Realm of Myths and Legends

Menerva, "It turns out fate has frowned upon us."

Izroth, "Oh? What makes you say that?"

Before Menerva joined the 9th Division, she was a part of the Tempest forces along with the other members of the Headhunter Syndicate. This meant that among those present, she possessed the most insight and knowledge about their enemies.

Not to mention, Menerva was not the type to speak without having first accessed the situation.

Menerva, "The person leading these troops is known as the Lady of the Black Winter, Glacia. Although not directly, I once briefly partook in service under her leadership for a large-scale war objective. It was during that time that I witnessed Glacia and her main forces clash with a Rosentarus army no fewer in numbers. However, the Rosentarus army did not stand a chance. As soon as the battle started, Glacia, along with two of the Centurions under her command, charged into the center of the enemy forces and claimed the head of the commanding officer. After the swift loss of their commanding officer, the battle was nothing more than a one-sided slaughter."

Niflheim, "So, we know that she's not afraid of charging head first into danger. But I still don't get it. Couldn't it have been that the Rosentarus commanding officer was simply too weak? If they're anything compared to the Amaharpe Generals, even if they were initially caught off guard by her head-on charge, they shouldn't have lost their lives so easily."

Even among the Amaharpe Generals, there were several power discrepancies. But, the gaps were not typically large enough for one to completely overpower the other. This was even more so if that someone recklessly charged into the center of their forces.

Menerva, "My initial thought process was of a similar manner. However, I would argue that to become one of the Rosentarus Ten Beast Guardians is no simple task."

Niflheim, "Wait a second. Are you saying she managed to take out a Ten Beast Guardian and walk away in one piece..?!"

'Someone capable of easily handling a Ten Beast Guardian... Interesting.'

The Ten Beast Guardians of Rosentarus—they ranked among the top combatants of Rosentarus and were some of the strongest zensana in the Rosentarus Kingdom. Defeating them was the equivalent of severing one of Rosentarus' fingers and should have been a huge blow to them this early in the war.

This kind of big news should have already spread all throughout the seven kingdoms; however, the fact this had not been made public by Rosentarus must have meant that they wanted to bury it as far as possible.

The Ten Beast Guardians were more than just a title. It was a symbol to unite all of the zensana sub-races of Rosentarus under a single banner in the name of protecting their homeland. To lose one of those symbols this early in the war, Izroth was not surprised that Rosentarus chose to keep it a secret.

But, what it did not explain was why Tempest chose to do the same. After all, eliminating one of your enemy's strongest warriors was something any kingdom would go to great lengths to make common knowledge.

Menerva, "Precisely. Glacia is not your typical Tempest First File. Although they may merely be rumors, I have heard that Glacia is someone set to become a future Legate. As for her current strength, it is said to be comparable to that of a First Prefect."

A First Prefect of Tempest was on a similar level to a War Brigade High General. And, when it came to being a Legate, they were cut from the same cloth as a War Brigade Warlord!

There were only two Warlords in the War Brigade, which was a testament to their power. Even if it was only rumored to be mentioned in the same breath as a First Prefect and called a future Legate—this Glacia could not be underestimated. Plus, a person like that most definitely did not keep poor company around her.

'If she is set on a path to become a Legate, her strength should be around the same as that man. The War Brigade 1st Legion General of the 1st High Legion, Solomon. If that's the case, the mission may prove to be more troublesome than I anticipated. Regardless, it's not as if we're facing Glacia and her forces directly. Our primary targets are the mages. As long as we don't overstay our welcome, there should be no issue.'

Izroth knew that the moment they attacked that separate contingent, it would not be long until Glacia and her main force would be alerted. At that point, they would only have roughly ten minutes to do what needed to be done and withdraw.

Neeeigh!

"We march!" Glacia declared.

She then went forward on her warhorse toward the Malentansium border as her troops followed after her in formation.

They had officially departed from the Gale's Eye outpost.

...

Fifteen minutes later...

A new group emerged from the Gale's Eye outpost. This time, however, it was much smaller compared to Glacia's main forces.

The group consisted of thirty individuals, four of which were on horseback surrounding a carriage that housed those under their protection.

At the front of the group was a burly man who appeared to be in his early forties. He had short black hair, fierce red eyes, and multiple scars on his face that indicated the number of vicious battles he'd experienced throughout his lifetime. He wore a set of fully plated black armor and on his back was a battle axe that released a great deal of bloodlust.

"Anyone who lets their guard down on this journey, I will personally see to their discipline! Is that understood?!" The man at the front shouted.

"Yes, sir!" The men responded in unison.

"March!" The group's commander ordered as they took their leave from the Gale's Eye.

...

Approximately thirty minutes later...

The separate contingent had been moving nonstop. They trailed behind the main group; however, they always made sure to keep a certain distance from them.

This method was often used by Tempest forces when escorting something of importance. But, even though it was commonly known, there was a reason why it was so difficult to deal with.

For one, the main group in front of them usually consisted of a large force.

Such a great force was enough to trample any enemies that approached them.

Secondly, it was under the protection of elite troops. So, even if one wanted to quickly take care of them, they may not necessarily have the power to do so.

But, thirdly and most importantly, touching this separate contingent was the same as touching a dragon's reversal scale. If something happened to them, Tempest would hunt down whoever was responsible even if it meant going to the ends of the earth to do so.

That's why people were hesitant and weighed the full risk of attacking a Tempest contingent before actually taking action.

Due to these combinations of reasons, the attack on a Tempest contingent was extremely rare.

"We'll be arriving at the Malentansium border soon! Be on guard!" The group's commander reminded.

"Tch, damned night beast... Are they worthy of allying with our Tempest kingdom...?" One of the troops muttered.

"For now, we have to endure it. After we accomplish what needs to be done in a few days, we'll never have to worry about dealing with those arrogant night beasts again." Another one of the troops responded.

All of a sudden, the two troops felt cold sweats run down their path as an overwhelming killing intent washed over them. This caused their face to turn pale as their eyes met with their group leader.

"Centurion, we were wrong!" The two soldiers immediately fell to one knee and cupped their fists.

"Hmph, the earth always has ears. The next time you two speak out of turn, don't blame me for what happens to you." The group's commander stated before setting his gaze back to the front.

The two soldiers let out a sigh of relief and quickly fell back into position before the Centurion changed his mind.

As the group continued to travel through the small forest path that led to Malentansium, the Centurion felt as though something was off.

"It's quiet..." The Centurion thought to himself as he narrowed his eyes.

Since when was the forest of these parts so devoid of life?

Swoosh!

Out of nowhere, a silver streak of light burst forward from the depths of the forest right toward the carriage!