Parallel Vol. 3 [LEGACY EDITION]

Chapter 41: Prelude to War

While Kashi slaved away at the workstation, roughly fifteen hundred kilometers northwest of Aygor's Citadel, laying flat on a sandy hill, a young wisben by the name of Irali Mend frantically tapped the shoulder of his sleeping companion, brown eyes wide as he stared at the river ahead which he and his partner had taken to calling 'Devil's Hook.' On a normal day, he would have been staring in awe and wonder and the gigantic creatures that burst out of the water every now and then to bathe in the sun.

Today, however, the sea was quiet. Far too quiet. And he knew why.

Teeth chattering, he had to resist an urge to punch his companion awake as a fleet of boats bigger than any he had ever laid eyes on rushed onto shore, night-black hulls imposing even under the afternoon sun. Considering this was that river, there was no question as to who the arrivals were, his suspicions further confirmed when companies of red armored soldiers descended from the largest of the boats onto the sandy beach.

The young scout further paled as hundreds of beastmen and mercenaries alighted from the other boats, the difference in the two armies apparent in the disciplined order by which the red army moved, neatly arranging themselves in tight formation as soon as foot met the sand. The other army led by Orthana was much more lax with their formation, with some laughing and boasting of their expectations of the battle to come.

"Wh-what's going on?" A light voice whispered from the side. Irali spared his waking partner a glance. The young Cerulian woman brushed hair the color of sand out the way of amber eyes which held traces of wariness and excitement. This woman, Corinne Fuze, just past twenty years of age, was a graduate of the only functioning academy in Rosendun. She had dragged Iralu Mend who had the fortune(?) of graduating in the same year into The Hopeful Maggots as she 'felt the winds blowing.' "They are already here?"

"It was as the General thought," Iralu muttered as he turned his attention back to the enemy at the shore. A red-haired man who seemed to be the general of the red army was having some sort of discussion with Orthana. Unfortunately, given the distance, he could not hear what was being said. "If the enemy was to come by sea, there are very few places they could alight."

"Hehe, those poor guys," Corinne said with a mischievous smirk thinking of the soldiers posted at the other potential exit points. "I'm afraid they have all waited for nothing. We'll be the ones bagging the merit this time."

I would rather not be anywhere close to the enemy. Although Iralu felt this way in his heart, he could not say it out loud. He knew how ambitious and hot-headed his partner could get. All saying that out loud would do is get him lectured on how he has to set his sights higher in life, and no reward comes without risk and blah blah blah...

Iralu kept his gaze on the army below, estimating their size. His brows furrowed upon realizing the red army were only a thousand men strong, not counting the obvious War Bards. Like the General said, if their numbers were too small, either they had trump cards of some sort or they were indeed strong enough to handle armies five times their size. Although neither of these options was comforting, Iralu knew it was not his job to worry over decisions of this magnitude—nor did he want to for that matter. He would just make his report then leave it to the General to figure out the rest.

Iralu took out the standard issue Rink from his backpack, a small smile on his face as he relished in one of the comforts of joining with a guild. Things like Rinks were much too difficult for the common populace to get their hands on as their numbers were limited and researchers had not yet found a method of faithfully manufacturing new ones. He'd heard rumors down the grapevine that their guild leader had succeeded in making something similar which could transport voices between two Rinks, but he would not believe till he saw it with his own eyes.