Vol. 4 Chapter 9: Protect (Part 2) (Patreon)

When the queen reached the second floor, she looked back curiously upon seeing Vernon catching up to her. She deeply frowned, feeling displeased by his presence.

“Vernon, I don’t need you to guard me. I have knights with me.”

“My apologies, Your Majesty. But Princess Estelia ordered me to accompany you. To keep you safe.”

“Again? Why wouldn’t that girl think about her own wellbeing first?”

She found that part of Estelia very frustrating. Meliya was the parent, and it should be her to worry this greatly about her daughter, not the other way around. Estelia shouldn’t reduce her personal guards, just like that. Her safety was also a priority. Meliya understood that Estelia was just worried about her own mother, but even Meliya worried greatly about her own daughter. Even more so when she sends out her own butler away.

“Return to Estelia please, Vernon.”

Vernon lowered his eyes. “I’m sorry, but I can’t. The way she ordered me, she seemed angry.”

My Estelia, angry?

She found it so surprising to hear that. But why, though? Could it be perhaps she was forced to help with the evacuation? Meliya did notice Estelia reacting strangely to that.

“... Very well. You can come along.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

They stood near the staircase of the second floor as Meliya gave an order to the knights to spread out to find and guide the servants. She was to wait here for everyone to arrive, there was no need for her to personally find people since others could move faster than her.

The knights she had at her disposal quickly dispersed, leaving only Vernon and one knight to stay and guard her. Meliya rubbed her fingers nervously. As they waited, explosions suddenly began to ring out from all over the place.

Meliya flinched at every loud boom, the palace shook at every single one. Most of the explosions they were hearing were from the third floor. Perhaps it was to be expected that the third floor would be hit first and the most. However, she let out a frightened gasp when she thought of her daughter.

“Estelia i-is on the third floor…” she said in a shaky voice.

“... Sir Rogan is with her. I’m sure the Princess will be fine.”

“I suppose…”

Despite what Vernon said, she still wanted to make sure that Estelia was safe personally. However, she must have faith in the people that surrounded her daughter.

“She picked that floor…” Meliya muttered.

She picked the most dangerous one. Was that her intention all along? To protect everyone? To protect her mother?

Meliya lowered her gaze in sadness.

It isn’t right…

Parents should be the one to prioritize their children’s safety. Even more so to the sweet and youngest child, especially to a kind girl like Estelia. It pained her heart so greatly to think that Estelia would put herself in danger.

An explosion erupted above them, the blast causing the floor above them to collapse. Meliya gasped in shock as the shockwave threw debris in all directions, big and small. This included a great amount coming towards them. Any normal person would be critically injured if hit in the head or anywhere else. However, both Vernon and the knight quickly cast their shields to protect the queen.

A moment later, as the debris stopped falling, and the dust had mostly dispersed, they disabled their magic and warily looked around as more explosions echoed around them.

Meliya looked around with wide eyes. “They’re destroying the palace. The casualties we’ll suffer will be severe.”

“Indeed, who knows how many will be pinned underneath the rubbles.”

And then, they heard voices coming in from the nearby corridor.

“Hurry!”

“Keep running.”

Meliya moved to check it out, seeing servants running towards them. There were no knights, only them. The knights must have stayed back to find or help some more people.

But then suddenly, there was an explosion that triggered above them. Meliya watched in horror as the shockwave and dangerous debris violently crashed and fell upon the servants. Blood flying in the air, people crushed underneath the large and heavy debris. Face flattened, legs, arms. While there were a few lucky enough to be only injured in the blast, but some quite severe.

“L-Let’s help them quickly!”

They quickly moved to help. She imagined that there could be others out there that fell into the same situation.

“We must help whoever we can,” she said. “Retrieve all that still breathes.”

It pained her heart to see her people get hurt, and it would be even more so if she even thinks of abandoning them. They must save as many as they can.

***

Eleden nervously looked up as explosions echoed all around them. He couldn’t understand what was completely going on and how the Empire was even doing such a thing despite that they basically have only just started their attack. For their attacks to reach this far from the city was just absurd.

Regardless, their bombardment of the palace had less effect on the first floor. So Eleden was able to safely carry out his task of gathering the servants in the lobby. Still, he was exceedingly concerned about the damage and casualties occurring in other places. After bringing some more people and returning to the lobby, a knight he sent to prepare their route returned, looking agitated.

“There’s a problem, my lord.”

“What is it?”

“The path to the outside on both the east and southern wall was struck by an exploding arrow. The pathways collapsed.”

“What?!” To think they hit those. “Did they target them specifically?”

Could it be that the Empire knew of the pathways and thus targeted them to hold back people from escaping? It was a possibility. Still, it was pointless to think about the likelihood, it wouldn’t change anything.

“Can we scale the wall?”

“It will be difficult for normal people.”

“What about cleaning up the way?”

“We still have to consider not completely damaging our defensive wall, Your Highness.”

Eleden bit his lip. They couldn’t go out through the front gates as well, it was being barricaded and reinforced. They couldn’t just undo all of that and lower the integrity of the palace’s defenses. Carrying or lowering a great number of people from over the wall would be exhaustive for the knights. They still need to fight pretty soon. Plus, it will take too long, considering the number of servants they have.

“What now?” asked Lucious from behind him.

“Which side can we safely remove the debris from? Even if it will take a while.”

“... I think the south side. I don’t think we’ll face too many enemies from there. But that is still up to chance.”

“... We have no choice. Clean up the way, at least only until normal people can cross through. In the meantime, we’ll save as many as we can from here.”

“Understood!”

With that, the knight rushed outside.

Lucious stepped closer to Eleden. “Considering the damage we are experiencing, I don’t think we can save all the servants. Or even heal the rest. It will take some time.”

“Then let’s just hope we’ll be just in time before the enemy arrives.”

Lucious watched more than a dozen servants they had brought out, like for instance, those from the kitchen, the gardeners, and some other manservants. They all looked utterly nervous and scared. Eleden heaved a long sigh. Even he was not too different from what they were feeling.

And then, a moment later, surprisingly, the explosive barrage stopped. Curious of the damage inflicted upon them, Eleden stepped outside of the palace, Lucious following behind him. When he beheld the palace, his eyes went wide, the view so clear under the moon’s shine.

“By the gods,” he couldn’t help but mutter.

The palace was heavily wrecked. The third floor chipped and was breaking apart, big chunks of the roof was rendered nonexistent. Even the second floor was not spared from harm. Pieces of the ruined walls falling to the ground. Almost like a terrible and deadly disaster went past them, both a storm and an earthquake. Or it was almost like a ruin of a building abandoned and crumbled in the long passage of time.

And this was just the front part of the palace. He could only imagine how much destruction the other parts have sustained. And he imagined it well, it was anything but good. The casualties will be staggering. He couldn’t even bear to ponder how much work will be required to fix it all. It will be like completely rebuilding the palace from the second floor and up from scratch.

“Throw more barricades on the gate!”

He heard his father’s shout, and he turned towards them. On the gate, blocking the main pathway, were obstacles, wooden boxes, carriages, embedded spears pointing outwards. All just to slow down the enemy. Behind those barricades were common soldiers holding swords and spears, and with them were the knights. Atop the walls were archers and more knights using range weapons, or those capable of using range magic.

Estevan, in his full set of armor, arrived running and approached his father.

“Father, I have ensured the security on the western wall. We tried defending ourselves from the magic arrows, but the wall still suffered heavy damage.”

“As long as it’s standing, it’s alright.”

After seeing all of that, Eleden walked back in the palace to save as many as he could. He brought some knights with him to check both the second and third floor. He also had to make sure his family and sister were fine.

In contrast, as the Wisterian forces were reinforcing their defenses, around two dozen masked men in black robes jumped up the wall. The soldiers that were already on edge made a commotion at their sudden arrival. However, the knights that recognized the men in black robes calmed everyone down.

One robed man in particular approached the king and removed his mask.

“Your Majesty, we have arrived to defend you.”

“Xenous,” said the king. “It’s good you’re here. Is that all the warriors you have available?”

“The rest are in the city to help fight off the invaders.”

“I see. Then let’s hope the forces in the city can fight off most of the enemy.”

“Indeed.” Xenous looked at the ruined and heavily wrecked palace. “Your Majesty, where is the Princess?”

The king frowned. “She’s in there, helping with the evacuation.”

“I see.”

“I know you want to defend her. But you must defend the kingdom as a whole as well.”

“Yes… If we are successful in defending the kingdom, then the Princess will be safe.”

The king nodded. “By the way, do you know why their magical bombardment stopped?”

“... I can’t tell. But if I am to guess, they are on the move.”

“They’re going fast then.”

“I suppose what matters for them is they push through and reach the palace.”

“I will be needed here for the time being, the people will need to see their king lead. However, once the enemy is breaking through our defenses and the situation is dire, I’m using it,” he whispered.

“... The initiation process will take time, but we’ll try to hold out.”

“Yes.”

“Can you handle it? No Wisterian king has used them for a very long time.”

“Once they gather here, I’ll have a greater chance of succeeding. Even if it is hard, I will have to handle it until my body gives out.”

“If that happens, may divine fortune shine on you. But, don’t overdo it, we don’t want you gone just yet.”

“Mm…”