The Shattering arrived right on schedule, yet along the shores of Liurnia of the Lakes there was a rare moment to breathe, a brief stretch of calm and order.
Emerald leaves swayed in the wind, drifting gently down into the deep blue waters of the lake, like a tranquil painting come to life.
An ancient town stood by the lakeside. Thick outer walls loomed beneath banners of the Carian Royal Family, proclaiming authority and dignity.
Patrolling soldiers in solid armor moved in tight formation. The occasional clash of metal rang out crisp and clear, like notes in a martial symphony.
High atop the watchtowers, archers with stern faces and sharp eyes scanned their surroundings, tense and alert.
At regular intervals, knights encased head to toe in heavy armor stood guard, imposing and unyielding, like walls of steel that inspired instinctive fear.
A dozen massive ballistae rested along the ramparts, silent as slumbering beasts. Anyone foolish enough to attack would be crushed on the spot.
This force was well trained, well equipped, and strictly disciplined, standing in stark contrast to the Cuckoo Legion. Its only weakness was its lack of numbers.
Though close to the royal heartland, this place had already become the forward edge of the Carian battlefield. It wasn't that the Cuckoos' assault was overwhelming, but that their manpower was stretched dangerously thin, forcing them to shrink their lines.
To put it bluntly, the Cuckoos were nothing more than an armed rabble, a band of mercenaries with a bit of strength.
Aside from their numbers, they were in a completely different league from elite orders like the Carian Knights.
The commander of the Cuckoo Knights, Kercius, sat astride his warhorse, staring at the endless stretch of tall, unbroken walls in the distance, fury boiling in his chest.
His forces had launched attack after attack, driving the royal troops into the northwest corner of Liurnia of the Lakes. Yet every time they came close to taking the fortress, they were beaten back without mercy.
After long, brutal fighting, the royal domain still stood firm.
This land was a bone too hard to chew, yet the Cuckoos had no choice but to swallow it. There was no better option than piling bodies upon bodies.
"Send another unit forward. Those Sorcerers still haven't sent any reinforcements. They won't even dare cast spells from a distance. All they do is tell us to charge."
Kercius remained on horseback, his eyes locked on the horizon, as if he could see through the thick walls themselves.
He stayed silent for a long time before letting out a quiet sigh.
The Cuckoos' reputation was already well known, as was the Academy's distrust of them.
They were paid only to serve as cannon fodder. The battle mages of the Haima Conspectus never set foot on the front lines, instead acting as overseers.
On this battlefield, only Sorcerers were allowed to fall back. The Cuckoos had no such privilege.
"Do we really have to endure this forever?"
The vice commander clenched his fists, his teeth grinding audibly.
"We've lost too many men. The Cuckoos have taken enormous losses. If this stalemate drags on, we'll bleed each other dry. In the end, both sides lose."
"Commander, maybe we should withdraw. This deal isn't worth it. It's better than sending our brothers to their deaths," another knight urged.
"There's no need to let the magic academy reap all the benefits. Even if we win in the end, I doubt any of us will have a good ending."
"A good ending? Those academy bastards are probably thinking the same thing."
Kercius let out a cold laugh and slowly removed his heavy helmet, revealing short, graying hair and a face crisscrossed with scars.
His narrow eyes burned with cruelty as he spoke in a low, chilling voice.
"But we have to do it. If we break through Caria Manor and seize the treasures the royal family has amassed over generations, the Cuckoos will secure a foothold in Liurnia of the Lakes. And in the future, there may even be a chance…"
Kercius slowly turned, his gaze fixed on the distant, magnificent Raya Lucaria Academy. Boundless ambition seemed to surge from his very frame.
To replace the magic academy and become the ruler of this land.
That was the ambition he kept buried deep in his heart, never spoken aloud.
Runes were the greatest army of all. The Lunar Princess didn't know how to use them, so the Cuckoos would spend that wealth in her place.
The adjutant at his side had no idea what kind of sweeping ambitions his commander carried in his heart.
He only stared into the distance, worry written all over his face, and couldn't help but speak up.
"But the Lunar Princess inside the fortress…"
"We don't know what really happened, but if Her Highness could truly come out, why would Caria Manor still be hiding like this?"
Kercius's voice carried not the slightest hint of fear. A Demigod was always a grave threat.
But that princess who had been holed up inside Caria Manor, never daring to show her face—how was she any different from a decorative mascot?
If she could actually come out, he would have taken the Cuckoo Legion and fled long ago. At worst, they could have gone to Limgrave and worked as mercenaries for the nobles. Why wade into this mess?
"Rally the troops. Continue the assault. Take the royal domain within one month."
"And pass down the order. Have Testu's Island send a transport convoy before nightfall."
"To be safe, dispatch a small squad to escort them. Frontline supplies are already running short."
"Yes, Lord Kercius."
A knight accepted the order and rode off, the rapid beat of hooves fading into the distance.
...
On the other side of the battlefield, the war was raging at full intensity. No one could stay untouched by it, Nolan and Sellen included.
The Caria Manor forces treated the mad master and apprentice exactly as expected, regarding them as nothing more than ordinary sorcerers and casually tossing a few spells their way from the walls.
As for Sellen wanting to continue her research, that was no problem at all. She would be supplied with all kinds of materials regardless.
The Cuckoo Legion, however, remained stubbornly relentless. After hearing they had received new reinforcements, they charged forward again without fear, practically throwing their lives away.
After resupplying, their confidence swelled once more, only for the Caria Manor forces to show them just how far they still were from victory.
Under the fierce barrage of arrows, sorceries, and rolling stones, the freshly assembled Cuckoo Legion broke almost instantly and fled in panic.
The number of people trampled to death during the retreat likely surpassed those actually killed by the Caria Manor forces.
People were dying.
"It's finally begun."
Nolan stood atop the city walls. He did not look down at the massive meat grinder below, but instead gazed north toward the Altus Plateau, as if he could already see a similar scene unfolding there.