The Great Gra.s.s Field (2)“Is something going wrong?”
The great land lord of the Pieric Province held his head. It was already ten days since the Archmage, Ian Page, had gone to the Great Gra.s.s Field. But he hadn’t received any messages from him since.
‘If he doesn’t return…..’
The ice wall that blocked the path of the valley started to melt down. He told him before that it would hold for ten days, so it would melt soon.
‘I can’t just wait for him, either.’
He already had heard enough about Ian Page. He had trusted Ian’s mighty power would solve this problem, but it seemed he was wrong.
“Adol.”
“Yes, My lord.”
The great land lord Kalian called ‘Adol,’ who was waiting outside of the barrack, the best warrior of his, and ordered him to prepare for war.
“As we planned, form a formation. Focus every army and catapult we have in the province. Even bring squads who were guarding the mountain side, as well.”
“As you command.”
Adol’s voice was revering.
He was prepared to die.
He quickly left the barrack.
‘Sir Ian, I do not blame you.’
Kalian was telling the truth. It must’ve been too much for him to solve this problem solely by himself. He rather wanted to blame the royalty and the Ivory Tower, who refused to send supplies and armies, but only sent him alone.
‘Rather, it might’ve been the better choice to ask him to fight together on our side.’
If so, he could kept blocking the path with the wall, so he could resend his request to the Empire and earn some time to let them come.
‘It is too late for regrets.’
Kalian stood up. Then he picked up a pair of axes that were laid on the barrack. It was the family heirloom battle axes, ‘Pieric’s Executioner.’
“We will defend it, me and my soldiers.”
Kalian self encouraged himself.
Protecting the province and the people in there, as the strongest shield of the Empire.
With hundreds times of reminding himself, he left the barrack and confronted his battle field. He looked at the ice wall’s height, which was quite lower, calmly.
“Humph, come at me, foul creatures.”
At the ice blocked Valley of the Big Snake, every force was focused. The imperial armies which he received as the first reinforcement, two 3rd cla.s.s mages and the conducted mage McGedie, and catapults for the first strike.
“My lord.”
“Uhm.”
After a few hours later, they finished their preparation.
The ice wall which had melted down to half of its original size.
“Prepare the catapults.”
A quiet order of the great land lord on the watch tower was relayed to every catapult squad. It was quiet, and everyone was nervous. There was no speech, nor encouragement. It was the silence before the storm.
“Eee…..”
The conducted mage, Mcgedie shook her body.
She rather preferred to being teased by the supplies squad now.
Not only her, but most of the other soldiers, as well. They recalled their best moment of their life or a better moment than now. They all wished to rewind their time.
“Hold.”
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But soon, by the great land lord’s dry order, they awakened.
It was about to start.
“Not yet.”
The defrosting rate of the ice wall was increasing.
It would melt down in a few minutes, low enough to invade.
“Little bit more.”
The land lord’s right arm was raised with his battle axe. The blade of the axe was reflecting sunshine everywhere. Whenever he put down his right arm, the catapults would start its attack.
“Little bit more.”
When the opposite side of ice wall was about to be revealed, everyone lost their focus quickly. The wall suddenly started to crack down.
“What?”
“Is it cracking down?”
“Why?”
20 thousands of soldiers started whispering.
It wasn’t an ideal atmosphere before the war.
The land lord had to calm down and let them focus.
“Fi…..!”
Just before the firing order had given,
*Cr….. Crackkk…..!*
The crack of the ice wall getting bigger, quicker than they thought,
*Grrrrrrrrrrr – !*
Soon it started to fall down.
Thanks to that, every soldier could see its opposite side clearly.
“…….?”
There was nothing.
Nothing at the front of the ice wall, nor over the horizon of the valley.
There was not even a single monster standing there.
Instead, there was a man alone.
“Is he….?”
It was Mcgedie who recognized him first.
Soon, other people recognized him as well.
“Pa, pant! Phew……”
It was a young man who wore a robe, covered by dust.
The man breathed roughly, as his lungs were fractured.
“S, sir Ian?”
It was the tenth day since he had been gone.
Today, he didn’t come with his flying spell, but with his bare feet.
“This staff……”
Ian was holding a staff with injured hands.
It was a staff with quite the rare appearance.
“Never….. Never touch i…….”
After barely warning them, Ian fainted.