"Without them and Verhen, this war would have already ended the moment I turned my apprentices into Divine Beasts with the Ambrosia. Those three people are the backbone of the Kingdom. "The Highmaster and the two Blade Mages are each worth an army. Tactics and strategy can only do so much when the other side has overwhelming power." Meanwhile, on the battlefield, the couple that formed the Dragon Knight was starting to know each other better. "I'm really sorry, Phloria. I was merely an apprentice when the True Queen found me so I have no idea how a Harbinger is made. Otherwise it would be my honor to take you in." Ufyl said. "It would give you Dragon Eyes, Origin Flames, and seven heads. On top of that, thanks to our bond, there would be no need for the slave array. I'm certain that if you could witness Thrud's greatness through my eyes, you would fight with us of your own will." "Yeah." Phloria replied with a sigh. "It would also strengthen me enough to kick Verhen's butt without your help. Out of curiosity, does your mother even know how to make a Harbinger? "I mean, you started as a Hydra, and based on what Faluel told me, no Lesser species ever had a Harbinger. No offense." "None taken." Ufyl replied. "And yes, she does know. Everything that our forefather passed onto us is considered a priceless legacy and preserved with the utmost care. "Enough with the chit-chat. We've recovered enough." They had been resting atop a mana geyser to hasten the recharge of both their mana and power cores. Thrud had planned her advance by following the natural sources of world energy as well. They were even more of paramount importance for her than for Lith. "The next city is the capital of Deirus." Orsat the Red Griffon had been sent to help them. "It's built over a powerful mana geyser and its arrays are state-of-the-art. You'll need another boost to take them down." "Are you going to fight with us this time?" Phloria asked. "I wish. The True Queen demands the legend of the Dragon Knight to match the Supreme Magus'. I'm just a delivery girl. Whenever you are ready." The moment Phloria finished charging Reaver, Ufyl gave a sign and the Red Griffon released a bolt of Life Maelstrom before leaving. Now, every single spell stored inside Phloria's blade had its power increased tenfold and so would the Blade Tier spell they would produce. Ufyl's Flames were strengthened as well, giving him the power to flatten mountains. The city of Ne'sra fell so quickly that by the time the Royals were informed of the attack, Thrud's troops were already swarming the capital of the Deirus region. *** "What the fuck?" Lith said when Orion informed him about the developments of the war. "Two regions in less than a day? How is that even possible?" "Easy, we have been wasting our troops, readying for an ambush or a counteroffensive while Thrud simply moved hers away." The General of the army replied. "Yet not even that is enough to explain how fast she is moving. "Somehow, Thrud can deploy her troops like she has City Gates everywhere. They shift position wherever she needs them the moment she needs reinforcements. We tried recapturing the cities, but we got overpowered." "What should I do?" Lith asked. Thrud had made sure to cause a communication blackout that lasted until Verhen had already started attacking his next target. With the Royal army deployed and the battle still ongoing, leaving so suddenly would have been a huge gamble. "Finish what you are doing." Orion clenched his fist, only the Davross of his armor kept him from bleeding. "Remember that this is a trap. The key element in our and Thrud's advance is that our respective champion can take their time preparing for the strike. "Cities can't dodge and with the army covering up for you, you had all the advantages. Now the situation is reversed. If you go there alone, we'll lose this battle and you'll have to face the Dragon Knight and her army." "And that only if Thrud or more of her Generals is not laying in ambush." Jirni said, proud of her husband for keeping his head cool despite the circumstances. "Saying this makes my heart bleed, but Phloria has to wait. "Only once you have conquered Tremana, have recovered your strength, and have a proper backup can you go save my Little Flower. Otherwise we are going to lose you and every hope to get our daughter back." "Copy that. Verhen out." Lith said. "Solus, contact Zoreth and ask her for help." "Way ahead of you." Solus' dejected tone didn't bode well. "She's busy and can't come anytime soon. That daughter of a bastard of Thrud lured Zoreth away by striking with the Undead Courts. "Orion is right, this is a damn trap. Thrud made sure that while she made her move, we were weakened and alone. Calling her the Mad Queen is a dumb slander, they should call her the Sly Queen." "Solus, forgive me because I'm going to make this quick." Lith knew that to save more time he would sacrifice more lives, yet it wasn't a decision he could take alone. "Do it." Solus replied while using the Eyes of Menadion to find the path of least resistance in spite of the casualties needed. "One more thing." Lith said. "Please, call Friya and Quylla. Make sure they don't do anything stupid until our arrival." "No problem. I'm already- fuck! Their amulets are not available. Do you know what this means?" Solus asked. "That they are most likely to be there already." *** Grand Duchy of Deirus, city of Ne'sra, at the same time. The invading and the defending army were still battling to the death while two lonely figures sat inside the Blue Mermaid tavern. The door of the establishment had been barred until a few minutes ago, but wooden planks and nails couldn't stop an Awakened. Phloria and a human-sized Ufyl had made their way inside, needing a quiet place where to rest. There wasn't much that Invigoration could do for mana abuse and the power cores of their equipment were running on fumes. Even with the powerful mana geyser below Ne'sra, it would take them a while to recover. The Dragon Knight and her steed sat at a round redwood table, drinking delicious draft beer from Maekosh and eating lots of food from their respective dimensional amulets. Only rest and nourishment could repair their bodies and replenish their mana organs. "Wow, I wouldn't have ever thought that such a rathole could offer such a fine selection of beers." Ufyl's seven heads were drinking each a different brand of ale, arguing which one was the best. "I discovered this place while planning a date with Lith." Phloria replied while wolfing down a T-bone steak. "He loves Maekosh's beers as much as he hates the people who brew them." "Speaking of the Tiamat, do you think he'll come?" The Seven Headed Dragon asked, gulping down a whole roasted pig. "I'd love to say yes, but Lith's too smart for that." She sighed deeply.