The knights under the red banners formed a wall to the east, surrounding the dullahans.
Soldiers in overcoats bearing the coat of arms of Wedon advanced from the northwest like a wave.
The hooves of thousands of horses pounded the frozen earth, and the resounding roars of the troops deafened Maxi.
Overcome with a strange feeling of excitement and fear, Maxi fixed her gaze on the battlefield.
Hebaron Nirtha was leading the second attack after Riftan.
The Dullahan army split in half, and Dristan and Wedon's cavalries used the gap to cross the drawbridge.
Maxi sighed in relief when she saw the knights invading Vesmore.
Although they had not eliminated the necromancer, the coalition would soon retake the walled city.
“Hold on tight to the saddle, my lady.”
Elliot, who had been watching the battle from a safe distance, spurred his horse again.
Soon, the line of ballistae and archers became visible.
Past them, they were approaching the rear unit when Elliot swung his horse to the side.
Maxi had to grab the knight's arm to keep from falling.
He drew his sword, and she soon understood why.
One of the wyverns circling above had dove straight for them.
As the monster's dark shadow fell over them, Elliot's frightened warhorse reared up, blurring Maxi's vision.
With a cry, she tightened her thighs around the saddle.
Elliot pulled hard on the reins and swung his sword.
It was impossible to see where the monster had been hit.
But a second later, the wyvern's scream tore through the air as hot blood rained onto its face.
The wound was not fatal; The monster managed to land on the ground, where it flapped its huge wings and displayed its sharp teeth.
At that moment, Maxi heard a familiar voice.
“Get out of the way!”
Elliot promptly guided his horse away from the monster.
A moment later, there was a bang.
Maxi closed her eyes at the sound before opening them again.
When the snow mist dissipated, she saw the wyvern's decapitated carcass.
The man leaning over him pulled out the sword stuck in the ground and said in a pompous voice, “You owe me one, Sir Elliot.”
Maxi's eyes widened.
Standing before them with a satisfied look was Ulyseon Rovar.
No one had seen him since Riftan sent him on a separate mission.
Elliot sighed as he rode up to the younger knight.
“Did you complete your mission?”
"Can't you tell?
We brought reinforcements from Balto.
Four thousand men."
“D-Did you bring reinforcements from Balto?” Maxi exclaimed in surprise.
His face was hidden under the hood of his cloak.
When she spoke, Ulyseon lit up as if he had noticed her only then.
"Ma'am!
Are you okay?"
“W-Well…” Maxi trailed off as he looked at the wyvern’s smoking carcass and the chaotic battlefield.
At that moment, Garrow appeared behind Ulyseon.
"Let's leave the greetings for later.
First, we must take your lordship to the rear unit."
Maxi was happy to see the young knight.
Dressed in leather armor and dark gray cloaks, Ulyseon and Garrow looked like knights-errant who had been roaming the continent for years.
Although he didn't know the details of their mission, he could see that it had been arduous.
“Please come this way.”
Garrow was the first to turn around.
As Elliot followed, Maxi spotted the mounted soldiers with white flags on the other side of the gentle hill.
She squinted her eyes to try to identify the coat of arms on the flags, but she couldn't.
“It’s Balto’s Southern Confederacy,” Elliot explained calmly, as if reading his mind.
"The nobles of southern Balto are not the most loyal to the kingdom's royal family.
Sir Riftan decided to lure them to our side to keep the opposition at bay."
“So… Ulyseon and Garrow’s mission was to find and persuade Balto’s nobles?”
Ulyseon waved his hands lightly at Maxi's surprised question.
“All we did was deliver Sir Riftan’s message to Sir Geyhart Breston.”
Maxi's eyes widened at the young knight's unexpected response.
Geyhart Breston was considered a hero throughout the Seven Kingdoms for his crucial role in paving the way for the armistice.
However, he was also a knight who had sworn loyalty to Heimdall VI and the father of the villain Richard Breston.
Would such a man really support those in favor of the peace agreement?As if realizing their doubts, Garrow, walking alongside Elliot's horse, said seriously, "Sir Geyhart Breston is an extremely pious man.
Although he seemed divided over the conflict so far because of his loyalty to the monarch, he wrote an official document showing support for the new pope after receiving letters from Sir Riftan and His Holiness.
It was thanks to them that we managed to persuade the southern nobles of Balto."
This meant that Balto could find himself torn if Heimdall VI started a mindless war.
Feeling a huge weight lift from his chest, Maxi looked at the two young knights with pride.
“You did… something tremendous!”
"It is Sir Riftan who deserves the credit.
We were just messengers," Ulyseon said, brimming with pride.
Maxi's chest was almost exploding with pride too.
By establishing a secret agreement with the royal family of Dristan and gaining support for the armistice in Balto, Riftan extinguished the sparks of war.
All that was left was to prevent the dragon's resurrection.
Maxi looked at the battlefield where darkness was falling, his eyes full of hope.
With this battle, the long and harsh winter would finally come to an end.
Vesmore Castle was liberated at nightfall.
While the dullahans continually regenerated, the undead that filled the city were eliminated by the high priests.
When the coalition army drove the dullahans away from the gate, the Temple Knights brought the carriage carrying the holy relic into the city.
Maxi impatiently watched the scene from a hilltop before asking Ruth a question.
“W-When will the rear unit be able to enter the city?”
"Patience, my lady.
The clerics will send a signal as soon as they reactivate the barrier," replied Ruth wearily as she chewed on a mandrake root.
He had exhausted much of his mana by sustaining a barrier for half a day.
After taking a sip of bitter tonic, he added, “Once we cut off all mana flow around the Lexos Mountains, the dullahans will naturally stop regenerating, freeing up a safe path to the city.”
His measured response calmed Maxi a little.
Soon, a kopel explosion sounded across the battlefield, and the long line of carts began to slowly descend the hill.
Shouting with joy, Maxi followed the procession across the field.
However, her joy that it was all over didn't last long.
The path to the city was covered with dead people.
Maxi was stunned by the horrible sight in the flickering torchlight.
Horribly mutilated bodies were scattered among the carcasses of horses with broken necks or severed legs.
Clergymen were scattered across the field sprinkling holy water on them.
Recovering from the shock, Maxi closed her eyes and rested her head on Rem's neck.
It seemed surreal to think that these people were breathing just hours ago.
Now they lay dead on the frozen ground, buried beneath the snow.
As the procession crossed the moat, the soldiers around the gate shouted, "We need to set up an infirmary!
We're going to start transporting the wounded, so please prepare fires and beds!"
With a heavy heart, Maxi concluded that there must be knights among the injured.
She galloped past the long line of soldiers and ran into the wide square.
There he found the White Dragons gathering the dead on one side.
As he approached, his face turned pale.
She frantically scanned the lifeless faces for any familiar.
Ursuline, who was closing the eyes of a fallen knight, quickly grabbed his arm.
“My lady,” he said, turning her so she would not see the bodies, “please go to the basilica to help the injured.”
“H-How many did we lose?”
“Four of our knights.”
“W-Who were they?”
"No one your lordship knows.
They were recently knighted."
Maxi let out a sigh of relief and his face burned with embarrassment.
She was horrified as she felt relieved that she and those close to her were unharmed.
Too embarrassed to look Ursuline in the eye, Maxi turned away.
He suppressed the urge to look for Riftan and directed his steps towards the basilica.
If something had happened to him, Ursuline would certainly have informed her.
The fact that he had asked her to help the injured must have meant that Riftan was safe.Maxi tried to calm his anxiety as he entered the large building lit by lamps.
Dozens of doctors were already working inside.
While they lit fires around the building and prepared mats for beds, Maxi examined the soldiers and gave them basic medical care.
The mages who arrived later promptly began helping as well.
Although the coalition had managed to retake all the cities, thus preventing the dragon's resurrection, there was no joy in the air.
The clerics performed purification rites and funerals throughout the night.
The wizards took turns tending to the hundreds of injured people with only a few hours of sleep.
Exhausted, Maxi watched the gray sky slowly lighten.
With the snow finally ceasing, weak rays of sunlight bathed the desolate city, leaving it strangely serene under the blanket of snow.
She walked down the steps towards the square, looking far away.
All around him, the city buzzed with activity as thousands of soldiers pitched their tents.