The grand celebration in the Imperial Capital finally came to an end.
For several days, the palace had echoed with laughter, music, and conversation. Nobles from every corner of the continent gathered beneath one roof, while delegates from the Human Kingdom, the Elven Kingdom, and the Dwarven Kingdom strengthened their alliances through feasts and diplomacy.
The birth of the young prince had become more than a royal celebration.
It had become a symbol of hope.
For a brief time, the people forgot the scars left by war.
As the final guests departed, Lucian spent one last morning within the palace.
He visited the King and Queen.
He exchanged a firm embrace with Grand Prince Max.
He spoke with his aunt Irene, who reminded him—as always—not to throw away his life in pursuit of impossible victories.
Finally, he sought out Clara.
She had chosen to remain in the Capital for a few more weeks.
The Royal Library contained manuscripts collected over centuries, and several ancient magical treatises were unavailable anywhere else on the continent.
Lucian found her seated near a sunlit window, surrounded by towering stacks of books.
"You are leaving already?" she asked.
"The Border won't defend itself."
A gentle smile crossed her face.
"I suppose not."
For a moment, neither spoke.
Lucian was never good with farewells.
At last he said quietly,
"I'll return."
Clara closed the book in her hands.
"I know."
There was complete confidence in her voice.
No fear.
No doubt.
Only trust.
Lucian smiled faintly before taking his leave.
Neither noticed Grnad princess Irwin watching from a nearby balcony.
She merely shook her head with an amused expression.
The journey back to the Border was peaceful.
Max accompanied Lucian once more aboard the floating railway.
Unlike their previous trip, both spent much of the journey discussing military matters.
Reports from the frontier had become increasingly unusual.
Demonic assaults continued every fifteen days without fail.
Yet something had changed.
The Demons rarely pursued retreating soldiers.
They no longer wasted lives in reckless assaults.
Instead...
They observed.
They adapted.
They withdrew in orderly fashion.
Lucian found that detail unsettling.
"It feels as though they're waiting."
Max nodded.
"I've received the same reports."
Neither man could explain why.
Life at the Border resumed.
The Wall still stood firm against the darkness.
Every fifteen days, the Demonic Beasts launched another assault.
Sometimes Demons marched beside them.
Sometimes only the beasts attacked.
Each battle ended with the defenders victorious.
Lucian's Light Mana had become the heart of the army's defense.
His presence alone inspired exhausted soldiers to stand again.
Between battles, however, life slowly returned to normal.
When the alarms were silent, soldiers gathered around campfires.
Old veterans sang battle ballads that had survived since King Dan's era.
Young recruits listened eagerly to stories of impossible victories.
Ale flowed freely.
Laughter echoed across the fortress.
Even in the shadow of endless war...
People still found reasons to smile.
Beyond the Border, the kingdoms also began to recover.
The Elven forests flourished once more beneath the restored Evergreen Machine.
Trade routes reopened.
The Dwarven forges worked day and night.
The great merchant unions stabilized the economy after the destruction caused by the Group of the Dark.
Although the war continued...
The continent no longer felt as though it stood upon the edge of collapse.
Seeing this fragile recovery, King Mark convened the Royal Council.
Present were the kingdom's greatest ministers.
Military commanders.
Representatives of the Elves and Dwarves.
And Princess Irwin.
A single conclusion emerged from weeks of discussion.
Merely defending the Wall would never end the war.
If humanity wished to survive...
They had to reclaim their land.
Thus, exactly one year after the first Demon had appeared upon the battlefield...
The kingdoms launched their first Grand Expedition.
At its head stood the commander chosen unanimously by every nation.
Lucian.
The Golden Prince.
Soldiers from the Human Kingdom marched beside Elven rangers.
Dwarven shield-bearers stood beside human cavalry.
Engineers pushed newly improved Light Cannons across specially reinforced wagons.
The Alchemist Tower had supplied entirely new weapons.
Mana-powered siege engines.
Portable Light Cannons.
Protective barriers capable of resisting Demonic corruption.
It was the largest united army assembled since the Great Demon War centuries ago.
Their first objective...
Mount Laya.
The mountain range where humanity had once suffered one of its earliest defeats.
The advance began with overwhelming force.
Unlike previous expeditions, every position was carefully coordinated.
The Light Cannons continually purified the surrounding land.
Dwarven engineers reinforced roads as the army advanced.
Elven scouts eliminated hidden threats before they could organize ambushes.
Every victory pushed the Demonic forces deeper into the mountains.
Curiously...
The Demons rarely chose to make a final stand.
Whenever defeat became certain, they retreated into prepared positions.
Many commanders interpreted this as fear.
Lucian did not.
He felt as though the enemy was allowing them to advance.
Yet no evidence supported that suspicion.
After several days of relentless fighting, the united army reached the foot of Mount Laya.
The twin mountains towered above them.
Dark forests covered their slopes.
Ancient ruins lay hidden beneath thick vines and blackened stone.
The soldiers established a massive encampment.
Tomorrow's battle would determine whether humanity truly possessed the strength to reclaim the continent.
Around countless campfires, few men slept soundly.
Everyone understood the challenge awaiting them.
The dense woodland favored the enemy.
Every tree could conceal a Demon.
Every cave might hide an ambush.
Inside the central command tent, Lucian studied a detailed map spread across a large wooden table.
Around him stood generals from every kingdom.
Scouts arrived one after another, reporting the latest findings.
"The Demons have constructed a fortress."
"It is carved directly into the western face of the mountain."
"There appears to be only one primary entrance."
Another scout pointed toward the northern ridge.
"A narrow maintenance tunnel exists here."
"It appears abandoned."
"The Demons have placed no visible guards."
One commander smiled broadly.
"They're retreating."
"They've finally realized they cannot defeat us."
Several officers nodded.
"Our momentum cannot be wasted."
"If we strike immediately, they'll have no time to regroup."
Lucian listened silently.
Something about the reports troubled him.
Yet every piece of information supported the same conclusion.
The enemy appeared weakened.
Finally he spoke.
"We attack at dawn."
The commanders saluted.
The decision had been made.
Morning arrived beneath heavy clouds.
The united army split into two forces.
Lucian personally led the elite strike team.
Their objective was simple.
Capture the Demonic fortress.
Meanwhile, the second army swept across the surrounding mountains, exterminating the remaining Demonic Beasts and securing the surrounding territory.
The assault began.
Guided by Elven scouts, Lucian's force climbed the hidden northern passage.
The tunnel led directly into the rear of the fortress.
No alarms sounded.
No defenders appeared.
The halls were strangely quiet.
Only small patrols guarded the interior.
Shadow Guards eliminated them silently.
One after another.
Without allowing word of the attack to spread.
The deeper they advanced...
The more unnatural the silence became.
At last they reached the central chamber.
Three Demons awaited them.
Unlike the armored warriors they had encountered before, these wore simple dark robes.
Yet the oppressive aura surrounding them was far greater.
Lucian immediately understood.
These were commanders.
The battle erupted.
Light Cannons illuminated the cavern with brilliant white beams.
The Demons retaliated with waves of crimson mana.
Steel collided against enchanted weapons.
One Demon charged directly toward Lucian.
The remaining two engaged the expedition's veteran commanders.
The clash shook the fortress.
Several soldiers were thrown backward.
Stone pillars collapsed beneath the force of the attacks.
Lucian steadily pushed his opponent backward.
His Light Mana continuously weakened the Demon's corruption.
At last...
Radiant light burst from his body.
The entire chamber glowed white.
The Demons staggered.
The commanders seized the opportunity.
With perfectly timed strikes, all three Demons fell almost simultaneously.
Silence returned.
The fortress had been captured.
Only moments later, a messenger rushed into the chamber.
He knelt before Lucian.
"Commander!"
"The eastern force reports complete victory!"
"The sister mountain has been secured."
"Every known Demonic Beast has been eliminated."
Cheers erupted throughout the fortress.
Outside, engineers immediately began purifying the surrounding land.
Light Cannons removed the accumulated corruption.
Mount Laya belonged to humanity once again.
The news spread across the continent with astonishing speed.
Church bells rang throughout the Kingdom of Dan.
Merchants decorated entire streets.
The taverns overflowed with celebration.
The people believed the war had finally begun to turn in their favor.
Songs honoring the Golden Prince echoed from village to village.
Hope burned brighter than it had in years.
That evening, the officers gathered inside the captured fortress.
Maps of future offensives already covered the tables.
Some dreamed of reclaiming every lost city.
Others spoke confidently of marching all the way to the Demons' homeland.
For the first time...
Victory felt possible.
Then...
A slow, deliberate knock echoed through the massive gates of the fortress.
Three knocks.
Nothing more.
Every conversation stopped.
The hall fell completely silent.
The soldiers nearest the entrance slowly reached for their weapons.
No one had been expected.
And whatever stood outside...
Had not come to surrender.