From Hogwarts to Strixhaven.

Chapter 634 The First Clash with the World's Tragedy
"The elegant eternal rose teaches us that whenever someone asks us to show kindness, we should do so..."

When Ivy stepped out of the Holy Knights Commander's tent, the first thing she saw was Pastor Sheryl Sohir, who was preaching.

The young man looked at Commander Ilinica standing beside him with an expression that was a mixture of piety and ease.

Ivy has returned from Faerûn with Android 5 and what he wanted, and also had lunch at his own castle.

However, when he returned to the Crusader camp outside Cannaburi, he discovered that Ilinica, the commander, had disappeared.

Only the commander of the Divine Eagle Guard, Irabes, remained at the camp. She approached Ivy with a large stack of new documents, requesting that he, as the "full-fledged military advisor," play a role in replacing Ilinica, who had abandoned the army to embark on the adventure.

As for why she approached Ivy, it was because Illinika, while out, took with her the religious advisor and the commander's field attendant and plenipotentiary advisor sent by Queen Godfrey.

Ivy suspected that Ilinea might have some kind of "official radar" installed, capable of automatically detecting official documents that needed processing. Otherwise, how could she have appeared outside the door with her adventure team just as Ivy finished her work?

"Hey! Ivy!" The commander waved and gave a cheerful smile. "I have some new discoveries to share with you."

“Before that, perhaps you should explain where you were before?” Ivy had thought he was the freest one in the Crusaders, but now it seemed that the commander of this unit was the freest guy.

"I apologize, Lord Doom. The commander left the camp because of my invitation." Religious advisor Sohir stopped his sermon and nodded cautiously to Ivy. It seemed that news of Godfrey appointing a golden dragon as an advisor to the Crusaders had already spread throughout the camp.

“We went to Zechariah Cemetery for a funeral… All those who gave their lives to protect Kanaburi are buried there… Today, my friend from the Shrine of Sheryl is being buried.” Sohir was wearing bright armor and always carried a large cleaver like Irina. Ivy had initially thought he was just a priest accompanying Godfrey, but now it seemed that was not the case.

"Are you a Kanaburi?" Ivy raised an eyebrow.

“I was in the city when Descari attacked Kanaburi. I wanted to stay and fight the demons, but my friends in the temple asked me to go to Nerozian to find reinforcements…” Although he was dressed as a soldier, Thorshill’s smooth skin and calm expression made him look more like a scholar or an artist.

“You joined Queen Godfrey’s team halfway through, no wonder.” Ivy nodded knowingly, then sighed inwardly, wondering what kind of people the Queen had put into the upper echelons of this team.

A liberal songstress, a religious advisor who joined halfway through her life, a hedonistic and dissolute member of royalty, a historian from the evil camp...

If it weren't for Godfrey's plan to disguise herself and infiltrate the group on their journey to the City of Favor, Ivy would already be questioning the Holy War Queen's motives. No, she would already be questioning them. At least until Godfrey officially arrives and her identity is verified, this suspicion won't dissipate.

Ivy looked at Irina, who seemed to have changed into a black outfit to appear more dignified at the funeral, but the funeral had obviously taken an unexpected turn.

Ivy could smell some blood, and even more noticeable, the stench of a rotting corpse.

“There was an accident at the funeral,” Ivy said definitively. “What happened?”

“He’s a necromancer who worships Baphomet. He resurrected many recently buried Crusader warriors and launched an attack on the crowd.” Irina’s expression was full of disgust. “Not only that, before Descari launched the attack, he even disguised himself as a victim and sought help in Sheryl’s temple…”

Ivy looked at Sohir. If what Ilinica said was true, it meant that the necromancer had not long ago been under the same roof as Sohir, sharing food and drink, and perhaps even something more desirable in the priest's eyes.

“Sherin asked her priests to extend a helping hand to all who pray for mercy…” Ivy repeated Sohir’s sermon. If that necromancer had used this to enter Sherin’s temple in Kanaburi, he would likely have prayed for mercy from Sherin’s priests again. Unfortunately, two people who believed in Sherin were standing in front of Ivy. “So…”

“He’s dreaming!” Irina said gleefully. “I chopped his head off with one stroke. If he wants to seek forgiveness from Sheryl, then I’ll send him to see the goddess. After all, I’m not a priestess and can’t hear the oracle of the Eternal Rose. Naturally, I can’t forgive him on Sheryl’s behalf.”

Ivy nodded; at least the jihadist commander was quite flexible on matters of religious belief. Even if the scouts Ivy brought were discovered, they wouldn't be branded as heretics.

"Alright, Commander, all supplies and personnel are ready. This camp is ready to move to Jueze City at any time." This was the result of Ivy's handling of the Holy War affairs for half an afternoon. Originally, he ran to the Cursed Glacier in Hishad to avoid this matter, but now it seems that in this camp that is unreliable in every way, he will probably have a hard time escaping these trivial matters.

“Really? That’s great! Then we…” Ilinica looked up at the sky, then wisely stopped. “It’s getting late, let’s set off tomorrow… I wonder if Irabes has found me any armor yet.”

“Armor?” Ivy looked her up and down at her dress. “Aren’t you a singer? Besides, marching in armor must be very painful.”

“It’s the Queen of Opera!” Illinika glared at Ivy. “I’m the Queen of Opera who has conquered the entire Celiac opera world. Performing for hours in heavy costumes is no challenge for me at all. It’s just like marching in armor. There’s nothing to worry about!”

Seemingly sensing Ivy's doubts, she added, "I know very well what role I should play in the holy war: to boost morale, to act as a figurehead, and to call on more patriots to join the holy war."

"Just like stepping into the hall of opera for the first time, some people will feel novelty, and some will feel impatient. But in the end, I can make them miss that time. For me, the Fifth Holy War is another opera with the tragedy of the world as its stage. I will do my best to make this opera come to a successful conclusion, but I am also very clear that the lead singer alone cannot carry the whole play. Everyone in the Holy War is important, and everyone needs to play their role well. Only when we unite as one and work together can we have a chance to win."

Ilinica has no military background; she is simply an artist from a faraway land. Perhaps she is a renowned actress in her own country, but in the blood-soaked, death-ridden holy kingdom of Montevi, her fame is of little use for the time being.

But this person, who seemed to have nothing to do with holy war and demons, was unexpectedly thrust into the position of holy war commander by fate in a very short time.

But now it seems that fate really didn't choose the wrong person.

A playful smile appeared on Ivy's face as she said earnestly, "Treating the Holy War as a play, and the commander's role as a role-playing exercise... that's certainly a unique way of thinking. I understand. I will, as the Holy Crusade's full-fledged military advisor, diligently complete my own play." The Holy War commander wore a polite smile, but his tone was like that of a female celebrity giving orders: "Well, I happen to have something here that requires the full-fledged military advisor's attention. I wonder..."

For some reason, Ivy suddenly became wary, so after agreeing, she added two conditions to prevent Irina from taking the opportunity to do something shady: "Tell me, as long as I can do it and it has a positive effect on the holy war."

“Of course you can do it, and you can definitely boost the morale of the Crusaders!” Ilynica nodded repeatedly, afraid that Ivy would change her mind. “Irabes has already gone to prepare armor for me. For tomorrow’s march, I still lack a mount that can match the holy aura of the Crusader commander!”

As she said this, Illinika's eyes kept glancing at Ivy, and it was obvious what her purpose was in assigning Ivy this task.

This is never going to end.

I am a mythical golden dragon, a legendary spellcaster, a divine being with the divine nature of the sun. How could I condescend to let a woman ride on my back?

“If I complete this task, then you must never mention it again,” Ivy said coldly.

“It’s a deal!” Ilinica quickly agreed.

The next day, the commander of the Crusader knights, clad in gleaming silver armor, gloriously became a Unicorn Knight.

The unicorn's fur shone with a pure, silvery light, and just by standing in the wind, it exuded a serene purity.

Coupled with the woman on the saddle's fragile, jewel-like beauty, a divine aura arises spontaneously. Just seeing this scene alone would likely tempt some to abandon everything, join the Crusade, and charge towards the countless demons surging forth from the world's tragedy.

Indeed, Ivy did find a mount that could perfectly complement the knight commander's divine aura.

Silver Horn is a unicorn raised by Ivy in the House of Requirement, cared for by the stableman Bobby. He is Gold Horn's companion, or rather, his devoted follower, unlike Gold Horn's lively and mischievous personality. Silver Horn has a very traditional, quiet, and peaceful nature, exuding an aura of purity, and he is fond of innocent young girls.

"Are you satisfied, Commander?" Ivy rode up to Ilinica on her golden horn and asked with a smile.

No wonder so many people's values ​​are swayed by physical appearance. For Illinika, her repeated hints had become somewhat annoying, but seeing her riding her silver horn onto the high bank of the West Seren River, contrasting with the corrupt purple earth and rusty sky on the opposite bank, Illinika couldn't help but admire her own taste and marvel at Illinika's beauty. Even without her beautiful voice, simply sitting expressionlessly in the center of the stage as a decorative figurehead would be enough to make her the most famous actress in Chelias.

“This isn’t quite what I expected…” Irina gently stroked Silverhorn’s silky mane, “but I can’t say I’m dissatisfied…”

"That's good. So, don't mention riding me again."

Before Irina, who had heard everything perfectly, could answer, the golden horn beneath Ivy twitched its ears and turned its head to look at its master with its big eyes.

Seeing its strange appearance, Ivy glared at it, almost triggering the Radiant Ray she had just acquired yesterday.

Golden Horn dared not look at him any longer, and could only pretend to be searching for grass roots on the ground, sniffing around. Unfortunately, this place was only separated from the influence of the World's Tragedy by a river, and apart from dust and gravel, there was nothing on the ground.

"Well, after all, it was my promise." The knight commander sighed regretfully, awkwardly turned his horse around, and rallied his soldiers to advance.

Magic is far from rare in Grallion, so even magical phenomena have become commonplace. So commonplace that people wonder whether they should use the term "phenomenon" to describe what they see.

An ordinary city dweller will encounter at least one chaotic manifestation of supernatural forces in their lifetime. People might naturally assume that strange clouds drifting in the sky, will-o'-the-wisps emerging from cracks in the ground, and eyeballs falling like raindrops—all these things that made the tragedy of the century so famous—should find some basis in the minds of mortals.

Even the most seasoned travelers feel uneasy at its borders. Perhaps it is because instinct is telling everyone that this is not merely a crimson magical wasteland, but a wound, an ulcer, through which the world itself bleeds, flowing into the abyss.

The shock left by the commander and military advisor riding the unicorn had greatly diminished in the soldiers' minds. In its place was the view across the West Seren River that exuded an evil and chaotic power. Panic and whispers began to spread among the soldiers, and the fatigue from half a day's march had made them restless.

“We should set up camp and rest for a while to recover our strength before continuing.” Ilinica took a breath and turned her head to look at the mage, or rather, the dragon, riding alongside her at the front of the column.
As a military advisor, Ivy Doom's horsemanship seems reasonable and normal, but as a dragon, such graceful and dashing riding skills seem quite strange. Why would a dragon capable of flying in the sky specifically learn how to ride a land creature that is far slower than itself?

“No.” Ivy looked at the rusty clouds on the horizon of the World’s Lament and objected. “We can’t stop, at least not now. You have five minutes to boost morale and then order the troops to continue their march.”

Illinika didn't ask why, she just left calmly.

She received two flags from the standard-bearer: one was the Radiant Longsword Banner belonging to Iomede, and the other was the Banner of Montevi, a red and blue checkered banner with two Iomede emblems.

The jihadist commander didn't speak, but her actions spoke louder than words. After a brief pause, the army continued its march, like a silent stone, searching along the riverbank for the next suitable place to camp.

However, this silence was soon broken, not by the Crusaders themselves, but by tornadoes shooting from the clouds. These yellowish-brown columns of wind contained chaotic and frenzied elemental forces, whipping up sand and dust from the ground and hurling it at the warriors' heads and bodies, as if to break their will and shake their resolve.

However, in their first encounter with the World's Tragedy, the soldiers who marched to the battlefield of the Fifth Holy War were undoubtedly victorious.

(End of this chapter)