Chapter 632 — Divine Calamity

The window had been shut for barely two seconds when the door was suddenly thrown open and two figures strode quickly in. Both were fully armed, and both still carried the chill of the outdoors about them; they had been out in that cold wind so long that the storm outside seemed to have followed them in. The instant the door opened, the maid half thought the window she had just shut had been blown open again.

"Your Highness. My lord Duke."

"Mm. You may withdraw."

"Yes."

The maid left the room with respectful haste, and the two figures walked toward the desk and the high-backed chair. The one in silver-white armor inlaid with gold patterns came to the broadest velvet seat, and as he sat he pulled off his helmet and tossed it onto the table beside him. Beneath it was the face of Welsh Moen.

"The barrier has stabilized for now. With the extra supply from the mana focus in the western district, the great shield of Sacred Sunil should hold for a while," Welsh Moen said, looking at the Duke of the Western Marches who had entered with him. "The cathedral's priest order also made it onto the walls in time. The soldiers' morale and their rest are being seen to."

"But those monsters are growing more terrifying by the moment," said the man who had come in with Welsh—none other than Baiyu Franklin, Duke of the Western Marches. He wore a dark blue robe woven with a pattern of stars, but beneath the robe a chainmail hauberk could be glimpsed, lending this somewhat bookish Guardian Duke a touch of martial bearing. "They have lost all organization, but they have grown fiercer and more fearless. On an open plain that would be a weakness—but here and now, they hold an overwhelming advantage in numbers and have thrown up a siege. That makes them very dangerous."

Welsh was silent a moment, then asked abruptly, "When will the Western Marches Legion arrive?"

"Within two days—they are already near Flatwater Lake," Baiyu Franklin said. "Rest easy, Your Highness. They will ease the situation."

"I know… but Sacred Sunil is not what worries me most," Welsh said quickly. "Please send word to your legion—detach half their strength and have them establish a defensive line along the west bank of the Gorgon River, from north to south…"

Baiyu grasped it at once. "You fear the monsters will cross the river?"

"As you said," Welsh nodded slowly. "Those monsters have gone mad. Their actions no longer follow any logic… While they were still an army, they would focus on attacking their target strongholds, and they moved with clear purpose, obeying orders and prohibitions. But now they are mad… If great numbers of wandering monsters cross the river and enter the western Spirit Plain, the consequences would be terrible."

"I will see to it at once," Baiyu Franklin nodded, then raised another matter. "Your Highness, I have received word that the southern army left Bedrock Fortress roughly a month ago. They are operating in the southern plains and appear to be fighting those monsters as well—but with communications so poor, the intelligence has only just arrived, and the details remain unclear."

"...Cecil..." Welsh murmured the name under his breath, then shook his head. "Too far. We must rely on ourselves first."

Baiyu Franklin regarded Welsh in silence for several seconds before speaking. "Not everyone can remain steadfast. The nobles of the inner city are badly shaken now; the capital's nobility has split into two factions, those who advocate holding the city and those who advocate abandoning it and fleeing, and they are nearly evenly divided. Their quarreling has even begun to undermine the stability of the city's knight orders—many knights owe loyalty not only to the royal house but are themselves sons and scions of the great families, and those families are now making plans to flee."

"Abandon the city, abandon the city... flee where?" Welsh clenched his fists and spoke bitterly. "Saint Sunil is the last fortress barring the central axis of the Holy Spirit Plains. Once it falls, those monsters can drive straight through and corrupt the entire western plains! The western plains are the grain basket, wide open with no natural defenses—the strongest castle there cannot compare to a single tower of Saint Sunil. Abandon this place and we abandon all of Ansu; fleeing would only mean a slow death elsewhere. Do they truly mean to seek shelter in the Ogrei tribal kingdoms?!"

"...I fear so, my prince," Baiyu Franklin said slowly. "The Ogrei tribal kingdoms, the Violet Kingdom, even the barbarian states of the north... those who advocate flight have likely already packed their belongings at home and found places to settle in those countries."

"..."

For a long while afterward, Welsh Moen did not say a single word.

Baiyu Franklin simply watched him in silence—watched this crown prince who had been away from Silverkeep for so many years—and likewise said nothing.

Several minutes later, Welsh rose, took his helmet from the table beside him, and slowly set it upon his head.

Baiyu's gaze followed his movements. "Where are you going?"

"To the city wall once more."

"A crown prince going to the front in person can indeed inspire the troops, but in the present situation, the little morale gained from your going to the front so frequently is likely not enough to offset the danger you would face."

With his back to the Duke of the Western Marches, Welsh paused for half a second, but in the end he said nothing and strode out of the study.

Baiyu Franklin quietly watched the direction in which Welsh had departed, and only after a long time did he speak softly:

"Of course, if you are going for more than an inspection of the city wall... then that is another matter entirely."

:.: