"Gowry, what an ugly form," the Mushroom Lord murmured softly. "While you wear that skin, at least."
Of course, the ugly thing was only that skin. Beneath the surface, the red-robed figure's body was worlds apart from a human's.
His internal structure and physical traits were no different from the insects around him. Once he shed that skin, he would once again become a creature just like them.
Whether in the ancient records of Caria or the Golden Royal Family, there were detailed accounts of these insect-like beings.
They had once flourished alongside the age when the gods rose together. But with that age's end, they had long since been abandoned by the world and reduced to outcasts on its margins.
Yet now, they had gathered here in such great numbers that the sight was astonishing.
Their gathering was clearly not aimless. It was filled with an atmosphere of devotion.
For them to gather so eagerly in Caelid, it could not possibly be for the sake of meeting the Valkyrie far away in the Haligtree.
At that moment, Gowry slowly opened his mouth and let out a strange sound.
It was not human language, but a hoarse insect's cry, like autumn wind brushing over leaves. It was enough to make one's skin crawl.
"Great Lords, please forgive me for appearing before you in such a form."
Gowry's voice echoed through the air, carrying humility and reverence.
"In order to blend smoothly among those humans, this skin is an indispensable disguise for me."
That hoarse chirring, like the lament of night insects, lingered in the silent air for only a few seconds before stopping abruptly.
The Mushroom Man standing before him nodded. He had once been human too. It was only after receiving the Goddess's favor that he became what he was now.
He felt deeply honored by the Goddess's gift, but the people of the world could not understand him.
For an outsider, especially one that ordinary people believed could not be tolerated by the world, contempt and curses were always unavoidable.
"How ugly this world is."
The Mushroom Man called one of the Great Lords spoke flatly, with neither sorrow nor joy on his face.
"But soon, this world will become as beautiful as we are."
He slowly raised his hand, and a dark red light surged from beneath his feet like spreading mist.
As he moved, the light rippled outward in all directions. Wherever it passed, even the lake water stirred and trembled slightly.
That dark red light quickly seeped into every Kindred of Rot. They seemed to be infused with life and let out pleased moans.
"Thank you for your grace, Goddess," the Great Lord cried devoutly. "Let war come. Scarlet shall one day cover the earth!"
His cry was like a war drum. It was both a surging tide of life and a venomous spectacle.
Countless insects seemed to dance. Their movements were chaotic and strange, as if the whole world had gone mad with their rhythm.
Gowry, who had remained expressionless all this time, now showed a look of fanaticism.
After a thousand years, they, the abandoned children, had finally received the Goddess's favor once more. What an honor it was.
And for all of this, they had to thank that Promised Consort who did not know his place and dared make an enemy of the Goddess. Otherwise, they would not have so easily received the Goddess's favor again.
The Great Lord did not join the dance. Before he was swallowed by the clamor of the dark red swarm, he sighed softly.
...
On a western plateau not too far away, at Stormveil Castle on the border between Liurnia and Limgrave.
"What was coming has come after all. I just didn't expect it to be this fast." Vyke frowned.
Even if they had wanted to hide it, the movements of the Redmane Army could not be concealed. That was a legion of forty thousand people, not forty thousand ants.
Besides, Radahn had no intention of hiding it at all. Redmane banners flew along the border of Limgrave, and the endless camp stretched beyond sight.
The Redmane Army had come to the gates of Limgrave in the posture of an absolute power. They had complete confidence in victory, and the strongest Demigod did indeed have the capital for such arrogance.
"What should we do? Summonwater Village has sent people to request support again." Nepheli opened a letter and looked at the sand table. "With their forces, they probably can't hold for even ten days."
Vyke looked around, wanting to see whether any of his colleagues had something to say, but the Fire Knights all wore grave expressions, and no one spoke.
If they could fully digest the gains from conquering Limgrave, they might still have the strength to fight. But it was far too early to face an enemy like this now.
Their Lord was not here. At present, whether in number of heroes or troops, they were far inferior to the enemy. The difference in strength was completely unequal, and there was no hope of victory in sight.
But being unable to win did not mean they had to give up.
"If we can't hold it, then we won't hold it. Send orders to the garrisons everywhere. Leave a small number of troops to maintain order, and have all remaining forces return to Stormveil," Vyke said.
"That's territory we fought so hard to take. Are we just going to hand it over for nothing?" A Tarnished Fire Knight stepped forward.
"Who Limgrave belongs to will only be known after the war ends. And right now, the only thing we have to stand against the Redmanes is this city beneath our feet!" Vyke stared into his eyes.
Cold wind blew into the hall from the window. Outside, soldiers could be seen patrolling the walls with Torches. Those walls were high, so high that even golems had to look up at them.
This ancient city might be called the second-strongest fortress in the world. A thousand years ago, it had endured the campaigns of the War Lord and his knights, and still it had not fallen.
Godfrey's age had long since passed, but the defenders were not the Storm King and his Storm Knights either. The soldiers in the city were only a few thousand Tarnished and more than ten thousand Golden subjects, fewer than twenty thousand in total.
Limgrave was a rich land, but the Redmanes' offensive had come too quickly, leaving them no chance at all to draw out the land's potential.
Vyke stood before the sand table, concentrating as he carefully studied it from left to right. Stormveil's terrain was extremely special. To the east and west lay endless seas, forming natural barriers.
The only normal passage connecting Limgrave and Liurnia from north to south was a great bridge. It spanned the sea west of Stormveil like a giant dragon.
But that bridge had long since been destroyed in war and had not yet been repaired. Moreover, the terrain was steep, and everything below could be seen clearly from the walls. Liurnia was also their ally, which eliminated the possibility of the enemy bypassing the walls and launching a surprise attack from behind.
That made the next plan very simple. The Redmanes could not bypass Stormveil to reach Liurnia. They only needed to concentrate their forces in the south.
More accurately, they needed to concentrate them at the key position of the southern gate.
Stormveil was built upon high cliffs and hills. Unless the enemy could fly, there was only one steep and narrow mountain road for launching an attack from the south.
That meant that when the enemy attacked, they would not be easily crushed like a small boat struck by a great wave.
If the enemy charged while packed together, they would be like a war spear that could only thrust forward, and they had to become the solid shield that blocked that spear.
"Can it work?" the Fire Knight asked. "What if Radahn intervenes directly on the battlefield?"
"Then we will have to trouble the Priestess," Vyke said, looking toward Lansseax in her pure white dress among the crowd.
"The strongest Demigod, hm? I'm afraid I alone may not be enough." Lansseax was not being arrogant. Not every Ancient Dragon had Demigod-level combat power.
"The Fire Knights are the sword and shield in His Majesty's hand. So no matter what enemy we face, Demigods included, we have no reason to retreat," Vyke said. Behind him, the ten knights in white armor nodded in unison.
Now was the time to show loyalty. Cowardice, evasion, and betrayal did not belong in the legends of heroes and knights.