(Important author note: Some of you may feel disgusted or saddened by certain scenes. I apologize, but I have decided to increase the violence and darkness of the book.
In some other books, family members and friends of the main character are described as innocent and good. This will not be the case in this book. I will try to depict the medieval setting as much as possible. So, a dark tone awaits you.
As a warning for what follows: topics such as harassment, violence against women, blood, deaths, tortures, massacres, genocides, racism, political violence, religious violence, child abuse, war crimes, and humiliation will become more prominent. Please read accordingly and form your critiques based on that. Thank you.)
"Fire!"
With Miguel’s cold voice echoing in the siege area, hundreds of cannons fired simultaneously, breaching the great walls of the Capital.
As the fiery stones were hurled toward the city, thousands of people tried to flee towards the center. Noble carriages trampled over people while some children lay in the streets as if accepting their fate.
"Boom!"
The stones piercing through New Camelot’s magical barrier fell to the ground, causing tremors and explosions in the streets. Blood had now clouded the vision.
Neither Alfred cared about their situation, nor were the Royal supporters willing to surrender.
This was the bitter reality of the war. The dead were not the children of nobles but the children of the poor...
As the Sun Knights stood disciplined, Alfred was not tense.
Moreover, the three fortresses protecting the Capital had already been destroyed. It had been easy for the Sun Knights to dismantle those Castle.
Additionally, nearly 70,000 soldiers and over 15,000 knights from Orkney were on their way.
Soon, Royal troops would begin gathering behind the Capital. 10,000 knights and 60,000 soldiers were assembling, along with nearly 30,000 support troops from other counties and minor nobles.
With this, the Royal supporters reached a military strength of 185,000.
10,000 heavily armored knights and 30,000 military support troops from the Stormwind Duchy were ready to depart.
The Duke’s army was modernized and supported by powerful Sun Knights. They had high-level artillery, archers, and cavalry.
In a short time, the armies of both sides exceeded 100,000. This would be the largest event of the century. The Thornfield Duchy had a total army of 100,000.
The Sun Knights had a presence of 10,000. Of these, 7,000 were heavily armored, large-shielded, spear-wielding Elite Knights. The remaining 3,000 knights were made up of unique individuals known for their strength and skills.
There were 35,000 lightly armored infantry, 7,000 archers, 5,000 spearmen, and 3,000 light cavalry.
Since Duke Regan’s support unit from Stormwind had not yet arrived, only a military force 60 thousand was ready for war.
Unlike Duke Alfred, the Stormwind Duke had made no preparations, thus he was unable to provide support to the siege area.
Now, looking at the Royal Supporters, the Eagle Knights Order, which was funded and founded by Orkney, was not as powerful as the Sun Knights Order, but still had a considerable strength.
Compared to the red-and-white colors of the Sun Knights, their armor was black and purple. Their logo, resembling the Orkney banner, was shaped like an eagle.
Despite being a large knight group of 15,000, they only had 3,000 elite knights. These Elites were not heavily armored knights but agile and swift ones.
As the ground beneath Duke Alfred cracked, yellow beams suddenly shot up into the sky, creating a powerful wind. The yellow beams adorned the sky like waves.
The sun seemed to shine even brighter, as if it wanted to reveal itself more. Galatine exploded with power once again after a long time.
As a thin symphony echoed, an almost unique silence spread over the area. Only the distinct hum resonating from Galatine could be heard.
It was as if everyone’s voices were silenced. While Galatine shone menacingly, Duke Alfred finally prepared himself.
"Ahhh!!" With a roar, Alfred swung the sword diagonally, hurling Galatine towards the white walls.
For a moment, Galatine’s yellow rays advanced toward the walls, as the ground and sky split, shaking the entire area. The sword blazed even brighter, blinding Miguel and the others.
Then, it happened, and the sword beam, seemingly trying to cut through reality, struck the walls with a sharp, shrill, yet terrifying sound.
"Boooommm!!!!"
The loud sound frightened everyone, and what filled everyone’s mind was the approach of death. The white walls, which 200 wizards were desperately trying to protect with powerful spells, were easily destroyed by the yellow beam, which didn’t stop as it passed through the city, taking the lives of thousands.
"Let’s go!" Miguel shouted with a fierce adrenaline rush, while the heavily armored knights prepared their spears, then charged forward swiftly.
Alfred quickly mounted his horse again, glancing at the street he had destroyed with his own hands as he passed through the collapsed walls.
Most of the street had been obliterated. Although he knew some people had died, Alfred could only sigh. Then his eyes narrowed when he saw a stone coming towards him.
With a swift motion, Alfred turned the stone to dust and looked at the child who had thrown it. The child appeared to be 14 years old, with black hair, looking like an average person.
There was a gaze in his eyes that Alfred recognized very well.
Hatred...
"My mom... my dad... they all died because of you!" the child cried, gathering his courage as he raised a sword he found on the ground with trembling hands.
Alfred’s eyes remained cold; he was already prepared for this. He turned his gaze to the child and spoke calmly. "Kid, there’s nothing I can do for your family. If you don’t want to die, leave here immediately."
"I—"
Before the child could finish speaking, he saw over 3,000 heavily armored soldiers appear behind Alfred and took two steps back in fear.
The heavy clattering of hooves echoed in the environment, while there was no sound from the Royal Guards or sentinels. Alfred thought it was because everyone was fleeing into the city and evacuating.
He then cast a thoughtful glance at the child. "Kid, leave from here."
"You!" Even though the child was angry, he was frightened by the sight of such powerful men. Then a Sun Knight lightly struck the child’s belly with the wooden handle of his spear, sending him flying aside.
The child flew back as if he had been hit in the stomach with a hammer, landing hard on the ground. Struggling to get up but unable to, the child could only cry.
"Mom, Mom... I miss you so much..."
As the child cried, clutching a piece of his mother’s dress, the Duke and his knights moved forward into the inner city without even looking back.