“Uhh, it’s a long story...... Anyway, Hulim, you still haven’t told why you summoned here.”
Ignir quickly changed the subject to Hulim, panic fluttering in its heart. The pressure of having two S-Rank powerhouses staring at it was way too much!
“Ignir, I need a favor from you. Please take Irus and to Ravenrim as fast as you can.”
“Ignir, can you do it?”
Irus added, her voice calm and steady.
“Just the two of you—you and Lady Irus?”
Hulim nodded firmly. “Yes.”
“Of course I can! No problem at all!”
Ignir lowered its massive body to the ground, its wings folding neatly against its back.
“Climb on board! Leave this to —no one in this world can get you there faster than the great Fire Dragon Lord!”
As a unique and incredibly powerful magical creature, dragons were capable of staying aloft for extended periods of ti. Flying was as effortless to them as breathing or sleeping, consuming barely any of their stamina. They could traverse entire continents nonstop, soaring directly to Ravenrim without needing to rest.
And Ignir, in particular, was an exceptionally formidable dragon even among its kind. Its flying speed was unmatched by nearly any other creature in the world.
If everything went smoothly, it could reach their destination in a matter of days.
Hulim and Irus leaped onto Ignir’s back, finding a secure perch between its massive scales.
“Ignir, this is an ergency. Let’s depart at once!” Hulim said urgently.
“Got it! Hold on tight!”
Ignir rose to its feet, its wings unfurling with a mighty whoosh that sent gusts of wind swirling around them.
Firuvin tilted his head up, his voice carrying with solemn resolve. “Take care, both of you. A fierce and arduous battle awaits you on this journey. Be vigilant at all tis.”
“Hulim, you’ve got this!”
Eileen shouted, waving enthusiastically.
“Yeah, Hulim! Don’t you dare die out there! I still owe you a rematch—I’m gonna beat you fair and square soday!”
“Hulim, stay safe!”
“Good luck......”
“Farewell, everyone.”
Hulim waved back at the group, a determined glint in her eyes.
Whoosh——!
In the next instant, a violent gale swept through the streets as the red dragon beat its wings and ascended into the sky.
It twisted its body mid-air, turning its head toward the west.
“Ravenrim! Here cos the great Fire Dragon Lord! ROAR——!!!”
With a deafening roar that shook the clouds, the red dragon’s figure vanished into the sky above Bongisto.
......
The Druid’s Forest.
This was the vital thoroughfare connecting the southern lands to Ravenrim.
In normal tis, the forest coexisted peacefully with the path carved through it by travelers. But now, it had beco an insurmountable barrier blocking the advance of the Indam Federation army.
“ROAR! ROAR......”
Countless monsters sward the path, attacking anyone who dared to approach with suicidal ferocity.
Even though the Federation army had repeatedly tried to break through using brute force and artillery barrages, the monster horde always managed to hold them back by using the Druid’s Forest as cover.
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Whenever they sensed they were losing ground, the monsters would retreat swiftly into the dense undergrowth. The forest was riddled with natural traps, making pursuit nearly impossible for the army. And if the army tried to seize the opportunity to cross the path while the monsters were in hiding, the horde would launch sudden ambushes, picking off stragglers and disrupting their formation.
The end result was that the Federation army was completely bogged down, unable to advance even a single step further.
Inside the Federation army’s main command tent.
CRASH——!
“Damned Gulos! Cowardly tricks, nothing more!”
Sandor the Bear King slamd his fist onto the table in a fit of rage, his voice booming like thunder.
“Give a squad of elite troops, Sylvia! I’ll lead the charge myself and cut down their commander where he stands!”
“......”
Sylvia was studying the sand table intently, her brow furrowed in concentration. She didn’t look up for several long seconds before finally lifting her gaze slowly.
“I’d love to give you that squad, Sandor—but do you even know where the monster horde’s commander is hiding?”
“That......”
Sandor faltered, his jaw tightening with frustration. But he refused to back down, his tone stubborn as ever.
“If we keep searching, we’ll find him eventually! There’s no hiding place that can last forever!”
Hearing his words, Sylvia rubbed her temples, letting out a weary sigh.
“Eventually? Do you have any idea how vast the Druid’s Forest is? You could search for months and still co up empty-handed. By then, Ilz will have already fallen.”
“Then what do you suggest we do? Burn the entire forest to the ground?!”
Sandor roared, his patience wearing thin.
“For a normal forest, that might work. But the Druid’s Forest is no ordinary place.”
Sylvia explained, her voice sharp and logical.
“It’s ho to the most diverse array of plant species in the world. The ecosystem here is incredibly complex. If a fire ever broke out, the forest’s natural defenses would kick in imdiately—creating firebreaks and increasing the humidity in the affected areas to smother the flas before they can spread. This forest is practically immune to wildfires.”
“You have to realize—they chose this location to block us for a reason. They knew we couldn’t just burn our way through.”
“If that won’t work and this won’t work, then for the love of the gods, tell what will! We can’t just sit here and do nothing!”
Sandor snarled, his temper flaring once more.
“I do have a few plans. But every single one of them will take ti—a luxury we simply don’t have right now.”
Sandor’s heart sank at her words, his anxiety spiking.
“Hey! All of you! Speak up if you have any better ideas! Now’s the ti to stop holding back!”
He turned to the other officers in the tent, his voice echoing with urgency.
The officers exchanged uneasy glances, none of them daring to et his fiery gaze.
“With all due respect, ma’am,” one officer ventured hesitantly, addressing Sylvia, “perhaps we should rely on our aerial forces? They could cover more ground and search more efficiently than ground troops.”
“That’s not an option,” Sylvia shot back imdiately, shaking her head. “Our aerial units are no match for the monster horde’s flyers. Sending them out would be nothing short of a suicide mission.”
“What if we deploy a large number of high-rank warriors to conduct a sweeping search?” another officer suggested.
“First of all, we don’t have enough high-rank warriors to cover a search area large enough to make a difference,” Sylvia countered, her tone firm. “And even if we did, splitting our forces that way would put each team in extre danger. The enemy commander’s location is definitely heavily guarded—small teams would be slaughtered the mont they get close.”
“Then...... what if we just go around the forest entirely?”
“Even the shortest detour would add over a month to our journey......”
The command tent erupted into heated argunts, with officers shouting over each other as they tossed around half-baked ideas. But by the ti the eting adjourned, they still hadn’t co up with a viable solution.
The harsh truth was staring them in the face: the only way to break the deadlock was to eliminate the monster horde’s commander. But as long as he remained hidden in the forest, buying ti with hit-and-run tactics, there was nothing they could do to reach him. All their strategies and plans were rendered useless by his cowardly but effective evasion.
Sandor the Bear King stord out of the command tent, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white with rage.
He marched straight to the cavalry camp, issuing orders in a thunderous voice. Soon, a unit of cavalry assembled, mounting their heavily armored Swiftfoot Beasts, their weapons glinting in the sunlight as they prepared for battle.
“Sandor! What in the world do you think you’re doing?!”
Sylvia rushed over as soon as she heard the commotion, her face etched with alarm.
“I’ve had enough of this useless waiting!”
Sandor snarled, sitting astride a Swiftfoot Beast that was noticeably larger and more muscular than the others.
“I’m going out there to kill those monsters blocking our path! Every ti they attack, I’ll drive them back! Every ti they ambush us, I’ll hunt them down! I’ll keep killing until there’s not a single monster left standing to block our way! All units—CHARGE!!!”
THUNDER RUMBLE......
At Sandor’s command, the cavalry unit surged forward, thundering out of the camp in a mighty wave as they charged toward the path swarming with monsters.
“Are you insane?! You can’t possibly kill them all! Co back here at once——!”
But Sandor was already too far away to hear her shouts. The deafening roar of the Swiftfoot Beasts’ hooves pounding the ground drowned out her voice completely, shaking the earth like a minor earthquake.
Sylvia watched the cavalry unit disappear into the distance, her face twisted with frustration. But after a few monts, her expression softened, returning to its usual calm composure.
“......”
The Federation generals standing behind her shifted awkwardly, unsure of what to do or say.
Finally, one of them spoke up cautiously, breaking the tense silence.
“Umm...... Lady Sylvia? What should we do now?”
Sylvia paused for a mont, deep in thought, then replied coolly.
“......Let him go. He’ll blow off so steam and co back soon enough.”
With that, she turned on her heel and walked away without a second glance.
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