Chapter 1267: Total War!

“Legion Commander, you… what do you mean?”

Even Julia, who was in a state of anger, was shaken to her core by this sudden order.

She felt the determined resolve of burning bridges in the Legion Commander’s words, along with the judgment it represented.

The Legion Commander believed—if she went alone, the result would be no different from Gall going to his death in vain.

There would be no other possibilities, no luck involved.

Death, or corruption.

For the Legion Commander, the outcome awaiting Julia in that desecrated territory was already determined.

There was no other result.

Only by bringing along all other members of the Heroic Spirit Legion could she have the strength for a battle.

No, not even victory—merely… the strength to fight.

At this moment, more than being angry at not being trusted by the Legion Commander, another thought arose in Julia’s heart.

Could the gap between us and the enemy really be this vast?

Unconsciously, she assessed her strength compared to Gall’s, comparing their differences.

Gall was incredibly strong, his defense astonishing, akin to a moving fortress on the front lines, yet lacking agility and with a simple strategy.

She, on the other hand, was a dancer in the shadows, skilled in stealth, assassination, intelligence analysis, and was one of the few in the legion who could balance rationality with fury.

Elda might have trapped Gall, perhaps relying on traps and besieging, but to capture her—a master of concealment and biding her time…

Julia instinctively wanted to refute.

Her pride, that had been forged and hardened through a millennium of battle, was speaking sharply.

It was a judgment she was instinctively unwilling to accept.

She was far superior to Gall, who was all brawn and no brain, never having lost in their encounters.

The traitors of the Elda Territory having been able to subdue Gall does not mean they could deal with her!

They might have set traps for brute strength, but what about against the silent shadows?

If she entered Elda alone for retaliatory destruction, she doubted she would be stopped.

If it were someone else’s judgment, Julia wouldn’t care at all.

She would merely scoff and dismiss it as the cowardly words of the timid.

But now, the one making this judgment was the Legion Commander.

This powerhouse, who had stood unyielding since the glorious era of the Divine Kingdom, witnessed firsthand the brutal Divine War at the front lines.

He led them in struggling to survive in the broken ruins of the Divine Kingdom, enduring a long and desperate millennium.

His power was unfathomable, his thoughts inscrutable.

His judgment was almost never wrong.

The Legion Commander was the strongest in the legion, the true spiritual pillar and guide for all the awaiting Heroic Spirits.

He was also an elder who understood Julia immensely well.

“Do you think my strength is not sufficient?”

Julia’s voice carried a hint of dryness she hadn’t even noticed, with the red light on her half-skeletal face wavering slightly, revealing her inner unrest.

She tried to find a trace of hesitation on the Legion Commander’s face beneath the heavy helmet, even if just a trace.

The Legion Commander did not answer, the silence weighing like a thousand tons on Julia’s soul.

A moment later, he lowered his eyes slightly, then slowly nodded, and said with measured but firm words:

“Not enough… you are far from enough.”

Every word was like being engraved onto Julia’s soul with a frigid chisel.

No euphemism, no comfort, just the naked and uncomfortable truth.

Brutally straightforward, leaving no room for dignity.

For someone as proud as Julia, such an evaluation was a rather face-losing critique.

In other times, she might have felt humiliated, angrily refuted, or even demanded a practical test.

But at this moment, Julia found herself eerily calm.

She noticed the way the Legion Commander averted his gaze, with a peculiar thought flashing through her mind.

She saw the almost imperceptible movement of the Legion Commander averting his gaze.

It wasn’t disdain; it was more like… reluctance?

The Legion Commander believed that she… was far inferior to someone in Elda, completely not being a match.

Julia did not doubt the Legion Commander’s judgment, only felt puzzled by it.

What terrifying monster was that Elda hiding?

For if there truly was such a vast power disparity between the two forces, then what was Elda waiting for?

Why haven’t they taken the initiative to strike, crushing the Heroic Spirit Legion with absolute force?

Instead, they’ve gone through the trouble of setting defenses, corrupting comrades, as if they are… waiting for something?

Julia wanted to know the reason behind the Legion Commander’s judgment.

But seeing him silently avert his gaze, she feared she wouldn’t get an answer.

“…”

At that moment, more questions surged within her—Why? Why now?

Why did he suddenly issue such an order?

Was it really just because of my impulsive actions?

No, though my anger may be a trigger, it cannot be the full reason.

The Legion Commander is not one to let emotions sway his decisions.

It is known that mobilizing the whole army is anything but a simple command.

For her to bring others along means engaging in an all-out war with Elda.

This is the final measure, the last resort to be used only when there’s no other choice.

If the war were won, they could restore order, end the traitors’ desecration, and protect the honor of the Divine Kingdom.