Overwhelming Firepower

A few days before the undead march, Lucen had sent a letter to his father and the king about his suspicions. He then tried to ask permission to enter another noble’s territory with the full force of his Thornefang alongside a few Stellhart knights, but that, of course, was met with opposition from the noble who owned the territory.

It was not just him, but several nobles who were nearby were not pleased that such a huge army was coming to their territory to subjugate an unconfirmed enemy.

If they truly needed someone to subjugate the Lich, then it should be they who were the nobles of the area to do so. A few even argued that Lucen was doing this to gain all the glory and make them look weak and unable to protect their own land.

Lucen read the replies one by one. His expression did not change, but the corner of his eye twitched.

”Yeah, I should have expected such a cliché. If this takes too long, the army of the Lich would increase. Not to mention, since the difficulty spike in this new route has been absurd, it’s possible the Lich himself gets stronger. Should I just sneak into his lair with Alexander and the others and defeat him?”

Lucen shook his head. No matter how strong the Lich became, the real problem was always his army. It will be hard to avoid those undead creatures, and even if they do, if they aren’t able to kill the Lich fast enough, they’ll be pincered by the undead legion.

’Tsk, yeah, aside from finding the Lich’s location, we also need to find the item he placed his soul into... If I remember correctly, the backstory of the Lich, the item he placed his soul into, would be something he and his beloved shared. Sometimes it would be a gem, some sort of artifact, even a simple comb, a mirror, or a ring. I wonder which one he used this time.’

Lucen rubbed his forehead. This was the worst part about enemies like the Lich. Killing him was never as simple as destroying his body. If his soul vessel remained intact, he could return again and again. Even worse, depending on where he hid it, the battle could turn into a complete nightmare.

’Well, unlike the game, there are other ways to subdue the Lich aside from fully killing him. I can restrict his movements and stop him from using spells. Once that’s done, then we just need to search for the item with his soul.’

Despite thinking all that, Lucen knew that this plan was even harder than just killing the Lich outright.

’I can also use him as a form of training and to increase everyone’s level. Killing him, waiting for him to respawn, and then doing it all over again... Well, doing that will cause a lot of destruction, and might have people killed...’

Even though he thought about it for a second, Lucen quickly dismissed such thoughts. This was not a game anymore.

No matter how useful the Lich would be for gaining experience, deliberately letting him return again and again would be insane. This world had real people. A single mistake could turn an entire town into corpses, and those corpses would then become enemies.

Lucen let out a long breath. ”Yeah, no. I am not becoming that kind of lunatic.”

Lucen sighed as he looked at the letters on his table. ’My Father will deal with those idiots, and while I wait, I guess it’s time to move a few Thornefang members here in the estate. Get the others to wait in different cities. Once we get permission, I’ll bring the War Trains over and bombard the undead with enough firepower that not even their bones will remain.’

***

In the end, between the king’s authority and the Iron Duke’s silent pressure, the opposing nobles had no choice but to compromise.

As Lucen expected, after a few talks, the nobles agreed for Thornefang and a few Stellhart knights to pass by and enter their territories as long as their own men join the subjugation.

Seeing as this was not really a problem, Lucen agreed to those conditions. In fact, Lucen even persuaded Principal Aldren to have a few excellent students join this subjugation.

Of course, there was Alexander’s group. Also included were the students from both A and S classes, from the first year to the fourth year.

Naturally, this caused a great commotion in the Royal Academy. A subjugation was one thing. A subjugation led by Lucen Thornehart was another.

Many hot-blooded young ones wanted to be a part of this subjugation, to be a part of Lucen Thornehart’s legend.

Unfortunately for them, Lucen had no intention of bringing those who did not have enough skills. The students who were going to join the subjugation gathered in one of the Royal Academy’s training grounds.

All of them were raring to go, especially those with commoner backgrounds. This was their chance to go higher. If they showed great results in this subjugation, they will get noticed by powerful nobles.

Lucen was planning on using the other students to help deal with the undead horde, while he, Alexander’s group, Robert, Mireya, Harlik, Elyra, and even Eisen, would go into the enemy lair to defeat the Lich.

Lucen looked at the excited students, took a deep breath, and spoke.

”I’ll keep it simple. The being we are about to face is one that could very well burn this kingdom to the ground. But right now, he is in a weakened state; this will be our best chance of defeating him with few casualties. I’m unsure how many enemies there are going to be, and I cannot assure you that you will return alive.”

Despite that warning, the students only became even more determined. Who among them did not know that any battle could result in one’s death?

The second they decided to live by sword and magic, they already knew that their chances of reaching a ripe old age were small.

This was Norvaegard, where every other day monsters attack, other kingdoms start skirmishes, where assassins lurked, and death was constant.

Seeing their reactions, Lucen already knew what they were thinking, and he needed to make sure that they understood that this battle would be different from fighting monsters or other kingdoms.

”If you die in this battle, that may not be the end. This being can raise the dead to fight for him. So the more of us die, the more people join his army.”

The students felt a little fear upon hearing that, but they pushed down that fear and instead became more serious.

That was good to see. Fear itself was not a problem. A person who did not fear death was either a fool or someone who had already broken somewhere inside. What mattered was whether they could still move after fear gripped their hearts.

Lucen swept his gaze across the training ground. ”Many of you might not have experience in battle, but you are sons and daughters of Norvaegard. Warrior blood flows through your veins! In this battle, it is time to prove your worth! Protect your kingdom, protect your people, protect your comrades in arms! Let us bring these b*stards who escaped Lady Velmira’s embrace back to where they belong!”

Then someone raised his sword. ”For Norvaegard!”

The shout spread like fire. ”For Norvaegard!”

”Send them back to Lady Velmira’s embrace!”

The students roared. The fear in their eyes had not vanished, but it had been covered by resolve. Some gripped their weapons until their knuckles turned white. Others looked toward Lucen with shining eyes, as if they were seeing the beginning of a legend they would tell their grandchildren.

Once the roar reached its highest point, Lucen raised one hand. The training ground slowly quieted.

”Remember this well. No matter what happens, do not charge in alone. If a comrade falls, immediately cut off their head, and dismember them. Do not hesitate, for a dead comrade will raise again and stab you.”

The students who had been shouting moments ago felt the weight of those words settle on their shoulders. Some lowered their eyes, some swallowed hard, and a few looked at the friends standing beside them, imagining the horrible possibility.

”The only mercy we can give them and our enemies is to bring them peace by sending them to Velmira’s embrace. For those souls who die in battle will surely be guided by Lady Velmira to Varkun’s hall of heroes.”

The students became silent. The excitement from earlier had not disappeared, but it had changed shape.

They were not just going to be a part of a page in Lucen Thornehart’s legendary life, but they will make legends of themselves, and if they fall, they will dine and drink with all the fallen heroes in Varkun’s hall of heroes.

Lucen waited for a few seconds to let his words sink in and continued. ”Then prepare yourselves. Today, you are students, tomorrow, you become warriors who stand between Norvaegard and death.”

Every student present placed their fists on their chest, giving a knight’s salute.

***

Once preparations were done, Lucen had the trains and airships stationed in the nearby towns and villages that were near the suspected lair of the Lich. They were not there only for battle. Their main purpose was evacuation.

He did not have the people evacuate just yet, since doing so would alert the Lich, making him hesitate to attack and keep hidden.

Instead, village chiefs, guards, and trusted officials were quietly given emergency instructions. The moment an attack began, civilians were to head to the nearest train or airship.

’Well, it doesn’t matter, even if he doesn’t attack. Once we find his lair, we’ll be the ones going on the offensive.’

Lucen had prepared everything for the sake of victory. Now, under the moonlight, he would see if what he had done was enough.