Arrival at the Watchtower City

“Mmm…” Anto felt everything soft and comfortable in his sleep, allowing him a rare good night’s rest. Upon waking, he found himself still cradled in Sister Lu Wei’s embrace, who herself was now slumped forward, eyes closed, deep in slumber.

“Sister Lu Wei… Sister Lu Wei?” Anto whispered softly.

Lu Wei slowly opened her eyes. “Mmm… You rested quite well, little Anto… I slept soundly too, haha.”

“Sister Lu Wei, you didn’t rest well last night, did you?” Anto asked, sitting up.

Lu Wei shook her head. “Not at all. I can rest well anywhere. It seems you’re fully awake now?”

“Yes,” Anto affirmed, rising to his feet before asking the coachman up front, “Where are we now?”

“We’ll reach the outpost soon,” the coachman replied. “Sisters, you can still rest for a while longer.”

“It’s alright,” Anto said, stretching slightly within the carriage. Having been curled up, resting his head on Lu Wei’s lap, he had enjoyed a rare, truly good rest. Yet, such indulgence couldn’t last; he quickly composed himself.

“Speaking of which, those refugees…” Lu Wei began, lifting her head. “When we were treating them, they mentioned that among the fallen villages, there are still some of our brethren.”

“You mean the one known as Father Corvin? I’m not sure which church he belongs to,” another nun, seated nearby, interjected. “But we must pray for his actions. He sent out the last group of people when the village fell, while he himself…”

“If possible, I’d like to see if we can ask the outpost commander to investigate the area later and perhaps hold a mass for our fallen comrade,” Anto finished.

Lu Wei looked at him, smiling. “Little Anto, you truly are so kind. To think of such things even now.”

“Because… the priest I knew also sacrificed himself to protect others. These people shouldn’t end up forgotten,” Anto murmured. However, he knew full well that even if he wished to act, the commanders would never agree. After all, while compassionate, they also bore heavy responsibilities and couldn’t disregard the greater good for personal sentiment.

“We will soon reach our designated position. The one and only thing everyone must remember is to follow orders,” the leading nun declared.

The other nuns nodded in unison. They understood that in a place like a border outpost, only strict adherence to commands ensured survival and a safe return home. Consequently, everyone appeared remarkably obedient. These were trained nuns, not merely naive young women.

The carriage and the convoy slowly advanced, soon reaching the only illuminated spot within the forest. The border outpost still stood firm. Just by peering out, Anto could smell the pervasive scent of blood—from the gore-stained walls and the ubiquitous craters on the ground. This place was perpetually in a state of war, an unceasing battleground.

“We are the Border Volunteer Corps, here to assist the border outpost!” Knight Commander Greer announced, a royal decree clutched in his hand. “Lower the drawbridge and allow us entry!”

“Understood!” a voice from above responded after confirmation. The drawbridge slowly descended, and then the great gate finally swung open, revealing several armored soldiers emerging from within.

“…Thank the heavens you’ve finally arrived! Compared to the other contingents, you are truly reliable.” Hearing this, Greer stepped forward to inquire, “What happened to the other teams?”

“They were all attacked, more or less. The First Legion was scattered, with only scattered groups escaping over the past few days. Half of the Second Legion fell in the forest, and only a remnant force made it through. We had almost given up hope of your arrival, but… thank the heavens, you’ve reached us safely,” the officer among the soldiers stated. “What are the King’s orders? What’s our next move?”

“The answer is to first hold our ground, clear the surrounding villages, and then find a way to annihilate the major threat: the tide of the undead surging from the rift.”

“…Another order like this. Clearing the surrounding villages is already our limit. To face a tide of the undead… we simply don’t have enough men.”

“I agree,” Greer nodded. “So, what are your thoughts?”

“The tide of the undead isn’t targeting Draynes,” the officer explained. “Thanks to a few cavalry units earlier, they managed to alter the enemy’s general movement. Instead of a direct assault on the outpost, the undead were diverted towards the snow plains. There, we’ll see if the orcs or the neighboring kingdom’s outposts can hold them back. For us, we just need to clear the immediate vicinity over the next few days. But we must be careful; now that we’ve finally driven those creatures away from Draynes, we absolutely cannot allow them to return.”

“…They went to the snow plains?” Greer took a deep breath. “In that case, have we issued warnings to the border fortresses of other kingdoms?”

“The signal fires have never ceased, nor has the wolf smoke. Even if the tide of the undead headed that way, there are still a considerable number of stragglers in the forests of Draynes. Our top priorities right now are recapturing our lost villages and re-establishing a barrier at the rift. We’re very glad you’ve come. By the way, I am Piante, the forward commanding officer of the watchtower.”

“I am Greer.”

“Of course, I know you, General Greer. By the way, how heavy is the proportion of medicine in your supplies this time? It’s not that I’m being greedy or anything, but after prolonged fighting, most of my brothers are wounded. Our apothecaries have used every last bit of medicine they had, yet…”

“We didn’t bring many medicines,” Greer replied, a faint smile gracing his lips. “However, within my contingent, there is a group of people even more important and more needed than medicine for you.” He stepped to the side, then pointed towards a carriage adorned with a cross.

Seeing the carriage, Piante’s eyes widened with delight. “This is truly a grand gift! Good heavens, I never imagined a Papal aid team would actually arrive! This will make our recovery efforts so much easier and more effective. You truly are saviors for this region!”

“So, let’s not linger here talking. The forest truly is teeming with stragglers, so shouldn’t we enter the city quickly?”

“Indeed. Welcome to the border city, Risen, the Watchtower City,” Piante said, guiding the convoy inside. “Welcome, brave warriors of the border kingdom.”