868 The Alliance's Stronghold

"Hmm…"

Later that night, as Rey lay on his bed in his room, he couldn't help but think.

The darkness surrounding him felt like it was consuming him whole—not that Rey felt that way in the slightest. Since he could see everything clearly, as if it were day, nothing about the darkness in his room bothered him one bit.

Even as he lay motionless on his bed, he could see his study chair, desk, wardrobe, and all the amenities that his room possessed. Most importantly, he could feel the silence that it provided.

After such a noisy and eventful day, such a calm ambiance was what he needed the most—and it felt amazing.

'I wonder how they're all holding up… and how much they'll have to endure.' His thoughts flowed as the image of the United Human Alliance's forces appeared in his mind.

His thoughts then focused on a single member of the forces—Alicia White.

'So far, things haven't been serious on their end. But, if what Adrien says is correct, then… their fight is about to get a whole lot worse.'

The Dragon Empire considered humans a low priority, so they never really dispatched an optimal force on them. Rey had witnessed the armies that the Dragon sent to fight the Elves, and based on Ater's reports, he knew the incredible size of the armies that were sent to fight the Dwarves and Giants respectively.

Compared to those, the human battlefield almost resembled a playground.

'With things getting a lot more dangerous, it's possible that they won't be able to handle it. Though…' His emotions calmed down as he closed his eyes and exhaled deeply. '... They should probably be fine.'

Right now, the most he could do was prepare them for the conflict by sending them a warning of what was to come. After that, he had to focus on his own mission and keep his fingers crossed for the Western Battlefront.

'Of course, if things get out of hand, I'll have to intervene.'

However, he had a good reason to believe that things were most definitely going to be just fine.

'I will definitely take you back home, Alicia! I promise!'

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[Meanwhile…]

{Location: The Alliance Fortress, Western Continent}

In a remote, rocky region—due North of the Western Continent—where steep mountains reached into the clouds, stood the United Human Alliance Fortress. Built into the side of the biggest mountain, this stronghold was a large and strong structure. Its thick stone walls were lined with steel and magic, glowing faintly at night, to protect against dragon fire, while also resistant to projectile assaults.

The fortress had several levels climbing up the mountain. The outer wall was the first line of defense, dotted with towers and large crossbows designed to shoot down dragons. There were also several more traps at their disposal—most of which would only work on mere Newts and low-leveled soldiers, nothing more.

Inside the fortress, life was busy. The narrow streets were lined with homes and barracks, all made of the same tough stone as the walls. The lower levels housed the forges where blacksmiths worked day and night, crafting weapons and armor. Smoke filled the air, mixing with the sounds of hammers striking metal.

In front of the fortress, the battlefield was a grim sight. The land was burnt and scarred from past battles, with the remains of both humans and dragons scattered across the ground. The sky above was often gray, casting a somber light on the destruction below.

Then, at the very top of the fortress was the war room.

This was where the leaders gathered to plan their next moves, and at the moment it was filled with the most commotion in the whole fortress. The room was simple, with a large stone table in the middle covered with maps. The walls were lit by torches and decorated with the banner of the United Human Alliance, as well as various plans pasted in strategic places.

Around the table sat the leaders: Chief Warrior Brutus, Admiral Lucy, Otherworlders Clark, Trisha, and Alicia, Strategist Lang, and finally Vice Admiral Lubick—a total of seven.

The atmosphere in the room was tense. The three Otherworlders in the room seemed a little out of place, considering their much younger age when compared to the others in the room. However, since they had spent weeks in this place, they had gotten used to the dynamics.

They weren't the most mature or experienced, but they were the strongest.

As such, everyone accorded them with respect, and they were granted sufficient room to give their opinions. It was also only fair that they were involved in planning, considering they would be dispatched to various points in the battlefield, and they would need an in-depth understanding of the plan—particularly what was expected of them.

For all of these reasons, both Otherworlders and Natives of H'Trae worked very seamlessly towards the grand goal of winning the war.

And, from how things had been for the past few weeks, it seemed they were actually nearing that objective.

Until—

"What do you think about the message from Sir Rey? According to his report, an armada of Dragons is incoming." Admiral Lucy, who was practically in charge of leading the forces and making the tough calls, spoke up.

One of her eyes was covered in her black eyepatch, while her crimson hair danced behind her as she spoke gravely.

Her eye was on the three Otherworlders before her.

"I believe we ought to take it seriously, considering Rey is in their territory." The first to speak was the Grand Paladin Clark.

"I agree with Clark." Trisha added with a deep frown. "It must be really serious if he chose to warn us."

The Admiral, Vice Admiral, Strategist, and Head Warrior all nodded in agreement to this.

However, there was one person who was yet to speak.

"What do you think about all of this, Lady Alicia White?"

All eyes fell on the beautiful girl in the room, Her long brown hair remained still as she held her chin and read the letter with her own two eyes.

After a few seconds of silence, she finally spoke up.

"Let's try our hardest." Looking at everyone with a smile on her face, she finally spoke up. "This isn't a fight we can afford to lose."

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