SOTBW - 150

“...Serith spoke?”

Phesis, the leader of the Selenu Order, muttered in disbelief.

Olkoni nodded confidently, glancing at the other commanders seated around the table.

“At first, I thought the soldier might have been mistaken due to extreme fear, so I suggested we take a break and talk slowly afterward. However, several soldiers testified that they had heard Serith muttering some words, and I became convinced that this wasn’t just a misunderstanding.”

“I ran into the commander of the Helquos Order while heading to consult with Dame Elderkerth, and upon judging that it was an urgent matter, I decided to discuss it with him...”

“Coincidentally, I was also on my way to consult with Dame Elderkerth about the same issue.”

Britto sighed heavily as he spoke.

“It’s been over ten years since we fought Serith, but I’ve never heard of them using human language. I fought on the field for over five years and never encountered such an entity.”

“What exactly did the soldiers say they heard?”

Alec, the commander of the Dellerna Order, urgently asked. Britto looked uneasy as he responded.

“I’m not sure. From what I gathered, it doesn’t seem like they were speaking Astienian, as none of the soldiers could make sense of it... Serith’s pronunciation is imprecise and slow, and the soldiers couldn’t even tell what they were trying to say.”

“Then, did any soldiers in Recheo understand what Serith was saying?”

Olkoni shook his head in response to Alec’s continued questioning.

“After compiling all the soldiers’ reports, it seems more likely that they tried to speak, rather than actually uttering words.”

“Either way, this is the worst-case scenario. This means the Serith have evolved again.”

Phesis sighed, frustrated. Curis, the commander of the Eschus Order, also agreed, his expression grave.

“If they are able to communicate with each other, their strength will increase. We’ll be at a huge disadvantage...”

“Maybe we should cancel the end-of-year party?”

Britto cautiously suggested.

Curis immediately glared at him, shouting.

“That’s nonsense! Our knights have been waiting for that party! We’ve already sent invitations to our families!”

“Yes, the invitations were already sent.”

Alec sighed in exasperation.

“Sir Elgort found traces of a massive Serith presence beyond the Great Wall. I’m not so keen on holding the end-of-year party. If something were to happen... We’ll do everything we can to prevent it, but no one knows what will happen to the fortress.”

“Don’t talk like that. If we fight like we always do, nothing will happen. Think about the last battle. In the end, nothing we feared happened.”

Curis protested, but Phesis raised a hand with a dissatisfied look.

“About that... I still find it strange. Our order didn’t participate in the battle, and I’ve heard that only a few Holy Relics even approached?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Olkoni responded.

Phesis, with his arms crossed, shot a cold stare at Curis.

“I know what that means, even though I didn’t participate in the battle, Curis. The Serith bastards are scouting us. They’re observing how we defend the walls, how well we defend them. And you still want to hold the end-of-year party? If something goes wrong, what will you do then?”

“If something happens to the fortress, we’re all as good as dead anyway. Am I wrong?”

“We’re just talking about skipping the end-of-year party. Not attending won’t make the Eschus Order any less effective.”

“That’s not possible. The knights have been living for that day. Didn’t I explain this before? Many knights use the party to reconnect with their families, and if they’re lucky… really lucky, they can pass on the right to fight to a sibling and return home. Those without children may prepare to start a family, and those who came to Noctis with pregnant wives may finally meet children they’ve never held before...”

At Curis’s words, both Alec and Brito, who were also nobles, lowered their gazes in silence. While they had initially opposed the year-end party along with Taylor, many knights from their own order were also of noble birth.

These knights eagerly awaited the year-end party. It wasn’t just a party; it was the only social event where they could enjoy themselves without worrying about the king’s eye after the war had ravaged most social gatherings. It also served as a venue for information exchange.

Merchants eager to learn about events happening in Noctis actively sponsored the party, while nobles, although not indulging as much as usual, enjoyed some luxurious recreation and discussed incidents that had taken place at the royal castle and fortresses.

Knights would reunite with their families at the party, reflecting on surviving the year and searching for candidates among relatives to take their place in battle. Most would fail, but as Curis mentioned, if they were lucky, they might find someone worthy to fight in their stead.

Having boldly promised to prepare the year-end party, Curis wasted no time in securing sponsorships from merchants and sending invitations to various places. Though it was uncertain when the invitations would reach the distant north, Curis was so determined that the year-end party would undoubtedly take place no matter what.

Phesis looked at Curis with a disbelieving expression. Curis, seemingly uninterested in gaining Phesis’ understanding, responded with an indifferent tone.

“Our knights are all of noble birth, so we can’t just skip the year-end party. It’s a tradition to close out the year. I suppose someone like you, born of common stock, wouldn’t understand our urgency.”

“What? Are you done talking?” Phesis glared as if about to knock the table over, prompting Brito to quickly intervene.

“Uh, maybe the low number of Sacred Beasts that attacked is just a coincidence. The creatures are so strange, and it’s hard to predict anything from them...”

“There’s no chance of that,” Curis said firmly.

Everyone in the meeting room shifted their attention to Maximón, who had quietly been listening. Olkoni swallowed nervously and glanced at Maximón. He seemed particularly upset today, and the other commanders could sense this, so they deliberately avoided speaking to him. Maximón’s expression was darker and colder than usual.

“...What do you mean by ‘no chance’?” Brito murmured, concern evident in his voice.

Maximón responded without even looking at Brito.

“The Serith, whether they’re in their sacred or physical forms, come across the great wall with no regard for anything to fill their stomachs. But the fact that only a few Sacred Beasts attacked the fortress means they’re using their heads.”

“Using their heads? Does that mean they’ve developed intelligence? Or...”

“It seems they now have a leader.”

At Maximón’s calm reply, Phesis clicked his tongue, as if he had expected this outcome.

“So, they’ve been scouting us,” Phesis muttered irritably. Alec quickly tried to calm the commanders, whose faces reflected their grave concerns.

“That could be true, or it might not be. Let’s not jump to conclusions.”

Despite Alec’s reassurance, Curis was overcome with anxiety, fearing the possibility that the year-end party might be canceled. He clenched his lips tightly.

Many nobles attended the year-end party. While some feared the Serith and avoided going near Noctis, most nobles attended the event, making generous donations and trying to curry favor with the king.

Curis planned to gather as much money as possible at the party. To outshine Maximón’s reputation, he needed to grow his order and recruit much stronger mercenaries.

At first, he had hoped Lucas would be helpful, but Lucas had proven to be far more irrational and stubborn than Curis had expected. Considering the immoral behavior Lucas displayed in his mansion, Curis saw no value in keeping him as an ally.

In the past, Curis had eagerly accepted Lucas’ help to keep Maximón in check, but recently, with funding seemingly cut off, there had been no more news of sponsorships. Though the decline in funds was unfortunate, Curis was secretly relieved that he no longer had to deal with the repugnant man.

Therefore, until the year-end party, Curis knew he had to maintain peace at all costs.

Curis was truly determined to make the year-end party happen.

“Has there been any word on the support request to His Majesty? Still no reply?” Curis asked Olkoni, his tone frustrated.

“Not yet... There’s still no reply...” Olkoni answered weakly, as though he had done something wrong. The meeting room fell silent. Brito, pressing his forehead, which had begun to ache, spoke up.

“If the Serith have a commander, does that mean the Sacred Beasts that attacked tonight could be followed by even more?”

“That’s certainly likely,” Phesis said pessimistically.

“How many soldiers have been sent to nearby cities for treatment and recovery?” Curis asked Alec.

“Well... maybe around twenty thousand in total... but if you count the deserters, it’s probably over fifty thousand.”

“Does that twenty thousand include soldiers addicted to drugs?”

“No, that doesn’t include them. The twenty thousand is just the soldiers sent to rear cities for treatment. The ones with mental issues, that is. As for those addicted... well, it’s hard to estimate.”

Curis sighed unknowingly at Alec’s explanation.

Brito listened to the conversation and shook his head.

“Would sending them back to the field even add to our strength?”

Phesis interrupted Brito’s negative comment.

“If they can’t fight, we can at least use them as shields.”

“But that’s just feeding them to the Sacred Beasts,” Brito argued.

“Is there a better option?” Phesis snapped. “In a situation where we don’t know when the Sacred Beasts will swarm us, what other choice do we have but to use them as decoys? We can’t just wait around hoping the king will send reinforcements. We need to gather every soldier we can.”

After Phesis’ words, Alec, deep in thought, glanced at Olkoni.

“Olkoni. It looks like we’ll need to ask Dame Elderkerth to send the soldiers from Tunvenes, Benquilio, Jovelo, and Relvion back to Noctis Fortress.”

Tunvenes, Benquilio, Jovelo, and Relvion were cities that assisted Noctis Fortress by providing soldiers for training and treatment. There was no longer space to build any more relief stations at Noctis Fortress, so soldiers who were too injured to fight were sent to these cities for care.

With soldiers who had lost an arm still fighting on the front lines, the injured being sent to these cities for treatment were those who had suffered mental anguish, committing reckless acts that endangered their comrades.