The descent of the divine completely transformed the world.
The hidden beasts suddenly bared their fangs, plunging the continent into chaos.
The monsters pouring out from the Black Fields became even more ferocious, making them nearly impossible to stop.
Rebellions erupted across the Empire.
All nations, except for the Kingdom of Aldonia, united to bring down the Empire.
Could you believe all of this happened in just a month?
Even Isabel wouldn’t have believed it if she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes.
“What kind of nonsense is this?”
“It’s better to stay in Arcane than to return to the Kingdom of Aldonia, Your Highness.”
“…You expect me to just sit here and watch my country fall apart?”
“I’m ashamed to say it, but this is the best course of action.”
“Bullshit. I’m going. Even if I die, I’ll die in the arms of my family, in the embrace of my homeland.”
At the time, Isabel was beside herself.
The Kingdom of Aldonia was located in the western part of the Empire.
In other words, it was right in the path of the united kingdom’s marching toward the Empire.
As the only kingdom that sided with the Empire, Aldonia would be the first to be trampled.
Waiting here, twiddling her thumbs, didn’t sit well with her temperament.
So she left.
It was a shame she couldn’t see his face before leaving, but in a way, it was for the best.
If she had faced him directly, her resolve might have wavered, and her steps would have grown heavy.
‘…Will I ever see him again?’
If she returned to the kingdom, she might die.
No, it was almost certain that she would die.
The Kingdom of Aldonia wasn’t particularly strong.
Because it had been under the Empire’s protection, it had poured most of its resources into other areas.
‘Huh, I must be crazy too. My country is on the brink of collapse, and here I am thinking about such things.’
She pushed away her distracting thoughts.
No matter what anyone said, she was the princess of Aldonia.
If she wanted to enjoy her rights, she had to take responsibility.
She suppressed her desires and abandoned the future she had dreamed of.
With her resolve firmly set, she headed toward Aldonia, but…
“Let me go! I’m going!”
“…I can’t allow that. I must keep my final promise to your grandfather.”
“Ahhh! Let me go!”
Everything turned to ashes because of the Drakan who appeared along the way.
He told her that even if she went, she couldn’t stop Aldonia’s destruction.
He held her and refused to let her go.
Detained by the Drakan, Isabel could do nothing until Aldonia fell.
.
.
.
.
It wasn’t her first time seeing the Drakan.
When she was young, he had taught her a few techniques, saying she had talent.
He often spoke of being close friends with her grandfather.
Her father would open the gates and hold grand welcoming ceremonies whenever the Drakan visited.
‘That grumpy old man.’
Only after news spread that Aldonia had fallen did she finally regain her freedom from the Drakan.
She couldn’t return home.
The damn bastards calling themselves the Allied Forces had already taken over.
As time passed and her head cooled, her hatred for the Drakan gradually subsided.
Instead, she even felt gratitude for stopping her.
“…What did you say?”
“I said I want to take responsibility.”
“What do you mean?”
“I want to become stronger. I know I ran away because I didn’t want to do it before, but now it’s different. I need power.”
“No.”
“Why not?!”
“I can see the fire of revenge burning in your eyes. Even if I give you power, you’ll just become a vengeful monster. I don’t want to create such a mad creature.”
Damn.
She wasn’t satisfied with this.
She needed even more power.
To protect what she had, to achieve what she desired.
At this rate, it would be too late.
After that, Isabel followed the Drakan every day, clinging to his coattails, begging him to take her as his disciple again.
Exhausted by her relentless pestering, the Drakan finally raised his hands in surrender.
“Promise me one thing.”
“Anything. I’ll do anything.”
“Take care of yourself. Even if you achieve your revenge, it will mean nothing if you’re broken.”
“…You’re making more sense than I expected.”
“Shut up. Anyway, it won’t be easy. We don’t have much time.”
After pleading and pleading, Isabel finally managed to inherit the Drakan’s techniques and threw herself into training like a madwoman.
Of course, it wasn’t easy.
The relentless, grueling training every day pushed Isabel to the brink, numbing both her body and mind.
‘Every second I spend here feels like a waste, but opportunities like this don’t come often.’
The Empire was in chaos.
Although they were still holding the outer defenses, the situation was such that it wouldn’t be surprising if they were breached at any moment.
Before they reached the heart of the Empire.
She had to grow stronger as much as possible.
“That’s not it! Straighten your back more and channel all your magic!”
“Ugh…”
“Tsk, it seems you’ve neglected your training. Your body is so soft, tsk.”
“…Shut…up…”
“Your mouth is as foul as ever.”
The title of War God wasn’t for show.
She could feel her own growth to an extent she had never experienced before in such a short time.
About two years after being put through the wringer by the Drakan.
She received the devastating news that the Empire was in ruins.
“Not bad. Go ahead.”
“…Really? You’re not going to stop me with more nonsense, are you?”
“Hey, shut your mouth. How is it that every time you open it, curses just spill out?”
“Wouldn’t you be the same?”
“Sigh… Don’t forget your promise.”
“I’m not weak enough to die at the hands of those bastards.”
“Do as you must. I have somewhere to go too, so let’s go together for now.”
The decision was swift.
As soon as Isabel heard that the Empire’s border had fallen, she rushed out.
The Drakan didn’t stop her.
***
The first place she headed was the western part of the Empire, occupied by the Allied Forces.
Originally, it would have been the border with the Kingdom of Aldonia.
The place had long since turned into ruins.
Revenge was important, but there was something she had to do first.
“I’m sorry… I’m sorry…”
She went to the place where the royal castle once stood and offered a prayer of atonement.
It wasn’t her choice to turn her back on the kingdom.
But it was true that, as a member of the royal family, she had failed to fulfill her duty.
She roughly gathered the scattered bones left unattended and erected a makeshift tombstone.
It was nothing more than a large rock, but even this small act brought her some peace of mind.
She couldn’t find the remains of her family.
Since they were royalty, there was a chance they had been taken as hostages, so she decided to think about that later.
She wanted to travel through every region of the kingdom and atone for her sins, but that would have to wait until after her revenge.
Finding the Allied Forces wasn’t difficult.
With such a large-scale military operation, traces were bound to be left behind.
They had taken over an entire city that once belonged to the Empire and turned it into a forward base, settling in grandly.
‘Just a glance tells me there are a lot of them.’
There were hardly any civilians in sight.
Most were soldiers clad in armor or carrying weapons.
Considering the size of the city, there had to be at least tens of thousands of them.
‘I don’t have the strength to take them all on at once.’
Even she had her limits.
And since they had managed to breach the Empire, there were likely many strong individuals among them.
Charging in recklessly was out of the question.
‘This way.’
The high castle located deep within the city.
The castle once used by the lord of this place had been taken over by high-ranking officers of the Allied Forces.
The leader was crucial. Unlike those who led ten or a hundred, those who commanded thousands or tens of thousands had to see the bigger picture.
As such, the morale of the soldiers often depended on the commander’s ability.
Especially if such a leader were to meet a sudden death.
So she waited in a corner of the lord’s castle until nightfall.
Until the night arrived, and everyone fell asleep in the dead of night.
‘I have to endure, endure, endure.’
She had always been impatient, but that day was particularly bad.
She wanted to burst through the window and twist the necks of those bastards who were noisily enjoying their wine.
She wasn’t nervous.
In fact, she couldn’t hide her excitement at the thought of making them suffer before they died.
It was only a six-hour wait.
But it was the most tedious and frustrating time of her life.
Suppressing the urge to burst in and enduring with patience, she finally heard snoring coming from all corners of the castle.
‘…Let’s go.’
There was only one goal.
The annihilation of everyone here.
There would be no mercy for the weak or the elderly.
Just as they had shown none.