There wasn't any source of light near Brandika as he stared unmoving at the coffin.

As soon as he had given the order to pursue Pale, a messenger came before him.

—Carlion has died from illness.

Although Brandika knew that this was going to happen and had braced himself, his heart still broke.

“Carlion is…”

The weather turning for the worse was another reason why they had to give up the chase. Just a few seconds ago the weather was clear, but then it suddenly poured fiercely. It was almost as if the heavens themselves were mourning.

“It is always a painful thing for the young to go first… But as king, you must stand. You—”

“I know. But, even a king should be able to mourn a friend.'

Brandika said as he watched Carlion's face that was lying inside the coffin.

“The reason he became like this… Was because he offered everything to me. A friend like that… Who died like that… Should at least be mourned for a night.”

Seeing Brandika like that for the first time shocked Grave, and he let out a sad sigh.

Grave seemed to have misunderstood Brandika for some kind of superhuman. But at this moment, he realized that while the back of the man before him was the back of a man who aspired to conquer under the heavens, at the same time, it was also the back of a man whose dearest friend just pa.s.sed.

It was man's nature to grieve and mourn, but a king needed to be strong.

What a difficult thing to ask, the old man lamented.

“No one is blaming you.”

There was a great difference between the death of another person and the death of someone close. The sadness death brought with it wasn't equal. And that inequality was proof of being human.

Grave turned his back on the mourning Brandika. If he was the man acknowledged by the adventurers, then he would surely pick himself back up. Grave believed that.

After Grave had left and Brandika was all alone, Brandika muttered to himself.

“…Just watch, Carlion.”

Brandika looked like he was about to cry, but as if he wanted to crush those emotions, he laid bare his fangs and drew an expression that was closer to that of a beast than man.

“Once more, I shall vow to you. I will defeat the monsters, make everyone yield before me, and become king.”

The G.o.ddess of destiny forced him to awaken even more.

The next day, Brandika met with the holy knight, Gulland, who came from Germion Kingdom as reinforcement.

“You've travelled a long way,” Brandika said.

“…No, my apologies for coming late,” Gulland replied.

Gulland was an arrogant man who would never bow his head unless it was to King Ashtal himself, but in this moment, he saw a dignified aura about Brandika that seemed to distort the air. Just a glance from Brandika, who was sitting on a camp stool, was enough to cause cold sweat to slid down Gulland's back.

It was a pressure so great that Gulland felt as if what was sitting before him was merely an impersonation of man and was in fact something else. When he inadvertently started to compare him to his own king, he immediately banished the thought, for doing so would surely result in one being placed above the other.

“From here on, we will be taking our entire army to vanquish the goblins. You will be coming, I take it?”

“Of course. That's why I'm here.”

In response to the sharpness of the glint in Brandika's eyes, Gulland stifled his desire to oppose him and nonchalantly replied.

Grave the Old Enchanter, who'd come from the Holy Shushunu Kingdom after negotiating for peace; Gulland who came from Germion Kingdom as reinforcement; Kanash, a general from Elrain Kingdom; Wyatt a guest general; Saldin, commander of the cavalry. Brandika took all of these generals with him and led the army to the north.

With a force of over 50,000, Brandika sought to put an end to the battle in a single sweep.

But there was someone missing from the list of names: Cell the Sword Dancer. Presently, she was protecting Carlion's coffin as she escorted him to his hometown. This was both Brandika's wish, as well as hers.

◆◇◆

After expanding and adding to it, the fortress of the foggy plains, Melgion, was now big enough to see the western capital. It was so big that there was surely no way one could slip past it. As a fortress big enough to accommodate a large army of 8,000, with a bountiful source of water behind it, and room to raise monster beasts, it was truly a fortress of monsters.

In the morning, fog would cover as far as the eye could see and the gra.s.sy plains would be wet with dew. A group of muddied soldiers pushed their way through those wet gra.s.s and returned to Melgion.

“…You're back.”

The Goblin King had already entered the castle and was there to receive the advance party, which began with Zaurosh.

—Pale Symphoria had returned.

By disappearing into the rainstorm a few days ago, Pale was able to come back with 80% of the army intact. Though her beautiful face was covered in mud and fatigue, she calmly looked up at the Goblin King.

“The enemy is coming. We must prepare to intercept them.”

The Goblin King nodded. He was starting to trust Pale's talent as a tactician.

Pale had come back with barely any sleep and was covered in mud, but when the army retreated, she was protecting the back.

Although it was wrong of her to be so obsessed with killing the enemy, the king lauded her for protecting her soldiers and not allowing them to die needlessly.

“Once you've given your orders, go to sleep. Fainting won't win us the battle.”

“As you command.”

Pale as Pale was, meekly obeyed the king. Her plan simply couldn't do without the strength of this powerful monster. The last battle made that loud and clear. Moreover, the king's charisma that allowed him to gather the cavalry here without a single soldier missing was enough to loosen the tightly drawn string within her heart.

After Pale had given out her orders, around the time when all of the army that entered the castle had prepared their defense, a great army that covered the land appeared.

Pale was only able to take a short break before she had to attend to battle once more.

She stood atop the walls beside the king and looked down at the enemy.

“That's a lot,” the Goblin King said.

“Yes. Are you afraid?” Pale asked.

The Goblin King's lips twisted. “I'm afraid to lose my subordinates. I'm afraid to die. I'm afraid to lose the people I call friends. But… I'm not afraid that the enemy is many, for beside me are my subordinates, whom I've trained thoroughly, and my most trusted tactician, who I trust with all my heart,” the Goblin King said as he turned to Pale.

“…The enemy will most likely try to surround us and pressure us. Enemy morale should be high from their victory at s.h.i.+rak, and will try to make this fortress fall together with siege weapons,” Pale changed the topic since she could no longer bear to endure the king's gaze. “They have a large army, so they will most certainly try to make the most of that; hence, their objective would be to surround us and then wipe us out. Which would then mean that the formation they will take is the Wings of the Crane siege formation.”

Pale used her fingers to show how this battle would most likely progress.

“Our army will have to rely on your might to overturn everything.”

It was here that Pale looked at the Goblin King for the first time.

“The enemy is a king. He will attack us imposingly… For his generals would not accept him unless he does so.”

The Goblin King fearlessly laughed. “Since when were kings supposed to fight in the front lines?”

Pale nodded and turned to the horizon once more. “The battle will be concluded tomorrow morning.”

The Goblin King nodded with his arms folded and went down the castle walls to gather his subordinates.

Around the time when the body of the G.o.d of fire (Rodo) was s.h.i.+ning brilliantly at the zenith of the heavens, the forces of the Red King attacked from three directions. Archers and heavy infantry advanced, but though they were able to destroy half of the traps, they had yet to break through the defensive line of Melgion.

Night was the hour of the monsters, so when its darkness came, the forces of the Red King stopped their attack and put up watch fires.

When the night had deepened, the Goblin King gathered his elite within the fortress and spoke to them.

“The enemy is a great army of 50,000 soldiers! And many battles have they conquered in the south! They are a worthy opponent!”

All the goblins that were rare cla.s.s and above listened quietly to the Goblin King.

“The humans who have relished in the spring of this world! Our brethren who died for the sake of our dominion! The time has come! To collect what is due and honor our brethren!”

Empowered by the king's words, the quiet goblins suddenly opened their eyes and raised their weapons.

“Whether it be against a mult.i.tude or a nation, I shall always stand before you to lead you!”

A spirit burned within the silent goblins as their eyes tore open and looked up at the king.

“Come!”

Though the goblins raised their weapons up high in silence, the light reflected upon them dazzlingly marked the end of the southern wars.