Beginning Of The End (5)
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- - Lunan Kingdom POV - -
- A Few Days Later -
The news of the fall of Linon Castle has reached the Royal Castle in Lunan.
Linon Castle had been recaptured by Julius in the last war, but this time it could not hold out for even a day.
When the king heard the news of the fall, he became frightened and decided to flee.
"We're heading south! Are we really that short on manpower? How can we let them get through so easily? When will the troops in Bridget return? Let's go to Bridget! We'll move the royal capital there!" <King Tutanka>
He had no intention of fighting here.
Even if Julius had been here, he would have hidden himself away and let the Lunan army defend the capital.
"We're going to Bridget. I'll send Julius there, too. Guards, protect me!" <King Tutanka>
The king said this and slipped out of the royal castle.
When the king walked out of the castle without any warning, the people began to plead with him.
It would have been better if he had escaped quietly, but since he had announced his escape in a fancy carriage, it was only natural that there would be confusion.
The Guards added to the sense of fear by cutting down the people who approached the procession.
"I'll kill anyone who comes out of Castle Lunan!" <Royal Guard Captain>
It would have been faster to ride a horse directly, but the old king hurried the Royal Guard in a carriage even under such circumstances.
In this way, the king succeeded in escaping from Lunan Castle and fleeing in the direction of Bridget.
"Get out of here! Hurry up!" <King Tutanka>
Lunan Castle, the tallest castle on the continent, became an empty castle without a master.
***
Duke Ronen also slipped out of Lunan Castle.
He thought about struggling in Lunan Castle, but he decided that the king had a point and it would be wiser to flee to Bridget where the bulk of their forces we safely nestled.
Of course, he was a little different from the incompetent king who had fled with only his guards.
He had already assembled his army and they should have arrived by now.
About a third of the army had been sent to Bridget, but there were enough troops left, so he planned to join up with his own army on the way.
Duke Ronen slipped out of Lunan Castle and started to flee in a different direction from the king.
"Your Highness, what will you do about Hero Elheat?" <Noble >
"Throw him away, we don't have time to wait for him. Besides, he'll make it out alive on his own." <Duke Ronen>
For now, it was important to combine their forces far away from the enemy army that was gaining momentum.
He could have escaped to Bridget long ago, considering the time he would have spent struggling with the enemy to get Hero Elheat to join him, in abandoning the people and more importantly the capital.
"Your Highness!" <Count Hayna>
A large number of soldiers rushed in front of him. Ronen was frightened and wary, but he soon breathed a sigh of relief. There were 3,000 troops rushing towards him, it was the territorial army that belonged to Hayna.
"It's Hayna!" <Duke Ronen>
"Your Highness, I've come for you!" <Count Hayna>
"I knew you were a smart one, unlike those useless people. You've really done well!" <Duke Ronen>
Ronen was so pleased to have Hayna join him that it made him think that he had never treated her badly in the past.
Never once believe that her loyalties might have shifted due to recent events.
***
- - Visigoth Kingdom POV - -
Leaving the capture of Linon Castle to the second and third armies, Duke Fran reached the front of Lunan Castle at breakneck speed.
A risky move as it meant his flank was exposed along with his supply lines.
Without Julius's interference, he was going to take Lunan Castle and occupy the center of Lunan.
"We will spend the day here in a large camp, flaunting the might of our army, but as in the past, looting of the Lunan people is forbidden." <Duke Fran>
With the castle of Lunan in sight, Fran gave the order to the first army he had led.
This was the frightening thing about Duke Fran, he was a man who considered the people's will to be important, believing that this was the only way to achieve supremacy in the world.
Not only did he possess superior intellect, but he also had high fighting prowess through the use of the Mana Formation, and the commanding power that came from his reputation and personality as the head of the Valdesca from the Twelve Families of the Continent.
This man could be said to be perfect, but even so, he was always humble.
"Your Highness!" <Patrick >
Of course, there are drawbacks.
Even now, he almost fell to the ground trying to get off the horse.
Getting on and off a horse was something he had done on a daily basis since he was a child.
It was not difficult for Fran to do it, the only problem was that he was quite careless in real life.
"I'm fine." <Duke Fran>
He said to Patrick, his immediate second-in-command and vassal, who had rushed over, and straightened his posture to look at Lunan Castle, the Lunan Castle, which he had been unable to acquire during the last invasion.
The sight of that Lunan castle filled him with a sense of emotion.
However, he was still quite curious about Julius's movements.
The fact that he made no movements was rather troublesome, that or his scouts were failing to discover what his biggest nemesis was up to.
"Bang!"
In the end, he did what he always does when he is troubled.
He hit his forehead hard on a nearby tree.
"Your Highness! One of these days your forehead is going to split!" <Patrick >
Patrick and the soldiers rushed over, but Fran signaled with his hand as if to tell them not to come.
"Don't worry about it. Has there been any movement in Aquitania?" <Duke Fran>
"According to the information I have received, there is no movement at this time, Your Highness, not any to send a relief army at least." <Scout >
Fran found it troublesome that the war was going well, but there was a presence that made him uneasy.
"Well, that's fine. Let's go...put everything else aside for the Lunan Castle. Perhaps, by my estimation, the castle will be empty tonight." <Duke Fran>
The reason why Fran had dared to set up camp right in front of the Lunan Capital was to give the king time to escape.
There is no need to shed blood.
If the king escaped, Lunan Castle would be as good as defenseless.
So, in the morning, Lunan Castle would be Fran's.