The Gnome Kingdom was in a state of disarray due to several recent incidents. Every time the kingdom tried to recover, accidents and events occurred, making the situation worse. Now, news that the Noktus and their golems were advancing from the outside had created a state of extreme tension for the kingdom's king, officials, and nobles.
As the doors to the conference room opened, Rian and his party entered, accompanied by the footsteps of the guards. The tense conference room was instantly plunged into silence. The king and the nobles, surprised by Rian's appearance, watched him with their own various gazes. The air in the room was thick with a tension mixed with anxiety and hope. King Terendin's face was contorted with anguish and fatigue, and the eyes of the nobles revealed their worry and conflict.
Rian stepped into the center of the conference room and raised his voice. "King Terendin of the Gnomes. I, Prince Rian of Elysium, have something to say."
King Terendin, seemingly surprised by Rian's appearance, furrowed his brow and lowered his voice. "Prince Rian of Elysium. Why do you enter our council so hastily?"
Rian replied with a serious expression. "A rumor is spreading widely in the city that the Gnome Kingdom will not fight against the Noktus, but will surrender. Is this rumor true?"
King Terendin let out a deep sigh and nodded. "Unfortunately, it has come to that. Our Gnome Kingdom does not have the strength to wage war due to several recent incidents. Furthermore, the High Elves and Altechna who would support us will not have the capacity due to their own wars, and the Dwarves are also busy with a similar incident to ours, so it is an unavoidable choice."
Silence filled the conference room. King Terendin's face was etched with deep sorrow and burden, and his voice was tinged with exhaustion. The pressure of the kingdom's fate resting on his shoulders was palpable, and a tension ran through the nobles as they glanced at each other's expressions.
Rian listened to the king's words and then spoke firmly. "It is true that the kingdom's current situation is very difficult. However, the moment we choose to surrender, we will only be met with death. The only way to avoid war is to prove through war that we are not an easy opponent, and then to request a truce. Simply surrendering is no different from giving up our future and our hope to the Noktus."
There was an important context to Rian's statement. The Noktus had mercilessly subdued their enemies using golems, and the Crystal Core in the Gnome Kingdom was a crucial artifact directly linked to the future of Celesta. If this artifact were to be taken, the future of Celesta would be bleak. Rian was deeply aware of this fact and believed he had to inform the leaders of the Gnome Kingdom.
Ria stepped forward, seconding Rian's statement. "We of Elysium respect the traditions and technology of the Gnome Kingdom. However, if we give up in this situation, it is the same as giving up on our own future. We must find a way to win this war. Furthermore, Elysium will immediately request troops. We are prepared to formulate a battle strategy to avert the current crisis and to dispatch our army to aid in the kingdom's defense."
Everyone in the conference room turned their attention to Ria's powerful statement. Whispers broke out among the Gnomish nobles, and a wave of emotion began to stir. Rian and Ria's words had changed the atmosphere of the kingdom, and on the nobles' faces, a glimmer of hope appeared alongside their anxiety. The conflict was even more clearly visible on King Terendin's face, and his eyes showed a mix of complex emotions. He realized this was a momentous occasion that would decide the fate of his kingdom.
"Your Majesty, there may be a way for us to avoid war," Rian continued. "Rather than simply choosing to surrender, would it not be better to fight just enough to avert the current crisis and then create an opportunity to negotiate? The armies of Elysium and our own are prepared to fight alongside you to aid in the kingdom's defense. Do not miss this chance for a desperate struggle."
As Rian and Ria's passionate speech ended, a new spark of hope flickered in the air of the conference room. King Terendin looked around the room, lost in deep thought. The nobles, moved by Rian and Ria's argument, began to once again await the king's decision. The weight of the decision could be felt on King Terendin's face, and the moment to make a grave choice about the kingdom's fate was approaching.
***
Episode : Preparing for War
Despite the growing anxiety over their previous malfunctions, the Gnome Kingdom had no choice but to use the mechanical soldiers. It was the only way to supplement their insufficient forces, and they judged that the mechanical soldiers were an appropriate countermeasure against a powerful enemy like the golems.
The mechanical soldiers possessed powerful combat abilities and were expected to play a crucial role in the kingdom's defense. However, the fact that they had malfunctioned was a source of worry for everyone. Despite efforts to solve this problem, confidence in the kingdom's defense was still lacking. The Gnomish mages and warriors continuously monitored the mechanical soldiers' movements, doing everything possible to ensure they would perform at their best in battle.
The Gnomish strategists decided to have the mages and warriors positioned in the rear block the passages leading from the surface to the underground, thereby reinforcing their defenses. They intended to delay the enemy's invasion as much as possible by sealing off the kingdom's important thoroughfares. Once the defensive lines were established, the Gnomish warriors strengthened their positions by making the most of the terrain, and the mages prepared powerful defensive spells.
However, the Noktus army launched its operation immediately. With golems at the vanguard, the Noktus forces began their assault. They advanced with heavy steps like giant boulders, charging mercilessly toward the Gnome Kingdom's defensive lines. The immense power of the golems broke through the front lines, creating chaos among the kingdom's warriors and mages.
As the battle intensified, the confrontation between the golems and the mechanical soldiers became the focal point. Initially, the mechanical soldiers had the upper hand, unleashing a barrage of attacks on the golems. Their precise aim and powerful weaponry dealt significant damage to the golems' outer shells, and for a time, it seemed the mechanical soldiers had seized victory. As the golems' defenses gradually weakened, the mechanical soldiers began to feel confident in their success.
But the golems underwent an unexpected change during the battle. As their fragments scattered on the ground, they astonishingly began to reassemble themselves. The fragments gathered and combined into new forms, and the golems were restored at a terrifying speed. In this process, their outer shells became even stronger, and the mechanical soldiers were dealt a heavy blow.
The reassembled golems, with their newfound strength, pushed back the mechanical soldiers fiercely. Their powerful strikes and reinforced shells made it even harder for the mechanical soldiers to attack, and failing to defend, they began to retreat. The golems' assault grew more and more intense, and the mechanical soldiers fell into disarray, scattering in all directions.
The Gnomes had information about the crystals but had failed to realize that destroying them was the only way to stop the golems. By the time they belatedly realized this and switched to a strategy of targeting the crystals, the Noktus had also noticed and continued with a defensive strategy. The battle on the surface seemed to drag on, but the tide began to turn in the Noktus's favor.
The Gnomish mages and warriors were fighting with all their might to hold back the battle on the surface. They were using defensive magic and tactical positioning to halt the golems' attack, but they were no match for the golems' immense power and ability to reassemble. The situation grew worse and worse, and the defensive lines began to break.
While the battle raged on the surface, an even more serious problem arose in the underground kingdom. The monsters that had appeared before had returned, beginning to threaten the safety of the underground. The monsters quickly overran the subterranean passages, and the Gnome Kingdom's mages and warriors were mobilized to fight against this new threat.
Rian and his party, seeing the worsening situation on the surface, immediately took action, descending into the underground to deal with the monsters. Rian and Ria fought the monsters at the entrance to the underground, trying to control the situation as best they could. But the number and strength of the monsters exceeded their expectations, and even Rian's party faced great difficulty.
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Rian requested reinforcements from Elysium. However, the Noktus invasion was proceeding too quickly, and there was not enough time for Elysium's army to arrive. Some troops were able to travel via waypoint, but they were headed for Altechna and thus could not reach the Gnome Kingdom.
In this crisis, the Gnome Kingdom's defensive lines were rapidly collapsing, and with the delay of Elysium's support, the situation worsened even further. In this desperate situation, King Terendin had to make a final decision.
King Terendin, watching the final discussions in the conference room and the state of the battle, was in deep conflict. The battle was raging both on the surface and underground, and there was not enough time for Elysium's reinforcements to arrive. With the kingdom's defenses collapsing, the fight between the mechanical soldiers and golems, and the monsters in the underground all converging, the situation was spiraling toward the worst possible outcome.
King Terendin's mind was in turmoil. His desire as king to protect everything and his self-reproach for his own incompetence were at odds. The chaos of the battle and the suffering of his soldiers were reflected in his eyes. The king had fought to protect the future of his kingdom, but now he felt that the fight was utterly hopeless. The king knew that his decision would determine the fate of his kingdom, and he felt keenly the immense responsibility it placed upon him.
In the end, King Terendin resolved to make a last stand to protect the honor of his kingdom. He vowed to fight to the very end with his army, his mages, and the support of Rian and Ria. The king left the conference room and took to the field with his army, making his presence known. The king's combat prowess and decisiveness were a great encouragement to the soldiers and contributed to temporarily turning the tide of the battle. As the king took the field, the soldiers found new hope and fought even more resolutely in the battle against the golems.
However, the Noktus forces had already gathered in considerable numbers, and the kingdom's defensive lines were collapsing more and more. The battle situation worsened, and the point where the kingdom's defense would become impossible was approaching. As the battle turned desperate, King Terendin, as a last resort, went to the Baeldrak Research Lab and gave Rian an important order. "Rian, this battle is beyond what we can handle. The Crystal Core is too important an artifact for our future. You must evacuate to the Dwarf Kingdom now. To move the Crystal Core safely and to protect the honor of the kingdom, you must leave this place."
Rian and his party were at a loss upon hearing the king's command. "In a situation like this, I don't know if it's right for us to evacuate. Shouldn't we continue the fight?" Rian said, agonizing .
But King Terendin was firm. "This is an order. To protect the fate of the kingdom, moving the Crystal Core safely is the priority. I will continue the fight. The battle here is already a lost cause. You must escape safely from the underground on the steam train."
At the king's firm command, Rian finally acquiesced, and he and his party decided to go down into the underground to take the steam train.
Rian and his party moved quickly to board the steam train amidst the chaos of the underground kingdom. The steam train was located in one of the main passages of the underground kingdom, but as the chaos of the battle intensified, this place was no exception. The fierce battle between golems and mechanical soldiers was blocking the underground passage, and the frequent appearance of monsters made the situation even worse.
When Rian's party arrived at the steam train, the machine was already damaged from several attacks. The interior of the tunnel had collapsed due to the battle between the mechanical soldiers and golems, and there were also situations where the machine would not operate. To solve this, Rian immediately set to work on repairing and defending the machine. Ria cast a powerful defensive spell, blocking the entrance to the passage to prevent the enemy's intrusion. In this process, the battle intensified even more, and Rian and his party were in the very heart of the fight.
As the battle raged, the steam train's departure was delayed. The train was losing its mobility as the enemy's attacks continued. Rian and his companions bought time, simultaneously carrying out repairs and defense. They repaired the damaged parts of the machine on the spot and established a defensive line by placing equipment in the path of the approaching enemies.
Finally, just before the steam train was about to depart, the battle situation became even more critical. The Noktus forces were getting closer and closer, and the underground passage was filled with indiscriminate attacks. Rian hastily boarded the steam train, and after a final check, he gave the order to depart. The steam train departed with a struggle and began to exit the underground kingdom's passage.
Immediately after departure, the steam train was still feeling the effects of the fierce battle. The enemy's attacks continued, and defense in the underground passage was urgently needed. Rian and the party continuously checked the machine and their defenses, fighting desperately to protect the train. A fierce battle continued to prevent the machine from malfunctioning and to block the enemy's attacks.
In that process, Rian and Ria responded strategically, blocking the enemy's main attack points. As the enemy's attacks focused on the train's departure, they each strengthened their defenses from their respective positions and prevented the enemy's infiltration. They supported each other amidst the constant attack and defense, cooperating to ensure the train's safe passage.
As the steam train passed through the underground kingdom's passage, they began their final journey to the Dwarf Kingdom. However, even during this journey, there were several attacks and obstacles, and Rian and his party continued to face difficult situations. Even as the train exited the tunnel, the enemy's bombardment and the monsters' raids continued. Rian and the party responded bravely even in this situation, doing their best to complete their journey to the Dwarf Kingdom.
Though the road to the Dwarf Kingdom was perilous, Rian and his party strived to the very end amidst the chaos of battle. In the end, the tunnel collapsed, and the passage between the Gnome and Dwarf kingdoms became unusable.
When the steam train arrived in a safe area of the Dwarf Kingdom, Rian let out a sigh and caught his breath for a moment.