Realm of Myths and Legends

The bizarre event lasted for less than a minute; however, by the time it stopped, the entire layout of the forest had undergone a drastic shift.

Aurie gazed into the distance toward the direction where the main group of her 2nd Unit should be retreating from the Pzenium forces.

"Things have already progressed to this point. Now, all we need is to focus on carrying out the final steps." Aurie thought to herself as she narrowed her eyes.

"Still, I was hoping the Sandstorm Walkers wouldn't be involved in this matter. Though, I suppose expecting that was far too optimistic of an outlook. The others should be able to hold their own well against them; however... according to Captain Nagaza, there is a named Great Warrior of the Sandstorm Walkers that's among the Pzenium forces. Besides him, there's also that man—the Sandweaver of the Desert, Gakhan. If Gakhan is involved in this, then... is it Great Duke Hammer taking the initiative?"

Pzenium was not like the others kingdoms in the Mortal Realm when it came to their participation in this great war.

Every kingdom had a clear side on which they stood. Be it with Tempest, Amaharpe, or remaining neutral—the objective of the kingdoms was clear for all to see. That is, except for the kingdom of Pzenium.

To begin with, Pzenium being recognized as a kingdom was a stretch. It had no true ruling structure, and most of those with power only used it to fight over control of the limited number of oases that existed in the desert kingdom.

Nevertheless, Pzenium was recognized as a kingdom for two reasons. The first was the military might of its citizens. In Pzenium, if one were not a warrior who experienced life on the battlefield, their worth was well than that of garbage on the side of a road.

Secondly, there was a certain existence in Pzenium that managed to collect those battle-hardened warriors under their wing. That person was known as the Grand Sovereign.

But, there was a set of unique circumstances that surrounded Pzenium. Even though it was ruled over by the Grand Sovereign and there were those with powerful influence like the Great Dukes, Pzenium was governed by something known as the Laws of the First Mercenary King.

Even the Grand Sovereign could not overrule the Laws of the First Mercenary King, which allowed the warriors of Pzenium to act as free men when it came to how they chose to wield their blades.

Therefore, while the Grand Sovereign was capable of commanding the forces of Pzenium, in the end, they could never order the warriors of Pzenium not to fight a battle of their choice. That's why many of those who came from Pzenium were mercenaries for hire and work with other kingdoms.

But, despite fighting for both sides, Pzenium warriors were never met with distrust. Nor were the kingdoms who hired them worried about a potential betrayal. This was all due to the Laws of the First Mercenary King.

The Laws of the First Mercenary King stated that there were only three ways for a Pzenium warrior to leave a battlefield they'd stepped onto—death, victory, or the absolute defeat of the side they chose to fight for.

Of course, most Pzenium warriors would rather die than admit defeat; therefore, it was generally accepted that only two ways existed, death or victory.

Nonetheless, it was because of the Laws of the First Mercenary King that Pzenium did not operate like a typical kingdom. This was a great fortune for the other kingdoms of the Mortal Realm. After all, if not for this, Pzenium's war potential and thirst for battle would have made them a threat to be feared by every kingdom!

The reason Aurie found Gakhan's presence so troubling was due to his connection with Great Duke Hammer, one of the most influential individuals in the kingdom of Pzenium outside the Grand Sovereign themselves.

"Crimson Blades of the Desert, Falcinean and Sandweaver of the Desert, Gakhan—these two are the left and right hands of the Great Duke Hammer. However, I heard reports that Falcinean is no longer at the Great Duke's side. If that really is the case, it's one less headache to worry about. That being said, I have no plans of letting my guard down. We are still outnumbered eight to one, so there is no room to relax. I must ensure that everything proceeds smoothly."

Aurie held her hand out and shouted, "Main group, keep the enemies on the offensive! Everyone else, head to your positions and prepare yourselves! We will make our final stand here and bury the Pzenium forces in the Nightfall Glades!"

Aurie's words were not directed to the air around her but rather to the bracelet around her wrist. This bracelet was a special magic item that allowed Aurie to communicate with others who were at a distance.

Aurie set up a formation that blocked all forms of long ranged communication within several kilometers of her current position in the Nightfall Glades. This stopped the Pzenium warriors from relaying their potential circumstances to other parties and worked to disrupt their own communication network.

Only those with a special bracelet like the one around Aurie's wrist could receive and send long-range communications within the formation. Therefore, it gave the 2nd Unit a huge advantage in terms of organizing its forces.

"Originally, the plan was only to stall the Pzenium forces and leave behind a small contingent to keep them busy in the Nightfall Glades. However, their numbers are even greater than we imagined. It's just as Captain Izroth mentioned in the scroll. How could he see this far ahead?" Aurie thought to herself.

In truth, it was already established that they would be outnumbered. But, according to their original estimate, it should have only been three to one, or four to one at most. Never would they have imagined that it would be a staggering eight to one. This went completely against the scouting report filed by the War Intelligence Group.

"It's unlike the War Intelligence Group to make such a glaring oversight. I've heard whispers and rumors about strange things going on regarding the Head of the War Intelligence Group, but... Is it really true? If the War Intelligence Group has been compromised at the highest levels, then the dangers that could come of it will be catastrophic."

Aurie released a heavy sigh and said, "No, I'm getting too far ahead of myself. In the end, rumors are just rumors without any solid evidence. It would seem that Captain Izroth's theory is likely the correct one. Though, in truth, a part of me had hoped that he was wrong this time."

The next moment, Aurie briefly closed her eyes and cleared her thoughts.

"Gakhan and the others should be making their move soon. It's about time I made one of my own."

...

"What was I thinking back then? I got too caught up in the moment, but... Is this really okay?" Ranazera thought to herself as she let out a long sigh.

The sixth princess looked down at her wrist where the Power Suppressing Band of Doulontas had once been. Her gaze then drifted upward and locked onto the person walking a few steps in front of her. This person was, of course, Izroth.

After traveling nonstop for a few hours, the two eventually reached the south end of the Nightfall Glades. However, their journey along the way was filled with awkward silence after their last conversation ended.

Ranazera finally managed to work up the courage to make her first major step on a path she decided for herself. But, after pushing herself so far and asking Izroth what is it that she had to do, the answer he gave her in return was, "It's simple. You just have to place your trust in me."

What kind of answer was that?! Based on his confident attitude, she thought he already had some kind of grand plan in mind that could turn around the situation in Tempest! Yet, all he could say was to place her trust in him! How was she supposed to be at ease with such a vague response?!

Naturally, this caused Ranazera to question whether or not she had made the correct decision back then.

The sixth princess helplessly sighed as she shook her head.

"What's done is done. I have already made my choice. Turning back now would only make me a fickle person. Since he said to place my trust in him, I might as well give it a shot. What other path is there for me to take? If it turns out that he deceived me, then I can only blame my own poor lack of judgment and naivety." Ranazera thought to herself as she came to terms with her choice at last.

Izroth glanced over at Ranazera and noticed the change in the atmosphere around her.

'Oh? It looks like she finally fully resolved herself.'