Chapter 527 - v3c305 (1/2)
v3c305
Raging Torrent(1)
The stars shone in the night sky. The howling wind blew clouds from afar, yet nothing could blot out the dazzling s.h.i.+ne of Marsha’s Star, a symbol of both order and wisdom. In the wee hours of the night, a faint glow seemed to be emanating from the dark depths of the sea.
Brendel looked up, staring at the horizon, silently counting the time. Three more hours until daybreak…
It was currently three in the morning.
Off the sh.o.r.es of Ampere Seale, a long silhouette appeared beneath the inky waves. Fins split the water surface, creating ma.s.sive waves that rolled over the sea, cras.h.i.+ng into each other in explosions of white foam.
Sani swam close to Brendel. As the naga and his army entered the bay, he flipped his fins, within the salty spray of the sea and the rain.
“These are the warriors of my tribe.” Sani said, turning to look at Brendel.
Brendel remained silent, but his heart was burning with antic.i.p.ation. This day has finally come. After half a year of hards.h.i.+ps and all of the pain I had to go through, my plan will finally come to fruition. He did not know about the future, but at that moment, his conscience was clear.
If they won, he would be making a ripple in the original timeline where Aouine was bound for doom. Princess Gryphine, the War G.o.ddess, Romaine, and everyone whose fate relied on the people of that boat, would be able to survive with his actions.
But if we lose… Brendel’s mouth tightened, his eyes staring into the void in front of him. A flash of lightning split the heavens, reminding Brendel of his memory of Aouine wreathed in flames.
A raging flame burned within his pupils.
Brendel glanced at Sani. And Sani, feeling Brendel’s piercing gaze, could not help but to s.h.i.+ft uncomfortably. It was suffocating. Such a strong will and determination. It is comparable to my Queen’s. Anyone with a character like this could potentially cause a revolution.
Under the same night sky, a certain half-elf too removed her gaze from the heavens. The sun rose slowly behind Princess Gryphine, as if Marsha was informing the people that a new day was near.
It’s going to be daybreak soon.
She turned around to look at the people standing behind her. Makarov, Fleetwood, Count Baley, Oberwei, and the rest of the n.o.bles from the Royal Faction were here. Standing together, it felt as if they had never been split up before, but that everything was the same as the past.
She allowed herself to daydream a little, imagining the times when everything was fine. She tried to imagine herself ruling over Aouine, with everyone by her side, but now all she could see was an image of nothingness.
“Princess, it’s time to get on the carriage.”
Gryphine turned to look at her mentor one last time, but all she saw in Fleetwood’s eyes was guilt. She turned away, disappointment evident in her actions. It would have felt so good if they had held onto their initial goals.
The carriage stopped in the rain, its door yawning open like the lids of a coffin. The princess walked towards the door and held her head up high, just as a member of Aouine’s Royal Family ought to, and walked into it.
The “Sly Fox” Makarov pulled himself up onto one of the horses. While he was a n.o.ble, he too was once a cavalier. He sat up straight on his horse, and drew in everyone’s attention. He brandished his sword and yelled, “Depart!”
Hooves thundered against the ground as the Royal Cavalry surrounded the carriage. Every one of them wore a cape, silently advancing in the rain. Clad in black, the escort rode into the woods.
Freya tilted her head, listening to the hooves pounding against the ground. She had been lying awake all night, so she was visibly tired. She turned around to see the Knight of the Lake trailing behind her.
“Mr Knight. Today, I might actually have to kill someone… And the enemies I will be facing are comrades of the past… This irony… I’m sorry if I bring shame upon the Lionheart Sword.”
“The sword will not be ashamed just because you have killed someone,” the Knight of the Lake replied curtly. It was the first time he had spoken in days.
Freya turned to look at him in shock.
“The sword is meant for the wise, n.o.ble ones, to punish sinners,” he continued.
Then came a period of silence.
Ampere Seale was finally within their sights.
Brendel’s POV
“The princess has set off!”
After he had finished reading the headline, Carglise immediately turned to look back at his Brendel. His voice was steady, but he could not mask the jumpiness in his eyes. “Lord.”
“I know.” Brendel nodded his head.
Everyone looked at Brendel.
The first rays of light had just broken through the horizon. Brendel sucked in a shallow breath and yelled, “White Lion Battalion!”
“Yes, sir!”
The soldiers thundered out their response. The storms in front of them were far less intimidating compared to that of their experience in the Black Forest. In fact, they were burning up with adrenaline at the thought of fighting. Alas, they were youngsters and they did not care about whether fighting this war or not was the right thing to do.
They put their complete trust in Brendel and only cared about what they needed to do.
In the future, this day would definitely leave a mark in history. [T/L: if the future exists that is.]
“The Royal Faction has begun to move.”
Archbishop Moros’s POV
At that same moment, the Holy Cathedral also received the news. Once the messenger had left, Archbishop Moros, whose face was as serious as ever, turned around to be greeted by bows from both Marquis Yoakam and Baron Buckland, as they stood within the shadows.
“History is being recorded right now.” Moros said quietly.
“Command the White Lion Legion to enter the city.” [Note: There may be a bit of confusion here. The White Lion Legion is the force under Marquis Balta, or you could see it as the old White Lion Army that had degraded over time with Aouine’s corruptness. However, the White Lion Battalion is the newly formed army underneath Brendel. It is his recreation of the gloriously famed White Lion Army of the past.]
News spread fast within Ampere Seale. And within the storm that had engulfed the sh.o.r.eline, the tense city slowly awakened, like a beast stretching its claws.