Chapter 447: The Third Calamity (1)

In the early hours of dawn, before the sun had even risen, a sudden alarm from the communication orb plunged the operations room into chaos.

“R-Reporting in! The Silverwing Fleet stationed at the front line of the strait is currently engaged with a Tarak! Half the fleet has already been wiped out!”

“...What?”

Before they could even declare the start of war, horrific news rang out across the Free Nation’s command center.

“Israphil!” Anthem called urgently.

“On it.” Israphil nodded and promptly cast the Superior Vision.

“Protect the remaining ships at all costs! Lord Ganeth is currently en route with the 1st Wyvern Squadron! Lord Ganeth, can you gauge the Silverwing Fleet’s condition?”

As Israphil activated his spell, the magical projections revealed Ganeth on his wyvern, soaring through the skies.

“...Damn.”

“This can’t be happening...”

The soldiers’ expressions darkened as they looked at the projections.

Most of the fleet had been torn apart, on the verge of sinking. Soldiers who had fallen into the sea were being swarmed by countless tiny insects, struggling helplessly to escape.

“H-Help me...!!”

“Aaagh...!!”

Their agonized screams were harrowing.

The insects had already devoured the ships’ hulls; it took them only seconds to rip through the flesh of those poor men, consuming them whole.

“We even coated the hull with a mix of Jannabi poison and sulfur powder... and it did nothing...”

Watching the Silverwing Fleet fall into ruin, Anthem Howard clenched his teeth hard.

“Lord Anthem, look. Those things are breaking through the soldiers’ armor and devouring the flesh underneath. Even armor made from Clear Distilled Water doesn’t seem to stand a chance.”

At Israphil’s words, Anthem gave a solemn nod.

The Third Calamity: Lice

They had believed they were fully prepared, but the emergence of the Third Calamity shattered all expectations.

The surprise attack was devastating enough, but what truly unnerved them was the complete failure of all the defensive measures they had set in place. Every tactic and countermeasure they had designed, assuming they were dealing with something similar to insects, had proven utterly ineffective.

The fact that even Clear Distilled Water—capable of suppressing mana—had no effect meant the Tarak weren’t made of mana alone. They were something else entirely.

“We need to pull back the ground troops. Now that armor is meaningless, only knights capable of reinforcing their bodies with mana might stand a chance. Ordinary soldiers will not be able to hold the line against them.”

The man speaking, his gaze fixed on the magical screens, wore black armor.

It was Kaishin, the former commander of the Black Knights who had once defended the imperial capital. He was one of the few knight commanders to survive the empire’s fall. Recognizing his exceptional skill in defense, Karyl had allowed him to retain his position.

“The silver lining is that the enemy began its assault from the sea. The loss of the Silverwing Fleet is tragic, but their sacrifice may give us a chance to save the rest of our forces.”

Kaishin assessed the situation with calm precision.

During the imperial war, he had fought Viola over control of Fonein Fortress. Though he had failed to reclaim it, even Viola had acknowledged the strength of his fortifications and the efficiency of his troop deployments.

After the founding of the Free Nation, he was appointed to the command center as a strategist under Anthem.

“I believe we must revise the operation.”

Even as he delivered his report to Anthem, Kaishin kept casting glances at another man seated in the room—one whose demeanor contrasted starkly with the urgency hanging in the war room.

It was Tiren MacGovern.

In truth, Kaishin found his presence uncomfortable. Tiren’s absence had partly enabled Kaishin’s own promotion, and now he was suddenly back in the inner circle.

I knew he was reassigned to internal affairs... What is he doing here? I hope Karyl is not planning to use him as a strategist.

Of the Seven Knight Orders, only the Black Knights had been assigned purely to defense. Now, with the empire gone, Kaishin had been hoping to rebuild his influence.

“Withdraw all deployed forces. Move the magic corps from the rear to the front lines. All remaining troops must prioritize the protection of the magic units.”

Even with Tiren present, Kaishin presented the strategy he had worked on throughout the night without hesitation. It was evident he had planned for every worst-case scenario.

“Each magic corps must defend the designated key strongholds. Under no circumstances should the enemy be allowed to breach the barriers.”

Anthem nodded. “Tiren, any insights?”

At that, Kaishin stiffened. Even after presenting his entire plan, Anthem still turned to Tiren. Kaishin frowned at him, making no effort to conceal his displeasure.

“I am only here under my father's orders. It seems Commander Kaishin has already provided an excellent strategy.”

Though Tiren spoke in a humble tone, Anthem was well aware that he had been flawless in everything he had done so far.

“I’m not asking him for a strategy. I want to know what

you

would do.”

Kaishin’s expression darkened even more.

Pressed by Anthem, Tiren stood from his seat and cleared his throat.

“I believe you already know the answer, Anthem,” he said firmly. “I hate to admit it, but Karyl is a better tactician than either of us. He never would’ve left the Third Calamity entirely in our hands without a proper plan in place. More importantly...”

Tiren looked Anthem in the eye. “He would never abandon his own people.”

Only then did Kaishin recognize the flaw in his own reasoning. Believing himself a master of defense, he had considered his plan sound—perhaps the best available. But that unwavering confidence had led to a critical oversight—he had treated the Silverwing Fleet as expendable.

“Everyone knows the plan. Begin the operation at once.”

As Anthem gave the command, he activated Israphil’s Superior Vision to relay instructions to every stronghold across the continent.

“Understood!”

“The Ulkas Guild has deployed all forces.”

“The Immortal Council is ready as well.”

“The Dawn Council is currently on the move!!"

“Sir Israphil, the magic corps have completed deployment at Fonein Fortress. It’s the closest stronghold to the Silverwing Fleet. We are heading out to rescue them now,” Viola’s voice echoed from the fortress.

Even now, she insisted on fighting the Tarak on the frontlines alongside the Fanpinel Knights. As a princess, her resolve was admirable—but in the Free Nation, where no leaders, regardless of rank or gender, ever retreated, her courage felt almost commonplace.

Perhaps that was why, despite everything she had achieved so far, Viola still seemed thirsty for victory and glory.

“No,” Anthem said firmly.

Tiren exhaled quietly, as if he had already anticipated that answer, and left the room.

“Reinforcements have already been dispatched. Lady Viola, please focus on reinforcing the fortress defenses.”

“Reinforcements...?”

Viola was understandably confused, as the magic corps had only just finished deploying. Kaishin looked equally puzzled.

Was Tiren the only one who had seen this coming? No, this was a surprise attack. No normal person could have predicted that reinforcements would reach the Silverwing Fleet at lightning speed.

There was only one explanation—Tiren truly understood Karyl.

Anthem finally understood why Karyl had placed Tiren in such a high position despite the tension it stirred.

Tiren never sought the spotlight. Only a few people recognized just how capable he was, Anthem being one of them.

Karyl had not placed Tiren here simply because of his skills. He had done it to push Anthem, to keep him sharp.

“Sir Ganeth, we have equipped the wyverns of the 1st Squadron with the barrier bombs developed by the Academy. Once the signal is given, drop them all at once.”

“A signal...?”

“Yes. You will know it when it happens."

Anthem’s eyes gleamed as he realized that Karyl’s prediction had been spot on. And as he looked toward the seat Tiren had just vacated, he vowed to himself not to become like Kaishin, who now stood frozen, having realized too late what was truly important.

As soon as the communication orb went quiet, Ganeth turned his gaze toward a distant part of the sea.

He spotted something—something cutting through the waves, racing toward the embattled Silverwing Fleet.

“Is that... the Mana Ship?”

Caught off guard by the unexpected reinforcements, Ganeth gave an incredulous laugh.

“Port, twelve degrees. There are some reefs caused by the wreckage, but... compared to the archipelago where we ran into the Sea King, this is nothing. Full speed ahead!” a lively voice rang out from the helm.

The young man gripped the ship’s wheel with all his strength. His long hair was tied back tightly, and his lean, muscular frame stood in stark contrast to his youthful face.

In his past life, he was known as Mack Meister, one of the empire’s Seven Greats and a man who once ruled the continent’s trade routes. Now, Karl Mack was living a completely different life.

Countless voyages through narrow straits had honed his already exceptional navigation skills to a razor’s edge.

Whooosh

—!

Crack

—!

With a roar of flame from the power core mounted on the rear of the Mana Ship, the vessel surged forward at a speed that made it seem like it was flying.

But the reinforcements did not consist of just the ship alone. A man stood on the deck, his gaze fixed on the swarm of insects in the distance. As he looked on, he ran his hand along the rows of sharp daggers strapped across his body.

“We can’t afford to look pitiful before our lord arrives! Karl Mack, the moment the wyvern’s barrier bombs drop, pull back to the perimeter!”

“Roger!”

“The barrier lasts about ten minutes. We have to rescue all the soldiers from the Silverwing Fleet within that window. There are already hundreds in the water... Are the two of us really enough?”

A woman’s voice came from beside him. Unlike the confident tone of the men, hers had a hint of uneasiness.

“There’s only so many we can take aboard the ship. But our lord has placed his trust in you, so try not to worry. Have faith in your strength. You’re a Druid. Even if the venom of the Jannabi and Clear Distilled Water failed to stop them, you should be able to handle these creatures.”

Aidan gave Anchar a reassuring smile before pulling his hood over his face.

“Focus only on controlling the swarm. Leave everything else to me. I will get the soldiers out.”

Aidan lightly tapped the blades strapped to his legs.

“They’re tiny and almost too fast to see, but I’m faster.”