In the southern reaches of the elven forest, thousand-year-old trees were being knocked down and trampled underfoot. A crowd of eighty lindwyrms plowed through the ancient woodlands, showing off their impressive striding charge. The trees the elves worshipped as gifts from the gods were being mowed down without a second thought.
The lindwyrms formed a path through the forest, though some remnants of the natural scenery survived their march. This route would allow the Nyrnal Empire to invade the Dukedom of Schtraut.
The commissioned officer in charge of the lindwyrm force said, “At this rate we’ll be in Schtraut in a few weeks.”
“Will it really go that well, though?” another officer asked. “The elves place traps around their forest. I hear Frantz suffered considerable casualties because of them.”
“Hmph. Elven traps won’t be enough to stop a force of lindwyrms. We will crush this forest and march on Schtraut. And once we defeat them, we’ll invade Frantz and pincer the Arachnea monsters.”
Operation Felix was quite simple. The Nyrnal army would cleave a way through the elven forest with the lindwyrms and invade Schtraut without passing through heavily defended mountain roads. Once they defeated the Arachnea in the Dukedom of Schtraut, they would march into the Popedom of Frantz. Then they would end the war by joining the army at the Phros River and crushing the Arachnea force that was stalled in the Eastern Trade Union.
The invasion of the elven forest was going smoothly. It seemed the enemy hadn’t expected them to travel through the elven forest. There were some Genocide Swarms stationed here and there, but the Nyrnal army had taken no losses thus far.
“In just over a week, we will have broken through the elven forest. Once we’re past that, nature will no longer stand in our way. We’ve already proven that the lindwyrms are capable of breaking through the enemy’s fortress line. At least, so long as we don’t run into any enemy mutations...”
By mutations, they were referring to Sérignan and Lysa. The Nyrnal army was wary of the mutants, since they recognized them as the primary factors of their past defeats. Indeed, Sérignan and Lysa were extremely strong and far more menacing than any ordinary Swarm.
The Empire’s forces had to be wary of them—it’d be extremely incompetent if they weren’t. The army’s new regulations were to handle each mutation with formations of at least three lindwyrms, and, if possible, under aerial support from the wyverns. They were just that wary.
Both the invasion from the northeast and the crossing of the Phros River had been crushed by the mutants’ intervention. Given that these unexpected irregularities had dashed multiple plans by now, the Nyrnal Empire recognized them as the utmost threat. Thus, the military was ordered to eliminate them on contact by any means necessary.
“The operation is proceeding smoothly. The wyvern scouts have confirmed that the enemy’s main army is still in the Eastern Trade Union. We’ll definitely win this time.”
Just as the man leading Nyrnal’s army said that so confidently...
“Ugh!”
An arrow whizzed past and pierced his aide’s chest, knocking the man off his horse and down onto the ground. With that as a signal, arrows rained down on the soldiers walking along the carved path. The heavy infantrymen were capable of blocking some of the arrows, but a number of the projectiles still met their marks, causing unbearable agony. The arrows were definitely poisoned.
“All forces, be on your guard! I repeat, be on your guard! What’s going on here?!”
“It’s the elves! The elves are attacking us!”
Apparently, the elves of the nearby village had risen up against the lindwyrms stampeding through their home. There were other elven settlements aside from Baumfetter, and all their chiefs had made pacts with the Arachnea for continued autonomy within the faction’s territory.
But now, their way of life was being threatened by the Nyrnal Empire. The trees they’d worshipped for generations were being overrun, and the enemy was approaching their villages. And so, the elves had taken up arms to stop the invasion.
The initial attack was a success. The attacks from the forest confused Nyrnal’s soldiers, and more and more of them fell dead from the poison.
But the battle could only remain one-sided for so long. The Nyrnal army regained its bearings and continued the lindwyrms’ charge into the forest.
“The monsters are on the move again!” the elves called out as the lindwyrms drew closer.
The elves tried to escape deeper into the forest, but the lindwyrms and Nyrnal’s soldiers retaliated. With their crossbows and longbows, they shot the elves in the backs and legs, the latter to render them immobile and trample them with the lindwyrms.
Somehow, the elves managed to rescue their injured comrades, lending their shoulders as they disappeared into the forest.
“Filthy elven savages...” the Nyrnal officer spat, surveying the carnage.
Roughly twenty infantry soldiers had been shot to death, and two or three of their warhorses had been hit too. By comparison, roughly fifty elves were killed in the fighting.
“Continue our advance! Don’t let the elves get in our way! March, march!”
The Nyrnal army continued its advance, drawing ever closer to an elven settlement—Baumfetter.
♱
At this very moment, I was soaring on the back of a Griffin Swarm. Flying to Baumfetter was a major gamble. Nyrnal’s army had countless wyverns soaring through the skies, and their firepower was not to be trifled with. Even our fearsome, powerful Griffin Swarms would be burnt to a crisp if they tried to contend with the flying reptilians.
But we didn’t have time. The enemy was already encroaching on the depths of the elven forest, and it wouldn’t be long before they reached Baumfetter.
“Your Majesty, you should land somewhere safe!” Sérignan called out as she flew beside me.
“This isn’t a fight I can afford to be away from,” I said firmly.
I’d promised to protect the elves’ right to remain independent. I couldn’t break that promise. They had a right to live without having to fear the menace of inquisitions or knights.
When I first came to this unknown land, the elves had welcomed me with open arms and helped me. I wouldn’t forget that. In my time of plight, they’d both fed me and told me about this world when I didn’t know left from right.
I could still remember the taste of the soup they served me. It was rich with the taste of vegetables, and every spoonful filled me with warmth. Nothing I’d eaten since soothed me like that soup did. It taught me that I didn’t have to survive all alone in this world. That was why I couldn’t tolerate Nyrnal stampeding through their forest.
The Griffin Swarms soon soared over the skies of the elven village.
“Your Majesty, I can see the lindwyrms beneath us,” Sérignan said. “They’re moving in two lines of forty each.”
“So they really were using the lindwyrms...” I muttered.
I could see the lindwyrms pushing their way through the trees too.
“Isn’t Baumfetter nearby?” I asked.
“It is! We gotta hurry!” Lysa answered, clearly alarmed.
“I know. Let’s hurry. We also need to mobilize the Swarms in our base. I just hope they’ll make it here on time!”
I could feel stress building up in my heart too. It was only a matter of time until they crushed Baumfetter—until they destroyed the sacred place I’d promised to defend.
“Wyverns above us!” Sérignan shouted.
A formation of wyverns was swooping down on us from the south.
“Your Majesty, you must land for now! I’ll keep them occupied!”
“I’m counting on you, Sérignan!”
I’d pushed her to take me along, so Sérignan had to handle our enemies in aerial battle—which she wasn’t used to, of course. With this in mind, I resolved to protect Baumfetter at all costs. Otherwise, we’d never make it.
I had my Griffin Swarm go into a nosedive, landing in our first-ever base. When I landed, I addressed the force of new units I’d had in rapid production.