Chapter 204

* * *

It was said that even words without legs could travel a thousand miles—this news began spreading across the continent at an astonishing speed.

The Brance Army, Veliair Castle.

Veliair Castle is located on the western side of the continent, and while it’s one of the larger strongholds among the small territories gathered in Western Continent—it has now become the new capital of the Brance Army.

Though officially called a temporary capital, everyone knows moving back to Anel Castle once Kalintz Army is driven out is still far off. Instead, various buildings are being constructed here, making this practically the new capital buzzing with more activity than ever before in its history.

In a situation where the nation has split into three factions, clinging only to given resources and lords who haven’t betrayed them, from an outside perspective, it seems like there’s no hope or dream left for survival…

But instead of despair filling the royal palace, there’s vitality and hope. Each soldier carries themselves with such straight-backed pride they don’t look like members of a crumbling nation at all. Rather than showing the slumped posture typical of soldiers from a collapsing country, these warriors exude the sharpness of a newly rising power brimming with great ambition.

At the center of it all stands *her*: Lin Brance, the blue-haired prodigy wearing rather plain and comfortable clothing despite being a monarch seated upon the throne.

Under normal circumstances, splitting a nation into thirds would result in losing the trust of many—but when placed in this predicament, Lin acted as if she were someone else entirely, somehow managing to stabilize the situation and ensure the Brance Army didn’t collapse completely, successfully securing her place as one of the key players.

Both Chel Brance and Kalintz Brance may indeed carry the lineage of the Brance Army, but due to Orlando Brance designating Lin as his successor—an unshakable legitimacy remains firmly rooted with her, making it impossible for anyone to casually dismiss her authority.

When things seemed under control during the near-conquest of Central Continent, Lin often sat idly on the throne with a perpetually bored expression. But now, ruling over what’s left of the fractured kingdom, her eyes gleam sharper than ever as she attentively listens to Strategist Parphale’s reports.

“Anel Castle battle… victory goes to Kalintz Army.”

“Huh? Brother Chel must be pretty upset right about now.”

After the Brance Army split into three factions, Lin ended up controlling the outermost region of their territory—a relatively worthless area compared to others.

All the powerful generals and influential figures were stationed around Anel Castle, at the heart of Central Continent. They had bet on Lin failing to properly lead, believing she wasn’t fit to rule. And yes, Lin admitted it herself: the capable commanders aligned themselves with either Kalintz or Chel, leaving her with nothing but those she’d previously overlooked, assigning them minor roles and expecting little from them.

Yet ironically, it was these “worthless” individuals who remained loyal to their discarded lord without hesitation in this final hour, disregarding any personal gain.

Kalintz Army swallowed most of the prime lands including Anel Castle. Meanwhile, Chel Army gained control of the finest warriors within the Brance Army, albeit slightly less valuable territory-wise.

Caught between these two rivals, Lin—the original bearer of the crown and absolute ruler—was effectively ignored by both sides.

And yet… strangely enough, because Lin lacked significant backing, this gave her a golden opportunity to step aside from the internal conflict between the Brance siblings and focus on rebuilding her forces.

“How are our troop movements?”

“All eligible population has been drafted, but we desperately lack capable generals to train them.”

“Is there anyone decent among them?”

“Not necessarily skilled, but there is someone… someone willing to prove himself.”

With that cryptic remark, Parphale paused, prompting Lin to respond calmly:

“Tell me more.”

*

A short while later.

A man entered the audience chamber, kneeling deeply before Lin.

“Belrut Ruga reporting for duty under your command, my Lord!”

He had rugged features, appearing quite masculine though not overly imposing. His physique suggested he was well-trained but not intimidating enough to qualify as a true general or knight; rather, he looked like just another well-disciplined soldier.

“Lift your head, Belrut.”

“Yes!”

“Do you seek authority to manage troops?”

“That is correct!”

Belrut bowed again, shouting confidently.

“Since the day Your Majesty mercifully spared my life, I’ve sworn countless times to repay you someday. Now is my chance! Not only will I train the men, but I shall also personally lead the charge against traitors who stole our lands. If you give me the order, I’ll bring back the heads of both Kalintz and Chel!”

“…”

Honestly speaking, Lin barely remembered him. She had never allocated mental space to memorize details about such obscure officers.

Judging by his words alone, Belrut might be competent enough to handle tasks easily managed by Kalintz or even Chel, but probably nothing extraordinary.

However…

“You’re very dependable, Belrut.”

Rising slowly from her seat, Lin extended her hand earnestly.

“I’ll entrust you with 48,000 troops. We’ll reinforce you with additional armed support as quickly as possible. Show us your brilliance, alright? Got it?”

“Yes!”

“And…”

“…?”

Meeting Belrut’s gaze directly, Lin spoke sincerely.

“No matter what happens, I will never forget your name, Belrut.”

“A… Yes! It’s an honor!”

Belrut bowed respectfully once more, loudly declaring his loyalty before exiting the room with renewed vigor.

— From that moment forward, Lin vowed not to belittle anyone based solely on perceived ability. After all, choosing her in this chaotic era meant adhering to principles over pragmatism.

She engraved Belrut’s name into her memory, along with every other follower who stood by her side.

“Parphale, which unit did Belrut belong to?”

“He served under Walnut Army, if I recall correctly.”

Ah, Walnut Army—that was Gurupa’s group. Back then, none of them would’ve caught her attention except Gurupa himself. She’d never imagined someone she promoted carelessly would remain loyal until the end…

‘Come to think of it…’

Just as thoughts turned to another certain individual, Lin asked Parphale abruptly.

“Have you heard any news, Parphale?”

“News, my Lady?”

“A mage has appeared in the Serpina Army.”

“…”

Parphale lowered his head silently, clearly aware of the information but deliberately withholding it from his liege. Lin noticed immediately, smirking faintly.

“They say a pink-haired woman conjured flames from her hands.”

“That’s not all, is it?”

Parphale closed his eyes and sighed.

“It’s fine, Parphale. Be honest. This is something we need to face head-on.”

“…Witnesses reported a white-haired man supporting her actions.”

“So it was Swoen after all. He did something similar while serving under our army too.”

“But this time, there was no altar ritual involved… It seemed like pure sorcery straight out of ancient texts. Of course, rumors aren’t always reliable.”

“Well, if it involves the white-haired man, it’s likely true. Perhaps he hid his abilities until now—he always kept secrets during his time with us.”

“…”

“It’s alright. He’s no longer under my command anyway.”

Lin murmured softly, her voice trembling slightly.

“At least…he’s there for that child. I’m fine.”

Turning away, she added quietly.

“The commander of that battle where the mage debuted…the red-haired knight known as ‘Siege Specialist’…”

“…Let’s go, Parphale.”

“Where to, my Lady?”

“Just a simple inspection tour. With so many conscripts, public sentiment among the territorial people might be strained. As a monarch, I can’t afford to sit idle on the throne forever.”

‘If I let everything fall apart meaninglessly, I won’t have the face to meet Iren… At the very least, I must reunite the Brance Army she worked so hard to protect.’

With that thought, Lin stepped resolutely out of the royal palace.

Swoen and Iren…

Perhaps she lost the most crucial key to unifying the continent—or maybe they were never hers to begin with, naturally slipping through her fingers…

Regardless, she couldn’t allow herself to crumble further over their departure.

Everything she does now is for the sake of preserving the Brance Army Iren cherished so deeply. Even if reaching her again becomes impossible, Lin doesn’t mind.

This was her futile attempt at atonement, repeating regrets hundreds of times knowing full well it wouldn’t change the past. Still, she presses on—a desperate struggle, perhaps, but undeniably hers.

* * *

As some strive forward despite recognizing their dire situations…

Others finally awaken to the gravity of their own mistakes.

“A… mage… has appeared?”

A trembling female voice echoed throughout the empty royal palace. Such a reaction isn’t surprising considering the source.

After all, the ‘mage’ causing upheaval across the continent originally belonged to her.

The formidable eastern power born from grand ambitions shared with comrades bound by blood oaths, led by the indomitable leader of Aishias Army—Baranga Yuri Aishias.

Much like Lin…

Yuri too faced the consequences of her actions.