Chapter 367: An Unexpected Visitor (2)

“...I knew it.”

Darryl Harian couldn’t help but chuckle as he stared at Lakna.

“It seems that picking you was the right choice.”

“You better start making some sense...” Karyl growled, frowning at Darryl.

“Mew...”

The divine fawn seemed startled by Karyl’s killing intent, whimpering softly as it retreated behind Darryl.

“The so-called Three Great Beasts are divine creatures infused with the power of spirits. They vanished along with the Spirit Realm,” Darryl continued, gently stroking the deer’s head.

“Among them, the Divine Deer has always received the power of Rasis, the Spirit King of Light. Even if my power is lesser than yours, Allen, you can’t defeat me because of this.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Allen scoffed, clearly offended.

“It may be young, but since you’re relying on Duaat’s power, this creature could even turn you to ash if you’re not careful.” ”

“...”

“You said all three beasts perished. So how did you come to possess one?”

“Yes, they did die, but we managed to revive one—Alkar, right here.”

“You revived a divine beast?” Karyl frowned at Darryl’s claim. He had never heard of anything so absurd, not even in his past life.

Like the Wooden Cloud, the Golden Magic Society was also shrouded in mystery. Though they had lent some power to the Lurein Principality, even the dukes knew little about them.

“Anthem seemed to be rather familiar with you. He mentioned how helpful your abilities would be in developing formation spells.”

“The dukes of the principality were all fools, but he was different. Though he didn’t share our purpose, he was smart enough to use our power when it suited him.”

“So it wasn’t exactly a relationship built on trust.”

“It’s better to have talents you can use than unreliable information. We’ve helped each other. We haven’t been in touch recently because of other matters, but...” Darryl trailed off, tapping the old tome in his hand.

“The Free State of Tatur owes us, so I thought we might be able to arrange a beneficial trade with you, Lord Karyl.”

“We owe you? Don’t expect me to believe in some so-called

debt

with someone I’ve just met for the first time.”

“You’ll understand soon enough. Was the word ‘debt’ too strong? Think of it as just a minor favor, one that needn’t be enforced by force.”

“Spare me this nonsense.”

“Very well. If you change your mind after seeing this, we’ll move forward with negotiations. After all, this trade involves matters beyond the current war. You see, it’s important for when you claim your place as the ruler of this continent...”

Karyl looked sharply at Darryl Harian. It seemed this man had already anticipated Karyl’s victory against the empire and was preparing for what came after this war. His tone reminded Karyl of the fabled war of prophecies.

“Here.”

“...Hmm?”

Darryl handed the old tome to Karyl.

“The Grand Grimoire. Rest assured it’s the real thing. Consider this a gift of trust, a gesture of goodwill.”

“Weren’t you just saying that abilities matter more than shaky trust?”

“There is no uncertainty here. This artifact was crafted after the Mythical Era.”

“Isn’t the Golden Magic Society the very group that sought this? Are you sure you can just give it to me like this?”

“We cannot use it ourselves. To reach the realm of Great Magic, one must attain balance and be free of extremes. Polsetia alone holds immense magic, just as your swordsmanship does.”

The Annihilation Strike—a technique Karyl had obtained from the Thousand-Year Ice Cave, passed down from the ancient Bladers.

“But...”

“Indeed, it’s not enough to kill a god,” Darryl Harian said promptly, as though reading Karyl’s mind.

“Magic alone is powerful but not ultimate,” he went on. “And unfortunately, we cannot even wield it. It’s beyond what a human body can withstand. Only someone with dragon mana, like you, Lord Karyl, could handle it. You, a vessel of such power and mastery of the god-slaying swordsmanship, are a blessing to us.”

A bitter smile strayed on Daryl’s face.

“Don’t give us that gratitude crap. Sorcerers are, by nature, obsessed with magic. They only claim they can’t do something when they know their limits,” Allen scoffed dismissively.

“That’s not entirely untrue.”

“What exactly did you intend to do with this magic?”

The Golden Magic Society had been formed for the sole purpose of finding the Grand Grimoire, Polsetia. If they simply sought to wield the ultimate magic, they wouldn’t have given Karyl the tome in the first place. Instead, they would’ve done everything they could to master the magic themselves.

“The same as you, Lord Karyl.” Darryl shrugged lightly. “For now, let’s leave it at that.”

Leaving things vague, Darryl seemed ready to leave, clearly unwilling to discuss the matter any further.

“Please make good use of the grimoire. Securing this from the Blood Cave was no easy task.”

“Wait... Where did you say you found this book?”

He stopped, halfway turned. Though Karyl couldn’t see his face clearly, he could’ve sworn Darryl was smirking.

“Didn’t see anything else in there?” Karyl pressed.

“Who knows? What are you referring to—”

CRASH!

Karyl slammed Darryl Harian’s head into the ground with brutal force.

No matter their magical prowess, sorcerers couldn’t possibly hone their bodies to withstand such a vicious hit. Any one of them would’ve had their brains splattered across the ground.

Hsss...

And yet, Darryl had simply faded to dust on impact, his silhouette emerging ahead of Karyl, seemingly unscathed.

“Suan Hazer and Israphil,” he said with a knowing tone.

“You insufferable bastard.” Karyl shot him a glare.

“Believe it or not, those two weren’t there when we reached the Blood Cave. However, the demonic fruits cultivated within the cave had also disappeared. Because of that, the Wooden Cloud had abandoned the cave, and we were able to investigate it without trouble.”

“Hard to trust anything you say. You’re just as shady as the Wooden Cloud. Besides, I’ve yet to confirm that this book is actually Polsetia.”

“The Spirit Kings will know it’s real. And you can set your mind at ease. You’ll learn the whereabouts of those two soon enough... though perhaps that will only give you more to worry about,” Darryl Harian said with a slight chuckle.

𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

“And why’s that?”

“The Church will make their move soon.”

“That’s hardly surprising. The empire is at war, so Olivurn was bound to use that power. The timing is what matters,” Karyl replied coldly.

“Before that, please kill the Platinum Dragon.”

“Arrogant to the end, huh. Don’t you tell me what to do.”

It became clear that Karyl wouldn’t give Darryl another warning. Even Zigra, standing beside Karyl, felt suffocated by his overwhelming aura.

“The Spirit King of Light is sealed in the safest place in the world—within the dragon’s heart.”

“...!!!”

“Anyway, I’ll be going.”

With those final words, Darryl Harian vanished into the darkness, taking the radiant white fawn with him. All that remained in the forest was the dim glow of embers from the dying campfire.

[What a strange man. Who is he?]

“Who knows.”

[In any case, the war isn’t over. The Platinum Dragon must be on the move against the Free Army. So let’s continue with the trap you mentioned.]

Karyl glanced at the tome Darryl had handed him.

Woom...

The ancient book opened on its own, the pages emitting a glow as they flipped rapidly, seemingly resonating with Karyl’s draconic mana.

As Karyl glanced over the script, his eyes widened slightly.

“Perfect timing.”

A faint smile crossed his face.

* * *

Graaaaahhh...!!

The piercing roar of the Platinum Dragon echoed across the battlefield, mingling with the chaotic sounds of battle.

“Sorcery unit, focus all your power on the shield! Reinforcements from the Immortal Council will arrive in one day! No matter what it takes, we must withstand that creature’s breath until then!” Thompson shouted.

The Platinum Dragon soared above them, spewing flames across the battlefield.

Boom! Crash!!

As the sorcerers of the Ulkas Guild poured their full strength into casting protective magic, a massive dome-shaped shield rose over Tatur.

With the empire’s forces gradually closing in around Tatur amidst the thunderous sounds of explosions, the battlefield grew increasingly tense.

It’s working.

Now that the legendary dragon had joined their side, Tiren was certain the tide of battle had turned in their favor.

“All forces! Cross the river and advance!” he shouted to the troops, determined not to let the momentum slip away.

“There’s still a sorcery unit stationed in Tatur. Since we’re composed mainly of knights and regular soldiers to maintain speed, it might be better to wait until the rear forces join us before advancing...”

“This battle is a race against time. Once the northern immigrants, the Digons from the south, and the large golems from the marquisate gather here, it’ll be much harder to breach the fortress.”

“Tiren is right. Tatur is at its most vulnerable now,” Kuwell intervened, siding with Tiren over Martte.

After securing the canyon's center and seizing the high ground, Kuwell had urged his forces forward, advancing on Tatur without pause. Thanks to his fearless fighting, the morale of the imperial army was at an all-time high.

“I agree as well, Brother. Even if they have a sorcery unit, we have a dragon on our side. Compared to a dragon, even Grand Sorcerers are nothing but drops in the ocean. Why worry about the magic of some mercenaries?”

Even with Elliot’s reassurance, Martte couldn’t shake his uneasiness. He knew Karyl well, and the wounds on the Platinum Dragon’s wings kept bothering him.

What happened at the rear? It must have been Karyl’s doing.

At that moment, Kuwell placed a firm hand on Martte’s shoulder.

“Overthinking will render you unable to fight. Focus solely on capturing Tatur.”

“...I apologize.” Martte bowed his head in response.

“Tiren, what’s the plan?”

“This is a race not just because of the reinforcements. To advance quickly toward Tatur, we left supplies with the rear forces and brought only the essentials. We’ve got a day’s worth of supplies left at most.”

Tiren’s words drew tense expressions from everyone. The scarcity of supplies was a constant psychological strain, one that would inevitably affect the soldiers’ morale as time went on.

“But since the Platinum Dragon has arrived, it should take about two days for the rear forces to join us. It’s a bit of a stretch, but we

could

hold out.”

“I see.”

With that, the others sighed in relief.

“So, what’s the conclusion?”

“We need to launch an all-out assault,” Tiren said resolutely, his eyes gleaming.

* * *

“Any word from our lord?”

“Still nothing.”

“He went to the rear to confront the Platinum Dragon, but given that the dragon is here now...”

Anthem Howard voiced his concern, but Dushala shook her head sharply at him.

“Enough of that nonsense. If you, a commander on the battlefield, keep speaking like that, I’ll behead you myself.”

It was the first time her deference toward Anthem had turned to sharp rebuke, leaving him visibly unsettled.

“Haha, now that’s more like the Queen of the Black Market,” Kamma chuckled, as if he had missed seeing Dushala’s usual self.

“What about the reinforcements you mentioned?”

“They’ll be here soon.”

With that, Ganeth mounted his wyvern, trusting Dushala without any further questions.

“I see. Then, I’ll be counting on your command,” Ganeth told Anthem. As a knight, he would fulfill his duty on the battlefield, placing his faith in the strategist to guide them to victory.

Anthem gave himself a firm slap on both cheeks as if to shake himself awake and refocus.

“They’ve blocked the river upstream, reducing the water flow. The advantage of the fierce currents is gone. The Fonein is so shallow now that they’ll be able to walk right over it.”

“So you’re saying they’ll launch a full assault on us?”

The thought of 500,000 troops, reinforced by a dragon, charging toward Tatur was horrifying.

“Their only weakness is a lack of supplies. Their provisions are concentrated with the rear forces.”

Anthem pointed at the forest behind Tatur on the map.

“And we haven’t been able to strike their rear because the Platinum Dragon has been protecting them.”

“But now that beast is here, tearing up our front lines in a fit of rage,” Kamma chimed in, seizing the opportunity.

“So that means their rear is unguarded. In that case, let’s have the Wyvern Squadron strike them.” Ganeth nodded, clearly understanding the plan.

“No. Though the Platinum Dragon is no longer with them, their rear is still heavily defended by the empire’s sorcery unit. The wyverns will be easy targets for them. Besides, we need those creatures here, as they’re the only thing that can somewhat counter a dragon.”

“Then...?”

At Ganeth’s question, Dushala leaned back, looking at Kamma. While he blustered, she simply kept her eyes on him.

“...Hah, so we need to destroy their supplies without getting caught. Is that it?”

“Yep.”

Finally, Kamma scratched his head, seeming reluctant but resigned.

“Snatching the food from under their noses... There’s no one better at that than you, right?”

At that, he merely shrugged. “That’s just your average Tuesday in the slums.”