I awoke to the sound of a rooster crowing in the distance. I stretched my arms and got off my bed. I opened the window and saw a dark purple sky. I glanced at the grandfather clock; it was a little after six in the morning.

"Good morning," a feminine voice pierced the silence.

"A blessed morning to you, Dovarata," I replied and looked across the floor at the Draco, who was leaning against the wall next to the exit. "I'm going to rely on you today," I noted.

"Yes, you will," she grinned and puffed her chest.

"Do you know what the Wand of Cold does?" I asked. I was too embarrassed to ask Mordekai and Galvorg yesterday how to use the wand.

The Draco frowned. "Hold the wand and concentrate on seeing its charges. You should get a message with an update," she explained.

I pulled the item out of my Bag of Holding, and I concentrated on seeing its charges. I received a pop-up message: "Wand of Cold. Available charges: 80. Usage: Cone of Cold (5 charges), Block of Ice (1 charge per cubic foot), Ice Storm (1 charge per square inch)." I read the notification aloud.

"80 charges isn't bad," Dovarata remarked with a nod. Theoretically, a wand could hold up to 100 charges, but those purchased from vendors usually contain a lesser amount.

I considered this new information. If my math was correct, I could use this magic item to cast Cone of Cold sixteen times. The spell had a quick casting time, and it was particularly effective against red dragons since it would inflict double damage on Fire-aligned creatures. Ice Storm, on the other hand, was a slow-casting area-of-effect (AoE) spell more useful to attack lower level enemies. Block of Ice was probably a minor variation of Wall of Ice but allowed more customization. I could see myself using this spell to encase Hleara's wings; it would be deadly while she was in flight. Muahahaha!

Dovarata saw my weird facial expression and asked, "Is something wrong?"

"Nope! Everything's fine!" I said enthusiastically. "Let's get my followers and then head over to The Big Oak Tree for breakfast!"

"After we wake up your little kitty," the Draco reminded me while pointing at Bila, who was asleep on the sofa.

I quickly walked over to the cat girl to hide my embarrassment. I shook Bila's arm until she awoke. "It's time to leave," I said.

The cat girl hissed in annoyance. She dreamed of catching a big fish in the river. Bila stretched her back and hopped off the couch. She retrieved her two swords off the ground and tied them to her hips. Bila hurried out of the door and paced the room back and forth until we joined her and Van.

Van was uncharacteristically silent this morning; he merely watched Bila's amusing antics as entertainment while leaning against the wall.

I locked the door to the workshop, and we teleported to the Guest Rooms. The lobby was at the center of the floor, which had a circular hallway beyond the lobby, and doors along the corridor leading to the guest rooms. There were restrooms at the northern, eastern, southern and western corners.

Since I had no idea which rooms belonged to my followers, I had to wait for them in the lobby. Fortunately, the four groups soon trickled in. I was happy to see that everyone looked alert and ready to leave. "A blessed morning, my friends. We're going to eat a hearty breakfast at The Big Oak Tree, and then we'll walk to the Public Square," I announced. I cast Gate with the tavern as the destination.

My followers walked through the golden portal and arrived in front of the tavern.

I stepped through the Gate last and closed the portal behind me. Once I entered The Big Oak Tree, I was surprised to see that the dining room was already half-full with patrons.

"Champion-Champion-Champion!" the customers cheered when they noticed my arrival.

"A blessed morning to everyone. We will be departing for war today. Therefore, please order whatever you want. I will cover the tab. But no alcohol!" I warned them.

The patrons laughed and cheered.

My followers claimed some empty tables, while I continued walking toward the VIP room.

When I finally sat down, I exhaled a deep breath. Before the waitress came into the room to take our orders, Rijana arrived with the rest of my party.

"Why is everyone so rowdy outside?" Bjoukia asked.

"Our Champion here offered to pay for everyone's food this morning," Bila explained while poking my cheek.

"But Brother Mulligan expressly forbids alcohol," Van quickly added.

"Good!" Sister Waverly nodded with approval as she took her seat. Avoid alcohol before entering combat because a drunk warrior will suffer from slower body movements and inhibited reflexes.

An elven worker entered the room. She looked at me anxiously and asked, "The patrons said you would cover their tab. Is this correct, milord?"

"Yes," I replied.

"In that case, my employer requires a deposit of one hundred gold coins," the waitress demanded with a calm demeanor while expecting an angry outburst from me.

"Sure!" Since my survival in the war was uncertain, I understood the tavern owner's desire for payment up front rather than settle the tab with my estate. I untied my money sack and counted this sum of money on the table. I organized the gold coins into ten stacks of ten coins each. "Please take it."

"Yes, milord." The worker breathed a sigh of relief at my reaction as she took out a sack.

I held the pouch open while the Elf pushed the coins through the opening.

The waitress tied a string to close the bag. "In recognition of your departure from London this morning, The Big Oak Tree has prepared a special feast for your party. Is that okay?" she asked with a smile.

"What are you serving?" Bila interrupted.

"Beef stew, fish, and roasted chicken with a side of rice, beans, and steamed vegetable," the employee announced proudly.

"That's fine," I agreed. I was prepared to eat more oatmeal this morning, and I was delighted to learn otherwise.

The cat girl started drooling.

"Yes, milord," the waitress bowed and departed with the sack of coins.

A few minutes later, a group of servers entered our room. Instead of giving each patron a platter, the tavern employees placed large dishes at the middle of the table. As promised, there were chicken, beef, and fish. Each of us received a plate, and Bila began to load her plate with food.

I took a small portion of the beef stew and roasted chicken, plus rice and vegetables. The food filled only two-thirds of my plate. I was concerned that filling up my stomach would slow my body movements during combat. I ate my breakfast slowly, savoring the rich taste in every bite. The act of eating helped keep my mind off the upcoming conflict.

My companions, aside from Bila, ate their food in silence; the crass cat girl smacked her lips loudly as she turned into a machine and devoured an entire, three-foot-long fish by herself! "Burp!"

No need to guess who made that rude noise!

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When Bila finished, I looked around the table to confirm that everyone had also finished eating. I saw that they were waiting for me to leave. I rose from my seat, and my party followed me out of the private dining room.

When I entered the regular dining room, the patrons started pumping their fists and chanted, "Champion-champion-champion!" I waved my hand at them.

My followers stood up and left their tables to join my entourage.

When we returned to the lobby, all the elven workers at The Big Oak Tree gathered and said in unison, "Good luck, Champion!"

I waved at them with a smile and left the tavern. I activated Navigation Sense and recalled the map of London. We were currently in the eastern section of the city, while the Public Square was in the western region. Thus, my group headed west.

The people on the streets noticed my approach, and they immediately parted to make way for me.

My bodyguards surveyed our surroundings continuously to check for any hidden danger.

It took almost a half-hour to reach the Public Square, but we made it before the eighth bell. Whew!

When I arrived at the square, a young lad in a white robe approached me. "Champion Mulligan, the War Council requests your presence."

"Please take me to them," I replied. I followed the boy to a tent at a corner of the square. I saw many knights, clerics, and mages guarding the tent; they stood in a circle with the tent behind their backs. I received a salute from the knights when they recognized me.

When I entered the tent, I saw a group of people hunched over a map on a table. They were Saint John the Kind, Regent Paget, Baron Kingsbury, Mordekai the Wiseman, Kalistra, and Roen.

I was initially surprised to see Kalistra and Roen joining the War Council, but as I thought more, it made sense. Kalistra was here as the representative of the animal people; she was the Headmaster of a prestigious dojo and a former Champion of the Melee Tournament. Therefore, she had the respect of the beastkin, and they saw her as a natural leader of their people.

Roen, on the other hand, was a representative of The Elven Nation. The half-elf was the spymaster for the Elves who closely followed the affairs of the kingdom, and he was here to share his intelligence information to the council.

"A blessed morning to you all," I greeted with a respectful bow. I approached the Saint to kiss his hand, but the man shook his head.

"A blessed morning to you, Brother Mulligan," Saint John said. "As the Champion of Order, it is no longer appropriate for you to kiss my hand," he explained.

"I see," I smiled apologetically.

"I should have explained the proper protocols to you," he responded.

The regent cleared his throat. Paget had a look of annoyance on his face. "We're wasting time!" he hissed.

The church leader offered an apologetic nod.

Regent Paget motioned for me to approach the table.

I took the time to scrutinize the map. It depicted the entire continent of Britannia. There were wooden figurines depicting goblins and orcs on the front line of the army of Chaos, with ogres toward the back and numerous ballistae behind them. A statuette was portraying Arthur as a black night riding a red dragon at the middle. Next to him were wyverns! Behind these monsters were lizardkin, which served as the rearguard. Strangely enough, there were blank, open spaces behind Arthur.

I pointed at the open space. "Why don't we have information for those spots?" I inquired.

Mordekai spoke up. "There is magical interference; our Clairvoyance spells could not break through," he explained ruefully.

"Is that a static dead zone or does it move with the army?" I pressed him.

"It moves," the white mage answered with a frown.

"Anti-magic barrier," I realized aloud.

The two spellcasters present nodded in agreement.

"Then we don't know who else has joined Arthur's army except that they can use powerful magic," I surmised.

"That is my assumption as well," the Wiseman admitted.

I shared my suspicion: "Let's assume there's more than one lich with Arthur."

Saint John winced at the notion because the Church had the primary responsibility to rid Britannia of the undead. And it would be challenging for the Church to fight the liches, which were being protected by their allies.

I stared at the map again. The army of Chaos was currently moving through the Pennines, also known as the "backbone of England." "Is it possible to transport our troops to the mountains? We'll gain the advantage of higher grounds," I pointed out.

Baron Kingsbury patted my back. "Excellent!" he praised me. "Yes, we've been following their movement closely. We decided to move today precisely because that army is traveling between the mountains."

"The Elven Nation is offering assistance to transport your troops. We Elves are most familiar with the Pennines," Roen spoke up for the first time.

I nodded. I had met Roen's wife, who was a Gatekeeper and specialized in travel magic. Another elven travel specialist joined my party when we visited Hleandros' lair. "Is the Elven Nation providing troops to fight?" I inquired. Before I entered this tent, I took a look at the army gathered in the Public Square. I saw humans, beastkin, and a smattering of dwarves and gnomes, but no elves.

Roen shook his head. "Gaea has not granted us permission to participate fully in this war," he answered with a frown.

I patted his back. "It's fine. Your Goddess has been generous in lending us her gatekeepers," I replied. While I was disappointed that the Elves refused to fight alongside my army of Order, I needed to maintain good relations with The Elven Nation. Thus, I made a face-saving comment publicly.

The half-elf smiled in appreciation. Roen was equally surprised, but the Goddess was adamant in limiting the Elves' participation in this war. He assumed that it was because the Drow had also declined to participate, and Gaea wanted to ensure their dark cousins would stay out of the war altogether.

I turned back toward the Regent. "How will our forces be divided? We should keep our heavily armored knights up front to stall the goblins and orcs. If they are in disarray, then their army can't advance to our cities. We also need to harass the rearguard; I think the beastkin will be best suited for that role. Our spellcasters will have to conserve their mana until we can target the middle. We must destroy those ballistae! Once we carve a path through the middle, then I can then fly in and take on Arthur," I said.

The Baron clapped his hands and laughed. "I approve of you as my future son-in-law! Hahahahaha!"

Paget stare's burned holes in my skull.

I was confused by his reaction. "Did I do something wrong?" I asked meekly. I felt a furry paw grip my shoulder, and I turned to face my master in swordsmanship.

"You figured out our war plan," Kalistra answered as her whiskers and ears twitched. "Well done," she whispered for my ears only.

"I'm glad to have our plans vindicated by a fresh set of eyes," Saint John added diplomatically with a secret wink at me.

Roen cleared his throat. "Is there any opposition to these plans?" he asked and waited for someone to speak up. In the face of silence, Roen said, "Then this war meeting is over. I'll ask my gatekeepers to create Gates to the Pennines immediately. I will direct your troops to the appropriate Gate. May the Gods be with us all." He bowed deeply and left the tent.

"Where do you want me?" I asked while looking directly at the Regent.

"As the Champion of Order, your place is at the front line. Your presence will raise our army's morale," the nobleman answered.

"Okay. I'll gather my followers. Please let me know when we're ready to march," I said and received a sharp nod from the Regent. I nodded slightly and approached the exit.

Before I stepped out, Kalistra stopped me. "It's too bad we cannot fight side-by-side today," my Headmaster lamented as her tail lashed out. "You have one responsibility: defeat the Champion of Chaos." She gripped my forearm.

"I will!" I reciprocated and squeezed her forearm.

The cat girl released me and shoved my back gently. "Go."

I left the tent and walked over to my entourage; anxious faces greeted me. "We will join the front line," I announced while slowly looking at every person standing before me. I realized that not everyone would survive today, and I tried hard to memorize the faces of those fighting under my banner.

My eyes widened in surprise when I discovered Amelica among them! I quickly walked up to her and asked, "Why are you here, Amelica?" I saw that she was wearing a shirt, pants, and a cloak rather than her usual dress; she was also carrying a lute.

"I'm going with you," my girlfriend replied.

My brows furrowed. "No."

"No?" Amelica hissed. "I'm your follower! My rightful place is with you!" she protested.

"What about your inn back in Tregome? Who's going to take care of The Noble Lady?" I pushed back. I was not happy with the idea of sending my beloved to war.

"My son!" she answered defiantly. "Gendun has returned to Tregome. I have arranged the paperwork transferring ownership of the inn to him. But Vern will continue to train my son until Gendun is ready to take over."

"But we're going to war! It'll be dangerous!" I protested.

My lovely angel gave me her dazzling smile. "I love you, Lawrence Eugene Milligan, and my rightful place is by your side. I'm also a grown woman who makes her own decisions. I choose to be with you and fight with you. Since my father has restored my status as a noble, you cannot deny me the right to join you in this war. Besides, I am a Songstress, and I will be very useful to your troops."

Baron Kingsbury walked over and slapped my back. Hard. *WHAM* "Fear not for my daughter's safety, Champion! My men will protect her. Isn't that right?" he asked in a loud voice.

"YES, SIR!" the soldiers behind him replied.

The Baron smiled at me.

"Fine, you both win," I sulked and turned my face away.

However, Amelica reached out with her hands and cupped my cheeks. She turned my head so that I faced her. She kissed me and pressed her warm body against me. Finally, Amelica released me. "Thank you."

Someone cleared his throat.

I turned and saw Roen. Behind him was a green-colored Gate.

"It's time to march, Champion," Roen said solemnly. "May Gaea protect you."

Amelica raised her hand. "Champion, please permit me to perform a rally song before we march," she requested.

"Go ahead," I nodded.

The songstress started playing her lute and singing:

"Let's rally our troops,

Let's rally our troops,

We~re here to stay~!

March on the double,

Or there'll be trouble,

Let's fight and protect!

Let's rally our troops,

Let's rally our troops,

Because victory is ours!"

The troops started singing the rally song, and I joined them. I received this pop-up message: "Army morale INCREASED: +10%. +10% Movement, +10% Attack, +10% Damage."

I pulled out Lightbringer from its sheath and pointed the tip of the blade at the shimmering gate. "March!"

My army started to enter the gate in an orderly fashion.

Once I walked through the portal, the Gate closed behind me.