Rival of a Holy Rank?
The dragon and the man who reached this conclusion locked eyes to confirm each other's thoughts. While it wasn't too surprising to mobilize the Holy Rank for a battle between two powerful Western countries upon rational thought... Isn’t it strange that the Holy Rank is deployed so frequently now? Why does it seem like there's one everywhere you turn?
"Anyway, let's get MimiShuma and the others ashore first," Tiran glanced at the distant sea.
"If the guards catch us, it might be a bit troublesome... But are they really that careless? How can such a long seawall have no one stationed for guard duty...?"
"Hey! Who's over there? What are you sneaking around for!"
Clattering footsteps followed by a soldier's interrogation from above the seawall.
".... Aya, you jinx. 눈_눈" Tiran sighed and then turned, with a friendly expression, walked towards the two unlucky patrolmen.
Soon, amidst the sound of waves crashing on the shore, the speedboat carrying the group quietly approached the seawall of the Bergen naval base without being detected.
The military buildings of the Bergen naval base were quite a distance from the seawall, and Aya's telepathic reconnaissance had already revealed that there weren't many Gleris soldiers left guarding the base.
Their task was probably just to clean up the battlefield and ensure the safety of the port – considering the current internal and external troubles of the Kingdom of Milania, and with their not particularly strong navy, it would not be a quick task to send reinforcements to reclaim the port.
"So, what does your old man think about all this?"
Standing on the slope of the seawall, Tiran asked Shuma, who had just emerged from the cabin.
Major naval bases like Bergen would be equipped with magitech communication devices, and even if Gleris's magitech technology could block communication signals, given Granzon's judgment, he would definitely sense something amiss here. Combined with intelligence from Preetlin, it would be easy to deduce the situation in Bergen.
"Yes, Your Highness."
Setting foot on her homeland once again, Shuma had changed from the casual attire used in the shadows of East Land for intelligence gathering to a light armor worn by the clandestine knights.
During most of the sea voyage back, she had been in the compartment using a portable long-distance communication device to receive intelligence and orders from the highest command in Ikante – mostly Granzon's decisions, but mainly related to military orders, with no specific requests for Tiran, who was considered a strategic weapon equivalent to a Holy Rank. As a result, the princess was quite bored at times.
Therefore, in his leisure time, apart from teasing Aya and playing with Chirp, Tiran spent more time reading these latest battle reports.
It's no wonder his father, known as the Hero King, could devise such a brilliant strategy as he did. With a portion of forces tied up surrounding the capital, Granzon managed to thwart the massive Maston army in the early stages by using outlandish tactics involving airship formations, blocking them at the Andrelun Province border adjacent to the eastern fortress.
Although it was a disaster for the civilians in that province, and despite leveraging the magitech kingdom's newly developed overnight anti-aircraft systems, Milanía managed to keep the losses minimal.
Now that the eastern Maston front had been dragged into a stalemate, Granzon could have freed up to swiftly deal with Brad, but with the Gleris Federation jumping into the conflict, Tiran reckoned his old man must be at his wit's end right now.
Although Tiran has memories from a past life, having lived in this world for almost eighteen years, he also feels a sense of belonging to the country of Milanía.
"And finally, I've reached the Holy Rank... This time, shouldn't it be this lady's turn to save the world?" Tiran clenched his fist, feeling eager to give it a go. The recent assessment indicated that the enemy camp also had Holy Rank, which made it even better. Dealing with only ordinary troops would be too dull.
"It seems that His Majesty Granzon is requesting Your Highness to temporarily hold off," remarked the advisor.
"... Is the old man playing me?!" Tiran raised an eyebrow, feeling displeased.
"It seems His Majesty intends to keep you in reserve for a while longer, in order to prepare for the next surprise attack."
"Surprise attack?" Tiran rubbed his chin, the princess slightly composing herself from her previous dissatisfaction, but then remembered something important and said urgently, "Fine, for now, we won't move... but, isn't Berugen close to the Beacon City and my home?! The Grlegus people who are not here must be heading towards the nearby cities, right?!"
"I believe His Majesty will not leave that unattended. For the kingdom, losing the Beacon City and the Berugen naval base is a significant strategic failure. His Majesty Granzon will surely take back the port and city as soon as possible."
"But he's already struggling with dealing with Maston in the east, isn't he?" Tiran sighed, having to deal with both a strong land power and a maritime magitech power. Facing not only rebel lords from eighteen years ago but also the central standing army and local garrisons of Milanía was quite challenging.
Granzon is personally strong, with good command and strategic vision, but his title is merely "War King" and not "God of War." In the face of the strong assault from the Grlegus Federation, troop deployment and logistics take time, and he cannot just conjure up an army out of thin air to repel the enemy.
"Your Highness, I understand your feelings, but..."
"I mean, that's my territory." Tiran calmly interrupted Shuma, "You hold the title of a knight, so at least you can understand the pride of nobility, right? If you can't even protect the people on your own land, what kind of noble are you?"
Shuma was taken aback.
It was the first time Shuma had felt such a strong aura emanating from Princess Tiran, who usually lacked a sense of royalty - not from strength, but from the aristocratic pride and unyielding spirit that bards often sang about.
Glory must not be tarnished. Any action that tarnishes the honor of a family or individual allows nobles to challenge the perpetrator to a duel. This is a tradition for nobles, but nowadays it's often used as an excuse for reckless scuffles among the idle rich.
Many have forgotten this.
But in this moment, the shadow knight clearly sensed the spirit and dedication that Tiran embodied.
...Of course, the princess was unaware of how she had suddenly been elevated in Shuma's eyes. Only she and Aya, who shared her sentiments, knew that behind the righteous speech she was giving was actually the thought of "I must not let the Beacon City fall, or else the precious item with Roger will be in danger."
No wonder Aya, who stood behind Tiran, suddenly turned around. Otherwise, her poorly concealed expression would give her away.
"Very well, Prince Tiran."
Shuma stood at attention, pounding his chest plate with his right hand in a salute to Tiran, "Shadow Knights Shuma Dorans, obedient to your command."
The beacon city at the harbor was on high alert.
It wasn't just a metaphorical high alert; they were indeed facing a great crisis. Even though the magitech communication signals were unilaterally blocked by Graelius when the Bergen naval port fell, the remnants of the defeated army managed to carry the news to this city closest to the port. The busiest place at that moment was the harbor. Although Milanía had been embroiled in war for some time, conflicts had initially been limited to the distant eastern borders before the Graelius Federation joined the war. The outbreak of war increased the demand for various strategic resources, attracting profit-seeking merchants like moths to a flame. Recognizing the imminent danger, many foreign traders hurriedly urged dockworkers to load goods onto diverse-looking merchant ships. These ships, each proudly displaying their respective national flags, swiftly departed to avoid possible attacks by the approaching Graelius navy. The merchants feared the imminent arrival of war, and even within the city, things were far from calm. The restless populace was a given, but thanks to Governor Alex and the local garrison's swift actions in quelling troublemakers causing chaos on the streets, order was maintained. Without even waiting for the enemy to strike, the city was on the brink of chaos. With the internal disturbances quelled, a wearied Alex returned to the gubernatorial office, looking visibly troubled. The situation within the city was under control, but a greater crisis loomed ahead. What to do? "My Lord Alex! A message from Ikante!" An aide burst through the door with an urgent expression on his face. At this critical juncture, Alex didn't bother with formalities: "Speak!" "It's, it's a command from War King Majesty, allowing the withdrawal of central military forces, local garrison troops, and kingdom officials from the Bergen naval port, without engaging the enemy." The aide's voice trembled with excitement. This news undoubtedly brought them a sense of relief. Although the combined forces of the central military and local garrison in Bergen numbered in the thousands, the defeat at the naval port had left the central military in disarray. Many senior officers had perished in battle, resulting in a complete breakdown of the command system, rendering the forces powerless against the advancing Graelius regular army. Coupled with the mediocre defenses of the commercial city, a drawn-out defense would only lead to unnecessary losses of Milanía's precious manpower. "But... must we really flee?" Sitting behind his desk, with his elbows planted on the table and his hands pressed against his forehead, Alex appeared torn. Choosing to flee meant handing over the fate of the hundreds of thousands of residents in the beacon city to the invaders. Who could guarantee how they would be treated in the hands of the Graelians? (Did they expect all armies in the world to be like the PLA?) After all, looting and pillaging were the traditional skills of pirates. However, if they didn't retreat, what could he and his forces possibly achieve? With such a vast difference in military strength, despite the guilt he would feel, perhaps...
"There, there are ships! The observation points in the harbor lookout tower and lighthouse have spotted a large number of ships approaching... It's the Graelius Federation!"
There were loud and frantic noises coming from outside the room.
