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The rumor spread quickly.
It didn't take long for everyone in the Kingdom of Alcancia to realize that a real war had begun.
The royal family mobilized all its intelligence to ascertain the movements and size of the Marino Empire's warships.
Information was also received that the Empire's ground forces were rapidly gathering at the port.
Initially, the Imperial Army moved covertly, but now they began to move openly.
It was practically a declaration of war.
Feeling uneasy, the people of Alcancia began to flee westward.
The royal family tried to reassure the people, promising to prevent the Imperial Army from even setting foot on the Pax Continent.
But everyone knew that the Marino Empire was much larger.
All regular troops, except for the border count's army guarding military strongholds, were put on high alert by royal order.
The border count's army was on standby 24/7.
The mages of the Magic Tower were also conscripted without exception.
Except for a few mages assigned to the reserve forces, all were drafted to military strongholds, leaving the Magic Tower empty for the first time in hundreds of years.
Local nobles with private armies were also placed under the command of the royal military governor and deployed to the strongholds they were to defend.
Indeed.
A war that would determine the fate of the Kingdom of Alcancia was about to begin.
Time passed.
Boooom.
"There! There!"
"A fleet! The Empire's fleet has appeared!"
"Sound the alarm and prepare the magic cannons!"
Eastern coastal cliffs.
The Marino Empire's warships lined up densely on the blue sea.
This was not the only place where the Marino Empire's warships filled the sea.
A military stronghold with a long coastline suitable for large ships to dock.
Border Count Gregory Garrett of Portus City shouted.
"Marquis! There!"
The Marino Empire's fleet filled the horizon in the distance.
Marquis Espin Ellaina, who had been dispatched with the 5th Guards to protect the military stronghold of Portus City, frowned.
"They've gathered quite a lot."
"Shall we order our fleet to set sail?"
Marquis Espin Ellaina turned to look at Gregory Garrett.
"Aren't you the border count who defends this Portus City? Make your own judgment. I'm just here to help."
Portus City was the only place where one could consider deploying a fleet and engaging in a naval battle, rather than conducting a siege on land, even though the Empire's fleet filled the horizon.
This was thanks to the numerous warships that Marquis Espin Ellaina had prepared when he was the border count.
Of course, most of them were pirate ships seized and modified in the process of eradicating pirates.
As Gregory Garrett hesitated to decide.
"A ship is approaching quickly!"
As the lookout with the telescope said.
A medium-sized warship was rushing towards the coastline at high speed.
Border Count Gregory Garrett shouted.
"Magic cannons, fire...!"
"Wait."
Marquis Espin Ellaina stopped the border count's order to fire.
"Why?"
"To rush in with only one ship when it's obvious it will be sunk. There must be a reason."
"Ah, is that so."
"It's just one ship anyway, so I think it's better to wait and see."
"Yes, Marquis."
A minor judgment.
Marquis Espin Ellaina was the one who built up Portus City's naval power to this extent.
The current border count, Gregory Garrett, followed Espin's advice without much complaint.
Border Count Gregory Garrett.
He did not know that he had almost issued a firing order that would have wiped Portus City off the map.
From the warship that approached near the coastline.
A man with a huge build floated up.
Thud.
He landed right in front of the fortress wall.
A giant man wearing shiny golden silk clothes.
The Emperor of the Marino Empire.
Kaiser Rapax.
"Is this Davian Naughne's country?"
He took a deep breath.
"Who is the leader here? Step forward."
He didn't even shout.
The emperor's voice filled the entire fortress wall.
Border Count Gregory Garrett, who was standing on the fortress wall, stepped forward.
"Who are you!"
"Are you the leader defending this castle? Come down here."
Gregory Garrett gasped.
Appearing alone in the heart of enemy territory.
How could he be so confident?
Judging from his unbelievable physique, he seemed to be quite the figure.
There were numerous mages and archers who could wield Aura stationed on the fortress wall.
If he gave the order to attack all at once, a barrage of firepower that even Gregory Garrett himself could not withstand would be unleashed.
"I'll count to five."
Border Count Gregory Garrett shook his head.
"How can there be such an arrogant person? I'll go out."
Thump.
Marquis Espin Ellaina blocked Border Count Gregory Garrett.
"I'll go out. You stay here and focus on defending this fortress wall by any means necessary."
"Marquis Espin?"
"You're no match for him. Of course, he's not someone you can handle even if you unleash all the firepower on the fortress wall."
Ttak.
Marquis Espin Ellaina kicked off the ground and jumped down below the fortress wall.
Thud.
A body that was not far behind Emperor Kaiser Rapax in size.
Espin Ellaina asked.
"Who are you?"
The Emperor, who scanned Espin Ellaina from top to bottom, asked back.
"Are you a woman or a man?"
"What matters on the battlefield is whether you can keep your head on your shoulders or not."
"That's true. Are you the leader here?"
"I used to be, but not anymore. I am Espin Ellaina, the commander of the 5th Guards of the Alcancia Kingdom."
"I am the only sun of the Marino Empire."
The only sun of the Marino Empire.
Emperor Kaiser Rapax.
A being who is fear itself to the imperial vassals.
But he rarely leaves the imperial palace.
It is only natural that his face is not known to the outside world.
'An emperor.'
Espin Ellaina's competitive spirit began to ignite.
'If I take care of this person here.'
The war might be stopped.
Who knows what other ambitious person will seize the imperial palace and wage war in the future.
But for now, this ongoing war can be stopped.
Although he could tell at a glance that he was no ordinary human.
He tried to provoke him slightly first.
"The Emperor of the Marino Empire. You seem to be quite confident in your skills. To appear alone right in front of enemy territory."
"That's what I should be saying. I didn't know there was such a warrior in Alcancia besides Davian."
He had heard about it from Davian.
He had driven Davian to the brink of death at the time.
He was no ordinary opponent.
Maybe he couldn't win.
Sreung.
Espin Ellaina drew the large sword he was carrying on his back.
"To come all the way here alone to find the leader, you must want to fight, right?"
Emperor Kaiser Rapax tilted his head.
"Me?"
"Good. Come on! I'll fight you!"
Whoosh.
Espin Ellaina's large sword split the space.
A strike with everything he had.
'The years I spent sincerely wielding the sword do not deceive me.'
The blade flew accurately towards the emperor's neck.
'If I can prevent unnecessary sacrifices! I'll end this war right now!'
At that moment.
The emperor's right shoulder blurred.
Kwang!
Emperor Kaiser Rapax's fist struck Espin Ellaina's face.
With a sound that could not be believed to be the sound of a fist colliding with a face.
Espin Ellaina's body flew back a long way.
Thud.
It was only after colliding with the fortress wall that he could stop flying.
Most of the soldiers on the fortress wall happened before they could even blink.
"Cough!"
His jaw was twisted and his head was ringing.
How long had it been since he had felt such shock and pain?
He even lost consciousness for a moment while flying backwards.
Thuk.
Espin Ellaina, who had plunged the tip of his sword into the ground, leaned on the sword and stood up again.
Emperor Kaiser Rapax looked at Espin Ellaina with an interesting expression.
"Hoh. You're getting up? Even after being hit by my fist?"
It was humiliating.
Espin Ellaina took out one of the potions he was carrying on his side armor and sprinkled it on his face.
Sizzle.
White smoke rose, and the shattered and misaligned bones began to return to their places.
There were a total of three potions he was carrying on his side.
Now there were two left.
They were potions that he had been given by the king when he was first appointed as the border count of Portus City.
He had never used a single one until now.
'Just a little... if I had been just a little faster, the emperor's head would have flown off.'
It was a strike with everything he had.
But he couldn't give up here.
Just as he was about to find the emperor's weakness again with sharp eyes.
"I'm not interested in the likes of you, so I'll spare your life if you don't attack me anymore. I need someone to deliver my message."
He had healed the external wounds by sprinkling the potion.
But his head was still ringing.
If he could buy some time, he would recover more completely.
"Deliver a message? To whom? To His Majesty the King?"
"I'm not interested in Alcancia's puppet king."
Gritting.
Marquis Espin Ellaina clenched his teeth.
To dare to come to the Alcancia Kingdom and insult the King of Alcancia.
No matter how much he was the Emperor of the Empire, he was an extremely arrogant person.
Emperor Kaiser Rapax opened his mouth again.
"Go and tell Davian Naughne and your king. I, Kaiser Rapax, formally challenge Davian Naughne to a duel. If Davian wins the duel with me, the imperial army will return to the Manum Continent. But, if Davian Naughne does not accept the duel or loses the duel with me. Your Alcancia Kingdom will be thoroughly trampled under the imperial army's boots."
Marquis Espin Ellaina was always one to maintain a poker face on the battlefield.
But this time, he could not help but make a dumbfounded expression.
What?
A formal duel with Davian?
He had brought the imperial army that would make all the people of the Alcancia Kingdom tremble to the sea.
And what he was saying was.
A formal duel with Davian Naughne?
"What kind of bullshit is that."
"The ignorant people don't need to know any more. Just deliver my message to Davian Naughne at the Elton Academy. The choice is his."
It wasn't that he didn't know that Davian's skills had far surpassed him.
But Espin Ellaina had no intention of putting such a burden on a young man who had just turned twenty.
Moreover, Marquis Espin Ellaina had long since prepared to give his life for Davian Naughne, who had saved his daughter's life.
'Emperor Kaiser Rapax. I'll end it in this place.'
Just a little.
He just needed to move a little faster.
The opponent was unarmed and defenseless.
He wasn't even wearing common armor.
Only a thin silk cloth fluttered in the wind.
Marquis Espin Ellaina rolled his eyes and looked at the fortress wall.
The soldiers on the fortress wall must have heard him introduce himself as the emperor.
If they heard that, he knew someone who wouldn't stand still.
'I've never practiced with them separately. I hope the timing is right.'
Whooong.
Espin Ellaina's sword vibrated finely and emitted a blue aura.
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