The horizon between the sky and earth were blurry, and the eyes could see blue in every possible way one could think of.
The stream soared down from top to bottom, and even large chunks of water burst upwards as well.
A place that cannot be considered a human world.
“Huh? We’re late! Let’s go now!”
“It’s okay. It’s okay.”
“We still have some time.”
A boy and a girl, with blue hair and transparent skin, chattered on they walked on their way.
obviously, they can’t be a human being.
The girl who was ahead of the boy stopped and stared at the end of the cliff, with no water or water droplets.
“Huh? Isn’t that……?.”
With Unpleasant expressions and voices.
The boys who following the girl also stared at the end of the cliff little after the girl, frowning at visage.
“Look at how he looks, he looks so ugly.”
“How can that kid be the Elemental King candidate. It’s ridiculous.”
“Look at that hair and skin, it’s terrible to even think about it.”
Sharp accusations poured out from them.
At that moment .
“Everyone has a lot of dissatisfaction for what I’ve decided upon.”
A beautiful voice was heard.
“Ah!”
The boy and the girl bowed their heads in a hurry.
In front of them stood a woman with a beautiful face, a smooth body, and flooding massive amount of dignity.
“E, madam Elaim!”
The boy and the girl couldn’t keep their feet steady as it was jumping uncontrollably.
The identity of the beautiful woman was the Elemental King Elaim of the water.
“Won’t both of you be late for class? Go on ahead.”
As Elaim spoke low volume, the boy and the girl, no, the spirits of the water looked down and disappeared rapidly.
Elaim breathed a short sigh as she watched.
‘It seems there are repulsive children already.’
She turned her head and stared at the end of the cliff.
At the end, a girl with dark red hair with shining skin sat while crouching.
‘Kinness.’
A sad light flowed into Elaim’s eyes.
It was Kinness who had a different appearance than the ordinary water spirit.
Elaim slowly stepped forward and approached Kinness.
“Are you still doing this?”
Gently said words.
However, Kinness didn’t respond.
She only focused upon the landscape beyond the cliffs without emotion
No, the pupils were empty.
She wasn’t looking at anything.
‘How many months has she been doing this now…….’
When Roan became one with Flamdor and Travias to face Simon.
That was when Kinness returned to the Spirit World.
She was not forced to return because of the overflow of powerful fire-mana.
No, rather, it was the opposite.
‘The stronger the fire-mana, one obtains stronger power and abilities.’
At the time, Kinness was very startled.
The more you absorb the fire-mana, the stronger your abilites come to be, while also looking more different from other spirits.
‘She became doubtful of her origin and caused conflict within her.’
Furthermore, she didn’t know how she would change if she stayed with Roan, and she was afraid of that.
In the end, Kinness returned to the spirit world without saying a proper farewell.
Afterwards, she just sat on the cliffs of Terr, also known as the tip of the border, in the spirit of water, and spent her time only with blank mind.
No, she was deeply troubled and seeking for answers.
‘A poor little child.’
Elaim came to see Kinness every so often, but she didn’t know what to do with her.
‘She can only stand up by herself.’
She believed in Kinness.
Kinness was the one she selected for one of the Elemental King candidates.
Also, since her birth, she was always a mystical child.
“Kinness. I’ll be going now.”
Elaim smiled faintly and stroked Kinness’s head.
At that moment, Kinness’s who had not said a single word for the past few months, moved her lips.
“Madam Elaim.”
A voice that has lost all its power.
Elaim looked at Kinness with a slight surprise as she was about to leave.
Kinness looked at Elaim with an unfocused eye.
“What the hell am I?”
* * *
Located in the southern part of North Rinse Kingdom, Newark Fief was a great place to exploit ambushes and traps, and other strategic tactics because of its rugged terrain.
In addition, the south-central area of Newark Fief is surrounded by wild hills and fields, making it ideal for large and small turns if needed.
It was a great place to use as a battlefield.
That’s why Clay had been looking over Newark Fief trying make it his ideal battlefield from the beginning.
The goal was to use the already destroyed Rinse Liberation Army to lure Roan and Lancephil Fief Army to Newark Fief.
‘I was a little surprised when the first team was hit close to annihilation…….’
But he didn’t have to be discouraged.
Clay cleverly twisted the Lancephil Fief Army’s advance through the Druids.
Roan and Lancephil Fief Army were entering the Fief, south of Newark, thanks to a very cautious and very slow-paced ploy he made.
‘Fortunately, everything is going as planned.’
Clay smiled faintly.
He led the Rinse Liberation Force 2nd Division and took his position in Newark Fief one step ahead.
For now, Clay used the rugged terrain of Fief, north of Newark, to build each Corps’ and Troops’ encampment, while installing traps on major transit routes critical to Fief.
In addition, assault squads and other squads were set aside to ambush the main base area.
As a result, Fief, north of Newark, was transformed into a huge fortress to intercept Lancephil Fief Army.
It can even be called a perfect and solid fortress with no gaps.
When everything was ready, Clay joined the Duke Webster’s family, the aristocratic forces that followed him, and the forces that had been forced to join him, and led them to Fief, south of Newark, with an army of 70,000 strong.
The spectacle was similar to the great mountains and rivers moving.
Clay reorganized the 70,000 troops into the central, left, and right, respectively, to establish a separate camp, and then he took charge as the General-in-Command for the central and left forces.
“Lo,look at their power.”
“It’s amazing.”
“Even if it’s Roan Lancephil, he’s going to have to nly shudder like a mouse in front of these forces.”
“Hahaha!”
The commanders of the Second Division of the Liberation Army fussed about the endless line of factions and soldiers.
Like one body, they’re all looked confident.
They had forgotten their fear for Roan.
They were indeed stupid, and only one day has passed.
As the sun from the east tilted toward the west, the sound of the scout’s horns penetrated his ears.
Puuuuuuu!
Clay and other commanders quickly climbed over the watchtower.
An expansive view unfolded before their eyes.
No, a battlefield unfolded.
“They’ve finally arrived.”
Clay smiled looking across the field.
30,000 people emerge from between the dust that sank low.
The Lancephil Fief Army, which was with Roan, are the ones who all wore their armor red as their identity of the military, which looked like a flame.
Gulp.
Many of the commanders swallowed their dry saliva without their knowledge.
Until yesterday, the momentum and confidence that seemed to be skyrocketing had melted away.
The fear of Roan was in the depths of their heart without even knowing it.
They were now about to be overwhelmed by the red color.
‘Cowards.’
Clay snorted in his heart as he saw those commanders.
‘Because you guys are in that shape, the border administration was taken by me.’
Most of the commanders were descendants of the nobles who were from Duke Webster or close family member of Duke Webster.
Originally, Clay fought fiercely for power against them.
Of course, now he had lowered his and bowed before them now.
‘They’re all going to vanish by the end of this war.’
Ominous thoughts.
However, Clay didn’t want to carry the unskilled people to the end.
For right now though, even one of them, was a very precious power.
He smiled and stretched his arms wide, seemingly not worried.
“There’s nothing to worry about. This whole place is our fortress in Newark.
“Tha, That’s right, sir.”
The commanders smiled awkwardly and nodded.
The military forces, traps, strategies and tactics that had been prepared in the last few days came to mind.
The crushed momentum gradually gained back it’s momentum.
At that moment, one of the commanders close to Clay asked in a small voice.
“They’ve just gotten here, and therefore they’re going to be distracted. Why not launch a surprise attack?”
Clay smiled faintly and shook his head.
“It’s not possible for Ian Phillips to not have prepared for even that much.”
“So, are you ready for a night assault sir? It is clear that they are too tired and as they will be unaware of their surroundings.”
However, Clay shook his head again.
“Ian Phillips going to be solidly prepared for that also, so it’s not going to make a big difference.”
A voice full of certainty.
However, many of the commanders’ faces were disgruntled.
“So you’re just going to let those guys away to their own device sir?”
“There won’t be a good opportunity like this sir.”
The momentum that had been crushed was coming back, and there able to look further ahead.
Clay looked at those commanders.
His eyes were fierce and sharp.
“There will not be a good opportunity like this……Do you not have trust in me at all?”
It was a neutral voice but with edged with keen voice.
At this point, the commanders’ faces hardened.
“That, that is……”
“I, I didn’t mean it like that……”
Their back was drenched with cold sweats.
In fact, the noble-born commanders actually had some sense of disregard for Clay.
Although they’re bowing before him, but they had the firm mind to regain the honor of the noble family back one day.
With that in mind, sometimes, when emotions worsened, they unknowingly pushed Clay away.
Now, they temporarily forgot about the reality.
Clay, of course, was well aware of their internal thoughts of those commanders.
‘You have to stomp on them to prevent it from creeping up.’
It was one of the reasons why he was occasionally stingy and sober.
It was Clay, that left his origin behind, who holds power in North Rinse Kingdom now.
“…….”
A silence fell throughout the watchtower with suffocating feeling.
All the commanders cautiously eyed Clay.
Then Clay smiled and reached out his hand.
“It’s a joke. Joke. I just said it for nothing.”
An awkward smile came on the faces of the commanders, that were stiff.
“Ah? Ah, ah, yes.”
“It was only a joke, yes.”
End of their voice trembled slightly.
Clay patted the commanders’ shoulders lightly and continued.
“As many commanders have said, the situation is clearly regrettable to let go, but Ian Phillips is a great mind in military force that destroyed the First Division. You can’t move without thinking first.”
A casual voice.
“Instead, when the sun goes down and the darkness come, let us run in front of their camps and ring horns, gongs, and drums. Let’s harass them by pretending to be night-time assaulting bastards.”
“Oh! That’s a good idea sir.”
The commanders quickly nodded and let out their exclamation in agreement.
“Let’s make them panic all night!”
“I’m going to take care of them in the morning as they’re in a state of exhaustion. Hahaha.”
Everyone laughed and rejoiced.
Soon, at Clay’s behest, a fake night-time assault Troop was organized.
More than five Troops were organized to shift with each other and make a fuss around the clock.
“I hope the night comes soon.”
“Hahaha.”
The second commander of the Liberation Army laughed.
Meanwhile, Roan and Lancephil Fief Army, later in Newark Fief, stopped marching after seeing the second line of the Rinse Liberation Army, which had already completed their arrangement.
“As I thought, it was this place.”
Roan smiled hazily.
Clay thought his ploy worked and led the Lancephil Fief Army to Newark Fief, but that wasn’t it.
No, it was half right and half wrong.
At first Roan and the Lancephil Fief Army had been manipulated by the druids’ methods.
But Ian Phillips noticed the direction subtly changing ever so slightly, and immediately ordered Agens, Tenebra troop, and Evishun to see what was ahead of their destination.
As a result, reports of five expected results were reported, and Roan and Ian cited Newark Fief as the most influential of them.
For the first time, Ian marveled at Clay’s abilities.
There was no way to make the march, even if you were trying to escape the Newark Fief, march elsewhere.
He had already been trapped, even if he thought he had noticed it quickly.
In the end, Roan and Ian chose a head-to-head game.
All information about Newark Fief was collected and scrutinized through the three information troops.
At the same time,Clay began to study strategies and tactics to defeat the Second Liberation Army.
In the meantime, the Lancephil Fief Army’s march continued very slowly and was able to arrive in Fief, south of Newark, just after leaving McGinley Fief.
“What is it like?”
Roan looked at the camp of the Second Army, which was filled with eyes, and asked briefly.
Ian shook his head with a bitter smile.
“It’s amazing sir.”
As expected, a short answer.
Roan nodded with a neutral expression.
“Can we win?”
Instead of answering, Ian smiled.
Roan turned his head and looked at Ian when he could not hear the answer.
Only after his eyes were on Roan, Ian responded with a small, but powerful voice, even a confident voice.
“Of course sir.”
