I was a man of the Royal Guards, assigned to the security detail of the castle.
I couldn't participate in the parade itself, but that was to be expected. Part of it was simply a streak of bad luck with my shift rotation, but the truth was that the number of soldiers permitted to join the procession was incredibly small. Only about twenty were chosen from our entire corps. The members selected were all unit captains who possessed both fame and genuine skill. Since even some of the captains were passed over, there was no way a regular soldier like me would be picked.
It was disappointing, but I had a job to do. I liked to think no one would be foolish enough to try and infiltrate the Royal Castle, but we stood guard precisely because those fools existed.
Then came the day of the main event. In reality, the festivities had begun several days prior, but today was the day the parade would finally march through the capital. A massive crowd had gathered to witness it. Even if commoners were weak individually, sheer numbers constituted a form of violence. I remained vigilant, taking care not to let my aura become too intimidating to the civilians.
Of course, I also kept a sharp eye on the dragons waiting outside the city. If they decided to attack, no amount of guarding would matter, but I felt it was wrong to simply do nothing just because resistance might be futile.
And then, of course, there were the Inferno Wolves. I had seen the rehearsal, and they were terrifying. Were there really two hundred of them? I desperately hoped that was an exaggeration. On top of that, we had the Angel Race, the High Elves, and the wyverns. I had far too many potential threats to track for my own peace of mind.
To my surprise, the parade proceeded smoothly along its planned route, and the lead group eventually arrived at our final destination: the front of the Royal Castle.
Two powerful-looking knights led the way. I didn't recognize them, nor did I recognize the style of their armor, but since they had been entrusted with the vanguard, they were undoubtedly elite. Behind them followed our own Royal Guards.
I noticed something odd, however. My fellow guards were holding their shields at the ready, maintaining a level of alertness that suggested an enemy was standing right in front of them.
While I was pondering their behavior, trouble broke out among the spectators. A pickpocket had appeared. He must have been targeting the dense crowd, hoping the chaos would cover his tracks. It was incredibly bold given the heavy security. However, the victim noticed immediately and raised a cry, sending the thief into a panicked sprint.
From my vantage point atop the castle wall, I could track the thief’s movements perfectly. I was just about to signal the soldiers on the ground when the thief made a fatal mistake. He ducked into the clearing reserved for the parade participants who had already arrived.
Naturally, that area was under the tightest security. Moreover, since only the lead group had arrived, the visibility was excellent. Soldiers rushed in from all sides to intercept him. It was only a matter of time before he was apprehended.
As I watched, the thief doubled down on his stupidity. He veered toward the two knights who had just moved into the standby area. Why go toward them? Anyone could see they were masters.
My question was answered instantly. The thief wasn't after the knights; he was after the swords they carried—one a brilliant white, the other a shimmering black. The parade was over, and the knights were in the process of handing the blades over to the management staff. They were likely ceremonial, but to a desperate thief, they must have looked like priceless weapons.
Did he really intend to arm himself and fight back? He was an utter moron. If he had surrendered, he might have been taken alive, but once he reached for a weapon, the guards wouldn't hesitate to use lethal force. That man was as good as dead. I hated the thought of a long-awaited celebration being stained by blood, but…
Fortunately, the thief didn't die. Before his fingers could even graze the hilts, the two knights sent him flying with a pair of lightning-fast punches. The surrounding soldiers swarmed over him as he hit the ground and pinned him down.
I let out a breath of relief. But then, I saw the thief thrashing about in a useless struggle. He reached into his tunic and threw something. It was the stolen wallet. If he had simply returned it earlier, his sentence might have been lighter, though disrupting the parade would likely still carry a heavy price. I suppose he felt he had to accept the risk.
I kept my eyes on the thief, but the two knights and the shield-bearing guards were focused on the falling wallet. Their expressions were filled with pure horror.
The wallet struck the staff member holding the black sword right in the face. Startled, the man fumbled, and the black sword was knocked from his grasp. It tumbled through the air and struck the stone pavement with a heavy clang.
To me, it was just a dropped sword. I hoped it wasn't dented, but that was the extent of my concern.
The two knights, however, moved with supernatural speed. One grabbed the staff member and hauled him away from the blade. The other kicked the fallen sword toward the shield-bearing guards. Without a second's delay, the guards converged on the weapon, raising their shields to form a defensive shell around it.
What in the world…?
Before the thought could even form, a thunderous roar and a blinding flash of light erupted. The black sword had exploded.
The shockwave, however, was successfully diverted upward by the wall of shields. There was no damage to the surrounding area; the guards had contained it perfectly. I looked up to where the blast had been directed, and my heart sank.
The Angel Race was there.
As a witness, I could testify that the Royal Guards hadn't intentionally aimed the blast at them. They had simply vented the pressure straight up to save the crowd. By sheer misfortune, the angels happened to be flying right in that path. It was a freak accident, a string of pure, tragic coincidence.
Caught in the blast, several angels plummeted from the sky. Before I could even react, the Harpy Race flying behind them intercepted the falling angels in mid-air, deftly ferrying them to the backs of the wyverns. It was a fluid, practiced maneuver. I realized they must have had emergency protocols for being attacked in the air.
The remaining angels immediately shifted into an attack stance. That, too, was likely part of their training, but it was a disaster in the making. I knew they were on our side, but many residents still viewed them with deep suspicion. Seeing them take such a blatant combat posture was the worst thing that could happen.
Several angels began a rapid descent. They might have been trying to investigate the source of the explosion, but to an onlooker, it looked exactly like a diving attack.
Magic was fired from the ground. Not just a stray shot or two—multiple casters unleashed a barrage of magic balls, creating a solid wall of fire and energy. It was a coordinated effort to "swat" anything in the sky by hitting an entire area rather than a single point. Under any other circumstances, I would have praised such a magnificent display of cooperation between the various units.
Faced with the incoming magic, the diving angels reversed course. The angels, harpies, and wyverns all ascended to a height beyond the reach of the spells. I was relieved. If they had lost their tempers and retaliated, the city would have burned. They were supposed to be our allies.
But then I saw the other side of the coin. From the perspective of the parade participants, it looked like the capital’s forces had just attacked their allied angels. In fact, the explosion had already caused casualties among their ranks.
I watched in horror as the Inferno Wolves in the procession broke off into small hunting packs and veered away from the parade line. Wait, wait, wait, wait!
The beastmen and High Elves also transitioned into combat stances. I could feel the shift in the air even from my distance. This was going south fast.
"It was an accident! It wasn't an attack!" I screamed, but my voice was lost in the growing roar of the crowd.
Instead, I heard voices inciting the residents and the guards.
"Defend the capital!" "The time has come to prove our strength!" "Who do those wolves think they are?!"
Who were these idiots?! I felt like jumping down and knocking them out myself.
To make matters worse, a massive giant suddenly appeared. It was a bizarre construct, a golem seemingly cobbled together from the parts of dismantled carriages. And as if drawn by the commotion, the elder dragons waiting in the outskirts turned and began flying directly toward the city.
Wait. They were coming here? How were we supposed to fight that?
Amidst my confusion, an order from my captain arrived. "Protect the residents!"
Right. I-I’d do it! Even if a dragon was probably asking too much!
As my courage began to waver, three dragons appeared before me. I recognized them—Ojes, Hyfryguta, and Kihatroy. They were the dragons who lived and worked in the capital! Were they going to intercept the ones approaching the city?
What? They said it was impossible for them? They were going to focus on containing the Inferno Wolves instead? Honestly, that was still a huge help!
"I'm counting on you!"
I scrambled down from the castle wall and began ushering the non-combatant residents into the castle for safety. I was surprised to see how few residents actually considered themselves "non-combatants."
"Ah, Grandma! Please, put down the weapon. This way to the shelter!"