Raymond’s Familiar, commonly known as “Chō-kun,” arrived in the Royal Capital approximately five minutes after departing from his master and headed straight for the royal palace.
As the white royal palace, radiating tradition and grandeur, came into view, Raymond’s superior, Lucas, who seemed to have sensed something was amiss, was waiting outside.
Chō-kun, eager to fulfill his master’s order to reach Lucas’s location “one second faster,” leaped into the old mage’s embrace.
“Oh, there, there… What is it?”
Chō-kun, while not possessing speech, could transmit thoughts to others, and he conveyed Raymond’s message to Lucas. Sensing the gravity of the situation, Lucas’s expression changed, and he commanded the nearby royal guards.
“Issue a wartime alert immediately!”
“Huh? Y-yes, right away!”
The soldier was momentarily stunned but likely perceived the seriousness of the situation from Lucas’s demeanor. He hurried out to the royal palace gardens. In the royal gardens stood a magic drum that resonated directly within the minds of those living in the Royal Capital, only to be sounded in times of extreme emergency. When the soldier struck it, a deep, resonant sound, heavy enough to be felt in one’s gut, reached the minds of everyone in the Royal Capital.
“A wartime alert!?”
The Chancellor, the Prince, the court mages, and the royal guards, who were on duty within the palace, rushed out in surprise and haste.
“What is going on!?”
The Queen, who had been enjoying an elegant tea party with noble ladies, also hurried towards Lucas, accompanied by her responding maids. Once a wartime alert was issued, all ordinary citizens and nobles were required to return to their homes, and soldiers had to fully arm themselves and await orders from the royal palace at their designated posts. Furthermore, royalty, high-ranking government officials, and senior military commanders were mandated to gather at the royal palace. It was an absolute command, punishable even if the current King did not comply. The lack of widespread panic was due to regular drills conducted for such emergencies.
Approximately five minutes after the alert was issued, while citizens were still returning home and soldiers had not yet fully taken their positions, all principal figures had gathered in the royal palace gardens. The Queen Margarita, Prince Ernest, Chancellor Falk, Grand General Granfeldt, Commander of the Filat Knights Yaders, Chief Commander of the Royal Guard Josef, Commander of the Magic Corps Nilson, Head of Intelligence Fleg… along with other generals, court mages, ministers, and scribes.
Gazing over them, Lucas, Chief Court Mage and supposedly the strongest mage in Filat, spoke.
“Raymond has sent an urgent report: they were attacked by a pack of Wyverns at Mount Rumbler.”
A moment of silence, followed by a sudden uproar.
“Wyverns!?”
“Mount Rumbler!? What was the Intelligence Department doing!?”
“Your Majesty, are you safe!?”
Screams and enraged shouts filled the air. The appearance of a Wyvern pack at Mount Rumbler was unheard of, and the failure of the Intelligence Department to obtain any information was a transgression punishable by death. Fleg, the head of intelligence, felt faint. A Familiar reaching the Royal Capital was an almost impossible miracle. And to encounter a pack of Wyverns with a mere handful of people… the worst-case scenario flashed through everyone’s minds, igniting their panic. No one noticed that Lucas remained unusually calm.
Amidst this, the Queen struck her hands together forcefully.
“Silence.”
Her face was pale, and her voice trembled with a lack of strength, yet it resonated with the courtiers. Everyone was reminded of who was suffering the most.
“Lucas. Continue.”
“Yes.”
With a slight bow to the Queen, who was acting with remarkable fortitude, Lucas delivered the rest of the information.
“Vincent, Oscar, and Hector have been killed in action. However, with assistance, the Wyvern pack has been repelled.”
The information that a single mage had annihilated the entire Wyvern pack was intentionally withheld. With the King absent, there was a strong possibility of uncontrollable chaos. Another blank silence followed, and then came cheers, and then questions.
“Is His Majesty safe!?”
A great murmur and a sense of relief washed over the assembly, instantly dispelling the hostile atmosphere. Slowly but surely, the mood began to shift towards calm.
“To whom does this ‘assistance’ refer?”
“And why were they able to assist in the first place?”
“Lord Lucas, what is the situation regarding that?”
The attack on the King and his rescue… it was too coincidental. Many realized this and focused their gaze on Lucas. Sensing that he could no longer conceal the truth, Lucas decided to reveal it. Information that even he could hardly believe.
“…A single mage, just one, defeated them.”
“Huh?”
“Eh?”
Those who were already accustomed to surprise were now rendered completely incapable of thought. In their blank minds, only Lucas’s words echoed.
“Just one? A mage?”
The one who repeated the words aloud was Nilson, a court mage and the Commander of the Magic Corps. As a fellow mage, he understood the impossibility of it more than anyone. And he was the most confused.
“Wasn’t the number of mages required to defeat even one Wyvern about ten?”
This question came from Granfeldt, the Grand General and head of the military. He had recovered remarkably quickly. Lucas replied to Granfeldt.
“It also depends on individual skill. For someone like myself or Nilson, perhaps three or four. In any case, facing Wyverns without a front line is simply unthinkable.”
“I concur,” Nilson chimed in, having also regained his composure. “Wyverns possess high resistance to magic, and their offensive power and mobility are a threat to us mages. You’d want at least three front-line fighters.”
Another murmur arose. Knight Commander Yaders, who had been listening to the mages’ conversation, inquired of Lucas, “Lord Lucas, you mentioned a pack, but specifically, how many Wyverns were there?” Wyverns were considered a pack if there were three or more. Yaders posed a question that seemed significant yet unclear even to himself, suggesting it might have been just a family of three.
“It seems there were six.”
The hall fell into a silence as if struck by water. The anomaly of a single mage defeating six Wyverns. The others, too, clearly understood the degree of this abnormality.
“Well, if we can obtain the Wyvern carcasses, our equipment will improve too.”
Josef intended this as a positive observation, and indeed, most people felt a sense of relief. The only exception was Lucas, who knew there were no carcasses. He couldn’t possibly explain that the carcasses were gone. He figured they’d realize it eventually, but he wished to postpone it.
“More importantly, if this incident was caused by a foreign summoner, isn’t it also a danger to Her Majesty the Queen and His Highness the Prince?”
Chancellor Falk posed this question to shift the mood, and half of those present looked startled, while the other half nodded in agreement. There had never been a recorded sighting of Wyverns on Mount Rumbler. In fact, the place was known domestically as a mysterious and peculiar location where even living creatures were rarely seen, and it was also well-known that the King often passed through it during his inspections. Foreigners would have had numerous opportunities to gather information, and monsters with flight capabilities could easily traverse the country and launch an attack. The perception of the enemy as foreign summoners rapidly spread. It was also naturally inferred that not only the King and Princess but also the Queen and the Prince could be targeted. In the current Kingdom of Filat, the line of succession comprised the Queen, the Prince, and the Princess. If these three, along with the King, perished, widespread chaos would erupt within the country. Everyone reached this conclusion and swallowed hard.
“That is why the wartime alert was issued,” stated Lucas gravely, earning nods of understanding from everyone. Indeed, there was no time to spare in protecting the Queen and the Prince. All eyes then turned to Granfeldt, who held command of the military in the King’s absence. Granfeldt gestured to the Queen for permission, and she gave a slight nod in approval.
“First, we must send a unit to His Majesty’s location with utmost haste. The sooner, the better. I order the Magic Knight Corps of the Knight Order to mobilize. Take five hundred elite riders.”
“Yes. We will depart immediately.”
Following Granfeldt’s command, Dawson, the副官 (fukukan – adjutant), of Yaders rushed out. The Magic Knight Corps was one of Filat’s finest elite units, and as their name suggested, all members held dual professions. They were a unit capable of advancing while magically reinforcing and healing their horses, boasting the fastest speed in the country, making them the optimal force to reach the King as quickly as possible. Five hundred elite riders could maintain maximum speed and even defeat ten Wyverns. Such was the judgment.
“The Royal Guard will escort Her Majesty the Queen and His Highness the Prince.”
“Understood.”
“The Knight Order will cooperate with the guards to defend the Royal Capital.”
“Understood.”
“The Magic Corps will be divided. Half will escort Her Majesty the Queen and His Highness the Prince, and the other half will defend the Royal Capital.”
“Understood.”
“The Intelligence Department will contact all military and city forces within the country and issue a call for vigilance. Simultaneously, re-examine all domestic intelligence.”
“Yes, sir.”
“I will command from the Royal Capital. Lord Lucas, you will be under Josef’s command and protect this place.”
“Understood.”
Granfeldt issued his orders rapidly. Once everything was concluded, Prince Ernest spoke for the first time.
“I implore you, protect our common people at all costs. That is all I ask.”
His sincere attitude, devoid of pretense or bravado, earned favor with the military personnel. The Queen also nodded in agreement.
“This is a crucial moment for our Filat. By the Three Scepters, repel this national crisis.”
“Hoorah!”
The Three Scepters depicted the kingdom’s coat of arms, symbolizing the army, government, and people supporting each other like scepters. To swear by the Three Scepters was the most solemn oath for the citizens of Filat, pledging with pride to exert their utmost efforts for the sake of the nation. In response to Granfeldt’s rousing words, the soldiers hurried to their assigned posts. In stark contrast to their high morale, the civilian officials seemed despondent. Their steps, as they returned to their offices after bowing to the Queen and the Prince, were heavy.
“This is why we should have taken more escorts.”
Though they dared not voice it in front of the Queen and the Prince, many ministers and scribes harbored such thoughts. It was customary for the King and Princess to be accompanied by numerous guards and attendants when they went on tours. However, Bernhardt III had put a stop to this, deeming it a “waste of tax money.” Emma, with her triple-specialty, was known to perform the work of five ordinary maids, and with the nation’s finances strained, opposition had waned. Domestic public order had also remained at a high level, and no signs of unrest were observed. When the route through Mount Rumbler was considered, there had even been near-mocking remarks about it being “overly luxurious for a military force.” However, such thoughts had now vanished from their minds. The military’s actions would incur significant consumption of supplies and funds. The King’s decision, intended to ease the financial burden, had ultimately resulted in an even greater pressure. Only children were allowed to say, “I tried my best but failed.” The only solace was perhaps that the King was not too far away. The Magic Knight Corps, traveling at full speed, would likely be able to rendezvous with him within thirty minutes. However, from a national perspective, this offered little comfort. It would be harsh to blame even their beloved sovereign if they felt a desire to complain inwardly. Furthermore, Chancellor Falk, the foremost among the civilian officials, had an additional concern: the entire affair had taken him completely by surprise. The Intelligence Department’s failure to gather any information was simply too amateurish. These were individuals who, while not exceptionally brilliant, had never disappointed him. Falk’s sharp mind conjured two possibilities. One was that there was a traitor within the country, and moreover, within its central core. The other was that events were unfolding that were beyond the capacity of the Kingdom of Filat’s personnel… such as the machinations of demons. Considering the second possibility, Falk felt a sensation as if his heart had frozen, but he quickly dismissed the thought. If demons were the masterminds, the attack was too weak. Demons, in principle, were monsters that evolved over long periods, accumulating power. They possessed immense strength, could take human-like forms, and were capable of leading large forces of monsters. Looking back at history, never had demon forces attacked with the strength of merely six Wyverns, and frankly, the King would not have survived a surprise attack. Furthermore, the primary reason for the decline of the Kingdom of Filat’s national strength was demons. At this moment, Falk had overlooked two possibilities. One was that the person who saved the King possessed power that surpassed even that of demons. The other was the existence of something that transcended demons. However, no one could fault Falk. In both cases, these were beings treated as legends from distant pasts.
