Summary:
As the **Church of Light** prepares to attack the hidden kingdom, Leo refuses to lead from the front — but he also won't run.
He coordinates defenses using strategy and magic, while Elyna, Tessia, and Selene prepare for battle.
In a final act of peace, Leo sends an envoy to the Church — offering negotiation instead of war.
But when the envoy is executed publicly…
> The storm begins.
And so does **The Gentleman's War.**
---
The city was quiet.
Too quiet.
Everyone knew what was coming.
Torches burned in every corner of the fortress. Soldiers trained through the night. Mages reinforced barriers with ancient runes.
And I sat at the center of it all — wrapped in my blanket, surrounded by scrolls, maps, and magical artifacts.
Zephyra dropped down beside me.
"You're really doing this, huh?" she asked, watching me mark positions on the battlefield map.
I nodded.
Then I wrote carefully:
> **"War is inevitable. But I will not let it be meaningless."**
She tilted her head.
"Aww, you're getting poetic again."
I gave her a small glare.
She grinned.
"Okay okay, I'll stop teasing. But seriously… are they going to listen?"
I looked up.
Then I added:
> **"They won't. But I had to try."**
---
A Final Attempt at Peace
Two days before the expected attack, I sent out an envoy.
Not a warrior.
Not a spy.
A scholar.
Grimwald volunteered — much to his own dismay.
"I hate diplomacy," he muttered as he adjusted his cloak. "It never works."
I handed him a sealed letter.
Inside was my final message to the Church.
> **"We do not seek war. We only wish to live in peace."**
> **"If you come for us, know that we will defend ourselves."**
> **"But I ask one last time…"**
> **"Let us walk separate paths."**
Grimwald read it silently.
Then he sighed.
"You're too noble for your own good."
I gave him a small smile.
Then I added:
> **"That's the point."**
---
The Message Rejected
Three days later, Grimwald returned.
Bruised. Exhausted.
And alone.
"They didn't even let me speak," he muttered, collapsing into a chair. "They just threw me in a cage for three hours… then kicked me out."
Elyna gasped. "That's rude!"
Selene narrowed her eyes. "They made their choice."
Tessia stood silently, hand resting on her sword.
I stared at him.
Then slowly, I wrote:
> **"What happened to the letter?"**
Grimwald hesitated.
Then he whispered:
"They burned it in front of me."
Silence fell over the room.
Then I closed my eyes.
> So be it.
---
Preparing for Battle
I spent the next day coordinating the defense.
Using old knowledge from my reign, I mapped out weak points in the fortress walls, set traps, and coordinated countermeasures against holy magic.
Elyna led the offensive team.
"We're gonna blow them away~!" she sang, tossing around a vial of unstable red energy.
Tessia led the defensive squad — silent, deadly, and ready for anything.
Selene went behind enemy lines.
"I'll find their commander," she promised. "And I'll make sure they feel afraid."
Lucian watched me closely.
"You're not like I imagined," he admitted. "You don't fight. You don't shout. But somehow… everyone listens."
I gave him a small smile.
Then I wrote:
> **"Because I finally understand what's worth protecting."**
Lucian studied me.
Then he nodded.
"I'll fight for you."
I raised my tiny hand.
And patted his arm.
He smiled.
> For the first time.
---
The Gentleman's War Begins
The attack came at dawn.
Holy banners flew above the cliffs. Chanting voices echoed through the valley.
The Church had brought everything.
Priests. Knights. Inquisitors. And worst of all…
> **High Inquisitor Caelus Valdrith**, the same man who once judged me in Elarion.
Now, he stood before our gates, voice booming through enchanted speakers.
> "Kaiser von Zerath! Your time has come!"
> "You have corrupted the world once. We will not allow it again!"
> "Surrender now… or be erased!"
I stepped onto the wall.
Wrapped in my blanket.
Holding my notepad.
And I raised my hand.
Slowly, I wrote:
> **"I am not Kaiser von Zerath."**
> **"I am Leo Granzell."**
> **"And I will not let you destroy what we built."**
There was silence.
Then Caelus laughed.
"Very well, little king. Let history remember you as the villain who begged for mercy."
I met his gaze.
Then I did something unexpected.
I raised my hand.
And I signaled.
The gates opened.
Our forces surged forward.
The war had begun.
---
Battle of the Hidden Kingdom
The battle raged across the valley.
Elyna lit up the sky with explosions, tearing through enemy ranks with her signature flair.
Tessia moved like a shadow, cutting down knights before they could raise their swords.
Selene infiltrated the command tent, leaving behind chaos and confusion.
Lucian fought like a storm, proving himself a warrior worthy of his name.
And me?
I stayed behind the lines.
Not because I was afraid.
But because I had already chosen my path.
Instead, I used my magic to guide our forces — amplifying sound, creating illusions, disrupting enemy formations.
I was no longer a Dark Lord.
But I was still powerful.
Just in a different way.
---
Eyes Upon Me
During the battle, I felt it.
A presence.
Watching.
Not from the enemy side.
From somewhere higher.
I turned my gaze to the skies.
And there, among the clouds, I saw her.
A woman cloaked in silver mist.
Her crimson eyes locked onto me.
> Lady Seraphine's old rival.
> The one who had once tried to kill me.
> **Queen Lysandra.**
She smiled.
Then whispered, just loud enough for me to hear:
> "So… you've decided to fight after all."
Then she vanished.
Leaving behind only wind.
And the weight of something far worse than this battle.
---