NOVEL WEB Chapter 228: Imperial Wizard Army In Chaos
To the celestial bodies, today was just another day of work.
The sun ascended its heavenly throne, as per usual, illuminating the world with its warm and hopeful rays.
Beneath the sunrise, it was still dark.
…For those who survived the war in eastern Maegrath.
A majority of the surviving wizards of the Thirteenth and Fourteenth regiments, and the Prospect Platoons, were glad that they were now en route back to the safe borders of the empire, riding comfortably in military vehicles.
They still found it difficult to believe they somehow survived all that.
The Zephyr Battalion and the Boulder Guards, on the other hand, were as gloomy as one could be.
The former had lost all their officers, and the fate of their leader was unknown.
In fact, if they admitted what they believed in all honesty, they already considered Zephyron dead.
His chances of surviving an opponent whom Targon Rockbarrow couldn't defeat were slim.
On the other hand, the Boulder Guards were in a far more sorry state.
Their officers who were still out there had probably all perished, while their lord had been confirmed dead, his head brutally kept by the Atrox Seres as a trophy.
The two elite wizard groups didn't know whether their organization would continue to exist after this…
Who could've expected that night, sitting beside the campfire while munching on roast meat, laughing, chatting, and drinking alcoholic beverages with their brothers and sisters in arms, would be the last?
They've been through a lot.
While they've suffered a few casualties here and there, this was the first time their groups lost members to the point of being uncertain whether they would be disbanded or not.
Oh, the warm and happy days…
They should've bonded more…
Earlier, they were able to reclaim the resources in the Parralen Valley Outpost, as even though the stronger wizards were able to sense the presence of the fell, there were far too few for them to worry about.
The Fellkin Warriors also didn't dare reveal themselves, either, fully surrendering the outpost to the human army in utter disbelief.
'How the hell did the bastards escape?!' was the resonating thought in their minds.
With this, the surviving wizards of the Imperial Wizard Army were able to secure the Manatech Vehicles parked in the outpost, along with a decent supply of food and beverages.
What they obtained should be enough to last them until they arrived at the bustling city near the empire's borders: Aeloria.
The engines hummed as the massive convoy of manatech vehicles traveled in a neat double line formation.
There were at least ten large vehicles that could fit fifty soldiers each, a little over twenty medium-sized ones, and the smaller ones used by the Prospect Platoons, all travelling through the pebbly and dusty terrain.
In one of the large vehicles…
"S-Sir Emmanuel, the call went through!"
"Quick, hand me the communicator!"
***
**
The scorching rays of the mid-morn sun shone through the tall windows of a massive meeting room with a huge flag of the Arcanum Imperium hung on the walls.
Inside, more than twenty high-ranked people, all middle-aged men and women, sat across from each other with a vast meeting table at their center.
They all had stern looks on their faces as they looked at the man on the far end of the table, the side near the meeting board.
The middle-aged man with a goatee, a lean, muscular physique, and a neat buzz cut, scanned his eyes over the meeting participants, pleased that no one was late.
"Gunther, what's the situation in the Ancient Great Forest of Eordyrr? Have we tracked down the leviathan?" asked the seemingly highest-ranking man.
The man with long brown hair named Gunther saluted as he replied:
"Reporting to Marshal Jubal! We've found leads in the form of three dead S-ranked monsters leading to the north of the Ancient Great Forest, close to the northern borders. We've requested a team of high-ranking elite wizards, with a master wizard at the helm, to track it down. We should be able to obtain much-desired results in two to three weeks!"
Marshal Jubal nodded, turning to another of his high-ranking subordinates, a female Brigadier General with a rose eye-patch on her left eye, asking:
"General Maeren, any news about the eastern battlefield?"
Maeren didn't appear as stiff as the others, seemingly knowing Jubal's temperament better.
"Sigh…still nothing, Marshal Jubal. As you know, the Manatech Researchers are still in the process of completing the military communicators with anti-spatial-jamming technology. They still haven't contacte–"
But before Brigadier General Maeren, who was responsible for the Thirteenth to Fifteenth Regiments, could finish her report, the meeting room's door slammed open.
A young man in his late twenties then entered, huffing and puffing with an urgent look on his face.
All the high-ranking officers inside the room frowned at the interruption.
However, they also felt slightly nervous, as a young officer would never dare disrupt a Legion Meeting without a heavy enough reason.
And noticing that the young man was from the Fifth Brigade…
News from the Eastern Battlefield!
Maeren couldn't help but feel anxious, knowing that the young man carried crucial information for two of the three regiments under her.
While they were entrusted to two Magnas, both of which were stronger than her, she couldn't help but feel uneasy when they left.
They were her men, and it was impossible for her not to be worried.
Sure, the Magnas were mighty, and they had a bit of experience helping with military matters.
But they didn't have degrees in this field like the generals.
There would be times when they might make questionable decisions, especially since their viewpoints differ.
The Magnas were more affiliated with the Imperial Castle and the Imperial Wizard Guild than the Imperial Wizard Army, after all.
"Officer Emil, breathe, and then speak," the one-eyed Brigadier General instructed.
The young officer named Emil seemingly managed to recollect a bit of himself after hearing his general's voice, though his body couldn't stop shaking, finding it difficult to bear the information he had.
A few seconds later, he looked his superior in the eyes:
"R-Reporting to Brigadier General Maeren! I bear news from Sir Emmanuel of the Boulder Guards!" Emil began, finding it difficult to continue.
But he had to.
"Both Parralen Valley and Kaikar Mountain Pass were lost! The Thirteenth and Fourteenth Regiments suffered horrendous losses, with both Magna Prospects, Felix Dargon and Pierro Macario, falling in battle! H-Hal Fennec and Ennya Kasai managed to survive, b-b-but Lord Targon was slain by the fell race's Atrox Seres!"
Every high-ranking officer in the room trembled at the report, their hearts dropping in panic.
Even the scary-looking Legion Marshal, Jubal, stood up, his breathing growing ragged as he struggled to accept the information.
A Seres?!
Eastern Maegrath fell into the hands of the enemy!
To make matters worse, the Earth Magna had been killed in battle!
It was an absolute disaster for the empire.
Maeren was forced to listen on the sidelines as Jubal directly talked with the young officer.
"Then what about Lord Zephyron?!"
"A-As per Sir Emmanuel, Lord Zephyron covered the retreat and was currently engaging the Atrox Seres in a duel!
The survivors of the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Regiments are also requesting reinforcements who could safely escort them to the borders of the empire, preferably with a Magna or a former Magna as the relief force's commander.
They said they wouldn't be able to ensure Hal Fennec and Ennya Kasai's safety from a Disaster-class Fellkin otherwise!"