The Extra is a Genius!?-Chapter 604: Thorne Before the Storm

From the upper terrace of the Thorne manor, Noel could see how far the preparations had already spread.

It was no longer just the mansion.

The entire usable stretch of Thorne Territory around it had been turned into a battlefield in preparation. Human soldiers were raising defensive lines and driving reinforced stakes into the ground where the land narrowed.

Mages moved in teams, tracing barrier formations across roads, slopes, and open approaches instead of wasting them around a single structure.

Dwarves reinforced choke points, watch positions, and supply areas with their usual relentless efficiency.

Elves had spread farther out through the outer ranges, adjusting lookout positions, sightlines, and support routes.

Trees were being cut only where they had to be. Paths had been widened. Evacuation points were marked. Medical posts and weapon depots were already being prepared behind the inner lines.

It looked less like the defense of a noble estate and more like the beginning of a war that would decide the fate of the continent.

Footsteps approached from his left.

Albrecht stopped beside him, leaving enough distance between them not to make the moment uncomfortable.

"We’ll leave the mansion at the center," he said, his eyes staying on the work below. "I doubt your friend has the house itself as his objective. And if possible, I’d rather not lose it. So I’d prefer to spread these troops across as much of the territory as we can use."

Noel gave a small nod.

"That seems fine to me. I’d rather the family not be affected directly either, if possible. It’d be a hard blow." His gaze remained on the movements below. "But if it does happen, I hope you won’t think it’s my fault."

Albrecht was quiet for a second before answering.

"It’s the world we’re gambling here, not just a house. The house can be rebuilt. If I lose the world, I lose everything I built with it." His tone remained even. "I’d prefer it didn’t come to that."

A silence followed.

Then Noel spoke again.

"I hope everything works."

Albrecht glanced at him briefly.

"You worry too much, Noel." He let the words settle before continuing. "I’d like to tell you to relax, but you can’t. Not with the role you have here."

Another short pause.

"By the way," he added, "your sister became a mother as well."

Noel’s expression didn’t change much.

"...I see. That’s good." His voice remained flat. "Tell her I’m glad for her."

With that said, Albrecht gave a small nod and moved away again, leaving before the silence between them could grow more uncomfortable than it already was.

Inside the tactical room, a wide map of Thorne Territory covered nearly the entire table. Markers had already been placed across it in layers of color and symbol. The central lines around the manor were the thickest, but the outer zones mattered just as much. Tharvaldur’s warriors had been distributed across the heavier choke points, the mages Redna brought spread between barrier support, ranged suppression, and reinforcement positions. The Holy Capital forces were placed where recovery and purification would matter most. No one was being kept in reserve for comfort. Every section of the territory had been assigned because every section could become a battlefield.

Noel stood at one side of the table, looking from the map to the women in front of him. "You all understand where you’ll be, right?"

Elyra answered first, her eyes still on the map. "Yes. I’ll be directing the central structure and support lines. That’s the best place for me. I’m the weakest in direct combat out of the four of us, so if I force myself into the wrong role I’ll only get in the way. This uses what I can actually do."

Charlotte gave a small nod. "I’ll be with the Holy Capital line, focusing on healing and purification support." She looked at Noel after saying that. "And no, I won’t overuse blessings, so relax."

Selene’s answer was simpler, her tone leaving no room to argue. "I’ll stay near you. If your line breaks or if you need support before you separate from the main field, I’ll be there."

Elena spoke last. "I’ll be supporting the front with Marcus and the others. If the pressure rises there, I can keep people standing longer."

Noel held all four of their gazes for a second, then nodded once. "Alright," he said quietly. "Just be careful. All of you."

Outside, near one of the mobile response lines, the mood was different. Weapon racks had been set near a half-finished barrier post while soldiers, dwarves, and elves moved past in a constant flow, carrying crates, checking signals, adjusting markers along the open stretch between the forest edge and the inner line. The scale of it all was enormous, but standing there with Clara, Garron, and Laziel made it feel briefly smaller. More personal.

Marcus had been quiet for too long. Clara noticed first, of course. She always did. She stood close to him with one arm folded, watching the workers for a moment before glancing up at his face. "You’ve been like this since the mountains," she said. "That usually means you’re either thinking too much or about to do something stupid."

"Maybe both," Marcus said.

She waited. He rubbed the back of his neck and looked out toward the far defensive line. "Every time I think I’m catching up, Noel goes somewhere else entirely. First he was ahead. Then he was absurd. Now he’s at Manacode."

Garron snorted. "Then stop staring at the distance and do your job. This isn’t the day to turn your insecurity into a hobby."

Laziel crossed his arms. "I hate it when Garron says something sensible. It genuinely makes the situation feel worse."

A faint smile touched Clara’s mouth. "That might be the most alarming thing I’ve heard today."

Marcus huffed a quiet laugh, but only for a second. "I’m not jealous. Not really. I just don’t want to stand there later, when things go bad, thinking I should’ve done more while I still had time."

Clara’s expression softened, though not enough to become sentimental. "Then do more now. Hold your line. Keep people alive. Come back to me and our son in one piece. That counts too, Marcus."

Garron nodded once. "Exactly. Push harder after we survive. Right now Noel doesn’t need dramatic self-reflection. He needs people who won’t break formation the moment things get ugly."

Night settled over Thorne Territory, but the work did not stop. From the outer balcony, Noel could still see torchlight moving across the roads, hills, cleared forest edges, and half-finished lines of defense. Thousands of people were down there, humans, elves, dwarves, mages, soldiers, healers, workers, still building, carrying, reinforcing, preparing. Some of them would die tomorrow. He knew that. There was no point lying to himself now.

A faint window appeared before his eyes.

[1 day remaining]

Noir sat beside him in her wolf pup form, small and quiet, her purple eyes reflecting the distant lights below. For a while neither of them spoke.

Then Noel exhaled softly. "I really hate this part."

Noir looked up at him. "The waiting?"

"The knowing."

Her ears twitched once. "You’ll win, dad."

He let out a faint breath that almost resembled a laugh. "You say that very easily."

"Because it’s true." She rested lightly against his leg. "And because if I sound uncertain, you’ll start thinking too much."

Noel glanced down at her. "That obvious?"

"Yes."

He reached down and rested a hand over her head, fingers brushing through her dark fur. "Stay close tomorrow."

"Always," Noir said.