Free Web NovelChapter 43: Alliance
Five figures with white wings soared through the sky at tremendous speed, their faces filled with anger.
They were the five Falcons who had just left the coronation ceremony. frёeωebɳovel.com
At that moment, one of the Falcons, who looked to be in his thirties, broke the silence and spoke with fury.
"Damn it! Since when have we been treated with such blatant disrespect? Do those bastards think they’re still what they used to be? More than ninety percent of their territory has already been conquered by the Giants and the other races. All they have left is that old city. If we wanted to, our armies could march there immediately, smash their city walls, reduce their palaces to rubble, and level the place to the ground!"
"Calm down, Marcus. It’s true that the Elves of the City of Light are no longer what they once were, but something strange is happening there, and we don’t know what it is. Even if those scoundrels from the Giant race only sent a small army, they shouldn’t have vanished without leaving a single trace!" another Falcon said with a solemn expression before continuing in a worried tone. "And it also seems that this King Rios already knows that we were the ones behind the Giant invasion of the City of Light!"
At that point, the other four looked toward the silent man leading the group. He appeared to be in his forties and was the only one among them with four white wings.
"What do you think about this, Mark?"
Sir Mark frowned but didn’t turn around.
"It’s true that we could crush the City of Light with ease, but there’s nothing we can do against that so-called Rios and that little princess."
"Mark, you’re the strongest among us. Your strength is almost equal to His Majesty’s. Tell us... did those two break through to the legendary fourth level?" Marcus asked anxiously, voicing everyone’s concern.
"No. I felt their auras clearly. They’re still within the third level, but the power they can display is comparable to what our race’s supreme weapon, the Falcon Wings, can unleash."
Sir Mark’s expression darkened, but in the end, a sly smile spread across his face.
"And there’s no need to worry too much about that so-called Rios... at least not for now."
"What do you mean?" one of the Falcons asked curiously.
"That so-called Rios is extremely intelligent. He knows when to advance and when to retreat. I realized that clearly during our last meeting. He knows very well that he’s powerful, but he also knows he doesn’t have a proper army to support that power and impose his influence over the rest of the region."
Sir Mark’s smile widened as his eyes gleamed.
"The number of Elves in the City of Light has declined over the past century until only about twenty percent remain now... and most of them are women. Tell me, how many of them can awaken their power? Even if we assume the normal ratio—one out of every hundred awakens—how many soldiers would they gain?"
Without waiting for an answer, he continued as if speaking to himself.
"Ten thousand soldiers? Twenty thousand? Fine, let’s say they exceed all expectations and somehow raise thirty thousand from among the children who haven’t awakened yet. Most of them will remain at the first level for their entire lives. Some will reach the second level, and only a tiny number of exceptional talents will ever reach the third."
"The important question is... how long will it take the City of Light to build such a force? A few years? Ten years? A few decades? And in the end, after adding the surviving soldiers to those children who awaken later, how many troops will they have? Fifty thousand? That’s only if they’re incredibly lucky."
"It would only take a handful of random Giants occupying their lands to wipe that tiny army off the map."
"Armies aren’t built overnight. If that so-called Rios wants to build a proper army, he’ll have to wait at least a few decades. Not to mention that they’re desperately lacking third-level experts. Aside from him, the City of Light only has three other third-level powerhouses."
"What is their tiny city—or their army that doesn’t even exist yet—compared to our ancient kingdom, which is currently at the peak of its power? We possess more than three million soldiers, thousands of second-level Masters, and hundreds of third-level Masters!"
"If that so-called Rios wants to dominate the region, he’ll first have to reclaim his kingdom—the Forest of Light—from the Giants. That alone will take him at least a few decades... assuming he can even defeat the Giants in the first place."
"What do you mean, Mark?" the other Falcons asked curiously, sensing that Sir Mark was hiding something from them.
"You all know very well that the Giants appeared around one hundred and fifty years ago, disrupting the balance among the seven races of this continent."
"They first appeared in the Wild Plains. Within just a few decades, they exterminated all life there, destroying dozens of cities and several small kingdoms. Then they advanced toward both the Silver Highlands and the Forest of Light. The Silver Highlands have already been completely annihilated, and those who managed to survive fled. As for the Forest of Light, only the City of Light remains after more than ninety percent of the forest’s inhabitants either fled or were killed."
"And at this rate, the next region they’ll target will naturally be our own Storm Mountains."
Sir Mark’s words struck the others like a bolt of lightning.
They already knew this, of course. They had pleaded with the king countless times, insisting they had to act—do something to stop the Giant race—or they would become the next target.
But the king had remained silent until the very end, giving them only one answer.
Wait.
When Sir Mark saw the mixture of anger and anxiety on his companions’ faces, he smiled mockingly.
"Of course, His Majesty knew just how dangerous the Giant race was. The other races also understood the threat they posed, and they all noticed the strange change in the Giants’ behavior thirty years ago—when they suddenly began slowing down their expansion and slaughter."
"So, ten years ago, our king secretly formed an alliance with the King of the Dragon Ruins, the King of the Golden Lion Ruins, and the Silent Queen of the Silent Crow race. Our king brought along our race’s divine weapon, the Falcon Wings, while each of the other rulers also carried the sacred weapon of their own race... and together, they headed straight for the Giant race’s stronghold."
