Chapter 228 - 222: Homecoming

"Send the order. We’re breaking camp and preparing to depart."

Raylo’s command spread throughout the entire camp.

The order was carried out swiftly. All traces of the previous night’s revelry were quickly erased.

The soldiers packed up their tents, organized their belongings, and sheathed their weapons.

The joy of returning home washed away the fatigue of their hangovers, and everyone moved with remarkable efficiency.

In the morning, the Allied Army of the Northern Lords, the first contingent to head back, set off with great fanfare.

At the very front of the army, Raylo reined in his horse. At his side was Lillian.

She wore a white Mage Robe that outlined her athletic figure, her long hair tied back in a practical ponytail.

"Aren’t we taking the east bank, brother? The road is much flatter over there."

Lillian watched the army’s change in direction, a hint of confusion in her eyes.

"The east bank is too close to the Fiery Sun Kingdom. I don’t want any flies buzzing around us on the way home."

Raylo’s gaze shifted to the winding Nu River in the distance.

"We’ll cross the Bridge of Victory and take the West Shore."

Lillian nodded and said no more.

The Bridge of Victory, a new bridge named for the recent great triumph, now lay quietly across the Nu River.

As the army set foot on the bridge, a dull, rhythmic rumble echoed out, as if bidding farewell to the river that had witnessed so much blood and glory.

After crossing the bridge, the army marched north along the Nu River’s West Shore.

「On the third day of the journey home, at noon.」

From the sky, Baofeng let out a shrill cry, warning Raylo.

Raylo, resting in his open-topped carriage, raised a hand to signal the army to halt.

On the river ahead, a monstrous wave surged up without warning.

A deafening dragon’s roar pierced the clouds. Immediately after, an enormous blue figure shot out from the water, sending a curtain of spray into the air.

It was the Blue Dragon!

A commotion rippled through the soldiers, who instinctively tightened their grips on their weapons.

The veterans who had survived the Battle of Nu River were much calmer, but their eyes were still filled with awe and vigilance.

Unlike the wretched, battered state it was in the last time they saw it, the Blue Dragon now looked magnificent. Its ice-blue scales shimmered with a metallic luster under the sun, its wounds long since healed.

It coiled in mid-air, its massive Dragon Wings spread wide, casting a shadow that blanketed the entire breadth of the Nu River.

"ROAR!"

With another roar, the Blue Dragon plunged downward, churning the wide river into a massive whirlpool.

The raging currents were drawn up by an unseen force, forming a terrifying Water Tornado that connected the river to the sky.

At the center of the Water Tornado, a Giant Beast over twenty meters long was struggling frantically.

It was a Tier Four Aquatic Magical Beast: a Four-Finned Demon Turtle.

Its body was covered in a jet-black shell as hard as iron, and its four massive, fleshy fins paddled like oars as it tried to escape the water’s grasp.

However, in the face of the Blue Dragon’s absolute Power, this Magical Beast—a creature that could dominate a whole section of the Nu River—seemed utterly helpless.

The Water Tornado tightened, and the terrifying pressure forced a shrill cry from the Four-Finned Demon Turtle. Cracks began to appear on its solid shell.

The Blue Dragon seemed to be enjoying the hunt. It circled the Water Tornado, its cold, golden, vertical pupils filled with cruel amusement.

This was clearly the Thunderboltous Giant Eel’s territory, yet the Blue Dragon was hunting here so brazenly. It was clear that after their mutually destructive battle, the dragon had recovered far faster than its rival. Now it had returned, intending to start another war and fight for dominance once more.

Finally, with a sharp "CRACK," the Four-Finned Demon Turtle’s shell shattered completely, and its blood instantly stained the churning river red.

Only then did the Blue Dragon dive down in satisfaction. It bit into its prey’s neck, dragged it from the water, and its enormous body carved an arc through the sky before disappearing behind the distant mountains.

The river’s surface gradually returned to calm, leaving only the faint smell of blood lingering in the air.

"What a... powerful monster."

Lillian murmured, her hand having unconsciously gripped her Magic Wand.

"We weren’t its target."

Raylo’s expression didn’t change in the slightest. He merely glanced in the direction the Blue Dragon had disappeared.

"Give the order. The entire army is to detour around this section of the river and continue forward."

The army silently detoured west for several miles before returning to the riverbank and resuming its march north. The atmosphere among the troops, however, was much heavier than before. This small incident was like a stone tossed into a lake, sending ripples through everyone’s hearts.

「The rest of the journey was long and uneventful.」

The army turned northwest, marching for over a month.

The land underfoot gradually changed from the damp, fertile plains of the Eastern Territory to the familiar, rugged mountains of the north.

The air was no longer as humid, and the wind carried the distinct, cold, and dry scent of the Black Stone Mountain Range.

The soldiers’ Armor was covered in a thick layer of dust, but their eyes grew brighter and brighter.

During breaks in the march, they began to sing the rough, bold songs of the Black Stone Territory. The singing echoed through the valleys, filled with longing and desire for their homeland.

「Finally, one morning, as the column crested a mountain ridge, a familiar sight appeared on the horizon: the rolling black mountain range, like the spine of a Giant Beast.」

"Look! It’s the Black Stone Mountain Range!"

It’s unknown who shouted it first, but it was like lighting the fuse on a powder keg.

The entire army erupted in an instant!

More than a month of pent-up homesickness burst forth at that moment.

The soldiers raised their arms and cheered. Some even threw off their helmets, their faces flushed with excitement.

The glory of victory and the joy of promotion all melted away, replaced by the purest ecstasy: homecoming.

They were home!

They had returned with victory and glory to the land that had raised them!

By the time the army appeared on the borders of the Black Stone Territory, news had already spread throughout the entire domain.

The townsfolk, farmers, and miners—everyone poured out of their homes, fields, and mines to gather along the roadsides.

They held no flowers, but they waved kerchiefs, straw hats, and even mining pickaxes.

Their faces were filled with the most sincere and ardent smiles.

"The Lord is back!"

"It’s our army! They’re back!"

"Look! That’s my son! He’s alive!"

A white-haired old woman rushed out from the crowd and hugged a weather-beaten soldier, sobbing uncontrollably.

The tough man, who had cut down foes on the battlefield with ease, now felt his eyes redden as he clumsily patted his mother’s back.

More and more people surged forward, searching for their husbands, sons, and brothers.

Raylo sat on his horse, silently watching it all.

He didn’t stop them, nor did he speak.

His gaze swept over the familiar faces, over the subjects who had come to welcome them, and finally came to rest on the majestic black mountain range.

’This is my foundation, the source of my Power,’ Raylo thought. ’No title of Count, no reward from the Duchy, can compare to the reality of this scene. This is what truly puts my heart at ease.’