The Black Necromancer

Chapter 397 The First Strike

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"Daughter." Alvar did not look up from the report that he was reading as Vera stepped into hi study.

"Good morning, father. How are you?" Vera asked and took a seat on a soft chair to the side.

"I am fine. How was your night?" Alvar replied.

"It went well." Vera said plainly. She stared at her father intently for a few moments before the man sighed and placed down the papers he was holding. "What is it that you want, Vera?"

"I want to talk about the war." Vera sat up straighter.

"There is nothing to talk about, Vera. I will not change my policies. We will go to war, and those rebels will die!" Alvar said, his tone stiff with finality. There was no way he would change his mind.

Vera's jaw tightened as she stared down her father. She then got up and walked to the door before pausing.

"I'm sure if mother was still here, your words would be different." With those cold words, she shut the door behind her, leaving Alvar frozen in place. His mind was in shock and his heart thumped in his chest. Vera's words rang within his mind and he thought about it. Indeed, his late wife would never have sided with his choice.

But soon, he steeled his resolve. Vera's mother was no longer here. And what's more, he was doing this on her behalf!

'You have no right to judge my actions, my dearest daughter. You will come to understand sooner or later.'

As he came to that thought, a frantic knock rang against the door to his study.

"Enter." He answered and the door burst open, revealing a panicking guard.

"Your Majesty! Th-the rebels! They have struck!"

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Adrian stood on the deck of an 800 meter long airship as it flew at a low altitude. He looked around, watching as the cannons and mages aboard the airship bombarded the fortress below it to smithereens. Flames and smoke filled the air, along with the pungent odor of burnt flesh.

The attacks had begun, just like how Vera had planned it. It was a multi-pronged attack with at least two airships focusing on one location, along with thousands of other warriors and mages.

There was no suspense in the area that Adrian's team had come to. He was no in charge of the ship. Not at all, but his team that was made up of Malaki and Bella, had come with this army.

The rebel army had smashed aside the fortified defenses of this fortress. The sheer power that the airship was capable of unleashing was just too astounding! Especially since it was one of the larger ships that had been built.

There were many more 500 meter long airships, while the 800 and one kilometer long airships were more rare.

"I thought that we would see a brutal battle on our side, but it's mostly been smooth. The spells launched at the airships haven't even been able to get past the anti-magic barrier to strike the energy shields." Bella commented from her position beside Adrian.

"The wonder of technology. I can bet that even the Demons would have been given a run for their money if these airships showed up during the Desolate War. In fact, the Elves might very well be the most powerful force on the face of the world!" Adrian said. The Desolate War he spoke about was the name given to the war between the Demons and the forces of the Central Continent that had ended about three months ago.

"Don't forget Oceabal. They might very well be able to trump the Elves in this aspect. The whole sea is their playing ground." Malaki reminded his friends.

They all nodded as they remembered the powerful sea monsters that had wrecked the fleeing forces of the Demons when they were at sea. No one knew exactly how powerful Oceabal was.

Adrian turned his attention back to the ongoing battle. Their side was winning, but it was not easy. They were attacking a fort in the southwestern region of Rivera. It was known as Direback Fort, one of the older forts that had been established long ago in the continent.

Under normal circumstances, no external attack should have been able to breach the defenses of this fort, but thanks to the extensive information that had been provided by Vera, as well as plenty of sleeper agents, they had been able to disable the magic shield that protected the fort, as well as dealing crippling damage to the defenders of the fort from the inside!

With the efforts of the sleeper agents, they were able to take Direback Fort by storm! With the airship suddenly appearing above the vulnerable fort and raining down attacks, there was little that the elven soldiers within it could do to resist! Even their top combatants were met with equal force. While the number of A ranks was higher on the defenders' side, it was no stress for the airships to direct their prodigious firepower to suppress the rest!

There was a reason why Vera had prioritized the production of the airships first before making her move! It was because every one kilometer long airship was equivalent to five Mid A ranks! FIVE!!!

The might and power of a Mid A rank was nothing to scoff at! Just Gustavo alone had been able to provide deterrence and protection to Fort Bender, allowing it to maintain its sovereignty. This meant that just one of these airships was equivalent to at least two of him at the very least, and maybe even more!

The firepower of the 800 meter long airship would be equivalent to at least two Mid A ranks. Because there was less space to stuff in more magical systems, it was not able to match the performance of its one kilometer long brother.

As for the 500 meter long airship, it could match the power of one Mid A rank at its best.

And the current attacking force of the rebels that was besieging Direback Fort had brought one of each!