Chapter 144: Chapter 144 - Southwest Border
’What a way to greet the new year,’ Lucien thought.
"Aunt Sylvia, please make yourself at home. You don’t have to worry about a thing here," he said as he noticed the tension in her eyes.
Sylvia exhaled, rubbing her rounded belly. "Thank you, Nephew. I wanted to help but Edric sent me away. He’s worried about the baby."
"You can relax," Lucien assured her. "I’ll be there to help. Uncle Max, please wait a moment. I just need to make some arrangements."
"That would be a great help," Maxim replied with a calm smile. He’d seen Lucien’s methods before. Having him involved could change everything.
Lucien closed his eyes and sent a silent command.
’Gargoyle Guardians, move outside the gates and guard the territory. Don’t let any suspicious people come inside.’
Stone scraped against stone. From his miniature castle, the gargoyle statues stirred and took flight toward his territory’s new walls.
They were his Lionmane Gargoyles and Serpent Gargoyles. Twenty of each.
Lucien had named the Lionmane Gargoyles Uno through Veinte. The Serpent Gargoyles were Eins through Zwanzig.
Simple numbers in other languages. Lucien wrote their corresponding marks on each forehead for easy recognition.
Despite the simple names, they were fiercely intelligent. They could even sense ill intent before a stranger crossed the threshold.
Satisfied, Lucien summoned the rest of his companions.
It didn’t take long for them to arrive.
Lucien studied his gathered companions with pride.
Byakko and Seiryu. The white tiger and the azure dragon. They had grown quite enormous and so was their power. One ruled the skies, the other the earth. Together they could dominate any battlefield.
His gaze shifted to Korrak and Vyrran, standing watchful beside their newborn, Korvyn. The trio had become invaluable for farming drops.
Sparkles bounded forward next. Its luminous form pulsed with confidence and pride. It’s both a healer and fighter. The unicorn’s proud stare warned others not to underestimate it.
The slimes clustered nearby. They’re always alert and ready. They never needed explicit orders. Their intelligence were sharpened by past trials.
Remembering how formidable their species were in the world of murals, Lucien released a sigh.
"You all know what to do," he said softly. "Protect this place. Help anyone who needs it."
He turned to the Skyskippers. Peek, Aboo and their sprightly offspring, Peeko.
"Survey the surroundings and report to Miss Elf if anything seems wrong."
The birds chirped in response. Elunara could understand them well enough to catch any warning.
A subtle shift in the air told Lucien that others had sensed the gathering. His closest allies arrived one by one.
"Sis," he called to Vivian, "take command while I’m gone. Sebas, please assist her."
Before questions could form, Sylvia explained the situation to the newcomers.
"Grandson," Cielius said firmly, "I’ll come too."
Lucien met his grandfather’s steady gaze. "Grandpa, is it alright if I leave everything here to you? Please keep my sister safe."
Cielius gave a solemn nod.
Despite the fortress-like strength of his territory, a thread of unease coiled in Lucien’s chest.
"Lukas," he said, turning to his aide, "assemble a hundred soldiers to accompany me."
"I’ll arrange it immediately, Young Lord." Lukas inclined his head and strode off at once.
Lucien’s eyes wandered to the massive airship dock rising beyond the walls. Still unfinished but close... Soon it would be ready.
The airship project had continued too. Seren’s latest modifications transformed the design from simple transport into something far more formidable. A vessel built for war.
The key lay in the Aether Core Crystals.
When Lucien had delivered the commissioned airship to the royal castle, the king had rewarded him with a priceless gift. The recipe for crafting those crystals.
That single boon changed everything. With the formula in hand, Lucien could now build airships as long as he had materials... and resources were one thing he never lacked.
Before long... Lukas returned, leading a hundred soldiers.
"Young Lord, I chose each one myself." Lukas reported. "They can follow orders to the letter and support you completely."
At their head stood Viper who was now a Tier-9... with ninety-nine Tier-8 elites behind him. They were a force powerful enough to crush nearly any threat.
This would be enough.
Lucien activated Split Body. Light rippled over him and a smaller version of himself stepped free.
He lifted the miniature and handed it to Vivian. "Sis, pour mana into this if anything unexpected happens. It will reach me instantly."
Vivian hugged the tiny figure to her chest. Worry tightened her voice. "Be careful, Brother."
Lucien gave a single nod then turned to the waiting fleet. With a thought, he summoned two additional medium-sized airships for the soldiers.
Moments later, he and a portion of the troops boarded Maxim’s airship. The rest was divided among the new vessels.
And with that, the expedition lifted into the sky...
...onward to the Southwest Borders.
•••
Maxim briefed Lucien during the flight.
A violent tremor had struck the southwest border. The line dividing their kingdom from the Wildlands Federation. Scouts who were sent to investigate returned pale and shaken.
The quake had stirred something far worse. Monsters. An overwhelming number of them.
Before long, their airships passed over the Silvermine Marquisate.
Below, panic rippled through the city as servants hurried civilians toward safety.
Lucien gazed down at his uncle’s domain. Practical and well-planned. The city’s clean lines and fortified walls reflected a lifetime of preparation for border conflict. It was beautiful in its own way.
Yet his hands clenched at his sides. ’Is suffering truly the unshakable fate of the ordinary?’ he thought bitterly.
They pressed onward toward the border itself.
The massive wall that divided two nations soon rose into view. It looked like a jagged scar of stone against the horizon.
And there at its base, Edric and his soldiers stood in tight formation.
From the airship’s deck Lucien’s eyes widened. Beyond the wall, a black tide of monsters stretched to the horizon... It was motionless but it radiated a crushing menace.
"This is... tricky," he murmured.
The airships settled with a low hiss of steam. Edric’s weary face brightened the moment he spotted Lucien.
"Nephew! You’re here."
"Uncle Ed, I’ve brought help."
Edric’s gaze slid past him to the Tier-9 warrior and the ninety-nine Tier-8 elites disembarking.
Hope flickered in his eyes and the soldiers behind him straightened. Their fear was briefly replaced by relief.
"And don’t worry... Aunt Sylvia is safe in my territory," Lucien added.
At that, Edric released a long, pent-up breath.
"Uncle Ed," Lucien pressed, "what’s the situation? Why haven’t you attacked yet?"
Edric’s jaw tightened... but Maxim stepped forward before he could answer.
"We can’t move right away, Nephew."
Lucien tilted his head. "Why not?"
"The treaty," Maxim said with a heavy voice.
Lucien tilted his head in confusion.
Maxim explained. "Decades ago after the Continental War... every nation signed a pact to stop reckless invasions. No armed force may cross another country’s border without formal sanction... not even to fight monsters. It was meant to prevent rulers from disguising conquests as ’monster hunts.’"
Lucien’s eyes narrowed. "So if we strike the horde across the border..."
"The Federation would call it a violation," Maxim finished. "They’d claim we broke the pact and use it as a pretext for war. And look. Notice how their own garrison is missing? Too convenient. It’s as if they want us to act rashly."
A cold weight settled in Lucien’s gut.
Premeditated.
Across the wall, the monsters remained perfectly arrayed. They were outside the range of ballistae and catapults.
"It’s bait," Lucien whispered.
Maxim gave a grim nod.
"They don’t care if their own villages burn. They want us to break first. One wrong move and we hand them the banner for war."
Lucien exhaled slowly then reached into his inventory.
His hand emerged with a small black-stone gargoyle with its eyes faintly aglow.
The surrounding soldiers fell silent.
"This thing is perfect for scouting," Lucien said. With a flick of thought, the construct’s wings unfolded and beat the air.
"The treaty forbids armies from crossing," he added, "but it says nothing about tools... or constructs, right?"
Maxim allowed himself a thin smile. "Clever."
The gargoyle darted through the sky, recording every detail. Moments later it swooped back, settling neatly on Lucien’s arm.
"Show us," Lucien commanded.
The construct’s eyes blazed brighter, casting a projection across the stone wall.
Gasps rippled through the soldiers as the image sharpened. A roiling sea of monsters stretching to the horizon, their numbers seemingly endless.
Maxim’s voice was a low murmur.
"At least twenty thousand..."
Then the image shifted. A massive shadow moved within the horde.
The soldiers froze. Color drained from Maxim’s face.
"This... this can’t be," he whispered. "The Black Tortoise of the North written in textbooks. The guardian beast itself..."
Lucien said nothing. Recognition sparked from memories of the mural lives he’d endured.
He let out a quiet sigh. "Looks like that thing is under someone’s control."
His gaze swept the projected battlefield. He catalogued each creature’s form. He then summoned MONSTERDEX.
Lucien’s lips curved in a smile. He scribbled their weaknesses swiftly.
When he handed the parchment to Edric and Maxim, their eyes brightened.
"These are the weaknesses of every major beast," Lucien said. "With this we can strike more effectively."
Maxim scanned the list.
"This will help a lot... but with numbers like these, we still need massive firepower and wide-scale attacks."
Edric nodded grimly. "We’ll plan for it."
They bent over, strategizing choke points and kill zones when a soldier burst in breathless.
"Marquis! A message from the capital. The king has answered!"
Maxim straightened, snatching the sealed letter. He read aloud.
’Act as you see fit. Do not fear the repercussions.’
A collective breath swept the room. The weight of the treaty or any kind of hesitation... has been lifted.
Maxim’s eyes sharpened. "You heard His Majesty. No more restraints."
Edric’s hand closed into a fist. "Then we fight."
The soldiers’ spines straightened. The coming battle would be brutal but the king’s command had given them freedom.