Battle of Gardiennage

After the horrifying event, Mathias' household mansion became eerily quiet which was a stark contrast to the lively atmosphere the day prior where the voices of fair maidens populated each corner of the mansion.

Inside a moderately decorated room where various ornaments were displayed orderly at scrupulous locations. A worn-out tower shield was hung on a wall, its placement was so striking that when someone enters the room, it would be the first thing they would notice. An emblem of the church symbolized by a silver cross trimmed with gold patterns was embedded at the very center of the massive while its four ends stretched outwards.

Just from a glance, it was apparent that it had weathered countless battles. It intermittently exudes a mysterious and faint aura of antiquity as it would often draw someone's attention in captivation.

"You have done a fine job as always, Jesse." A woman said while holding an exquisite quill in her hand, she seemed to be earnestly writing a very important correspondence as her focus was fixated on her task. The woman was, of course, Katherine.

"I am unworthy of such kind words." A figure of a middle-aged woman whose well-toned body did not match her age appeared on an empty area beside the table. Her back slightly arched forward to offer her respect.

"Did you deliberately let the snitch escape?", Katherine inquired cooly.

"Yes. Thalia is currently tailing her as we speak." Without changing her posture, Jesse answered as matter of fact.

"Good. Although there's a high chance the one snooping around this time around was sent by the same house who engineered my husband's death. It's better to investigate deeper and uncover their intentions."

"There are those who lurk in the dark waiting for the most opportune time to strike us down. Our power is highly coveted, after all.' Upon saying this, Katherine sneered but immediately returned to her composed self.

She then changed the topic.

"I've used [Elucidate] on the child, Jesse. And what I found out was something beyond you could ever imagine." Katherine paused for a moment, letting go of the quill in her hand. She then raised her head to look directly at the head maid beside her.

"But my Lady, Luciel is not a tool-"

"My son-, no, that child probably does not belong to this world. More precisely, he is one of the unique individuals only spoken in legends and bard's songs."

"The details I obtained were ambiguous at best as the language was one that I am unable to recognize. At least, not within the scope of my knowledge. Even so, a few fragments shown by [Elucidate] was enough to partially unveil his inherent nature." She then took a brief moment to breathe as if to emphasize the gravity of her next words.

Jesse only silently stood without interrupting her mistress's explanations, awaiting what was to come.

"He was already born with innate skills. And I don't mean a measly one or two, he had at least five."

The maid's body suddenly shook although she had regained her composure almost immediately. Apparently, the shock upon hearing her mistress' words was evident on her face.

"If only he was not shackled in an infant's body, he could perhaps overpower and subdue an adult without a doubt." Katherine was playing with her quill as she repeatedly spun it atop her delicate hand. "That's why he is the perfect instrument...to exact our vendetta. He will become Mathia's sharp sword who will spill the blood of our enemy."

"She is your flesh and blood, Katherine, please reconsider." Jesse said, unable to contain her protest at her mistress' cold words.

"Speak no more! You only need to do what you're told to." Katherine issued a command without leaving any room for debate. Her pair of azure eyes glowed ever so slightly as it instilled fear into the maid.

"Continue to monitor Luciel and nourish him well. We will raise him to be an exemplary member expected of our family. When he is old enough, we will train him as a Shield Bearer in accordance to Mathias' tradition."

Leaning back on her chair, she then continued with a serious tone in her voice.

"Eventually, he will become someone who will stand atop a pile of corpses if he decides to gain a stable footing in this world. Our ways will just hasten the inevitable and prepare him of the harshness that will soon to come." Katherine subtly closed her eyes as if recollecting something.

"Your wish is my command" Giving her mistress time to settle her thoughts, Jesse exited the room through the shadows.

After a brief moment of respite, Katherine stood up as her chair issued a faint creaking sound. Walking towards a section of the room where a large portrait of a man was hung on the wall, she lovingly caressed the canvass as if it were the most precious thing in the world.

The man's profile showcased his gallant and noble background. His short black hair was modestly combed to rest on his forehead as it slanted to the side. His crimson red eyes which were characteristic of the Mathias bloodline gleamed mysteriously as if it hid some sort of secret.

The handsome man on the portrait was Nathaniel Vonbert Mathias, the most renowned Patriarch in the long history of Mathias' noble family, and of course, Luciel's late father. He was lorded over his exceptional contribution to the kingdom for defending it against external threats. With his unrivaled martial prowess, he brought terror to his enemies on the battlefield despite his class specializing in defense. Most notably, he was infamously feared by both his allies and enemies alike for his incredulous yet malevolent magic that could dramatically augment his strength proportional to the corpses present in the field.

His magic was loathed by many, especially by the Church who saw the desecration of human bodies as a taboo and was proclaimed as an atrocious and diabolical deed that only the demons in hell are capable of. Nevertheless, the Argus royal family overlooked Nathan's wicked magic as long as it provided more advantage than trouble to the kingdom.

'Tell me what to do, Nathan'. Katherine then pressed her body softly against the portrait as if to relish in the memory of the past. As her breathing grew ragged, her delicate fingers trailed towards the area between her legs, just below her thighs.

A few moments later, after Katherine had relieved herself from her intense longing, she went back to her desk and busied herself with the pile of documents on her table.

*****

Eight months prior to Luciel's birth. Plains of Gardiennage

The army of the Kingdom of Rouveton which was led by the Argus Royal family's First Prince, Roy Campione Argus, entered the vast plains of Gardiennage to fight a decisive battle against the Federation of Sezburrgh, led by Major General Emmanuel Donillo Lopez.

The battle was motivated to gain strategic control of the newly discovered mithril deposit situated at the center of the Gardiennage. There were no previous signs of the mithril deposit at first until an enormous cavity spanning roughly one kilometer was formed due to the movement of tectonic plates. Expedition parties were jointly launched by Rouveton and Sezburrgh to investigate the trench until the discovery of the mineral was known to both nations.

Several negotiations were made to endeavor fair distribution of the mining rights and construction between Rouveton and Salzburg. But the agreement was thrown in the gutter as Sezburrgh decided that no nation is more deserving than theirs to own the mithril deposit and planned a complete monopoly. It was apparent that the Federation was leveraging their massive advantage in numbers as their population was thrice that of Rouveton.

Unsurprisingly, the Argus Royal family of Rouveton was enraged by Sezburrgh's greed for the valuable mineral, declaring that war is inevitable if the Federation would insist on monopolizing the mithril deposit. Henceforth, the Battle of Gardiennage erupted.

A quarter of Gardiennage's flat expanse was surrounded by water making it ideal for agriculture. Yet the most valuable resource in the plain was the existence of an enormous mithril deposit which was fought over by Sezburrgh in the west and Rouveton in the east.

The battle was preceded by the Sezburrgh's assault which consisted of 60,000 strong armies on Rouveton's 15,000 elites. Despite the huge disparity in numbers, Rouveton was able to hold their stand due to the quality of their troops. Almost half of the Kingdom's soldiers were battle-hardened veterans in war with intensive combat training at an early age. Each combatant was a treasure in its own right. On the other hand, Sezburrgh's army was mainly composed of peasants and levies with the core strategy of throwing cannon fodders at the enemy ranks, slowly whittling Rouveton's already modest number.

The death toll had been staggering for Sezburrgh yet their simplistic strategy had come to fruition. Rouveton's forces had shown obvious signs of weakening due to accumulated fatigue. Sezburrgh relentless assault never stopped until the vital moment, their finest warriors had stepped in the battlefield, intending to deliver the crushing blow.

Despite Prince Roy's commendable performance in commanding Rouveton's army, he was still forced to enter the theatre of battle himself to alleviate the pressure from the vanguard. Leading his personal army, the Lune Argentée Legion, composed of one thousand heavy cavalrymen equipped with lances, pierced the left flank of the Federation's formation which was mainly composed of infantrymen, stomping the numerically superior Sezburrgh with deaths that amounted to several hundred in a short span of time. Employing shock tactics and blitzkrieg offensive across the battlefield, Roy's contingent caused mayhem on the ranks of the Federation. He would then rotate his troops unpredictably and plunge in an arrow-head formation the most vulnerable section of the Federation's formation. It was as if he had an eagle's view of the entire battlefield, predicting the course of battle until Sezburrgh had let loose the bane of his legion.

Sezburrgh's Scarlet Nail Corps, consisting of five hundred light cavalries entered the battlefield discreetly unlike the Lune Argentée Legion's forceful entrance. Two soldiers rode one steed together, each soldier wore a military tunic, an overcoat made of viscose rayon with a bottle red collar, and closed with six red buttons at the front. The striking difference of their uniform was the red patterns and trims, unlike the standard issue which was gray. The soldier at the front would hold the reigns while the one at the back carried a semi automatic rifle. With greater mobility coupled with their weapon's deadly precision, the Scarlet Nail Corps methodically struck down Lune Argentée heavy cavalries while maintaining a safe distance. Roy had no choice but to order a tactical retreat to regroup at the critical juncture several kilometers away from the Rouveton's main army camp. But he was too late as Emmanuel had already blocked his path of retreat along with 25,000 warmongering soldiers of the Federation.

Roy fought a desperate battle for his survival together with the royal family's elite knights. He had already lost hope and was determined to bring as much enemy with him to hell. With approximately 1,000 of Roy's men left against approximately 25,000 men, the insurmountable adversary he is faced with only meant death.

Emmanuel, as the commanding general of Sezburrgh stepped forward from the formation to personally deal the finishing blow to the enemy's head general, ending the war.

And in the most absurd fashion, Rouventon's reinforcement arrived, unexpectedly from the wilderness north of Gardiennage, a horrifying place where various creatures of the dark lurked. It was apparent that the newcomer had weathered brutal battles as their full plate armors were severely damaged and dent at several places. But the most unusual aspect of the contingent was the deathly aura they emitted. As they advanced, a searing coldness would permeate from their bodies as the area near them faintly fogged up. The eyes of the men glowed dangerously as if the essence of brutality had been given form. The five hundred strong moved like a single entity, so seamless and coordinated it seemed a thorned castle was marching towards them.

Before the Federation's forces could act, the dreadful contingent had already loomed closer towards their location. Their bodies instinctively refused to move due to intense trepidation or perhaps in great awe. Then the man at the very front of the contingent casually revealed his countenance. He had neatly combed short black hair with enigmatic crimson eyes, his mouth was mildly arched upwards, smiling. He held a massive tower shield with the same length as his height. A simple glance would suggest the absurd mass of the shield but he was wielding as if the law of physics did not exist. Coupled with his bedraggled full plate armor, he resembled a tragic hero only spoken in fables.

"Apologies for my late arrival, Your Royal Highness. We had to deal with the savages of the north. You know, those lot are exceptionally stubborn." The man directed his attention to Roy with a radiant expression.

"But fear no more", the man added with a smile still plastered on his face.

"Nathaniel Vonbert Mathias...", he then paused as he bowed towards Rouveton's Prince with refined movements, so did the contingent behind him as if everything was choreographed.

"...and the Devil Bulwark, at your service.", finishing his sentence, he gave everyone an exaggerated smile.

"Shall we get started, then?" His already arched lips further slanted upwards as he looked like a madman starved for blood.

The battle then regressed from a contest of tactics and troop prowess to a complete massacre, Sezburrgh's enormous armies were reduced to mountains of corpses. Only the Gods in heaven or demons in hell knew how Rouveton's mysterious reinforcement, a contingent of several hundred heavy armored knights overcame tens of thousands of soldiers from the Federation. There were who fled from the battlefield but their tales of the battle were treated as the ramblings of a lunatic as if it was improbable for Rouveton to triumph over Sezburrgh without imploring feasible strategies.

After the bloody slaughter in a magnitude far beyond the reckoning of sane men that brought nightmares to those who had witnessed it, the Devil Bulwark from Rouveton was not seen again, as if they had vanished into thin air. There were inexplicable rumors regarding their disappearance but only a handful knew of what really transpired.

The Federation of Sezburgh having noticed the absence of the mysterious yet terrible contingent from Rouveton, again initiated small scale skirmishes sporadically with the ambition to regain control over the massive mithril deposit at Gardiennage. Although their attempts had yet to bear any results as Rouveton still held the upper hand due to their occupation of several strategic locations while constructing strongholds.