Liguritudum and Hydrurond forces continued to chase after the fleeing Hydrurond soldiers as far as they could still receive commands from the war tables. Countless draconian soldiers were killed with little retaliation since they were fleeing and couldn’t adopt any formation.

This second battle between Liguritudum and Aurebor against Hydrurond ended up with a similarly crushing defeat on the Hydrurond’s side as the first battle.

In this battle, Hydrurond’s 1,500,000-strong army was reduced to only 200,000 which managed to return to nearby bases. An estimate of around 100,000 was still scattered in the wilderness.

On Liguritudum’s side, they didn’t lose many soldiers in this battle. Their current soldier counts after the two battles were around 1,200,000 troops.

As for Aurebor, they suffered more casualties compared to Liguritudum. But since they had only gone through one battle, they still had more troops than Liguritudum. Their army was around 1,500,000 soldiers.

After taking the remaining of the day to reorganize their troops, Liguritudum and Aurebor started marching the next day. They conquered one settlement after another on their way to the capital. They secured supplies from those captured settlements. They also used the settlements as bases and supply routes that supported their march to the capital.

With more than half of the Hydrurond army defeated, they faced little resistance when taking down those settlements.

The defeated first Hydrurond army, which was defeated by Liguritudum, still had 300,000 soldiers. This army originally chased after the Liguritudum army when it marched to the north. But the Liguritudum army miraculously increased their march speed, leaving Hydrurond’s first army in the dust.

This first army continued to move north, intending to help their brethren. Unfortunately, the second army collapsed before they arrived.

The capital then sent them an order to pull back. With the remnants of the second army, the first army marched back to the capital. They were told to head straight to the capital and not to bother defending the settlements that would surely be targeted by the enemies on their way. Thus, why there was little resistance from those settlements when Liguritudum and Aurebor came knocking.

They were unwilling. But they were soldiers, they followed orders. They also knew that even if they tried to defend those settlements, they won’t be able to do much with their little army. They would just be sacrificing their lives pointlessly.

*

While those armies started marching to Messephyria, Jack, Jeanny, Bowler, Arthur, and Megan teleported to that capital.

Megan was also summoned by the queen, the same as Jack and Jeanny. As for Bowler, he insisted on following. Jack thought that since Bowler was sort of their guild’s ambassador, it would be good to let him get into contact with Hydrurond’s top brass. So, Jack let him follow.

Jack didn’t worry if Hydrurond protested an extra person they didn’t invite. He was a sovereign that was formally invited, he had the right to bring a plus one.

They met with Easycome who then took them to meet the princess’ representative. A carriage had been prepared for them. They entered this carriage which took them to the palace.

Outside the palace wall, Princess Aldryth had been waiting with a garrison of soldiers.

Jack was no longer in his disguise. He was in his real human form fully geared in his regal outfit. He approached the princess with Jeanny and Arthur by his sides.

“Your Highness,” Jack greeted.

“Your Majesty,” Queen Aldryth greeted back. She glanced at Bowler, using Inspect on him, but otherwise showed no objection.

“Come, Queen Frorryntiar is waiting,” Aldryth said. She used her mother’s title formally while in the public.

The garrison escorted them through the huge main gate and a beautiful courtyard. Jack looked up at the palace. The palace was a tower that looked like a sword piercing the sky from a distance. Now that he was right beneath the structure, he must say that it was even more impressive. He felt as if he had returned to the real world and looked at one of the tallest skyscrapers in the modern world.

𝐍𝞸𝓥𝓮𝑙𝚗𝑒xt.𝒞𝑂𝓶

He couldn’t help but ask, “Your Highness. If I may ask, where is the throne room located?”

“It is at the top of the palace,” Aldryth answered.

Jack gulped after hearing. He couldn’t imagine climbing the height.

Bowler had the same thought as Jack. He now regretted having asked to be included in this visit.

“But we are not going to the throne room,” Aldryth continued. “We are going to a royal guest meeting room.”

‘Oh, right. Native sovereigns are now afraid of letting players into the throne room,’ Jack remembered. He also gave a relief sigh since he didn’t have to climb to the top.

“The royal guest meeting room is located right under the throne room,” Aldryth added, to which Jack almost reacted with a facepalm.

The soldiers opened the large main entrance to the palace. The group walked into an extremely spacious hall. Jack looked up and was amazed to see the scale of the hall. The ceiling was probably a hundred stories in height. Several large windows were situated high on the slanted walls. They brought in rays of sunlight that contrast the heavy and dark color of the walls. This sunlight gave the enormous hall an ethereal feeling.

“This way,” Aldryth gestured when she turned to the side.

They came to a huge pillar that appeared to head straight up into the ceiling. The bottom of the pillar was hollow.

“Is that…,” Jack said.

“I think it is,” Jeanny caught Jack’s meaning.

Aldryth and Arthur entered the hollow part at the pillar’s bottom. Arthur seemed to have done this before. Aldryth gestured for the others to enter when she saw they were still standing outside.

The four entered. They looked up and saw that the inside of the pillar was also hollow, forming a long vertical tunnel. The tunnel went so far that they couldn’t see its end. It probably went directly to heaven for all they knew.

The floor underneath them glowed. As it did, the walls forming the vertical tunnel also shone. Many rune diagrams were seen along the wall of this tunnel.

A sheet of light came out of the floor and floated around the height of their chests. Jack then felt his body become weightless.

The six of them then shot up the tunnel with incredible speed.

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