Chapter 172: The Elusive Fate

Chapter 172: The Elusive Fate

Since that’s the case, let’s go for broke!

Moreover, humans are certainly not weaklings.

Although humanity isn’t as glorious as it once was, they are still the overlords of this world.

Countries like the Machia Republic, close to the Orcs, had their fair share of suffering from those pesky raids, and they had long been itching to teach those Orcs a proper lesson.

Previously, they held back due to their interests not aligning, but now that the decision to fight had been made, it was time to give those annoying Orcs a good thrashing.

Even the involvement of the Dark Elves couldn’t change that mindset.

On the contrary, some humans harbored hatred towards the Dark Elves as well.

The Dark Elves thrived on pillaging, and being the richest in the world, many humans had suffered at their hands.

Not only had their wealth been stolen, but they also faced the risk of being enslaved, reduced to mere slaves under the Dark Elves’ control.

So, some humans’ resentment towards the Dark Elves was no less than that towards the Orcs.

Especially when you added both grievances together, that simmering anger multiplied significantly!

All in all, while there were some advocating for peace in the Machia Republic, most leaned towards continuing the fight.

The reasons for combat were varied, but the resolve to battle Orcs and Dark Elves remained steadfast.

Humans would never back down in such times!

With the decision to continue fighting made, the Machia Republic wasted no time.

While gathering new troops, they swiftly sent previously assembled forces to the northern front.

The entire war machine kicked into gear the moment the decision was approved.

On the boulevard leading north from Lanahl, a human troop marched in perfect formation.

Airael rode alongside Arthur, with Cain and Celia following closely behind them.

After fully healing from his injuries, Cain proactively approached Arthur to fulfill their earlier bet.

Currently, he served as Arthur’s captain of the personal guard.

Although Arthur preferred Cain to operate independently—since he certainly had the capability—his existing troops were all tightly organized, leaving no vacancies to set Cain up elsewhere.

Thus, he had no choice but to keep Cain by his side for now.

He’d find a chance later to assign Cain to a different role.

Fortunately, Cain held no grievances about this; he understood Arthur’s current predicament.

Aside from Cain, the most notable presence in this troop was the unit of Mages mixed in among them.

This Mage unit didn’t come from the Republican military but rather as support from the Tower of the Archmage.

Among them, Airael spotted a few familiar faces.

Originally intended to tackle the Orcs in the north, deploying such a unit was already sufficient.

However, the unexpected changes in the west had greatly exceeded the Machia Republic’s initial predictions, leading to a need for even more support.

The entire unit exuded a strong confidence regarding the battles ahead.

The morale of this spirited troop brought mixed feelings to Airael.

The overwhelming confidence displayed by the humans stemmed from their current strength and status as world leaders.

That made them incredibly eager for combat.

Because once the fighting started, they believed that it was the enemies of humanity who would face defeat, leading to a nearly guaranteed victory for them—who wouldn’t love jumping into such a fight?

If they won, not only would it restore their pride, but they’d also reap numerous benefits.

Not too long ago, the Elven Race was in a similar situation.

However, as time passed, even the long-lived Elves couldn’t withstand the passage of time.

With the Elven Race losing its dominant status, their desire for battle dwindled, gravitating towards a more “retired” lifestyle, making their society feel stale and rigid.

Meanwhile, these humans, though their lives are short, were on the verge of unleashing a brilliant blaze.

This fact truly left Airael in awe.

It resembled the concept of luck she learned about in her past life.

The luck of humanity is at a peak, making everything they do go smoothly, strengthening humans even further, while their luck continues to rise, whereas the Elven Race’s luck has passed its prime and is currently in decline.

The effects, naturally, are diametrically opposed.

Luck—a nebulous, elusive thing that’s tough to grasp, yet undeniably holds a significant presence in this world.

As Airael pondered this fleeting idea of luck, Arthur and Cain started discussing matters related to war and combat, passing the idle time.

Though new to the Machia Republic, they had done their homework as newcomers.

Even if they lacked combat experience, their theoretical knowledge was quite robust.

In discussions about a war and battles, they talked fluently about what needed to be done and how to arrange troops effectively.

After a good while, they finally wrapped up their conversation.

Arthur turned his gaze toward Airael, who seemed lost in thought.

He frowned slightly.

He had noticed that Airael seemed to often drift off lately.

It felt to him like she was overthinking things.

In Arthur’s eyes, Airael truly had no reason to stress over so many matters.

But he also knew that Airael, prideful as she was, wouldn’t heed his words.

Cain’s gaze followed Arthur’s and landed on the mysteriously dressed Airael, but he quickly withdrew his eyes.

Their recent simple interactions revealed to him that this enigmatic woman had an unusual relationship with Arthur.

If nothing unexpected happened, she was likely to be his future mistress.

Just then, Airael snapped out of her reverie.

Noticing Arthur’s gaze fixed on her, she asked, “What are you looking at me for?”

“Nothing much; I just didn’t get to see you earlier, and now I thought I’d take a closer look,” Arthur replied with a smile, opting for a light-hearted tone.

His words, laced with flirtation, made the little face of Airael beneath her cloak flush with color.

Nearby, Cain and the others observed with unwavering focus, pretending they hadn’t heard a thing.

They never expected Arthur to be so bold as to openly flirt with Airael in such a setting.

In truth, Arthur hadn’t thought that much at all. He just wanted Airael to relax and know that he was there for her, that she didn’t have to shoulder everything alone, and could lean on him a little.

After all, they were quite close!