The Vale, Seagull Town. Nightfall was approaching.
Near the largest square by Seagull Town's harbor, bonfires were lit earlier than usual.
A crowd of singers had gathered there, performing a song with a tune unfamiliar to most. The scale of the choir was unprecedented, and their resonant voices filled the entire area around the harbor. More and more people gathered, drawn by the music.
Some began to ask about the name of the unfamiliar song. It turned out to be called "Whispers of the Cavern", said to have originated from the Crab Claw Peninsula across the southern strait.
As night deepened, the crowd gradually dispersed, reluctant but satisfied. Yet, the echoes of the song still seemed to linger in the air.
Suddenly, startled cries rang out from the crowd.
In the westward part of Seagull Town, a raging fire shot into the sky, dyeing half the horizon red.
The next day, everyone in Seagull Town learned that the estate of the merchant Usor Meika had burned down. Incredibly, not a single soul survived.
Crab Claw Peninsula, former battlefield of the Crabbs.
"Roar~! Roar~! Roar~!"
"Roar~! Roar~! Roar~!"
"Roar~! Roar~! Roar~!"
With rhythmic shouting, the wildlings began a slow advance toward Green's formation, under the command of the Blunt family of Dread Hollow.
At a distance of 200 yards, Green drew his bow, loosed an arrow with a sharp whoosh, and a knight tumbled from his horse.
Empalo rode back and forth before the line, shouting, "Hold! Hold! Wait for the command!"
Green fired a second arrow—another knight fell, crashing into the advancing ranks.
After Green had shot down five knights in a row, the rest dismounted and led their horses into the formation on foot.
At that point, the two sides were still over 200 yards apart.
Green then shot down the flag-bearer holding the Blunt family's banner and gave a slight nod toward Empalo.
"Fall back!"
"Fall back!"
"Fall back!"
Empalo carried out the command. Led by the Crabb soldiers, the rest—disguised auxiliaries and surrendered prisoners—turned and began retreating toward the entrance of Crescent Valley.
Green's maneuver immediately caught the enemy's attention, and they began to speed up their advance.
Everything was proceeding according to Green's carefully laid plan.
Green was just about to spur his horse to join the "retreating" troops when an unexpected incident occurred.
A round, ball-like figure suddenly charged into the battlefield, brandishing a round shield and raising a warhammer as he rushed toward the Blunt family and wildling troops.
The enemy had already broken formation in their eagerness to pursue.
The charging "meatball" quickly collided with the fastest of the advancing enemies.
With his bulky frame and shield, he smashed aside two men, then brought his warhammer down with a sickening crunch on a nearby wildling's skull.
He didn't stop. Swinging again, he cracked open another wildling's head.
Despite his rotund shape, the meatball moved with surprising agility. His shield blocked every incoming blow, while his hammer continued crushing skulls with ease.
He fought with beast-like instincts, but after felling several foes, something began to feel wrong. Amid the chaos, he glanced toward where Green had been—
Where was everyone?
Why was there only one knight left?
He could've sworn there had been a whole group—was he remembering wrong?
The meatball finally started to panic a little. No matter how fierce he was, he couldn't kill them all. He began to consciously retreat.
Green temporarily judged that the unknown warrior who had suddenly burst into the battlefield was a friend, not a foe.
Green spurred his horse forward, loosing arrows as he rode. Wildlings near the unknown warrior dropped one by one under his covering fire.
Green fixed his gaze on a knight who was galloping toward the stranger. With a single shot, he knocked the rider off his horse.
"Get on the horse!" he shouted.
The warrior heard Green's voice. Shield raised, he barreled through the enemy and rushed over to the now riderless warhorse. Despite his bulky frame, he nimbly vaulted into the saddle.
Green kept firing to cover him.
The warrior urged his horse forward, his voice cheerful and bumbling:
"Lord Green, your fame precedes you—I've long admired you… uh… uh… I forgot my lines!"
"I heard about the recruitment call from the old lands of the Crabbs. I hoped to serve you, but… I'm a bastard, and I didn't dare present myself directly."
"So I found out where the battle was happening and thought I'd prove myself first, to earn your recognition!"
A rogue warrior voluntarily offering allegiance?
As he continued his retreat on horseback, Green called out loudly, "Stranger! Tell me your name!"
"Oh, oh! Right! Sorry! My name is Monton Veywater."
As his horse galloped, Monton Veywater's belly, round like a giant watermelon, bounced up and down like rippling water.
Green's lips curved into a slight smile. "Welcome, my warrior!"
Hearing Green's recognition, Monton Veywater's voice cracked with emotion.
"You're too kind! I sincerely thank you! I swear I'll fight for you forever—uh… uh… I forgot the rest again! I-I-I'll try to eat less?!"
"My warrior, eat your fill. Eat without restraint!"
Monton Veywater turned his head to look at Green's silhouette, stunned.
He snapped out of it, raised his head slightly, and a dopey but determined smile spread across his face. What a beautiful day!
[Monton Veywater, the first "adorable general" of Lord Green, makes his debut.]
Meanwhile…
As more and more weapons and gear were found abandoned by the retreating Crabb soldiers, the Blunt family and the wildlings, shouting and cursing, surged into Crescent Valley.
But once they were all inside, raging fires erupted both ahead and behind them.
Trapped in a ring of merciless flames, their screams and wails seemed to shake the entire valley.
Though Green had done his best to prepare the ambush, time had been short, and the recent heavy rains had weakened the blaze.
Even so, more than 3,000 enemies were forever buried in Crescent Valley.
Those who managed to escape were utterly drained and broken—most of them became prisoners of Green.
Five days later, near Dread Hollow Fortress.
"What in the world…"
On horseback, Green stared silently at Dread Hollow rising like a spire into the clouds, speechless.
.
.
.
🔥 The Throne's Last Flame — A Song Forged in Ice and Wrath 🔥
📯 Lords and Ladies of the Realm, heed the call! 📯
The saga burns ever brighter—30 chapters ahead now await, available only to those who swear their loyalty on Patreon. 🐉❄️🔥
Walk among dragons, defy the cold, and stake your claim in a world where crowns are won with fire and fury.
🔗 Claim your place: www.patreon.com/DrManhattanEN👤 Known on Patreon as: DrManhattanEN
Your loyalty feeds the flame. And fire remembers.