LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 402: Before Disaster
A day had passed since the meeting in the royal castle, and the status of Volgrath was beginning to be placed in key locations in the royal capital and the rest of the Vermilion Kingdom.
When they first came across the statues, the adults were confused, and the children were outright frightened, hiding behind their parents.
"W-what...what is the meaning of this?"
"That thing looks so alive."
"Ewww, it's close to our house!"
Seeing the reaction of the citizens, an armored knight stepped forward. The citizens could almost feel his piercing gaze through the visor of his helmet.
The stern gaze instinctively made them step back.
"This is a new decree by the king himself. From this day onwards, all citizens must offer prayers and worship to the great god that protects from the shadows...Volgrath!"
"Volgrath?"
"A new god?"
"This is the first time I'm hearing this name."
With that said, the knight, along with the soldiers, left the scene, leaving the citizens stunned and confused.
Despite their confusion, however, they knew that they had no choice but to follow the king's royal decree.
While the kingdom was trying to get used to this new change, though, another piece of news had quickly spread throughout the far West.
It was none other than the level six portal break in the Tristan Kingdom.
Because the Tristan Kingdom was one of the closest kingdoms to the Vermilion Kingdom, they were among the first to learn about the portal break that occurred in the northern region of Tristan Kingdom.
According to the news, the portal break was nothing short of a disaster.
A massive horde of powerful monsters burst out of the dungeon, completely overwhelming the nearby towns and cities. People barely had time to escape as the creatures destroyed everything in their path.
It was all anyone could talk about in markets, taverns, and guild halls.
Because the Tristan Kingdom was very close to the Vermilion Kingdom, everyone was on edge. Rumors flew around, saying that the dimension wasn't just unstable but might've been tampered with. Some even thought it was a sign of something bigger and more dangerous on the way. The thought of more breaks happening made people even more nervous.
The Tristan Kingdom was barely holding on, and now the rest of the human domain was preparing for the worst, especially the Vermilion Kingdom, which was the closest kingdom.
The people feared that after the beasts overran the Tristan Kingdom, the Vermilion Kingdom would be next.
In the streets of the Vermilion Kingdom, whispers were spreading like wildfire.
"Have you heard? Tristan Kingdom is on the brink of collapse!"
"Yes, and their royal family can barely handle the Level 6 portal break. It's only a matter of time before those monsters spill into our lands!"
A merchant shook his head grimly.
"If the Vermilion Kingdom doesn't bolster its defenses, we might face the same fate. I've already told my family to pack up and prepare to flee south."
A younger man standing nearby frowned.
"Flee? Where to? If Tristan falls, nowhere in the northern regions will be safe. We need to stand and fight!"
"Fight?" The merchant scoffed. "With what? The Vermilion Kingdom isn't prepared for this kind of disaster. And what about that nonsense with the god Volgrath? How will prayers protect us from a monster horde?"
At that moment, a woman interjected.
"Keep your voice down, fool! If the knights hear you speaking against the king's decree, they'll arrest you!"
The merchant clicked his tongue but lowered his voice.
"Mark my words, this so-called 'Volgrath' won't save us. Only proper military preparation will."
Meanwhile, in the royal castle of the Vermilion Kingdom, a heated debate was taking place in the grand council chamber. Key people like the king, Nathan, Boris Fanum of the Adventure Guild, Brawn of the Silent Whispers, Bridget of the Vermilion Royal Academy, and the Big Four were absent.
However, the people present were in no way less important.
"The Tristan Kingdom's failure is no longer just their problem," a noble declared, slamming his fist on the table. "Their disaster is knocking on our doors, and yet we're sitting here wasting time on ceremonies and statues!"
Another noble, older and dressed in regal purple, raised a hand to calm the room.
"Careful. You speak as though His Majesty's decisions are meaningless. Volgrath's blessings are what will ensure our survival."
"Blessings?" the first noble snapped. "Do you think blessings will stop an enraged wyvern? Or a swarm of Razorbeasts from a Level 6 dimension? We need Awakeners! We need soldiers, fortifications, and alliances!"
The head of the knights, who was also present at this meeting, stepped forward, his polished armor reflecting the dim light.
"This is not the time to fight amongst ourselves. We need unity! Besides, like His Majesty said, Volgrath will protect us."
A younger noble, seated at the far end of the table, finally spoke up, his voice calm but cutting.
"Unity will only matter if we survive. If Tristan falls, the monsters will come for us next—and I doubt a single battalion can hold them back."
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The knight commander hesitated but stood firm.
"The king knows what he's doing. I say we put all our trust in him!"
The young noble clicked his tongue and leaned back in his seat.
"Then let us pray Volgrath truly exists. Otherwise, we might as well start digging our graves now."
Inside the headmistress's office, Bridget was staring at Brandon with a serious expression on her face.
"Why did you summon me, Headmistress?" Brandon asked. "Is it related to the portal break in Tristan Kingdom?"
"Yeah." Bridget nodded her head.
"Special reports indicate that an overwhelming number of King-Tier and Emperor-Tier beasts have poured through. Because the Tristan Kingdom is the poorest kingdom in the human domain, most of our citizens believe it's only a matter of time before the horde of beasts breaks through our borders."
Brandon's brow furrowed.
"That's troubling, Headmistress. But what does that have to do with our academy? Surely the kingdom's military forces are better suited for such matters."
"That bastard," Bridget cleared her throat and continued.
"I mean, the king wants us to help them solve the issue. For some reason, he doesn't want to send our military out."
"You're proposing we send the students?"
"Not all of them," Bridget clarified.
"Only the special class students. This is a rare opportunity for real-world experience, and their involvement could turn the tide of this battle. Besides," she added with a slight smirk, "it's not just charity. If our students prove themselves, it will elevate the academy's reputation to unprecedented heights."
With a serious expression, she said,
"I want you to gather all the special class students. It's time for their first mission."
"But Nox is not currently in the academy," Brandon frowned.
Bridget smiled. "That shouldn't be a problem. Instructor Amos is outside the academy as well. I've already informed him to bring Nox back. After all, he will be instrumental in this mission."