Lord Summoner's Freedom Philosophy: Grimoire of Love
Chapter 344: The Preparation

Chapter 344: The Preparation

The preparations for the war were well underway, but Lyan knew that every detail had to be meticulously checked. Grafen was his stronghold, and while his army of 5000 soldiers was formidable, it was the forces beyond the mortal realm—the living statues, the undead skeletons, the summonable creatures, and the insect armies—that would truly turn the tide of battle. He had to ensure that everything was in place and that each of his allies was executing their role flawlessly.

Lyan walked through the grand courtyard of Grafen Castle, his boots crunching on the gravel as he headed towards the training grounds where his soldiers were drilling. The early morning light cast a warm glow on the scene, but the tension in the air was palpable. This wasn’t just a routine training exercise—every soldier knew they were preparing for war.

He stopped at the edge of the training field, his sharp eyes scanning the ranks of soldiers as they practiced formations, archery, and close combat techniques. Their movements were disciplined, precise, but Lyan could see the underlying nervousness in some of them. War was no small thing, and for many of them, this would be their first true battle.

A voice cut through the air, clear and commanding. "Hold your formation! Tighten those lines!"

It was Alina. She moved through the ranks like a storm, her dark eyes critical as she assessed the soldiers’ stances and techniques. Lyan couldn’t help but admire her. She was small in stature, but her presence commanded respect. As the leader of his troops, she had proven time and time again that her tactical mind and her dark magic made her a force to be reckoned with.

Lyan approached her, his voice low as he spoke. "How are they progressing?"

Alina turned to him, wiping the sweat from her brow. "They’re improving, but some of them are still too green. They lack the experience of a real battle. But with the living statues and the undead skeletons backing them up, I think they’ll hold their own. It’s just a matter of ensuring they don’t break formation when the chaos hits."

Lyan nodded thoughtfully. "You’re right. The undead will be crucial in holding the lines, especially if we want to outlast Hektor’s forces. Keep drilling them. I want their movements to be instinctual by the time the battle starts."

Alina gave him a sharp nod and returned to the training, barking orders at the soldiers once more. Lyan watched for a moment longer before turning to make his way to the next location.

As he walked through the castle corridors, he passed by several groups of workers—engineers and craftsmen—who were fortifying the walls and reinforcing the gates. The acid ants had already carved out intricate tunnels beneath the castle, creating hidden passages and underground chambers that could be used for surprise attacks or retreats if necessary. The workers were ensuring that the castle itself could withstand a prolonged siege if it came to that.

He made his way down to the deeper chambers, where the acid ants and the Seltas Queen’s drones were hard at work. Belle had been overseeing this part of the preparations, and as he entered the underground lair, he found her directing the Seltas drones with calm precision. Her pink hair caught the glow of the bioluminescent fungi that lined the walls, casting an ethereal light over the scene.

"Belle," Lyan called as he approached her. "How are things down here?"

Belle turned to him, her soft smile reassuring despite the tense situation. "Everything is going according to plan. The acid ants have completed most of the tunnel network, and the Seltas drones are reinforcing the critical points. We’ve also set up traps—some of the tunnels can collapse on command if needed, and we have hidden passages that can allow our forces to move undetected beneath the battlefield."

Lyan nodded, impressed by the progress. "And the acid ant army itself? Are they ready to fight?"

Belle’s eyes gleamed with a hint of pride. "More than ready. They’re fully integrated into the command structure, and they’re faster and more agile than any human soldiers. They’ll be invaluable for hit-and-run tactics and harassing Hektor’s supply lines."

Lyan stepped closer, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You’ve done well, Belle. This will give us a significant advantage."

Belle smiled, but there was a flicker of concern in her eyes. "I just hope we’ve prepared enough. Hektor isn’t going to hold back, and neither can we."

"We won’t," Lyan reassured her. "Every piece is falling into place. When the time comes, we’ll be ready."

Leaving Belle to continue her work, Lyan headed back up to the surface, making his way towards the barracks where Josephine was overseeing the summonable monsters. The air around the barracks crackled with energy as the Magma Bear, Magria, prowled outside, its molten body radiating heat that made the nearby soldiers keep their distance.

Inside, Josephine was speaking with the summoners, ensuring that their connections to the magical beasts were strong and stable. Summoning creatures was a delicate art, and it required both skill and focus to ensure that the summoned beings remained loyal and under control during the chaos of battle.

But unlike the other summoners, the summonable creatures got summoned in a rather different manner for Lyan as he got his creatures from having intercourse with his women.

"Josephine," Lyan called, stepping into the room.

Josephine turned to him, her sharp eyes meeting his. "Lyan. The monsters, our monster children, are all eager for the fight. Magria’s been especially restless."

Lyan glanced at the massive form of the Magma Bear through the window, its fiery eyes glowing with an almost predatory hunger. "I can see that. Just make sure they don’t get too eager before the battle starts."

Josephine chuckled softly. "Don’t worry. I’ll keep them in line. But when the time comes, they’ll be more than ready to tear through Hektor’s forces."

Lyan smiled. "Good. I’m counting on you and the others to make sure we control the battlefield. The living statues will hold the front lines, but the summoned creatures will be our real shock troops."

Josephine nodded, her expression serious. "Understood. We’ll be ready."

With that, Lyan moved on, his mind already turning to the next part of the preparations. There was still much to do, but everything was coming together. His army, both human and otherwise, was ready to defend Grafen. All that remained was to ensure that their strategy was flawless.

He made his way to the top of the castle walls, where Ravia and Raine were stationed, overseeing the archers and preparing for their roles in the battle. The two sisters were perched on the battlements, their eyes scanning the horizon as they discussed the positioning of the archers and the traps that had been set along the outer walls.

Ravia was the first to notice him approaching, her mischievous grin spreading across her face. "Lyan! Come to check on us?"

Raine, ever the more serious of the two, nodded in greeting. "We’ve been positioning the archers along the walls. They’re all trained to fire in shifts, so we’ll always have arrows raining down on the enemy. We’ve also set up oil reserves that can be ignited if Hektor’s forces breach the outer defenses."

Lyan looked out over the battlements, impressed by the level of preparation. "You’ve thought of everything."

Ravia winked. "Of course. We like to be prepared."

Raine’s expression softened slightly as she added, "We know how important this battle is, Lyan. We won’t let you down."

Lyan smiled, feeling a surge of gratitude for the people around him. Each of them had taken their roles seriously, and together, they were building a fortress that would be nearly impossible to breach.

"I know you won’t," Lyan said softly. "You’ve all done incredible work. Now we just have to wait for Hektor to make his move."

As he stood there, gazing out over the fortified city of Grafen, Lyan felt a deep sense of satisfaction. Every piece was in place, every ally was ready. The living statues, the undead skeletons, the summoned monsters, the acid ants, the Seltas drones, and his loyal soldiers—all of them were prepared to defend their home.

Under Lyan’s orders, the shadow servants are all already dispersed to various positions near Lord Hektor’s territory. They will notify him in every movement of the army of Lord Hektor. With the intelligence level of the acid ants and the Seltas, they could only send some signal of finding an enemy and give a glance of picture through the telepathy magic, but with the shadow servants, they could give a precise number of enemies that they observed and the specification of the army within the opponent’s army as well.

It’s all ready.

And when Lord Hektor came, he would find not a vulnerable barony, but an impenetrable fortress, filled with warriors and creatures beyond his wildest nightmares.

Lyan’s smile widened as he whispered to himself, "Let the battle begin."