Discordant Note: Crescendo | TBATE

Chapter 262: Two Fronts

Thank you to my beta reader and editor, GlassThreads!

Arthur Leywin

I stared impassively at the corrupted mana beast, my hands locked behind my back. Its cage rattled and shook as it tried in vain to lunge at the crowds. The hot summer breeze brushed past the mantle adorning my shoulder, letting it blow in the heat.

At my side, Trodius Flamesworth—the leading commander at the Wall—looked just as poised as I. But while I carried the airs of a Lance and King, Flamesworth seemed to look down on everything from above with a scrutinizing gaze.

And beside him, King Grey watched with something empty as steel.

"And that should do it," Gideon said sharply as he made some final adjustments to the weapons the nonmages were holding. "Ready when you are, uh... King Leywin," he said a bit nervously.

I made a show of turning slowly, observing my surroundings and the people around me. A few hundred men and women from the Wall had all gathered in this courtyard at my command. Cooks and merchants and adventurers and bakers all watched with nervous anticipation. The countless different colors of hair absorbed light from the cloudy sky far above.

"Every single one of you here knows a bit of what war is," I started, sweeping my water-blue gaze across the crowd. Wherever my eyes settled, people averted their eyes slightly, the weight of my presence made manifest in my words. "No doubt many of you have lost loved ones in this conflict. Those that have been blessed to not suffer such tragedy know those who weren't so lucky."

I paused, savoring the tension of the crowd for a moment. I listened to their rising breaths and shuffling feet.

"The first time I spoke with all of you, I gave you a promise. A promise of retribution and protection both. And over this past month, I have worked to see that promise kept. Every day, strike teams have ventured beyond the bastion of the Wall, attacking teleportation gates and disrupting Alacryan camps under my direction. And we have seen success. No longer are the attacks on our countrymen so prevalent. No longer must we cower and hide in our homes, fearful to even sew our crops or work our leather!"

More than a few cheers rose at that. They died quickly as the air I projected belied their sudden victory cries.

"But while these dangers have lessened, they have not ceased. The Alacryans–those wretched invaders who seek the blood of our countrymen–claim that they are here for liberation. But still, the claws of beasts and the weeping of orphaned children fill our city's streets."

The crowd went silent, drawn into melancholy. I allowed my head to lower, sharing a moment of grim silence with them.

"But today is where that changes for good," I said, looking back up as I flexed my mana slightly. "Because today is not a day for Lances or strike teams or the Trailblazers, though they would certainly enjoy what we are about to unveil. Today is a day for every single one of you."

I waved my hand to the side in a wide, flourishing motion, gesturing to the line of soldiers right behind me. A dozen men and women stood arrayed in distinct black uniforms behind me, their hands tight on the stocks of their weapons. Sweat beaded slightly down their fingers, but they had practiced for this moment.

"Let us all show you how you are going to fight back against these beasts," I whispered, my eyes tracing over the men. "Ready!" I barked.

As practiced, the soldiers readied their weapons, settling into position. They aimed the long barrels of their muskets upward, their grips firm.

"Load!"

The soldiers pulled out small bullets from their pouches, alongside charges of Gideon's unique gunpowder-combustium concoction. They poured the contents into a small pan, before swiftly loading the bullets into the chamber.