-BOOM!
A thunderous explosion shattered the early morning stillness.
"Ah-!"
John jolted awake, instinctively rolling out of bed just as another deafening sound reverberated through the room. The sound was so fierce it seed to shake the very foundation of the Dolphian Palace.
His heart pounded as he scrambled to his feet, his gaze darting around the room. The walls quivered ominously. Dust cascaded from the ceiling as it cracked, web-like fractures spreading across its surface.
"They're under attack," John muttered.
He quickly grabbed a fresh set of clothes from the chair by his bed, throwing them on in haste. Without hesitation, he strode to the door, wrenching it open to a scene of chaos.
The corridors of the Dolphian Palace were in panic. Maids clutched their skirts as they sprinted, butlers barked orders, and guards hurried to their posts, weapons drawn. Servants carried bundles of docunts and chests as though fleeing from an impending attack..
This wasn't just any attack-it was war.
John's room, tucked away in a remote wing of the palace, had been a grudging concession from Reiner Dolphis, the King of Dolphis. As a duke's son, John had rank, and at Alia's insistence, he'd been offered lodging within the royal palace. Yet, Reiner wouldn't let John too close to his daughter. He'd placed John far from the royal quarters, an act that now forced him to traverse the entire length of the palace to reach the heart of the action.
As he ran, a flicker of movent outside a tall, arched window caught his eye. John skidded to a halt.
The sight outside was nothing short of devastating.
The Dolphian Capital lay in ruins-or at least, what parts of it he could see through the smoke and flas. Billowing clouds of ash stained the horizon, darkening the sky. Spells zipped through the air, blazing trails of mana that crackled and hissed. Vibrant magic circles lit up like firework displays, montary bursts of mana as the Dolphian forces clashed against their opponents.
"These bastards..." John growled under his breath, his jaw tightening.
He turned from the window, steeling himself, and resud his sprint racing toward the war room, where he knew Reiner and the nobles would be gathered.
Finally, he reached the massive double doors of the chamber. Two guards flanked the
entrance but John didn't pause for formalities. Ignoring their protests, he shoved the doors open and strode inside.
The room fell silent.
A semicircle of nobles turned to glare at him. Reiner Dolphis, seated at the head of the table, scowled deeply, his features twisted with annoyance.
"I should have you executed for such disrespect, boy," Reiner snapped.
"What's happening?" John brushed off Reiner's empty threat and asked. He was used to Reiner's barbs by now. The man's disdain was constant, but his hands were tied-Alia's affection for John ensured he wouldn't follow through on his threats.
"John!" A familiar voice cried out.
Alia burst into the room, and she soon rushed to his side imdiately drawing a scowl from Reiner.
"What's happening?" Alia asked her father.
"It's Utopia," one of the nobles said. "They've launched an assault on the capital." "Really?" John scoffed, his lips curling into a faint sneer. His eyes flicked to Reiner. "I thought the Dark Elf Prince and his forces bypassed Dolphis to march on Central Vedelia?"
The situation had been strange, almost perplexing, when the reports confird that the Dark Elf Prince and his army had indeed left the proximity of Dolphis, marching toward Central Vedelia.
Dolphis had refrained from pursuing them, bound by the constraints of an ongoing war. Splitting their forces wasn't an option, not when their current resources were stretched thin. Reiner Dolphis had reasoned that Central Vedelia-under the command of Alector-had enough manpower and defenses to repel any attack.
For a fleeting mont, Reiner believed that Dolphis might finally get a reprieve from the constant assaults. That hope, however, proved short-lived. Barely a week had passed before a new threat lood on their doorstep.
This ti, it wasn't the Dark Elves.
"They've sent another army," Reiner growled. "High Elves. With half of Elaryon already fallen, their path to us was wide open. The breach in Sancta Vedelia created by Rolaem and
Edea's betrayals made it easy for them."
John stood silent, absorbing the news.
"Who is leading the army?" John asked.
He had steeled himself for a confrontation with the Dark Elf Prince, having prepared for the possibility of a direct battle. But this shift in opponents ant a change of plans. "According to our latest intelligence, the army is led by soone nad Kamarel," Reiner replied.
The na triggered a faint flicker of recognition in John's mind, but it was frustratingly elusive. He furrowed his brow, narrowing his eyes as he tried to summon the hazy mories of the Second Ga he had once played.
"Kamarel..." He muttered under his breath, the na lingering on his tongue. It felt familiar, like a word on the tip of his tongue, but the details eluded him. Ten long years had passed since his last day on Earth, and the mories of the Second Ga had grown faint. As for the Third Ga, he had played it with little care for the story, treating it more like a distraction than sothing worth rembering.
Was Kamarel a significant figure? A powerful commander? Or was he soone so trivial that John's mind had discarded him entirely?
Perhaps the lack of clarity was a good sign. If he couldn't recall Kamarel vividly, maybe the High Elf commander was no more than an inconsequential pawn in the Utopian War Arc.
"I will take him on," John said suddenly.
The declaration sent ripples of shock through the room. Every pair of eyes turned to him, wide with disbelief. Even Alia, who stood beside him, gasped audibly and clutched his arm.
"J-John?"
But John wasn't looking at her. His focus was locked on Reiner.
"You want to prove my worth, don't you?" John questioned. "You've never believed I was good enough to be Alia's partner. You've doubted from the mont I set foot in this
palace."
Reiner's eyes narrowed but he said nothing.
"Then let command. Give the chance to show you my strength. I'll lead the charge against Kamarel. I'll ensure he doesn't set a single foot inside these castle walls."
The room fell into a stunned silence, the nobles exchanging hesitant glances. Alia's grip on John's arm tightened further.
"Then you will have no choice but to accept as Alia's partner," John added.
"John..." Alia's cheeks flushed, and she quickly averted her gaze.
An awkward silence filled the room, the nobles exchanging uncomfortable glances. The atmosphere was heavy with the unspoken implications of John's words. The old n seated around the chamber shifted uneasily, visibly caught off guard by the open display of affection
between the young couple.
But for Reiner, the discomfort wasn't rely awkward-it was infuriating.
"Fine! I will let you die-fight the High Elves. But you'd better not disappoint , boy. This is
your only chance."
"Father..." Alia pouted. She crossed her arms, sulking at her father's harshness.
"I'm leaving now," John said brusquely, turning on his heel. "Send your orders to your n. I
don't have ti to waste arguing with them."
Reiner's glare burned into John's back as he strode toward the door, but John ignored it
entirely.
"I'm leaving too," Alia said, moving to follow him.
"No."
Both Reiner and John spoke at the sa ti, their voices overlapping with quite
a synchronization.
"Why?!" Alia asked out loud.
"It's too dangerous."
"It's dangerous."
Once again, the two n were perfectly aligned, their shared protectiveness toward Alia manifesting in identical reasoning. They exchanged a brief glance, frowning at each other as if irritated by the realization of their shared concern.
The truth was, both knew the Behemoth had done sothing to Alia. Neither could fully
understand or explain it, but the incident in Ashenor Forest had left its mark. The risk of whatever had happened to her repeating itself now, in the midst of a battlefield, was simply
too great.
Alia sighed, noting the refusal to argue further in their gazes. Reluctantly, she acquiesced. Deep down, she shared their unease. Whatever strange force had afflicted her in Ashenor Forest, she didn't want it to endanger her people-or John.
John gave a curt nod and walked out, but Alia quickly followed after him.
"Why are you following him?!" Reiner barked, slamming his hands on the table with such
force that the sound reverberated through the room. Several nobles flinched, and one let out a startled, high-pitched, "Gyaa!"
"I'm just going to help John get dressed, Father," Alia replied, exasperated by her father's overprotectiveness.
Unfortunately, her words had a rather unintended implication.
"Help him dress?" Reiner's voice rose several octaves, his expression thunderous as he
slamd the desk again. This ti, a few nobles toppled from their chairs, scrambling to
recover their composure.
"N-No! That's not what I ant!" Alia stuttered, her cheeks flushing an even deeper shade
of red. "I an-help him put on his armor!"
"This is too soon!" Reiner roared, looking positively scandalized. "You're only eighteen!"
"I'm an adult now!" Alia shot back.
"No, you aren't!"
John, anwhile, had already slipped out of the room, leaving the father-daughter argunt
behind.
()
"I don't want that cumberso role that that stupid Edward is already filling without his own
awareness."
()
"Shut up."
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