Extra: Aurelian's Fall

Aurelian Dynasty calendar, year 553, Imperial Capital.

The walls of the Imperial Capital stood in silence beneath the dusk. Their bricks and stones had soaked up centuries of sunlight, wind, and frost; every block had been reinforced with runes, then worn smooth by time until they took on a dark gray hue almost like iron.

Even after the battle that had just taken place, the sturdy city defenses showed no damage at all. Instead, the ground beneath the walls was carpeted with rebel corpses and a Siege Battle Puppet that had already been scrapped.

In the distance, the rebel camp consisted only of tents and wooden palisades. Compared with this towering, colossal city, it seemed shabby and insignificant.

And yet it was precisely these shabby, insignificant rebels that made Duke Wood, standing atop the city wall, tremble with fear.

In just two short years, nearly half the Empire's territory had fallen. Now these rebels had even attacked all the way to the foot of the Imperial Capital.

To guard against sneak attacks, they had even destroyed the teleportation Magic Arrays within the Imperial Capital.

Heavy, feeble footsteps came from behind him. Wood did not turn around. He asked directly, "What did Haviland say?"

Duke Elara braced herself against the battlement and panted hard for quite a while before she finally cursed aloud. "That bastard said he has to guard against the Dwarves taking advantage of the chaos to launch a sneak attack, so he can't move lightly!"

The corner of Wood's eye twitched. His voice squeezed out from between his teeth. "That animal—what kind of situation does he think this is? Does he think that if we lose, he can resist the rebels on his own?"

Hearing him, Elara jumped in fright.

"Lose—no, that can't be," her voice was dry,