Steel and Mana

Chapter 254 – War (1)

The thick blanket of snow covered the world from the top edge of the endless mountains down to the shores of the blue seas. The pine trees stood tall and silent up north, their dark green branches heavy with the fresh weight of the previous week's uncaring, cold storm. Snowflakes still danced in the remaining draft of wind, swirling in unpredictable patterns before settling onto the ground, layering another centimeter of snow atop it all. This was an even more irregular winter than before, as it became a season that froze the rivers, buried the valleys, and isolated towns and villages under an unforgiving layer of ice. There was a type of cold air blowing down from the top of the mountains that made it life-threatening to stay in the wild without any source of fire. Especially when the weather sometimes fell below minus forty degrees Celsius on these now unnaturally dark nights.

Two figures moved almost invisibly through this frozen wilderness, their dark, thick, furry cloaks blending seamlessly with the shadows of the trees, hidden under the constant darkness of the clouds covering the sky. They were scouts, part of the force under Pion's command, executing their Major's order and traveling westward, establishing listening points as they traveled the land. At the edge of the range of their radios, the ten-men-squad separated, leaving behind two of their comrades to maintain radio contact and build up a chainlink-like relaying formation. They were the last pair, hurrying to their position because, like this, they were able to cover almost a thousand kilometers.

Though they had insight into their enemy's movement, if their Major wanted security, they were willing to provide it. Even if it meant that they would be away from camp, forced to survive in the wilderness and endure the freezing cold. But it was nothing. They were the elite of Avalon; they did it without uttering a complaint at all.

After traveling for so long, they knew that if there was an army out here heading their way, they would be moving slowly. Not even seasoned veterans of their Sovereign's army could march through this mess with speed. Maybe their mechs… At least, that was what Darek thought, lifting his leg up from the snow, letting it sink back into it, disappearing at knee height. Just as he did, he signaled to his companion, a younger scout named Arve, to halt. They crouched low, peering through the thick veil of snow, searching for any sign of movement in the vast, white wilderness that stretched endlessly before them.

Arve's breath came in quiet puffs, becoming visible in the icy air surrounding them. He had only recently been recruited into the army, one of the younger Avalonians to join their illustrious ranks. Yet he had already earned a reputation for his sharp sight and steady hands. Even now, as the snow began to fall harder, his gaze was unwavering, scanning every rise and hollow of the land for anything unusual. They had been moving for hours, crossing over snowdrifts and weaving through narrow forest trails, but the landscape had remained eerily quiet until now.

Suddenly, a faint but unmistakable distant rumble reached their ears. Darek immediately signaled with his hand to remain silent and unmoving. The sound was low, like thunder, but constant. His heart began to race as his instincts screamed at him that something was wrong. He motioned to Arve to follow, and the two began to proceed cautiously toward the source of the noise. While Darek cut the path and made his companion step into his footprints, Arve ensured their tracks were covered, sweeping them away behind him.

As they neared the top of a ridge, the rumbling grew louder. Darek crawled to the crest, pressing his body against the cold ground, almost looking like he was tunneling through the snow. Reaching it, he slowly raised his head over its boundary while Arve followed suit, his eyes wide with anticipation.

Below them, the small valley stretched from west to southeast, its floor obscured by the swirling snow. Yet, through the storm, they could just make out the shapes—dark, moving figures—many of them, so many in fact that Darek's breath was caught in his throat.

It was an army.

The sheer size of the force stunned him. Thousands of soldiers marched in formation, their banners fluttering faintly through the blizzard. The lines of men stretched across the valley like a beast coming through the Pass. It was like a serpent winding its way through the snow. Even from their elevated position, Darek could see the slow, steady progress of the soldiers as they trudged through the snowdrifts. The clang of armor and the dull thud of boots was the thundering noise they heard, music that the air was carrying far and wide, mixing it with the approaching storm and its howling winds.

"By the Sovereign…" Arve whispered, his voice barely audible. His eyes were wide with shock as he took in the sight. This was not what their spies reported!

"It's more than we ever imagined…" Darek nodded, his expression grim as he murmured, "This…this is no longer a probing army. This is a full-scale invasion force. Even with the Rook, they can… Sovereign, preserve us!"

The enormity of what they were seeing hit him like a blow. He had expected to find maybe a few thousand soldiers, another vanguard army sent to test their defenses a second time. But this—this was an army that was ten times as strong… with a flying ship commanding them from above.

His mind raced. The roads leading into Goldengrove were clogged with snow, and the winter conditions would slow the army's approach, but not by much. They had to get word back to the Lothlia and Avalon, which had to be done quickly.

"We need to move. Now." He whispered, tapping his comrade's shoulders.

But Arve remained frozen, staring down at the massive force below. He shook his head slowly, disbelief still etched on his face. "They'll tear through us," he whispered. "Even with the winter, even with our defenses… And look! They aren't heading toward us but are taking a different path... They will break through, and we won't know about it in time!"

"We don't have time. We need to get back to a safe distance to establish radio communications. Now!" Darek gripped his arm firmly, snapping him out of his daze.

Arve nodded, steeling himself, watching his commanding officer's grim expression. The two turned and began making their way back down the ridge, moving as quickly as the snow would allow. Every second felt like an eternity, their senses heightened by the knowledge of what they left behind themselves.

The wind picked up as they descended, whipping snow into their faces as if trying to hold them back from hurrying, slicing into their exposed skin like sharp blades. Darek's thoughts were racing, ignoring the cold and pain. Their defenses weren't prepared for this. Whether it was their crossing point or any other point where Elliot had fortifications, they needed reinforcements—and soon. Would they get that, though? It was winter… Their Pass had to be defended…

But something else was gnawing at him, a question he couldn't shake. Their information was off. If not for his Major's hunch, a sudden instinct, they would have been taken in by surprise. This could have only meant one thing. Their spies failed or betrayed them. Whichever it was, it was a frightening thought.

The snow began falling even heavier as they moved, and the sky turned uncomfortably dark as late afternoon shifted to an early dusk. The cold winds bit at their faces, but they pushed through, driven by the urgency of their mission. Their breath came in ragged gasps, but neither of them slowed their steps, knowing that any delay could mean disaster for their comrades. They had to use their radios the moment they were a distance away, making sure they wouldn't be discovered. But, seeing the Ishillian warship, Darek wasn't sure if that could be done… Still, they must try.

…
….
……

Standing in the Imaginary of the Lawbringer, Otto was observing the army below him. He wasn't doing it just to keep an eye on them; he was looking out for enemy magic signals. Since catching the spies, he knew enough. Although he couldn't draw everything out without damaging the girl and making her useless––something he didn't want to do yet––he learned that Avalon had their own mages. As for how many or what their names were, he didn't know. To keep the girl functioning and remain a perfect decoy for his army, he had to keep her intact, implanting his instructions and false memories in a way that she could stay hidden for as long as possible. He needed her to keep relaying back false information until it was too late.

"Sovereign..." He mumbled, thinking of one of the words most often popping up in the spy's mind.

What he learned from her told him that this new figure, probably a genius-level mage, managed to create multiple magic formations, utilizing them in every facet of life. Deep down, he wanted to see it for himself or even try and recruit him. Someone who is capable of creating new spells like that is an asset any ruler would kill for. Even his own master, the Eternal Emperor, needed years to create a spell, one that was never seen before. A mage to manage something extraordinary, like constructing a new formation, was a feat reserved for only the greatest minds. They had to understand magic in its most profound form and feel its flow and the resonance it made within the mage's body and its surroundings. It was not something that could be done by simply learning from books or drawing random runes, as it would do nothing. Or, in the worst case scenario, result in a deadly explosion...

"No wonder the traitor Empress is relying on the Frontier so much. She is most likely grooming that mage... Heh. Well– hm?"

His attention was quickly drawn away as he sensed something. Focusing his mind, the Imaginary changed the scenery, zooming into the far east, flying over the dark forest and snow-covered hills and mounds. It didn't take him long to finally lock onto what he was feeling... Magic. "By its strength and uniform resonance, it is probably an artifact powered by CC and not by a mage. Scouts?" He hummed, trying to zoom in further, but the image was fuzzy, and he couldn't make out anything on the dark representation of reality... but he knew he was right, marking it within his mind. "Fire."

His command was firm, and his thoughts resonated within the dozen shipslaves aboard the Lawbringer, activating the magic formations without hesitation. In just a second, the army suddenly stopped, alerted as the ship above them lit up in a crimson, menacing light as its sides spewed five arcing fireballs into the distance. The thousands of soldiers watched the spells turn the black skies red, exploding about a kilometer away from them, ending in a massive sphere of fire, expanding upwards before slowly dissipating.

"Let's see..." He mumbled, refocusing his mind again after the spell ended, watching the crater it left behind, creating a massive cloud of water vapor thanks to the instantly boiled snow in the area. It completely blocked his view, but he was still sure of his work... because whatever caused the feeling in him was no longer present. "Continue the march."

With his new command, the army started walking again, making Otto smile as he drew his eyes away from the spot of annihilation.

"I am the best at detecting magic, little 'Sovereign.' I wonder what kind of spells you devised and if they can fool me or not. This... will be interesting!"

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