Kooooohh…

A dark hall echoed the sounds of the strong sea breeze. The sound was quite eerie and gloomy, similar to a ghost’s cries. The place had been weathered and shaved by the winds for a long period of time, and someone was sitting in the throne placed in the middle of the hall.

It was Arigo Arangis. His sharp jawline was covered with a long, ragged beard, and he looked haggard from not being able to sleep properly. In front of the throne, dozens of lords and knights belonging to the Arangis Duchy were standing in a long line. They looked anxious and nervous, reflecting the rain that continued to pour outside.

“Any word from the main castle?”

Words escaped from between Arigo’s dry lips.

“Not… yet. The distance is quite far, and the direction of the sea breeze keeps on changing. It will take a little longer for the griffons to arrive…”

“I have been hearing the same answer for the last several days.”

Arigo spoke in a bitter voice.

One person stepped up while pounding his chest.

“Would it not be better to just lead the entire fleet and advance to El Pasa!?”

Baron Lingone, the 2

nd

 battalion captain of the Arangis Fleet, spoke in a frustrated voice. Several of the other knights nodded in agreement.

After their first attack had been nullified, they had been patiently waiting in this place for almost a month. Staying still after suffering a loss had started to chip away at the soldiers’ morale, but the biggest problem was that almost all of the food they had brought was exhausted. They had been anticipating a quick victory.

A soldier who did not eat well could never fight well. It was one of the basics of military law.

“We cannot.”

Manuel, the advisor of the Arangis Duchy, shook his head and spoke.

“If the White Dragon is still in El Pasa, there will only be a repeat of what happened last time.”

At Manuel’s words, the shoulders of everyone present, including Baron Lingone, shook slightly.

“Hm…”

Fear was cast like a shadow on their thin faces.

Just one.

In just one attack, the strongest power of the Arangis Duchy was decimated. The sea griffons were the strongest force that the Arangis Duchy boasted as the monarch of the South, but they had been annihilated in a single attack.

It could not be called a battle.

It was just a one-sided slaughter by an overwhelming power.

Most of them had never seen a dragon in real life. The overwhelming, destructive power of the dragon’s Breath still lingered in the minds of everyone from the Arangis Duchy.

“In the end, we need to enlist the help of Lord Biskra to deal with the White Dragon. Regardless of whether Lord Biskra can achieve victory or not, as long as our troops land in El Pasa, everything will be solved. Even the White Dragon will not be able to attack the city, since there are many people in El Pasa who are cooperating with the Pendragon Duchy.”

“Hmm…”

Everyone nodded at Manuel’s words.

He was right. Unless it went crazy, the Pendragon Duchy’s White Dragon would not burn El Pasa to ashes. It would be tantamount to attacking its own allies.

“Your Grace! A letter has arrived!”

The door to the hall burst open and a knight ran towards Arigo before kneeling.

“Oh…!”

Arigo’s expression became a little relieved at the sight of the letter. Soon, he received a letter sealed with a red thread, and Arigo quickly unsealed it.

“W, what…!”

As he skimmed through the letter, Arigo’s eyes quivered rapidly.

“…..”

But by the time he finished reading, his pupils regained their original light. Then, he pushed the letter to Manuel with a heavy look.

“Oh, my…”

Manuel also displayed a similar reaction as he read the letter, placing one hand on his head in shock.

“What does it say?”

Baron Lingone carefully stepped forward at the two people’s unusual response. Manuel replied weakly with a look of despondency.

“His Excellency the Duke says… that we must forget about Lord Biskra, and that we must seek El Pasa with our current forces.”

“That…!”

The knights and the lords voiced their shock. How could they attack El Pasa on their own, when the strongest being in the world could be standing in their way? It would be no different from suicide.

“However.”

Manuel cut into their helpless thoughts, and everyone’s attention once again focused on him.

“The White Dragon is not in El Pasa right now. He says that the White Dragon is definitely in the Great Forest with Duke Pendragon, so our fleet alone will be able to capture El Pasa.”

“Hmm…!”

They were able to understand why the two people’s expressions had undergone a change while reading the letter. Everyone’s tense expressions unraveled slightly.

El Pasa would not be a match for the Arangis Duchy without the presence of the White Dragon. Although the sea griffons had suffered near annihilation, the fleet alone was more than enough to overcome the entire army of El Pasa.

Click.

Arigo raised himself from the throne.

The dark, gloomy energy that had been covering his face until a while ago had disappeared, and he started to speak.

“Without the White Dragon, El Pasa is ours.”

In a quiet, but energetic voice, Arigo continued while looking around.

“Prepare the entire fleet! As soon as the storm subsides, we will leave this disgusting Island of Lamta and advance towards El Pasa!”

“Wuwaaah!”

The knights and the lords of the Arangis Duchy shouted vigorously, pushing out the dark, gloomy atmosphere of the hall.

***

The southern sun was starting to push out the soft fog of dawn.

“Ha…”

With a long sigh, a woman opened a door and left the room. Her complexion was not bad, but she was a little thinner than before. Lindsay Conrad of the Pendragon Duchy, the wife of Duke Pendragon, exuded a mature atmosphere.

Three maids dressed in the same clothing silently walked behind Lindsay like her shadow. Lindsay and the maids walked through the narrow, complex corridors of the old southern castle. Even though the structure of Castle Florence was quite complicated, the four ladies walked unhesitatingly through the now-familiar corridors of the castle. After a while, they finally arrived underground.

“Hooh…!”

Lindsay pressed down on her chest and breathed deeply, forcing a smile on her face before pushing open the old door.

Squeak.

As soon as she opened the door and entered, strong voices greeted them along with a rush of heat.

“Good morning, Baroness Conrad!”

“Good morning!”

The women who lived near the castle gave a slight bow despite their busy schedules.

“Hello everyone. I’m sorry I am a little late.”

After responding to the women with a bright smile, Lindsay rolled up her sleeve with energy.

“That’s all right. We are just so grateful that the baroness is helping out…”

An older woman blurred the end of her words with a look of gratitude and regret. The other women nodded their heads in agreement.

She was definitely a little later than usual, but no one blamed Lindsay. All of the women here were either wives or mothers of the coalition’s soldiers. Castle Florence was the headquarters of the coalition, and they had all volunteered to cook and perform other chores, regardless of their status.

Lindsay also helped them out in the morning and evening along with her maids, preparing meals for thousands of knights and soldiers. In a way, it was natural, but the women were happy and grateful that the only lady of a duchy was helping them out after travelling such a far distance. Moreover, while they all knew where their husbands and children were and what they were doing, she didn’t even know the fate of her husband.

Nevertheless, Lindsay Conrad always helped out with a smile. The women could not help but feel sorry for her. They all knew the pain and longing hidden behind Lindsay’s smile.

“Now! Today is the day the troops from Spian are returning, so there’s a lot more work! Everyone, please hurry up! Baroness, could you please help mince the pork over there?”

“Yes.”

Lindsay nodded energetically at Cheyenne’s words. She was an elderly lady who had lost two of her three sons in the recent battles. Only women placed in the same situation could empathize with mothers and wives. Therefore, Cheyenne feigned ignorance of the pain that Lindsay was trying to hide and put her to work, so that she could forget about it in the moment.

That was her way of showing care for a young bride who was as kind as her fair appearance.

Tadadada.

Lindsay began to skillfully mince the pork. She was familiar with the process from when she worked in Conrad Castle as a maid.

Suddenly, she frowned as she looked down at the meat, which was refusing to conform to the pounding of the hammer.

‘What’s wrong with me…?’

Her chest suddenly felt stuffy.

Clink!

“Uagh…!”

Lindsay hurriedly placed both hands over her mouth as the knife dropped to the floor. The women became surprised and turned towards Lindsay.

Lindsay rushed towards a corner of the kitchen with her mouth covered and started to retch into an empty bucket.

“Ugh! Uaaggh!”

“B, baroness!”

“Are you all right?”

The maids who accompanied her were feeling restless as they carefully approached her.

“Ah…!”

Cheyenne was also looking at Lindsay with surprise, then she let out a low burst of exclamation. She quickly made her way through the maids and helped Lindsay to her feet while speaking.

“Now, now, baroness. Take a deep breath first. You, bring some warm water. The rest of you can make a spot for the baroness to rest comfortably over there.”

“Yes, yes.”

The maids quickly complied with Cheynne’s words.

“I am sorry. What’s wrong with me all of a sudden…?”

Lindsay apologized in a weak voice. Cheyenne shook her head and spoke with a bright smile.

“Not at all. Now, it’s nothing major, so the rest of you can get back to what you were doing. Ah, well, I mean, it’s not nothing, but.”

Lindsay felt miserable because she didn’t know of her husband’s whereabouts, and now, she was retching all of a sudden. However, Cheyenne was smiling.

The women were confused by Cheyenne’s attitude and glanced toward the two with expressions of worry and wonder. Cheyenne’s smile deepened even further as she continued.

“Baroness Conrad, I’m sorry, but when was your last menstruation?”

“Ah, well…”

Even though there were only women here, Lindsay blushed and stuttered at the sudden question.

“About a month and a week… Ah!”

Lindsay started to speak before a sudden thought struck her mind. She had thought something was a little weird, but she would have never guessed that…

Lindsay’s pupils quivered rapidly, and she looked to be in disbelief. Cheyenne spoke in a slightly excited voice.

“Congratulations, baroness. It seems like the Pendragon Duchy is due for a celebration.”

***

“What’s the progress?”

“The griffons have departed with the 30 coffins. All the transfer work is expected to be completed in two days, my lord.”

“I see.”

Raven nodded at Killian’s words.

The most important thing right now was to announce his survival and to transport the coffins containing the dead. Now that the Troll King was dead, the Great Forest had become relatively safe. Red Moon Valley had already deterred monsters with the sacred tree of the Earth God, but now, the monsters had scattered completely. They would not dare to come anywhere near this place.

“Well, let’s get going.”

“Yes, we have already made all preparations.”

Killian’s injuries were almost completely healed thanks to the Red Moon Valley elves’ medicinal herbs, tender care, and rest. Naturally, he needed to avoid any violent movement for the next few days until his bones were fully mended, but with the threat of the monsters gone, they would not need to engage in battle during their travels.

“Let’s go! We’re setting off!”

The troops were gathered in the middle of the village. At Killian’s shouts, they began to move.