Dungeon of Niflheim

507 Chapter 507: Victory!!

Though victory had been won a depressed mood covered the battlefield, there was so much death, how could they ever celebrate such a hard won victory.

The remaining soldiers and adventurers that were here fighting day and night dragged themselves behind the wall to the medical centre with glazed eyes, their hearts already dark and cold.

The mighty northern wall that stood as bastion during the stampede was littered with massive holes and cracks making it look like the walls of a ruin but the most frightening thing was the colour. The grey and blue wall was now blood red, so much blood had spilled that the colour had completely changed. The pungent liquid seeped deep into the stone, ice and pykrete forever changing wall, a permanent reminder of the losses endured these past few days, today most of all.

All the Majors suffered extreme wounds, many that would be fatal if not treated immediately and by skilled hands. General Warik and the Crown prince looked at the expressions of the survivors and couldn’t help but tremble. They could hardly imagine the suffering these people had gone through as they defended the town. Warik gave an order to the griffin knights before making his way toward the crown prince. He wanted to suggest that he use his charisma and lineage to inspire the people present, doing so would greatly increase his prestige among the local populace, something that he needed if he wanted to sit on the golden throne.

The crown prince listened to Warik’s advice and nodded his head agreeing with the General. He was just about to start his speech when Frost and Anya made their way back through the treeline.

Some of the survivors saw Frost returning with a large monster crystal in hand and the glazed look in their eyes transformed. Their hearts started to thump away, and vigour returned to their tired bodies. This was a man they’d fought side by side with, a man who had braved the same hell as them and came out the other side, victorious. A couple adventurers muttered Frost’s name and it started to spread like wildfire, soon the majority of the survivors were shouting his name at the top of their lungs.

“Frost! Frost! Frost!” They chanted repeatedly, growing louder with each repetition. The once silent and dismal battlefield was replaced with loud cheers for one man, Frost.

Frost not expecting such applause turned to Anya who had given him Frostine’s monster crystal hoping to make him into some kind of hero thus owing her but never for a moment did she think Frost would have such an impact on the survivors. It seemed as though despite her open mindedness she still underestimated this young man.

“What are you waiting for, they’re calling you.” She said playfully and winked his way before stifling her presence as much as possible, keeping the spotlight on Frost.

.....

Frost nodded in thanks to Anya before a wild smile stretching from ear to ear grew on his lips. He tightened his legs around Kiba as the two dashed forward into the heart of the battlefield, allowing everyone to get a good look at him and the monster crystal in his hands.

“Frost! Frost! Frost!” The chanting grew more and more fervent, so much so that the ground started to tremble. The soldiers and adventurers who arrived as reinforcements felt themselves drawn into to the chorus, chanting Frost’s name even if they didn’t know why.

When in full view of everyone Kiba stopped and roared at the top of his lungs causing the chanting to halt, Frost was about to speak.

Frost looked over the battlefield locking eyes with each and every one of them, they were his brothers and sisters in arms, valiant comrades who fought by his side during the war, never giving up. Frost hadn’t planned on giving a speech as he never thought it would be him in the spotlight, he was just a helper here to lend aid in the name of riches and friendship so he kept it simple.

He rose the large monster crystal above his head and activated his royal aura to the limit, spreading his presence as far as possible before roaring out a single word at the top of his lungs.

“VICTORY!!!!!” The soundwaves travelled far and wide entering the ears of everyone present, his aura helping to do so and drastically improving his charisma.

There was silence for a couple seconds before the earth trembled with such strength that it was akin to a herd of mammoths charging.

“VICTORY!! VICTORY!!!” They repeated Frost’s words while raising their weapons in the air and stamping the ground beneath their feet. The despair that wracked the battlefield was thus blown away by a single man’s words.

General Warik stared in awe at Frost, a completely instinctual reaction but one that was noticed by the person by his side. While everyone else had smiles on their faces this man sported a dark expression, that was supposed to be his role not one of an outsider.

‘Royal aura with a high degree of potency and if I’m not mistaken he’s the one that knocked my brother down a peg.’ The crown prince eyed Frost with a dark expression. He didn’t appreciate someone stealing what was rightfully his.

Eventually the chanting died down, but the valiant spirit remained. General Anya returned to his side and the two of them walked through what remained of the mighty northern gate. The crown prince’s knuckles audibly cracked as he made a tight fist, he felt snubbed. Frost and Anya didn’t even look his way or even acknowledge his existence, he was the crown prince of the empire god dammit.

Of course, Frost didn’t do it intentionally, he had no idea the crown prince was here nor what he looked like but even if he did it wouldn’t make much difference, his title meant nothing to Frost.

Anya however was doing it intentionally, she was not in the crown prince’s faction and didn’t feel like he deserved any glory when he wasn’t the one doing the fighting. Sure he arrived in mass with the royal griffin knights but for the majority of the short battle it was his bodyguards doing the fighting while he watched or handled the weaker monsters despite being adorned in superb quality equipment. He wasn’t ever in any real danger.

The support staff had already come out to help in the clean-up and handle any other jobs so the brave soldiers and adventurers could rest up. They all bowed as Frost and Kiba walked by, their hearts full of gratitude to the young man who they’d seen on many occasions charge straight in the fire of hells so as to protect them. Frost nodded his head towards each and every one of them as if it was natural greatly surprising Anya who was by his side. Despite her no longer hiding her station Frost still drew more attention.

‘He’s more of a royal than the crown prince.’ She felt that Frost was a natural born leader and that for a split second even she felt the pull to serve him. She blinked rapidly in confusion, shocked by her reaction. ‘How very interesting’ a smile grew on her lips as multiple thoughts ran through her mind.

The current political situation of the Northrend empire was a dangerous cesspool where the crown prince and second prince fought against one another openly and in the dark for supremacy. Each desired the throne and were doing all they could to take it.

However, the current emperor was still quite able thus the succession wouldn’t happen for several years so all they could do was rally the many factions throughout the empire to their sides, the nobles.

The crown prince who was currently holding his father’s endorsement as well as that of multiple department heads fought for the right to lead reinforcements in aid of Furano despite the possible danger. Such actions further garnered his father’s favour and he was sent with a vast regiment of the royal battalion and General Warik as his bodyguard under the emperor’s edict. His father knew that his eldest son wanted glory, reputation and the support of military and perhaps more importantly the Furano family but such ambitions were natural and not a bad thing, he was after all going fight in a war for his empire. The second prince ground his teeth at his brother’s ‘noble’ act, but chose not to fight on that front, knowing his efforts would be counterintuitive.

Though the crown prince’s reputation was rather good and even the Emperor favoured him General Anya didn’t like him and always felt that behind his smile was a sinister personality that was possibly worse the second prince’s. Therefore, she was an advocate for the princess, the emperor’s third and youngest child. A kind girl who always thought of the prosperity of the nation before her own needs, a very, very dark horse in the running but one Anya stuck with.

Seeing Frost with royal aura, his age, abilities and the fact that he was close to the Furanos and was now a veritable hero among the people here she wondered if she could somehow utilise his influence in benefit of the princess. Of course, she wouldn’t do anything underhanded or force the issue, but it would do well for the two to meet.

With Anya thinking up future possibilities and Frost greeting all those he saw warmly the two made their way to medical centre. The war was over, and he needed to inform Douglas and Hamon of their victory.