When A Mage Revolts

A week passed by quietly, under an increasingly tense situation.

What everyone could see was an army entering and being stationed in the Town of Crewe. After a few hours, the Runic Defense Technique began to rise up slowly, protecting this little town on the border from all directions. Thus, when the news spread, the entire Kingdom of Helius immediately realized that the Black Nightmare Army had only vanished for a short period of time. They had now returned!

Moreover, when the Black Nightmare Army and the Wood family joined forces... No one knew what had happened in between, but every person who was against the Church felt a burst of excitement and inspiration.

However, although most people were unable to see anything over on the side of the Church, through the rumors being spread on the streets, insider information and more... The people could smell the advent of a great battle. Some people said that the royal army had forcefully recruited all the men in the Imperial Capital; there were also people who said that every workshop in the city had been kept for the use of the Church. The lights inside burnt deep into the night and were never extinguished; no one knew what was being produced inside. There were even those who swore when they said that every family in the region of the Imperial Capital had been visited by the priests. Anyone with the least bit of talent for the Divine Arts had been whisked off; no one knew where they were taken to.

Whatever it was, another massive battle was brewing. The people behaved as though they were watching the skies that were rumbling with thunder, waiting for the first storm that could fall on them at any time.

"Have you found out if the Church has some way of escape?"

In the tent of the Black Nightmare Army, Benjamin looked at Miles, who had just returned, and asked the question.

"No, they're unable to come up with a fleet that can make a detour now." Miles shook his head and said. "However, may I inform you that the vanguard of the royal army has secretly left the capital last night. They might be planning to draw near to the Town of Crewe by using this method, before attacking you when you're caught unawares."

Hearing that, Benjamin felt somewhat doubtful.

"...A secret attack? This is all the tactic they have, being forced to fight with their backs against the wall?"

He was worried that things would not be so simple.

"Yes. Honestly speaking, they don't seem to have anything left." Miles shrugged, however, speaking in a non-committal manner. "I've done my best to investigate. Their soldiers... are close to a hundred thousand in number, but many of them were conscripted and forced to join, they won't be able to handle a fight well. Then, there are five thousand priests, they are basically there just to make up the number. Although the entire royal army has gone through a round of expansion, their morale and discipline in training are extremely bad. They merely look frightening."

"Then where are the cannons?"

"Forty Cannons of Holy Light left. You have to thank me properly, I'd burnt up quite a few depositories before I left, otherwise you guys would have had to face double the number of cannonballs."

"...Thank you."

Benjamin did not know what to say. He could only nod and pat Miles on the shoulder as an expression of gratitude.

He also did not know how this battle would turn out in the end.

The royal army had been expanding themselves like crazy. From a certain perspective, it was arguably a type of smoke bomb. At least now, Benjamin was unable to have a grasp on what their actual combat power was. Judging by the number of men alone, the enemy had ten times more soldiers and mages than them. It was difficult for two fists to fight against four hands*; with such a huge disparity between their numbers, it was still possible to make up for something like discipline.

Benjamin had been thinking. Should they be doing more for preparation?

Thus, having gotten the intelligence he wanted from Miles, he turned around and left to plunge himself into the more nerve-wrecking battle preparations. Since the Church was preparing to launch a sneak attack, they would have to be ready at all times, because the enemy might appear at any moment.

The Wood army had already set off quietly, leaving behind only a few soldiers to patrol here and there on the Crusader Gateway as an act. In the Town of Crewe, more and more walls were built temporarily on the streets in the outer regions; a large number of archer towers rose up from the flat ground. Archers and mages continuously patrolled to and fro on them, causing the people who lived in the town to realize that something was about to happen.

Meanwhile.

"The Runic Defense Technique... It's still the same old thing, but they wouldn't choose to retreat this time, I think." Grant flew high up in the air with a few bishops. Looking at the busy Town of Crewe in the distance, he slowly opened his mouth to speak, with a grave expression.

No one knew that they had long arrived at a place barely a mile away from the north of the Town of Crewe. They had been observing from the shadows for almost a day.

"Yes." The bishop next to him immediately nodded, saying, "We've received a report, they are constructing huge amounts of defensive structures in the town. They'll definitely defend the place stubbornly, until the end."

Grant turned his head and asked, "Then... how long until our army troops arrive?"

"In three days. They will be gathering on the mountain in the north, preparing for the attack."

Hearing that, Grant nodded as well.

"It should be impossible for that fellow to eavesdrop on the plan this time." Another bishop opened his mouth and said. "To avoid him, we'd specifically run up high into the air to discuss matters, and only the few of us know about the entire plan. It's impossible for that assassin to find out about it."

Saying thus, those few depositories in the capital that had burst into flames for no reason came to his mind. Was it necessary to say more? Only the assassin with the strange physicality could do something like setting the storage locations of the Cannons of Holy Light on fire specifically, and escape unharmed.

They clenched their fists in hatred the moment they remembered this.

Grant let out a cold snort, saying, "That fellow... After we defeat the Black Nightmare Army, we must drag him out. We cannot let him survive on this earth."

Those few bishops responded in unison. "But of course!"

Thus, another two days passed by. Those few members of the Church were able to observe, from the air, that the Black Nightmare Army in the Town of Crewe were becoming more and more holed up, as though they had sensed something. However, they did not mind. The great battle was something that everyone under the heavens knew about; the only thing that the Black Nightmare Army did not know, no matter what, was how they were going to attack.

The vanguard of the royal army had arrived. They entered the mountains and stationed themselves there, quietly beginning their preparations.

Finally, it was the night of the third day.

"...Rain is falling."

Standing on the mountain in the north of the gateway, Grant stood with his arms behind his back, lifting his head to look at the sky. One drop, two drops... The raindrops that fell upon his face were bounced off by the Holy Light that appeared from his body. No matter how heavy the rain became, Grant's hair and clothes did not get wet in the slightest bit.

Behind him, a few bishops looked at the dark and cloudy sky. There was a mixture of glee and worry on their faces.

"This is a test given to us by God," a bishop took a deep breath and said in a resolute voice. "To defeat that devil in the rain would represent the ultimate glory. Through this test, the light of God will once again fall upon this great land."

Another bishop said, "The rain doesn't help water-based magic as much as we'd imagine. Actually, this is even more advantageous to our plan."

Someone else gave a suggestion. "Your Highness the Pope... How about we wait until the rain has stopped before attacking?"

However, Grant merely pulled his gaze back, shaking his head.

"Have you forgotten? It is impossible to change the timing of the attack." He suddenly turned around and pointed at the narrow and winding mountain path behind them. "Even if we're willing to wait until the rain stops, they... would not be able to wait it out."

At his words, all of a sudden, the ground of the mountain beneath their feet began to shake violently, emitting a muffled, rumbling noise. At that moment, those few bishops seemed to remember something; they hurriedly flew into the air with Grant, turning their heads to look. Half a minute later, at the location where their eyes were set, turbid and black mud sudden gushed out from that narrow little path.

Like a river thawing as spring arrived, huge amounts of muddy water rushed down the mountain path in the blink of an eye, carrying numerous rocks along at an alarming force and momentum. It felt as though the entire mountain was trembling.

That was not all. The muddy water rose up even higher in the rain, like a river that had just burst through a dam. It surged out from more than one mountain path. Very quickly, the mud and the rocks that flowed into the intersections of the mountain paths merged into one. Finally, along a slope that seemed to have only appeared recently, it gushed right off the mountain in torrents!

Going straight for the Town of Crewe in the rain.