Just as they finished chatting, they reached the camp of the Araknis Kingdom’s troops, where millions of soldiers were stationed.
“Whoosh…”
Aengus commanded the Wyvern to land, but suddenly, a volley of deadly arrows was fired at them from the troops below.
The arrows didn’t come close to reaching the Wyvern, stopped mid-air by an invisible force controlled by Aengus.
They landed without issue, drawing the attention of the surrounding troops.
“Hey, who are you? What business do you have here?” a burly-looking man asked, smoke curling from the cigar in his hand.
As soon as Aengus and Aria dismounted, several weapons were aimed at them.
Aengus wasn’t offended by the guards’ caution, understanding it was their duty. He replied calmly, “We’re here to join the war, soldiers. Be at ease, we know General Leon. Can you show me the way to him, Captain Bill?” He addressed the Burly man, acting natural.
The burly man looked slightly stunned. “You know me?” he asked, pausing his smoking.
“Well, yes. But that’s not important, Captain. Do you know where General Leon is? Can you take us to him?” Aengus pressed on.
He had already scanned the area with his All-Seeing Eyes but still couldn’t locate certain individuals protected by high-level security measures. And he didn’t want to take the risk of prying either.
“Oh, you want to join our army? Haha… welcome, welcome!” Captain Bill smiled broadly, welcoming the duo with open arms.
“Let me guide you there, but I can’t guarantee they’ll meet with you, comrades. Don’t be disappointed if they don’t,” he said, thinking they wanted to meet General Leon like many other admirers.
Aengus and Aria didn’t argue. They silently followed Captain Bill’s bulky frame, observing the vast military camps spread out around them.
“Captain Bill, what are your chances of winning against the Imperial forces?” Aengus asked, maintaining his composure.
Captain Bill laughed confidently. “Of course we’ll win. We have our three Guardians with us, comrades. There’s no need to worry—victory will be ours.”
Though Captain Bill said this for assurance, Aengus could detect a mix of helplessness and uncertainty beneath his bravado.
“Ehh! Aria, Ethan, you’re here to join the war as well?”
Their pace was suddenly interrupted by a female warrior in shining white armor, looking valiant and full of energy.
“Hehe, Princess Delilah, you seem quite energetic yourself,” Aria commented with a smile.
“Your Highness!” Captain Bill, slightly stunned, bowed respectfully.
It was indeed Princess Delilah, accompanied by a few of her guards.
She acknowledged Capital Bill with a nod, and smiled at Aria.
“Haha, don’t tease me now, Aria. My father didn’t want me joining the war, but I was insistent. So, he gave me his best armor. It’s an S+ Rank—really expensive,” Delilah added with a grin.
“By the way, when did you two get back? I went looking for you, but the General told me you were on a special mission. Did you complete it successfully? Ethan, why are you so quiet?” she asked, turning to Aengus.
Aengus furrowed his brows at the sudden closeness with the Royal Princess. Either way, he didn’t enjoy engaging in long conversations and preferred to keep things short and precise.
“Yes, we completed it. Now we would like to meet with General Leon. Is he nearby?” he inquired.
Princess Delilah didn’t mind his bluntness, but her guards clearly looked displeased. They were about to speak up when she raised her hand, signaling them to hold back.
Aria stepped in, “Don’t mind him, Delilah. He just doesn’t like talking much.”
“Hahaha, I figured that out the first time we met. I’m fine… just a princess of a sinking kingdom, after all,” Princess Delilah replied with a bitter smile.
“Oh, is the situation that dire? Don’t worry, Delilah. Aengus and I will help you achieve victory and teach that foolish Emperor a lesson,” Aria said with growing determination.
Princess Delilah laughed again, though with a hint of doubt. “Thank you, Aria.”
She didn’t fully believe it at all.
How could two B-Ranks make a difference among giants? She was unaware that they had now reached A and SS Ranks, respectively.
“Follow me, Aria, Ethan. I’ll take you to find General Leon. Captain Bill, you may go now.”
“Thank you, Princess!” Captain Bill gave one last glance at Aria and Aengus, surprised by their familiarity with Princess Delilah. He hadn’t expected the pair to converse with Princess Delilah with so much familiarity.
Princess Delilah led the way with Aria by her side, while Aengus trailed behind, keeping a vigilant eye on their surroundings.
“Delilah, have you seen Drake and Yona around here?” Aria asked with a hint of worry.
“Oh, yes! I saw your brother and attendant with the troops earlier. They seemed just fine,” Delilah reassured her.
Aria sighed in relief. “Thank goodness. I wouldn’t know how to face my uncle if anything happened to him. But I also don’t want to hold him back from growing.”
Delilah gave her a sympathetic look. “That’s something we all have to face, Aria. My brother…”
As the two shared a moment of understanding, Aengus tuned out their conversation, focusing instead on assessing the camp. His sharp eyes scanned the area, calculating the sheer scale of the forces around them.
The camp was massive, with over ten millions troops, spanning ranks from D to S—a truly terrifying scale. His own Legion was still capped at around 25,000, far smaller in comparison.
Quietly, he decided that after the war, he’d retrieve the Ancient Dwarves, return to Darkwood Forest and increase his forces by turning the remaining beasts into part of his Legion—if only they still stay there.
As they reached a big special Tent, they saw General Leon, General Felix, and General Martin coming out of it.
They were following someone important at the front.
It was the King and Two Royal Princes, including the Crown Prince. Prince Mikail wasn’t one of them.
Upon spotting them Princess Delilah quickly composed her like a valiant warrior.
“Look Aria, Ethan, The Generals coming out and my Royal father and brothers as well.” Delilah informed.
Aria and Aengus gazed at them calmly.
General Leon quickly raised his eyebrows in surprise as he noticed Their presence.
