Chapter 263

* * *

“WE DID IT! WE WON!”

“WE ACTUALLY WON!”

When we heard the news that 200,000 troops were coming, no one can deny that deep down in our hearts, despair was bound to rise despite our burning determination.

Truth be told, many of us thought we might die in this war—yet with the mindset that if we could contribute even a little to Luna’s resistance against Vanessa’s tyranny and the spineless Karelia, then perhaps we had fulfilled our duty as soldiers.

But in that battle… WE WON. We VICTORIOUSLY crushed an overwhelming force of over 200,000 enemies! The cheers of triumph belonged to US!

And at the forefront of this life-or-death struggle… the soldiers bore witness with their own eyes to Luna’s unmatched strength—a power that rivaled none.

Even as a monarch, she fearlessly charged into battle, cleaving through enemy ranks like they were mere shadows.

To the Karelia Army, she must have been a nightmare incarnate—but to us, the Lunarien Army, she was something else entirely.

She was like… the Goddess of Battle.

Anyone who fought by her side would agree without hesitation. She deserved every bit of praise.

“LONG LIVE LUNARIEN INIYANG!!!”

“FOR LADY LUNARIEN!!!”

Seated atop her horse, Luna looked around her…

We won.

The soldiers’ cheers reminded her once again that she had defeated the Karelia Army. After such a hard-fought victory, one might expect her to roar alongside her troops in celebration—but instead, those energetic cries reached her ears not at all.

All she could hear now… was HIS voice.

*”If we hold out until the end, we will win.”*

“I’ve done it…! Sir Swoen, I’ve actually done it…!!”

Luna closed her eyes tightly, gripping her hands together.

His words alone were her compass. Nothing influenced her decisions more than his guidance. He was the one who sacrificed himself to save us. He was the one who urged her never to give up during the final moments. And he was the one who promised her the world if she believed in herself…

A single tear rolled down Luna’s cheek.

Far away, the soldiers wouldn’t notice. But even if they did, it didn’t matter. What truly made her happiest was proving that HE—Sir Swoen—was never wrong. That she had lived up to his faith in her.

I’ve seized the opportunity you spoke of.

I haven’t forgotten my promise to you, Sir Swoen.

I miss you so much…

She gazed up at the sky.

After a day-long battle, the night had passed, and the new sun rose once again.

Now… it was time to move forward.

* * *

After the battle ended…

The person who drew the most attention was General Tifa, who had suddenly awakened to incredible magical powers.

Ordinarily, Tifa would have spent the entire day boasting about her amazing performance to anyone within earshot—but not today.

“Are you feeling alright?”

“Hey, isn’t that Old Man Cain? Or should I call you Kyle now?”

“None of that nonsense. Call me whatever you want. Hearing formalities from someone like you feels weird.”

“Heh, sure thing. You’ll always just be some old geezer to me, whether you’re Cain or Kyle.”

“Fair enough.”

Tifa, lying on her bed drenched in cold sweat, replied weakly.

“You used magic, didn’t you? You know that, right?”

“Well… I guess it WAS magic after all.”

“When did you first realize you had this power?”

Not sure exactly when. During training, I felt some kind of energy but… having it flow through my body like this is completely new.”

“Then what you felt was probably mana…”

“Likely so.”

Tifa and Kyle turned their heads toward the sound of an elderly voice approaching.

It was Jinoru, the current National Strategist of the Lunarien Army, walking into the room.

“Mages and mana are very real.”

“Strategist sir…”

“It seems General Tifa has awakened to the art of magic. Evidence being: she can barely move and is stuck in bed.”

“What do you mean…?”

“Using magic drains your stamina proportionally to its power.”

“So YOU know something about mages, huh?”

Jinoru paused for a moment before answering.

“…You could say that.”

“You sound like someone who’s seen it firsthand.”

“We can discuss details later. Right now, the important thing is General Tifa’s condition. If a mage uses too much power beyond their limits, they risk losing their life.”

As Jinoru said, Tifa collapsed unconscious off her saddle immediately after the battle ended. Luckily, she suffered no serious injuries from falling—and with the help of other soldiers, she was brought here to rest.

“Draining stamina… So THAT’S why I blacked out…”

“That’s correct. To use magic again, you need sufficient rest.”

Tifa chuckled bitterly.

“So all this newfound strength was for nothing, huh?”

“Not quite, General Tifa. Without you, we would NEVER have won this battle.”

“Yeah, yeah, flattery aside… the mercenaries arrived as reinforcements anyway.”

“Even so, our numbers were far inferior. Do you think this old man would waste words praising you just for riches and glory?”

“Hah! Point taken.”

With that, Tifa smiled wryly while Jinoru addressed her seriously.

“General Tifa, my earlier advice about resting wasn’t idle chatter. If you continue pushing yourself recklessly, excessive mana usage could endanger your life.”

“…!!!”

Jinoru—one of the most knowledgeable individuals about mages in the entire continent—spoke firmly.

Through countless documents, folklore, and historical records, he’d studied everything related to mages. His motivation was simple: magic exists. Ever since meeting young Reika, who could conjure flames from her hands, he realized how this power could shake the world and secluded himself to gather knowledge.

“But-”

“There’s nothing more to discuss. If you truly wish to serve your lord, don’t push yourself unnecessarily. Your lord needs YOU above all others.”

“Needs… me.”

Do I really mean something to Lunarien?

In truth, Tifa knew she couldn’t match Lunarien as a warrior. She only stepped forward because Lunarien was the leader. But now, with magic…

Maybe I CAN become someone useful to Lunarien and Lady Luna.

“…Alright. No unnecessary stubbornness. I’ll take it easy like Strategist sir suggested.”

“Well, guilt trips aren’t fun either. Doing nothing can actually be quite enjoyable.”

Kyle’s light-hearted comment eased Tifa’s tension slightly.

“Strategist sir, did you hear that? This guy’s supposedly royalty but acts more pathetic than any commoner. Isn’t he supposed to be some high-ranking official? Let’s check if he’s legit…”

Before finishing her sentence, Tifa stared blankly into space for a moment.

“He’s gone…”

Realizing Jinoru had already left the room.

“That guy’s sneaky. Jinoru always appears and disappears silently.”

“…Was he always like that?”

Looks like there’s no one left to ask now.

* * *

General Tifa was a mage.

More accurately, she had awakened to the power of magic.

Exiting the room, Jinoru reviewed the situation.

Someone newly awakened to magic—especially someone like Tifa who demonstrated such destructive power right from the start—had a high chance of dying if they continued using magic recklessly without proper knowledge. However, with someone like him around to advise her about the dangers of mishandling magic, her survival rate would skyrocket exponentially.

‘…Hmph.’

Everything truly seems to align perfectly for Lunarien, doesn’t it?

It almost inspires reverence rather than fear.

Anyway, we defeated Karelia’s army of 200,000 troops. This wasn’t just any ordinary battle. Karelia mobilized nearly all available forces tied to their nation’s fate, and our army faced execution if defeated. It was desperate.

And our victory means…

The era of the Karelia Army has come to an end.

All that remains is to consolidate their effectively vacant territories.

‘This will keep us busy for a while.’

Jinoru sighed softly and directed a question toward unseen ears.

‘Swoen, is all of this part of YOUR grand design?’

If so… what role am I playing?

* * *

Tevelo Castle, the Royal Palace.

Before Luna stood four figures kneeling respectfully.

“Gustaf, Aaron, Kale, and Yona… It’s truly wonderful to see you all again.”

Captain Gustaf and Vice-Captain Kale of the Raven Mercenary Unit. Captain Aaron and Vice-Captain Yona of the Chirein Mercenary Unit.

These were the people who promised long ago to rejoin Lunarien’s cause when the time came.

“It’s been a long wait, Lady Luna.”

“We’ll repay the debt we owe.”

That ‘debt’ referred to the free transfer of troops back then. For mercenaries, whose livelihood depended on the number of soldiers under their command, receiving fully trained units from a national army was invaluable.

“Without your assistance, we wouldn’t have won that battle. Thank you sincerely.”

After saying this, Luna approached them.

“However, I must speak frankly…”

“Anything you ask, we’ll do.”

“For now, we’ll require your continued involvement in battles. I understand you’re busy managing your mercenary duties, but I assure you appropriate compensation.”

Both Gustaf and Aaron seemed to understand what Luna meant.

Organizing the remnants of Karelia’s territory wouldn’t be easy—it would take time and bloodshed to resolve properly.

They exchanged glances briefly before speaking simultaneously.

“Lady Luna, please allow us to…”

“Formally join the Lunarien Army.”

“…What?”

Caught off guard by the unexpected request, Luna hesitated, but the two men remained calm.

“Mercenaries thrive in chaos. If Lady Luna can restore order to the continent… we gladly offer ourselves to your righteous cause.”

“This decision was reached after much deliberation between us. Please grant us this favor. We won’t weigh you down.”

“Hold you back?! Having both of you join would make our army stronger than ever! But… are you sure about this?”

“All members of our mercenary units support joining the Lunarien Army.”

For a moment, Luna considered declining…

No. This is another opportunity I must seize. I promised HIM I’d grow stronger—to overthrow Serpina, who oppresses him.

So with renewed resolve, she spoke.

“…Thank you. Then I humbly accept your offer.”

At this, Aaron, Gustaf, and their vice-captains bowed deeply.

“Yes, my Lord!”

“We pledge our loyalty to you!”

We’ve won the battle and gained new allies.

Now, the only thing left to do is… move forward.

And the path ahead involves erasing ‘Karelia Army’ from the map.