Chapter 449: The Brother I Once Knew
The hunt, war, death, pain...
All of these were things the Human Empire had begun to experience one after another.
From the kidnapping of their most promising talents, to Maekar’s disastrous raid, and finally the last battle where Frey and his companions were rescued ...
Or rather... what remained of them.
Since then ..
Since the sudden death of the Silver Dragon Guild Leader’s son, Danzo ..
Eight full months had passed.
Long months filled with skirmishes between the Empire and the Ultras.
During this time, the Empire worked on rehabilitating its most prominent warriors, who had been trapped inside the prison cube, hoping to make use of them in the coming war.
Under the leadership of Sir Alon, whose battlefield experience was unparalleled, and Aegon Valerion, who had demonstrated sharp strategic brilliance ..
The Empire had managed to close its gates throughout those eight months, withdrawing into itself to repel the Ultras’ aggression.
Even so, the Ultras never launched a full-scale assault, making the situation increasingly clear.
The battlefield for the coming war would not be the Empire .. But the cursed land of the Ultras themselves.
It took the Empire eight full months to prepare, and the Ultras had willingly given them that time.
As if saying, word for word:
"Take all the time you want.
The result will be the same."
It was obvious that some hidden conspiracy was at work, and invading the Ultras on their own soil was likely a terrible idea.
Sir Alon knew this, of course.
But he didn’t care.
War was inevitable.
And this time, the Empire would be the challenger .. Unlike the war eighteen years ago, which they won through the sacrifice of Abraham Starlight.
This time, history would repeat itself .. But on a different battlefield.
A cursed land where death had long since claimed dominion.
...
...
...
— Starlight Estate, Eastern Ocklas Mountains —
Inside one of the magical forging chambers of the Starlight family, two women stood at the edge of the room, watching the mages prepare the long-range teleportation array.
"Eight months have passed..."
Ada Starlight spoke with a face that reflected both longing and anticipation. Carmen Starlight, standing beside her, nodded.
"The war summit is finally happening... it will be a massive event, gathering all the major powers of the Empire to formally launch the war."
The Belgrad Summit.
It was an event traditionally held every year to discuss the Empire’s state of affairs, attended by the heads of the great families and other notable figures.
But this time, the summit had transformed into a war council, where the final touches would be made in preparation for the long-dreaded conflict.
"They ended up appointing me as the deputy commander of this entire council..."
Ada sighed in frustration, recalling the moment Sir Alon chose her as second-in-command for the upcoming war.
"Am I even worthy of such responsibility in the first place?"
She had wanted to refuse at first, but the decision wasn’t hers alone anymore.
She now represented an entire family.
Her fall would mean their fall.
With a gentle smile, Carmen patted Ada’s shoulder.
"I’m sure you’ll do well. Sir Alon might seem like a senile old man, but he knows how to judge people and their capabilities. If he placed you in this position, it’s because he sees that you’re capable of carrying it."
Ada Starlight had proven her worth before ..
When she wisely refused to join Maekar’s disastrous raid, making the Starlight family the only one to preserve its full strength.
Later, she devised a strategy that convinced the Iron Emperor himself to follow her without hesitation, further proving her competence.
"I don’t see anyone else more deserving of this position... but the real problem lies with the commander you’ll be serving under."
At the mere mention of him, Ada’s face darkened slightly.
"Aegon Valerion..."
"It seems the prince has already secured his place on the throne.
He even managed to convince his grandfather to give him full command of the coming war."
Sir Alon had entrusted the entire command to the younger generation, led by the brilliant Aegon Valerion.
While veterans like Alon and the elders would supervise from afar, they would enter the battlefield only as devastating weapons of mass destruction.
Speaking of the prince deepened Ada’s frown, but Carmen was there for her.
"Don’t worry. If anything happens, I’ll be right there beside you.
Let this old woman be your shield."
After months of training, Carmen Starlight had nearly reached her full potential, on the verge of entering the SS Rank.
Normally, someone like her would have been sent to the battlefield without hesitation.
But an exception was made this time, allowing Carmen to stay behind and protect Ada in case anything went wrong.
With a faint smile, Carmen remembered the day Ada was appointed as Aegon’s deputy commander.
It happened eight months ago, right after the Imperial soldiers trapped in the cube were freed.
"That was the condition he set for you, wasn’t it?
Otherwise, he never would have agreed."
Ada let out a soft sigh... remembering him.
"Frey has changed a lot since his friend’s death...
In the past, he never involved himself in family affairs."
Her brother had always struggled ..
Rising and falling, again and again.
She had often seen him broken,
As if he were fighting against the entire world alone.
But every time, he rose again ..
And this time was no exception.
Yet unlike before, Ada felt something different in her brother...
Something dark enough to send chills down her spine.
He was like a wounded beast, consumed by rage, Unable to hide his murderous intent anymore.
There was no room for doubt.
Frey wanted to fight this time—more than ever before.
He wanted to kill, to slaughter the Ultras until their blood flowed like rivers.
His achievements were no secret, especially the story they told about him.
A tale describing how he defeated an army of one thousand men .. alone.
His burning desire for battle made it clear that Frey would be at the very front of this war.
Even if no one ordered him to go, he would march into battle on his own.
And there would be no stopping him.
"He’s really going back to that hell he barely escaped from..."
Most of the elite students would struggle with the idea of returning to the Ultras Continent, where they had suffered so much.
But Frey was different.
"He left home eight months ago, saying he would isolate himself to train... and not to disturb him until the war began."
He gave them the coordinates of where he was headed ...
The Eastern Nightmare Lands .. And from that moment on, Frey Starlight disappeared from sight.
During his absence, Ada regularly checked his life signal through the device she had planted near his heart, Just to make sure he was still out there.
And throughout all that time, nothing happened.
Frey wandered alone in the Eastern Nightmare Lands.
And since then, no monsters had attacked from the east, leaving the borders eerily quiet.
"He wanted us to call him when the time for war arrived... and now, that time has come."
That’s why Ada and Carmen were in that chamber now.
"The warp gate is ready, my lady."
One of the mages spoke with deep respect, bowing before Ada.
Before them, a bright blue portal glowed intensely, releasing waves of aura so powerful that it was clear the mages had used an immense amount of energy to activate it.
"This gate will take you directly to Lord Frey’s coordinates. Finding him there shouldn’t be difficult for Lady Carmen."
Another mage explained, and Ada gave a brief nod.
"Let’s go."
Skipping any further formalities, Ada stepped into the portal, with Carmen following close behind.
Despite everything that had happened, Ada couldn’t hide her longing to see her troublesome little brother again.
It had been eight months.
She wondered if he was still the same as when she last saw him.
Was he eating well?
Was he sleeping enough?
Was he hurt? Was he okay?
Had his appearance changed?
His birthday had already passed. He was nineteen now.
Surely, signs of maturity had begun to show on his face by now.
Ada wanted to see him.
She wanted to see him so badly.
And now, she was about to fulfill that desire.
"Stay close to me once we reach the other side. Don’t forget, it’s still Nightmare territory."
"I know."
Carmen’s warning was valid.
Even though the coordinates were precise, there was no guarantee they would land exactly where Frey was.
Nightmare creatures could attack at any moment.
Carmen was ready to handle whatever might appear before them.
"Let’s go."
And with that, both women stepped through the portal, initiating the teleportation process.
As the light engulfed them and the scenery rapidly shifted before their eyes ..
Ada and Carmen prepared themselves for several possibilities upon arrival.
Perhaps they would find Frey right away.
Perhaps Nightmare creatures would attack them.
Or maybe, they would simply arrive in an empty, barren place.
All were possibilities.
But reality... told an entirely different story.
When Ada stepped out of the portal behind Carmen, The ground beneath her feet was not solid earth ..
But a thick, viscous liquid that made her instinctively recoil.
What hit her nose wasn’t the pungent scent often found in the Nightmare forests...
But something else entirely.
Something sharp.
And repulsive.
The smell of blood.
A lot of it.
And the stench of death and rot.