Chapter 604: Eyes of Malice ( 604 )

Gilmon stayed kneeling. “What are our plans now, my liege?”

Edmund growled low. “Ugh… Even if we send our air unit—the wyvern riders—it won’t be easy anymore…”

He turned sharply toward Gilmon. “How many of our special infiltration unit do we have?”

Gilmon responded promptly, “Approximately 150+, my liege.”

Edmund narrowed his eyes. “Can they disguise as halflings?”

“Yes, my liege. Their transformation magic and infiltration training are designed for that.”

“Good.” Edmund’s voice was cold. “Send 100. Their mission is to embed themselves inside the Halfling Kingdom. I don’t expect this war to end in our favor now… not anymore.”

Gilmon looked up, confused. “My liege?”

Edmund clenched his fist. “That bastard Garius has already made his move. That means this war… will end soon.”

“My liege…?”

Edmund’s expression twisted. “He knows. He knows we can’t win once he and his sons are involved.”

He walked toward the war map, pointing toward the Dwarven capital with a dagger.

“Send our remaining men into the dwarven capital. Disguised. Blending in. Quiet.”

Gilmon bowed his head. “To what end, my liege?”

Edmund smiled darkly. “That boy… Garius’s third son. The one with the unknown magic and weapons. He’ll try to remove the celestial from Gumarak. He won’t kill him… he’ll seal it.”

Gilmon’s eyes widened.

“And the moment that celestial is sealed—our men will steal it. Take it and run. Bring it to me.”

A chilling silence fell.

Edmund’s eyes burned with madness.

“Let them think they’ve won. Let that brat finish the hard part for us.”

He grinned, twisted and cruel.

“Then we take it all.”

Gilmon kept his head low. “And about the Halfling Kingdom, my liege?”

Edmund didn’t look back.

“Just make sure those special units are ready for any further instructions. Only the strong ones. No weaklings.”

He smirked darkly.

“I’ll give the details later.”

Gilmon bowed. “Yes, my liege.”

Edmund’s voice dropped lower, sinister.

“After all… I’m still waiting for something.”

Gilmon didn’t dare ask. The tent grew colder.

“So—our main troops, my liege?”

Edmund raised his hand slowly, eyes narrowed toward the map.

“Just send the wyvern units.”

“Keep harassing the last dwarven defense. Hit… and then run.”

“Don’t give them time to breathe. Don’t let them rest. Just… keep attacking.”

Gilmon nodded. “As you command, my liege.”

Edmund smiled.

“This is just the beginning.”

Gilmon stepped back in silence, leaving the tent.

Edmund remained still, one hand behind his back, the other brushing lightly over the map of the continent spread on the table.

His eyes locked onto the central point—Dwarven Kingdom’s final capital.

Then his finger slowly traced toward the Armand Region.

A cold smirk crept across his lips.

Once everything is ready… I will move my last piece.

Inside his mind, the voice of the Celestial chuckled darkly.

But Edmund’s thoughts drowned it out.

Garius…

Not only did you get Francesca.

Not only did you raise powerful sons.

Now… you move that talented son of yours.

The brat with cursed magic and foolish ideals.

But don’t worry.

Soon, Garius. Soon.

He will meet the one.

The one who will not only crush you…

But those bastard children of yours as well.

Your pride.

Your peace.

Your legacy.

I’ll burn it all.

“I can’t wait to try your son’s real talent…”

Edmund muttered, voice low with twisted delight.

“Ahhh~ I can’t wait to see him… using his full power… his full invention… that unknown thing he has… And those knights of his…”

His smirk deepened—stretching unnaturally.

A terrifying smile.

A grin only monsters wore.

His eyes widened, mad with anticipation.

“Ahahaha… AHAHAHAHA!! I CAN’T WAIT!! I CAN’T WAIT!!!”

The wind outside howled. The sky turned darker as if reacting to his madness.

Inside the tent, even the guards outside stiffened.

None dared to breathe loudly.

Edmund’s voice echoed inside the silent command post like a cursed bell.

“Show me everything you have, Javier De Armand…”

“Let me see what a child of Garius can truly do.”

Then… the tent flap parted.

A man stepped in—tall, clad in sleek black leather armor lined with crimson trim, his presence heavy with something unnatural.

Edmund turned his head slowly, a sinister grin creeping onto his face.

“So… Arnold~,” he said in a low drawl. “Are those… ready?”

Arnold, the commander of the most feared covert division—the Abyss Hounds—smirked back, his sharp eyes glinting like blades.

“Yes, my liege,” he said calmly. “They are ready. All of them. Even the sealed ones. Just say the word… and we will release them. Let the boy taste real terror.”

Edmund chuckled darkly, his fingers drumming on his throne armrest.

“Good… very good. Hold them for now. Not yet… Not yet.”

He leaned forward, eyes filled with malice.

“The moment we see an opening—the moment that brat shows his hand…”

Edmund’s voice dropped into a cold whisper.

“We’ll send them.”

Arnold bowed.

“Yes, my liege. And when we do… we’ll see if the son of Garius can survive the nightmare.”

Edmund’s grin twitched slightly as he absorbed Arnold’s words, his eyes narrowing with satisfaction and menace.

“When that time comes… tell me about it, Arnold. I want to watch it—every moment. I want to see with my own eyes how that brat fights them.”

Arnold bowed his head respectfully, his smirk matching his lord’s darkness.

“Yes, my liege. Even Garius himself couldn’t handle them. Not all at once.”

Edmund’s gaze turned distant for a moment, then sharp again.

“No… Garius is dangerous. Far more than most realize. His mind… his people… the ones always near him—none of them are to be taken lightly.”

He clenched his hand slowly into a fist. “That bastard is a genius. A tactician. A strategist. If we make one wrong move, he’ll see through it in an instant.”

Arnold chuckled softly. “Ah… but don’t worry, my liege.”

He stepped forward and whispered as if delivering a secret no man should hear.

“Even Armand’s best assassins… even their shadow unit… couldn’t get near that one location.”

Edmund’s eyes narrowed again. “Why?”

Arnold’s grin widened, voice low with satisfaction.

“Because it’s being guarded by them.”

A thick silence followed.

His smile was no longer a smirk. It was a predator’s grin.

“I can’t wait.”

( End Of Chapter )

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