Volume 8 : CHAPTER – Chapter 10 : HEARTLAND CLAN (2)

HART KINGDOM [TWO YEARS BACK]

ALICE HART (GODDESS ATHENA)

Hart Kingdom was only a small country in the south-western part of the Human Continent with no military prowess to speak of. Even so, it was a small happy kingdom built during peaceful times that any citizen could have wished for. Trade prospered and good relations with the neighboring kingdom helped us to hold our position and become a self-sufficient country.

And I goddess Athena was reborn as the first princess, Alice Hart, and second in line to the throne of the Hart Kingdom.

But in the worst possible timing when my brother Leon Hart, the first prince of the kingdom was away in the south to make an important inspection of the port towns.

A massive monster stampede occurred in the north-eastern part of the kingdom. With my brother gone, even before he could return, the monster stampeded would have destroyed the entire countryside of our kingdom. Therefore, with no choice left,  I volunteered to move the army myself to protect the people in that region as quickly as possible.

Of course, my mother and father, the King and Queen were against it for my safety. Since, the King can’t leave the capital town, instead of dispatching a general or taking help from other nations, I was the only best option. Finally, I was able to persuade them anyhow and ensure them the success of the plan I came up with to tackle the dire situation.

I already knew that the Hart Kingdom’s army would be easily overwhelmed by the size of the monster stampede reported by my shadow spies. To that end, I had drafted a proposal to hire the guild adventurers and mercenaries promising them proper rewards to defend the kingdom and fight the monsters. Thankfully our stored resources would have been more than enough to support them financially.

But I was little more than naïve, to believe things would work out this easily. Despite my efforts, recruiting enough volunteers proved difficult. The number of adventurers willing to offer aid was insufficient, and those who did volunteer were skeptical of working with an army.

Moreover, the guild typically avoided interfering with the kingdom's affairs, and the Hart Kingdom's army was not renowned for its military prowess.

But I refused to give up. My motivation was to protect the kingdom and make it a safe place for Sachi, which had always been my goal. I also knew that time was of the essence, and I had to act fast to save our people.

As soon as the battalion I had selected for fighting the monster was ready we had set out and would have properly arrived at the designated time at the rendezvous point with the adventurers.

That’s when one of my shadow network spy, returned back with the news of the current situation of the monster stampede.

“Princess, the monster stampeded is moving faster than we anticipated. It is possible that they will pass through the checkpoint even before we get there.” The shadow spy said.

“And we had worked so hard to decide the place to fight the monsters.” I was disappointed with the situation and how rapidly things were worsening. With the help of the entire shadow spy network, we had worked hard to pinpoint the place from where the stampede would surely pass and choose the best time and position to fight them.

But with this kind of development the adventurers who might have assembled at the checkpoint would be in danger and miserable without our help.

“Princess, what should we do next?”

“Right, it’s no time to cry over something that is not in our control. But we can still change things around in our favor. Get me the map.”

With the map outspread on the table, and surrounded by my shadow spies we needed to figure out a way to make the best of the situation. With military strength lacking in numbers, we could not just resort to brute force or make an open front charge.

I had always hated violence, but without power, I cannot protect everything. Even now, this kingdom too is my responsibility, and the people suffering because of the monsters.

“We cannot face monsters inside the forest. It will be also difficult to make a big move in the dark.”

“Our options are limited can we really save the people.” One of the shadow spies spoke with concern.

They were after all girls coming from impoverished backgrounds and orphanages, these girls had all endured the harsh realities of the world. However, they possessed hidden talents for data collection, reconnaissance, and concealment. With proper training, they became my eyes and ears throughout the continent, constantly updating me on the latest developments.

They, too, shared my concern for the suffering of people in areas plagued by monsters. After all the consequences would have been far-reaching, including dwindling food supplies, crop and farmland loss, and a reduced population.

“Don’t worry. There’s a way. But we will have no time for rest or simulate the whole thing to test it out. It will be a one-time attack. But….” I stopped saying in between.

“Is there a problem then if it works.” Another shadow spy asked eagerly.

“There is one big flaw to it. We will have to believe in the adventurers who gathered there to hold out and not abandon their mission even when we have not reached there. Then we might have a chance.”

Listening to my big assumption we were going to make; the entire campaign could fall and end in complete disaster. All of them knew the risks of it.

“Let’s do it.” Said one of the shadow spies.

“Let’s have faith in them. We cannot let the kingdom fall to ruin.”

If it was only me, I couldn’t bring myself to trust others. But listening to them, I thought I could believe in the people of this world to protect their own lands.

“Alright. So, here’s the plan.”

By analyzing the place, it was obvious that we would be at a fair disadvantage at night surrounded by the dense forest. The possibility of not being able to see from where all the monsters would be coming from in groups makes the offensive less effective.

But if we think in the opposite way and neutralize the monsters when they least expect it can give us a big lead on them.

Hence we decided to make a quick change in plan and set out even before the time. Take the entire battalion circle around the entire forest and take down the monsters in a pincer attack while the adventures engage to fight with them on the forefront.

As the sun went down, the knights were becoming more anxious. Listening to my plan, they too were unable to rely upon the adventurers and leave everything to them. But as we closed from inside the forest taking down all the stray monsters, we finally spotted the large horde of the first wave.

The monsters approached furiously, sweeping over the terrain and sending our minds into darkness.

But then a battle cry went ringing in the air, the adventurers were fighting. The knights could see them fighting with all their might, their weapons slashing and hacking at the creatures, and their shields deflecting the blows.

“They are fighting. I am so glad, I believed in them. Knights of the Hart Kingdom. Charge.” I said loudly for it to be heard by everyone.

At my command, the knights brandished their swords and attacked as one force. The adventurers soon noticed the change and became aware of the army’s presence and involvement.

Unfortunately, I was forbidden to join the battle. But I could keep myself in touch with the spy network and still collect information about everyone’s situation and send reinforcement if the need arise.

Finally, the fight stopped and we emerged victorious. But I knew things were only getting started. There were going to be other fierce waves of stampede after this and we had only taken care of the crust of it.

With no time to rest, I asked the knights to set up camps and make preparations to fight the next wave of monsters. The injured adventurers and soldiers would be taken care of by the healers I have brought with me in the medic camp. The shadow spy network was already spread out to keep an eye on the movement of the stampede.

“The preparation for the monster subjugation begins now.”

The knights came with their reports after the survey of the land.

“Princess we have outlined the perimeter with the woods. What should we do next?”

“As we have discussed we are going to build traps and a lot of it,” I said.

“But is that going to be enough? As knights won’t it be cowardly to use traps.”

“Even though they won’t be enough, it will take care of all the weak monsters. So, all you have to do is fight the strong ones.”

Another knight was prepared with the report on the adventurers, “Just as you have ordered, the adventurers are now divided into groups. At times they would take turns to rest and would help us knights to build the fort.”

Just as the knight described I had divided all the personnel into teams based on the assessment the shadow spies provided for them. The previous fight against the monsters served as a good basis.

“Are all of them doing well?” I asked about the situation of the adventurers.

“Yes, some of them are injured but not anything severe. I am quite surprised how cooperative they have been.”

“Then I suppose I will have to thank them later for it. Good work, you can all leave now.”

“I will transform this small, desolate location into a fortress in one night and defend it from monsters.”

***

Galen, his teammates Leena, Asher, and Thorne, and other adventurers that were put in his group were sitting around the night camp. The campfire burned brightly as they discussed the situation and shared their thoughts.

“I don’t know what to make of it. The knights did come even if they were late to get here. But the princess did not seem any kind of fighter to me.” Thorne spoke.

“But it’s amazing how the situation changed once the princess arrived and surprised us all with her tactic. I am sure she has got her own strengths where only she excels.” Galen said enthusiastically.

“Even all these facilities for our resting are nice and the food is good.” Asher was surprised at how the food was to her liking.

“First I thought she was naïve for thinking the adventurers and the knights could work together. But I am actually impressed by what she said and I think that it might just work out.” Leena said.

“Even I think I can somewhat work with those knights now since we already saved each other’s lives.”

Suddenly a girl wearing a white robe with a hood came close to the group.

“Can I join you?”

The adventurers gawked for a while not being able to figure out who it was they found no reason to refuse.

“Yeah, sure.”

The girl joined to sit beside Leena and Galen. And lifts up her hood, “Thank you.”

“…⸻Ehhh!.... It’s the princess.” Leena shuddered and fell to the other side of the log.

Others couldn’t understand what was happening and the princess just smiled.

“You are… are you really the princess Alice Hart…”

“Yes.” Alice was usually accustomed to such shocks and did not react much.

“She looked so marvelous while giving that speech but up close she is even more beautiful…” The adventurers started admiring the princess.

“Right…”

“And cute too.” Asher’s typical serious voice suddenly changed.

“Stay away Asher or you might make the princess creep out…” Leena was the only barrier holding Asher from changing herself into a cuteness fanatic.

“Is it really alright to be here? Won’t the knights worry?”

“There’s no need to be that formal. I am just secretly visiting all the adventurer groups to check on them.” Alice said.

“Really, the nobles I had ever worked with didn’t even bother knowing who we were.” The adventurers complained.

“Is it really that odd? But I would first like to thank you all for staying true to the contract and protecting these lands. I hope for your continued support.” The princess bowed her head to show respect.

“There’s really no need as adventurers it’s also our duty to defeat monsters and keep everyone safe. Instead, we should be thankful to you for saving us in that pinch.” Galen said like an honorable knight.

“But am I really that worthy of your praise? It still pains me to think, that I had risked all the life of the adventurers here. So, many of you got hurt because of me because we got here late.”

“But we risk our lives every day fighting monsters and taking on the dungeons. It’s what we do every day.” Asher tries to get the attention of the depressed princess.

“But that doesn’t change the fact, that I did knowing about it.”

“That’s our job, there’s no need for someone else to decide what we chose to do. And this time we decided to fight here so that everyone can be safe.” Leena too tried to comfort Alice in her own way.

“I decided to become an adventurer to get strong so that the tragedy of a village overrun by monsters does not happen again. That’s why I and Leena my childhood friend became adventurers. I am sure others have their own reasons too. We are not so weak that we cannot protect ourselves.” Galen’s determination caught everyone by surprise and made Leena somewhat anxious as if trying to say that there was no need to tell that part to others.

“I see. I am glad that it was you all that I decided to trust.” Alice besides the cold windy night, felt warm near the bonfire, and in a while she could freely talk to such amazing people she met for the first time.

After that, everyone introduced themselves to the princess and had a conversation for a while. Thorne too in the meantime had prepared a mug of warm soup for everyone to drink.

“I think it’s time I take my leave to meet others. I am sorry for disturbing you while it was time for you to rest.” Alice stood up from her place.

“I think it will soon be our time to help dig those trenches. But shouldn’t you be resting too?”

“There’s a lot of things to be done before that. But no need to worry, I will take my rest once I am sure all the preparations are done.”

With that, the princess left the adventurers’ camp to see that all the preparations were going well and analyze all the information collected by her shadow network to fill any hole in her plan.

***

As the sun began to set on the small camp for the next day, everyone could hear the ominous growls of monsters in the distance. The army and the adventures had been preparing throughout the day and night in shifts, knowing that an attack was imminent.

That was all the time they had got to prepare and now it was the time to fight. They knew that they needed to protect the lands at all costs, and if any of the monsters would pass from here they would attack all the nearby villages and invade the cities next.

The soldiers, dressed in their armor and wielding swords and shields, began to move through the base, their movements coordinated and purposeful. So, did the mage unit, carrying with them wands and staves.

The adventurers too made their preparations and had all their tools sharpened and wore their light adventurer’s gear. Everyone was ready to face the monsters.

This time it won’t be just a horde but a massive wave of monsters numbering in thousands. That’s how horrific the nature of the monster stampede is.

But all of them were confident knowing that they built a safe place with their own strength that could easily hold off these monsters no matter how large their numbers would be. Soon the monsters were in sight from the watchtower and a long battle would commence.

As the monsters moved and came closer, the ground began to tremble and shake. Suddenly, great fissures appeared in the earth, revealing deep trenches that seemed to stretch on endlessly.

Knowing that the monsters were in range now, the soldiers moved quickly, using their magic to fortify the trenches, lining them with spikes and barriers that would impale any monster foolish enough to try and cross them.

The soldiers then turned their attention to the magic casters. Who would then use water and ice magic to freeze the trenches along with all the monsters caught in it. Finally, those adept in fire and earth magic would reduce the ice to rubble, emptying the trench again for the other incoming monsters to fall once again for the same deadly trap.

The stronger monsters who could still save themselves from falling by walking over the fallen still had to face the giant walls built around the perimeter of the village, rising up like a fortress. These walls were reinforced with magic, making them almost impenetrable.

But the army wasn't finished yet. They knew that the monsters would find a way to breach the walls and trenches, so they already had set traps in places. Hidden pits filled with spikes, concealed snares that would ensnare any creature that stepped on them and even magical wards that would cause monsters to become disoriented and confused.

The monster stampede would then also comprise of aerial monsters. Fortunately, the skilled archers assigned on top of the watchtowers were more than enough to take care of the wyverns or any other flying monster. At the same time, they got a bird’s eye view of the situation and informed the princess of any activity in the place.

It was all thanks to the elaborate planning of Alice that all of this could come together and become a massive stronghold.

As the night wore on, the fight became much tougher. Everyone was at their limit. The magical recovery potions were almost over, the medic camp was at its full capacity.

Despite the wall being breached and destroyed at several places during the fight it was still effective and in place.

All of them had successfully survived through more than three waves. A few more and they would have won.

The night still made it problematic to exactly know where the fight was moving towards and communication became more difficult. But none of the soldiers or adventures were yet to yield from the fighting.

***

“Princess. Princess. I need to tell her quickly... move aside.” One of the shadow spies appeared and tried to get past the knights guarding me.

“What is it?”

“It’s the last wave, it is coming. But the final wave is that of an undead and their leader is a lich.”

The words of the shadow spy were almost unbelievable. An army of undead monsters as a part of a monster stampede was never heard of. Could they be somehow the cause of the stampede? To defeat the undead, high-level light magic is required. But when it comes to Lich I doubt we have that kind of strong personnel to fight it.

While I was still thinking about how to solve this problem, another knight jumps in with his report.

“Princess, the monsters are coming back to life. They are rising from the dead from the trenches.” The knight almost looked scared to death.

“Sorry Princess, it seems I was late in reporting. They got here before.”

“It’s alright. Now we exactly know what we are fighting and can prepare.” Even though I was trying to sound reassuring to them, the situation had just become more deadly.

And then reports of the appearances of the undead flooded in, the breaches in the wall, dead monsters rising from the trenches. This almost doubled the monster’s numbers and the adventurers were overwhelmed.

Simple piercing attacks or injuring them would no longer work. The monsters would keep on moving until they were fully incapacitated or burned.

Though no reports still showed any signs of the appearance of the lich but I knew it was lurking around somewhere.

“I am going out myself!” I announced which almost caught the guards by surprise.

“Princess we can’t allow that. The King has specifically assigned us to keep you safe.” The knights would specifically not listen to me since they were in direct orders from the king.

“Then you will just have to protect me wherever I go.” I did not want to force this on them but I cannot afford to lose here.

As soon as I got out, I could see dead monsters everywhere. Injured soldiers and Knights were carried by others to the medic camp. The golden light torch flames only made this look more dramatic.

“Get all the people who are good at fire magic in the magic unit here.”

At my command, about twenty people possessing fire magic had assembled. All of them mostly looked tired but this was no time to lax.

We immediately headed to the frontline where other adventurers and soldiers were fighting.

From the top of the wall; in line, we went from place to place where the undead monsters had breached the wall. At the same time, not all places could be saved from being attacked on all sides simultaneously.

Fortunately, I had built the fortress in mind with that fact. As soon as the monsters breached a part of the fortress, the mages with earth magic would cut that part off from it. And quickly turn it into a temporary trench and burn it.

Finally, I caught a mage in the adventurer's group who appeared super skilled in fire magic and fighting the undead alone in the frontlines. Also, this seemed to be the place with the most undead occurrences.

As I got close I realized it was the adventurer Asher from the last night I talked to and her other teammates. Two of them were excellent swordsmen and the other was a shieldman.

If the lich was to appear this would be the most likely place to take this fortress down. The fact that it's still hiding means it possesses a certain amount of intelligence.

I assigned the magic unit to different places to handle the situation wherever required.

But first I needed to inform these adventurers about the lich’s threat. As I tried to get close to Asher, I got separated from my guards when they tried to confront a small group of monsters about to attack us.

“Princess… You shouldn’t be here.” Asher cautioned as soon as she saw me.

“There’s something you need to know about!” I shouted.

But then an unordinary inhumane laughter echoed through the forest. An ominous aura turned the moon night into a dark charred night sky.

From the forest then appeared a being robed in black rags and a body so thin that no flesh could be identified. Under the hood, we could only get a peek of its hollow eyes.

“It’s a lich.” I warned.

The lich cackled as he gazed upon us and was followed by a large retinue of the undead. "Sweaahhh," it hissed, "etado EklaSo BitadioSo SituerSo."

The lich laughed again and raised its bony hand. Suddenly, the ground shook as hundreds of skeletons and zombies clawed their way out of the earth.

Also, around my feet, several of them popped out. The guards were still far away and their path was blocked by monsters and I had no weapon on me to protect myself.

“Watch out.” Leena with her rapier got rid of the hands hanging out from the ground and holding my hand she carried me away.

“Asher now…” On Leena’s signal, Asher casts advanced fire magic and a torrent of flames sends the undead back into the ground or perished.

“Princess you shouldn’t be here. It’s not safe.”

“I know, but I needed to tell you about the Lich. It might be what had caused the stampede in the first place and it also might hold influence over the other monsters as well.”

“I have no experience fighting undead. But isn’t a Lich supposed to be an S-class dungeon boss monster? What’s one doing here?” Asher seemed to be knowledgeable about monsters.

And she was right, to defeat a strong undead like that we would need someone with strong light magic or a high-ranking priest from the church to purify the black miasma it spews. Other magic attributes won’t work and it will only regenerate in the end while spawning more undead.

“But doesn’t it also mean that if we take the Lich down then this monster stampede would end.” It was Galen who said pointing his sword at the Lich.

“Most probably.”

“Then we should defeat it right now. Everyone take care of the rest, only I can fight this Lich.” Galen started to focus on his sword and then a black aura emerged from it. No, it was his soul taking form. It was only at an early stage, but somehow Galen had manifested the basic form of aural arts which are only mastered by the strongest warriors and he did it without any training.

I soon realized the attribute Galen was using was dark magic. Because of the black miasma without its purification, no one could get close to the lich. But Galen should possess a decent amount of resistance against it if he has dark magic.

Wielding his shadow sword, Galen launched toward the lich. The lich snarled and ordered its goons to stop Galen. But Galen was quick and nimble, dodging the slow-moving undead beings he got close to the lich.

Just when he was about to land a blow to cut through its body, the lich raises its hand and a dark orb of light sends him flying.

Galen falls far away rolling on the ground until he stabs his sword through the ground to slow down his momentum.

“Galen, are you alright? You don’t have to do this alone. I will this time come with you too.” Leena said to Galen.

“You can’t get close to the Lich it's dangerous for you.” Galen said knowing himself how his body burned in that black miasma and if he did not have a tiny bit of resistance he could be magically poisoned by it.

“But you can’t fight. Your leg and hands are injured.” Leena looked at the wounds Galen received on his hand trying to block the dark orb.

And also, his leg got fractured when he was thrown away.

“Don’t worry. I can heal him.” I was now able to get close to Galen and quickly cast my healing magic.

“Divine Heal.” I cast my strongest healing magic adding a bit of my divine magic to it too. This would quickly cure any black miasma that might have invaded his body.

“It healed so fast.” Leena and Galen were shocked. They had seen healing magic before but it was a long and painful process as it would take time for the tissues to grow back and use the human’s life force making him weak.

But this felt different to Galen since my divine magic surpassed the basic light magic. But this was all I could do. Unlike other gods or goddesses, I was not proficient with any weapon and lacked any skill with attack magic. The only magic attribute I possessed in this world was Light magic and low-level wind magic only thanks to my god status otherwise I would have been useless.

“Can you stand again?”

“Yes, I think I am back to normal now.” Leena still looked worried but seeing Galen back to being energetic she gratefully looked at me.

“So, how are we supposed to get rid of that thing if no one can get close to it.” Leena raised a fair question.

“I can do something about it.” I said with my voice trembling with emotion.

“But how?” Other adventurers had gathered and were unable to decide. Nor I could explain how I was going to do it. Since I cannot reveal my divine powers. I tried to look away holding my hands tight not knowing what to do in this kind of situation when everyone’s hope rested on me.

“I believe in the princess if she says she can do it then we must give her a chance.” Asher was the first to speak. Besides we only got this far in defeating the stampede only because she was assisting us. This strong fortress, the sudden appearance of the reinforcement when we needed them, unexpected traps saving our backs. I am sure no one has forgotten about it.” Asher decided to place her trust in me.

I do not know how this evolved into them all believing in me. But now without question, they all gleamed at me with their approval.

Everyone had again engaged in a fight with the monsters. The guards also kept the approaching undead at bay. As for the Lich, it was still trying to spread the range of its black miasma turning the dead monsters into undead.

“Galen you engage with the Lich but only distract it. I and Thorne will take care of all the spawned zombies.” Leena explained her plan.

“Don’t worry I will support Galen this time fighting the lich too. Is that enough time for you princess?” Asher asked me.

“Yes.” I said after resolving myself.

And then the plan was put into action. Leena moved at lighting-fast speed and skewered all the undead with her rapier. Thorne too being skilled in using Earth magic would bury and crush the zombies under a giant earth wall.

Galen continued in a raging battle with the Lich. This time directly confronting it, he tried to dodge its black orb magical attacks and only aimed for its undefended body parts.

Every time he slashed through the Lich and stepped back. Asher would launch a full-on fire assault to infuriate the Lich even when it did not have any direct effect on it.

With each swing, the shadow of the Lich seemed to grow darker. Galen had realized that the Lich was feeding on everyone’s magical energy when they came in contact with the black miasma.

The knights and other adventurers were on it too fighting the stampede monsters.

I thought what I needed to do to live my life was give up what makes me me. But that was until I met Sachi and I wanted to do something for her and keep my promise to her.

I had decided to reserve the use of my divine powers only for Sachi, and never show them in front of anyone. But now I was left with an undeniable feeling to protect them when they have worked so hard till now to protect me.

All I could feel for them now was a surge of gratitude and I wanted for Sachi to see this. To meet her as soon as possible and for her to stay happy wherever she was. Till that time comes, I will protect this place no matter the cost.

I closed my eyes, and holding my hands close I raised them high towards the sky. Speaking an ancient language that was known only to the divine, I released all of the temporary restrictions over my divine powers.

***

At that time, the surroundings changed. The night sky then got illuminated by a bright light taking the form of a halo.

For some reason, everything had come to a standstill when that pure light reached the ground. And at that time everyone exactly knew where to look at.

All eyes turned towards the princess, Alice Hart.

“The princess…” All saw at her with a sense of awe.

"By the power of the divine, I call upon the light of purity," the goddess intoned, her voice strong and unwavering.

As she spoke, the light intensified, pulsing and growing stronger. It enveloped the princess’s body, her skin now giving a moonstone colour. And her golden hair now shone like starlight.

Everyone watched with wide eyes as the princess continued to chant.

“May the radiance of thy glory fill my being and banish all evil from my sight.”

A white magic circle expanded by the moment. The twinkling magic energy surpassed the realms of human comprehension.

“Galen look the Lich is trying to escape. Don’t let it get away.” Asher informed.

The Lich could have easily sensed the divine power and knowing that it could not compete against it, it had decided to run. But Galen would not let that happen and got in its way.

“I won’t let it.”

This time without wavering he accelerated and leapt above the black miasma pool. Embedding his sword in a black aura, his blade landed deep into the chest of the Lich.

"⸻Let this darkness be banished, let this curse be lifted. Let the soul of this creature be purified, and let it enter back into the cycle of life."

The goddess continued to speak, her voice growing more powerful with each passing moment. The light intensified, growing brighter and brighter until it was almost blinding.

“⸻By the power of the Aegis, I invoke this spell of light.”

The divine magical energy illuminates the darkened sky, bursting through the halo overhead, forming a golden pillar that reached to the heavens.

Everyone in that area, both monsters and people spotted the beam piercing the twilight.

“That light—?!”

“What is it?!”

Everyone had the same question.

The pillar of light began to flake apart and began spiraling into a single point where the Lich stood, enveloping it completely.

The princess opened her eyes to make sure her powers were in her control. It was not anything impressive for her. All this energy was the entirety of her raw divine magical powers. She could not do anymore, and could not afford to do any less. And that was all to it.

But for the people, knights, and adventurers there, it was all the miracle they needed.

The light pillar shattered a moment later with the sound of breaking glass. And then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the light faded away.

Galen could not help but reflexively shut his eyes to protect them against the blinding flash that turned the world white for an instant.

Slowly, cautiously, when he opened his eyes…he stood there alone with the Lich gone and all the black miasma around him purified.

The undead army crumbled into dust, and the remains scattered into the wind. The rest of the monsters were handled by the knights and the adventurers who could still fight.

By the first light of the dawn, everything was over, and with every last monster slayed the Hart kingdom was safe.

***

“The Hart Kingdom’s princess really seems to be an impressive and dependable person. It's hard to imagine that she's the kind of person Alicia could be searching for.” Regis exclaimed, teasingly.

However, when Regis met Alicia's gaze, she saw a soft, peaceful smile on her face that she had never seen before.

“Look I told you the story is so bland it could make someone cry…” Asher on seeing Alicia so quiet and out of it intervened.

“Is the story really that bad?” Galen also could not help but worry.

“No. it's quite good and I am glad I got to hear it.”

***

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