Chapter 787: We Stirred Up the Whole Nest

Tuge frowns as Lokas and the others return. "What happened? Where is the blue-haired water demon?"

Kirad spreads his hands. "No idea! When my men surrounded it, the blue-haired water demon didn't resist. It just dissolved into a puddle of water."

Lokas scratches his head. "Did it have so much pride that it killed itself once it knew the fight was lost?"

Kirad points to the boy they brought back. "This is the child the blue-haired water demon kept with it."

Ronan lies unconscious. Akta and the others crowd around him. "Is he all right? Where is he hurt?"

Kirad shakes his head. "We don't know. The military doctors checked him on the way back, but they couldn't find any obvious wounds."

"Apart from a few marks left by struggling and some scratches, there are no injuries on the surface of his body."

"Judging by his breathing and physical responses, internal injuries are unlikely as well."

Berio asks, "Could he have struck his head?"

Kirad shakes his head again. "No. I took him from a water demon guard the moment we closed in, and he was still conscious then."

"We are certain he did not suffer any harm afterward. We kept him in a safe area, well away from the battlefield."

"Perhaps he is simply too young. The sight of such bloody fighting may have frightened him into unconsciousness."

Tuge suddenly asks, "Did he pass out before the blue-haired water demon vanished, or after?"

Kirad pauses. "I honestly didn't notice. I'll ask the soldier who watched him."

The answer soon comes back. The boy appears to have lost consciousness after the blue-haired water demon disappeared.

Tuge calls over one of the combat spellcasters and has him examine the boy.

The spellcaster detects a faint extraordinary disturbance around Ronan, but cannot tell whether it came from the boy. It may only be a residual extraordinary effect.

Tuge raises a hand. "Enough. There is definitely something unusual about this child, and it may be connected to the water demon that disappeared."

"Akta, let your squad rest tonight. Then return at once and take the boy to Peace Haven."

"This matter is classified as Secrecy Level Five. No one is to speak of it, especially to anyone from Lumir. Do not mention the child to them."

Late that night, the team tracking the fleeing calamity creatures returns.

They found a much larger nest, one the company probably cannot take with its current strength.

The nest stands beside a lake. By a rough count, more than three thousand calamity creatures occupy the area.

There may be even more monsters hidden inside.

Even the Eighth Legion's two hunting companies working together would struggle to destroy it.

Worse, the calamity creatures seem to be preparing to move.

The safest choice is to join forces with Lumir's garrison and wipe out the nest together.

Lumir's local nobles, however, care more about preserving their strength.

They refuse to commit their elites alongside the hunting force.

Convincing them will not be easy for Tuge.

Then the commander of the Eighth Legion's other hunting company comes up with an unusual plan.

Within a day, hunting squads from across the Eighth Legion's assigned area converge on a single location.

The Holy Lake Knights watching the hunting force notice first.

When no one gives them an explanation, they report the movement at once.

A day later, several units, including the Lumir Nineteenth Legion, march out to encircle the hunting force's assembly point.

Nearby noble lords receive orders as well and lead their private troops toward the scene.

Lumir has every reason to be wary of an elite Peace Haven force operating inside its borders.

At the first sign of trouble, its commanders need to know exactly what is happening.

When word arrives that Lumir's troops are closing in, Tuge and the others exchange wicked grins.

Before Lumir can send another party to question them, the two hunting companies attack the nest.

They have no idea they just kicked a hornet's nest.

At first, everything goes smoothly. Within two days, they wipe out every calamity creature outside the nest.

Then, just as Tuge begins planning the assault on the nest itself, the nameless lake begins to churn.

Dense ranks of calamity creatures rise through the roiling water.

At the same time, the nests burst open like anthills struck by firecrackers, and countless Subterranean River Bandits pour out.

Tuge does not wait for an explanation. He turns tail and runs.

The nearby Lumir troops do nothing when the hunting force fires a crimson warning flare.

Even after Tuge sends someone to explain, the Lumir Nineteenth Legion refuses to move. It orders the hunting force to disarm and submit to a Lumir investigation instead.

That makes Tuge snap. The two companies regroup, and five hundred elite cavalry charge straight at the Nineteenth Legion.

The warband under the Nineteenth Legion sees that Tuge means it and hurriedly forms up for battle.

Tuge uses his cavalry's mobility to force every nearby unit into a defensive posture.

More than two hours later, his force returns to the Nineteenth Legion with a unit of Lumir noble cavalry close behind.

Tuge's riders stop before the battle line. The noble cavalry behind them does not slow down.

Their viscount screams himself hoarse. "Enemy attack! Enemy attack! A calamity war has broken out! They're coming this way!"

Soon, everyone sees a dark cloud drawing closer.

That is no metaphor. A dark cloud is quite literally approaching.

Countless calamity creatures cover the ground. Overhead, a mass of rain clouds moves with the horde toward the Nineteenth Legion's defensive line.

Only then does Lumir's warband commander realize that the hunting force told the truth.

He hastily calls Tuge over to discuss how they should meet the attack.

Tuge bares his teeth. "Discuss what? There are at least thirty thousand of them, and you brought one main warband!"

"You have no terrain to rely on and no proper defensive line. Do you really want to fight them head-on beneath a legion-scale buff spell?"

"You may have a death wish, but don't drag us down with you. I say we run!"

The warband commander stares blankly. "Where are we supposed to go?"

The man is plainly at a loss. Tuge sighs inwardly and taps the map. "Retreat to Pearl City!"

A noble asks, "Why not Stillwater City? It's closer and easier to defend, isn't it?"

Tuge jerks a thumb behind them. "You want to lead this many enemies to Stillwater City and let them surround the largest strategic strongpoint in the region?"

"Never mind how difficult that battle would be. The sight alone would send the entire region into a panic!"

"Pearl City is the right size and sits on high ground, so the enemy can't flood it with spells."

"It has been repaired and reinforced, and it can hold a force of more than ten thousand."

"The walls aren't high, but they can still hold back an army of more than thirty thousand."

"Work out the details yourselves. We're allied troops operating on foreign soil. We're only here to support you!"