Chapter 170 - 167 - Prelude to the Battle of Cordova
The Tower Wizard, in accordance with his agreement with the Royal Family, assisted in the investigation of the mysterious assailant and pursuer of the Enchantress.
He then had a very stern conversation with the Smith and the Enchantress about their work, and a dire warning against creating self-perpetuating enchantments like [Fimbulwinter]—though eventually the residual mana in the air had run out and the enchantment had stopped on its own.
This was far less concerning than what he had discovered.
Hundreds of magical surveillance and communication devices, spread throughout the city. The surveillance devices were set up around vital city infrastructure, the Army and Knight's Order Headquarters, the city guard stations, and even the Royal Castle itself.
The communication devices were concentrated in Saint Alejandro's District.
Everyone working for the Kingdom with a magic-related Class was enlisted in detecting and removing the surveillance devices. But they were devilishly hard to find, and often in locations that were hard to access without causing disturbances.
No elderly widow appreciates a squadron of Knights bursting into her home to get to the eaves of her roof.
The communication devices were even worse. They were merely every-day objects, ensorcelled with a communications spell. Unlike an enchantment, which places magic within an object, an object ensorcelled with a spell acts as an anchor for an ongoing spell. Simply cutting off the magic empowering the spell is enough to dispel it, and then the object is just once again a normal object.
The Tower Wizard was completely certain of his findings.
Demons from the newlands had infiltrated the city, quite some time ago.
At the same time, perhaps because of the damage from the Night of Many Knives, a gang war started between the organized crime syndicates, which quickly grew to involve the accomplices of the demons and even the City Guard and Knights of Cordova. The Thugs and Enforcers and Toughs who provided unlawful security for unlawful activities came into conflict with the Smugglers and Thieves, and then with the Saboteurs and Vandals and Lurkers and Spies and Extortionists. Public order broke down even further, with the silver lining that the gang war also led to more of the demon's surveillance and communications devices being found and destroyed.
On the other hand, the breakdown of public order finally, after decades of successful avoidance, led to a rise in Avengers forming.
It escalated incredibly quickly into a full blown cycle of vengeance.
Three months after the Night of Many Knives, a mother was put to death for unrepentant treason and collaboration with demons.
A week later, her son Chose Avenger for both his Classes, targeting the City Guard. Three precinct stations were destroyed, and among the dead was a city guard who was the father of twin girls, who blamed all refugees indiscriminately. And several weeks later, they both Chose vengeance.
Over thirty Avengers were born in just six months.
The city was completely paralyzed by the terror. Nobody wanted to go outside. The City Guard was terrified to enforce public order. Smugglers found themselves helping people get out of the city, rather than in.
As the Avengers ran amok in a self-sustaining cycle that seemed to have no end, demonic devices grew in number, totally unchecked.
Until one of the Avengers made the mistake of targeting the Enforcer Syndicate.
In a surprising turn of events, the Avenger was slain with zero casualties, and zero collateral damage. Simple overwhelming skill and force in a one on one battle that ended before most people realized a battle had even begun.
From that day on, Avengers had a lifespan measured in hours.
An Avenger would be born around dawn on someone's Choosing Day, and by noon the Enforcer Syndicate would arrive and eliminate them without hesitation.
As the only force capable of acting within the city, the Enforcer Syndicate gained legitimacy, and more and more, the populace lost faith in the city guard, the Knight's Order, and even the Royal Family.
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The Knight's Order attempted to crack down on them, but Avengers continued to form as grudges from months past lingered, and only the Boss of the Enforcer Syndicate seemed able to contain the threats as they arose.
Similarly, the Guard and Knights were unable to prevent sabotage to city infrastructure, nor to protect the workers tasked with repairing the damage.
Two of the Great Windmills that pumped water up the hill and into the city from the river were burned to the ground, and even their foundations broken.
Sewer lines were destroyed or blocked.
Water cisterns were laced with poison.
Attempts to undermine the city walls were near-constant.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, it wasn't just the descendants of the refugees who participated in the sabotage. It was also those most resentful of the refugees. The only unifying factor among those caught doing the sabotage was an intense hate that had been redirected towards the city itself and its leaders.
The Smith and Enchantress remained within the Castle during this time, presumed to be working on protective accessories to mitigate the risk of assassination. [Auto-Barrier], [Auto-Shell], [Lightning Reflexes], [Poison Nullification], [Air Purification], and so on were enchanted into a large number of rings, brooches, earrings, necklaces, and amulets.
For over a year, the City of Cordova and the Kingdom of Iberteria at large descended into anarchy and chaos.
And then the Demons landed at Puerta del Monte, just north of Libons, and established a beachhead.
Hundreds of ships carrying hundreds of demons each arrived, and without even ordering themselves into formations, they advanced. First, south, to Libons.
The entire city was burned to the ground, and almost every inhabitant was slaughtered. Only the fastest Runners and Messengers escaped, heralding the invasion.
Where perhaps the House of Sanchez might have stood firm, might have at least delayed the Demons' advance, the Baronies and Viscounties that had been created for the vile Crown Prince's supporters fell like scarecrows.
It was the common people who suffered the most. They all died.
The Duchy of Sicilia fared little better: with several days advanced warning, some of the nobility managed to flee.
The Duke and Duchess, however, were caught in an encirclement and died just like the commoners they had been attempting to abandon.
It seemed to matter not how strong the opposing force was, the Demons simply overwhelmed them as though they were fighting children.
Not a single demon casualty was noted as the Demon horde advanced in all directions: South, North, and East, spreading like an inkstain on a piece of parchment.
For a month, they advanced at a steady pace until suddenly the Demon forces converged again, in the beginning of Spring, and descended from the hills into the Plains of Cordova.
An estimated two hundred thousand demons formed a chaotic mass, bringing with them all manner of monsters. Giant Boars. Wyverns. Steel Pangolins. Unicorns. Dire Wolves. Packs and packs and packs of Dire Wolves.
It was the Dire Wolves that were the most effective at carrying out the Demon's genocidal ambitions. They ensured that no human was able to hide and avoid the Demon's spells and blades.
The first sighting of the Demons in the Plains led to the final and complete breakdown of order within Cordova.
The city gates were all closed and fortified.
The people of the city, desperate to escape, did everything they could to get out.
Saboteurs ran amok, and it was only the Enforcer Syndicate that did anything to stop them. The Knights and City Guard were too busy defending the city walls from the desperate forces within.
Early in the morning the day after the Demons arrived, the Army of Iberteria and almost all the Knights of Cordova set out through the Army gate and marched around the city to face the threat in the West.
The common people couldn't see the battle that ensued.
And yet somehow, they knew as soon as the Army Generals, Knight Commanders, Royal Family, and Tower Wizard did, from their elevated positions above the city.
It was a rout.
From noon until dusk, the demons systematically slaughtered all the forces brought to bear against them. It was a patient, steady grind through the ranks of the army, and Knights fell one by one to spell and sword. Even cannon-fire had little effect: the demons' magic was too strong, and their barriers blocked all missiles.
Night fell, and the demon advance stopped for the night.
All hope was lost.
Iberteria's King and Crown Prince had no more forces to send.
And so it was that a man of unlikely provenance, with no combat Class at all, stepped onto the stage of history to protect his family and his newfound homeland.