“The Proatine Kingdom...” King Allen muttered, repeating the name under his breath in response to Taycan’s suggestion. He had come to trust and refer to Siegfried van Proa as his uncle after the civil war of the Kiev Kingdom. This fate was the precise reason he had never forgotten to repay the favor and sent aid to the Proatine Kingdom when the latter needed it, even though his kingdom was left in ruins by the civil war. “The Proatine Kingdom didn’t respond to our last request for aid, did they, Supreme Commander?” ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡⁂𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢⁂𝘯𝘦𝘵 A shadow cast over King Allen’s face as he said those words. “Why would it be any different this time? The Proatine Kingdom had remained silent even when we reached out for help a few days ago... back when our situation was still somewhat manageable.” What King Allen said was true. He had immediately reached out to the Proatine Kingdom for help when the Holy Alliance attacked the Kiev Kingdom’s borders just a week ago. However, the Proatine Kingdom refused to come to their assistance. “His Majesty is currently away. As such, we are unable to mobilize our army. Our sincerest apologies on the matter, Your Majesty.” That was Michele's reply; he was the regent in Siegfried’s absence. King Allen understood why Michele had given him such a response, as from Michele’s position, he couldn’t move the military without the approval of King Siegfried. Still, that did not mean it softened the blow on King Allen. “What about trying one more time? King Siegfried van Proa is not the kind of person who would abandon us. He is a man of deep compassion and loyalty, so there must be a reason behind all this,” Taycan pressed again. “Last time, he was said to be absent. Perhaps he may have returned now? Please, just try to contact them once more, Your Majesty. At this point, they are the only hope we have.” King Allen gave in to Taycan’s firm request and decided to reach out to the Proatine Kingdom again. Odessa was about to come under siege, so it was unlikely that any difference would be made even if help were to come. However, letting his people die of thirst or surrendering without a fight was simply not an option for King Allen. Thus, he was going to try again, even if it meant getting rejected. It was all because he felt like grasping at straws if it meant the kingdom could survive this predicament. Meanwhile, Siegfried had just returned to the Middle Realm, and he was immediately greeted by his beloved wife and daughter, Brunhilde and Verdandi. “Welcome back, my love.” “Father! I missed you so much!” As always, they greeted him with open arms and big bright smiles. Siegfried felt a wave of emotions swell inside of him after seeing his beloved wife and daughter. There was a time when he was worried that he could never return to the Middle Realm after becoming a demon lord, so being able to see their smiles again filled him with joy that he couldn’t put into words. “Shall we have lunch together, my sweet daughter?” Siegfried lifted Verdandi into his arms and asked with a smile. “Yes!” Verdandi shouted with sheer delight. She rarely got to spend time with her father, so the fact that he wanted to eat lunch with her made her extremely happy. Soon after, Siegfried enjoyed a long-overdue family lunch with Brunhilde and Verdandi. Then, he stepped out into the garden with them for some tea time while bathing in the cool late autumn breeze. They peacefully enjoyed fragrant tea, sugary sweets, and buttery pastries together as a family. Michele approached Siegfried and cautiously said, “If I may have a word—” “Later,” Siegfried cut him off. He was not about to let anyone interrupt this long-awaited time with his family. After all, it had been nearly two weeks since he was last in the Proatine Kingdom. “You can go,” Brunhilde said gently. “No, I don’t want to right now,” Siegfried replied firmly, shaking his head. “Here, try this. It’s really good.” Siegfried placed a piece of the cake he was eating onto Brunhilde’s plate, shifting the subject immediately. “I understand. I will wait for Your Majesty,” Michele said with a bow. He understood exactly what Siegfried meant through his actions alone, so he quietly stepped back and waited. ‘I don't want anyone disturbing this moment,’ Siegfried thought as he fully focused on enjoying tea time with his family. After sunset, the tea time was finally over, and Siegfried approached Michele, who had been waiting for him in silence. “We have received an urgent message from the Kiev Kingdom, Your Majesty.” “From the Kiev Kingdom? Is it from Allen? Or from Taycan?” “I see... Is it about the Holy Alliance?” Siegfried grimaced and asked. “Yes, Your Majesty,” Michele replied with a nod. “So it’s war...” Siegfried muttered, biting his lips. He had already expected that the Holy Alliance would strike while the Marchioni Empire was in turmoil. “But winter is almost here,” Siegfried added while feeling the chill evening wind against his skin. Snow was beginning to fall across the continent, yet hot blood would soon stain the frozen ground. “There will be much bloodshed.” “Yes, I believe so, sire. I do not think a single day will pass without a battle from here on out.” “What’s the status of our kingdom?” “Due to the economic sanctions placed by the Holy Alliance, our cash flow has taken a hit. But in terms of reserves, especially food, we have more than enough. We could easily sustain ourselves for ten years even if we are at war.” “Really? Ah, but you don’t have to worry about food or supplies from now on.” “Huh? What do you mean by that?” “The Demon Realm will be sending tributes soon.” “I have heard that Your Majesty had become a demon lord, but... surely you do not mean to say—” “The Fifth Domain and Sixth Domain of the Demon Realm are now our colonies. And Metatron rules the Seventh Domain, so they are our allies.” “The Demon Realm can't offer much in terms of military strength, but they can certainly supply us with all the resources we need. Keep pushing forward with our projects, and don’t worry about the funding or supplies. We’ve got more than enough.” Michele was so shocked by what he just heard that his mouth went agape. As if becoming a demon lord was not surprising enough, Siegfried had colonized two domains within the Demon Realm. ‘Just what in the world are you, sire...?’ Michele wondered. He couldn’t begin to grasp the full extent of Siegfried’s power and limits. “So, the Kiev Kingdom is in danger? Is that it?” Siegfried asked. “Yes, Your Majesty. They sent an urgent plea for help a week ago, but with Your Majesty absent, we couldn’t mobilize our troops.” “What’s their current situation?” “Their capital city, Odessa, has been surrounded by the enemy.” “And how long can they hold out?” “Three days at most, sire.” “I see...” Siegfried nodded in response. Then, he said, “Send a message at once that we will be helping them.” “Then I will prepare the warp gate at once. Also, I will instruct Supreme Commander Oscar to prepare the entire army for deployment to the Kiev Kingdom—” “No, we won’t be sending our troops,” Siegfried said, shaking his head. “What?!” Michele was stunned by what he heard. Siegfried clearly said that they would be helping, so why wouldn't they send the army in? What was he talking about? “Keep the troops on standby. But deploying them isn’t part of the plan.” “Could you please explain in detail, sire?” With that, Siegfried scooped up Verdandi, who was soundly asleep, into his arms and headed for her bedroom. At the same time in the Kiev Kingdom... “S-Supreme Commander, sir! We have received a response from the Proatine Kingdom regarding our request!” Taycan turned to the communications officer who had come rushing into his office. “Really? What did they say?” “They agreed to help us, sir!” Taycan cheered the moment he heard the answer he had been hoping for. The Proatine Kingdom was a fledgling nation once, but they already had cemented their place as a great power. Moreover, it was ruled by none other than Siegfried van Proa, who was currently the most renowned person on the continent for his countless achievements. A nation like that offering to help was more than enough reason for Taycan to be overjoyed. “B-But... There is something peculiar about their response, sir.” However, the communication officer didn't look happy at all. Not a hint of joy could be found on his face even though the Proatine Kingdom had agreed to help them. “What do you mean by that?” Taycan asked, his face stiffening. A creeping sense of unease told him that the answer might not be quite what he was waiting for. “The number of troops they are sending is a bit...” “Don’t tell me they’re just sending a single division?” “Is it a single regiment?” “Just two people, sir.” “What...?” Taycan couldn’t believe his ears. The Kiev Kingdom’s capital city, Odessa, was surrounded by enemy forces and was on the brink of falling. And yet they were sending just two people? Not even a corps, nor a division, nor even a regiment? There was no other way to explain this other than a blatant mockery—an act of rubbing salt on an open wound. “Y-You bastard... Siegfried...! If you didn’t want to help, you could’ve just said so. Did you really have to go this far and humiliate us ?” Taycan growled as Siegfried’s face flashed across his mind. From his perspective, he would not have held it against Siegfried even if his request had been denied. Siegfried had already helped King Allen and the Kiev Kingdom once during the civil war, and he even saved them from an invasion by none other than King George III, who ruled one of the most powerful nations on the continent at that time. Thus, it would not be fair to call Siegfried cold-hearted if he refused to help this time. But to send just two people? That was a different story altogether. Siegfried could have simply refused to send help, and it would not have been held against him. So why had he decided to do something ? Was it necessary for him to make it feel like a cruel joke? “Siegfried... I didn’t think you were that kind of man...” The betrayal hit Taycan deep. He couldn’t help but feel extremely disappointed in the man he once trusted. “Well, I guess there’s nothing we can do...” Rather than raging at Siegfried, he simply gave in to the helplessness and despair gripping at him. He no longer had the strength to even get mad or waste cursing at someone else. The Holy Alliance would commence their siege in the morning. Now was the time to prepare for the Kiev Kingdom’s final battle—their last stand. The next morning, the Kiev Kingdom braced itself for all-out war; they were determined to fight a desperate last stand against the invasion of the Holy Alliance. It wasn't just the royal family; the citizens of Odessa had united as one as well. They were overwhelmingly in favor of fighting to the bitter end rather than surrendering to the enemy. Thus, it was decided that they would hold their ground and resist until the very last man standing. Unfortunately, the price for that choice was brutal. Mortar shells rained down from above like the rain. “F-For Kiev! For the motherla—ack!” The battle had begun at the break of dawn, yet there was no sign of the siege letting up even by midday. Taycan leaned against the ramparts and gasped for breath. He had been fighting since early morning, not resting even for a single minute or second. He had been running from one end of the wall to the other, fighting off the swarms of enemies climbing up the ramparts. Even as the Descendant of Thunder God Vajra, his body had finally hit its limit. He was trembling uncontrollably, and his muscles were twitching from sheer exhaustion. He could no longer stop his hands from shaking. “In the name of the One True God!” “Accept your divine punishment!” “Kill the heretics! All of them!” “Don’t leave a single heretic alive!” There was no end to the swarm of soldiers climbing the walls. There were so many of them that it was impossible to even estimate their numbers. Moreover, they were so relentless that they scaled the ramparts by stepping over the corpses of their dead comrades. There was no end to them. “We might not even make it to evening...” Taycan muttered under his breath, lowering his head. He thought that they could hold out for at least three or four days. However, the enemies were pressing forward with reckless abandon, without the slightest concern for their own losses. At this rate, they wouldn't survive until nightfall. ‘So this is how it ends... the kingdom will fall apart just ...’ Taycan thought as he slowly started drowning in despair. “Hey, what are you doing? Don’t tell me you’re already worn out?” A casual and nonchalant yet familiar voice spoke to him. “What the—” Taycan instinctively turned to the familiar voice, and his eyes shot wide open in shock. “Y-You...! You!” He was sitting on the rampart, grinning. Beside him was his ever-present partner, Hamchi. “What the hell are you doing here? I thought you said you wouldn’t be sending any reinforcements...?” “Hey, when did I ever say that I won’t be sending any reinforcements? I clearly said I’ll be sending two people, didn’t I?” Siegfried frowned and grumbled in response. “D-Don’t tell me by two people you meant... you and Hamchi?!” “Nope,” Siegfried shook his head. Then, he pointed at the giant hamster and said, “Does he look like a person to you? He’s an animal.” “Kyaaaak! What did you just say, you crazy bastard?! Hamchi is NOT an animal! Who the hell are you calling a rodent?!” Hamchi shrieked in anger, his fur bristling upright. “There’s someone else. Ah, but maybe that guy’s not a person either? What should I call him then?” “W-What the hell are you even talking about...?” Taycan asked, looking confused. “You’ll see soon enough, buddy,” Siegfried said with a smirk. Then, he walked slowly along the wall as if taking a leisurely stroll. ‘What are you even thinking, Siegfried...?’ Taycan was completely lost. He had no idea what was going through Siegfried’s mind, and the more he tried to understand Siegfried, the more confused he became.