The capital began to heat up like a grill on a hot summer day when they announced the huge decision they made during their meeting in the Great Hall before.

They were willing to provide massive support for the Northeast this time and had decided to dispatch the Central Army Commander as well as two Central Army knights to the Northeast after hearing about the appearance of a witch. At the same time, they also requested to dispatch the Godly Sword representative to give reliable support to the Northeast and its rapidly changing situation. 

However, this decision had put a rift between the opinions of the masses and the nobles. But whether their decision was correct or not, they had changed the previously tilting opinion that was heavily sided on the criticism for their governance. 

“They’re out of their minds.” 

“They’re willing to put the Godly Sword and the Lion together?” 

“Whose idea was this?” 

Two nobles criticized the government’s decision as foolish as they drank in a pub. 

The two families representing the Southern and the Northern regions of the Empire would gather in the Northeast. This was extremely unimaginable for the Imperialists. After all, the Imperial Palace always exploded whenever these two nobles gathered together in the Center. 

The two families were at extreme odds to the point that the Lion Family Head and the Godly Sword Family Head were even allowed to take turns going to the Center and would only be called together if the matter was extremely urgent. Even the current head of the two families did not have amiable feelings for each other. After all, they had been compared since their childhood and had always fought every time they stood together in several wars. 

This was the reason why everyone wondered if the Northeast could keep the two at bay. They wondered if there would be a war between the two families once they stayed together in that place.

Some might think that they were overreacting but this was just the extent of how at odds the two families were. 

“But there’s one thing for sure.” 

“Yeah. Whether a witch or dark elves appear, the Northeast will be safe.” 

The two nobles smiled as they spoke. 

The belief and trust for these two monstrous beings were not only something exclusive to these two nobles.

Although there was a lot of controversy and contradiction over the government’s decision over this matter, none of the people disagreed that they would be able to sweep away the witch that appeared in the Northeast. They firmly believed that any variable that would appear would be blocked by these two monsters, the strongest in the entire Empire, who would work together at the same time. 

On the other hand, contrary to the atmosphere in the capital, the Northeast was expressing their reluctance. 

“If something wrong happens then the command will easily fly away.” 

Crimson smiled bitterly as Jayden Wicks sighed deeply. 

“The entire North will be a mess.” 

“Hoo… But thanks to those two, the Northeast will definitely be saved from destruction.” 

Jayden Wicks smiled bitterly when he heard Crimson’s words. Jayden Wicks, someone who was currently listening to the Northeast’s situation in real time, he was fully aware that the area was currently a gunpowder warehouse that was at risk of exploding any time. 

Although they had sealed the dimensional crack in the Winter Mountains, they still haven’t completely closed yet. It was literally just sealed. This meant that it could open at any time once a strong force was applied to it. There was also a high possibility that a dimensional crack had opened in the Black Forest. And, there was also another problem that they had not yet announced to the public. 

“Are the Frost Mountain Range and the Historical Great Rift still in that form?” 

Crimson sighed when he heard Jayden Wicks’ words. 

“Yeah. It’s impossible to search in that place.” 

“Why don’t you try bombing it?” 

“It didn’t work.” 

Jayden Wicks couldn’t help but bow his head when he heard that. 

“This is the worst.” 

“It’s a relief that we are already aware of it even if we only knew of it now.” 

As Crimson spoke, he recalled what Iron had suggested long ago. 

What would have happened if I, the commander, did not listen to Iron’s words? What if I had rejected his proposal? What if Iron did not join Ghost? 

These assumptions passed through his head. The Northeast would have already been run over by the monster wave if just one of these did not push through. 

Even if all of the suspected dimensional cracks would be blocked right now, the Northeast would still have no room left to breathe for a while. A monster wave would eventually occur if just one of them was pierced through. And the other dimensional cracks were most likely going to be stimulated if just one opened fully. In other words, if they had to block it then they had to completely block it, to the fullest extent of the word. 

“What will you do in the future?”

“I plan to devote all of the troops in the Northeast to the Black Forest.” 

“Then, what will the North do in the future?” 

“Investigate the Great Rift with the Leonhardt Family. Then, place the Godly Sword Family Head and the Central Army Commander towards the Frost Mountain Range.” 

Jayden Wicks nodded at Crimson. 

“So, you want to separate the two?” 

“We should. Otherwise, the Northeast will turn into an even greater mess.”

Jayden Wicks let out a loud laugh when he heard Crimson’s words.

“Don’t overdo it. Just keep them in check.” 

“It depends on how the witch will come out.” 

Crimson smiled at Jayden Wicks’ reply. 

After leaving those words, the Northern Commander stood up from his seat. Now that their goals had been set, it was time for them to move. He had to visit the Leonhardts to coordinate their schedule and have an in-depth discussion on how they should operate their troops. 

Crimson was also busy. He had many things to do. He had to entrust the investigation of the Frost Mountain Range to Commander Leopold and the Godly Sword Family Head as well as hand over all the related data. He also needed to dispatch skilled troops together with them to go to the Frost Mountain Range. At the very least, they were given this much spare time before dealing with the Black Forest thanks to Iron and the Ghosts leading the way. 

By the time the Empire’s two monsters and the Central and Northern forces had joined the Northeast, the Ghosts and the Rangers had their free days growing smaller as they started to get busy once again. 

“I agree that we need to investigate but… aren’t you a bit uneasy about that?” 

“I agree.” 

Billie Brandt nodded in agreement to Lintel. 

The Black Forest’s condition had started to change strangely just recently.

The number of spectres floating around had increased and even the trees started to change one by one. To be exact, vicious human-like faces had started to appear in old trees.

The Ghosts and rangers that scouted everyday felt anxious as they watched the Black Forest get fortified day by day. 

“Captain, what’s happening?”

“Did you get permission?”

Carl nodded lightly at Lintel Verner and Billie Brandt’s questions. 

“All the troops in the Northeast will move.”

“If it’s all the soldiers then… will the Vanguard Corps also move?”

Lintel looked surprised when he heard that even the Vanguard Corps, the corps in charge of the frontlines alone, was also moving. 

“The Vanguard Corps will only help with their Drake Unit. The key roles are the Fog and Mountain Corps.”

Carl Gustav spoke as he stared at Iron climbing a tree. 

“Is he still doing that?”

“Yes.” 

“Hoo… He’s doing that even if we told him that he doesn’t have to feel pressured.” 

Carl Gustav couldn’t help but sigh as he watched Iron writing something while observing the Black Forest keenly. 

They did not know if it was because he was the only one who hadn't reached the 5th Stage yet or if he was feeling sorry for the commander but Iron tended to do more than what was asked of him.

Because of this, the other Ghosts had no choice but to force him to rest. They even purposely brought him food to eat under the pretext that it was his senior’s orders. They also gave him some alcohol despite knowing that he was still young. That’s how much they wanted him to rest.

“It’s really hard to figure out more unless we go inside.” 

Iron sighed as he organized the things that he inferred based on the things that they had investigated so far.

There were three things that he could understand even if he just looked at the forest from the outside. But Iron took things a bit further than that. 

Considering that this place was where his divine beast, Owl, was previously located, he could assume that the witch had a talent for divinity and divine beasts. Iron thought that there should at least be someone who was talented in handling the divine beasts since the dark elves were able to harness the power of a phantom species, the phoenix. And although they were not a full-fledged dragon, it was also possible that the witch was also the one who took care of the half-dragons too. 

This was the reason why he tried to feel any trace of divine power as he tried to stick as close as possible to the Black Forest every day. And by doing that, he was able to confirm one thing. 

[ Unexpectedly, the witch’s mana is the one that’s closest to nature. ]

It was a sentence that he found while searching through the records. It was an excerpt from an article published by a wizard. However, because it was quite controversial back then, it was forced to be withdrawn. 

The article was published at a time when the hatred and persecution of witches was at an extreme. This was the reason why it was easily withdrawn and disappeared from the eyes of the public. In fact, even if the power of the witches were based on the power of darkness, they had proven that it was an extremely safe power. 

He tried to look for the paper but a long time had already passed so he couldn’t find any more traces that lead to it. 

Since he couldn’t find the article, Iron sat at the spot nearest to the Black Forest to feel the power of the witch himself. He thought it could be possible for him to analyze the witch’s power since he had his divine power. 

First off all, Iron was able to conclude that his ideas were right. Unlike what they expected from the appearance of the spectres and the creation of the vicious trees, the witch’s power was extremely close to nature itself. It was as if she was like an elf. 

At first glance…

It’s evil.

It’s dark.

It’s scary.

It’s bizarre.

But in essence, she’s just showing the power of darkness itself.

Pure darkness could give fear to anyone who lived in nature but sometimes it could also give warmth, calmness and relaxation. Perhaps that was the reason why the creatures living in the Black Forest did not protest that much despite the forest being engulfed in darkness. 

“Did I grow a bit?”

Iron looked at his hands after organizing his thoughts on the tree.

His hand was covered in a faint green light that was exuding some healing power. He was currently able to use some of the healing power, a unique ability that Baepsae has.

His sensitivity to the divine beasts had increased a lot after various experiences and training. And right now, he could use some of the power of the divine beast that he was most assimilated with, which was Baepsae. 

“Will I also be able to let out beams of light from my eyes later?”

Iron thought that it was a bit funny as he imagined himself letting out beams of light like a superhero in a movie in modern times. 

He did not feel it that much when he was in the Winter Mountains but recently  he was able to feel that his divine power was increasing rapidly. Although his swordsmanship grew rapidly thanks to the beating that he received from the Lion Family Head, it had slowly come down to a halt recently after he hit a wall. On the other hand, his divine power just continued to grow unimpeded.

Is it because I kept on trying to feel the power of nature in the Black Forest every day?

Iron’s current divine power had grown incomparably high compared to his divine power back when he was still in the Winter Mountains. 

He could even call for his divine beasts and have a conversation with them right now. However, he did not dare call for phoenix since the bird was busy treating itself and recovering. 

“You should come out when we go inside the Black Forest.” 

―Hoot!

Iron chuckled when Owl answered him with a bit of apprehension. 

After Iron finished his conversation with Owl and his daily inspection, he went down the tree. 

Carl Gustav approached Iron when he saw him jumping down the tree and landing lightly on the ground. 

“We’ll enter Black Forest soon.”

“Did we finally get an order?”

“Yeah. It seems like the Godly Sword Family Head and the Central Army Commander will be coming all the way here so there’s no reason for us to postpone it anymore.”

Irong sighed when he heard Carl Gustav’s words. 

He thought that the Center was truly crazy. They clearly knew that the Lions and the Godly Swords were not on good terms but they still tied them up together. If that wasn’t crazy, then Iron did not know what else is. 

Iron knew that they were all thinking of eating the Center completely while these two were busy fighting. And since Leopold, the leader of the neutral faction, was removed, they must have thought that it was completely possible. 

The Emperor was definitely just showing them that he would back the Fourth Prince but it was definitely an empty promise. However, Iron was sure that the Fourth Prince was definitely excited thinking that he would be the main pillar of the Empire sooner or later. But that would only be possible if the Emperor was not around anymore. 

‘Well, they’ll figure it out on their own.’

Iron looked back at the Black Forest as he thought of this. It was enough for him to just focus his all on saving the Northeast. 

Finally, Northeast Commander Crimson had arrived in the Black Forest.

The Mountain Corps had already surrounded the northern part of the Black Forest while the Fog Corps surrounded the southern part. The Drake Unit of the Vanguard Corps also surrounded the upper region of the Black Forest together with Command’s airship unit. The Knight’s Orders from Command had already started to prepare to break through all at once. And even the Ranger Unit had started to enter the Black Forest. The core of this operation would be the Ghosts with Iron in the center. 

Everyone was already prepared to begin the operation and enter the Black Forest. They only waited for the news of the entry of the Central Army and the Godly Sword Family Head in the Northeast.