Starting With an SSS-Rank Swordsmanship Talent

The stern-faced Aliya almost broke into tears when she heard this.

Ever since Alaric saved her from that secret basement event, she had devoted herself to becoming a strong warrior all for the sake of repaying him.

She faced numerous challenges, but she persevered and kept going.

Hearing his words made her feel that all her efforts weren’t in vain.

“I’m still far from my goal, but I will work harder so I can stand proudly by Your Highness’s side!” She responded emotionally.

Alaric smiled faintly. “I eagerly await that day.”

He spoke with the newbies and offered words of comfort to make sure that they wouldn’t be mentally affected by what they had experienced in this war.

After exchanging words with them, he went to find Ignatius.

His victory against the enemy Venerable was a great help in their success. If he had lost the battle, everything would have been meaningless.

A moment later, he found the Venerable receiving treatment from a healer. He had some minor wounds so he needed to be patched up to heal faster.

“Your Highness, I heard from the others that your House Silversword did great in this battle.” Ignatius gestured for him to sit down on the wooden stool in front of him.

“We just followed everything we had planned.” Alaric humbly responded with a chuckle.

The two expressed their joy about the victory and also their sorrow for the losses.

“We have defeated most of Midgard’s troops, but there should be some left in the city.” Ignatius’s expression became solemn when he mentioned this.

Alaric nodded in agreement. “Once everyone has rested, I will bring those who still have the energy to fight to take control of the city. You can leave this to me, my lord.”

Ignatius initially intended to help them secure the city, but since Alaric volunteered for the task, he quickly agreed.

“Alright. Midgard’s remaining troops aren’t a threat to us anymore. You just need to be careful about the aristocrats and martial houses.” He reminded.

“Thank you for the reminder, my lord. I will keep it in mind.” Alaric made a fist-palm gesture.

In the next few hours, the Astanian troops dealt with the aftermath.

***

Meanwhile, in Halona…

The city was currently under siege. Its main gates were blocked off by Astanian troops, preventing anyone from leaving.

Halona’s military forces were divided into four groups, each one carrying around fifty thousand warriors.

At this moment, the crown prince of Astania, Leighnard Exlor, was observing the siege with an unchanging expression.

“Who would have thought that Halona is actually hiding such powerful military forces? The reports we got from our spies were unreliable.” An aged voice echoed from his side.

“It’s understandable. Halona’s officials are more strict in handling the city’s governance. They are more prudent than the other city officials among our target cities. Our spies couldn’t infiltrate the highest levels so they could only get information about low-level matters.” The crown prince shook his head.

This was the reason he specifically chose to join the siege on Halona. He felt that this city would be their most difficult obstacle.

“That’s true…”

“Our troops have been fighting them for two days, but their forces aren’t showing signs of weakness. If this continues, we will run out of supplies.” The old marquis, Tyrone, expressed his worries.

A few days ago, they were certain of their victory, but Halona wasn’t as weak as they had thought.

Other than its formidable military presence, there was also one major factor that made the city almost impregnable.

It was the presence of Leroy Durova, a 4-Ringed Beast Soul Grandmaster.

This guy had the ability to communicate well with beasts. With this unique ability, he managed to form a bond with a Catastrophe-grade beast, the Mountain Golem.

Leroy on his own was already powerful, but the Mountain Golem was even more impressive.

It could freely manipulate the surrounding terrain in its one one-kilometer radius. Moreover, it possessed a physical body harder than many metals, making it impenetrable even with mana cannons.

Lucas and Dominic had already joined hands to battle with this beast, but their joint efforts proved to be meaningless.

Leighnard remained composed. He let out a light smile and replied in a meaningful tone.

“The Mountain Golem is indeed formidable, but it cannot protect the whole city on its own. With our two Venerables keeping it in check, the other parts of the city are vulnerable to our siege. As for our resources, we still have enough to supply our troops for an entire month.”

Tyrone turned silent at his words.

He didn’t know where the crown prince’s confidence had come from. Although he was curious, he didn’t dare inquire further.

Knowing him, the crown prince would never boast about something he was unsure of.

Leighnard placed his hand on the old marquis’s shoulder and told him. “Just wait a few more days, Lord Tyrone.”

Tyrone could only smile wryly in response. He trusted the crown prince, but he still couldn’t himself from worrying.

Leighnard looked away from the old marquis and put his attention back to the battle.

The special squad I sent should have already infiltrated the city by now. We just need to wait for them to open the gates from the inside.

He thought to himself.

He had full confidence in this special squad since he had trained them for many years. They specialized in infiltration and subterfuge. The individual battle prowess of each member was also at the top level. With their skills, it was just a matter of when they could complete their task.

While he was immersed in his thoughts, a military officer suddenly walked towards them with heavy strides.

Seeing this man, Tyrone immediately stopped him from walking closer to the crown prince.

“State your business, Troy Asrahan,” Tyrone spoke coldly.

Troy Asrahan was already in his late forties, but he looked like he was only in his late twenties. The reason for this was his high attainment as a warrior.

He was the current rank 9 in the Astanian Dragon Leaderboard.