Late at night, Kieran and Mary arrived in front of Thunder Fortress.
Right now, Lightning Fortress was no longer as intimidating as it used to be. All that was left was a temporary fortification made of wood and rocks that were gathered here.
There was only one line of defense.
In simple words, they could only charge at the Prairie main camp.
Once the fortification was breached, the Prairie invaders could march straight into Riverdale.
As for the Warren garrison after the fortification?
Although there were still three thousand of them, they were no longer the three thousand professional soldiers that were stationed in Thunder Fortress.
Warren's royal guards, private soldiers, and some city guards were mixed in the mix.
The original professional soldiers were left with less than a third of them.
It was what Mary told Kieran, it couldn't be wrong.
When he thought about what Mary said about Thunder Fortress, Kieran couldn't help but sigh.
Not only was Thunder Fortress rebuilt from the scorched land as fragile as a piece of paper, but more importantly, all the soldiers had low morale and lost their will to fight.
Even the elites were no exception.
Based on the reporting speed of the night watchers, Kieran could already imagine Thunder Fortress being taken down in a single wave should a siege happen.
Of course, even so, Kieran didn't regret what he did back then.
He knew very well what he wanted at that time.
Similar to how he knew what he should do now.
Dak Dak Dak.
The continuous footsteps of several people could be heard.
What followed was a group of men with torches in their hands, led by King James VIII.
Different from what Kieran remembered, the king looked a little older in just a few days, as if he had one foot in the grave.
He even needed the help of his servants beside him to walk.
However, the king's gaze wasn't accurate.
Or rather, the king's eyes were the only difference between him and an old man.
"Hon. 2567!"
King James VIII tried his best to present the dignity and manners of a king.
It was just that the situation wasn't suitable for him to do so.
A few torches, a camp in the wilderness, and a slightly uneasy soldier.
When Kieran saw this scene, it made Kieran feel even more desolate and lonely.
However, Kieran still returned the greeting.
Not only because of his identity, but also because he was willing to give up everything for this identity.
Without further contact, Kieran could not know whether James VIII was a good king or not, but the fact that the king had the determination to perish with his country was already worthy of respect.
"F-Father!"
Mary said awkwardly.
The girl then quickly told Kieran about what happened in Riverdale.
"We need to clean up the maggots in Riverdale! The civilians haven't completely evacuated yet. If we let them take advantage of the situation and cause trouble, more people will die! "
Although they hadn't spent much time together, Mary already knew how to persuade the man in front of her.
His own interests were definitely not enough.
It had to be linked to the interests of the civilians.
In the eyes of most rulers, this was something that they scoffed at.
Regardless of what it looked like on the surface, everyone was clear about what it was actually like.
A childish king like King James VIII, in other rulers' point of view, being suppressed by his sister and even being a mere figurehead, was his own fault.
But because of that, Mary didn't hate the king.
Yep, she just didn't hate him.
"Louver, bring a group of men back to Riverdale and investigate this thoroughly!"
King James VIII said seriously.
His slightly hunched body straightened up and his voice unconsciously got louder.
"But your Majesty …"
"Go!
If the Prairies invaders didn't attack at the start, they won't attack in the next few days. They need to know what their vanguard encountered! "
King James VIII interrupted the middle-aged man in a long robe, who was dressed like a wizard. He then looked at Kieran.
His clear, majestic gaze had a sense of probing.
The wizard named Louver looked at King James VIII and then at Kieran.
In the end, he bowed at Kieran and after Kieran nodded slightly, Louver led a group of men away.
Being able to follow King James VIII to the destroyed Thunder Fortress with the identity of a wizard, a person like Louver must have the resolve to die.
A loyal person could easily gain favor from others, Kieran was no exception.
"Hon. 2567, please follow me … I have something to ask you in detail!"
King James VIII said as he entered the camp with the help of his servants.
In front of a tent that was no different from the others, King James VIII waved his servants away and only allowed Mary and Kieran to enter the tent.
Huuhaa, Huuhaa!
The moment King James VIII entered the tent, he started to pant heavily.
It seemed like the king's body was much worse than it looked.
Mary hesitated for a while but she still went over and helped King James VIII to the soft mattress and took a water bottle from the side.
"Thank you, Mary …"
The king muttered softly.
Amidst his apologetic words, King James VIII looked at Kieran again and said with a heavier expression than ever, "Hon. 2567, please take Mary and leave!"
"Leave Warren!
Find a place where no one knows you and spend the rest of your lives!
I beg you! "
The king emphasized each and every word.
His tone was sincere and he even addressed Kieran respectfully.
Still, Kieran shook his head.
King James VIII's body started to shake and his breath got heavier.
It seemed like Kieran's rejection was a heavy blow to the king.
"I'm sorry, I've promised Mary to protect Warren."
Kieran said slowly.
King James VIII was stunned and looked at Mary.
The girl nodded seriously.
"I'm not doing this for you, not for the fleeing civilians and not for those nobles who ran away from the battlefield. It's just that my mother told me that since it's my responsibility, I must bear it myself and not push it to others. It's the belief that every generation of Swusters Castle owner must abide by!"
Mary uttered each and every word.
"That's exactly Ellen's tone!"
King James VIII exclaimed.
The king seemed to be immersed in his memories. Kieran could clearly see the smile on his face.
Warmth, nostalgia and helplessness.
The girl saw it too.
Then, she grabbed Kieran's cape.
She grabbed it hard.
Kieran looked down at the girl's gaze when he felt the power.
"I'll keep my promise."
Kieran promised.
He then signaled Mary to look after her father.
Mary instinctively wanted to ask but before she could, she heard the gallops that broke the night.
The girl's face instantly turned pale.
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