Valta shot another arrow to the neck of a man dumping down oil on her soldiers, killing him in the spot. He fell down the tower and smashed against the ground, allowing the monsters to enter the tower and dominate the area.

She finally dropped down from the crystal girl's back onto the center of the plaza, where several corpses were surrounding the fountain where she had encountered Chamgue that one night. It was strange, no doubt, the fact that she was now standing atop so many corpses and yet she felt nothing for them.

It was not her first battle, of course, and neither was it the second. Blood had run through her hands plenty of times in the past, and this occasion was no different. The fact that she felt no remorse as she commanded an army to raze the city she had spent so much time in was not strange for her. She was in peace with that. She had looked forward to that.

There was something that had begun to bother her, however.

What was that feeling of strangeness that she felt as she looked at the falling city? No matter how many times she had seen herself entangled in the tragedy of war, never had her eyes seen such a scene of utter, cruel, and simple domination.

Battles were usually won by strategy. She had tried to make good use of it while overestimating Pontya's capability to hold up to their attack. She hadn't understood it fully back then, although she knew it far better than Thom, that the power he held within him was able to seize the world by surprise and turn it inside out.

Now, as she stood upon a scene created by such power, that feeling in her chest kept growing. By closing her eyes for a moment she relaxed enough to think, and understanding herself, she came to a conclusion. The reason for that feeling in her chest, that trembling in her hand, there was only one way to explain it.

"I'm excited." She murmured. "This is great." She couldn't help but add.

From early childhood she had never been one to turn down a fight. Her father had set her on a road she did not want to traverse, of peace and religiousness, ignoring her talent for nothing else but violence. From birth, up to this point, the spirit of death had followed her closely.

She would never forget that the first book that she ever read was Periphia's Collection. The second one was titled "Brains at War", by a famous writer from a past era. It was not hard to discern which one had been more to her liking.

When this city is done... I wonder if he'll help me take it over. That one.

"Hey."

"..."

That man suddenly called her from a few meters away. Her head turned to find Thom approaching her at a very slow pace, being carried by an orc that had a very nervous face.

"Your knight in shining armor is here." Thom raised his eyebrows at her. "Just... You know, crippled."

Valta blinked once as if acknowledging him, and then pointed her finger towards the wider part of the fountain. Quickly, the orc laid his lord by the broken-down stone, bid a farewell to the two humans, and then hastily retreated towards their post at the gates. Thom's eyes slowly drifted towards Valta's expectant face, and then, mustering up his strength, he said:

"So, have I told you before how cute you look in the middle of a battlefield?"

"Hm."

She simply walked towards him and kneeled beside him, then placed her hand on his cheek. It could look like a cute interaction to onlookers, but she was simply analyzing the new white hairs that had appeared in his black mane. Her perplexed eyes didn't move, but Thom could read a hint of curiosity from the slight movement in her lower lip that unfroze her face.

"What is this time?"

"..." She moved her hand towards his hair and ruffled it with her palm, making Thom agonize at the thought of how unkept it might have turned. "It's white." She whispered.

"Ahh. We had already talked about this. Let it be! I'll look ten times hotter when it's white. Don't you think a mature appeal would suit me?" He forcefully took his hand to his chin. "That way I could be closer to you— ouch!"

She pulled his ear with enough force to tear it away, but didn't follow through. Curiously, one could argue that her lack of questions about Thom's condition might have been out of disinterest or obliviousness, but the woman was well aware of what had happened before he had arrived near him. Valta was certain that everyone inside the city or outside of it had felt or seen that man's display of aura, after all.

"Do you know how things are going?" Thom asked, his face suddenly turning serious.

"They're good. We've got the towers. Soldiers are trapped. The girl went to assist Djolk."

"Right... Those damned golems. Those things are certainly a pain in the ass. Killed so many of ours in so little time... All while I was turned into a patty." Thom gazed at his limp arms and his eyes narrowed slightly. His face was grim as he spoke with weight on his voice, as if wanting to create a contrast with his past attitude. Looking up, he said: "...Sometimes it doesn't feel like I'm human anymore, you know?"

Valta nodded slowly, "You've told me."

"... Have I?"

"While you sleep..." She said in a low voice. "I like to see your face while you sleep. Sometimes you talk."

"Oh, come on..." Thom's face flushed slightly red. It was definitely an embarrassing thing to find out. "Hm... I hope I don't talk about the golems then. I think I've got enough trauma there..."

Valta acted as if she hadn't heard his comment. She stood up slowly and sat on the edge of the fountain, crumbling and painted in blood. She placed her hand on Thom's head and began to slowly caress it, saying some words in a low voice. "Last night you... Were talking about Runa."

Thom suddenly went silent. He didn't seem to have a retort for such a sudden declaration. Only embarrassment could be seen at the end of his red ears.

"You still think of her, hm?"

"... Of course." Thom sighed. "She was... just a girl I failed to save. I came here for her and then got trapped by this world. I forgot her... Or I guess I tried to."

"You weren't responsible for her."

"No, I was." Thom smiled, and tilted his head. "She was deeply wounded when I saw her first. A scar across her chest... As if someone had tried to take her heart out. I gave her all the little treatment that I could, and that seemed to be enough. She took a potion... But talked to me as if I was her savior."

"Was she cute?"

"What, are you jealous?" He couldn't help but snicker, knowing that it wasn't the woman's intention. "She... Was doll-like. Her eyes were like a river of stars. Her dress was made from silk and it glittered under the moonlight. She flew... Hm. I should have guessed from the very start that she was of a higher status. That girl gave me so much hope... And then again... I failed to save her."

"Did she die?"

"No... She's well." Thom smiled. "That girl is the princess of a country, damn it. I wanted to go out and talk to her... Shake her hand again. But... Not like I am right now. I feel like she would just mock me. After getting this far... I'm still not high enough."

"Hm." Valta raised her eyes and looked at the scene in front of them.

Having a calm talk as the ground was dyed red by the blood of the people they had massacred, it was a beautiful dissonance. Orcs and hobs strolled around houses and checked every bit of them as if looking for soldiers, rousing up screams of terror from the residents of said houses.

The city had been reduced to a fraction of its liveliness, and that part that remained was supplanted by terror. A sight to behold, no doubt, which contrasted their relaxed stance, creating the delight that came from being able to talk normally amidst the chaos, as if stating a silent superiority.

Valta sighed lowly, and then, turning her head to Thom, she asked: "So you're not good enough for her, but you're good enough for me?"

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

"H-Hey, that's not what I meant at all." He bitterly smiled.

"You'll become a king so you can greet her, hm? A mountain of corpses for a single girl. Then, would you do the same for this former duchess? This 'mature' woman?"

"Of, of course I would!" Thom's eyes became squares as Valta moved his head from left to right. "I'd sacrifice as much as it is necessary! Also, it scares me when you speak this much, so please!"

The screams and rustling of weapons eventually died down. No human soldier could be seen roaming the streets anymore, and their presence had been replaced with small groups of monsters that chatted between corpses and crumpling structures.

As per Erina's demands, no citizen had been directly harmed or taken out of their houses. They all trembled and cried in their homes as they suffered through the invasion, but unharmed, at least physically. They would need to deal with their psychological wounds later, but that would have to be under Thom's rule.

The man turned his head as he felt a few familiar presences approximating from the side. From one of the streets that converged into the plaza, the crystal girl could be seen walking slowly beside Djolk. While the girl was rather unscathed, Djolk looked as if he was about to die. His injuries seemed to have been closed already, but his blood-soaked body and his debilitated aura indicated arduous battle.

"Guess they had to deal with a golem too." Thom sighed. "Those things really are monstrous. No matter what you do, even if they could be easily destroyed, the fact that no lives have to be lost in the process greatly diminishes their cost."

"Cost, hm." Valta murmured. "Each golem's price is well in the hundreds or thousands."

"Hm..." Thom raised his eyebrows. "I bet they aren't common. Stone golems..."

"Stone?" Valta asked, making Thom turn his head. "I thought the Aremeira family had iron golems in their power."

"Iron... They didn't seem to be made out of iron tho. Shit, if they were I would have most certainly died. I got hit by that thing..."

The crystal girl finally arrived at the plaza, and Djolk collapsed in front of the fountain with a sigh. The girl walked up to Thom, and bowed shortly before speaking. "The golems were taken care of. I believe Miss Erina and Miss Suu have also dealt with the issue quite quickly. They both should be heading towards this plaza after they finish populating the gate."

"Very well." Thom nodded with a smile. "Actually, they're pretty close."

From the other side of the plaza, the two girls could be seen. Erina was rather sluggish in her movement, but hastened her pace when Suu ocassionally grabbed the sides of her stomach as if to hurry her up. They arrived soon enough and stopped in front of Thom, just in time for Erina to fall down and roll on the ground.

"She's pretty tired." Suu showed a toothy smiled to her friend and the woman behind him. "But well, everything went on without an issue. It was surprisingly easy! We should be ready to take the entire country at this pace, no problem."

"Talking about that, we'll probably be attacked soon by the royal family. They can't afford to lose one of their biggest duchies, after all."

"There is nothing to fear." Valta stated calmly. "It might be hard to understand, but our army has far surpassed a common one. We won't lose unless they gather an army strong enough to invade a small country."

"And that'll be hard." Erina added. "The nobles and the crown are at such conflict that they won't declare war on anything that the king himself sees as a conflict unless there's something in for them too."

"Well, extinguishing our army could also be a perfect excuse for the crown to retake Goldblack and appoint a monarchic duke."

"Whatever it is, it won't happen." Thom snickered. "There's not even a need to use our army. If the crown reunites soldiers to attack, I'll kill them all myself." He said, signaling towards his chest with his thumb.

"What a sudden boost in self-esteem..." Erina sighed. "I guess that's not too bad."

"Hey, who did you leave at your spots?" Suu questioned the lot with a curious face.

"Clung should be taking care of organizing everyone at my gate. He's supposed to come back in a while, he said there was something he needed to tell me." Thom said as he lightly yawned. "Ah... Kulung should be there too, so I guess he'll be the replacement."

"Grandma's at ours." Djolk spoke with a rough, low voice. "No reinforcements would go past her, that's for sure. "

"And at our are gate there's Hlung and Hulung."

"Hm." Valta nodded. "And the reds?"

"Right... To be honest, we really haven't seen Slung and Sulung for a while. They must be fine, but I hope they're not doing anything unnecessary." Thom sighed, leaning his back against the cold stone of the fountain's edge.

Far into the higher district of the city, the two named hobgoblins with red skin were walking at a hasty pace. Sulung was slightly nervous as he walked behind the desperate Slung, whose fists were as tightly clenched as the muscles of his face. He seemed more impatient than worried, and that reflected on the uncomfortable frown he was carrying.

The one in front halted for a second, turned his head to the right, and blinked once while holding his arm to his chest.

"..." He didn't say anything. The confused Sulung behind him simply observed, waiting for an explanation that didn't arrive after several seconds. Unable to stay still looking at the other hob staring into the nothingness, Sulung spoke up.

"Slung... are you sure of what you felt?"

"There's no doubt!" The other excitedly retorted. "This link in my chest...! I can feel the Master is nearby, and my soul is shivering!"

"But he left! Why would he tell us to conquer this city if he was here to begin with?!"

"Don't question the master, Sulung!" Slung turned around with a grim expression. "What matters now is that he's here! Over there, in that strange building at the distance!"

The monster's finger signaled towards a faraway structure that had managed to keep itself intact despite the mess. From afar it looked big enough to fit at least a hundred people, and the way it was built was clearly different from the rest. The glass covering the windows was tainted with colors a dozen, and the stone seemed to be carved to have an imponent and decorative appearance. It was, without a doubt, the cathedral.

"It... Does seem like a building worthy of our Master, haha..." Sulung said in a low voice.

"Then, let's go."

Quickly and without looking anywhere else, the two hobgoblins ran towards the cathedral at the center of the district, passing by the faces that looked at them with terror from the closed windows, and so the two quickly arrived at the entrance where two massive doors impeded their passing. Slung, bothered by having a barrier between him and his master, simply pushed the door open.

"Ah!" At that moment, a gasp came from Sulung's mouth.

An indescribable chill overpowered their bodies, taking over their very souls like an earthquake. The revolt they felt in their magic organs became to their eyes a visible trail of pure magic that connected themselves to something in the building, a powerful magical energy that rivaled and surpassed the one they had felt in the black-haired woman called Suu.

It was gone in a split second, however. When they came back to their senses, their eyes saw the light filtering through the stained glass to create elongated, wide shadows that reached up to their feet. A single humanoid figure made presence in the highest spot of the hall in which rows upon rows of benches culminated, as if preparing a corridor for that single soul to walk through.

Slowly, hesitantly, the two monsters approached the figure. It wasn't until they were halfway that they could see the features of the figure's face, shrouded only mildly by the shadows of the snowy day. A pair of blue eyes, deep like the sea, brushed by locks of silvery hair that flowed from a mane of hair that touched his olive skin.

The man opened his arms as if welcoming the two of them, and then, with a smile, he spoke.

"Hobgoblins." His voice resounded through the entire church, like a potent thunder in a calm night. His arched lips remained still, frozen in a smile, but not too long after, the ends of his mouth lowered together with his arms. "That you're here... is further proof of my mistakes."

"Master...!" Slung and Sulung immediately kneeled in front of him, as if trying to break their knees against the stone floor. Slung took in a deep breath, and then, with a voice that overflowed with passion, he yelled: "We have completed the mission you've given us! This city is ours, and soon, their king will fall!!" His entire body trembled as he spoke.

"Ahh... ha!" The man let out a sharp laugh. "Haha! Hahahaha! Cough, cough...!" He covered his mouth as he began to cough, and then, after taking a deep breath, he smiled. "Yes... You've just reminded me of that. I did tell you that, yes. To take over this city... and then I let Thom Arburson meet up with the lot of you."

"..." Slung didn't say a word as he swallowed dry. Was it all plan of his master?

"I made... a grave mistake." He sighed as his feet began walking down the stairs from the altar to the corridor. "I thought he was just what he was! That the useless goblins wouldn't be a threat even if commanded by him! To make things more interesting I even gave him a tactician, how foolish of me! Haha, hahaha!"

"Master..." Slung raised his head slightly, noticing the strangeness of his master's words.

"With luck, Miel's army would kill Thom Arburson and I wouldn't even need to get my hands dirty, all while observing from afar like a spectator. It was quite the plan! Indeed... But I did not take into account that such a man... is always full of surprises, hm?"

He clicked his fingers, and Slung raised to his feet. The man grabbed the hobgoblin's head, and asked: "Tell me, how did he do it? A thousand mages, and three thousand swordsmen, pikemen, all the sort. How? What's the trick?"

"Thom Arburson..." Slung swallowed dry. "He has a skill... It lets us learn things of all sort, and with a... terrifying speed! We, we swing a sword and... suddenly you feel so powerful, unstoppable! Every one of your actions makes you stronger, it's satiating!" A depraved grin was painted on his face.

"Hoh..." The priest sighed. "So that's why. It makes sense... Yes."

Bam!

Slung's head inflated for a second, and then exploded into bits and pieces as his entire body was consumed by flames. The corpse fell backward and twitched one last time, before beginning to become charred and melt.

"Wh..." Sulung's body petrified entirely. He looked up to see his Master, coughing while cleaning bits and pieces off his garb with an immutable face. The hobgoblin was lost, terrified, and could only utter a few insignificant words, lost to all purpose, attached to a vane hope. "But... Master... You gave us a name, all eight of us..."

"Cough... Hm?" The man cleared his throat and looked at the monster's face, full of complete despair. "Ah... That's right. I did, I did. What was it again? I kinda forgot."

Bam!

The other hobgoblin's head exploded, and the body fell down without a single movement.

"Too bad it can only be done with named things, hm?" Tiredly, the man kicked the bodies away and began slowly moving his feet. "Very well then..." With his eyes focused on the door, he began taking a silver-plated object from the inside of his robe.

The light reflected off the object, showing a small vibrant card that shone bright like precious metal. The edges were masterfully drawn to appear like they had been embroidered with a silky, golden fabric, and a drawing could be seen in the center of the card in impressively defined detail, showing a scaled beast with deep golden eyes, breathing out a storm of fire upon the land while stretching out its wings.

"I'm not supposed to deal with politics... but well." The man snickered. "Having reached this point... What're a few tens of thousands of deaths to the grand scheme of things?"