“Prince Sieghart,” a soldier said.
Crowned now as the new king of Lemilsia, Sieghart stood at the edge of a jagged mountain cliff, his attention focused on the glowing barrier that enshrouded the enemy capital.
“The preparations for our advance into Avianoia are complete.”
“Very well,” he said.
The splendor of Avianoia’s capital was plainly visible from this great height. Built of stone and red brick, the city stretched out in careful symmetry, every detail as finely wrought as sculpture.
The more I look at it, the more beautiful it seems.
And yet, beneath that beauty lay meticulous planning. The city’s design optimized the efficiency of defensive magic.
It was the first time in the three years since he’d begun the ritual mourning period for his father that Sieghart had seen another kingdom. Even setting aside the novelty of it, there was much a king could learn from studying Avianoia’s city design.
The entire capital functions as a great magic circle, bolstering the strength of the barrier surrounding it. Cities built upon such principles are not rare, but the efficacy with which this one has been realized... There may be no equal in the world.
The sun, now on the verge of setting, bathed the city in golden light.
At its center rose a towering white castle, which was heavily fortified with additional layered barriers. It was, without a doubt, the beating heart of the kingdom.
Adelheid sleeps within that castle.
Sieghart pressed a clenched fist against his chest.
“Adelheid...you will be mine at last.”
In his mind burned an image he could never forget.
In the midst of the chaos engulfing the castle where he had spent his childhood, while his father’s broken voice screamed in madness, Sieghart had laid eyes upon her. She had stood in the garden atop the castle. She had been beautiful, and he had yearned for her ever since.
My witch...
A sharp pang seized his skull, and he winced.
The reincarnation of Adelheid will be mine. I will have her. I must...
A bright voice startled him out of his reverie. “Sieghart.”
He turned around.
Standing there, dressed in robes and wearing their usual smile, was the chief conjurer. “At long last, our ambitions bear fruit. The final preparations for war are complete. And yet, why do you stand here? What do you see?”
“I was just—”
“I hardly think it possible,” the conjurer said with a tilt of the head, “but you aren’t hesitating, are you?”
The pain in his head worsened, throbbing deeply. “Of course not. I’ve wanted to claim Adelheid since I was a child—”
“Exactly. Now then, come.” The conjurer tugged on Sieghart’s sleeve. “With a single word from you, the war begins, and your wish shall be granted! Does this not please you?”
“Then deliver this order once more to every soldier.” Sieghart gripped the left breast of his uniform over his heart. “No matter their status—be they commoner or royalty—those who do not raise their arms against us are not to be harmed. We have one goal. We cannot afford any distractions.”
“Of course! You’re absolutely right, Sieghart. Our nation, Lemilsia, desires Adelheid alone. So long as we obtain her, nothing else matters.” The conjurer nodded fervently, their arms spread wide.
“Yes. Adelheid is our only objective.”
Even as he said it aloud, Sieghart couldn’t ignore the contradictions tugging at his thoughts.
This is war. It won’t end with taking one woman. The consequences will ripple across the world, such as how we should treat Avianoia, the shifts in international alliances, and the countless other political repercussions... All of this matters, and yet...
Suppressing each thought in turn, Sieghart doubled down on his words.
“I will claim Adelheid—no matter what it takes.”
His chief conjurer smiled. “Sieghart, right now, you’re as powerful as any in the world! Of course, it seems the people of Avianoia are doing their best to hold their defenses... Even as we speak...” They formed a circle with their fingers, peeking through it at the royal capital. “It appears Avianoia’s chief conjurer is deploying his forces throughout the city. And that barrier of theirs is formidable—perhaps the most powerful ever recorded!”
“It’s fine. I recognized the structure from the analysis that the scouts brought back. It’s the same barrier used at the Raushneur Academy of Magic, meaning Klingate’s crown prince is responsible for it.”
Until six years ago, Sieghart had studied within the protective confines of one of those barriers. He had a good grasp of its magical patterns and weak points.
With lips curled into a smirk, Lemilsia’s chief conjurer presented a question as a teacher does to a student.
“The inside of the barrier is apparently cloaked with illusion magic. It’s hard to see where the enemy is concentrating their forces. What do you intend to do?”
“Avianoia’s troops are largely composed of highly skilled conjurers. As I am now, I can detect concentrations of magical energy across the barrier without difficulty,” Sieghart answered, narrowing his eyes as he took in the castle and its barrier. “I will find where Adelheid sleeps—and where Leonhard is too.”
The conjurer laughed in delight at their student’s answer. “Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant. Tonight, without fail, Adelheid shall be yours.”
“Yes. I shall take their capital, drive Leonhard away, and claim her.”
“And should anyone rise to stop you... Well, they must be eliminated, mustn’t they?”
Sieghart shot a glare downward at the conjurer. “There’s no need for indiscriminate violence. Enemy soldiers or civilians, it matters not; if they can be neutralized and captured, that will suffice.”
The conjurer’s peach-colored eyes met Sieghart’s with the same intensity. “Come now! That’s far too soft, Sieghart. Hesitate over your methods, and you risk losing what you are trying to protect.”
There was something behind those words—something that made Sieghart grimace.
However, the conjurer smiled again and lightly tapped him near the waist. “Sieghart, you spent three years in mourning after your father’s death, closing your kingdom’s borders and preparing for this moment. All of it was for her.”
His words came out shaky. “That’s right. I...did it...all for her.”
“Then go. Go and claim your precious witch.”
Sieghart issued his command to the mage knights positioned throughout the mountain range.
“Break the barrier.”
His voice, carried on waves of magic, would no doubt reach each and every knight clearly. Fully aware of that, he gave the next order.
“Strike with thunder. Begin the war.”
“And now, by command of our glorious king!” cried the chief conjurer with a cackle.
At the signal, the conjurers raised their voices in unison. A single incantation rippled across the ranks, chanted in harmony. The air grew thick with sound—a guttural hum, low and resonant, like something crawling deep beneath the earth.
So be it.
A vast fog of blackened magic, churning like mist and shadow, began to encircle the capital below.
At last, my lifelong wish shall be fulfilled.
Above the capital, the clouds had gathered thick and dark, now streaked with furious violet lightning.
I’ve always wanted her. Yes, I... I...
The chorus of spellcasters swelled, their incantations gaining in intensity.
This... This is what I’ve wished for...
Then, with a thunderous roar that shook the earth, a torrent of lightning came crashing down upon the city.
The barrier shielding the capital glimmered, resisting the assault—but then it shattered all the same, reduced to shards of light that scattered like broken glass.
“Your Majesty! The barrier has fallen!” one of the soldiers cried out, but neither Sieghart nor the chief conjurer paused the advance.
Cloak billowing, the chief conjurer of Lemilsia grinned at him. “It’s not over yet, Sieghart.”
“Yeah. I know.”
What they had destroyed was only the first layer of the capital’s defenses, merely the outer shell.
Sieghart raised his voice clearly for all to hear. “Commence teleportation.”
The words, carried by magic, echoed through the field—loud enough for the enemy to hear. That, of course, was by design.
It was a false command.
Sieghart’s order doubled as a chant, triggering a pre-cast illusion spell inside the first barrier.
“Avianoia’s defenses are weakest at the western gate. Push forward from there, and have the elite units circle around to the south,” he instructed.
With those words, luminous forms began to move according to his command. But in truth, those forms weren’t the mage knights—they were decoys.
Avianoia’s troops will split their forces to intercept the simulacra created by the chief conjurer.