***

A few weeks after the devastating defeat of the prominent Hive mind legion against the town of Agrona, the grim news immediately erupted throughout the entire humanity. Of how an army consisting of 6000 personnel, a boasted destructive bombardment force, and a powerful commander returned with only a small fraction of what it was.

Rather than roaring cheering, what greeted the survivors were faces of sadness of the people of the kingdom of Milana. Once more, the streets lost their life, and the following days inside the kingdom of Milana were filled with gloom and darkness. No celebration, no acquired glory... just grief.

Even after a few days after arriving back home, the faces of less than 300 warriors who survived were still filled with horror, holding up horrifying stories about the nightmare they just faced in what they thought was a certain victorious battle.

"A... mer- meruem! I see it in my own eyes! He slaughtered everyone like nothing!" One of the knights kneeled in front of King Alonzo's throne. The knight's eyes were shaking in great horror while his entire body was fidgeting and having a very hard time mumbling even a single word. "I... I... if I di- didn't act dead and hide in the corpses..." He stared at King Alonzo, tears instantly came out of his eyes as he shook his head. "I... I..." But he could no longer say a single word as he covered his face with his hands while crying out loud.

But the person the knight was talking to didn't say anything, rather, King Alonzo was just staring at nothingness with his bloodshot red enlarged eyes. His jaw dropped and remained that way for a few seconds before it moved as he spoke. "A... all of you... Leave."

In an instant, all the knights inside the throne room moved in synchronization and pulled the crying knight up. However, the knight stood up, he stared at King Alonzo with despair in his teary eyes. "By attacking that curse of a town. We have finally managed to enrage him! Now, that monster is coming for us! Humanity will be in great catastrophe! It's happening again! The demons will come for us again to wipe us all out! But this time! Unli- Unlike before... he has the entirety of demi-humans behind him! We are left alone! We are left to fight on our own!"

The knights grabbed him and pulled him out of the throne room leaving King Alonzo alone.

For a few seconds, King Alonzo rubbed his palm on his eyes. He shivered as he laughed, but his laugh was full of sadness and despair. "A meruem?" He said with such a weak and hopeless voice while rubbing his face harder. "Who could have thought?"

He removed his golden crown and stared at it with such sorrow on his face.

"It's all over now... I have just lost everything. I have failed you, my friend. The glorious nation that you were dreaming of... I can no longer make it happen." Tears came out from his supposed to be a tough face that was molded in countless battles in numerous wars. "Forgive me... because I have failed you... Ragnar."

In an instant, in one devastating defeat, all of the boasted glory of the kingdom of Milana was taken off. Plummeting from one of the kingdoms on top of the power hierarchy to lowest of the lowest, and dubbed as the kingdom of great failure, rather than its old name as the home of the glorious heroes.

The kingdom of Milana had fallen from its grace.

The glorious history of the kingdom of Milana was finally over.

***

The kingdom of Inizio, the only human kingdom with a close tie to the town of Agrona. Inside the throne room where King Tirion was sitting while staring in front of him.

"I would say, even though I knew that they would win... I never expected that battle to end that quickly. They trampled the Hive mind legion in just a matter of hours." King Tirion smiled. "They didn't even hold back."

"Based on the information I've got, the news about the battle has been circulating very quickly, not just on the side of humanity, but even on the side of demi-humans, the entire world is now fully aware of the existence of the meruem currently ruling the town of Agrona." Commander Alain bowed his head as he spoke while standing beside King Tirion.

"Do you mean, Casimir?" King Tirion shifted his gaze to Commander Alain with a subtle smile on his face.

Commander Alain paused for a second before nodding. "Yes, the entire Ulterra is now fully aware of the existence of Lord Casimir."

King Tirion leaned on his throne. "Even if they could easily wipe out the entire army, they decided to let them go while knowing the risk of leaking the information about them, just like what he did in the slaves he set free before. I think it is part of his plan.... he wants to tell the world a clear message... that he is here and will crush anyone foolish enough to stand against him. Such an audacious man."

Commander Alain nodded. "That's also what I think, Your Majesty."

King Tirion stood up. "I haven't met him yet... but he already has me interested. No wonder even Tanya, who is extremely hard to please let him lead." He looked back at Commander Alain and raised his left eyebrow. "On that note, where is my pompous son, Dieter?"

Commander Alain cleared his throat. "Prince Dieter sneaked out again and is already on his way towards the town of Agrona. But worry not, I have him followed and fully guarded."

King Tirion furrowed his eyebrows as he walked towards the window and stared in the direction where the town of Agrona was located. "That child. Once he gets his mind to something, he can no longer be stopped. Regardless of what risk and consequences he will face just to reach his goal." A gentle smile emerged on his face. "His late mother was no longer around as he grew up. But why does he get all of her problematic personalities?"

What resonated inside the room was a gentle laugh coming from King Tirion, while Commander Alain was just smiling as he watched the king.