After breaking through the border, the Imperial army advanced swiftly, cutting through the enemy like a blade through paper.
There were a few instances along the way where the demons launched scattered attacks.
In the dead of night, while the soldiers, exhausted from their rapid march, took a moment to rest, the demons struck with surprise raids.
“Damn it! Where are they attacking from this time?!”
“I-It seems to be from the west!”
“Send the soldiers out immediately! This time, we’ll catch those bastards and tear them to pieces!”
Their tactics were simple—striking from a distance with arrows and magic before vanishing.
Each time, the army suffered small but accumulating losses, though nothing severe enough to slow their advance.
However, for those on the receiving end, these relentless, frustrating attacks only served to provoke their anger.
“This is infuriating. If those filthy demons have even a shred of honor, they should face us with their swords instead of playing these cowardly games!”
“Those wretched creatures know nothing of honor. For now, our only option is to reinforce our defenses and prepare for further ambushes.”
General Barus was no fool.
He did everything he could to minimize the damage caused by the surprise attacks.
But fighting demons at night was no easy feat, especially when this land was essentially their home turf.
Their superior knowledge of the terrain gave them a massive advantage, allowing them to slip away like eels even when the army pursued them.
The best option was to push forward as quickly as possible, to reach their true objective—Bellen Fortress, the heart of the Gelman region.
The area around Bellen was a vast plain, making it an unsuitable location for ambushes.
Once the Demon King was slain, the war would be won.
Growing frustration and impatience pushed Barus to hasten the march even further.
But then.
“What do you mean, retreat?! Are you telling me we’ve come all this way just to turn back empty-handed?”
The one speaking was not an ordinary soldier but the strongest warrior in the entire expedition.
The Hero, Irushil.
Her words left Barus in utter disbelief, but Irushil’s expression was firm as she spoke.
“I’ve been watching the enemy’s movements for the past few days. This is not just a series of random ambushes. This is provocation. They are deliberately luring us to Bellen Fortress.”
“What nonsense is this? Once we reach Bellen, we’ll have the advantage in numbers and crush them completely! Why would they lead us to a place where victory is certain for us?”
“There were several defensible locations along the way. Even if their forces were weaker than ours, they could have held us off for a while if they had fortified those positions.”
Yet, every mountain fortress they had passed had been completely abandoned.
The valley along the river.
Just as Irushil had pointed out, there were plenty of locations well-suited for defense.
Had the demons chosen to fortify these positions, they could have delayed the Imperial army for at least a week.
And yet, they had completely ignored such strategic advantages.
Despite clearly knowing the terrain better than the Empire, they had not utilized it at all.
Instead, they only launched small-scale ambushes and immediately withdrew.
“They’re doing nothing but provoking us with minor skirmishes. No strong defenses, no major offensives. This is a clear attempt to lure us in.”
“So what? Even if they are luring us in, what comes next? Are you suggesting that we’ll lose in a full-scale battle? Even though we have 10,000 elite soldiers and you, the Hero, on our side?”
“I… that’s…”
Irushil hesitated at General Barus’s words.
Because in a direct battle, the Empire’s overwhelming advantage was undeniable.
Their rapid march had slightly overextended their supply lines, but not to a degree that was critically dangerous.
She could tell that the enemy was leading them somewhere—but their ultimate goal remained unclear.
“Hero Irushil, I know you are the strongest warrior in the Empire, the chosen of the gods. I also acknowledge that your caution and attention to detail are valuable traits, especially at such a young age. However, if you worry too much, you may miss the bigger picture.”
“…Mmm…”
“Look at the world with greater confidence. You are the Hero. Instead of dwelling on minor concerns, be ready to unleash your power when the time comes.”
“…Understood.”
In the end, Irushil couldn’t argue further.
Barus was the supreme commander of the army, and she had no concrete proof to convince him otherwise.
Thus, under his orders, the Imperial army increased their marching speed.
Though they continued to face intermittent ambushes, none posed any real threat.
“Haa…”
“Are you still uneasy, Hero? Don’t worry so much. Nothing has happened so far, right?”
“…Yeah… I guess…”
With Bellen Fortress just ahead, the Imperial army had paused to rest by the lakeshore before the battle.
Even with their objective in sight, even with war on the horizon, Irushil’s face remained clouded with doubt.
Cecilia, seeing this, tried to lighten the mood with a casual tone, but even she couldn’t ignore the creeping sense of unease.
She had spent a great deal of time with the Hero.
And yet, never before had she seen Irushil this troubled.
It was as if Irushil was trying to remember something, something crucial, but the answer remained just out of reach.
What was it?
And how was it connected to this battle?
Unable to find the answers herself, Cecilia simply sat beside the Hero in silence,
gazing at the landscape before them.
A lake, still and serene.
In the distance, dark storm clouds gathered over the mountains, releasing heavy rain.
Yet above them, the sky remained a perfect blue.
It was an odd sight, but passing showers like these weren’t uncommon.
Brushing it off, Cecilia turned her attention back to the lake, its surface smooth like a mirror.
After a moment, she quietly spoke, hoping to shift the mood.
“You know… our hometown had a lake like this too. Remember?”
“The one in front of the Magic Tower? Yeah, of course. We used to go fishing there with our mentor.”
“We did, didn’t we? Back then, we never imagined that place had been designed the way it was…”
“Hah… yeah…”
The lake in front of the Magic Tower.
It had been larger than this one, and just as peaceful—at least, on the surface.
But once they had learned its true purpose, they realized it was anything but peaceful.
What had once stood there was not a lake, but a great city.
A thousand years ago, it had been the capital of a vast empire.
But consumed by arrogance, the city had incurred the wrath of the gods, and in an instant, it was swallowed by water, sinking entirely beneath the surface.
This wasn’t just a legend.
Even now, if one were to explore the lake’s depths, they would find remnants of ancient buildings and ruins buried below.
Of course, to Irushil and Cecilia, a thousand years later, it was nothing more than the lake in front of their home.
Aside from the eerie story, it was just another part of their childhood.
“But, really—do you think it’s possible for an entire city to sink all at once? Even if there was heavy rain, there’s not even an ocean nearby.”
“I’ve heard that in places where the surrounding land is lower, water naturally gathers.
It’s like pouring water into a shallow bowl—it always collects in the center. Still… to create that much rain artificially… Even a Grand Mage would struggle. It would take someone at least as strong as a Demon King.”
“Yeah… which is why they call it divine punishment…”
At that moment,
Something clicked in Irushil’s mind.
A memory.
A long-forgotten lesson.
Something she had been trying to remember all this time.
Back when she trained under her mentor.
Mari before she had discovered her talent for swordsmanship.
Mari had taught her not only magic, but also strategy.
One lesson in particular surfaced in her mind—
“A mage, when facing a large number of enemies, must first gather them into a single location. For warriors, the goal is to separate enemies and fight them one-on-one. But for us, who must unleash overwhelming destruction in a single strike, the ideal scenario is to have them packed tightly together.”
When enemies were scattered, area-wide destruction magic lost its full potential.
A skilled mage would first ensure their enemies converged in one place,
before unleashing their most devastating spell.
And right now…
The Imperial army was densely packed along the lakeshore, taking their final rest before battle.
The moment she realized what this meant, Irushil’s face hardened instantly.
“! N-No way…”
“Hero?”
“We’re… in danger. I need to warn the General—”
At that moment.
RUMBLE.
A deep, earth-shaking sound echoed in her ears.
Turning toward the source of the noise, Irushil’s face went completely pale.