Chapter 921 Proud Hymn Of Ilios

As the army began their journey towards the distant city of Runera, they marched with determined spirits and steady steps. The road ahead stretched for miles, and the destination was still a week away, but they pressed on undaunted.

To ensure that the soldiers would not tire from the journey before the upcoming battle, Ascent had devised a system of alternating between carriages and foot soldiers. This rotation allowed the troops to rest and keep a watchful eye on their surroundings.

The five divisions marched in sequence and maintained distance between each other for navigation and to prevent friendly fire in the event of an attack. Despite their coordinated efforts, the fifth division had yet to meet their commander.

Meanwhile, the man the soldiers referred to as their warlord marched with the vanguard, leading the charge. The nervous soldiers followed behind him, puzzled by his choice to march on foot with them.

"Guild Master!" called Alan as he rode a giant hippo, which galloped toward the vanguard like a horse. It slowed as it got close, and the knight jumped to land a few meters away from Arthur. "Please, sir, ride one of the carriages or the mounts!"

A tamer guild in Ilios provided these mounts. Most of them have been bought, making them rare in the army. However, these mounts would grant their owner protection and agility when leading the attack.

"I prefer to lead them myself," said Arthur with a wave of his hand as he continued marching. "If these soldiers never see my face, why would they fight for my sake?"

Alan was silent, not understanding this kind of mentality. He had served kings and emperors before but never met someone who would not take being done for granted. As he was still thinking about how to convince Arthur, his warlord turned toward a nearby soldier.

"Hello, brother. Can I know your name?" said Arthur as he resumed marching. The soldier was confused and hurried to bolt after him while answering his question.

"My name is Ethan, my lord," said the young man with a sword strapped to his back. "It is a great honor to be in your presence!"

"Please, don't treat me as a ruler," said Arthur with a smile. "Are you a citizen of Ilios or a foreigner?"

"Born and raised in Helios, sir. I witnessed your fight against Osian the Invincible. It was utterly heroic! I cannot believe… that you would talk to me. It will be a sight I never forget."

"That fight was indeed tough," said Arthur with a pondering expression. "However, there is no heroism there, only a tragedy that I managed to stop. Are you a knight?"

Arthur then proceeded to chat with the man under the speechless face of Alan. Then, the middle-aged man sighed and rode his hippo before marching back to his division. On the way, he met the witch Aurora, and she smiled at him.

"You look like you have something to tell me," said Alan with a raised brow as he stopped his hippo. The witch was riding a carriage and looking through its window. Her face carried a smile as she played with her long black hair.

"Is it strange for him to do these things?"

"I feel like he is trying too hard to earn their loyalty when most of these men would not even pose a threat to him," said Alan, seeming reserved. "His unorthodox methods might lessen their fear of him, but that is not good."

"Arthur is more foreseeing than us commanders, even though he never participated in battle before. He could feel how connected he was to these soldiers, and he knew that if things went south, some of them would flee. He wants to avoid that chaos by giving people reasons to fight for."

"A few words would not change how a person behaves in times of crisis," said Alan with a shake of his head as he pulled his hippo to ride away. "Whatever our young master is seeing, I cannot see. Humans tend to respect those they fear."

As soon as the soldiers realized that Arthur was friendly, most of them tried to befriend him. Arthur was soon surrounded by knights who wanted to introduce themselves to him. Even faced with such a crowd, Arthur did not tire and memorized their names, addressing them and introducing some soldiers to others.

After a few hours of marching and rotating, the soldiers sat in their first camp. Dinner was soon served with alcohol, making the booming laughter start too. Arthur was the center of this gathering, as the soldiers now considered him one of them.

The commanders sat around Arthur, but most of them were silent. Arthur talked to the soldiers as if he were their friend, occasionally teasing them.

"Someone take that cup from old man Hector. I saw him leering at our commander!" said Arthur at an old warrior in the crowd who had been stealing glances at the beauty.

"Boo!" the crowd booed him as a few soldiers snatched his drink, making the old man panic.

"I am innocent!" said the old man as his face flushed, and the soldiers roared laughing. Aurora smiled at them before standing from her seat and walking toward Hector. "My lady… I…!"

"What would Aunt Margie do if she heard this?" said Aurora with a raised brow as she took the drink from the nervous soldiers and drank from it.

"My lady… anything but that…!" said Hector as he fell on his knees, and the soldiers laughed even harder. Aurora chuckled and gave the old man his drink before sitting beside Arthur.

"As a punishment, you have to sing for us, old Hector," said Arthur with a grin. The soldiers cheered as the old man stared helplessly before he began singing. It was an old song that most Iliosians knew, and it was befitting of their trip.

"In Ilios, the land of the proud,

Our warriors stand tall and loud,

With mastery of magic, they fight,

With every battle, they shine bright,"

His voice was deep and sorrowful, but it was strong to convey their determination and belief in themselves. The soldiers swayed their cups with each passing verse as the old man sang loud enough for the entire camp.

"Our spells harness the elements

Our foes fear our enchantments,

We summon winds and fire and ice,

And strike our enemies with deadly precise,"

Arthur then raised his cup and started pounding on the table with the rhythm. The soldiers soon followed suit, producing a pace with the song as everyone began to sing alongside old Hector.

"For Ilios, we fight with might,

Our swords and spells, we hold them tight,

We are the warriors of this land,

Proud and brave, we make our stand,"

The entire camp sang the same song with old Hector, their spirits becoming one. Elements gathered in the air as its warriors called for them, proud of who they were. Arthur has never felt the Iliosian Spirit until now and felt proud to have freed this land from its Fake Emperor.

"Our people are known throughout the land,

For their mastery of magic, they command,

With hearts of courage and spirits high,

We will defend Ilios until we die,"

The fire flickered as the song kept on, making their hearts beat as one. It was the first time Arthur felt part of a larger group like this, being embraced by people who should consider him an outsider.

"In Ilios, our hearts beat strong,

We sing our proud hymn song,

For our land, we fight until the end,

Ilios, our home, forever defend!"

The song ended, and the soldiers cheered. They raised their cups, drank, and chugged it down, including Arthur. Then, the soldiers began chanting his name, each giving a toast.

"To Arthur Silvera!"

"The youngest conqueror!"

Arthur smiled and rose from his seat, raising his cup high. Then, with a grin, he gave them a toast back, not refusing their courtesy.

"To Ilios!"

Then, the soldiers cheered, and music was played. More soldiers began to sing while others danced with their female comrades. Unlike the ordeal ahead of them, the first night of their march was a blissful one.

Arthur returned to his tent late at night after most soldiers had fallen asleep. Of course, some remained scouting, and arrays were set in place to prevent ambushes. Thus, Arthur could sleep with ease.

"This was a fun night," said Arthur as he walked through the camp toward the biggest tent. Before he stepped inside, he saw a shadow flickering inside the tent, and Arthur prepared himself for an assassination attempt. "I don't remember having a visitor," he said while walking into the tent, but his face froze.

Arthur has gone through many things, but this was not one of them. For a moment, he wished it was an assassination attempt as he had expected. At least, he would know how to handle it.

Instead, there was a woman in his bed, naked. Arthur looked at her twice as she blinked her big beautiful eyes with seduction. Even after he squeezed his brain dry, he could not remember who this woman was.