Start of Chaos
Frederick would never forget the day when everything suddenly changed.
It was but a single day but so much happened that turned the entire Kingdom of Zhastraia upside down and changed his life forever.
He had gone with his father the Duke of Varondel, and his older brothers Raphael and Herbert to assist the Dukedom of Evymeria in a war against a neighboring independent territory called Yebersol.
They brought half of Varondel's knights and a third of their soldiers with them to show their sincerity.
Yebersol was an island located on the West of Evymeria. It was two-thirds the size of Evymeria. It remained free from any Kingdom's control due to its location and due to rumors that it was protected by the Goddess of the Sea.
It had been friendly with Evymeria for generations and remained as a trading partner.
However, the current ruler was arrogant and greedy. They did atrocities to Evymeria residents behind the scenes. They sold overpriced goods, faked products, and even dared to rob Evymeria merchants.
What angered the Duke of Evymeria the most and prompted him to take action, was the kidnapping of unwed young ladies from Evymeria and turning them into slaves or prostitutes. Those with high mana capacity were treated as rare treasures and sold to nobility for high prices at underground auctions.
The ruler of Yebersol denied it, but it was the sons of Duke Evymeria; Nicholas and Anthony themselves who spied and investigated the territory.
The brothers also discovered that Yebersol had been increasing and strengthening their military might for years ever since the new ruler got the seat.
They seemed to be preparing for war and Evymeria was the closest territory to it. It was highly likely that Yebersol would attack Evymeria in the future especially since they had become bold in their atrocities.
The ducal family was furious and demanded that Yebersol return all the ladies they kidnapped from Evymeria or else the trade between the two territories would be totally stopped.
Yebersol continued to deny it despite the gathered proofs and witnesses.
Evymeria gave them a time limit to return the ladies or else they would come and take them back themselves but Yebersol did not relent. Thus, the war occurred.
Evymeria was likely to win the war even without assistance but the Duke of Varondel insisted to assist since he was deeply indebted to the latter.
Frederick and his brothers were also eager since they knew that this might also be the only chance that they could be useful to Evymeria. After all, Varondel had the strongest military might among all the territories in the kingdom.
It was known by every adult man and woman in Varondel how the Duke of Evymeria had helped Varondel win several wars decades ago.
Tales of the Duchess Evelyn of Evymeria miraculously restoring the ravaged lands of Varondel also continue to be told to children of every household that had witnessed it.
It was also implanted in Frederick's mind ever since he was a kid that the Varondel now exists because of the Duke of Evymeria and how the latter pulled up Varondel from a chaotic war-torn lower territory to the now third-ranked duchy in the kingdom.
Varondel was located south of Evymeria. It was envied by a lot of lower duchies but they couldn't help it since Duke Clovis Varondel was a sworn brother of Duke Cedric Evymeria since they were young.
The Duke of Evymeria had often stated that he was merely helping his friend and being a good neighbor.
With Varondel joining the war, other duchies that were connected to Evymeria in marriage also offered to send representatives from their side to help. They also wanted to prove their worth to Evymeria.
A garrison was set up at the border where the troops were gathered. Food and water supply, healing potions, armor and weapons, and other war necessities were gathered there.
With both Evymeria and Varondel always ready for war, the preparations did not take long. Furthermore, Evymeria was prosperous enough to supply a war that could last for years. However, the war with Yebersol was something they could win immediately.
It was estimated that with Evymeria's own troops, they could take Yebersol in less than a month. With Varondel and representatives from other duchies joining, it would be a lot quicker.
Frederick thought that it was rather crazy of its ruler that Yebersol waited for this to turn into a war. Yebersol was a small territory if compared to the whole Kingdom of Zhastraia. In the worst case that Evymeria lost, it still had the Kingdom to retaliate for its sake.
The King would not take it sitting down if Evymeria; its number one duchy and the land of his Queen was defeated in war.
It was highly unlikely that Evymeria would lose though, especially when it joined forces with Varondel and other duchies.
. . .
The march was commenced at dawn.
To go to Yebersol, knights rode their own flying magic beasts while normal soldiers were on warships. The travel time itself took some time.
However, upon closing in on Yebersol, it was suspicious that no enemy warships were there waiting for them. It was almost like an act of surrender on Yebersol's side.
They sent advance parties to search for any traps or troops hiding ready to assault them but they found none. They had no choice but to dock and make an encampment. It was rather eerie.
Duke Cedric and Duke Clovis along with their elite guards and some troops remained in the ship that served as the temporary command center while things were not yet sure on land.
Only when the situation on land was assured that the two dukes were allowed to join the encampment.
Still, it was their eldest sons Nicholas and Raphael who led the troops. It would also be a test of their ability to lead as future duke candidates.
It was not until after some time that there was movement on Yebersol's side. Yebersol's army finally appeared at dawn. They were not willing to surrender after all. And thus, the war started.
Still, Evymerian and Varondel troops advanced too quickly that Frederick thought it was too easy. Or perhaps it was because the sons of Duke Cedric and Duke Clovis were on the frontlines. The soldiers must have been motivated.
However, on the battlefield before noon, thousands upon thousands of monsters suddenly appeared both on the ground and in the sky.
Frederick and the others figured it must have been summoned by Yebersol magicians. And they were right.
Using magically enhanced vision, Frederick saw cloaked magic summoners protected by knights of Yebersol.
'No wonder things felt so easy,' Frederick thought.
Yebersol deployed only a fourth of their troops to lure them deeper into the territory.
Nevertheless, it was too cruel as a trap. Yebersol had used their own knights and soldiers as sacrificial pawns since the monsters did not discriminate against who they attacked.
Screams of terror echoed as knights and soldiers from both sides were either killed or eaten. It was a disgusting sight.
'What kind of crazy bastard would summon monsters when his own troops were still on the battlefield?'
Everyone now had to fight monsters while watching out for attackers from the enemy side. They could not possibly issue a cease-fire when it was Yebersol who summoned monsters.
Confusion and panic filled the battlefield that was now a playground for thousands of monsters of varied ranks and sizes.
It was easily noticeable that the monsters outnumbered the humans. It was like offering a feast of humans to hungry monsters. The summoners were powerful enough to summon so much.
Frederick thought that it must be a gathering of elite summoners. But it was suspicious for a territory of Yebersol's size to gather elite summoners of that number.
Nicholas and Raphael quickly issued orders to regroup so the wounded could stay in the middle while healers do their job. The two then put up several layers of defensive barrier around the gathered troops.
With their troops out of the way, Frederick instantly flicked his fingers and annihilated as many flying monsters as he could through magic to minimize the damage to their own troops.
Four huge magic circles appeared in the sky in different directions above where the troops were gathered. Red light enveloped the monsters and in a few seconds, gold dust rained down and vanished. Not a single drop of monster blood was spilled.
Frederick had neatly vaporized the monsters and turned them to dust.
He did not discriminate between strong or weak nor big or small. He stayed above the barrier on his magic beast to protect the injured from any attackers above.
Raphael and Nicholas also stayed in the air for a better view of the battlefield.
"That's Frederick for you," Raphael and Nicholas chuckled before continuing to give instructions like everything was within their expectations.
The soldiers looked amazed that the two could laugh despite the situation they were in.
However, seeing their leaders looking so calm, their soldiers seem to have recollected their courage when they realized that they were not on the losing end despite the sudden appearance of monsters.
Raphael's calming magic coupled with his warm and gentle aura seemed to be working well among the panicked and scared soldiers.
Likewise, Nicholas' charmer magic collected the distracted attention of the troop and guided them back to their senses to what they had to do right now.
With the knights and soldiers regaining their wits, they were finally thinking clearly to do their tasks and do as ordered. Total panic and disorder were prevented on their side.
Meanwhile, after glaring at Frederick, as if saying he was a show-off; Anthony and Herbert swiftly mowed down as many monsters as they could on the ground.
The knights and soldiers were awed at the carnage that the two most promising knights of the Kingdom of Zhastraia were doing.
Frederick rather felt like the two forgot that they were in a war with Yebersol and not in a bloodbath against monsters.
The two aimed for the stronger and larger monsters and left the weaker ones to the knights and soldiers.
Anthony and Herbert grinned like madmen as they swiftly sliced monsters from monsters like they were fruits ripe for picking.
The bloodlust of the two which had not been satisfied during the times of peace oozed like crazy that even their own soldiers and knights looked terrified and somewhat felt sorry for the monsters.
To normal soldiers, it looked like Anthony and Herbert sliced a monster, vanished, and reappeared beside the next monster they sliced, and then to the next like they were using short-distance teleportation magic. Which was not possible since teleportation magic and scrolls were rare.
However, to those who could truly see what happened, the two killed each monster they targeted through one clean-cut and jumped or ran to their next target with unbelievable speed and agility. And they were not yet even using body enhancement magic.
Frederick sighed in disgust at the sight of the two drenched in monsters' blood.
To him, the two were needlessly playing around. He knew that they could have just vaporized those monsters as he did so as not to waste their stamina. Most especially since no one knows how long the battle would last.
It could last for days or months and in the worst-case scenario, it could last for years.
He could tell that the two were just enjoying the fact that they could finally wield their sword again, show off, and smite the enemy in the process.
Meanwhile, to maintain order and prevent panic, Nicholas and Raphael organized and led the knights and soldiers of Evymeria and Varondel while the two Dukes remained in the command center planning for their next strategy.
A/N: There are a lot of new characters and places mentioned in this chapter so I made a list for everyone. They could be present in the next chapters so it would help to recall them. If you are confused, you can always go back to check this list.
Places
Zhastraia - the Kingdom in which Evymeria and Varondel duchy belongs to
Evymeria - the most prosperous duchy in the Kingdom of Zhastraia
Varondel - a third-ranked duchy sharing the south border of Evymeria
Yebersol - an independent territory that does not belong to any kingdom. An island located west of Evymeria
New Characters
Frederick - third son of Duke Varondel
Duke Cedric Evymeria - Duke of Evymeria Duchy
Duchess Evelyn - Duchess of Evymeria
Nicholas and Anthony - sons of Duke Cedric
Duke Clovis Varondel - Duke of Varondel Duchy
Raphael and Herbert - sons of Duke Varondel, elder brothers of Frederick
