Starting With an SSS-Rank Swordsmanship Talent

“My lord, we received a message from…”

Ignatius’ face turned grave upon hearing their words.

“If Atarkan has fallen, our people on Mount Tirad might have already perished…”

He had the same guess as they.

“We need to act immediately. If what you said is true, Harune’s half a million troops should be heading towards Midgard.”

“Yes, my lord. We will gather all the available troops and tell them to get ready.”

Giovanni nodded solemnly and was about to leave when Ignatius suddenly stopped him.

“Hold on.”

“Is there something else, my lord?” Giovanni furrowed his eyebrows.

“The warriors and aristocrats of Midgard might sense that something is going on if we do something this big. It’s also possible that they are already aware of the situation.” Ignatius spoke with a frown.

At this moment, more than a fourth of their warriors were still recovering from the recent battle so the troops weren’t in their full force.

With the condition of their warriors, it would be a disaster if they had to fight against an army of five hundred thousand soldiers. Not to mention that the warriors of Midgard could stab them in the back at any moment.

They were in a dangerous position right now and their options were limited.

Hearing his words, the two princes fell into deep thought.

“Excluding those who are recovering, how many of our warriors can still fight?” The Venerable asked in a low voice.

Alaric sent Giovanni a knowing look.

The latter had more interactions with the troops so he could give a more accurate answer regarding this matter.

Understanding his gaze, Giovanni immediately replied. “From the recent report I received, we should have about one hundred and forty thousand warriors who can still fight. If we include those who have some minor wounds, we would have an additional twenty thousand soldiers.”

Ignatius let out a deep breath.

Their situation was more terrible than he had thought.

“Gather everyone, including those who can still wield their weapons! We need every man we can get!” Ignatius instructed with a heavy look.

“Yes, my lord.” Giovanni nodded, stood up, and left in haste.

After he left, Ignatius turned his head to Alaric and said. “Your Highness, please send your men to scout the area. We need to find the exact whereabouts of the enemies.”

If they could get the exact location of the approaching army, they would be able to react properly.

Alaric knew this so he nodded without hesitation. “We will do our best, my lord.”

Ignatius waved his hand to dismiss him.

Alaric didn’t linger and left right away.

Now left alone on the balcony, Ignatius was no longer in the mood to drink his tea. He stood up and looked at the horizon with a deep sigh.

…

Alaric headed back to his mansion. Upon his arrival, he immediately formed ten scouting teams, each led by a Transcendent Knight.

The teams he gathered were curious why they had been summoned so urgently. By the looks on Alaric’s face, they could tell that something bad had happened.

Looking at the ten scouting teams, Alaric first informed them about the recent news they received.

When everyone heard that their comrades on Atarkan and Mount Tirad might have already perished, they were distraught.

“Your mission is to track the enemy’s location. I will send each of your teams to the ten possible routes that they might have taken. If you encounter them, don’t engage in battle and report back to me immediately!”

Alaric called the ten Transcendent Knights who would lead each team. He then told them where each of their teams would go.

“If you have any questions, you can ask them now.”

No one raised any questions so Alaric quickly sent them off.

“I hope all of you will come back unharmed…” Alaric mumbled as he watched them leave.

…

On Halona’s side, Leighnard had also received the same message.

At first, he thought it was just the same regular report, but his face changed abruptly as soon as he read the contents of the letter.

He rose to his feet with a dark expression. “I miscalculated… I thought that man was in Nacalub…”

He gritted his teeth, his face warping with anger.

I need to calm down… What could be their possible move after recapturing Atarkan and Mount Tirad?

He gathered his thoughts.

A few seconds later, his eyes flashed with a glint. “Midgard! They are heading to Midgard!”

Thinking about this, he looked to his left and shouted to the nearest servant. “Quickly go and call the Venerables! Nevermind. I will go find them myself!”

Without wasting time, he abandoned what he was doing and left the mansion.

Half an hour later, he brought the Venerables to Halona’s city hall, including Leroy who had defected to their side.

“Why did you call us here so urgently, Your Highness?” Lucas stared at the crown prince with a serious look.

Leroy was already aware of Leighnard’s identity so he wasn’t surprised by how Lucas had addressed him.

“Venerables, Midgard might be in danger right now! I don’t have time to explain so I will make it short.” The crown prince summarized the situation for them.

He told them about the fall of Mount Tirad and Atarkan.

“Are you saying that the enemy troops might be heading to Midgard?” Lucas couldn’t sit still when he heard this.

His son was in Midgard. Although they had Ignatius on their side, he was still concerned about Alaric’s safety.

Leighnard shook his head and spoke with uncertainty. “To tell you the truth, I am not entirely certain, but there is a high chance that they are heading there.”

The Venerables frowned.

“No. I know that guy. He is the most unpredictable person among us.” Leroy suddenly spoke, his words brought more concern to the group.

“What do you mean?” Lucas sent him a deep look.

Leroy took a deep breath and responded. “Remondin Hildebrand is one crazy man. No one can accurately predict what he will do next…”