Chapter 37 - Story City

Lilly and Dahn exited the teleportation gate in Stort, one of the cities closest to the border. It had been used for several defensive battles already but still stood proud.

“Here we are! Let’s go find the general stationed here,” Dahn said, walking ahead out of the room they had arrived in.

Lilly expected there to be guards to meet them, but it seemed like the teleportation room was kept unguarded. She followed Dahn out the door while looking around curiously.

The teleportation itself hadn’t felt like anything special at all. She had been told it might give some sense of discomfort, but assumed her peculiar powers kept her shielded from most of it.

The two of them soon found the first guards, who merely bowed to them as they approached. Anyone coming here in the teleporter is likely a high-ranking individual, so it made sense, Lilly thought.

“Hi there, guys! Where can I find the general stationed here?” Dahn asked them. He seemed a lot more approachable than Lilly had imagined, even toward the lowest ranks in the military.

“Just follow this hallway until you reach a large double door on your right, sir! You can’t miss it,” One of the guards said, pointing further down the hall.

Dahn thanked him and waved Lilly along with a smile. She followed along, thankful to have someone else take charge for once.

“So, I must say I’m surprised Ande has taken such a liking to someone. She usually keeps a certain distance between herself and those she gets close to, but I don’t see that with you. Don’t get me wrong, though; I’m very happy to see it!”

Lilly smiled, also feeling very grateful to have Eolande in her life. “I think it was mostly pity at first, actually. I lost my parents about ten years ago, and… Well, a lot had already happened between us when she figured that out. It’s kind of a complicated story.”

Dahn seemed disappointed as he glanced at her. “We won’t have time for that, I guess. But I am very curious, so one of you will have to tell me about it!”

“The two of you will have plenty of time tonight, I guess.”

“Ah, yes… How old are you, if you don’t mind me asking?” He asked as if he was unsure how much he could say about certain things. Lilly could guess what, but she would rather pretend they would spend the night talking.

“Old enough, but I would prefer it if you pretend I’m not.”

He chuckled. “Fair enough. This here seems like a large double door to our right, don’t you think?”

“Yeah, this should be it,” Lilly noted, eager to enter and learn more about her potential role in the coming days.

Dahn knocked on the door, ignoring the two guards standing next to it. They didn’t seem to mind, merely standing there and staring straight ahead.

"Come in!” A voice yelled from inside.

Dahn opened the door before the words ended, also seemingly eager to get things clarified. Lilly followed after, curious about how she would be received as the one-man army she was.

The general stationed in Stort was a large man with long dark hair, looking a fair bit older than Dahn, even if that as far from the truth.

“General Dahn?” the general asked in surprise. He bowed deeply before continuing to speak, showing a great deal of respect. “Did you finally decide to help us ‘honorless villains’ in the war again?”

They both laughed lightly at his words, which Lilly assumed was Dahn’s previous words to the three other generals. “Well, a lot has happened today. But yes, I’m here to help us win the war. And I brought along significant reinforcements,” he said, gesturing to Lilly standing behind him.

She merely waved at the large man and smiled.

The general smiled back at first, but then it faltered as he seemed to realize something. He looked between Dahn and Lilly, with his face turning more serious by the second. “The vermilion…”

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It seemed like he wanted to say something but was restraining himself. Dahn noticed and started explaining the basics.

“She came to the capital and forced Holtar to abdicate for his actions toward Thundrel. Adelia will become the next ruler soon enough, and the king will reveal everything about the whole situation. And so, we’re here to help our country win this war. How should we go about it, Roald?”

General Roald stared at Dahn in shock for a moment before bursting out in laughter. “Ahaha, so he lost his crown for that stunt, then? Well, I guess he doesn’t mind too much. And Adelia might do a fantastic job in time. It’s good to have you here, both of you!”

He embraced Dahn in a proper bear hug and lifted him from the ground, clearly unbothered by his king being forced off the throne. Dahn didn’t seem to mind his actions, even if it seemed like an uncomfortable hug due to the armor they were both wearing.

Once he was done and put Dahn down again, Roald reached his hand out to Lilly with a smile. “I’ve heard great things, Lady Lilly! There’s this mage in town that won’t stop singing your praises, especially after you saved the city from the fleet and crippled Dortfells forces.”

Lilly was shaking his hand as she realized who he was talking about. “Eldrin is here?! In this city?”

“Indeed! He’s been a great help during our battles, showing us all a masterclass in powerful one-man spells.”

Lilly was really happy to hear he was doing well. She hadn’t seen him in so long, and even if the letters had helped, she was looking forward to meeting him again. “Are you sure it was him, though? He doesn’t seem like the type to talk about me that much.”

“Hahah, you know him well! Truthfully, he doesn’t show much emotion, no. But I feel quite certain you’re his favorite subject. If he’s not talking about magical theory, he’s talking about you.”

Lilly felt a warmth spreading inside. That was the Eldrin she knew. For him to let others know he was proud of her, it would have taken a lot.

Roald let go of her hand and turned to Dahn again. “But let’s talk war. I know what you’re capable of, Dahn, but I’m not sure how to best use you in this conflict, Lady Lilly. Obviously, you’re powerful if you can sink a fleet on your own, but… could you explain a bit more?”

Lilly nodded, holding her staff up for both of them to see. “This staff has the ability to fly very fast, giving me the ability to travel anywhere in a short period of time. It can also shoot a long beam of fire capable of burning through nearly anything, and it can heal wounds very fast, depending on the target’s mana.

I, on the other hand, can manipulate my fire at will, spreading it over vast areas and incinerating anything it comes in contact with. I also have an extremely pure body, making me nearly impervious to attacks and giving me immense strength once I channel the flame. I can still cast spells, but they all gain a fiery attribute. That probably won’t be useful, though, since I don’t have much practice or knowledge about spells.”

Both Dahn and Roald looked at her with incredulous faces. Dahn looked at Roald quietly, asking a silent question. Roald seemed to understand it well enough to reply.

“Yeah, I think we’ll be able to make use of you, Miss Vermilion Enchantress. But when you say… Do you think you could wipe out an army by yourself?” Roald asked, folding his arms and leaning against his desk.

Lilly nodded at first, but paused to think before saying anything with certainty. She recalled Myndia’s words about her value in warfare, and she had warned about the possible attacks she might face.

“I definitely have the destructive force for it, but I don’t know much about large-scale fighting, so it’s hard to say for sure. And even though I’m confident in my resilience, I don’t know that I could face artillery weapons unscathed. I think my strongest points will be my speed and subterfuge.”

“Right, right,” Roald said softly, looking into the distance, seemingly deep in thought. “I don’t think you’ll have much to worry about in terms of getting hurt due to your speed. But on the other hand, losing you might mean losing the war, so I don’t know if risking it is worth it…”

He walked to a table beside his desk where a map of the surrounding area was drawn, filled with little soldiers symbolizing armies both in and around some of the cities. It was clear by the number of soldiers in each color that Dortfell was outnumbering them, even if the yellow pieces symbolizing Sarthas were included.

“If you could… How close do you have to be to attack a large area of soldiers?” He asked, without turning back to look at her.

“Mmh, with the staff helping me, I should be able to stand a few thousand meters away, I think. Are you thinking of long-distance attacks to destroy parts of their armies?”

“Yeah, that would probably be the best method. But they’ve started erecting barriers whenever they’re resting now. Lady Selene started killing several important officers, giving them no other choice. Since it exhausts their mana reserves before battle, it’s great. But it makes it harder to use you.”

Lilly smiled, hearing how Selene had started showing her abilities. It felt great, having her show everyone how important she is for the country after they chose to sacrifice her. “I am quite good at getting through barriers, though. Maybe I can try it, and see how well it works?”

Roald turned to her and put his smile back on. “That’s not a bad idea! We’ll be showing our hands a bit, but I think it will be worth it if it works. I only have one worry…”

He walked back to his desk, opening one of his drawers to retrieve a book. “I feel like Dortfell has been too daring in this war. It seems like nothing can really deter them, no matter how hard we beat them back. So I am worried they have some card on their hand that they just haven’t played yet.”

Lilly read the title of the book, feeling her breath stop for a moment. It read ‘Son of Titan’.