The danger of the city falling was temporarily averted. Guardian Domain had been preserved in an unbelievable way and still stood tall in Nul.
The city gates reopened, and the Night Watchers returned with exhausted bodies. Everything that had just happened still felt like a dream, like an illusion born from surviving a catastrophe.
The infant in King Norwick's arms slept soundly, his chubby little face peaceful as he shifted unconsciously, searching for a more comfortable position.
Among the welcoming crowd, people wept continuously. Those they had lost might have been husbands, sons, fathers, or brothers.
Others cried with joy. In a war of extinction, their loved ones had survived.
"Count the numbers." King Norwick watched everything calmly, without the slightest hesitation. There was no trace of relief on his dignified face as he turned to issue an order to the royal greatsword master:
"We do not have much of a window. We must seize this opportunity. Inform the commanders of the Four Night Guards to regroup quickly, assess our combat strength, and prepare to hunt down the Orks."
"I understand." Xilan nodded solemnly, then left the king's side to personally deliver the orders.
A noblewoman with gleaming golden hair and a crystal crown atop her head stepped out from the crowd. Wherever she passed, people bowed slightly and made way for her.
She wore a long blue gown, deep and elegant. Her demeanor was gentle and tranquil, her bearing poised and measured. She was graceful yet commanding, noble yet approachable.
"Norwick!" Her steps were hurried as she lifted her skirts and walked up to King Norwick.
Within Guardian Domain, only one person addressed the king by name. King Norwick's first wife and the queen of Guardian Domain: Daisy Klaus Norwick.
"Are you all right?" Concern filled Daisy's porcelain-white face. She asked instinctively, even circling her husband once to inspect whether his armor had been damaged.
"I'm fine."
"Thanks to him, most of the warriors survived." Before his beloved, Norwick's stern expression softened slightly, and a rare gentle smile appeared on his face.
He raised an arm, signaling for his wife to look at the swaddled infant gathered within his cloak.
"A child?" Seeing that it was an infant, Daisy's slender golden brows drew together as she looked at her husband in confusion.
She could not understand how a human infant could have appeared on a battlefield filled with thunderous cries, destruction, and death. An infant that represented hope and new life.
Today's battle had been truly unbelievable. Guardian Domain had already prepared to perish alongside the enemy, yet the fierce battlefield suddenly exploded. The Orks scattered in panic, while more than half of the Night Watchers survived.
"It happened like this..."
In his magnetic voice, King Norwick recounted everything he had seen and heard, as though chanting an epic.
More and more people gathered around him, repeatedly looking at the Child of Miracle in his arms with incredulous eyes—the child who had miraculously saved Nul.
Daisy's thin lips parted slightly, and her emerald eyes trembled. She reached out and took the infant from Norwick's arms. "Does he have a name?"
"Doom! Doom Norwick!"
King Norwick named the infant after destruction and gave him the surname of a king as he introduced the child's name to his wife.
"Child of Destruction." Daisy lowered her head and kissed Doom's forehead, murmuring softly, "And also the Child of Miracle who brought us a miracle!"
"How should I raise him?"
By Guardian Domain's traditions, men became warriors or took up other productive professions, while women were responsible for educating and nurturing the next generation, teaching them the knowledge they needed.
Most importantly, before becoming wives, women had to learn psychological guidance. Through constant correction and direction, they helped their children walk the path chosen by their fathers.
Mindful of the surrounding crowd, King Norwick lowered his head and whispered into his wife's ear, "A future king! A king of warriors!"
Queen Daisy's body shook. She could hardly believe what she had heard. She looked up at King Norwick, then turned toward the two tall figures in the distance who were comforting the crowd—her and King Norwick's biological sons.
Facing his wife's questioning gaze, Norwick gently shook his head, signaling that she should not ask further. He merely rested a gentle hand on her shoulder and said firmly, "Teach him as best you can. Keep him from straying down the wrong path."
Daisy fell silent. She lowered her head to look at the infant in her arms, her trembling eyes revealing nothing of what she was thinking.
"Night Watchers!"
King Norwick stepped onto higher ground and raised an arm as he shouted, his roar drowning out the crowd's clamor. "There is only one chance!"
His dignified face was utterly solemn as his blazing gaze swept across every guard. "The Ork army is leaderless now. They are fractured and scattered. Our opportunity has come!"
"There is no time for grief. We must pursue them immediately and destroy the Ork forces with all our strength, preventing another siege crisis."
"Three minutes!" King Norwick raised three fingers and declared in an unquestionable tone, "You have three minutes to say your farewells. Then gather at the parade ground and prepare to depart."
Setting out in three minutes—this was an order so harsh it was nearly cruel.
A force that had just endured a battle between life and death had only three minutes to recover, then bid farewell to Guardian Domain and set out once more on an expedition with no known return date.
The Night Watchers had no complaints. They silently clenched their left fists and struck their chests in salute to their king.
Their armored fists struck their breastplates with a ringing clang. They would carry out the order. Their duty was to press forward without hesitation.
With a simple embrace, they bid farewell to their families. The warriors in pure white took up their weapons and headed to the parade ground to assemble, steadying their hearts for the next battle.
Three minutes later, the Night Watchers stood in neat ranks on the parade ground, awaiting the battle plan.
"Elton Sena!"
King Norwick called out a name, a name that represented the greatest speed.
"My king." A warrior in custom power armor stepped out from the ranks. He planted his massive spear beside him and dropped to one knee.
"Leave at once. Ask whether the knights have forgotten their duty—the glorious mission passed down since the colonial era."
Norwick's face remained expressionless, but he did not conceal the anger in his words. "And tell them this: if I do not see them within forty-eight hours, the knights will disappear from Nul's history forever!"
"By your command. I will convey your meaning precisely!"
With that, Sena rose and mounted the anti-gravity motorcycle beside him. He secured the giant spear to the vehicle, twisted the throttle, and sped away at supersonic speed to deliver King Norwick's decree to the Wasteland Knights.
"Leave one thousand men to guard the city. All other combat units will depart. We will split up during the battle, break into smaller groups, and pursue flexibly. Strike at the Orks' living forces as hard as possible, and handle the aftermath properly."
His gaze swept over the upright Night Watchers. Norwick drew the light blade from his sword hilt and roared, "Move out! Fearless Night Watchers!"
"We are Nul's blades! We will cut down every enemy!"
"We are Nul's unbreakable walls! We will return victorious!"
Amid their battle cries, the Night Watchers set off on their hunting expedition.
They fought across the wastelands, among the mountains, and within enemy hordes, swearing to cleanse the land of all foes.
Three months later, King Norwick returned with a small squad. Queen Daisy was still the one who greeted him.
In the rear garden of the royal palace, Norwick, still wearing his armor, sat upon a stone bench. The queen before him looked deeply worried, with a hidden fear between her brows.
"Norwick." Her soft, melodious voice trembled with unease as she called his name.
Queen Daisy crouched down, using her hands as a pillow as she rested her cheek against Norwick's thigh, drawing courage and peace from her husband.
"What happened?" Norwick raised a hand, intending to stroke his beloved's golden hair, only to find patches of blood still clinging to his gauntlet. He hesitated.
"That child." Daisy raised her arm and pressed Norwick's large hand down, savoring the rare sense of peace. Closing her eyes, she slowly said, "I'm a little afraid of that child. Whenever I face him, I feel a profound terror."
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