299 – The Great War (19)
Episode 299 – The Great War (19)
“That’s it, that’s the center of the empire. “It is the capital with the imperial palace!”
The Elf army started from the southern part of the empire and ran fiercely through the empire’s territory, breaking or bypassing various gates.
They still didn’t know what happened to Orca and were a little tired from running so fast, but when they saw the huge city in the distance, they fired up their last fighting spirit.
“The emperor is still in the imperial palace. He may use the rain to escape, but he doesn’t seem to have escaped yet.”
“Do you think you can endure it?”
The Church of Light actively rebelled and sided with the Elves. Among them, Saint Rhenia persuaded each Church across the Empire and told the Elves various information she had obtained from them.
The elves were greatly credited with being able to get here at an unimaginable speed without being attacked from behind or surrounded.
“This is the final battle. Everyone, be prepared. “We must win to end the battle.”
In Serenian’s absence, Kara, one of the commanders who took command of the elves, ordered a decisive battle.
Literally the last battle. No matter what the outcome was, the elves put everything on the line in this battle. Either occupy the imperial palace and win the war, or be defeated and driven out, or be isolated and die.
They believed that only by winning the battle could the battle line, which had been unbalanced by Orca’s invasion, be revived.
“Let’s all go. “I hope this is the last time!”
All at once, the elves ran the fairy ants across the land.
There are people called heroes of the elves, including Kara, so they are not outgunned.
In addition, since they could burn down even the highest castle walls, the notoriety of the elf cavalry riding on fairy ants was already well-established.
“I’m really coming!”
“Stop it. This is a sacred place. “This, this race, etc. Cannot take over!”
The imperial army in charge of defending the capital fought desperately. Orca pushed all of the elite troops to the east, but the most effective of those remaining are the Capital Defense Force.
For this reason, in the early stages of the battle, the imperial army surprisingly seemed to be holding out against the elves’ strong offensive. Due to strong resistance, the elves were unable to climb over the walls and capture the castle as easily as they had been able to occupy enemy fortresses.
“Well, that is…”
But as the battle continued a little longer, the balance slowly began to crack. Those who were doing their best to stop the elves climbing the castle walls were shocked to see a group of troops floating in the sky.
[Now, go and fight!]
The magnetic spirit, borrowing Ren’s power, lifted dozens of soldiers, including Ren, into the air using the power of the magnetic field that covered the surrounding area.
The elves flew through the air like that and crossed the castle wall in one go, shooting arrows and swinging spears at the bewildered imperial troops, destroying the castle wall in one fell swoop.
“Well, the castle wall has fallen! “The castle has been breached!”
The defenders collapsed along with the castle walls. Once the hole was opened, the elf army started pouring in like a torrent of water and began to cover the imperial capital, swirling like waves.
“Our elves, who had been living scattered all this time, gathered their strength as one point. “You won’t be able to win if you don’t bring in the Sword Saint, right?”
“Everyone, shut up. “He is…”
“The decision has already been made.”
Kara fought against the young hero and captain of the Royal Guard who attacked her, and subdued him by instantly freezing his limbs with the cold air he drew up.
She mentioned her orca, but the head of the guard, unable to move anything, only kept his mouth shut. If Orca came, she should have come a long time ago.
“You know, right? To Orca, this country and the emperor you serve are nothing more than tools. “If he really cherished it, it wouldn’t make sense to leave it like this.”
While other elves are passing by and charging. Kara did not kill the Guard Captain, leaving him frozen in ice.
In the end, he was unable to answer Kara’s question about Orca’s true intentions while smiling bitterly.
“Over there, over there is the imperial palace!”
Meanwhile, the leader of the elf army, including Ruri and Leon, was already in front of the imperial palace where the emperor was.
Now that the defense line that had been used with all its might to block had collapsed, it was a certain future that the imperial palace defense would also be breached.
***
“Your Majesty, there is nothing we can do. “Unless the regent returns, you must avoid it.”
“For more than 400 years since my ancestors established this empire, no one has escaped from here. “I have never been trampled like this by other races.”
“…I apologize. But it is an even greater humiliation for His Majesty to bow his head to those different races.”
Since defense is impossible, the only thing left is to escape.
When the defense line collapsed due to the power of the Elven army, which had gathered only the best, the defenders recommended the emperor’s evacuation via airship as a last resort.
“If at least some of the airships sent to the front had been left behind! I heard that the elves were running so fast that they couldn’t bring the huge cannons that were used to shoot down airships. “Isn’t this all a failure of the regent’s strategy?”
Pushed to the edge, the boy emperor let out the anger he had been suppressing for so long.
No matter how immature he may be, there is no way he doesn’t know that he is a puppet. Both his pride and pride were hurt, but he couldn’t show it as he watched Orca’s brutal purge from the sidelines.
“Your Majesty! Your Excellency is simply looking for the best way to win the war. In fact, the moment He steps forward, the battle lines are being cleared one by one, so He just takes refuge and waits for Him!”
“Are you the only one looking for that person in this situation?”
But it wasn’t just Orca’s problem. What Orca has put the most effort into over the years is, in fact, solidifying the forces that follow him and distributing them here and there throughout the empire.
The relationship that had continued since the time of the Great War was stronger than the relationship between military and minister, and many of Orca’s personal guards existed by the emperor’s side under the name of the minister.
In the end, the Emperor boarded the airship, unable to escape Orca’s grasp, even now.
An airship similar to a small sailing ship, too small to be considered a flagship. The airship took off into the sky at once carrying only the royal family and important people.
‘Is this really true?’
The emperor’s face hardened as he looked down at the capital where a fierce battle was taking place. In addition to the humiliation of simply abandoning the imperial palace and running away, he despaired at the thought of failing to fulfill his duties as emperor.
“Wha, something is coming!!”
But at that moment. Some of them who were quickly leaving their seats were shocked and pointed to the distant sky.
If it were a friendly airship, they wouldn’t have reacted like this.
‘What the hell is that?’
Two huge bodies flew in at once to the side of the airship and surrounded it as if guarding it.
One is a bizarre-looking creature with scales on the outside and spinning four huge propellers.
Another one is a giant rhinoceros beetle with a huge body.
“Your Majesty, Emperor of the Empire. “Where are you going after leaving the imperial palace?”
Urea, who was riding on the rhinoceros beetle, laughed and immediately jumped over to the airship.
They were Eden’s troops, including Elise, Serin, Naria, etc., Who were moving in conjunction with the elf army.
The frightened guards quickly pulled out their weapons and aimed at them, but their complexions turned pale as bows and guns were already pointed at them from both sides.
“It was not my will to leave the imperial palace.”
The emperor himself stepped forward and lowered the weapons that the guards were aiming at. There was no time for those who were shocked to stop them.
“I don’t understand. “The supreme ruler of the empire cannot decide whether to leave the imperial palace or not.”
“…I think so too.”
The emperor did not deny Urea’s ridicule and nodded his head. When the emperor reacted like that, naturally the ministers of the Orca faction who were by his side were surprised.
“For a true leader, the time of choice always comes. From the chief of a single village to the emperor of a great human empire. You can be corrupted by a wrong choice, or you can overcome a crisis by making a good choice. And that choice sometimes requires bold decisions.”
Urea, who smiled bitterly, pointed to herself, who had been corrupted by the lust for power she had never encountered before, and then pointed to the ministers of the Orca faction who were by the emperor’s side.
“The choice is yours. Are you going to keep going like this? Or, are you going to kick out the corrupt subjects who are causing a great war and causing trouble again, and who are the only people in the world who are self-reliant on children, and will you personally establish the status of emperor?”
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“I, I…”
“Your Majesty!”
Anyone at the scene could recognize the hidden message in Urea’s words. The pale-faced ministers of the Orca faction cried out, but the emperor hesitated, unable to answer right away.
“Try to command it yourself. “Your loyal knights will only do what you say.”
Urea, who saw the expressions of the knights glaring at her, gave a hint.
“…I will return to the imperial capital. “No matter what happens, we will see the real showdown there.”
“I will follow your orders.”
In the end, the emperor made a decision. He was able to shake off Orca’s power that was pressuring him, even if only for a moment.
Then, as if they had been waiting for those words, the guard knights held their swords upside down and aimed them at the ministers of the Orca faction, not at the people of Eden.