Aftermath

The crisis of the city's fall was temporarily averted, and the Guardian Domain had been preserved in an inconceivable manner, still standing tall in Nul.

As the city gates reopened, the Night Watchers dragged their weary bodies back, still feeling as though everything that had just transpired was a dream—a hallucination born of surviving a near-death experience.

The infant in King Norwick's arms slept soundly, his chubby little face full of serenity. He slumbered comfortably, subconsciously shifting his body to find a more cozy position.

Among the crowd welcoming them, people wept incessantly; they might have lost a husband, son, father, or brother.

Others wept tears of joy, for in an extinction-level war, their loved ones had survived.

"Count the numbers." King Norwick watched all of this calmly, without a moment's hesitation. His majestic face held no trace of relief as he turned to issue an order to the Royal Greatsword Master:

"The window of opportunity left to us is small; we must seize it. Notify the commander of the Four Night Guards to quickly reorganize, tally our combat strength, and prepare to pursue the orcs."

"I understand." Xilan nodded solemnly before leaving the King's side to deliver the orders in person.

From the crowd emerged a noblewoman with brilliant golden hair and a crystal crown atop her head. Wherever she passed, people bowed slightly to pay their respects and make way for her.

The noblewoman wore a long blue dress, deep and elegant. Her temperament was gentle and tranquil, her demeanor poised and measured—grand yet graceful, noble yet approachable.

"Norwick!" Her steps were somewhat hurried as she lifted her skirt and walked up to King Norwick.

In the Guardian Domain, there was only one person who dared to address the King by his given name: King Norwick's wedded wife, the Queen of the Guardian Domain, Daisy Klaus Norwick.

"Are you alright?" Daisy's porcelain-white face was full of concern. She asked instinctively, even circling her husband to check if his armor had sustained any damage.

"I am fine."

"Thanks to him, most of the warriors survived." Facing his beloved, the stern expression on Norwick's face relaxed, and a rare, soft smile appeared.

He raised his arm, signaling his wife to look at the swaddled bundle tucked into his cloak.

"A child?" Seeing that it was an infant, Daisy knitted her long golden brows together, looking at her husband with confusion.

She could not understand how a human infant could appear on a battlefield where the sounds of slaughter shook the heavens and death and destruction reigned—an infant who represented hope and new life.

Today's battle had been truly bizarre. The Guardian Domain had been prepared to perish, but then the intense battlefield had suddenly exploded, the orcs had scattered in a panic, and the majority of the Night Watchers had survived.

"It is like this..."

King Norwick recounted what he had seen and heard in a magnetic voice, as if chanting an epic.

More and more people gathered around him, casting looks of disbelief at the Child of Miracle in his arms, the one who had saved Nul like a miracle.

Lady Daisy's thin lips parted slightly, her emerald eyes trembling. She reached out to take the infant from Norwick's arms and asked, "Does he have a name?"

"Doom! Doom Norwick!"

King Norwick introduced the infant's name to his wife, using destruction as his name and the King's title as his surname.

"Child of Destruction." Daisy bowed her head, kissed Doom on the forehead with her lips, and whispered, "He is also the 'Child of Miracle' who brought us a miracle!"

"How should I raise him?"

According to the traditions of the Guardian Domain, men were responsible for becoming warriors or other productive professions, while women were responsible for educating and nurturing the next generation, imparting necessary knowledge.

Most importantly, before a woman became a wife, she had to learn psychological counseling, the constant correction and guidance of the next generation, and how to help a child walk the path chosen by his father.

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 shuddered. Unable to believe what she had heard, she looked up at King Norwick, then turned to look into the distance at the two tall figures who were currently comforting the crowd—her and King Norwick's biological sons.

Facing his wife's questioning gaze, Norwick shook his head slightly, signaling that she need not ask further. He simply held her shoulders gently and said with ironclad certainty, "Do your best to teach him, and prevent him from going astray."

Daisy fell silent, looking down at the infant in her arms, her trembling eyes lost in thought.

"Night Watchers!"

King Norwick stepped onto a high point and shouted, his voice suppressing the clamor of the crowd: "We only have one chance!"

His majestic face was entirely stern, his eyes burning as they swept over every single guard: "The orc army is now leaderless and shattered; our opportunity has arrived!"

"There is no time to grieve. We must pursue them immediately and annihilate the orc forces with all our might to prevent the next siege crisis."

"Three minutes!" King Norwick held up three fingers and said with unquestionable authority: "You have three minutes to say your goodbyes, then gather at the parade ground to prepare for the expedition."

An expedition in three minutes—this was a command so harsh it was almost cruel.

A unit that had just experienced a life-or-death battle had only three minutes to rest before bidding farewell to the Guardian Domain and setting off once more for a campaign with no known return date.

The Night Watchers had no complaints. They silently struck their left fists against their chests, saluting their King.

Gauntlets clashed with a metallic ring. They would execute the order; their duty was to move forward without hesitation.

With a simple hug to bid farewell to their loved ones, the pure-white warriors picked up their weapons and headed to the parade ground to assemble, adjust their mindset, and enter the next battle.

Three minutes later, the Night Watchers stood in neat formation 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 wearing specialized power armor stepped out from the ranks, stood his giant spear beside him, and knelt on one knee.

"Depart at once and ask the knights if they have forgotten their duty? That glorious mission inherited from the colonial era."

Norwick was expressionless, yet he did not hide the anger in his words: "And tell them, if I do not see them within 48 hours, then the knights will disappear from the history of Nul forever!"

"Understood, I shall convey your message with absolute precision!"

With that, Sena rose and mounted the anti-gravity motorcycle nearby. His great spear clattered against the frame as he twisted the throttle, departing at supersonic speeds to deliver the decree of King Norwick to the Wasteland Knights.

"Leave one thousand men to guard the city. All other combat units are to deploy immediately. We shall split our forces during the engagement, breaking into smaller groups for flexible pursuit. Strike at the orcs' living strength with everything we have, and ensure the aftermath is handled thoroughly."

Sweeping his gaze over the standing Night Watchers, King Norwick flicked the hilt of his sword, igniting its blade of light, and roared, "Move out! Fearless Night Watchers!"

"We are the blades of Nul! We shall cut down all foes!"

"We are the bulwark of Nul! We shall surely return in triumph!"

Accompanied by their war cries, the Night Watchers set out, beginning their hunting expedition.

They fought in the wastelands, they fought in the mountains, and they fought amidst the enemy ranks, swearing to purge every last adversary.

Three months later, King Norwick returned leading a small detachment, and it was Queen Daisy who greeted him as always.

In the rear garden of the palace, Norwick sat on a stone bench, his armor still unremoved. Before him, the Queen looked deeply troubled, a subtle trace of fear lingering between her brows.

"Norwick." She called out softly, her elegant, melodic voice trembling with unease.

Queen Daisy knelt, using her hands as a pillow to rest her cheek against Norwick's thigh, drawing courage and tranquility from her husband.

"What has happened?" Norwick raised his hand, intending to stroke his beloved's golden hair, but hesitated when he noticed the clotted bloodstains still clinging to his gauntlet.

"That child." Daisy lifted her arm to press Norwick's large hand down, savoring the rare moment of peace as she closed her eyes and spoke slowly, "I am somewhat afraid of that child. Whenever I face him, I feel a profound sense of dread."