Calvin and Anna followed behind him.
Calvin walked straight up to Chen Yu and gave a Knight’s salute. His voice was steady. "Greetings, Your Majesty. We have returned."
Anna looked a little lost. Aside from Calvin and his group, she didn’t recognize anyone else. When she saw Calvin salute, she quickly copied him, bowing her head and timidly stammering, "Gree... Greetings, Your Ma-Majesty?"
Chen Yu bounced curiously and looked at Anna. "Who’s this little tagalong with you?"
Calvin cleared his throat and explained briefly, "Just the student of an old friend. It’s nothing important. But please rest assured, Your Majesty. Both Arthur and I have checked; she poses no threat."
Chen Yu just said, "Oh," and didn’t give it much thought.
His mind was completely occupied with taking the fortress and his subsequent plans, so he just assumed the Kingdom Knight Order had gained another young Knight.
The Garrison Legion had paid an extremely heavy price in this war. From a massive legion of over ten thousand, only a little over two thousand Knights and soldiers remained, most of whom were wounded, and their morale was low.
Most of the surviving Knights were from the Arevalo Clan. As for the Second, Fourth, and Sixth Legions, they were nearly annihilated following the successive deaths and betrayals of Dominic and his men.
Only a fraction died at the hands of the Demon Legion; most were actually overwhelmed by the demonic tide or perished in the final charge against the Demons.
The Demon Legion had also suffered its greatest casualties ever. Nearly half of the Blood Poison Bees alone had been lost, making the sky look noticeably sparser.
Of the ten Secret Magic Ancient Trees, four had been completely destroyed during the Knight Order’s charge, reduced to charred husks.
The Metal Slimes, however, were astonishingly resilient. In such a fierce battle, only a few were injured, which counted as good news.
And all this sacrifice and combat was not just to rescue Arthur and his men, but to seize the strategically vital Storm Fortress.
"Yano, let’s go." Chen Yu hopped onto the Stone Flying Sword and flew toward the Demon Legion, which was regrouping in the rear.
"Yes, Boss." Bat-like wings unfurled from Yano’s back, cloaked in the solid shadow of a Gargoyle as he followed.
By the time Chen Yu landed back on Peggy’s back, Xiaoka was already there to greet him. It affectionately nuzzled its small head against Chen Yu’s round body, letting out a contented purr, much like a puppy fawning over its master.
Chen Yu extended a small Gel hand and patted Xiaoka’s head. His soft yet commanding voice traveled through the Gel network that spanned the entire legion, clearly reaching every single monster unit.
"All forces, advance."
"Target: Storm Fortress. Take it completely."
Soaring through the air, Yano raised his jet-black Giant Sword, its tip aimed straight at the towering, dilapidated fortress wall ahead.
The remaining Gargoyles roared and flapped their bat-like wings. Like a dense, dark cloud of death, they led the charge toward the fortress.
RUMBLE RUMBLE...
The Demon Legion moved out once more. Metal Slimes riding Beetles cleared the path, swarms of Poisonous Sting Bees took to the sky for cover, and the small Earth Elements scampered about cheerfully. The entire legion advanced on Storm Fortress like a restarted war machine, ready to crush everything in its path.
This commotion immediately drew the attention of the others.
After careful consideration and a brief discussion with Arthur, Levin decided to command the newly consolidated Knight Order of over two thousand members. They maintained a safe distance, following in the Demon Legion’s wake.
Their position was now a sensitive one. They needed to rely on the Demon Legion’s strength to clear the fortress of any lingering enemies and remnants of the demonic tide, yet they also had to maintain their independence and remain vigilant.
As for Louisa, she and Glen mounted the Giant Eagle that Celeste had once again become and took to the sky.
From high in the air, she gave Chen Yu a long, meaningful look and left him with a parting message: "Lord Slime, we will see you at Storm Fortress tomorrow at high noon."
Clearly, she had already accepted that Storm Fortress would fall into the hands of the Slime Kingdom.
When they met again, it would be for formal negotiations.
If the negotiations went poorly, their relationship as allies would no longer be certain.
As they watched the Giant Eagle disappear over the horizon, the Demon Legion arrived at the fortress walls.
Compared to the brutal siege at the start, the Demon Legion encountered almost no resistance this time.
They poured through the massive breach in the wall like a tide, flooding into the fortress’s interior.
"Search!"
Like well-trained scouts, the Metal Slimes immediately mounted their Beetles and fanned out. They swept through the fortress’s main streets, back alleys, towers, and barracks, searching for any lingering resistance.
BZZZZ... The legions of Poisonous Sting Bees and Gargoyles took to the air, swiftly occupying the high ground along the ramparts and seizing control of the still-intact ballistae and Magic Towers.
Meanwhile, the legion’s main force took up positions in the rubble near the breach, fending off scattered monsters attempting to surge in. At the same time, under the direction of the Slime Engineers, they began rapid, emergency repairs on the wall and fortifications.
Watching the round Slimes bustling about—methodically clearing rubble, hauling stone and timber, and even using their Gel to seal cracks and repair broken Magic Patterns—the Knights trailing behind Levin all wore strange expressions.
’These monsters know how to repair walls?’
This shattered their perception that monsters were only capable of destruction.
Of course, their current status was highly sensitive. They were "rebels" of the White Horse Kingdom, yet they had not formally joined the Slime Kingdom.
They didn’t dare make a rash move, fearing that a single careless action could provoke an unnecessary conflict, so they could only watch the industrious Slimes in silence.
Once they had a moment to breathe, most of the Knights found themselves staring into space, their hearts filled with conflict and turmoil.
They told themselves they were on the side of justice, that they had successfully eliminated the traitors who colluded with Demons and had defended the honor of the Knights and the safety of the Kingdom.
But on the other hand, they were now cooperating with—or at least, standing by and watching—the Demon Legion occupy Storm Fortress, one of the Kingdom’s most important border strongholds.
They didn’t know if this violated the solemn oath they had once sworn to defend every inch of the Kingdom’s land.
Chen Yu paid no mind to their inner turmoil.
He knew the oaths, beliefs, and traditions of these Knights were deeply ingrained; persuading them to join the Slime Kingdom outright was next to impossible.
He did, however, have a better destination in mind for these Knights, but that would depend on how tomorrow’s negotiations went.
SNAP!
Xiaoka flapped its wings, carrying Chen Yu, and began to ascend the wall at a steep, almost ninety-degree angle. The powerful airflow caused Chen Yu’s Gel body to lean back slightly.
In a moment, Xiaoka cleared the towering battlements and was soaring in the air above the fortress.
Chen Yu looked down upon the entire stretch of the wall. He saw the Mages and soldiers of the Garrison Legion who had chosen to remain. Surrounded by Poisonous Sting Bees, they were all crouching down and setting aside their weapons in surrender.
Their faces mostly showed relief at having survived, mixed with uncertainty about the future.
Soon, the Metal Slimes that had fanned out to search began to return from every corner of the fortress. They scaled the walls and waved their Small Short Swords at Chen Yu in the air.
They had searched the entire fortress and found no signs of organized resistance.
This meant the Slimes were in complete control of the entire Storm Fortress.
Chen Yu gazed out from behind the fortress at the boundless golden plains beyond. An indescribable sense of accomplishment and pride swelled in his heart.
He puffed out his round, gelatinous chest and once again declared to all the monsters through the Gel network:
"We are victorious!"
"Hoorah!"
"Mu! We won! We won!"
In an instant, the entire Storm Fortress erupted in celebration.
On the walls, the Metal Slimes bounced excitedly, bumping their hard, metallic bodies into one another and creating a chorus of crisp CLANGS.
Below the walls, the Secret Magic Ancient Trees guarding the breach began to hum in celebration, while the Slime Engineers cheered with happy SPLATS.
It was a moment that would be forever etched in the heart of every monster.