Chapter 368 – After the War

Regardless of the outcome, regardless of what subsequent plans Punk was still contemplating, regardless of what Ben Lajie was still expecting while gazing at the devastated and fragmented horizon in the distance—this battle… had already come to an end.

On the distant mountain peak, the hastily assembled Royal Guards of the Maple Leaf Kingdom stared dumbfounded at the completely transformed border highlands.

“…Lord Kakaloute… is this really the battlefield? If I recall correctly, this place used to be a highland, didn’t it?”

A high-ranking officer with a dazed expression turned to ask his colleague. Even though reason told him this was indeed the site where the two armies had clashed, he still found it hard to believe the shocking scene before his eyes!

What utter devastation lay before them—across the entire border “highland” that had now become a massive basin, enormous craters large enough to serve as small lakes were scattered everywhere. Shattered rocks covered the ground, countless fissures crisscrossed the battlefield more horrifying than cracked farmlands, and colorful energy storms still raged and swirled across the crystallized, scorched earth…

If forced to describe this spectacular yet tragic scene with a single word, the Apprentice-Level officer’s mind could only conjure the terrifying term: “catastrophe.”

What else could such terrifying power be called, if not a catastrophe—power that destroyed everything, altered the terrain, and disrupted the climate? The roaring storm currents that distorted space, the massive craters still billowing with white smoke, the half-mountain torn apart by magic… Even for low-level professionals, such a horrific battle was nothing short of an unimaginable “natural disaster”!

“Indeed, this is the border highland—or rather, that was its name until yesterday. Now… I think it should be renamed the border basin. If the Maple Leaf Kingdom continues to exist, this place would certainly deserve the title ‘Calamity Battlefield’.”

Compared to the middle-aged officer standing frozen in place, the old earl beside him, addressed as Lord Kakaloute, appeared much calmer. Gazing at the distant low hills destroyed by spells, the old man could still steady his trembling fingers enough to take a few puffs from his pipe.

However, even the soldiers standing right beside him failed to notice—under the sunlight—the fleeting glimpse of desolate and hopeless sorrow in the old earl’s eyes.

The old earl wasn’t the only one staring silently at this wasteland, rendered speechless.

Because… this battlefield was too quiet!

No battle cries, no screams of agony—aside from the howling energy storms, the entire battlefield echoed only with the sound of rolling rubble.

One must remember—when the Maple Leaf Kingdom began this war, up to five million “starving refugees” had gathered on this battlefield. Even the Mad Dragon Legion of the Dragon Roar Kingdom had deployed a full hundred thousand troops! But now, all these people had vanished without a sound. The old earl wasn’t naive enough to believe they had all escaped safely… Trapped within a battlefield of Master-Level powerhouses, the fate of these poor souls left no room for doubt…It was precisely because of this that the truth before him made the old man even more distressed—that was ninety-nine percent of the population of the Maple Leaf Kingdom, the last remaining labor force of this long-suffering nation. With the loss of these last citizens who still had the strength to move, could the Maple Leaf Kingdom truly still be considered “existing” when relying solely on the remaining noble family members, whose numbers couldn’t even fill a small town?

Catastrophe—this was the disaster wrought by the battle of Master-Level powerhouses. Such terrifying slaughter and destruction truly had no other description besides the word “catastrophe.”

Facing the battlefield where the temperature still felt slightly scorching, all the temporary imperial guards wore expressions of horror. They did not yet know who the victor of this battle was, nor did they know, as the last remaining Nobles of the Maple Leaf Kingdom, where their own destinies should lead.

“Grandpa Kakaloute, did Uncle Zordas and Grandpa Nokani win?”

Amidst this heavy and gloomy atmosphere, a voice as clear as an oriole’s suddenly rang out from the carriage amidst the imperial guards.

At the same time, the luxurious silk curtain was gently pushed aside by a small, delicate hand, and the next moment, the little princess’s youthful face emerged from the carriage.

“Grandpa Kakaloute, has the war ended…?”

“Your Majesty the Queen, this humble subject has repeatedly reminded you—with the departure of the Old King, you are now the last bloodline of the Maple Leaf Kingdom’s royal family. As the ruler of a nation, you should now address this old man as ‘Kakaloute.'”

Facing the little princess’s question, the old count did not answer directly. Instead, he sternly emphasized the etiquette that this “Queen” needed to observe. As a Noble who had grown up in this country, he could not accept the Maple Leaf Kingdom perishing just like that. To this old man, as long as the royal bloodline remained unbroken and the position of “King” continued to be passed down, the Maple Leaf Kingdom still existed—at least, it still existed in his heart!

It was precisely because of this that, no matter how others viewed the naive little princess, in the old count’s eyes, the little princess, not yet ten years old, was already the esteemed Queen!

However, the little princess had no real understanding of these matters. At her playful age, she was clearly uninterested in the old count’s teachings. She did not comprehend the significance of her title changing from “Her Highness the Princess” to “Queen,” nor did she understand the concepts of war and glory spoken of by the attendants around her.

Now, this little girl who had just lost her biological grandfather only wanted to quickly see the two pillars of her emotional support—the ever-resolute Uncle Zordas and the kindly Grandpa Nokani, whom she had not known for long but who had always been gentle with her.

Seeing the little princess, who still did not understand what had happened, make a face at him before hiding back in the carriage, Old Count Kakaloute could not help but sigh deeply. In that moment, this once-vigorous old man seemed to age drastically, as if on the verge of collapse.

“Let us march. We must go to greet the ‘heroes’ of the Kingdom, or to meet our ‘glorious’ fate—whatever it may be… We cannot remain here watching forever.”The old count, his voice low and hoarse, issued the command weakly, then forcibly controlled the fear-stricken warhorse beneath him as it slowly stepped onto the battlefield.

Following behind this old man… was a troop of dejected soldiers moving like soulless corpses, and a still innocently cheerful “Queen” seated inside a carriage.

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(End of Chapter)