Sometimes, there is no escaping fate.
At midday the night guard retired to their tents to rest, while those who managed to get a few hours' sleep headed up the hill armed with spears and shields.
In front of the newly built hospital, Maxi watched the army moving in perfect synchronization with the orders of their commanders.
As much of Arex's infantry had fallen in the last assault, it appeared that a portion of Balto's army had joined the central battalion to make up for the lack of soldiers.
The dark green flag of Phil Aaron's Knights fluttered above the entrance.
After looking at her, Maxi walked into the hospital, with an uneasy feeling in her stomach.
This feeling had been present all day, ever since her unpleasant encounter with Richard Breston.
Stirring a boiling cauldron over a brazier, she thought about the man's ominous prophecy.
The Seven Kingdoms could very well divide once the common enemy was eliminated.
If the peace agreement broke down, war would break out on the border between Wedon and Dristan, and there would be uprisings throughout Roviden.
Could the newly elected pope protect the current order from power-hungry opportunists like Richard Breston?
Lost in her thoughts, Maxi only looked up when someone tapped her shoulder.
Anette looked at her with a frown.
"Where is your head?
You're burning everything!"
Maxi blinked before quickly grabbing water from a bucket and throwing it into the cauldron.
“You should rest,” Anette said, sighing.
“The last thing we want is for you to burn everything down because you’re distracted.”
"Sorry.
I'll pay more attention," muttered Maxi sadly as she scraped the ladle at the herbs clinging to the edge of the cauldron.
She felt angry with herself for letting Breston's words get to her.
Even if there was some truth to them, it was a distant scenario in the future.
Why was she adding more worries when they were already struggling with the current problem?
Pushing away all thoughts of catastrophe, she forced herself to focus on caring for the injured.
There was no shortage of work after yesterday's reckless attack that resulted in hundreds of injuries.
When the herbal tonic was ready, Maxi lowered the cauldron and called some soldiers to the hospital.
She instructed them to administer the tonic to those who had a fever.
Meanwhile, she began to change all the blood and pus-stained bandages.
Although she wanted to cure everyone with magic, she had no other option but to rely on other treatment methods.
Each dressing change was a mechanical process, cleaning stitched wounds and covering them with clean bandages.
His hands moved quickly on their own until a strange commotion from outside the tent reached the entrance.
Maxi stood still.
A shiver ran down her spine as she wondered what problem had arisen now, but was too scared to find out.
After hesitating, she reluctantly went out to find thousands of soldiers crowding the front.
Rows of catapults were positioned on each side.
Maxi narrowed his eyes.
Although the sight wasn't out of the ordinary, something didn't feel right.
She studied the tense faces of the soldiers and frowned as she noticed the black smoke rising above their heads.
A smell stronger than burning wood filled his nose.
Did the monsters attack the camp in secret?
She grimaced, remembering the similar odor of burning monster carcasses.
When she spotted Armin next to the catapults on the right, she ran over to him immediately.
“W-What’s going on?”
“I have no idea,” Armin replied, his eyes clouded with confusion.
"It can't be a good thing.
The Temple Knights' commander and that wild northerner had a long argument, so the soldiers were ordered to gather.
They say an all-out attack will begin soon."
“U-An all-out attack?” Maxi repeated.
Until now, the monsters stayed hidden behind their walls during the day and only came out at night to attack stealthily.
How would the allied army manage to lure them out of their impenetrable fortress?
She became restless, her heart racing.
Breston was at the head of the unit positioned on the hill.
The air around them seemed thick with tense expectation.After carefully observing the men, Maxi forced her way through the crowd of soldiers as if compelled.
Although she heard someone calling her name behind her, her legs seemed to have a mind of their own.
She quickly climbed the hill and stopped when she reached the cavalry stationed at the front.
A gasp escaped her at the horrible sight; In the middle of the field lay a mountain of burning bodies.
Maxi put a hand over his mouth as he vomited, but he couldn't take his eyes off the dancing flames and the dark smoke rising from the hundreds of bodies.
She was wrong to believe that nothing could shock her again.
An impulse to end the atrocity drove her forward.
Just as she was about to intervene, someone grabbed her shoulder tightly, causing her to jerk her head up.
It was Kuahel Leon, looking at her sternly.
“Return to the rear immediately.”
“W-Why are you doing this?” Maxi asked, ignoring his order.
Without responding, the cleric grabbed her arm and forcibly led her behind the men.
Maxi broke free, shouting, "H-How could a man of God allow this?!
I know… how hard it is to recover bodies, but shouldn't we try our best?
How can you just“"
“The dead are already dead.”
Maxi turned his head towards the voice.
Richard Breston sat on his blue-gray warhorse, drinking wine from a canteen.
He closed the lid and said coldly, "We can't afford to waste the clerics' abilities anymore, but if we don't do anything with the bodies, they will turn into zombie monsters or become food for the enemy.
It's better that we make use of them first, don't you think?"
Maxi looked at him dumbfounded in shock.
Silhouetted against the light, his face looked frightening, as if shadowed behind a dark iron mask.
His garnet eyes glittered as he added, "Humans are the most tempting prey for any monster.
Those were your husband's words.
If he's right, this is the best way to attract those creatures."
A strong gust spread the pungent odor over the field as if on cue.
Sickened, Maxi began to back away.
The charred bodies were now shrinking.
Frozen in place, she watched the terrifying sight, her face pale, until Ulyseon appeared at her side.
“My lady, you must return to the rear,” he said stiffly.
“The battle is about to begin.”
Maxi followed his gaze to see the city gate slowly rising.
With a triumphant laugh, Breston drew the sword strapped to his back.
Kuahel Leon promptly mounted his horse and signaled the start of the battle as the monsters began to leave the city.
“Now, my lady!” Ulyseon shouted, drawing his sword.
Maxi turned and ran down the hill.
A chorus of battle cries echoed as the allied army advanced.
Fighting the urge to look back, she ran straight to the hospital.
"T-The attack has begun!
We need to set up the barriers!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, the mages rushed to their designated posts.
They called up a double barrier in front of the rear unit, and archers and spearmen mounted it.
It was a defensive measure in case the enemy managed to overcome the front line.
Maxi followed them to the stairs.
The vantage point offered a clear view of sixteen thousand men facing legions of trolls.
His entire body shook with terror.
Each swing of the green giants' iron maces sent two or three men flying, quickly fragmenting the ranks of the allied army.
It was like watching a stampede of bulls.
The horrible sight seemed to dampen the army's fighting spirit.
The trolls relentlessly pushed the central battalion back until the battle was in the middle of the allied army's camp.
Maxi held her breath, terrified that the monsters would break through her barriers at any moment.
The human soldiers seemed powerless in the face of their enemies' frightening strength.
Suddenly, an icy fear gripped Maxi.
Would she be able to see Riftan again?
In the next moment, she realized that the tide of battle was not yet against them.
The central battalion had intentionally retreated so that the left and right flanks could surround the enemy.The situation quickly reversed from there.
The allied army pushed the monsters to the center and began their counterattack.
When catapults fired from the flanks, the monsters broke ranks to avoid the flying rocks, and the knights slaughtered them in the ensuing confusion.
Maxi watched in amazement until a dark shadow rose over them.
She looked up, her blood running cold.
Dozens of wyverns blocked the gray sky.
Maxi immediately conjured a shield upon seeing some of them holding objects with their large claws.
Suddenly, a flurry of rocks fell from the sky.
Although Maxi tried to quickly expand his shield, it was a step too late.
The rocks fell at a frightening speed, destroying half of the earthen wall and the tents behind it.
“Y-Everyone, under the shield!” Maxi screamed with all his might.
But his scream was lost in the chaos of battle.
People scattered in panic, some collapsing after being hit in the head by falling debris.
Maxi watched with overwhelming despair as his camp was torn to pieces.
At this moment, a wyvern dove straight towards him.
Terrified, she closed her eyes.
With her current amount of mana, she didn't believe the shield would be able to withstand the impact.
A furious wind passed above her, and a sharp sound pierced her ears.
Time seemed to stop.
Pressed against the earthen wall, Maxi braced herself for impact.
When the howling wind died down, she slowly opened her eyes only to see a wyvern grabbing a troll out of the air.