I quickly left the mansion and rushed out of town. As I approached, I began to get a better view of the situation. There appeared to be a large army, and across from them was a smaller contingent hastily formed together from our forces. It was clear that they had the advantage.
I noticed Xin standing there next to Ruby and the Guild Master. I ran out to my side as quickly as possible. When the Guild Master saw me, he raised his hand with a look of relief on his face.
“Lord Deek, thank goodness you’re here.” The Guild Master declared. “As you can see, a problem has arisen.”
“I see... an army.” I turned in the direction of the opposing group and paled slightly.
There were at least 3,000 soldiers at the ready. Meanwhile, our garrison only had about 1,000 in response. It looked like most of our soldiers and adventurers had been hastily dragged out here. They had managed to come upon us without us noticing. This was exactly the vulnerability I was worried about. Was Alerith taking advantage? I knew I should have taken care of Lord Reign. Even though I had defeated his master, he could still cause trouble.
“They are Osterians,” Xin announced.
“Osterians?” I blinked, using my Eagle Eye and confirming that they were indeed Osterian soldiers.
“What do we do?” The Guild Master asked.This chapter was first shared on the Ñøv€lß1n platform.
I took a breath and then stepped out. “Might as well go greet them.”
Once the others saw me moving, they followed behind me. None of us were easy, so if the enemy posed a threat, it would cost them. A man walked out to meet me, and when I saw his face, I hissed. It was Draven Nova, the Osterian general!
“Alysia!” I immediately called out my weapon.
As he kneeled, all of the soldiers behind him kneeled too. They suddenly started chanting.
“King Deekson, King Deekson, King Deekson!” It grew louder and louder until it was deafening.
“Y-you’re all moving here?”
“Our home is with our king,” Draven responded, his head still lowered. “All Osterians will move here, and accept you as their lord.”
“A-all of them?”
Xin approached from behind me. “I meant to warn you of such a possibility, but they moved faster than I would have predicted. This is the way of Osterians. You are their king until they recognize someone stronger. They will follow you.”
“This...”
“They’re coming if you want them to or not,” Xin responded helplessly. “We are a united people.”
I licked my lips as I looked over the army shouting my name. “A-and how many Osterians are there?”
“The exact number isn’t known... we live longer than humans, have multiple children per birth, and are tougher, but we breed much slower. A lot of us were lost in the wars under Demon Lord Aberis. If I had to guess our exact number... 20,000.”
I thought about it for only a brief moment and then nodded in affirmation. “I’m going to need a bigger city.”