Chapter 549: Black Flags and Golden Emblems ( 549 )
Raikus stood silently, arms crossed again as the dust settled. The summoned puppet army was still and quiet, but his mind raced.
He had seen the reports before.
Armand Region—total military strength: 90,000.
A modest number for such a powerful domain.
But what truly shook him was the quality.
Full mithril armor.
Enchanted weapons.
Magic-linked communication gear.
Not just for the elites—these were for ordinary soldiers.
And now… this young boy, Javier, who wasn’t even their ruler, had just summoned 20,000 puppet knights, so even wearing adamantite armor.
Was Armand really that wealthy?
No famine.
No beggars.
No holess.
Even the smallest town within their borders was paved, clean, guarded by elite soldiers.
Every citizen was housed, fed, and kept safe.
Raikus exhaled slowly, trying to absorb it all.
“…It doesn’t make sense.”
He had served in the Beastkin Army for decades. He had seen war, politics, corruption, greed. Kingdoms that poured all their wealth into armies while their people suffered.
But Armand?
It had everything.
And behind it all, he knew, was the man pulling the strings—Count Garius De Armand.
The true ruler of the region.
The man known across borders not just as a noble, but as a trusted ally of kings.
King Lioness of the Beastkin Kingdom.
King Veldrac of the Demon Kingdom.
Queen Mylezra of the Elven Kingdom.
Raikus had witnessed all of them show Garius respect.
Even Edmund, Gumarak, and Gurdan—now Celestials—had once called Garius their closest friend.
They had fought side-by-side to seal the chaos that now tore the world apart.
Raikus clenched his jaw.
“…What a bitter betrayal that must have been.”
He looked again at Javier’s silent puppet army.
And in that mont, he realized the truth.
This wasn’t just a rich land.
It was a fortress, built and protected by a man who once trusted too much—and vowed never to leave his people vulnerable again.
Raikus narrowed his eyes as the young figure rode ahead of the silent army.
Javier De Armand.
Tall, handso, and calm beyond his years.
But he was only thirteen.
Raikus knew that both Princess Mimi and Felicia, the royal princesses, had shown interest in this human noble.
At first, he thought it was just youthful flirtation.
A passing phase.
But after observing Javier more closely…
This boy was different.
“…What is your real mission, Lord Javier?” Raikus murmured to himself, his tail flicking behind him.
Was it conquest?
Was he planning to expand Armand’s influence and secretly take over the dwarven territory?
No…
He didn’t act like a conqueror.
He left behind supplies—food, dicine. Hope.
Could it be diplomacy? To end the war between the Human Kingdom and the Dwarves? Or between the Dwarven Kingdom and the Halfling Kingdom?
But again—Javier didn’t speak of treaties or alliances.
He moved like a lone thread threading through a complex tapestry—not pulling at it, but quietly nding.
Raikus lowered his head slightly.
“…Or is it sothing else?”
Could Javier be chasing sothing even deeper? A hidden goal?
Sothing beyond borders, wars, or politics?
Raikus couldn’t tell.
But as the dust settled behind Javier’s mounted figure, one thought grew louder than the rest.
Whatever it was, Javier’s purpose was more than simple conquest.
Slowly, with clenched fists at his side, Raikus reflected.
This boy—this Javier De Armand—and the household he represented…
They weren’t enemies.
They weren’t invaders.
They weren’t conquerors.
They felt like sothing entirely different…
More like…
An alliance.
anwhile, in the Halfling Kingdom…
“WHAT!?”
King Gurdan’s roar shook the war room, his heavy fist slamming down on the polished stone table so hard that it nearly cracked the edge.
“A new army!? Conquering Gilikan Town!?”
He rose from his throne, eyes wide and furious. His thick halfling beard trembled with every word.
“There’s a new banner raised over our border town!?” he barked.
“Y-yes, Your Majesty,” one of the generals stamred. “Our scouts returned last week. They confird it—a black flag with a golden emblem. Completely unknown.”
Gurdan’s eyes narrowed sharply.
“Unknown…?”
He turned to his council.
“What happened to our soldiers stationed there?! Gilikan was supposed to be under our control!”
No one answered.
Another general stepped forward, his face pale.
“W-we’re not sure, my lord. We sent ssengers after their reports stopped, but none returned. We’ve lost all contact.”
Gurdan slamd his palm on the table again, teeth clenched in frustration.
“There was no siege. No warning. Just silence—then this!?”
His gaze darted back to the map.
Gilikan Town had been a key outpost—an important foothold near the dwarven lands.
And now?
It was gone.
Taken by an army that flew a flag no kingdom recognized.
No one knew their na.
No one knew their leader.
No one even saw the actual battle.
They simply raised a black banner with a golden emblem and erased the outpost from the map.
Gurdan’s hands trembled—not out of fear, but from the raging voice inside his head.
“You should’ve devoured him already…”
That voice.
That monstrous presence.
“We’re wasting ti, Gurdan… The others will get to him before you do…”
His eyes twitched.
He clenched his fists tighter.
Town after town had fallen to their forces. The dwarven defenses crumbled under pressure. But now—only three strongholds remained.
He wanted to push forward. To conquer. To finish the destruction he’d started.
But not recklessly.
And yet…
“You’re delaying,” the voice hissed. “You hesitate. And while you sit in that chair barking orders, soone else is moving.”
A new army. Unknown.
A black flag with a golden emblem now flew over Gilikan.
And no one knew who they were.
“What if they’re after him, too?” the voice growled. “Gumarak’s body. His core. His power. You should be the one to devour it!”
Gurdan grit his teeth, his head pounding.
He wanted to act.
He truly did.
But the weight of his kingdom, the losses, the resistance—it wasn’t like fighting small towns anymore. This was a fortress war.
Still, the voice inside refused to be silenced.
“Devour. Conquer. Rise. Before soone else does.”
Gurdan’s nails dug into the wood of his throne.
He didn’t say a word.
But deep down—
He understood the voice was right.
Ti was running out.
And Gumarak wouldn’t wait forever.
( End Of Chapter )
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