"As I mentioned before," Ruth began, settling in near the camp fire, "the barrier was designed to temporarily weaken the dragon by obstructing its ability to gather mana.
The church has never released the details of how the barrier works, but I assume it prevents anyone from manipulating the natural flow of mana.
The high priests who participated in the Dragon Campaign called it the Summoned Sanctuary.
Once activated, it renders magic useless within its limits."
Maxi sat on an empty bucket, his expression disconcerted.
Until that moment, she believed that the barrier would only affect the dragon.
Stirring her porridge thoughtfully, Ruth continued, "This rendered most of the mages, including myself, powerless during the final battle.
Considering that offensive magic is ineffective against the dragon anyway, the campaign's military leaders chose to weaken Sektor, even if it meant incapacitating the mages."
Maxi absorbed his explanation and raised a question.
"But...
couldn't the dragon just fly past the barrier?
Normally, a creature's wings are immobilized with magic during an attack, or at least a shield is conjured before an attack.
How was Sektor prevented from flying if wizards couldn't use magic?"
"Dragons don't use their wings to fly.
They are only used to maneuver while levitating with magic.
In essence, the barrier not only prevented Sektor from gathering mana, it also prevented him from flying."
Ruth took a spoonful of porridge to her mouth, frowning as if remembering something.
"The main force during Sektor's campaign was the Temple Knights, and they dictated all strategies.
It was only logical, considering that the White Dragons were just one unit within the Wedonian army.
The Temple Knights were renowned throughout the Seven Kingdoms.
If the military leaders' plan had been successful, Sir Riftan would never have become the Dragon Slayer."
Maxi's eyes widened in astonishment.
“Their plan… failed?”
"The initial plan aimed to force the dragon to self-destruct by depleting its mana, rather than killing it with a sword.
Dragon bone is among the toughest materials in the world, second only to adamant or orichalcum.
Landing a fatal blow on a dragon with human weapons is nearly impossible.
Thus, the original strategy involved weakening Sektor with the barrier and attacking him relentlessly until he exhausted his mana reserves.
Given the immense amount of mana required to move his body from almost One hundred and sixty pounds, the military leaders expected rapid exhaustion.
However, Sektor's reserves exceeded our estimates, putting the entire campaign in danger.
If Sir Riftan had not intervened, the entire enterprise would have been a colossal failure.
Ruth let out a heavy sigh.
"I'm sure not even Sir Riftan was certain of his success.
Although he managed to kill the dragon, absorbing its flames nearly severed his mana path.
It's a miracle he wasn't reduced to ashes."
Maxi's gaze dropped to her bowl, her face turning pale.
Although she had heard stories of Riftan's reckless exploits during the Dragon Campaign, she did not know that they had been under such desperate circumstances.
Losing her appetite, she weakly lowered her spoon.
“If we fail to stop the dragon from returning… will Riftan be forced to take such risks again?”
“If the dragon returns to its former power…, yes,” confirmed Ruth.
After scraping the last of the porridge from her bowl, Ruth took a swig from her bottle.
He added bluntly, "But if Sektor is weaker, Sir Riftan may not need to risk his life.
An unkilled dragon could potentially be more susceptible to divine magic.
However, the ideal course remains to completely prevent its resurrection."
Maxi looked up at the cloudy sky with sad eyes, watching the sporadic snowfall.
For years, the monsters of Pamela Plateau had accumulated mana from all over the Seven Kingdoms.
Sektor's resurrection could only be a matter of time.
Suddenly overcome with urgency, Maxi hurried to finish her meal.
She joined Ruth on the way to the military quarters, where they met Riftan, Ursuline, Hebaron, Kuahel, the other Knights of the Temple, Richard Breston, and the high priests.The atmosphere inside the spacious tent was charged with tension, and Maxi's nervous gaze turned to Riftan.
Imposing in front of a large table, he explained something to the group of skeptical observers.
Undeterred, he continued with a confident tone of voice.
Maxi tried to hide a proud smile.
Listening to him seemed to dispel all her anxiety.
Approaching the table, she sank into one of the empty chairs.
Everyone studying the city space with serious expressions turned their attention to her.
Kuahel, with his arms crossed and his eyes closed, spoke first.
"Your arrival is timely.
We needed the expert opinion of a wizard." He pointed with a black-gloved finger to a spot on the map.
“Would it be possible to use magic to dig a tunnel here?”
Frowning, Maxi studied the parchment.
"Do you want to create a tunnel under the embankment?
It's possible, but..."
She craned her neck to read the recorded width of the walls, her eyes narrowing.
"To prevent the tunnel from collapsing, we would have to dig deep beneath the wall.
That would take time...
during which the enemy would be aware of our presence."
Memories of soldiers being pierced by arrows or doused in scalding oil along the parapets flooded his mind.
Riftan seemed unfazed by Maxi's cautious assessment.
Moving a miniature wooden soldier over the map, he countered, "There is a deep trench to the north along the wall.
The terrain is full of rocks and trees, making the bottom of the trench invisible from the embankment."
Maxi studied the map closely, his mind working to visualize its description.
"The stealth unit will dig in from the north," Riftan continued, "while the main forces launch an attack on the city.
We're probably only dealing with a handful of mages controlling the undead, so that should be enough to keep them busy.
While they're engaged, the Temple Knights will infiltrate the city and open the doors for the rest of the army."
Ruth broke her silence with a question.
“How many will be in the stealth unit?”
“Five, including myself,” Kuahel replied promptly.
“We will open the south and west doors at the same time, allowing the White Dragons and Phil Aaron's Knights to attack from both sides.”
Breston, who was arrogantly listening to the conversation, sneered, “And who will take each end?”
Maxi knew why he was asking.
The path to the west gate was wide, with an entrance large enough for two baggage cars to pass through side by side.
The southern route, however, was narrower.
Knights entering that way would have to form a long line, leaving them vulnerable.
Suddenly anxious, Maxi bit her lip.
Breston's question was a subtle manipulation, pressuring Riftan to choose the riskier task.
If Riftan chose the safest path in front of the leaders in the tent, it could undermine his authority as supreme commander.
True to form, Riftan chose the southern gate.
“The White Dragons will move south while the duchy's army lays siege,” he began.
"Phil Aaron's Knights will move west.
As for the tunnel excavation..."
Riftan's eyes moved between Maxi and Ruth as if he was struggling with a difficult decision.
Maxi was about to volunteer but held back.
She wanted to leave the choice to him.
“Maximilian Calypse,” he said eventually, his voice deep.
“I entrust this task to you.”
Maxi felt a shiver run down his spine.
This was the first time he had entrusted her with a mission.
Suppressing the urge to smile like a child, she managed to nod calmly.
“I-I understand.”
“Elliot will accompany you,” said Riftan firmly.
“As soon as the tunnel is ready, you must immediately rejoin the army.”
With that, he began to give instructions to the others.
Ruth would stay with the White Dragons to serve as offensive support once the battle began.
The wizards of the Wedonian army and the high priests were assigned to aid the duchy's forces in the siege and tend to the wounded.When the meeting ended, the group began to leave the tent.
Maxi hurriedly left as well, determined to prepare for her mission.
She planned to take stones and magical devices as a precaution, and would need to change her clothes to better blend into her surroundings.
Wrapping your red hair in a worn gray linen scarf would also help hide your appearance.
As she was lost in these thoughts, she felt a hand wrap around her arm.
“Maxi.”
She met her husband's dark eyes.
Despite his impassive expression, she felt an underlying anxiety.
“Promise you won’t overwork yourself,” he said gravely.
“If you think the plan will fail, you must return to camp immediately.”
"I-I understand.
I give you my word," replied Maxi, nodding obediently.
His dark gaze met hers, and he murmured uneasily, “I think opening my heart would be less scary than that.”
Maxi gently held his hand.
“I feel the same way.”