Chapter 109: Prince, We Meet Again

The undead legion’s command system had been utterly annihilated. Eldara’s blade had shattered its leadership, and Celeste’s ethereal pink halo had vaporized its reserves. What remained of the undead minions was a chaotic, headless mob.

Without a unified consciousness to direct them, they were swiftly and methodically purged under the cold iron hooves of the Silent Watch Knights. There was no tragic, drawn-out slaughter, no unnecessary battle cries. The only sounds that punctuated the battlefield were the sharp crack of breaking bones and the soft poof of soul-fires being extinguished.

Atop the walls of Stoneshold City, the surviving human soldiers watched the proceedings in stunned silence. They watched the black-armored knights reap through the undead like scythes of the Grim Reaper. They also saw that bizarrely pristine “pure land” washed by pink light, a space so immaculate that not a single fragment of bone remained.

“Is it… over?” a young soldier murmured, his longsword slipping from his grasp and clattering against the stone.

The ecstasy of survival had barely begun to bloom in their hearts before it was choked out by a wave of deep confusion and suspicion.

“They’re elves!” a sharp-eyed officer suddenly shouted. “Look at the pointed ears on those rangers and mages! They’re elves!”

For a moment, a deathly silence descended upon the city walls. Every gaze converged on the black-armored knights, who radiated an aura that screamed ‘keep away,’ and the disciplined infantry unit of elven mages and rangers arrayed behind them.

In Stoneshold City, at this particular moment, the word “elf” made nerves just as taut as the word “undead.”

The standoff between humans and elves was not a recent development. Border frictions had been escalating for years, and now, war felt imminent. For an elite elven unit to suddenly appear at a human border city and “kindly” break an undead siege at such a sensitive time… it felt less like a rescue and more like a tiger arriving at the doorstep just as the wolf had been driven away.

“We can’t let them into the city!” a sharp, panicked voice erupted from the gate tower. “Who knows what they’re planning! What if they want to take advantage of our weakened defenses…?”

All eyes turned toward the source of the outburst. A pale young man, clad in ornate light armor, was pointing down from the wall, his face a mask of agitated fear.

“Your Highness! Mind your words!” an old but vigorous voice cut through the tension.

An elderly man with a full head of white hair and a matching beard, his body encased in heavy armor, pushed through the crowd. He shot the flushed young man a look of unconcealed disappointment before turning his complex gaze toward the scene below the wall.

“Without them, Stoneshold City would already be a city of the dead,” the old man’s voice boomed across the gate tower. “And now, we are still alive.”

His voice was a steady anchor in the sea of uncertainty. “No matter who they are or where they came from, they just saved the lives of tens of thousands in this city. That is an indisputable fact.”

He scanned the surrounding generals and nobles, their faces displaying a mixture of emotions. “The undead are the enemy of all living things. That is the greater conflict. In the face of such a threat, what do the minor frictions between humans and elves matter?”

He straightened, his authority absolute. “Pass down my order: open the city gates and welcome our allies. I will personally go out to pay Stoneshold City’s highest respects to the warriors who came to our aid.”

Despite the lingering doubts that hung in the air, the old man’s command was law. With a groan of protesting metal, the heavy city gates creaked slowly open.

Down below, Eldara sheathed her greatsword and dismounted in a single, fluid motion. She watched the old man approach with a squad of personal guards, a flicker of approval showing in her crimson eyes.

Celeste and the others followed close behind, observing this historic moment with keen interest.

‘Not bad,’Celeste thought, giving the old guy a mental thumbs-up.’He’s got his head screwed on straight. If it were some brain-dead hothead, they’d probably be screaming about ‘human dignity’ right about now, right before getting the entire gate tower lopped off by the Commander.’

“I am the Lord of Stoneshold City, Carlos de Ramon,” the old man announced, stopping a respectful ten paces from Eldara. He performed a standard noble salute, his hand over his heart, his posture neither humble nor arrogant. “Thank you for your timely assistance. Everyone in Stoneshold City will forever remember this kindness.”

Eldara’s obsidian heavy armor, carefully engraved with ice-blue runes, and the deathly chill that clung to her like a shroud, made Carlos’s personal guards instinctively tighten their grips on their sword hilts.

“Commander of the Silent Watch Knights, Eldara,” she replied, her voice as cold and concise as her demeanor. “We tracked the undead here. We did not come specifically to rescue you.”

The words were blunt, almost heartless, yet they managed to dispel the last shred of doubt in Carlos’s mind. An agenda was what made one frightening. The lack of one made them far more credible.

“Regardless, it was you who saved my city and my people,” Carlos insisted, stepping aside and making a grand, welcoming gesture. “Clean barracks and hot food have been prepared. Please, brave warriors, enter the city to rest and recover.”

“Much obliged,” Eldara nodded, accepting the offer. With a wave of her hand, the knights immediately split into two formations. Half remained outside the city to stand watch and clear the battlefield, while the other half followed her inside.

Celeste, Selene, Su Wan, and Xia Lian trailed behind the main group, their eyes taking in the city that had just survived the apocalypse.

Inside the walls, Stoneshold City was a landscape of devastation. The ruins of collapsed buildings still smoldered, emitting plumes of black smoke. Dark, ugly bloodstains marred the streets, and the air was thick with the pungent, coppery stench of burning flesh and spilled blood. Wounded soldiers and terrified civilians were gathered in the main square, their wails and moans a constant, sorrowful chorus.

As the elven troops marched in, the noisy square fell instantly silent. Every eye—a mixture of gratitude, awe, and deep-seated wariness—fixed upon them.

Celeste’s hand instinctively twitched, a habitual urge to cast a mass healing spell rising within her. But a glance at the stoic Eldara beside her made her silently lower her arm.

‘Nah, better not be too flashy,’she reasoned.’Gotta maintain my professional priest persona. Can’t be stealing the jobs of the city’s actual priests, now can I?’

The heavy atmosphere had even gotten to Selene, who had set aside her usual bubbly demeanor. She leaned close to Celeste and whispered, “Sister, they look so miserable.”

Su Wan and Xia Lian were equally silent, the truest and most cruel face of war laid bare before them.

Carlos led Eldara and her retinue across the square, intending to head for the City Lord’s Manor to discuss what came next. Just as they were about to proceed, a commotion broke out not far ahead.

“Your Highness! You can’t leave! It’s still dangerous outside!”

“Move! Everyone, get out of my way!” a sharp, exasperated young male voice shot back.

A young man in ornate light armor, his blonde hair still carefully combed, was trying to slip away through an alley, only to be firmly blocked by several of his loyal Royal Guards. The panic on his face was far from feigned. He tried desperately to shrink back and hide within the crowd, but his luxurious clothing, so utterly out of place amidst the surrounding ruin, made him impossibly conspicuous.

Eldara’s footsteps halted.

Her gaze, sharp as a shard of ice, pierced straight through the noisy crowd and pinned the blonde youth with unerring accuracy. As the Queen’s confidante and the Commander of the Silent Watch, she naturally recognized this human prince who had recently become rather “famous” among the elven high command—Alex.

Locked by that frigid stare, Alex froze solid, feeling like a chicken seized by the throat, unable to move.

He saw Eldara. He saw the iconic obsidian armor and that face, beautiful but utterly devoid of warmth.

Pure, unadulterated fear seized his heart.

Why… why is she here?!

Was it a coincidence? No! Impossible!

She must be here to catch me! The elven intelligence network is this terrifying? They found me this quickly?!

A cascade of frantic thoughts exploded in his head, draining the color from his face. A cold sweat instantly soaked his expensive silk undershirt.

“Commander Eldara,” the old City Lord Carlos said, his attention also drawn to the disturbance. He glanced from Alex’s rapidly paling face to the expressionless Eldara, a hint of confusion and gravity settling onto his aged features. “This is… Prince Alex, who is passing through our city.”

He intentionally emphasized the words “passing through.”

As if grasping at a life raft, Alex immediately straightened his back and shouted with forced composure, “That’s right! I’m just here to inspect military affairs at the border! You elves, what do you want? This is the sovereign territory of the Human Kingdom!”

His blustering act was so pathetic it almost made Celeste laugh out loud.

‘Damn, Princey boy’s got guts, I’ll give him that,’she mused.’Still talking tough with death knocking on his door. What a talent. No wonder this is the guy who managed to swipe the Elf Queen’s album of embarrassing ancient history.’

Eldara completely ignored his shouting.

She strode forward, her long legs eating up the distance. Her obsidian war boots clicked against the flagstones with a crisp, rhythmic tap, tap, tap. The sound was unhurried, yet each step seemed to land in perfect time with the frantic, terrified beat of Alex’s heart.

The very air seemed to congeal and freeze around them. Human soldiers, officers, and nobles all watched the scene unfold with bated breath, not daring to make a sound.

Finally, Eldara stopped directly in front of Alex.

She was a good half-head taller than the prince, forcing her to look down on him. Her crimson eyes held no discernible emotion, reflecting nothing of the terrified royal before her, containing only a deep, bottomless cold.

Alex’s scalp tingled under her gaze. He instinctively tried to take a step back, but his shoulders bumped against the firm chest of a guard. There was nowhere left to retreat.

“Prince Alex.”

Eldara finally spoke. Her voice was clear and cold, each word an icicle smashing into the ears of everyone present.

“We meet again.”

[Elysian’s Note:

Having a good time with the story?

Every single bit helps immensely:

Thanks a ton for making this journey possible!]