IBHJ Chapter 777

"Not good, my king," the fire giant said, grief-stricken. "The command center reported that our entire army was attacked, and the 12th legion was completely wiped out!"

"Impossible! A full-scale attack on our army could be the Eternal King's doing, but there's no way he could wipe out our forces that easily. He must be tampering with our connection to the command center. It's absolutely impossible! That's my elite army - how could they be wiped out?" Surtr demanded.

The fire giant said timidly, "B-But this is what the command center reported."

Taking a deep breath to compose himself, Surtr continued, "The 12th legion is 10,000 strong and led by my chosen general. Over 20 years ago, he led the 12th legion to victory against the Fairies' Allied Forces. How could they have possibly been wiped out? Tell me, how many did the Eternal King send? 10,000? 20,000?"

The fire giant was silent for a moment then slowly raised three trembling fingers.

"Eternal King used 30,000 soldiers to wipe out the 12th legion?" Surtr lowered his head slightly, accepting the truth in his heart, "Then that's to be expected."

"Yes, my king," the fire giant said, still shaking.

Clutching his chest, Surtr felt a sharp pain in his heart. Those were 10,000 of his people! It was unacceptable.

Gritting his teeth, Surtr asked, "Who led the army?"

"According to the report, the army was led by two Knights - Gawain and Lancelot."

"Gawain... Lancelot?"

...

Gawain rode his warhorse through the snowy mountains, surveying the aftermath of the battle. Calling it a battlefield didn't seem right; it was more like a field of death. Thousands of giants lay dead, their massive corpses scattered across the area in a shocking display of carnage.

"What's the situation, Gawain?" Lancelot, wrapped in wolf fur, galloped over and asked.

Gawain turned to face him. "They're pretty much all dead, but our side also suffered heavy casualties. Out of the 3,000 men we had, only about 30 made it out alive. We didn't have much choice though. These giants were tougher and more vicious than any magical beasts we've fought before. They just wouldn't stay down."

Lancelot let out a heavy sigh. "If we hadn't set those traps beforehand and let them fall right in, we might've been the ones lying dead out here."

Gawain nodded in agreement, "If it weren't for Agravain's meticulous planning and calculations, we would've been in the same situation as when the Foreign Invader controlled us back then."

Lancelot nodded, his mind drifting back to those past events. He couldn't help but let out another sigh. But then, a smile crept onto his face, his mood lifting a bit. "I just never thought the king would need us again."

"The Knights of the Round Table, even Camelot itself, were destroyed by the Foreign enemy. Our honor and dignity were lost along with them. But now, the fate of humanity rests on our shoulders. Even without honor or dignity, we have to keep fighting for the survival of our species," Gawain said.

Lancelot nodded, recalling the king's words when he summoned them.

—"You've paid the price for your past misdeeds, but the sin of killing your own comrades is unforgivable. But now, the fate of humanity hangs in the balance, and it needs you. The path ahead is uncertain, and it's up to you to choose. Will you rebuild your honor despite this sin, or will you remain trapped in the past?"

For the knights, the choice was clear. They had already made up their minds. It wasn't about restoring their honor or making amends; they simply refused to let the history they had built be destroyed.

Gawain smiled. "But when it comes to interrogation, Galahad definitely doesn't measure up to Agravain."

Lancelot nodded in agreement. "That boy's still too soft-hearted. He should've been the one to end my life, but in the end, he fell victim to the Grail. He inherited the king's gentle nature, which is one of the reasons he could succeed the throne, but he didn't inherit the king's unwavering resolve. That's why he has to depend on Agravain for these kinds of things. Especially when he's interrogating the giant, he's being too lenient. It's no surprise he didn't get as much information as Agravain did."

"You're right about that, he's too kind."

Just then, they felt a vibration at their waists. Reaching down, they pulled out a flat object made from a dark, muddy substance that was ringing and buzzing. It was a military-grade communication device created by the black mud, designed to mimic the Valkyrie Network. These devices were given to the leading knights, allowing them to stay in contact with the command center.

Agravain's cold, unpleasant face appeared on the screen. "What are you two doing? You should've finished clearing the battlefield by now. The estimated time of 30 seconds passed two minutes ago. Stop wasting time and go meet up with Tristan!"

Gawain and Lancelot nodded, their expressions solemn and serious. "Understood, Agravain." They ended the call without any further discussion. They were already well-acquainted with their brother and comrade's efficiency-driven personality, so they weren't bothered by his curt manner.

"Alright, Lancelot, let's get moving," Gawain said, turning to face his companion.

Lancelot nodded in agreement before turning his attention to the roughly 20 knights gathered below. He waved his hand and called out, "Brothers, it's time to head out. We need to rendezvous with Tristan!"

At the Chaldea mountain base, Bedivere observed Agravain as he ended the call, his expression gloomy as ever. Anyone who didn't know Agravain well would assume he was in a terrible mood, but Bedivere knew better. This was just his normal face.

Unable to stand it any longer, Bedivere spoke up. "Don't you think you're being a bit too hard on them, Agravain? If Gawain and Lancelot are running slightly behind schedule, it's probably because they're taking a moment to mourn our fallen brothers."

"I understand, Bedivere. But the plan is already in motion. As the knights chosen to lead our soldiers, they have a duty to follow the orders from the command center. This is a military operation, and delays cannot be tolerated. Once we miss our window of opportunity, it would be the gravest of sins," Agravain explained, his cold gaze softening slightly.

He paused for a moment, looking at Bedivere, his gentle and considerate old friend. "I'm not the best at offering comfort. When Gawain and Lancelot come back, I'll have to rely on you to smooth things over."

Bedivere reassured him, "We've all been through so much together. But you don't need to worry. We're all brothers here, and deep down, they know you have everyone's best interests at heart."

Bedivere's smile was one of relief. "And I'm truly glad to be working alongside you again."

Agravain's expression softened a bit upon hearing those words. He then spoke with a hint of remorse, "Regarding what happened in the past, I'm sorry, Bedivere, for taking your life."

"Don't worry about it. At that time, you were also under its control, Agravain," Bedivere said, smiling reassuringly.