Ma’se’s Burden and the Queen’s Decree

Within the fortress, on the southwestern frontier.

Ma’se lay upon his bed, thick bandages swathing his body. Though his face appeared serene, the occasional twitch of his brow betrayed the severity of his wounds.

That day, upon seeing the Winged Race member beside Lu Kaer and Lu Qier, Ma’se knew defeat was inevitable. He could barely hold his own against just Lu Qier and Lu Kaer, let alone with the addition of another Winged Race powerhouse whose strength was no less than theirs.

Moreover, once he learned of the Dragon Race’s offensive, Ma’se understood: this war was lost.

Under the Dragon Race’s subtle coercion, the Winged Race and Beast Race lowered their guard against each other. They diverted a portion of their border forces to the battlefield, tipping the scales heavily in favor of the Winged Race, where forces had previously been barely balanced.

Coupled with the disparity in high-tier combatants, the Human Race was destined for utter defeat.

Therefore, Ma’se knew he absolutely could not die. If he perished in this battle, the Human Race wouldn’t even be able to mount a desperate defense.

The liberation of at least two high-tier Winged Race combatants would cause the Human Race’s southwestern defense line to collapse rapidly, leaving no hope for recovery.

Ultimately, Ma’se fought with reckless abandon, sustaining severe injuries himself, but successfully incapacitating two of the three Winged Race powerhouses. With them temporarily unable to fight, he ordered a retreat.

Lying on his bed, a worried frown creased Ma’se’s face. With all three races launching offensives against humanity, what hope did the Human Race have?

Through countless wars, the Human Race’s high-tier combatants had dwindled to only himself, Kael, the Queen, and her personal guards. Almost all of the Queen’s forces were deployed along the Dragon Race border.

With the Dragon Race already attacking, these vital forces could not be redeployed to offer support here.

However, the Winged Race now boasted six high-tier combatants, including the newly arrived one! Ma’se could hold back two of them personally.

The shadow guard recently dispatched by the Queen could contain one, and his son could barely manage another. The remaining two would have to be stalled by the various Marquises and Counts.

If any of these defenses broke, the liberated high-tier combatants would unleash a terrifying slaughter upon the ordinary soldiers!

While the situation with the Beast Race, though precarious, wasn’t as terrifying as here, it was still dire. Yet, the greatest concern wasn’t the Winged or Beast Races, but the Dragon Race.

To pit the weakest against the strongest in a head-on confrontation was incredibly perilous.

Even with the majority of the Human Race’s strength concentrated there, anxiety persisted. Should that front collapse, the entire war would be irrevocably lost.

‘Knock, knock, knock.’

A series of knocks echoed through the quiet room.

‘Come in,’ Ma’se called out.

Ma’se pulled his thoughts back, his voice, despite his physical weakness, resonating with its usual vigor. He knew he couldn’t afford to show any sign of decline; he was the linchpin of this southwestern border defense.

As the door swung open, a figure entered. It was a girl, entirely shrouded in black clothing.

Number Three.

‘What is it?’ Ma’se asked, looking at the approaching girl with a hint of confusion.

In the short day since his incapacitation, Ma’se had learned much about this girl, one of the Queen’s shadow guards. She was the type who could go an entire day without speaking a word if there was no task to fulfill.

Though she had meticulously managed the fortress’s affairs after his collapse, he knew it was merely her duty. Thus, she would never approach him without a specific purpose.

True to his assessment, the girl approached Ma’se. Without a single inquiry about his condition, she directly presented him with a piece of paper.

‘A document from the Queen,’ she stated.

Ma’se took the document, and as he read, his brow furrowed deeply.

The words were numerous, mostly descriptions and arrangements regarding the war’s current state. Yet, after sifting through them, only one core message remained.

It commanded them to hold back the Winged Race with all their might. Once matters in the Royal City were concluded, the Queen herself would lead a campaign. The Dragon Race conflict would be swiftly resolved, and those forces would then be redeployed to this front.

‘The Queen would personally lead a campaign after swiftly resolving matters in the Royal City?’

‘It seems a bloodbath is about to erupt in the Royal City,’ Ma’se murmured softly.

With a quiet sigh, Ma’se tossed the paper aside.

‘I shall take my leave now,’ Number Three said flatly.

After her terse statement, Number Three departed immediately. Just as Ma’se had understood, she had no interest in further details; she was merely executing her mission.

After Number Three left, a flicker of thought crossed Ma’se’s eyes, quickly followed by a smirk of derision.

‘It appears certain individuals have greatly angered the Queen. But then again, knowing war was imminent, they still dared to stir up trouble, essentially seeking their own demise.’

‘No wonder the Queen would rather set aside the war effort to eliminate them first!’

This made everything clear. Jiu Hui was merely a bait intentionally thrown out by the Queen, who knew war was coming, to root out certain cancerous elements. Those fools had foolishly taken the bait.

The Royal City would soon descend into chaos as well. He wondered how many would die this time, and if it would be as bloody as when the Queen first ascended the throne.

‘Speaking of which, the Queen truly lived up to her military background. Even in such a perilous situation, she dared to first sever her own corrupted arm!’

‘Hahaha, excellent! Strong-willed, with a heart of ice, terrifying to behold, completely to my liking!’

‘Since the Queen possessed such courage, he too could not disappoint her. Even if it meant sacrificing his old life, he would surely buy the Queen enough time to crush the Dragon Race!’

****

Meanwhile, in a grand estate within the Royal City, a man sat in the main seat, his gaze chilling as he read a piece of intelligence in his hand.

‘The Queen is personally leading a campaign? It seems time has run out. We must act quickly.’

‘However, convincing that fool to make a move will be somewhat difficult.’

A flicker of cold mockery crossed the man’s eyes at the thought.

He rose to his feet, and the lingering light of the not-yet-set sun illuminated his face. It was none other than the Count who had previously attempted to assassinate Jiu Hui!