By the time the last rays of dusk bled into indigo, the training grounds had emptied into quiet satisfaction.
The villagers clumsy no more rode their cuckoo mounts with surprising grace, laughter trailing behind them as they wound along dirt paths back to their cottages. The scent of sweat, firewood, and trampled grass lingered in the air.
The hunters were already circling in tight formation, moving like a proper cavalry wing. Even Roderick, old warhound that he was, had fallen into rhythm—though he still tried to press me about tonight's incursion.
I told him straight: the only one I trusted to lead in my absence was him. That shut him up. Instead, he tried to drag me to dinner, claiming Juvia had cooked something special.
Tempting as my mind reminds me of the video I took—but there are things I need to prioritize first. As my body is burning with restless energy, despite running on no sleep. I declined. Then Mereia appeared, her presence as commanding as her beauty, and offered me a leftover sandwich. I couldn't refuse. With her, saying no felt like spitting on royalty.
Lyssa caught me soon after. She reported the ten Valkyrie guards had already finished their meal. I told her I'd meet them at the gate, three hours before midnight. We parted ways in silence, both knowing what awaited.
I gave Kentucky one last pat, unbuckling the saddle straps.
"Good job, buddy," I muttered, leading him toward the jagged silhouette of the old castle. His feathers glistened faintly in the torchlight, breath steaming in the cool night air.
I reached into my coat and pulled out the Ephone.
It was muscle memory at this point. After everything tonight—the scouts, the kills, the chaos—I needed to see where I stood.
The screen lit up. Cold. Blue. Steady.
Still active. Still real.
I tapped [Status].
[ Coins: 150 Command Coins ]
My eyes narrowed.
Wait... what?
Last I checked, back when I first arrived, it was ten. Just ten.
Now it showed one hundred fifty.
"So I was paid," I muttered, my thumb sliding down to expand the full log.
You have killed Orc Rider — 15 coins
You have killed Worg — 15 coins
You have killed Worg — 15 coins
Same payout across the board. Fifteen coins per kill. As I kept scrolling, more entries stacked in—each with that same number.
Ten in total.
Ten confirmed kills. That explained the jump.
But then I paused.
What about the first one? The very first rider I took out last night?
My gaze drifted toward the treeline, where that body had fallen. Half-covered now in brush and moonlight. I hadn't even opened the app back then. Just acted on instinct.
And then something pulsed in my memory.
That other notification.
[ Territory Gained: Eldenthyr ]
[ All Achievements of Eldenthyr Now Reflected to You ]
So that was it. Territory meant kills converted into Command Coins. The village's survival was literally tied to my own.
But it wasn't just payment.
It was proof.
This system rewards conquest.
"Figures," I muttered. Whatever the reason, the market was still locked to me. No units. No weapons. If there is for weapons 150 coins is not enough
Sigh… So back to original intention as I look at the knife at my belt..
A knife is fine for close quarters, but a soldier doesn't gamble his life on one blade. I needed something sturdier. Something that could carry me through the night.
I tightened my grip on Kentucky's reins and pulled him toward the castle's broken gates. The shadows swallowed us whole.
As evening swallowed the last remnants of daylight, the broken castle creaked in silence.
I let Kentucky rest near the stables—or what used to be stables.. gave him half a sandwich, and chewed the other half myself. He deserved better than dry bread, but it would keep him quiet and content. His feathers puffed in the night air, chest rising and falling with slow, steady breaths.
Then I stepped into the armory.
Or what was left of it.
The air was thick with dust and time, yet… the weapons still gleamed.
Thousands of them. Spears, swords, halberds, shields stacked and leaned as if expecting a war that never came.
But one—just one—stood apart.
A cane but curved slightly longer like a samurai sword.
Or so he thought.
It jutted awkwardly out of a broken rack, wrapped in faded cloth and bathed in a soft cerulean glow, like moonlight whispered its name.
He stepped closer, eyes narrowing.
The wooden hilt curved slightly, familiar.
He gripped it—warm to the touch—and pulled.
Shing!
A blade flashed forth, curved like a crescent moon, elegant as any katana from Earth's samurai flicks. The blue aura hummed softly, as if speaking only to him.
Aexl's heart raced.
"This... this is it. The chosen sword. The kind that changes destinies."
He raised it in the air, light dancing off its edge.
"In one fell swoop... I could cut down half the orc unit charging me. Just like those LitRPG stories... This—this blade will be the legend of Eldenthyr!"
He grinned wide, channeling every samurai movie he'd ever watched as a kid, giving the sword a few proud swings.
"A sword this good deserves a name..." he whispered. "I'll call you MI6"
"Do you like it?"
A sultry voice whispered right behind his ear.
"GAH—!"
Aexl jolted violently. His foot kicked a loose helmet. The katana spun out of his hand and nearly embedded itself in the wooden floor.
He clutched his chest, turning his head fast and froze.
Behind him, Lyssa stood arms folded… and looked at her chest; it was practically the one pressed to his back a while ago due to the soft sensation he felt.
His face flushed instantly. Thoughts came in
W-Was that what poked me?!
No no no—don't look. You're not some hormonal teen. You're a commander now. Do NOT
His eyes dropped anyway.
Damn it, I looked...
"I-I'm not scared!" Aexl barked awkwardly, sweeping his hand up like he meant to do that spin. He tried to strike a cool pose.
"Just caught me off guard," he added with a fake laugh, side-stepping away as smoothly as he could.
Lyssa narrowed her eyes. "Selene said you were wandering around the castle. Thought I'd check in. And here you are… frolicking in the armory. Are you trying to steal, General?"
"Steal? Please. This place isn't even locked," Aexl shrugged. "Besides… I need a weapon in order to conquer this world. If this is all I get, it's barely fair compensation."
Lyssa stepped closer, eyeing the sword in his hand, smiled "Well, lucky you. You can keep that one."
Aexl blinked. "Wait, really?"
Lyssa smirked. "Sure. It's common."
She kicked open a chest behind her.
CLANK!
Hundreds of identical glowing katanas spilled out like fireworks from a treasure chest.
"I—what—?!"
"You want more?" Lyssa asked sweetly, opening a second crate.
THUD.
More katanas.
"You can have them all," Lyssa said with a wink, as if she were offering him cookies, enough steel to arm a damn rebellion.
Aexl held up both hands. "Enough! Enough! I thought I just pulled some legendary artifact—turns out I hit a sword gacha with 100% drop rate?!"
Suddenly—buzz!
His Ephone lit up.
[SYSTEM NOTICE]
You have acquired: 500× Katana of Shin
Would you like to store in Inventory?
[ YES ] [ NO ]
He hesitated. Then tapped [YES].
Puff. Puff.
The two crates Lyssa had just opened vanished in a pixelated shimmer.
She stared at the empty space, eyes twitching.
"…Did you just STEAL those?"
"No! No no—it's the system!" Aexl waved his hands frantically. "It auto-looted!"
"System? You mean that magic wand of yours?" she said, pointing at the glowing Ephone.
Aexl scratched his head, eyes darting. "Uhh… it's kinda hard to explain."
Yeah, no way to tell her I'm basically running an RTS Menu in this Fantasy world… with item vacuum enabled.
…Maybe next time.
"It's just a… feature," Aexl muttered, twirling the phone in hand and barely hiding the grin tugging at his lips. "Don't think too much about it."
Lyssa crossed her arms, clearly unimpressed but tired. "Well… whatever quirk your magic stick has if it keeps us safe, Just take it." She stepped closer, voice softer now. "You can ask for anything, Aexl. Whatever you need, just say the word. We need you… as much as you need us. Everything here…" she turned and opened the castle's narrow window, wind brushing her golden strands aside" is yours. Just promise me one thing…"
Her gaze drifted down to the flickering lights of Eldenthyr Village far below.
"Keep them safe. Bring back the peace we once had. So if this armory is the compensation take it now its yours"
[Ephone Buzzed.]
Aexl looked down.
Lyssa of ELdenthyr has given you the armory
STRUCTURE UNLOCKED: ARMORY
Effect: Unlimited weapon generation based on Eldenthyr's stored armament knowledge.
Daily Extraction Limit: 500 units (Commander Level: 0)
With a blink of an eye everything in the armory vanished
"Heh…" Aexl muttered, already clicking options like a teenager on a caffeine rush.
With each click, a weapon popped into existence, then vanish again
An axe.
A longsword.
A mace.
A spear.
Another mace.
A broadsword with weird ornamental wings.
He was grinning now, arms rotating like a circus juggler on meth, flipping weapons into the air with flicks of his wrist.
"Oh man this is like a cheat code. I am the loot box."
Behind him, Lyssa continued her heartfelt story about a mother once saved from a fire until she turned
And saw…
"WHAT IN THE GODS ?!"
The armory was empty. Not a sword, not a rack, not even a banner remained. Only the cold stones and the faint shimmer of magical storage residue.
Lyssa's eyes widened. "The armory! The entire armory! Where did it go?! The flags, the weapons, our heirlooms…!"
Aexl didn't flinch. "I need all of them," he said calmly, his tone absolute.
"General, you can't just.."
"Hey."
He stepped forward and, without warning, lifted her into his arms. Not rough. Not desperate. Just firm commanding.
"Generall—what are you doing?!"
"No more questions," he said, voice low but certain. "You wanted peace. I'll bring it back."
She blinked.
"Your part is done. Let me carry the rest."
He glanced toward the stables. "I've taken the armory, the burden, the plan. All that's left is to win."
Then, with a half-smirk and a fire behind his eyes..
"And maybe, just maybe… you and Selene as my wife,double the prize or nothing and my ticket towards conquering this world."
He moved swiftly toward Kentucky, Lyssa still stunned in his arms, the castle lights flickering behind them like the end of one chapter and the start of war.
As soon as Aexl gently lowered Lyssa to the ground, she took a step back.. then blurted, "To be honest… I was watching you."
Aexl blinked, surprised, but stayed silent.
Aexl blinked, caught off guard by the sudden request, but he said nothing.
"I… I mean, not in a way," Lyssa stammered, fidgeting with the corner of her sash. "You're doing everything for us… while I should be the one handling this. It feels improper… leaves a bad taste."
She hesitated, then glanced up.
"If possible… for tonight's battle, can I join you?"
Her voice dropped into something quieter. "So I can feel less guilty... about removing you from your world and forcing all this on you."
One breath. Then another.
"The lives of my villagers... they rise or fall based on what you decide," she continued, voice laced with conflict. "They trusted me to summon someone worthy. But right now, you're still a stranger. To them... and to me."
She bit her lower lip, clearly afraid she'd said too much.
But Aexl didn't flinch. He simply nodded.
"I understand."
He stepped forward, his tone leveling out, crisp and resolute.
"That's why I said you become my wife,
everybody becomes my pawn,
the whole Eldenthyr."
His gaze sharpened.
"My compensation I ask is a burden to shoulder you all. I'm not doing this because I care but i came here to achieve my goal and just so happen we have the same direction"
He smirked slightly, but the seriousness didn't fade.
"In short I'm doing this because you are my initial army."
He pointed casually toward the distance.
"If you crumble, if you die, that's like losing essential manpower. And in just two days, I've seen what your people are capable of. I'm not going to lose that... not just to some orcs."
Lyssa blinked, caught somewhere between flustered and impressed.
"As for joining tonight," Aexl went on, "it's not just about those who are swinging weapons together with me. It's about trust. Forging the bond with me. And more importantly…I need you for the task I can only entrust to you."
"Prepare the Rendezvous Slope," Lyssa cut in.
Aexl smiled. "Exactly."
He turned toward the open doorway, the evening breeze spilling through like a promise.
"That slope is critical. Tonight's not a full battle—it's a skirmish. A trial run. I need to know how effective this army really is... a gamble, whether we can break the orcs or not."
He paused, then looked back over his shoulder.
"We may fail. Or we may succeed. But everything's already set. If I go down tonight, I've already discussed the fallback plan. Roderick knows what must be done."
He placed a firm hand on Lyssa's shoulder.
She froze. Her cheeks flushed—not from fear, but something else. Something warmer. As if, for a moment, she thought he might pull her into a hug... or kiss her forehead.
But instead, Aexl gently tapped the top of her head.
"If I die out there, I'll take half of them with me to the grave. So don't worry too much."
Then he pulled his hand back, rolling his shoulders as if shaking off the weight.
"I guess it's time to move out."
Then a voice small but comes with big gratitude
Thank you,
smile