I opened my eyes the next day.
I could see the scenery of the whole city from here.
The city was just beginning to wake up.
I no longer knew what to do, but I knew that time would pass whether I did or not.
I exited my room and found two knights. Upon seeing me, they greeted me.
One of them ran off quickly — probably to inform Lyra.
I started walking along the corridor, mainly wondering whether I should try food in a restaurant or in the castle.
On the way I passed by many servants they all bowed coming me see and stayed like that until I left. I also not wanting to make things awkward didn't say anything.
While I was thinking about that, Lyra soon arrived.
She asked,
"Do you want to eat now, or would you like to do something else first?"
I thought for a second and then said,
"I'll eat now."
She nodded and left to prepare. Meanwhile, I continued walking slowly.
When I arrived, the food was already laid out.
I sat down and started eating. The food was very good — I was actually impressed.
Then I asked Lyra,
"Is there a place to train here?"
Lyra replied,
"There is, however, it's small. Maybe only suitable for A-Rank at most. The previous lord preferred training in the mountains."
I nodded.
Well, for me, a training room is good enough.
After finishing the food, I said,
"Lead me to the training room."
She started walking, and I simply followed her. I didn't even know a quarter of the castle yet — but in time, I would.
Soon, we reached it.
I entered the room and instructed,
"Don't disturb me for small matters, but don't hesitate if something truly needs my attention. You can leave."
Lyra nodded and left.
I looked around the training room.
She said it was small, but it was quite big — maybe she meant small for a powerhouse.
There were all kinds of weapons: swords, rapiers, katanas, bows, spears, small blades, whips, staves, gauntlets, shields — and many I couldn't even recognize.
I picked up a sword and started doing repeated slashes in various forms. After two hours, I began using a dummy. Then, after another hour, I exited the room.
There stood an attendant. I guess even if Lyra didn't stay herself, someone had to be here in case I needed something.
I went back to my bedroom and took a cold shower.
After bathing, I went to the wardrobe to select clothes. Yesterday, everything I could need had been bought — not by me, but on Lyra's orders.
There were all kinds: luxurious, modest, expensive-looking, simple robes — anything from what a king would wear to what a peasant might. I guess it's better this way.
I wore some comfortable clothes and left my room.
If you're wondering where I was going — to meet my ride.
It's good to bond with him. Wyverns are very social, so he probably sees me as family.
I went to the roof of the castle, where one section was open to the sky. It kind of gave him freedom.
As soon as he noticed me, he came closer.
I patted him and teleported onto his back.
Then we took to the sky. I just wanted to spend some time with him — nothing complicated.
He was bigger than most wyverns I had seen so far. Not the biggest, but definitely in the top three.
Maybe he was exiled because he fought for leadership and lost.
I liked being in the sky with him, and he seemed to enjoy flying as well.
I said to him,
"Hey! I want to name you Aero. Do you like it?"
He immediately increased his speed. I'll take that as excitement for his new name.
I stayed in the sky for a while, then returned to the castle.
I walked toward my office. Lyra had shown me the office before anything else.
Does she think I'm a workaholic?
Well, whatever.
I entered and thought about what to do.
On the desk, there was a device to contact Lyra. I used it to call her.
Soon, there was a knock on the door.
I said,
"Come in."
She bowed and asked,
"Are there any instructions for me?"
I said,
"Call the ones responsible for economic affairs and city safety. Call them separately, in order."
She bowed and left.
The first to come was the one responsible for economic affairs.
I asked him,
"Tell me, how much is the war affecting our reserves?"
He replied,
"For now, we are earning more than we are spending, so it's good. However, the previous war reduced our reserves, so we're not in a position to be completely comfortable."
I nodded and asked,
"Is trade being opened up more?"
He replied,
"We've loosened our control a little after deciding it's more beneficial that way."
I nodded again and said,
"Have you brought the records?"
He handed me the documents related to everything.
My father taught me economics in detail, so it was easy to understand.
I said,
"Alright. You may leave. I'll study the report further and contact you if there's an issue."
The man left.
Lyra entered and informed me that the one responsible for city security had arrived.
I said,
"Send him in."
The man sat, and I asked,
"Are there any issues with the city's security…"
Before I could finish, there was a knock on the door.
I frowned but said,
"Come in."
Lyra entered and said,
"My lord, the commander has come to meet you. He says the demons have been sighted. The war may start tomorrow — or even today."
I frowned even harder and said to the man sitting,
"You may leave."
He bowed and left.
I said to Lyra,
"Call the commander in."
Soon, the commander entered.
He bowed and said,
"My lord, scouts have spotted a huge army. Our spies haven't contacted us yet — I fear they've been killed."
I stood up and said,
"Alright. Let's go."
The commander had already given orders to the knights and soldiers, so they were almost prepared.
I said to him,
"Leave however many you think are necessary behind and march the rest to intercept. How many forces are close to the battlefield?"
The commander replied,
"There aren't many, but they'll reach there by tomorrow. We, however, will take a week."
I nodded.
The problem was exactly as the commander said — we were about a week away from where the battle would happen.
Of course, I could go quickly by wyvern, but the army couldn't, so I went by horse. Yes, horse — not carriage. The army here consisted of cavalry for now.
The infantry was already closer. They hadn't retreated so far back that we'd have no time to react.
In fact, much of the cavalry was also near the border.
Many captains were stationed there for now, but we needed to arrive quickly.
But just because I wasn't riding aero didn't mean he is staying in the capital. He is coming flying at his own pace. And I am riding a horse close to Commander.
What bothered me was that the attack wasn't supposed to happen now.
Was it because of me? That's the only reason I could think of.
Soon, I saw a beast — a bird — fly toward the commander.
This bird species was easy to raise and very fast, so it was used for information exchange. Communication devices also worked, but sometimes they were unreliable — so this was the alternative.
The commander read the message and told me grimly,
"The demons have slowed down a little. The war might be postponed to the day after tomorrow — or maybe longer."
For anyone thinking that's good news — it's not. Because that means there's a demon general leading the army.
And so, we continued moving.
War...
It would be my first.
---
Three Days Later
The demon army was very close to the human army — so close that the only thing stopping them was the order to wait. Though tension were high at both ends.
The human army was ready. Though major leaders weren't present, their current strength was enough to manage, somehow.
A soldier entered a tent.
Inside, a few captains sat around a map with some reports.
The soldier reported,
"The demon army is still inactive. Our scouts haven't returned."
One captain frowned. He was the oldest one there — the most experienced and strongest — so, for now, he was acting leader.
He said,
"For now, we wait. At least that much we all know. The commander said he'll come in three days. We'll let the soldiers rest — or they won't be in shape when the fight truly starts."
Another captain said,
"According to their movements, it's estimated that there must be a demon general, but there's no report confirming it yet."
Another one added,
"We don't even know if it's the Fifteenth General
— or someone else."
Everyone had the same question - have the Fifteenth Demon General recovered?