Bab 41: Internal conflict

The ultimate defense and the ultimate attack were about to collide in a battle of strength and power.

No longer was this a struggle to overthrow the ruler of Anur, but instead a contest to determine who was the mightier of the two.

This was a clash of titans, a showdown of epic proportions, and the outcome could have far-reaching consequences. All eyes were on the combatants, waiting to see who would emerge victorious.

With these forces on the brink of unleashing their wrathful power a distraction had presented itself in form of a telepathic message. One sent straight for the mind of Demon Lord Lucretius.

'You must return at once, more important matters have come up..' said the voice with a commanding tone.

Lucretius was fifth in terms of strength among the Pentagram, with four above him, one of whom was the leader.

The Pentagram sought to expand their reach and bolster their power, instilling fear among the vast majority of the Zestrian continent. Their reign of dominance was a nightmare for those who remained there.

The city of Anur was a prime target not only because of its ruler was Greerheart and defeating him would send a message to many other nations and cities.

Rather, it was because Anur was nearest to nation Elgard.

The Pentagram felt having control over a place so close would allow them the chance of better success should they ever decide to overthrow its current totalitarian government.

They'd already affiliated themselves with a few towns and cities around or in close proximity to the militaristic nation that is Elgard.

Lumera was part of this list, and although they hadn't gone near the Nedveded Region yet, nothing in particular was stopping them from doing so.

The gigantic humanoid avatar made entirely of magicubes dissipated, this action made the Prince to come to a halt, he didn't know exactly what type of tactic this was.

For a moment he thought it was the Demon Lord's attempt to mock or ridicule his power.

Then the understanding that Lucretius never held back in battle came to mind which in turn abolished his initial thought.

All Greerheart needed to do was draw his right arm down and signal the descent of his weapons but he insisted against it, "It isn't wise to leave yourself so open, I could easily obliterate you this moment." he spoke to the man in black.

"Then do it.." he said, unfazed.

Folding his fingers into his palm, he closed the spatial vault of weapons and the sky was restored to its usual beauty.

With a powerful motion, his right arm and the grimoire, which had been suspended in the air in defiance of gravity, were withdrawn.

Its brilliant golden glow dimmed progressively, and the Prince dispelled the grimoire, no longer interested in battle. It was a rare sight indeed.

Lucretius turned his back on Greerheart before reverting back to his more human state.

A jet-black portal had rifted open before him, this was his way home so to speak.

"You're strong Dragon Prince, I advise you not follow the Black Trinity to their deaths... as strong as Zaratros may be and as much as you admire him, he will fail.." he somehow knew Greerheart was affiliated with the Black Trinity.

From his point of view, even if Black Trinity somehow conquered the entirety of Endlave they could never do the same with the world.

As long as the Order of Demon Lords; the Pentagram existed they would be doing no more than playing second fiddle.

'How did he know...?' Greerheart asked himself, his thoughts tried to ponder how he and the "others" knew of the ongoings within their faction.

It rose some suspicions but he had nowhere to start. He decided not to dignify Lucretius' words with a response. Instead, he was silent.

Silent still, until Lucretius exited the frame.

Both Natia and Fern were relieved. Only some minutes had passed since the departure of their foe.

Natia had her wounds attended to and all through this Greerheart hadn't uttered but a word.

"Saved. It looks like Demon Lord Lucretius retreated." how funny of Fern to have assumed something so foolish.

In a way, this was his method of showing faith in the abilities of His Highness. He didn't understand the reason for the retreat, but he could rest assured for now.

"Fern, are you hurt anywhere?" Natia asked having just gotten her wounds partially healed by Fern, an expert in the field given his age.

There was no need for such questions, "I'm fine. You should worry about yourself first Natia." he told her just before resting his back against a chunk of boulder chipped off a hill after Greerheart's Heavens Fall.

He required a break after using healing magic for her wounds which were more serious than he'd believed.

"Thank you very much." Natia extended her thanks to His Highness.

He retorted, "Fool. Even my with my help we barely balanced the scales. Had their entire forces attacked us at once, I would've died alongside you." he chose to face reality.

Even with how powerful he was, no man or demihuman or even demigod was an island.

"T-That's impossible." a hard pill to swallow for Natia.

She'd never believed Greerheart to have been so straightforward in limiting his abilities. As confident and scornful as he may be in battle, he knew when to draw the fine line between one's own strength and reality.

Fern had a suggestion, "Your Highness! Have you ever thought about forming an alliance with another nation...?!" he spoke with so much vigor standing up from his place of rest.

"For now, that shouldn't be any of our concerns... our people need water and we must provide."

Even amidst the dire situation of the Pentagram and the possibility of someone leaking information about the Black Trinity to them, he was still focused on getting the bare essentials for his subordinates.

There was so much to consider and as it stood, so little time to actually do it.

"But... Your Highness, one more question..." Natia felt like the Prince was not in a delightful mood and she didn't plan on making it worse.

She used a far more respectful approach to address him, "That man, why did he retreat? Even if you'd still have won him none of you had taken any fatal damage to lead to an end of the battle." her voice wasn't as audible as it usually would.

"Who cares? Maybe he was overwhelmed by my display of power or he had something even more urgent than I to attend to. Those kinds of things happen. Be it as it may, it's over. You needn't worry any further about it." he walked away from them, most likely he was heading back to the carriage.

Even Fern was beginning to show concern, "You say don't worry but how do we know he won't come back again?" he'd never experienced fear like this before today.

He came to a halt, "We should head back to Anur. I've done what I came here to do, and saw what I came here to see." his voice was a bit cold, lacking that power that was befitting of a ruler.

He was in a dilemma, that much was obvious from the manner in which he spoke.

Relaxing in the carriage, Greerheart appeared less verbose. His head faced down, his smile was completely faded.

There was so much he'd come to grasp from that battle and he seemed more involved than expected. N

ow, it looked more like Lucretius was an ally or at least wanted him to survive, but the thought did come to his mind as to what would happen if they failed to conquer Endlave.

'It's all for the good of this world and my people most importantly, but is this really what I want?' He had not posed this question to himself in a long time, yet now he wanted something beyond the gratification of combat.

Gradually, enlightenment had come to him; he was beginning to understand that there was more to life than simply fighting.

It was a difficult decision to make, but it was important to consider the consequences of both options. Doing evil to protect the ones you love may seem like the best solution at the moment, but it could lead to unforeseen consequences that may cause more suffering in the long run.

On the other hand, avoiding evil and watching the ones you love suffer may be difficult to bear, but it could be the best option for protecting them in the end.

Ultimately, it was up to Greerheart to decide which path to take, but it was essential to weigh the pros and cons of both before making a decision.

Greerheart was now at a crossroads, facing a difficult decision. He was overwhelmed by the uncertainty of his situation, and he had to take decisive action to determine his next steps.

He had consider his options carefully and make a choice that was best for his future. Greerheart must decide where to go from here.