it never shone this bright.
"Though that is not everything, thanks to Runa and Orina's report we now know the forest that was once locked away, has been reopened." She looked at her elven knights with a smirk. So of them were darker than the others, likely outcasts or descendants of the dark elves.
"That ans that Asmodeus managed to do sothing we couldn't for thousands of years."
"What's that?" Velvet asked, curious about why the elves seed so excited about a little beam of light and the forest no longer being sealed. Maybe it was her usual cynical attitude, but after the demon king left, she beca listless and lacked the sa energy as before.
Ar'Sarina turned to the gathering of female demons. She allowed the princesses and royals from Grigor to join, thanks to Duke Qwass, King Avandar and the Demon King's contributions to their elven empire.
"Because of that light, we will be able to regain the powers we lost millennia ago, a power that made us weak and submissive to the mainland humans." Her eyes shone with a fierce light when speaking the last few words, a history that many knew of, but the elves detested their loss in the war.
"The light is a sign that the trial of our goddess Aristella was fully completed, which ans that Asmodeus my son-in-law will receive the full rewards, not just her tears."
"He'll beco stronger?" Velvet seed delighted at that possibility, her purple eyes shimring with light as she smirked at herself.
"Then what of the tears, will he still gain them?" Asmodea asked, her scarlet hair tied into a side ponytail, while reading the docunts that the empress allowed them to check.
Empress Sarina smiled gently, her eyes becoming warr when looking at the young princess who seed the most difficult to get along with. "It will be fine, the Arachne Lumina has already given us the information, here is the vial of her tears."
"Eh? When did she co back?" Velvet asked, while Asmodea shook her head, seeming to write sothing on a blank parchnt.
"Well… Asmodeus thought that we might need the tears faster due to the sudden changes." The empress smirked with an evil expression.
Oblivious to these developnts, Aki, Fuuka and Alice, who left the palace a few days after Asmodeus and his group, headed to the world tree. Since the morning practise ended, they all gathered to discuss the future possibilities.
With Vinea, Asmodea and Velvet in the eting, they seed bored.
"Do you think we'll have to fight the elves?" Aki asked with her hands, constantly swinging a greatsword.
Woosh!
"Well, if Asmodeus cos back soon, I don't think so? He seed to want to visit Grigor one last ti before we headed north." Alice added, her fists clashing with a steel dummy. Since improving her level and power, she constantly trained with the knights.
"Really? I thought he would whisk you all into bed and enjoy a nice orgy…" The young sword master couldn't help but say sothing outrageous. Fuuka's cheeks beca dark red as she lowered her hips, practising her quick draw technique and killing blow.
"I think he probably will." Alice nodded, her lips curling into a smile, wondering if she could enjoy that ferocious and bestial side of Asmodeus again. "I hope he does…" She corrected herself, causing the other won to look at her with strange expressions.
The outpost seed in safe hands, with the elven defenders bolstered by the two thousand human knights who increased the other day.
Duke Qwass stood on the black walls, watching the labourers and stonemasons repairing and making new stone walls. After the first assault, the empress quickly gave funds to improve the outpost's outer defensive structures.
"It seems that the elves will be a wonderful ally."
In the past, he committed too many foul deeds and despite confessing to the king, Avandar forgave him and instead of taking his title away, imdiately offered the Duke a chance. If he built an improved relationship with the elves, then he would keep his title, although the fines he needed to pay would still be paid.
'Though, I cannot learn to accept that foolish barbarian overnight. I wish him well.'
Asmodeus helped Qwass indirectly, though Qwass himself didn't know that Avandar just used his na to force the duke to accept his cris and this thod of punishnt. Originally, Duke Qwass threatened to take his life to restore his honour.
However, King Avandar couldn't do that because he knew the true effects of the curse and that it would only twist the most faithful and reliable mbers of Grigor into evil.
Technically aning, that most of the people who remained faithful all the way through carried so impure thoughts to the throne and Grigor's future.
"So the boy is called Asmodeus now, It feels like only yesterday when I t him in that damn jail. Haha."
The knights around Qwass also rembered Ryuji in the past, and since he achieved so many feats, they realised that all his words in the past were true.
'The system using summoned heroes will be abolished, and instead they will be used to help support the weakest knights, and paid a good wage.'
Duke Qwass smiled, amused by the changes his king started making all because of what happened in a year, though seeing the kingdom he loved growing stronger.
That was the true reward for Qwass.
Thud!
"Hm?"
There was a strange sound from below the walls, causing Qwass and his knights to look around. Though the stonemasons were cutting rocks, few were using sledgehamrs today.
"What's going on?"
"We don't know, sire!"
Thud!
"What!"
This ti the impact was larger, causing the walls to sway, and suddenly Duke Qwass snapped his head back to the knights relaxing and practising. His chest thumped, a tingling sensation rushing down his spine as he suddenly yelled.
'The enemy!'
"ALL KNIGHTS—" Experience new tales on empire
BOOM!
The wall exploded from beneath the ground fire, and brimstone rose into the air.
Duke Qwass fell from the walls. The knights nearby were crushed under the collapsing walls. Even the labourers were swallowed up in the explosion.
"Ahhh!" So people scread as they fell with the rocks, while others were launched by the blast.
Suddenly, a large black fist punched through the rubble, and a towering figure erged.
It was a being of pure muscle, and it was easily nine feet tall, its entire body covered in a leathery skin, a mountain troll.
The creature roared as it pulled its body out from the earth; the rocks exploding and flying through the air, striking the knights who tried to fight back, and the fleeing people.
Its roar was so loud that everyone in the outpost froze, looking at it in horror, their hearts sinking as they looked at the monstrous figure.
"They've got a cave troll." One of the knights exclaid, before Aki and Alice rushed to the scene, both of them gazing at the gigantic troll, before dozens and dozens of goblins started to pour through the four holes created by the sudden explosions.
"All knights to the front, protect the archers!" Alice bellowed, hoping her voice would bring more defenders. "Contact the empress, inform the guards Fuuka!" She ordered, not looking at the black-haired sword master.
"Alright, I'll be back, wait for !"
Alice and Aki both nodded before turning to face the trolls, who seed to dig more holes to allow the goblins to invade the outpost.
"All n, are you with , we must save the Duke!" Alice didn't like Duke Qwass, but he ca to help them in the past, and now she wanted to return the favour as a royal and noble. To bridge the gap between her brother and Qwass.
"Ugh…" A male struggled to his feet from the broken rocks, his body throbbing with pain, a tal bar piercing his abdon, while he desperately drew his sword to fight.
Shling!
Duke Qwass looked a ss, but with a sharp gaze, he gazed upon the goblins and troll. He tried to move, but his body was weak, and his wounds were too much for him to handle alone.
"Don't let them break our defences, we must protect the outpost!" He yelled out, trying to rouse the n who were knocked down by the blast.
He didn't know if he was unlucky, or lucky, but their group was sent on the opposite side of the wall, aning there were two trolls.
Clang!
From the inside of the walls, the roars of monsters and clash of steel echoed, causing him to grit his teeth and call out to his fellow knights. "We must hold them here. That troll must fall."
'If this is karma for my sins, then I will gladly fight until my last breath, King Avandar, my old friend.'
Qwass' eyes were bloodshot as he stared down the goblin army, even as the cave troll started to batter on the walls, causing large cracks to form in their new construction.
"Rally to my side, we shall slay the troll!"
"To arms!" The knights who once felt dishonour serving at the Duke's side suddenly roared, all of their anger and sha being unleashed at the enemy.
The trolls bellowed and smashed into the walls, the sounds of explosions echoing out as they smashed into the walls, and the cries of knights rang out as they rushed forward at the oncoming goblins.
"For Grigor, and the silver citadel!"
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