After the hard fought battle earlier, Dreu wanted to prepare himself the best he could. They were about to enter the final stages of the war. According to Aleit, the victor would be decided in less than four hours. Therefore, they would all eat with the intention of moving out as soon as they were needed. A full stomach should be enough to get them through the battle with one less thing to worry about. Meanwhile, he suspected the demons were aware of the timer they were under. Therefore, the demons were very likely to raise the intensity of their assault. They had the momentum so there was no reason why the demon couldn't ride it to make further gains. While the other adventurers chatted among themselves as they ate, Dreu wolfed down his food so he could study his window prompt.

Dreu began with Guiot, the newest addition to his team.

< Lvl 4 Footman (Guiot):

Skill:

-Taunt (Lvl 1): Active. Enemies within a 2 meter radius of the user will ignore all other targets and attack the target only. Limited to 5 uses per day.

Status:

+10% attack and defense due to Leadership aura. >

The footman gained two levels from the battle. Dreu was also intrigued by the Taunt ability. He recalled them being surrounded by demons forcing Rohese into close combat. Yet, the archer was still standing when they were teleported to the castle. The Taunt could have played a key role in keeping the archer safe but he hadn't noticed anything out of the ordinary during combat. He then checked on Rohese’s status to see if the archer had any skills that kept her alive.

< Lv 3 Archer (Rohese):

Skill:

-Blademaster (Lvl 1): Passive. +15% attack and defense when using a blade weapon.

Status:

+10% attack and defense due to Leadership aura. >

Dreu stared at the Blademaster skill and rubbed his eyes. When the words didn’t change on the window prompt, he scratched his head. An archer skilled in blade weapons was very unorthodox. When he was learning all he could about the Knight Academy, Dreu was told that it took a lot of effort to master a single class. Most knights had to dedicate their entire life to mastering the sword and shield. The same could be said about an archer who would need to train countless hours on using bows and arrows. Someone skilled in both blades and bow would be considered a genius.

Is something on your mind? Rohese asked after noticing Dreu’s stare.

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I see that you have the blademaster skill. It’s a very odd thing to have on an archer.

Dreu couldn’t see the archer’s expression but he felt a hesitation in her answer. Instead, Bayard responded in her place.

Rohese was just favored by the gods and gifted the skills in both the bow and blade. Even I’m envious that she could achieve so much more than me in combat.

I recall her using a dagger. Does the Blademaster skill apply to that?

When I use a dagger, I only get a third of the bonus. I must use a sword or blade for the full bonus.

Dreu nodded his head at Rohese's explanation. There were many nuances he still had to learn. Having checked out the status of Guiot and Rohese, he only had Bayard to check.

< Lvl 6 Footman (Bayard):

Skill:

-Leadership (Lvl 2): Passive. Nearby allies gain +10% attack and defense within a 4 meter radius of the user

-Shield Bash (Lvl 1): Active. Grants the user to bash foes with a shield. In addition to doing damage, the ability may stun or even send enemies flying. Limited to 5 uses per day.

Status:

-Gain +10% attack and defense from sword and shield gifted by the emperor. >

The Lvl 2 Leadership caught Dreu’s attention. He was unsure if the skill leveled up due to Bayard gaining level 6 or if he met certain requirements while fighting alongside his other summoned units. Regardless, he looked forward to seeing how his first footman improved with time. His party was growing steadily and he needed everything to deal with the threat ahead. With no upgrade points available to him, Dreu had only a single thing he could change to improve his party’s fighting capabilities.

“Sela.” Dreu caught up to the sorceress as she was leaving the mess hall. “Is there an armory around here? A sword is all I need.”

“Are you planning on dual wielding weapons?” she asked after looking down at Dreu’s blade.

“It’s for Rohese.”

“Sure.”

Sela led Dreu to the armory where he picked out one of the standard swords given to ordinary soldiers. They then returned to the others and Dreu gave the sword to Rohese promptly.

Thank you, emperor!

Dreu took a quick look at her status.

+10% attack and defense due to Leadership aura.

-Gain +10% attack from sword gifted by the emperor. >

Between you and Bayard, who is the better swordsman? Dreu asked Rohese.

Our styles differ so it’s not a fair comparison. Bayard excels at serving on the frontline and wielding a sword and shield. My style relies on mobility and catching the enemy off guard. If we were to duel each other, there might not be a winner because I’m not foolish enough to take on Bayard frontally.

I see.

Dreu tried to absorb the information. While he respected Bayard’s skills, he wondered if Rohese’s style suited him more. His small bulk made it tough for him to serve as a frontliner. Therefore, a style relying on more mobility could be a better fit for him. Just then, a soldier ran down the hallway shouting loudly.

“The demons are here! Get to the walls! The demons are here! Get to the walls!”

While a few people calmly finished their food, many abandoned their meals to leave the mess hall at once. Dreu watched as the crowd struggled to get through the only doorway into the hallway. He and the adventurers waited until things died down before they joined the others. Having done all he could for the battle ahead, Dreu readied himself for the upcoming battle. If the previous battle was any indication, he expected a bloodbath on the walls.