Dungeon of Pride, Laplace

Chapter 1007- Seraphim of Honor— [Barachiel] (4)

"I am Rothgard, the commander in chief of the south wing army of the Empire of Solarion" Rothgard introduced.

"Wait Solarion!! I see… so you were part of the advanced defence army sent by the southern alliance"

 As one of the nations from the southern region fiercely fighting the demons, the Empire of Solarion was quite famous. Plus there was no one here that did not know about the recent civil war that was going on in the Kingdom of Solarion which went by a different name previously.

The previous king's reign was usurped and a new family rose to the throne. Unlike the other nations from the Southern Alliance, the people of Orlandos liked Solarion very much, after all, they did not ignore the pleas of their reinforcement.

 Although the Central Continent was united under the banner of Alliance, in reality, the Central Continent was so vast that there were many factions. The Eastern, Western, Northern and Southern all had their own alliances.

 The kingdom of Soalrion belonged to the Southern Alliance which had repeatedly ignored the pleas for reinforcement from the northern and western alliances at the start of the war, as their own territory was far away from the demons.

It was only after the flames of war completely razed the Northern and Eastern regions did the Souther Alliance came to its senses and started pushing for a united front.

However, it was already too late, numerous nations had perished under the demon forces and needless to say, the reputation of the Southern Alliance fell rock bottom in the eyes of the other alliances.

Of course, there were exceptions like Solarion who sent most of their forces as reinforcements realising the danger the demons possessed.

 "Rorthgard? Wait the south wing army you say? Reports say that the south wing army led by you has been completely annihilated on Mount Gorgor. So why are you here and how are you alive?" one of the officials posed Rothgard a question.

The latter's expression darkened slightly at the mention of Mount Gorgor. The memories of that battle, the brave men and comrades who gave their lives, and the aftermath of the demon attack flashed vividly in his mind.

 It was like a nightmare that he wouldn't be able to forget for the rest of his life.

 "You're correct," he said solemnly "The South Wing Army was obliterated at Mount Gorgor. Thousands perished in that hellish battle, and I was among the casualties—or should have been."

His tone carried both sorrow and gratitude as he continued, "If not for the intervention of unexpected allies, I would not be standing here today."

The officials exchanged confused glances.

"Yes, allies. One of them is standing right here". He pointed at Vincent now quietly standing beside him.

"There are others but unfortunately, they are not here. It was thanks to their intervention that allowed me to escape with my life and bring critical information back to the Alliance."

 It was unbelievable to think that someone managed to come back alive after trying to stop the demon lord's army but the proof himself was right in front of them so they had no choice but to accept it.

"So you managed to survive so what? It does not change the situation of our Kingdom of Orlandos, we are doomed to die the moment the Demon Lord gives his command to attack. In fact, I want to ask you who managed to keep his life intact after fighting the demon lord's army. Why come here? Do you not value the life you got back through a miracle?"

 The official who was bickering with Vaylen earlier now directed his despair and feeling of hopelessness at Rothgard.

Rothgard who knew exactly what the officials and commanders of Orlandos were feeling, felt a sense of camaraderie with them.

 "Ever since surviving the attack of the demon army, I have been thinking constantly as to why I was the only one who survived. After agonising for a long time, I have finally come to a realisation"...

"The reason why I am alive might be because there is still something that the destiny wants me to do. As someone who has survived and felt the despair of the Demon Lord's army firsthand, I will feel like it's my duty to help others like me to overcome that fear" he began his internal monologue.

"Overcome? Overcome with what? Look around! Half of our soldiers are green recruits, and the rest are so worn down they can barely hold their swords straight. We have no reinforcements, no morale, and no leadership!" the official complained.

His repeated interruptions were so irritating that Vincent shot a true silver blade energy at the man's neck. It stopped right before their neck drawing a droplet of blood.

"If you can't fight then use your body as meat shields. In the first place aren't you a military official of Orlandos? Don't tell me you rose to this position without ever thinking that you would have to fight a battle with your life on the line one day?"

GULP… the official now humbled, gulped unable to say anything in retort. Vincent recalled his sword energy back and looked at the crowd dismissively.

 "I'm not here to listen to all your nonsense. Decide right now whether you want to cower in your doubts or stand and fight with every ounce of strength you have left. Make your choice now, because when the demons arrive, hesitation will be the first thing that gets you killed."

Vincent's sharp and realistic words silenced the room in submission.

Rothgard stepped forward and using this chance when everyone was silent, he conveyed his thoughts.

"I understand your concerns after all, I have faced a similar despairing situation. However, unlike you, I had no ray of hope... but you guys do. Not only are the reinforcements from the Alliance's Three Star Scripture coming to your aid, but you also have Vincent here aiding you"…

"?"…

it took a while to register but the crowd finally realised the name that Rothgard just uttered.