The changing situation in Novemton made Crystal worry greatly. She was unsure if Jerome, the newly-appointed legate, would be able to handle the threat the Eight Hollows posed. To make matters worse, Adrian was nowhere to be found. She wondered how Jerome was going to defend Novemton against the Eight Hollows' attack.***Rumble!!!Over the next few days, heavy rain poured down on the Uduma Desert. Dark clouds hung in the sky, making the atmosphere gloomy and decreasing visibility. The rain seemed to almost submerge the whole desert. But strangely, it was only the desert that was experiencing rainfall. The surrounding areas remained clear and sunny. This made the Uduma Desert appear more mysterious than ever.Novemton News reported, "Today marks the eighteenth day since War Legate Draco's disappearance in the Uduma Desert. Four days ago, heavy rainfall started in the desert, almost submerging the place. According to the meteorological department’s analysis, the rain is expected t
As Novemton News continued to give everyone its report, the public eye turned to Wyvern Peak, hoping that Jerome would hold a press conference. They hoped he would tell them what he had planned. However, he did no such thing. Nobody heard anything from Jerome, nor did they see him take any action. Instead, Wyvern Peak merely strengthened its presence at Ganon Mountain, with no specific orders issued.Meanwhile, Jerome sat in his usual seat in Wyvern Peak’s main hall, seeming unaffected by Novemton's expectations for him to resolve the situation. "Sir.” Jerome's attendant, Lewis Dorne, walked in.Lewis had participated in this year's selection and performed well, which led to Jerome arranging for him to take up a position within his ranks.Lewis reported, "Sir, the Eight Hollows are keeping close tabs on us. Also, all of Novemton would like to hear from you about this matter. They’re afraid of our enemies. Don’t you think you should hold a press conference to calm them down?"Je
Night fell, but Crystal could not fall asleep. She was unsure whether to entrust the entirety of Novemton to a nineteen-year-old nor did she know if Jerome could handle the responsibility. All she had left was her faith in Adrian's judgment of character.It was her only hope.***That night, Jerome continued to sit in the main hall and called on someone. This person's name was Mash Whittle, an old veteran Adrian had asked to stay behind. He was known for his down-to-earth nature and mature character.Mash entered the main hall and respectfully said, "How may I be of service, sir?"Jerome handed a sealed letter to Mash and said, "I need you to take this letter and deliver it to Remy as quickly as you can. However, do not let anyone know about this, understood?"Mash glanced at the sealed letter in his hand, then looked up as he earnestly said, "Rest assured, sir. I shall personally ensure that this letter gets to Sir Remy's hands before daybreak.""This letter concerns everyone a
"The legate wants us to take over Dragon Peak so that the Eight Hollows will have zero chance of retreating?"Remy nodded. "Correct. His instructions in the letter were very clear. We have to avoid detection during our journey there, which leaves the snowy mountains as our only route into the place.""Putting aside whether or not we can enter Dragon Peak unnoticed, cutting off the Eight Hollows' retreat will only cause them to launch an all-out attack against our natural moat. When that happens, the situation may escalate and spiral out of control. Even if we do take over Dragon Peak, we can’t defend the place, rendering it useless to our cause.” Mash's tone was firm as he spoke.Remy replied, "War Legate Dominus has a plan in mind. All we have to do is obey his commands. We can't bring too many people with us, so we'll only be taking five hundred. Right now, Dragon Peak isn't heavily defended, so we'll take it down the moment the legate tells us to.""Still, why are we doing this?
This was Lewis’ first time seeing unlimited confidence in Jerome’s eyes and he could feel how grand his legate’s ambitions were.It was well known that Wyvern Peak, Dragon Peak, and Novemton were part of Novemton’s territories. But Dragon Peak had fallen into enemy hands because the three forces were not properly connected. If they could unite all three entities, Novemton would become impregnable and could launch both offense and defense against the outlands.Lewis understood Jerome's immense ambition, albeit it was not something that could be realized overnight. The task that War Legate Draco had failed to complete had been taken up by the new legate. "Dragon Peak will be mine very soon."After Jerome informed him of his next plan of action, Lewis wondered if War Legate Dominus would be able to take over Dragon Peak and make it his own."Yes, sir. I'll get right to it," Lewis responded before leaving.***Jerome, dressed in his war legate battle suit, ascended to the rooftop o
An emergency meeting was held at Novemton headquarters. Crystal strode into the conference room and sat down. "What's happening at the moat? Have the Eight Hollows appeared?""Your Majesty, they showed up at the natural moat this morning but have yet to enter our territory. Judging by their movements, they seem to be planning something.”"Our forces can’t withstand an attack from the Eight Hollows, not when they're immortals.""The situation has become extremely dire. We need a counterattack plan. There are not many people within Novemton who can match up to them should they choose to attack us."The emergence of immortals had completely turned the tide as they could single-handedly take out an entire army. At this moment, the word “immortal” sent fear into everyone's hearts. "What's Wyvern Peak's status? Has War Legate Dominus given any orders?" Crystal anxiously asked after hearing everyone's opinions. "The legate is still in Wyvern Peak. We don't know what he has planned."
“I should believe in him?" Crystal mumbled. She thought about Adrian and the expectations he had for Jerome. ‘That’s right… I should believe in Jerome. I should believe in Adrian!'Crystal was confident that Adrian would never misjudge someone. His words continued to ring in her mind, giving her the positivity she needed. She turned around and said, "I want all departments in Novemton to stand down. Everything stays the same. We'll leave the natural moat to Dominus. And from this moment on, if I hear another word of slander against him, the perpetrator should be punished according to the law.""B-But…"Crystal's sudden decision left everyone stunned. Jerome's actions told everyone that he was inviting the Eight Hollows into their homes, yet Crystal chose to have faith in him. "Yes, Your Majesty," everyone responded in unison. On the surface, they all seemed to accept what she had said, but this was far from the truth."Is she even worthy of being our monarch? Why would she beli
With his eyes still shut, Jerome responded, "I hear them."Lewis anxiously said, "Are you really going to remain silent through all this? At this rate, your reputation will be dragged through the mud. The citizens are realistic people. They only hurl insults at you when they feel you can't protect them.""Has Remy reached his position?" Jerome asked, ignoring Lewis' statement."Judging by his coordinates, Sir Remy's five hundred men should arrive at three this afternoon. But will they be able to take Dragon Peak? That place is guarded by approximately forty thousand people, including those from major organizations," Lewis reported."Where are the Eight Hollows now?" "They're loitering at our gates, which is strange. They could come in whenever they want, yet they haven't done so. They seem to be hesitating." "Those who think too much tend to hesitate. It's only normal." Jerome opened his eyes. "What do you mean, sir?" "Their hesitation grants them a few more days to live, a