Chapter 64
You’ve Fallen in Love with Me!
Beyond the steep northern mountains, in thick forests and deep valleys, various monsters lived in groups. These ranged from tiny insects to huge reptilian beasts as big as houses.
To humans, monsters were ruthless predators. But fortunately, monsters were also natural enemies of each other, so they rarely moved below the northern mountains—except in one rare case.
About once every hundred years, a powerful monster king would appear beyond the mountains, like a flower blooming in the desert. This king would:
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Rule over monsters of the same kind.
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Subjugate monsters of other kinds.
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Control the entire area beyond the northern mountains.
Once that happened, the next step was always territorial expansion. The king would lead their army over the mountains into human lands. Hundreds or even thousands of monsters would invade. This was called a monster wave.
Officials reported the situation urgently:
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“The situation is serious. The northern mountain gates have already been breached. Two castles and five villages are ruined.”
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“The monsters keep coming without pause. This is the largest wave in history!”
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“The worst part is the monsters have spread across the north. We don’t know exactly how many are where.”
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“All gates from the north to the central region must be closed immediately. If monsters reach the central empire, it will be uncontrollable!”
The emperor slammed his desk to quiet the room.
“From now on, only those authorized may speak. Understood?”
He reviewed the reports and prioritized the most urgent matters.
“Closing the gates now is too early. We could kill all the northern people by mistake. We must also send reinforcements from the central region.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” someone replied.
Then the Third Royal Knight Commander raised his hand.
“The first priority is to set up a defensive line in the north. This will prevent the scattered monsters from moving further south.”
The emperor nodded at the plan. A large river ran from the western mountains eastward. The defensive line would be built along it.
“It’s best to issue an evacuation order for the entire northern region, at least for those above the Cernan River,” said the emperor.
“Yes, Your Majesty. I’ll also request cooperation from the Mage Tower.”
“That’s good. But they’ll want magical crystals… Minister of Finance, how much can we provide to the Mage Tower?”
Since the Mage Tower was independent of the empire, the emperor couldn’t command them directly. He would have to pay them, usually in magical crystals, which were the only way to persuade powerful mages.
“Considering relief supplies for northern refugees and military supplies for the reinforcements… I’m not sure we can meet their demands,” the minister replied.
“Contact the Mage Tower after this meeting. Assess the crystals available and prepare a negotiation plan.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Then the emperor moved to the most important issue.
“Finally, we need to discuss the composition of the reinforcements for the north.”
A tense silence filled the hall. Everyone avoided the emperor’s gaze, reluctant to take on the huge responsibility.
The monster wave wouldn’t end until every monster beyond the northern mountains was eliminated. Much of the north had already been lost.
‘Even if we finish quickly… it will take at least five years,’ someone thought.
‘We should be prepared for ten.’
No one wanted the position. Then, cautiously, someone raised their hand. It was Marquis Liam, who had lost an arm and was heavily bandaged.
“Speak, Marquis Liam,” the emperor said.
“Yes, Your Majesty. I hesitate to speak, but yesterday’s hunting tournament caused a major accident,” Liam began.
The emperor frowned.
“Yes, your negligence caused many injuries. But right now, we’re discussing urgent matters, not past mistakes,” the emperor said.
“I understand, Your Majesty. I am grateful to the Second Prince for preventing greater damage,” Liam said.
Everyone realized why Liam mentioned the hunting tournament. One quick-thinking noble added:
“Yes, the Second Prince lured away dozens of giant wolves alone! Incredible!”
“Without him, the damage would have been two or three times worse!”
“Those wolves are more ferocious than most monsters… perhaps the Second Prince is the best person to handle monsters…”
The emperor finally spoke.
“I heard about the Second Prince’s amazing actions yesterday. I was planning to reward him anyway…”
The emperor turned to Lionel, the Second Prince.
“Yes, Your Majesty,” Lionel replied calmly, his voice steady despite the formal setting.
“You saved many lives yesterday. Do you wish for any reward?”
“No, Your Majesty. I only did what was right. Right now, the priority is helping the northern people, not me personally,” Lionel said seriously.
The emperor nodded in approval.
“You are correct. This is not the time to debate past deeds. But rewards must be given to encourage others to act bravely in the future.”
Everyone fell silent, knowing the emperor was right.
Then he declared in a solemn voice:
“I appoint the Second Prince as Commander-in-Chief. He will take two knight orders and 5,000 soldiers to the north to stop the monster wave.”
“I will obey,” Lionel said calmly. The nobles exhaled in relief.
Marquis Liam, who desperately wanted to go north but could not, was secretly thrilled.
‘Yes! Now that the Second Prince goes north, I can secure the empress’s records…’
The emperor continued:
“Depending on how the Second Prince handles this monster wave, he could save countless lives. If he succeeds…”
He glanced at the scribe to ensure his words were recorded for official announcement. Everyone was surprised at what followed.
“I hereby name Second Prince Lionel von Alteheid as Crown Prince.”
That afternoon, news spread throughout the capital:
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A monster wave had erupted in the north.
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The Second Prince was sent as Commander-in-Chief with soldiers to stop it.
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If he succeeded, he would be officially named Crown Prince.