Chapter 74: The Northeast Overcoming its Crisis (1)

The explosion of four dimensional cracks. 

When this fact spread to the Empire, all of the citizens were in chaos. Everyone believed that they would face the Empire’s devastation if all four dimensional cracks had exploded. They expected the destruction of the Northeast and was certain that the North would also fall sooner or later. 

[ The Empire is about to collapse. ]

The atmosphere in the entire Empire was so gloomy and dreary that provocative articles had started to appear in newspapers. 

But a crisis was also an opportunity!

The Imperial Family used this as an opportunity to gain greater power. It was the greatest opportunity for the Imperial Family since the Godly Sword and the Lion were stranded in the Northeast while Leopold, a thorn in their mouths, was also stuck in that place. 

[ The nobles are looking after their own survival even when the country is about to collapse. ]

[ Did the Imperial Family abandon the North? ]

[ Central politics is rotten to the core. ]

Articles like these popped up everyday but these newspapers were nothing major and were easily buried. 

However, everyone was aware that they still needed to protect the Center despite the Imperial Family being like this. If the North’s collapse was inevitable, they thought that it would be best to make the Center a front and stop the monster wave as much as possible. 

So, in order to buy enough time, they increased the support and supplies going to the Northeast and the North while they levied heavier taxes to establish a defense line in the Center. 

“If this continues, the power of the Lions and the Godly Sword will be greatly reduced.” 

The Emperor and the Central nobles smiled at this thought. This was because they find the absolute power of the Godly Sword and the Lion Families to be more troublesome than the great disaster, the monster wave. 

However, the Central nobles had no choice but to throw this idea out soon after. 

Contrary to the scholars’ conclusion that the monster wave would drive the entire Northeast to its collapse, the North and Northeast Coalition had been able to ‘control’ the monsters. 

[ The Northeast’s Hero has been born! ]

A young hero was born in the Northeast.

To the Center’s dismay, the monster wave that appeared was at a ‘controllable’ level thanks to this unexpected hero. In addition, as if they loathed the Center for using them as a scapegoat, they let the monsters flow to the Center rather than creating a defensive line and blocking the monsters. They created fortresses and defense lines and created a ‘path’. It would take time for the monsters to break through their solid fortresses and defense lines so the monsters, with the pressure of the void insects from behind them, went along the path and rushed towards the Center. 

With this method being repeated, the path soon became a frequent road that the monsters trekked. Because of this, huge numbers of monsters flowed from the Northeast to the North, and from the North to the Center. 

[ The smart Northeast creates an iron-clad fence against the Center’s petty tricks! < Subtitle : Monster Road > ]

The Northeast, which was scheduled for destruction, had finally changed its future. And at the center of it all was a young officer. The Northeast was saved with this young officer’s noble spirit and sacrifice as he used himself as a medium to purify the contaminated mana. 

But he wasn’t the only hero. 

Numerous troops had gathered in the Northeast. They risked their lives to stop the still ongoing battle. All of them were heroes. A part of this legend. 

On the other hand, the Central Government and its politics remained rotten. Their stench was worse than a sewer with how rotten they were. 

Is it appropriate to entrust the Empire to these people?

The citizens asked this. 

Is it alright to leave matters concerning the safety of our Empire to these trashes?

This was a notice posted in one of the bulletin boards in the capital’s square. 

No one knew who wrote it or if it was a spark to the embers of revolution. But they were certain about one thing. These words had set a fire to the heart of the Empire. The Imperial Capital had fallen into chaos just from this one post that ignited not only the scholars but the entire nation. 

As the Northeast continued to control the monsters stably, the citizens of the Empire no longer endured the arrogance of the Central Government. 

As the narrative that the Empire would be facing something dangerous lost its effects, complaints that the citizens had endured so far had begun to surface and slap the Central Government all at once. 

At the same time, their interest towards the Northeast increased. 

War was something that could create heroes and produce numerous legends. Although a young officer was sacrificed to protect the Northeast, they couldn’t stop from looking at the future hero candidates.

[ The new stars of the Empire that has been born during the Monster Wave! ]

―Northeast

Starlight Knight : Ariel Favrice

Blood Crazy Berserk Warrior : Cardro Giovanni

―North

North’s Little Lion : Aiden Leonhardt

Winter Wind : Gaon Temphet

There were four new stars, with the exception of Iron, who had risen to the ranks of heroes. Their performances so far have been extremely crazy. 

First, Ariel Favrice, as if to prove that she was the best talent of the old Northeastern Academy, performed extremely well. Despite being at the 4th Stage, her performance was extremely close to the 5th Stage which solidified her position as the best of the best in the Knight’s Order. 

On the other hand, Cardro Giovanni, who was hidden behind the light of Iron Carter and Ariel Favrice, trained and trained as if he was possessed by an evil spirit. And the results of his training blossomed when he encountered the disaster, the monster wave. Perhaps it was because Iron’s performance had served as his deterrence that he rolled around like crazy to develop his lacking skills and get himself together while throwing his arrogance away. 

Was it because he did not spare his body and gritted his teeth through it all? Regardless, it was thanks to his rigorous training that he was able to reach the 4th Stage and catch up with Ariel. He fought well to the point that he would be covered in blood every time that he was called as the Blood Crazy Berserk Warrior in the Northeastern Army. 

Then, did that mean that only those in the Northeast were active? No. A new star that was hailed as a genius appeared in the North. Just like everyone expected, the star came from the Lion Family. However, he wasn’t the 2nd ducal prince, the 3rd ducal prince nor the twins who stood out from an early age.

The protagonist of the North was the youngest son of the Lion Family who remained quiet and far away from people’s attention. A young lion who was left out during their childhood by Lioner, the family head and the person who was competing for the title of the strongest in the entire continent. The boy had a good heart but once the battle began, the youngest became the person who resembled the family head the most. 

In addition, the two other famous families in the North also joined forces to keep the young lions in check. The child born from the secret marriage between Temphet and Winstell also stood out. 

Four new and upcoming stars were born from the worst disaster, the monster wave. 

Thanks to them, the people suffering from the rotten Central Government, gained their vitality as they enthusiastically talked about the four new stars. It was as if they had long forgotten their struggles and exhaustion when they heard about the new hope of their Empire. Even if they were tired and exhausted, they were able to overcome it thanks to the enthusiasm brought about by the new stars. 

However, no one in the Northeast had received their rewards. The four new stars, the five masters that guarded the Northeast, and even the soldiers who participated in numerous missions and battles. It wouldn’t be weird if all of them had received their rewards earlier, but all of them refrained and agreed to delay their compensations. 

All of them decided to delay their rewards just to wait for one person and one person alone.

Because of this, the Imperial Family’s attempt to soothe the public’s sentiment by giving out great compensations went to nothing. And this went on for months. 

Some said that the hero had already died so it was alright for those who have been left behind to be rewarded, but all of the troops that were gathered in the Northeast waited. They believed that he would definitely wake up again. 

Was it because of their belief that he would wake up anytime soon that the hardened blue stone began to crack?

Crack!

“Heok!” 

When the crack first appeared, everyone became worried that something bad had happened.

The first to discover this was not the Ghosts who were always next to him nor the Knights who always guarded him. It was actually discovered by the wizard who came to study the phenomenon of using divine power to purify contaminated mana. The cracks were extremely fine but it was discovered because the wizard was keenly observing everything for his research. 

However, it wasn’t such a dangerous problem. It was because the wizards had already started to purify the contaminated mana so the enormous flames that purified them gradually began to get absorbed back into Iron’s body which in turn began to release the seal. 

Crack, crack! Crack, crack!

The more the wizards installed the large-scale purification magic circles, the more cracks appeared in the blue stone that sealed Iron. When several purification magic circles were installed all over the Black Forest together with semi-permanently built buildings, the flames floating around Iron’s body were completely absorbed back inside. This seemed to trigger the melting of the hardened mana stone that sealed him inside. 

The hardened chunks of mana broke down from the flames' high heat and eventually turned to dust.

That was when Iron’s tightly shut eyes opened.

“Uhmm…” 

Iron groaned as he shook his head blankly. Numerous eyes turned to look at the just awakened Iron. 

“Huh… Long time no see, everyone?” 

When Iron greeted the hundreds of people around him awkwardly, one of them bounced towards Irons. 

“Hey! You punk! Why did you wake up so late?” 

Lintel rushed forward with tears in his eyes as the other Ghosts approached Iron one by one. They touched Iron here and there to confirm that he was fine. Once they confirmed this, they all began a welcoming ceremony for his return. 

“Keok! Wai… Wait.” 

Lintel put Iron in a headlock while the Ghosts encouraged Lintel’s behavior. At the end of the Ghosts' grand(?) welcoming ceremony, Carl Gustav approached him with a smile.

“Thank you for your hard work.” 

“…Yes.” 

Iron felt emotional when he heard his immediate superior thanking him for his hard work. However, he endured it and smiled in return. 

Lintel slapped Iron’s back as he asked him.

“Why are you so late? Did you know that I can’t get promoted because of you, huh?” 

“Ah…” 

Even the other Ghosts looked like they agreed with Lintel.

“That’s right. You know that the captain kept on delaying our promotions because of you, right?” 

“I wanted to get promoted quickly but I got delayed because of you?”

“My medal is delayed too.” 

“The most important thing is that the increase in our annual salary has been delayed too! Ah, I feel upset. Let’s do it again!” 

Iron spoke up urgently when he saw that the Ghosts were angry and trying to move in to punish him. 

“It’s not because of me! No, I also wanted to come out earlier! But I have to purify the contaminated mana from the dimensional crack to a certain level. I can’t come out because it’s not yet at that level, you know?” 

“So… all of it was delayed because the wizards were dawdling around?” 

Iron nodded hurriedly when he heard Lintel’s words.

“Y… Yes. If the purification magic circle had been installed faster, then I would have woken up earlier.” 

At Iron’s words, all of the Ghosts turned to look at the wizards. Even the knights and the officers of the Iron Wall Division, who were listening, also stared at the wizards. Some of the wizards flinched as cold sweat dripped down their backs when they saw their stares.

“Ha… Hahahaha…” 

The knights were the first to move towards the wizards when they saw them awkwardly laughing and stepping back. The rangers who heard about the rumors also joined them as they all moved in unison to vent their anger. 

That was how Iron was able to circumvent their anger to the wizards. However, Iron had been harassed by the Ghosts for a long time ever since then. Still, he enjoyed the process of relieving their anger and regrets with his colleagues that he hadn't seen for a long time. 

The scenery in the Black Forest had changed tremendously during the time that he was sealed. And for him, it was quite a strange sight.

There were numerous military camps and bases built around the area. Even the wizards had built their Wizard Tower in the area. 

Just when Iron was taking a good rest and watching the changes one by one…

“I… I have seen the Commander!”

“You really woke up.”

Crimson smiled as he hugged Iron tightly.

Iron’s eyes widened as he patted Crimson on the back for a long time.

“You’ve worked hard.”

Crimson released Iron as he looked at him from head to toe to see if he was really alright.

Iron was drenched in cold sweat as he received the commander’s burdensome gaze. Then, he heard him apologize…

“I’m sorry that I have to say this to you when you just woke up but…”

“What are you talking about…”

Iron gulped as he asked Crimson. But the older man just looked at him awkwardly.

“I think you should go to Command with me.”

“…Yes?”

“After receiving news that you have woken up, His Majesty said that he would personally come to this place.”