After Blackstone Fortress returned to human control, Hexi immediately sent someone to report the exhilarating news to Fokas Fortress.
That very night, a messenger traveling beneath the starlight arrived at headquarters with the battle report.
Fitz sat at his desk, reviewing a thick stack of administrative documents. The furrows between his brows had deepened from days of worry and frustration.
When he saw the words "Blackstone Fortress has been reclaimed" on the report with his own eyes, he froze for a moment. Then, as if struck at the heart, he slammed his hand on the desk and shot to his feet, bursting into hearty laughter.
"Good! Well done!" Fitz's voice boomed as he repeatedly slapped the desk in praise.
His delight was not merely because of the victory, but because Blackstone Fortress occupied an exceptionally vital position.
Now that Hexi held Blackstone Fortress, it was like driving an iron nail into a breach in the defensive line. So long as the fortress was held, the Demons would find it difficult to cross it and invade the interior.
As the news rapidly spread through magical communications, all the fortresses under Fokas Fortress erupted in uproar.
In many people's eyes, even if a fortress could be retaken from the Demons, Blackstone Fortress would never have been on the list of possibilities.
It was universally recognized as a perilous place, easy to defend and difficult to attack. For humans, assaulting it had always meant near-certain death.
Yet this was an official notice personally issued by the Fokas Fortress command headquarters, stamped at the bottom with Commander Fitz's personal seal. Doubting it seemed unnecessary.
Before long, commanders from the various fortresses contacted Hexi through every possible means, hoping to confirm the details.
Those familiar with the frontline could not help feeling both anxious and