73 The Prince Takes Command

Christa together with Itsuo and Selene picks up her wooden sword from the ground.

"Think you should make a strategy to fight against Sieghart? We don't know exactly how he fights, nor what kind of power he has on his sleeves."

Itsuo talks to Christa suggesting that to prepare against Sieghart. Christa shrugged off his idea and replied.

"If we don't know what kind of power he possess then any kind of strategies would be pointless. I can feel that he's powerful. Especially with that giant black sword that he carries. All I need to do is to fight him and win. That's all."

Christa proceeds to swing her sword to remove the dirt it got from laying on the terrain.

"That said, they did used the last of my saved honey bee. I was planning to enjoy myself with it for later, but I figured I'd get more in the neighborhood so I gave it to them. Then, shall we go back?"

"Geh! You still remember it after all that?" Itsuo was shakingly nervous.

Shortly after, it's as if she felt someone looking at her, Christa turns to her right and saw Edle looking at her. At that moment, she realized that she had something to talk with her. She couldn't remember exactly what it is at first. But soon she figured it out and went running to Edle.

That's when her eyes caught the flames and smokestacks flying from the top of the wall enclosing Reilaea.

"That's..."

Not only the five of them noticed, Sieghart and the others stopped from their walk as they too sees it.

"Fire...?"

"What in the world?"

Edle stood there watching fire rising up in the skies without knowing what to do. Until he suddenly felt like his Mother is in trouble.

"Mother...!"

"Hey, Edle!"

Forgetting and leaving Ordeus behind, Edle went on running towards the capital. His heart beats rather fast as the tension began crawling behind his spine.

"Tsk! Fly!"

Ordeus follows and catches up to Edle.

"Hey! Grab on!"

"R-right!"

Edle grabbed on Ordeus' shoulder once again and they flew straight towards the capital.

"What's happening in the capital?"

"Could it be... an attack from monsters?"

Christa throws the bag to Itsuo. "Go check everyone if they're still out there! I'll go take a look!"

"I'll go, too!"

Selene follows behind Christa as they flew to the capital, leaving Itsuo carrying Christa's bag.

"Hey, wait! I want to go, too!"

Sieghart and the others sees Christa and Selene following behind Ordeus and Edle. That pushes them to rush to the capital themselves.

"Let's go!"

Ordeus skimmed past through the outer wall, only to see houses and other structures in fire. Numerous people laying dead or unconscious on the streets. While some of them together with Reilaean knights are fighting off a band of swordsmen clad in black plated armor.

Edle wonders. "Who are those people...?"

Ordeus observes the people clad in black armor. And there he finds a crest of a white royal crown sliced diagonally into two on one of the black armored soldiers.

"That crest..."

Ordeus later noticed that Edle already lets go of his shoulder, falling down straight to the enemy.

"Haa!!"

Edle opens his hand and fires a burst of flames directly into the black armored men attacking the three Reilaean knights and some other citizen.

"What?"

Edle surprised everyone as he landed on the road. He asked them if they are all right.

"Are all of you all right?"

"It's the prince..."

"Yes, thank you for saving us, Prince Edle!"

Ordeus lands on one of the buildings, asking the people that Edle saved if they are all right. One of the knights answered with a resounding yes. After that he turned his attention to other areas that are also in the same situation to where they landed.

Edle talked to one of the Reilaean knights, questioning him of what was happening.

"A legion of knights clad in black armor suddenly appeared and are attacking Reilaea. We only took notice when they appeared from the western and southern side of the city. But before that, almost every citizen and Reilaean knights have gone unconscious. It's like they all fell asleep at the same time."

"They all fell asleep?!"

The knight continued explaining further. No one knows how it happened, but most of them that are in the town square suddenly fall to the ground, unconscious.

"Some of us went to the town square to rescue the unconscious people, but the invading legion have already reached the inner district and are fighting the other Reilaean knights as we speak."

...

Meanwhile, Selene and Christa have also gone past the wall and sees the exact same view of the ruined eastern district in flames.

"This is...!"

"An attack. And I think I know where these guys came from."

...

"Kruule." The King of Cartha spoke from above. "That crest is from the new flag of the Kingdom of Kruule."

Edle looks at one of the knights of Kruule he took down with his flames. He anxiously asked the Reilaean Knights.

"The Queen. Where is my Mother?"

"We thought her majesty is in the banquet hall together with you."

"We've recieved an order to send every soldier to the inner, southern and western district to fend off the enemies." The other knight followed.

"What? You mean no one is left in the castle other than the people who are still in the banquet hall?!"

"Y-Yes. That's right, Prince Edle."

The news greatly caused Edle worry for his Mother, together with Queen Elena there is King Castile and his Daughter, Celestine Cruelle.

"Hey! What's the matter?"

Christa voice removes Edle from his thoughts to whatever's happening in the castle.

"Christa...?"

"There's something I wanted to talk with you. But seeing this situation, I think it's kinda late for that. What are you going to do?"

"What am I going to do...?"

A knight approaches and asks him.

"Yes. You're the only one that can give us orders further at the moment, please give us instructions, Prince Edle!"

"Do it, Edle." Ordeus instills Edle to take command. "You're more than ready for it." The King of Cartha nodded.

Edle closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Then his face filled with worry changed into a serious, brave prince who took it upon himself to give orders to the Reilaean knights.

"Spread this to everyone who are bravely risking their lives as we speak. In the name of the Prince of Reilaea, protect the people and the city from the invading country - Kruule!"