Chapter 453: Vanguard of the Apocalypse (1)
The first phase of the summit concluded when Crown Prince Aegon Valerion succeeded in making the people of the Empire follow him blindly ..
With nothing more than a few well-crafted words and carefully chosen footage that revealed to the entire world the brutality of the faction known as the Ultras.
With confident steps, walking like a king among men, Aegon stepped back where the Iron Emperor stood waiting, nodding at his grandson with approval.
"Well done.
Even if I had taken the stage myself, I couldn’t have given a better performance."
At the honest praise of the Iron Emperor,
Aegon gave a faint smile, wearing his usual mask.
"Your words honor me more than I deserve."
"No need to pretend to be humble, boy.
You were born to rule as a king .. So act like one."
Sir Alon’s words only deepened the smile on Aegon’s face.
"It’s time for the second phase."
"Yes."
Working together with the mages responsible for the broadcast ..
The same broadcast the entire Empire had just watched ..
Aegon Valerion began manipulating the feed.
"What we’ve shown the world was only the first part.
As for the second part, where we’ll discuss the real details of the war, We’ll alter the broadcast, feeding the public false information, While the truth stays within the walls of Belgrad’s royal hall."
Even here, inside the hall,
Aegon never intended to reveal everything he had planned.
This was the prince’s strategy ..
Deceive the common folk into believing they were so important ..
That they were treated better ..
Even better than the nobles and military leaders.
But all of it was nothing more than a carefully orchestrated play, Staged by the rogue prince.
His strategies were undeniably cunning.
But Sir Alon, who judged people by their merit and the results they achieved,
Didn’t object in the slightest.
As long as the results spoke for themselves, he had no complaints.
And this was why the Iron Emperor favored his grandson above all others.
He saw in him the signs of greatness—
An emperor who would rule the world with an iron fist.
Aegon had what it took.
And beyond his individual strength, which raised several unanswered questions,
He excelled in every other aspect of leadership.
After the first presentation ended,
Both Sir Alon and Aegon stepped forward again, Standing before the Empire’s great powers.
"Ladies and gentlemen,
The time has come to begin this summit in earnest."
Aegon spoke calmly,
Leaving the rest to Sir Alon.
The projection screens lit up one after another, Displaying the military might that Sir Alon and his grandson had prepared over the past several months.
"After relentless effort,
And thanks to Prince Aegon’s strategic brilliance, We’ve gathered an army of 88,000 soldiers .. Made up of warriors from the great families, major guilds, and even the common folk.
Following my grandson’s speech,
We expect the army’s size to easily surpass 100,000."
Sir Alon pointed to the main force the Empire would use in their large-scale raid against the Ultras.
It could be said the Empire had drained much of its wealth to prepare an army of this size, Equipped with all manner of weapons and gear.
In addition to thousands of magical cannons and hundreds of ships built in record time ..
All prepared to cross the Demonic Sea and reach enemy territory.
"Our first major challenge is the distance our army must cover once the war begins.
An army of 100,000 cannot cross the Demonic Sea all at once.
Which brings us to the main point of this meeting."
If the army crossed the sea in one massive wave, They risked falling into the same fate as Maekar and his forces ..
Who fell into Beatrice’s trap.
Therefore, it wasn’t realistic to launch a full-scale invasion by sea from the start.
"Individual strength, huh?"
Leaning with one hand on his chair,
Iris spoke softly, having already guessed what the Iron Emperor was about to say.
"Individual strength?" Phoenix asked,
To which Iris responded with a smile.
"Sir Alon will announce it now."
And indeed, the Iron Emperor addressed that very point.
"We must remind ourselves of something many of you already know ..
The true deciding factor in war."
"What will tip the scales in favor of one side over the other
Is not the size of the armies, nor their numbers... Though those things are important, of course ..
What truly decides a war is the final battle fought by the strongest warriors on both sides."
Quality, not quantity.
In the end, a single SS+ ranked warrior could destroy an entire army by themselves if needed.
What the witch Beatrice had accomplished not long ago was the perfect example.
"In other words, individual strength will be key in this war.
Our armies cannot cross the Demonic Sea all at once.
We need a foothold on the Ultras Continent,
Where we can build a warp gate that will allow our armies to cross safely."
Instead of sending their full force across the sea, The Empire would first send a much smaller team, Tasked with establishing a foothold within enemy territory.
But no matter how you looked at it ...
It sounded like a suicide mission.
"It may seem like a suicide mission,
But it all depends on the individuals we send on this raid."
If an ordinary army were sent,
They’d be slaughtered to the last man in no time.
But the outcome would be entirely different
If those sent were strong enough to accomplish the mission.
The only question was .. who would go?
"The Emperor and his son cannot go this time.
They are our main forces in this war.
In other words, Sir Alon and Maekar Valerion will only join the battle if the enemy’s main forces appear on the battlefield."
Iris’s remark was right, and Sir Alon’s next words confirmed it beyond doubt.
"For this raid, a special unit will be formed .. A vanguard that will take the first step in this war.
And leading that vanguard, Will be the man who once committed an unforgivable crime, Sacrificing the lives of many of the Empire’s finest talents.
Now, he will have to wash away that blood with the blood of our enemies."
As Sir Alon’s declaration echoed through the hall, The doors swung open, and an old man entered, dragging chains behind him.
He wore nothing but tattered clothes that hadn’t been changed in years ..
Though his body still radiated strength, maintained by the Empire itself,
Preserved at its peak for this very moment.
With eyes that showed only white,
Long grey hair, And a scarred face ..
The former Headmaster of the Temple knelt before the Iron Emperor.
"Raphael Bloodmader,
You will lead this war’s vanguard.
You will shield your allies with your body and soul.
You will take their blows, Fight in their stead, And die for them if necessary.
That is your punishment for your sins."
Raphael Bloodmader, a veteran SS ranked warrior, Who once fought in the War of Light, Now about to wage the War of Darkness ..
But this time, at the very frontlines.
The first man to stand before the enemy,
Bearing the brunt of the assault for his kin.
It was the price he paid, After being blinded by the visions of the Engineer and committing his crimes.
It seemed like a dark fate,
But Bloodmader welcomed it ..
He had wagered on this outcome from the start.
"I will serve this Empire...
Until my final breath."
The former Headmaster spoke calmly,
Declaring himself the commander of the special vanguard.
But Bloodmader alone was not enough.
Soon after, the rest of the members were announced.
"From the Church’s side, their main forces have volunteered for this mission !"
From the followers of the Lord of Light,
Snow Lionheart appeared,
Holding the sacred sword Vermithor,
Followed closely by two women, both dressed in pure white from head to toe.
Snow Lionheart was still a young man in the prime of his youth, And many were shocked by his willingness to return to the enemy’s continent ..
The place he had barely escaped alive once before.
But as the crowned hero,
It was only natural for him to stand at the front, As the sword of the Empire.
And beyond that .. he had debts to settle on the other side of the world.
Snow Lionheart’s decision to participate revealed an important truth...
The crowned hero never walked alone.
Wherever the hero went, the Saintess must follow.
"That means..."
Some whispered quietly,
And Sir Alon confirmed it aloud:
"The Church’s Hero, Snow Lionheart,
Along with Saintess Yurasha, will join the special unit."
Sir Alon’s announcement stirred great commotion.
Setting Snow Lionheart aside, The Saintess was an SS+ ranked warrior ..
One of the Empire’s most powerful weapons.
Her presence on the frontlines raised many questions ..
But no one dared to object,
For Snow Lionheart’s decisions were considered the will of the Lord of Light himself.
Beside Yurasha, another woman, five years older than Snow, stood tall.
"Alongside Saintess Yurasha,
The Saintess candidate Uriel Platini will also participate .. Chosen as the next Saintess to inherit the mantle of her predecessors."
The Church had deployed three warriors at once. .
All of them towering names in the Empire.
The announcement turned into a showcase of just how formidable this special unit truly was ..
It would be no exaggeration to say they would shoulder the first phase of the war on their own.