Chapter 374: The Maiden of Frostgrave (1)

After hearing that, Ruvian activated [Omniscient Review]. (-500PP)

He had read about Marchioness Alizée Arcanis somewhere before in the novel.

From what Ruvian remembered, Marchioness Alizée Arcanis was one of the most renowned figures in the history of the northern region. Whenever Frostgrave Fortress was mentioned, her name was seldom far behind.

She had lived during the Human-Demon War, when Averenthia was being assaulted not only by demons, but also by countless Voidspawns that had grown increasingly active across the continent. It had been one of the bloodiest and most devastating periods in the kingdom’s history.

At the time, House Arcanis already ruled over much of the northern territory, but its military strength was still considerably weaker than it was now. Even Frostgrave Fortress had yet to become the colossal stronghold that presently guarded the northern frontier.

Instead, the border was defended by scattered stone walls, military encampments, watchposts, and fortified settlements. Many were destroyed during attacks and later reconstructed, only to be damaged once again whenever another wave of Voidspawns descended from the northern wastelands.

To make matters worse, the North could expect little support from the rest of Averenthia.

The Human-Demon War had already engulfed much of the kingdom, forcing the royal army to divide its soldiers, supplies, and most powerful magus across several brutal battlefronts.

Most reinforcements were being diverted elsewhere to hold back the demons. Hence, the North was left dangerously undermanned, even as Voidspawn attacks grew more frequent and increasingly severe.

Then came the disaster that would later be remembered as the Dark Winter Howls.

A massive migration of Voidspawns descended upon Frostgrave in numbers far beyond anything the defenders had prepared for. They came in wave after wave, overwhelming one defensive line after another and crushing anything that failed to hold.

Walls were breached before reinforcements could arrive, patrols vanished without a trace, and entire settlements were abandoned within hours. Messengers continued pouring into the command post, each one carrying news more devastating than the last.

Alizée’s father had been leading the defense that night. He personally entered the battlefield in an attempt to hold the collapsing front together, but he never returned.

Several senior commanders of House Arcanis died alongside him, and another major section of Frostgrave’s defenses fell soon after. With so many experienced commanders dead, the surviving soldiers were abruptly left without anyone clearly capable of taking command.

The fighting outside was already bad enough, but the disorder inside the command chamber quickly became another crisis of its own.

The remaining nobles, officers, and members of House Arcanis gathered inside the command chamber, but arguments erupted almost immediately.

Everyone understood that the defenses were on the verge of collapse, yet nobody could agree on what should be done next.

Some insisted that the outer defenses were already beyond saving and that the remaining forces should withdraw farther south. Others argued that Valcavein needed to be evacuated before the Voidspawns reached the city.

Ordering the soldiers to remain could mean condemning thousands of them to their deaths. But ordering a retreat meant surrendering the entire northern line. While they argued, the situation outside continued to deteriorate.

Soldiers were exhausted, civilians were gripped by fear, and supplies were beginning to dwindle. Every new report arriving from the north carried news more grim than the last.

A lot of families crowded into temples or underground chambers, praying that the defenses would somehow hold. For many of them, however, whatever hope remained was already beginning to fade.

Gone.

But that was when hope arrived — Alizée Arcanis finally entered the command chamber.

She was barely eighteen years old.

Her father had died only hours earlier and nearly everyone gathered around that table possessed far more military experience than she did.

Even so, Alizée stepped forward and declared that Frostgrave would not be abandoned.

She would inherit her father’s authority and continue defending the northern border no matter the cost.

Several members of her family immediately supported her claim, while the rest had little time left to object. The defenses were collapsing, and thousands of soldiers were still waiting for orders.

In the end, almost overnight, an eighteen-year-old Alizée had gone from being the Marchioness’s daughter to commanding the defense of the entire North. Along with that authority, she had also inherited responsibility for the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians.

Having a commander again should have brought some measure of reassurance, but Alizée’s age created an entirely different concern. Even some of the soldiers under her command quietly questioned how long Frostgrave could endure under someone so young.

However, those doubts did not linger for long, because before long, a message arrived.

The message came from the one person whose very name was enough to change the atmosphere throughout Frostgrave.

The Leader of Humanity.

Necraz Lox Mevillion.

The message from him was simple:

—"As long as Frostgrave remains under Marchioness Alizée, the North is in safe hands."

He also added that he would be sending one of his disciples to aid in the defense.

At first, those words brought only confusion. After all, how had Necraz known about Alizée’s sudden succession to command?

House Arcanis had yet to report the matter beyond the northern territories. Everything had happened only hours earlier, and even if a messenger had already been dispatched, there was no possibility that word could have reached him so quickly.

That was when the realization finally began to settle over the people inside the command chamber.

Necraz must have already seen it.

A future where Marchioness Alizée had successfully defended Frostgrave.

Until that moment, even the senior commanders had been uncertain whether Frostgrave would survive the night.

Yet if the man known for miracles had already seen Alizée standing at the end of this disaster, then perhaps the northern line had not been lost after all.

And with that single revelation, the despair weighing upon the commanders and officers began to fracture, something resembling genuine hope had returned to them.

After that, orders were quickly given for Necraz’s message to be spread throughout Frostgrave, from the exhausted soldiers holding the battered defensive lines to the civilians sheltering inside the temples and underground chambers.

Before long, nearly everyone in Frostgrave had heard the same words...

That as long as Marchioness Alizée Arcanis stood at Frostgrave, the North would be in safe hands.

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[Chapter 374: The Maiden of Frostgrave (1)]

Plot Points = 296,500