Formal Intervention

More often than not, the development of events was beyond anyone's expectations. Sometimes it affected a single person's fate; other times, it changed the course of history.

Just when Niceburg had fallen into its most desperate hour, its residents had been reduced to two choices: perish together with the city or become slaves and cling to life. Yet at that moment, as though the prayers of everyone in the church had finally reached the Lord of Light, He had reached down from the heavens with a giant hand and smacked the enemy who was about to bring them destruction unconscious.

Scouts sent outside the city confirmed that the Guardian Army had retreated and that there were no traps nearby. Everyone in the city was swept up in an uncontrollable celebration.

The residents who had been trembling in hiding inside their homes poured out into the streets and alleys, filling them completely. They embraced and kissed one another, singing and dancing.

The commoners in the lower districts were ecstatic, but after their brief joy, the upper ranks had to face the grim reality once more.

Although the enemy had temporarily withdrawn, Niceburg was like a patient who had suffered from a prolonged illness. It lacked the strength to pursue the victory, and luck had played a part in their success. Their armed forces were now barely capable of protecting the city, let alone leaving it to fight elsewhere.

The enemy beneath the city walls was gone, but the surrounding regions remained under the Church's control. The Horn Bay Alliance had merely gained a chance to catch its breath when the noose had tightened the most.

How could they seize this chance to breathe? The council continued gathering information and learned that the Guardian Army was reorganizing its forces. With the Holy