Sophie: "No, my brothers just fulfilled their duty as royalty. It's not Ryu's fault."

Prime Minister: "Lord Ryuujin speaks as if he could end the war all by himself, but war isn't that simple, you know. Even if the results aren't as expected, rest assured, no one was expecting that much from you."

Reynaud: "No, I think Ryu could turn the tide of battle on his own."

Ryu: "I don't know until I try, but I think I can probably do it alone. Where is the front line now? Can you show me the map?"

Ryu, after observing the map and activating his Divine Eye to grasp the location of the front line before his teleportation, said,

"Reynaud, stay behind and guard the palace."

Then he activated his teleportation and disappeared.

Reynaud: "Ah… he's gone… What does he intend to do, rushing in without any instructions or explanations…?"

.

The border between the Galyza Kingdom and the Chagamga Republic was marked by a formidable mountain range, with only one pass connecting the two nations.

The city walls of Biero were built at this pass, resembling a single incision carved into a giant rock mountain.

The road leading to the pass from the Chagamga side was also narrow, making it impossible for a large army to pass through. If a small force attempted to advance, they would be attacked from the Biero city walls, which blocked the road, leaving them trapped in a narrow passage with no escape.

Biero, a fortress built utilizing natural terrain, should have been able to maintain its defensive capabilities, preventing an attack from the Chagamga Republic.

However, the third prince, Harris, who was entrusted with overseeing the defense of Biero, had the audacity to collude with Chagamga and surrender the city without resistance.

The Chagamga army passed through the bottleneck of the pass without any resistance, sending soldiers into Biero and preparing for battle.

In this world where magical beasts roam, human nations are formed by scattered "fortified cities," spaced 50 to 100 kilometers apart.

Wars turn into a struggle for territory, as they fight to capture these fortified cities.

It's difficult to conquer a city protected by high walls. It is said that the attacking force needs to be four times stronger than the defending force. However, once a city is captured and the fortress falls into enemy hands, it becomes equally difficult to reclaim it.

Due to the third prince Harris withholding information, the report of the enemy army preparing for battle in Biero reached the palace late. As a result, when the fully equipped Chagamga army revealed its fangs, the city of Antri, located southeast of Biero, and then the city of Braile, located southwest, were captured effortlessly due to their lack of preparation.

The relief forces led by the fourth prince Marim and the fifth prince Trim arrived belatedly and launched a hasty attack with limited troops to reclaim the captured cities, but failed. They were ambushed by the Chagamga army who attacked while they were depleted, and were forced to retreat.

The Chagamga Republic continued to send troops to Biero. They planned to attack the next city once their forces were ready, aiming to gradually chip away at the Galyza Kingdom's territory.

The fourth prince Marim and the fifth prince Trim had retreated to the city of Melledyere, the next city after Braile, but the Chagamga army, pursuing them, continued their advance and attacked Melledyere.

The Chagamga Republic seemed to have been preparing for this attack from long ago, bringing numerous siege weapons. The poorly prepared defense force and the unprepared city couldn't withstand their attack. (Melledyere, not facing the border, was not designed to withstand military attacks.)

Melledyere fell shortly after. The fourth prince Marim and the fifth prince Trim, who fought bravely until the end, died in battle, and the Kingdom forces were forced to retreat to Duncary, the city just before Melledyere.

The Kingdom army was attempting to reorganize under the command of the first prince, Rezild, who had joined them late, in the city of Duncary.

.

On the road just before the city of Duncary.

Ryu appeared, his magical circle flashing on the ground.

He teleported near the city gate to avoid startling anyone.

A guard who noticed Ryu approaching the city gate called out.

Guard: "Huh? Who are you? You seemed to appear suddenly."

Ryu: "I'm Ryuujin. I've come to end this war."

Guard: "!? Enemy attack!! Form ranks!! Form ranks!!"

Ryu: "No, wait…!"

The city was on high alert due to the war, and soldiers from within the city surrounded Ryu in an instant.

Ryu: "Calm down! I'm not the enemy!"

Soldier: "Then who are you? Do you have an ID?"

Ryu: "I have an ID from the Merchant's Guild, but…"

Soldier: "A merchant? What do you want? Are you here to sell us supplies?"

Ryu: "The princess asked me to come and defeat the Chagamga army. Can you get me to the commander?"

Soldier: "You, a young kid like you, are going to defeat the enemy army?! Did you bribe your way into the princess' favor to sell weapons? Is that it? You want to join the war? How can a skinny little brat like you handle it? Well, it's admirable that you want to help the nation in its crisis. If you want to join the army, go through the registration process at the barracks."

Ryu wanted to check the situation, but the soldiers weren't listening to him at all. He couldn't get them to take him to the commander and was forced to go through the registration process as a regular soldier.

Ryu finally realized that coming here unprepared was a mistake. He should have at least asked the king to provide him with a written order.

Ryu: "I have no choice, I'll bring someone who can explain."

Ryu, annoyed, teleported back to the palace and forcibly brought the Prime Minister back with him, teleporting again to the city of Duncary.

The guards on the ground were skeptical even when told about the Prime Minister, but eventually, the commander-level officers, who knew the Prime Minister's face, were called, and Ryu finally got through to them.

With the Prime Minister explaining the situation, Ryu was able to meet with the first prince Rezild and the commanders.

.

Temporary Command Room

Prince Rezild, General Bax, and the captains of each unit were in the middle of a strategy meeting.

Rezild: "So, this boy, Ryuujin, has the power to defeat the enemy army alone?"

The prince stared at the Prime Minister with narrowed eyes.

Rezild was the first prince of this country and Sophie's older brother, but he was a middle-aged man, significantly older than Sophie.

To Rezild, Ryu, still a teenager with a baby face at 17, was naturally considered a boy.

General Bax: "Many soldiers have already died. Did you come all the way to the front line just to tell a silly joke, Prime Minister? We, the experts, will handle the war, so leave it to us."

Rezild: "Wait, hold on. If the Prime Minister says so, then this boy must have some ability. Besides, his willingness to fight for the country is commendable. Boy, Ryuujin, was it? Join the army and use your strength. Just be warned, war is not as simple as the Prime Minister thinks, be prepared for it. Someone, show him around. Now then, General, let's continue the strategy meeting."

Rezild didn't seem interested in Ryu and was about to dismiss him casually.

Ryu: "Well, it's only natural that you wouldn't believe me until you see my abilities. Why don't I just take down the enemy commander right here and now, to prove it?"

The commanders, who had looked at Ryu with scorn, swallowed their words when they saw Ryu's golden eyes shining brightly and a small magical circle appearing in the air.

They noticed Ryu holding a drawn sword without realizing it, and tension filled the room. The soldiers around them hurriedly reached for their swords.

However, Ryu plunged the sword he was holding into the magical circle. The sword disappeared into the circle, becoming invisible.

Ryu: "I just killed someone who looked like the enemy commander."

" " " " "?" " " " "

Ryu: "Here you go."

Ryu flicked the magical circle with his finger, and it expanded significantly.

Ryu put his hand into the magical circle.

― ― ― ― ― ― ― ―

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Reclaiming Melledyere