Around three months remain until the conclusion of the Lazarus Project.
Carvel's presence on the battlefield had intensified over the past few weeks. His aggressive combat style had proven instrumental in settling numerous border disputes in favor of the kingdom of Layos.
Despite the kingdom's recommendation for mandatory respite, Carvel remained relentless. House Horin's dire circumstances demanded drastic action, compelling Carvel to forsake rest.
The House conveyed that it needed the support of Layos royalty to quell the internal upheaval inflicted by its adversaries. To secure this assistance, Carvel and his clan members needed to secure resounding victories that favored Layos on the battlefield.
Of course, Carvel's excessive battlefield involvement wasn't solely driven by his clan's request.
He had a multitude of motivations fueling his participation in battles across various regions. Firstly, both the kingdom of Layos and his clan compensated him substantially for his active role. Secondly, bolstered by his partnership with Akass the wyvern, Carvel brimmed with confidence. With Akass by his side, he could effortlessly dominate any battlefield.
Thirdly, Carvel harbored a personal desire to avenge his nephew Hamang's death. Though he had transcended his initial grief, Eren's use of Hamang's remains as a bargaining chip had left Carvel determined to eliminate Eren.
He sought to establish his authority and rectify the humiliation inflicted upon him when Eren, newly elevated to Master Rank at that time, had slain Hamang despite Carvel's presence alongside Akass. This incident had exposed Carvel to scorn from his adversaries and garnered accusations of incompetence, even with the considerable resources and the formidable Akass at his disposal.
Anticipating that the kingdom of Edinburgh would soon align Eren with Layos' Master Rankers due to his stabilized Ranking Status as a B-Ranker, Carvel aimed to orchestrate another confrontation with Eren. No longer reliant on external avenues for vengeance, Carvel resolved to exploit the ongoing conflict between the two kingdoms as a platform to address his personal vendettas.
Consequently, Carvel embarked on a campaign of taunting Eren, uttering his name like an invocation on every battlefield he dominated. His macabre signature involved inscribing Eren's name on the fallen bodies, a sinister message directed at both Edinburgh and Grimdawn.
Carvel deliberately left the victims' remains untouched, permitting the forces of Edinburgh to claim them, ensuring his message reached the masses.
In addition to his grim symbolism, Carvel began branding Eren and his fellow Edinburgh Rankers by proxy as cowards, referencing their strategic retreat from their previous engagement. Informed members of Edinburgh's forces knew the truth – Eren's decision was strategic, not cowardice. Nonetheless, Carvel sought to manipulate public perception, tarnishing Eren's reputation and dismantling the aura of Grimdawn.
While Carvel couldn't harm Eren physically, he aimed to mortally wound Eren's reputation, painting him as a coward and unpatriotic.
The general populace of Edinburgh was largely ignorant of Eren's circumstances during the relinquishment of the contested land to Carvel. Yet, public sentiment was indifferent to the nuances of a "strategic retreat," driven by raw emotion. Their focus was resolutely fixed on Eren's acceptance of defeat rather than a valiant stand against Carvel.
Carvel strategically hoped to stir a public uproar by amplifying the news of Eren's surrender of the disputed territory. Simultaneously, he was well aware that he would become the ultimate antagonist in Edinburgh's collective eyes. Slandering Grimdawn and mocking the entire kingdom would inevitably have unforeseen consequences. Carvel's actions would portray him as a major obstacle that Edinburgh needed to overcome to boost public morale.
As Carvel wished, the public sentiment evolved – it demanded Eren to personally vanquish Carvel and Akass to erase the blemish on his popular image. This became the litmus test for Eren to redeem his reputation.
Usually, Eren wouldn't have been chosen as Carvel's adversary by Edinburgh's forces.
The butcher had only recently ascended to the Master Rank, while Carvel was a seasoned Master Ranker, on the brink of Grandmaster Rank. The difference between the vapor stage and solid stage state in the B-Rank was huge after all.
On paper, it appeared foolish to pit Eren against such a seasoned veteran. It would have been wiser for Eren to face Layos' other Master Rankers who hadn't progressed as far in their ranking journey, considering Eren's relative inexperience as a B-Ranker. Such matchups would maximize Edinburgh's potential victories in their war against Layos.
The Edinburgh army thrived on strategic deployments, optimizing their forces and contracted allies. However, public sentiment's sway compelled Edinburgh to ultimately designate Eren as Carvel's adversary. Practicality yielded to the imperative of sustaining public morale.
Eren, for his part, remained unfazed by being chosen as Carvel's opponent. His lack of response to Carvel's provocations and his failure to counteract the growing public sentiment in his favor stemmed from his preoccupation with pressing personal matters.
Upon completing his preparations, Eren took the initiative to contact Edinburgh's forces, formally accepting the assignment to face Carvel in a contested region shared by the two kingdoms. Although the location differed this time, the animosity between Eren and Carvel remained as potent as ever, if not more lopsided.
As the moment arrived and Eren encountered Carvel and his formidable companion Akass on the battlefield, he made a pivotal choice – to confront them without the backing of his own company. Accompanying him was Naya, driven by her personal stake in Carvel's eventual demise.
Wrath Mana + Wyvern Armor Set
For this critical battle, Eren harnessed his newly honed Hex Gear, a strategic surprise neither his allies nor adversaries had anticipated.
Previously known as the Bear Armor due to its integration with the essence of a bear-type mana beast, this time Eren had reconfigured it, retaining its compatibility with the Wrath Mana while substituting the bear's essence with that of a wyvern's.
Eren's initial guess was right. The wyvern's soul was indeed better suited to act as a super conduit for the Wrath Mana. This alchemical feat resulted in the creation of the Wyvern Armor, a masterpiece enriched with Eren's recently aquired Andrium alloy knowledge.
The potency of the Wyvern Armor surpassed Eren's expectations. In a mere five minutes from the commencement of their duel, he had killed Carvel, tearing down his body limb by limb.
While vanquishing Akass was more challenging, Eren's meticulous preparations, bolstered by Naya's assistance, led to the eventual triumph. Remarkably, this marked Eren's second triumph over a wyvern on the battlefield.
Of course, Eren didn't forget to express his gratitude to Layos' forces and even Carvel himself in his mind, albeit in an ironic sense, for furnishing him with another wyvern soul so conveniently.
