War is an inescapable existence for humanity, running through the entirety of human history.
Twenty days had quietly passed since the battle at the Pyrenees Mountains.
During these twenty days, the allied forces of Egypt and the French Army had engaged in multiple fierce battles with Jalter's monster legions on land that once belonged to France, recovering a large portion of the lost territories.
However, along with the allied forces' triumphant progress, an ominous premonition surfaced in the hearts of the insightful members of the alliance.
It was going too smoothly!
Although the allied forces encountered stubborn resistance from the monster legions in every town they reclaimed, it was just too smooth—not to say the enemy's resistance wasn't strong, nor that their numbers were few.
Rather, the enemy always gave these people a feeling that they were fighting individually, completely lacking the sense of fighting against a unified country; it felt more like dealing with groups of rebels fighting their own separate battles.
And indeed, that was the case. Jalter had still not returned to Paris, Marshal Gil was completely unconcerned with the battlefield situation, occupied with unknown matters in Brittany, and Elizabeth had been so terrified by the first battle at the Pyrenees Mountains that she led her direct subordinates back to Paris and never came out again.
Allied Central Command Tent.
The King of Conquerors pointed at Paris on the map and spoke.
"This should be the location for the decisive battle!"
Beside him, Marshal Gil nodded in agreement.
"Lady Goddess, Lord Pharaoh, Your Majesty the Queen, just as the King of Conquerors said, our decisive battle with the Dragon Queen should be at her nest in Paris! We are now three days' march from Paris. I hope our respective armies can prepare in advance for the final battle."
At this moment, Lily raised her hand and pointed toward Brittany and Britain, saying somewhat shyly.
"I believe we still need to split our forces to defend against enemies from the direction of Brittany, and we also need to send more people to scout the direction of Britain. I think British reinforcements... might not necessarily come!"
Cleopatra gave a bored yawn and turned to look at her generals, signaling them to express their opinions.
After receiving the signal from Cleopatra, one of the Egyptian generals spoke up.
"Everyone, if we split our forces to defend the direction of Brittany, I'm afraid our strength on the main battlefield will be severely insufficient!"
"This time, our Egyptian expeditionary force plus the garrison units from the Iberian Peninsula total about 210,000. Excluding previous casualties and the troops left behind to guard key passes and transport supplies, the front-line troops capable of participating in battle now only number 30,000. And you in France probably can't even scrape together 5,000 soldiers now!"
"With so few people, attacking Paris is already a stretch, and now we have to split forces for defense? How are we supposed to fight this battle?"
Indeed, the biggest problem facing the allied forces now was the issue of manpower. After all, Iberia was a new territory recently occupied by Egypt, and all supplies had to be transported from Egypt by sea and land. The long supply lines required a large number of soldiers for defense and escort, leading to a severe shortage of front-line troops.
At this moment, Gudako asked Rin.
"Master! Can't you make the King of Conquerors' Army of the King manifest? Couldn't we use that to get an additional 30,000 Heroic Spirit troops?"
Rin rolled her eyes at Gudako, picked up a quill from the table, and drew several lines on the map.
"These are the French ley lines, and not a single one is near Paris. Although there is indeed a ley line in Paris, its node is inside the city. Without being able to utilize a ley line, where would we get enough magical energy to support tens of thousands of Heroic Spirits manifesting? Even if other ley lines could be used, they are all too far from Paris. Once they leave the range of the ley line's support, the Heroic Spirit army wouldn't be able to make it over!"
"Ah! Is that how it is!"
Rin slammed a fist down, making Gudako squat down while holding her head.
"Of course! Also, I told you to study more; where did you throw all the knowledge I taught you!"
Gudako, clutching her head with teary eyes, looked up and said pitifully to Rin.
"Master, I was wrong!"
"I really can't do anything with you!"
While the allied forces were still agonizing over the situation, on a road not far from Paris in another direction.
The Hime Knight, a survivor of the Black Saber's guard, was currently riding her warhorse with a spirited expression, leading the newly selected members of the guard as they galloped behind Black Saber and Jalter.
As one of the few survivors of the third batch of the guard, the Hime Knight had now become the captain of Black Saber's guard. For the Hime Knight, who was determined to serve Black Saber and fight for her, this was a supreme honor.
It was exactly this spirit that sustained this group of guardian knights, galloping for two days and two nights behind Black Saber and Jalter's dragon after landing in France.
Whinny!
The Hime Knight's warhorse let out a sorrowful neigh, its legs buckling as it collapsed in the high-speed procession. The Hime Knight agilely cut the ropes connecting her horse to several others before it hit the ground, leaping onto the back of another riderless horse to continue forward.
"Sorry, partner!"
The troop quickly passed, leaving only the horse with sorrow in its eyes slumped in the middle of the road.
During these two days and nights of frantic riding, countless horses had already been abandoned on the road like this.
"Everyone, hold on! Paris is right before our eyes!"
The knights rushing out from the forest path soon saw Paris situated on the great plain. Seeing the destination, the exhausted knights finally breathed a sigh of relief.
And it was precisely because of this sigh of relief that a small portion of the knights who had already reached their limits fell from their horses and never caught up with the troop again.
Two days and two nights without sleep, rest, food, or water was a trial not just for the horses but for the knights as well. This group of knights had actually reached their limits long ago; they had persisted until now entirely due to their iron will.
"Roar!!!"
Two legendary dragons were the first to fly over the walls of Paris, triggering a series of roars from all the dragon-kind throughout the city, as if welcoming their Queen's return.
Next were Black Saber's knights, who charged into Paris along the main street, following their Queen into the palace.
In the garden before the palace's front hall, Black Saber dismounted from her dragon and walked over to the Hime Knight, who looked so gaunt that a gust of wind might blow her over, and gently patted her on the shoulder.
Even though these knights no longer looked human, their eyes still blazed with a soul-piercing fanaticism.
"Good work! Bradamante, take your subordinates and rest well. Prepare to charge onto the battlefield with me in two days!"
"Yes! My King!"
Then Black Saber turned her head and said to Jalter.
"Hey! Assault Girl, I'm entrusting my knights to you!"
"Cold-Blooded Woman! Leave it to me! I'll take good care of them for these two days!"
"Good! Two days... two days... in two days I'll be able to see those old rivals again! I can't wait!"
Jalter reached out and patted the affectionate Fafnir beside her.
"No need to rush, Cold-Blooded Woman, and you too, Fafnir. To show respect for our old rivals, we'll wait until your army reaches Paris before the decisive battle!"
"Whatever you say!"
Black Saber glanced at Jalter and then walked into the Paris palace without looking back.
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