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Volume 7 Chapter 3 Part 10

From now on, they will likely become the core of Theo’s subordinate Lords group.

「Anyway, so far everything’s going exactly like I thought it would go. There won’t be any reinforcements for Milza save for the Heavy Knights of Waldrind, but we cannot let our guard down just yet. 」

「That’s right. We haven’t won yet. Dartania’s army holed in Castle Unicorn is practically unharmed, and the Heavy Knights of Waldrind led by Marine Kraische herself are going to be as formidable of an enemy as ever. 」

Theo said with a frown on his face.

「If possible, I’d like to take down Castle Unicorn before Waldrind arrives here, so I’m sorry to ask you all for this, but you need to work hard for a little bit more. 」

Back when Vilar Constance was still alive, Castle Unicorn suffered immense damage when Dartania, Stark and Waldrind launched a joint attack at it, so if the story repeats itself, it’ll take much time to fix everything back to how it was before, and Siluca didn’t want to follow that path.

However, unless Milza appears on the battlefield, they’d have no choice but to attack the castle themselves.

「Let’s wait for Lord Lassic to lead the entire army of the Treaty before making any moves ourselves. 」

* * *

It had been a month since Milza had barricaded himself in Castle
Unicorn.

「A report from the watchtower has arrived… 」

The Mage Terius came to Milza’s room and said with his head hanging down. Seeing that haggard face, Milza realized what had happened.

「Has the army led by Lassic finally arrived? 」

「Yes, it has. 」
Terius nodded and said in a voice that seems to be drowned in disappear. He then said that his army had over 30,000 people. They are all regular soldiers led by their Lords.

「I can’t believe what’s happening right now. It feels like the heavens themselves have abandoned us. 」
「I have committed the grave sin of killing my father. I can’t complain even if heavens have indeed given up on me. 」

However, Milza was strangely calm about this whole situation. But there’s nothing they can do about it now, and Milza’s mind was already made up for some time.

「I’m going to leave the castle. 」

「L-Leave? W-what do you mean, leave!? 」

Terius looked up at him and let out a voice of surprise.

「That would be suicide! At least wait for Lady Marine’s arrival… 」

「Are you planning on putting the Margrave of Waldrind in danger? 」

Milza glared at Terius

「No, no, that’s not my intention. However, if Lord Milza and Lady Marine can fight together, you will definitely succeed and repel the enemy’s invasion… 」
「Maybe. But what will happen if we don’t? The Heavy Knights of Waldrind are indeed powerful, but they move slowly. If they are chased, they won’t be able to escape, right? 」

「However, if things continue like this, Lord Milza, you will… 」

「DON’T UNDERESTIMATE ME!!!!!!! 」

Milza yelled.

Terius was taken aback, but he didn’t drop his face.

「No matter how large the enemy’s army is, I won’t lose. The reason I waited for reinforcements was just to be sure of that. I was planning to crush the Artuk Treaty under my boot by myself from the very beginning, so now that they’ve gathered here in one place, it’s actually more convenient for me! 」

Milza laughed fearlessly.

「Please. Please be patient for a while longer. As long as we’re barricaded in the castle, we won’t be attacked so easily. Lady Marine’s arrival will definitely change the situation for the better… 」
Terius didn’t realize it, but he was crying. In his mind, he keeps thinking about how he can save Milza. Several plans came to his mind, but none seemed to work. Still, Terius used all his wits to find a plan that would eventually work.

「Terius… 」

Mirza called him by name. This is probably the first time it happened.

「W-What is it, my Lord? 」

Tellius looked at Milza in fear. He felt something like murderous intent radiating off of him.

「Whose contracted Mage are you? 」

With that one sentence, Terius realized whathe was trying to say.

「My master is Lady Marine, and it is on her direct orders that I have been dispatched to serve as your contracted Mage, Lord Milza. 」

「Yes, and you served me well. I decided everything by myself and took the lead, and you went along with it because you thought that was what being a Lord meant. However, there is a limit to that. You taught me that. 」

Milza was completely honest with him. It was also my first time.

「Lord Milza… 」

Terius shook his head.

「It’s all because I wasn’t talented enough. 」

「I don’t think so. 」
Mirza laughed refreshingly.

「If I lose to Theo, it would mean that the times did not choose me, and that it is not yet time for the Mages of Elam to be replaced by Lords, and instead, the era that’s coming is going to be the one of common people. 」

In the peerage system, the people of the Lord’s territory are only one of the rewards of the peerage. Only a Lord with a Crest can become a Lord. It was considered natural for the people to obey their lord. Only the Lords could dispel chaos, so in the past, when the concentration of chaos was high, that was the only option for people to depend on them.

But times were changing now.

(What have I seen?)

Milza asked himself.

He could feel the arrogance of the Mages and the laziness of the Lords. However, he could also feel something new emerging among the common people.

(There may come a time when the people of a territory will choose their Lords themselves.)

Theo.Cornero… No matter where he goes, he will always receive the support of the people. Milza has always thought it was because he was good at inciting people. However, in reality, Theo may just be trying to realize what the people deeply desire, and a Lord who tries to go in a direction that the people do not want will be removed by the people. Is his era about to come?

「I won’t admit it! 」

Milza gritted his teeth audibly. Seeing this, Teriius realized that he cannot change Milza’s determination. Even if Marine Kraische was aware of their lack of strength, she would still rush to Milza’s aid. Milza knows that, and that’s why he plans to settle things by the time Marlene arrives here, and Terius can’t stop it. This is because Terius has to prioritize Marlne’s safety first, not Milza’s. If he made any advice contrary to that, he would definitely be thrown out.

Even though he knew this, Terius still wanted to dissuade Milza. However, I can’t think of any words of persuasion from him.

To be completely honest, Terius was feeling helpless right now.

(However, there is still one thing that even I can do.)

And that particular thing was his only remaining salvation right now.

「Allow me to go with you when you will finally decide to move out, Lord Milza. 」

Terius said to Milza. There was no more tears streaming down his face, and his voice was no longer shaking the way it did before.

「Before I answer that, I will ask you one more time: Whose contracted Mage are you, really? 」

Mirza said, showing slight irritation at Terius’s words.

「My master is Lady Marine, and it is on her direct orders that I have been dispatched to serve as your contracted Mage, Lord Milza. 」

Terius went and repeated the same words as the ones he said before.

「For Lady Marine’s sake, I have to make sure that you’re going to emerge victorious from this battle, Lord Milza, since she told me that I need to be of as much use to you as I would’ve been to her. That’s why going together with you is the only thing that I can do right now. I believe that this is the only action that I should be taking right now. 」

He wasn’t prepared to go together with Milza with the mindset of him losing this battle. After all, Milza is the strongest warrior on the entire continent, and as long as he’s going to be the one leading his army to battle, then the Dartanian army is also going to be the strongest one on the continent. As long as he remains the leader, then no matter how large of how strong the enemy’s army is going to be, Dartania will not be defeated.

「Hmpf, do whatever you want. 」

Milza spat those words back at him as he put on his armor, took his sword, and left the room.

Some time later, the Dartanian army led by Mirza himself opened the gates of Castle Unicorn, and proceeded to move out in order to launch an attack against the forces of the Artuk Treaty.