The morning of the eighth day arrived.
Under the King's command, the troops within St. Soniel, which still maintained some combat ability, were swiftly organized to execute the first counterattack since the city defense began.
The dispatched troops were divided into two forces: one was the royal Order of Knights loyal to the King, and the other was a mixed troop composed of children of the capital's aristocrats and private soldiers. The two forces passed through the city gate one after the other under the morning glow, with strikingly different styles—
The royal Order of Knights was small in number, with only forty percent of its original strength remaining. They wore armor already scarred and stained with blood that hadn't yet been wiped off. They resembled a group of rust-colored war statues, silently crossing the city gate, exuding a restrained yet orderly menace.
