Rest had successfully cleared his first major hurdle since arriving at the fortress.
Ironically, the obstacle hadn't been the hostile foreign tribes, but his own allies—specifically, Yuri’s three older brothers.
"Count Clover, we're holding a war council. You’ll be participating, I trust? I won't take no for an answer."
"Lord Clover, might I have a moment of your time? I’d like to hear your thoughts on a few matters."
"Lord Clover, how about a quick duel? I won't lose to you this time, I swear it!"
"What is wrong with these people? Don’t they have anything better to do?"
It had been several days since he reached the fortress, and he was already exhausted. The three Catreia brothers seemed to spend every spare moment hounding him.
"I suppose it’s a bit much to wish the enemy would just attack already..."
Rest let out a heavy sigh as he lurked in the shadows. He was currently perched atop the fortress’s outer walls, having fled there to escape the brothers’ constant attention. While sentries were posted at intervals along the wall, none of them seemed to have noticed his presence yet.
Overprotective older brothers, huh? I mean, it’s fine, really. It just takes a lot out of a guy being the target of all that attention.
Rest didn't have any siblings, not in this life or his previous one. He’d had a half-brother named Cedric, but it was hard to call someone a brother when there was no bond between them. He had occasionally wondered what it would have been like to have a real sibling, but considering his circumstances, perhaps it was for the best. At least he’d been the only victim of his toxic parents.
"I wonder how long this is going to last..."
He never expected that his greatest adversary on the battlefield would be on his own side. He had known war wouldn't be easy and had braced himself for a grueling experience, but this particular brand of difficulty was entirely unexpected.
"Well, whatever. The Advance Force's job is to hold this fortress until the main army arrives. Once reinforcements show up, then—"
Suddenly, the sun dimmed.
For a split second, he assumed a cloud had passed overhead, but then his Life Search—which he kept active at all times—picked up a series of anomalies.
"Above us... Is it the foreign tribes!?"
Rest looked up at the sky.
Massive white clouds drifted through the blue sky like whales, and from within their depths, the hidden attackers revealed themselves. They were humans with wings—the Winged Race, one of the many foreign tribes. They had likely gained altitude and used the clouds as cover to deceive the lookouts. As of yet, no one besides Rest seemed to have noticed them.
They used the clouds to launch a surprise attack... I have to warn the others!
"[Rupture]!"
Rest triggered the spell, creating a small explosion high above the fortress. The sudden flash and thunderous crack drew the eyes of every soldier in the courtyard.
"What was that explosion!?"
"Hey, look up! We’ve got company!"
"The foreign tribes are attacking!"
Thanks to Rest’s magical signal, the entire fortress was alerted to the danger faster than any verbal warning could have managed.
"Soldiers, prepare to intercept! Show them the might of the Aiwood Kingdom!"
Bareia Catreia, the supreme commander, appeared and began shouting orders.
"Mages, use your spells! Warriors, use your bows! Bring those Winged Race down! There may be more of them out there, so stay sharp!"
"Yes, sir!"
Following Bareia's lead, the soldiers immediately sprang into action. Mages unleashed their spells while the rest of the troops aimed their bows at the sky.
"[Thunder Cannon]!"
"Gyaaaaaah!"
Rest joined the fray, launching his own magic at the Winged Race. A bolt of lightning charred one of the winged attackers, sending him plummeting to the ground. While the other soldiers were holding their own, the defense wasn't perfect; several men fell as they were struck by spears and stones rained down from above.
There are definitely more of them than in the last raid...
Still, if it were only the Winged Race, they would be manageable.
But just as that thought crossed his mind, Rest’s Life Search picked up a fresh set of signals.
"What now!?"
He turned his gaze toward the source. It was outside the fortress, on this side of the Border River. A massive number of presences were manifesting there, and the count was growing by the second. He could feel them clearly, yet he saw nothing but empty ground.
"[Thunder Cannon]!"
Trusting his instincts, he fired a bolt of lightning at the seemingly vacant area. As the bolt struck, the air began to shimmer. Like a desert mirage, the scenery distorted until a host of figures appeared from behind the magical veil.
"You’ve got to be kidding... Were they using magic to stay hidden?"
"Foreign tribes! A massive force is heading straight for us!"
The sentries finally noticed the reinforcements, though they were several seconds behind Rest. Because the enemy had been invisible, the soldiers had been slow to react.
More than a thousand warriors from the foreign tribes had already crossed the Border River and were charging straight for the fortress.