Gloominess +4: The Cradle of Gods. A LitRPG series: Book 4

by Elian Tars

  “Hmm... Is that so?” Caer chuckled when I got silent. “That’s a very interesting story, my dear son-in-law. I envy you a little. Though I’m too old for such adventures.”

  “Not at all, Mister De Bleit,” I replied. “You’re in the prime of your life.”

  “You think so?” the duke pretended to get thoughtful. “Maybe. Yes. I think you’re right. Old men can be useful, too. In that case, I want to ask you to accept my loyal warrior Dunker into your elite squad. As you’ve probably guessed by now, he’s a Follower of the Great Guer-Shui, and his strength can be assessed by his level — 135.”

  I wondered if it was the duke or Guer-Shui who was offended by my close relationship with Rugus and his Followers. In any case, I was sure that I was being offered to take not a common Follower, but a Disciple, so that Guer-Shui could have eyes and ears in my elite team.

  “It’ll be an honor for me to take your warrior into my squad,” I answered and added with a sly smile on my face, “Someone has to look after your daughter.”

  “That’s true, my dear son-in-law.” Caer returned the smile. “What can I do? This is what it means to be a father.”

  And just like that, Dunker got into my squad as Tiara’s bodyguard and not as a Disciple of Guer-Shui.

  With each day and decision made, I realized how complicated the rules of this game of politics were.

  Night had already fallen by the time the dinner ended. Getting up from the table, I felt slightly disappointed. This could’ve ended much earlier, but negotiations took too much time as we were all beating around the bush. I could’ve left earlier, of course, but that would’ve been considered rude. And although we were all equal here, the hierarchy still implied that I was two ranks lower than the dukes. There was no need to insult my allies by demonstrating that I wasn’t able to follow the simplest rules of etiquette.

  “Ken, do you want to sit by the fire?” Una offered when we got out of the tent and onto fresh air. “My offer extends to Mrs. Dark, too,” she threw offhandedly, casting a glance at Tiara, who only narrowed her eyes and squeezed my hand.

  Turning her head, she stared at me demanding I answer to Una.

  “Thank you for the offer, but I was thinking how it’d be good to spend some time with my friends.” Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Tiara frown even more, and a triumphant smile appear on Una’s face. “However, it’s getting rather late, and tomorrow we’re going to attack Beldera. So I’d rather have a good night’s sleep before the battle. But thank you for the offer,” I said sincerely, but still managed to come off as a tad bit rude.

  “You’re welcome,” Una answered. “See you tomorrow.”

  “I have to refuse, too, dear Disciple,” Tiara said triumphantly. “I would be glad to accept your offer, but I need to put my husband to sleep,” she said, chuckling in embarrassment, and covered her mouth with her hand. “Well, you understand... See you tomorrow. Rest well. I feel like some people in our squad aren’t going to sleep tonight.”

  “See you tomorrow, Una,” I said quickly. Tiara kept casting triumphant glances in Una’s direction as I dragged her away toward our tent.

  “I really hope that your attitude won’t cause us problems on the battlefield,” I said dryly.

  “Rest assured that I know when I have to be serious. I suppose the she knows it, too,” Tiara answered seriously.

  And that’s how this long and eventful day ended. Tired and stuffed, I didn’t feel like moving at all. But I had given Tiara a promise and I had to fulfill it.

  Ah, who am I trying to deceive? I’m glad to be in a comfy bed and in her arms...

  ***

  “What the hell?!” Horn shouted, his powerful voice booming. “When Kane said that he’s sending me into your elite squad, I thought we’ll be in the center of the battle, smashing and cutting enemies in half! So why the hell are we this far away from the action?!”

  Shielding my eyes with my right hand, I was watching our brave soldiers climb the walls as a violent storm of colorful magic raged around them. Putting my hand down, I turned to Horn.

  “Tell me,” I said softly, “did you really think that three Senior Disciples will be in the front lines?” I asked, pointing at Una, Tiara and me. “Has it ever occurred to you that our enemies would be happy to get rid of us?”

  As it turned out, it wasn’t only the Old Man who had Senior Disciples. Other Gods had them too, and they weren’t necessarily Gleams. Often times they were the main representatives of their will. In our army, there five such people: Tiara, Una, Caer, Tael, who was a representative of himself, and me. There was one more God on our side, but he and his Followers weren’t fighters, but suppliers.

  “I know, commander,” Horn grunted. “But standing aside... it’s so... it’s not fun, you know.”

  Horn looked like a pouting child that had been denied their favorite toy. It was a strange look for a high-leveled zombie.

  “All in due time, Mister Horn,” Dunker drawled. Just like many Followers of Guer-Shui, he looked a little like a Buddhist monk. Well, by his bald head and clothes only. By his build, he reminded of a heavyweight bodybuilder and was the biggest and most muscular member of our group.

  “You say that, but you’re staring at the walls without turning away. And you’re clenching your fists so hard that your knuckles have turned white,” he snickered in response.

  “I don’t deny that I want to fight,” the monk said, still not looking at him. “But my place is here now, and I wouldn’t dare disobey Mister Ken.”

  “As if I’d dare,” Horn grunted and finally fell silent.

  For a while, we watched the assault without saying anything. Our troops restlessly climbed the high walls of Beldera like ants. At first, our losses were big, but when our warriors managed to fortify their position on the wall and get into close combat with the Belderians, they equaled with the enemy ones. The first part of the battle, the hardest one, was over. Besides, they’d soon finish setting the explosives at the gates, and our main troops would gain access into the city.

  When we were discussing strategies, I wondered why we’d need two access points. However, back then, I was in no hurry to embarrass myself in front of the dukes by asking stupid questions so I asked Horn about it this morning. He told me that it was the Followers of Glozeysk who had invented the bombs, and that all the aristocrats and governors were aware of that fact. Forewarned is forearmed, as they say. However, they needed a way to defend against them as well, so Glozeysk delivered. But since he was also a God of Trade, he had decided to make his inventions accessible to the public; friend or foe, coin didn’t choose. The countermeasure for the bombs looked like a liquid with which you covered walls and gates, increasing their strength and fire resistance.

  However, it didn’t make them invincible nor did it render the bombs useless. One just needed more firepower to get through such a tough defense. And to do that, the bombs needed to be placed in such a way that they exploded simultaneously. And that took time that the defenders weren’t willing to give. Yes, we could’ve sent demolition teams one after another, but they’d do nothing more than make a couple of dents before dying. It would’ve taken too long and been non-productive. So, some people climbed the ladders and distracted the enemy, while the others took care of the bombs. A man inexperienced in battle would say that if there were ladders, there was no need for sappers, and he’d be wrong. It would’ve taken too long for our entire army to climb the walls.

  “Maybe we’ll get to see some action soon?” Horn was growing restless. “The bombs will explode now and our people will rush inside. Are we going to stay here?”

  “Wait,” I said through clenched teeth. His impatience was getting on my nerves. I expected that it’d be hard for him to stand idly and watch while others were fighting, but he was pushing it...

  “What’s your plan exactly?” Una asked. ”Knowing you, I doubt that you’ll just sit and watch...”

  “Of course he won’t!” Tiara huffed. “My
husband will choose the right moment and then he’ll attack!”

  “That’s what I’m talking about!” Una answered in the same tone. “I want to know when this moment will come!”

  “Silence,” I said coldly without taking my eyes off Beldera. “Get a grip already. I thought that I’ve brought the best of the best with me, not whiney brats. Think about it, hot heads, the real battle won’t be held here, but on the walls of Longera. Do you get it? If we sit this out, we’ll be able to hide our abilities from the enemy Gods and surprise them next time. I don’t want to have to use my best skills today. I need a couple of aces in my sleeve.”

  “You’re right. Sorry.” Una bowed her head apologetically.

  “Yeah. Don’t be mad, commander,” Horn said. “It’s just that I‘ve been sitting still for too long, you know? I wish I could stretch my dead legs. Fine, fine... I’ll keep my mouth shut.”

  “Good.” I smiled. After a second of silence, I added, “But don’t get too relaxed. I have a feeling that we’ll have to fight today.”

  “Mister Ken!” called Omarh, an Al-Harumer and an archer, and Kazimir’s only chosen warrior. “They bombs are ready.”

  “Oh, finally,” Horn muttered under his breath.

  A few seconds later, there was a loud explosion. Debris flew in different directions, and orange smoke rose into the sky.

  “Fight!!!” Zhalvin cried, leading the assault.

  “It has begun,” Una breathed out.

  Chapter 25

  The Assault of Beldera

  Raising dust into the sky, the cavalry of horses and Wolves rushed to the city. Foot soldiers and healers hurried after them, and riders brought up the rear.

  Bat No.2, who was sitting on my shoulder, spread its wings and stretched its head.

  “As... expected... their cavalry... set out... from the west...” it wheezed.

  Expecting such a maneuver, but not knowing where the enemy cavalry would come from, we divided our riders. The vanguard would continue toward the city, while the other group would cover the rear. One of the problems was that there was a strange technology in Zurtane that I had never heard of before called “the scaling ladder.” It was a long and a very thick plank which was fixed to the merlons and let down so it made a slide of sorts, which the troops could use to get out of the castle. When they told me about this, I got very surprised. Mostly at how they made their horses set hooves on something like that. Apparently, they had been training them since young age.

  In a normal battle and against a normal opponent, the side from which the ladder would be lowered, and if it would be lowered at all, would remain a secret until the very end. But we had Kane, who was our eyes in the sky.

  The part of the wall where the ladder was being set now had too many archers on it for anyone’s liking. Not wanting to send our riders right under their arrows, we had them come to us instead of going to them. That was why we hadn’t sent our troops to meet our guests earlier.

  “Shall we rush to help our people?” Horn blurted out fervently. “Haven’t we been waiting for this?”

  I sincerely hoped that it was his militant nature that had made him so battle thirsty and that he didn’t turn dumb due to his brains having turned into a rotten mush after death. He was a good commander before and I wanted to believe that this talent of his could be used in the future once again.

  “No,” I answered and turned my head to my left shoulder where the Bat was sitting. “What’s the situation?”

  “Stable...”

  Good. The rear is covered for now.

  There was a chance that the count had left a part of his troops beyond Beldera. Or hired a big squad. Or that the king would decide to help his vassal. Or maybe all three. To make sure that no attack comes from the back, our dukes had weaved a whole intelligence network — small mobile groups kept watch around Beldera and every five minutes they’d sent a messenger with a report. Each section had its own HQ, which sent the messenger further with the reports from several sections to the commander of the external surveillance — Kane.

  “A messenger... has been... cut off...” the Bat suddenly said. “Section... C-03...”

  The territory had been divided into sections by the commanders yesterday and we had a couple of chosen people draw a map over night. Every official had a copy of the map, so it wasn’t surprising that Una and Tiara took out theirs almost simultaneously. I decided not to take out mine.

  “Here,” Una shoved her map in front of me before Tiara had the chance to do so. “We’re pretty close to that section.”

  “Of course,” I said dryly, making it clear that we had been sitting out behind our main troops for a reason.

  Half an hour before the assault began, my squad and I had scouted the area. As a result, I sensed something not far from sections C-02, C-03, and C-04. Yesterday, I was in Penta and managed to reveal in myself the ability to sense other people’s energy. And even though I had tried to practice it during the dinner, I was too inexperienced and years away from Kane’s level. Today’s sensation, fleeting as it was, could easily turn out to be a fluke. Kane did say that he didn’t feel anything unusual.

  But I trusted myself and my gut.

  “Mount!” I ordered.

  “All right!!!” Horn exclaimed happily, being the first to rush toward the mounts.

  Vella came over to me. I stroked her head and jumped onto her back. During the couple of days that we hadn’t seen each other, the Old Man had somehow managed to fulfill my wish and raised her level. She was now level 131 and had more than 8,000 HP. She had become a mighty ally and one of the best warriors of our squad.

  “Wing No.1... has been... shot down...” the Bat wheezed when we set out. “The energy... is familiar... it feels like... Aerida...”

  “In person?” I asked in surprise.

  “No... a Follower...”

  Vella and the horses had already sped up, so not everyone heard the news.

  “Stay alert!” I shouted. “There are Followers of Aerida ahead.”

  A few seconds later, I heard Una chuckle. “The Great Rugus said that it’s clear now how the enemies had organized the ambush. Aerida did it herself. She can completely cover the traces of smaller squads.”

  Will you cover us? I asked my patron.

  Of course, boy, he answered immediately.

  “What?” Horn blurted out in astonishment. “Completely? Really? I’ve never heard about that!”

  “Me neither,” Omarh said.

  “It looks like none of us ever heard about something like that,” Tiara said.

  “The Great Rugus says: ‘no wonder,’” Una chuckled a little haughtily. “It’s a divine skill. Aerida’s Followers are far from their Goddess in stealth.”

  “There’s no need to panic.” Tiara took the floor again. I glanced sideways at her: she looked confident, which could mean only one thing in the current situation — Mavia had also talked to her Senior Disciple. “The Great Mavia won’t leave us if we encounter Aerida.”

  “Neither shall the Great Rugus!”

  “Or the God of Darkness,” I said calmly. Turning my head, I looked at Horn. He looked like he was resting his head on his fist, but I knew that he was listening to a voice no one else could hear. Even though he couldn’t be energy-connected to his God anymore, only to Kane, their connection was still there. They weren’t connected by energy, but by their kinship. Noriduel had entrusted Horn with his favorite ring and as his connection to the ring was strong, the object itself became his Disciple. Through the ring, he could watch what we were doing and appear wherever it was.

  “Noriduel will come, too, if we’re unable to deal with them without him!”

  With four Gods on our side, Aerida could only dream of winning. However, no one could tell for sure that she’d come for us alone.

  “That’s the spirit! Keep it up!” I decided to encourage my companions and at the same time bring them back to earth. “But don’t think about attacking the Gods yourselves!”<
br />
  “Do you think we’re idiots?” Horn chuckled, even though I didn’t see anything funny in my words.

  I was worried that I’d have to use my strongest abilities if we had to fight Gods again (fortunately, the Amulet was ready to be used again). I didn’t plan on sitting this out.

  Una and Rugus, as well as Noriduel had seen what I was capable of. So who did I have to hide my abilities from really? Kane’s zombies? Omarh, who was now one of us? Tiara and Mavia? I had already told them that I’ve fought Biergein...

  But still, I didn’t want to give it my hundred and ten percent. Not today. I’ve told them that we should save our aces for Longera.

  “Stop...” the Bat wheezed and I obediently stopped Vella. “A little further ahead... That’s where... it... happened...”

  We dismounted and went on. Horn walked first, with Vella and me following him. The ladies and the monk were behind me, with the latter keeping close to Tiara so that he could quickly heal her in case something happened. Omarh, our only ranged fighter, was watching our back.

  “And the reinforcements?” I asked Kane.

  “They’re... on their way...”

  “Don’t send all of them at once; they might get in the way. Act according to the situation on the battlefield.”

  “Got it...” the Bat said, raising into the air. It flew close, so that we could see if it got attacked and get ready for a fight.

  About a minute later, it rushed abruptly to me, having circled around the area.

  “I sense them... Aerida’s... close... About three hundred feet ahead... Fifty men...”

  Her Followers are quite capable of hiding their presence if Kane had noticed them only now.

  “Stop,” I ordered. “There are fifty archers about three hundred feet ahead of us,” I said once everyone’s eyes were on me. “They’re definitely waiting for us.”