Chapter 385: Chapter 385
That was all it took to lose the home and territory she had grown to love.
Clothes, money, valuables—everything left behind. She couldn’t even bring the piggy bank she had been carefully filling for Rodelin.
But those were the smallest things Lowell had lost.
Four days after the Legion Commander’s attack, Lucia arrived at the third defensive line, Orion Castle, carrying tragic news.
Her mother, Ariane, was dead.
“I’m sorry. Even though I promised I’d bring everyone back…”
Lucia’s head hung low, shoulders trembling.
‘I didn’t even think about Mom. I just assumed she was taking care of the refugees and would be a little late…’
While Lowell had been fighting on the front lines, her mother had been running away with the others. And Lucia had been fighting too, throwing herself into danger.
“Ah, but I did save your friend. He’s hurt, but—”
Lucia’s words cut off as Lowell threw her arms around her.
Death lurks everywhere, always seeming distant until it strikes. Four days ago, Lucia had walked straight toward the place where death waited closest.
‘And instead of cheering her on, I just burdened her by asking her to save my friend.’
I’m sorry. I should have told you to be careful. I should have said I love you. I’m sorry—to you, sister, and to mom.
Lowell held Lucia tight, just as Lucia had held her before leaving the castle.
“For coming back alive… thank you so much.”
She couldn’t remember if Lucia had cried or not, but she clearly remembered how her trembling body had finally stilled.
“I have to go to work. Let’s eat together later.”
Orion Castle buzzed with defensive preparations. The vassals streamed toward the conference room, and Lowell slipped into their procession, pretending to pass by casually.
“They say the meeting just started. As for reinforcements… two weeks at the earliest, maybe a month.”
When a Legion Commander descended, all nations were obligated to cease hostilities and form an allied force. Refusal meant facing the combined wrath of every other nation, so this time too, a human alliance would form.
But no one looked happy about it. Two weeks or a month—the timeline stretched endlessly.
“I wonder if we can hold out until then…”
“The Legion Commander is bad enough, but that mysterious power—for the land itself to die. What in the world is that?”
Erosion. They had gathered every cleric and priest from the northern regions, but they could only stop its spread, nothing more. What would happen if those holy warriors died in battle? The thought alone sent chills down spines.
“Still, we can’t back down. I wouldn’t be able to face Count Klaus later.”
“That’s right. To stay behind alone and face the Legion Commander… it’s not something just anyone could do.”
“That old man certainly knows how to make an exit.”
Lowell understood. Count Klaus’s strength had been crucial in allowing Duke Luke and Lucia to return alive.
“This place will become the final defensive line of the north.”
“You mean there’s no retreat? That seems recklessly dangerous.”
“You haven’t heard yet, I see. Duke Luke made an oath before His Majesty.”
Duke Luke had attended the council of nobles via crystal ball after the first battle. The details remained secret, but word of his oath had spread.
–If we need to retreat even one more time, the grave of the Lucid family will be this very land.
They would all die here rather than retreat again. No exceptions. Even if it meant—
“A blood relative of the family.”
Lowell flinched at the words. A blood relative—were they talking about Rodelin? If they lost the next battle, everyone would die? Had the Duke lost his mind?
“Did the Duke really say that?”
“Honestly… that’s going too far.”
“He was consumed by rage. He lost his wife, after all.”
“It could be political theater to soften the blow. This defeat has shocked the entire Empire.”
“Exactly. To kill one’s own family over a military loss—it’s unthinkable.”
Was that really it? An act to prevent the situation from worsening, a show of resolve for the people? Lowell’s head spun with confusion.
“In any case, our duty is clear. We must prepare to win.”
“Right. Fortunately, our supplies are adequate. The strategic retreat served us well.”
“Our forces are strong too. For all the blood allies to join without a single absence… it’s remarkable.”
“The northern warriors we’ve allied with keep arriving as well.”
“This is the North! Let’s show them what we’re made of!”
That was all Lowell could hear before losing her chance to eavesdrop. She lacked the qualifications to enter the conference room proper.
As she turned away, disappointed, something caught her eye in the shadows between buildings—a figure hunched in a dark corner, muttering.
Lucas, the eldest son of the Lucid family and her older brother, sat slumped against a wall, words spilling from his lips in an endless stream.
“Twenty-four percent.”
“Twenty-four percent of those whose names I had memorized are gone. Ha… all that effort for nothing. Right?”
Silence stretched between them.
“I couldn’t protect my mother, my close friends, or the people who followed me. What kind of once-in-a-generation genius does that make me?”
Lucia’s swift judgment had saved many, but casualties were inevitable. The soldiers who fought on the front lines, those who bought time for the retreat—their losses had been devastating.
Lucas’s hand was bloody from clenching his fists too tightly. Whether he blamed himself for being unconscious while they died, or questioned his own battlefield decisions, one thing was certain: this was no time for self-pity.
“Right, you should be disappointed. You have every right—”
“That’s not what I mean. You told me not to trap myself in my own cage, and now look at you!”
Lucas started to rise, but Lowell was faster. She grabbed his collar and hauled him upright.
His eyes widened in shock as she met his gaze directly.
“You should be thinking about protecting the people who are still alive, the ones whose names you still have memorized. I don’t have that kind of power, but you do—you have both the strength and the mind for it.”
“I’m worried someone else will see you . If you’re going to wallow, do it somewhere private. Because right now, you look pathetic.”
She released his collar with a sharp flick.
She wasn’t sure why she’d done it. An ordinary person lecturing a genius—clearly, she’d lost her mind.
And clearly, he’d lost his mind too. Who laughed after being grabbed by the collar? Being a genius, he must have snapped completely.
Lucas laughed until tears came to his eyes, then wiped them away.
“They say there’s something to learn even from a newborn baby… and you’ve proven every word true. Though it’s quite a shock to gain enlightenment from someone who’s less than a newborn in wisdom.”
That was a compliment, right? Difficult words were hard to parse, especially proverbs and philosophical sayings. Well, it didn’t matter as long as he felt better. Lowell thought the arrogant, haughty attitude suited Lucas perfectly.
“Oh, right, did you hear the news?”
“They clearly didn’t teach you about sentence subjects at the academy. Educational reform is desperately needed. I’ll raise it as an urgent matter at the next council of nobles.”
“Ugh! I’m talking about what Father swore. Is it really true?”
As Lowell pushed her face closer, Lucas held up his hand to maintain distance.
“It was a wise decision. An excellent strategy that kills two birds with one stone—calming imperial citizens’ anxiety while boosting morale.”
“Even if it means the lion dies instead of the birds?”
“That won’t happen, because I intend to command the defense myself.”
Was that really wise? Should she have just let him continue blaming himself? As she seriously considered whether to revert him to his previous state of self-recrimination—
“I’ve wasted too much time. Wait somewhere safe. As a reward for helping me up, I’ll summon you when we celebrate our victory.”
Lucas strode away with quick steps, his lion cloak billowing with each movement, captivating Lowell’s gaze. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ novel[f]ire.net
Lucia, Lucas, even the vassals—none of them feared the coming fight, despite facing a Legion Commander.
Perhaps it was natural for extraordinary vassals and geniuses, but for an ordinary person like herself, such courage seemed impossible.
Duty guided her feet as she walked through the castle. Pleche lay sleeping in a hospital bed, alive but forever changed—he had lost his right arm, everything that mattered to a knight.
“Still… thank you for coming back alive.”
After gently brushing the sweat-dampened hair from his forehead, she returned to her own room.
The sword lay beside her bed. Lowell drew it from its sheath, revealing a blade sharp from disuse—she hadn’t drawn it once since the vacation began. Her reflection stared back from the polished steel.
Fifteen years old. A first-year at Annwood Academy. Only at the level of a 3-star. Not yet recognized as a lion.
She wouldn’t be much help. No—she might only get in the way.
“If I had known this would happen, I would have trained harder.”
Regret always came too late.
And so, one week later, the second battle between the Northern Alliance, led by the Lucid family, and the Legion Commander began.
The castle wall crumbled. Lowell’s eyes, sheltered behind a wall of knights, widened in horror.
The power of the Legion Commander—something she had only encountered in books and rumors—was no exaggeration. If anything, the stories had understated the truth.
‘How can we possibly win against that thing?’
A walking natural disaster. That was Lowell’s assessment of the Legion Commander.
Tears streamed down her face without her realizing it, born from pure, primal terror.
Originally, natural disasters couldn’t be stopped by human power. Yet here they were, trying to do exactly that. It was tantamount to suicide.
Everyone here must be thinking the same thing she was. And yet—
“Hold the line! Reinforcements are coming!”
No one retreated. They fought back while harboring the same desperate thoughts.
‘How can they fight?’
At that moment, someone’s shout cut through the chaos and reached her ears.
“Fight for your families! We end this here!”
Only then did Lowell understand why people were fighting. This fear, this agony, this crushing weight—no one wanted to pass it on to their loved ones.
Lowell raised her hand and wiped away her tears. Her own family was already fighting on this battlefield, feeling the same fear, pain, and heartache.
‘I won’t let Delin feel these emotions!’
“Pleche! Stop protecting me! Kill one more demon instead!”
“Are you insane? If you’re going to die, at least die properly! Don’t make me suffer for it!”
She broke through the protective circle the family knights had formed around her and began fighting the demons directly.
The knights followed without complaint—in truth, they had wanted this all along. Simply watching their comrades die had been unbearable.
“Ugh! I should have just died with honor that day!”
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