Published: July 4, 2025
In the Royal Castle, a council meeting was being held.
The participants were...
King Abel the First.
Queen Rhea.
Marquis Alexis Heinlein, the Chancellor.
Royal Knight Commander Dantan.
Valkyrie Knight Commander Imogen.
Finley Forsyth, Grand Master Proxy of the Adventurers' Guild.
High Priest Gabriel from the Central Temple of the Royal Capital.
Legacy Officer Viscount Rasharta Devo.
“...That concludes the information conveyed by the Royal Knight Order and the 'Morning Star',” said Marquis Heinlein, who was presiding over the meeting, as the others nodded in agreement.
The contents had been partially shared beforehand.
However, what came next was the first time the information was being revealed.
“First, regarding the enemy's military strength, there are demons and their four generals, who are referred to as high-ranking kin. Among the four generals, only the name of Orenju has been confirmed as previously mentioned. Additionally, their ranks are bolstered by two types of kin known as 'Phantom Soldiers' and 'Physical Soldiers.' Viscount Devo will explain this further.”
Upon hearing this, Legacy Officer Rasharta stood up to begin her explanation.
“The legends remaining in the kingdom, as well as the books, did not provide sufficient information. However, thanks to the goodwill of the allied forces, we were able to confirm the memoirs and materials left behind by the renowned legacy officer, Baron Luke Rocheco. As a result, we learned that 'the demon sealed to the east,' Garwin, commands two types of soldiers. One is the Phantom Soldier, and the other is the Physical Soldier.”
“Are those Phantom Soldiers the ones that attacked the alliance's Kurucho and our kingdom's Ban Raen?”
Abel asked, interrupting Rasharta's explanation.
“Just as Your Majesty said.”
“An assault on the castle gates by cavalry then.”
Rasharta responded, while Finley muttered, “These Phantom Soldiers are described in records as being akin to a mix of Reis and undead... they are a type of spirit.”
Gabriel, the High Priest, nodded in agreement to Rasharta's explanation.
This was precisely why Gabriel had been summoned to this meeting.
“All three thousand monks in the kingdom are ready at any time.”
At Gabriel's words, Abel nodded vigorously.
In the kingdom, 'monks' are martial artists of the temple.
They dedicate themselves to the goddess of light, don armor, wield blessed staffs, and fight at the front lines.
Without a doubt, they would be a trump card against the demon's Phantom Soldiers.
They could be considered the almost sole strong point for the human side...
“Alongside the Phantom Soldiers, the Physical Soldiers possess a military nature. You can consider them to have physical bodies and wield weapons, just like regular humans. However, each one is exceptionally strong and does not feel fear or hesitation. Nevertheless, they are human in form, so their weaknesses are the same as any human's.”
“Well, that will be our time to shine,” Royal Knight Commander Dantan replied to Rasharta's explanation, and Valkyrie Knight Commander Imogen nodded in agreement.
They were prepared for the significant sacrifices that would inevitably occur.
However, this must be done.
The fate of the nation depended on this battle.
“There will also be reinforcements from the knight orders from various regions. However, the main forces will likely be the Royal Knight Order and the Valkyrie Knight Order. Dantan, Imogen, I'm counting on you.”
“Yes,” both Dantan and Imogen nodded in response to Abel's words.
“Little information has been gathered about the power of the demons and the four generals. There are records stating that they were able to defeat the four generals during the previous war with demon Garwin. However, the methods are unclear. It depends on how awakened (kakusei) Lord Arthur Velasis is as a demon... Ultimately, we were unable to defeat the demon itself; we could only seal it away.”
“...Indeed, it ultimately comes down to that,” Rasharta concluded her explanation, and Abel muttered quietly.