Chapter 134

Chapter 134: Crossing Paths

In truth, there was nothing the Arken Empire’s side needed to be flustered about.
Olivia had said they would have tracked and recorded the exact numbers and types of everything.
They would have known well that the colossal monsters that suddenly appeared were birthing even more monsters.
And they were naturally aware that the more the numbers increased, the more disadvantageous it would become.
While recording the numbers that had climbed to 20,000, they were racking their brains over how to exploit this politically.
Yet neither they nor the Grand Duchy of Valdrova alliance anticipated one thing.
Who would have thought that, while surrounding the Grand Duchy, they would move to attack the Empire first?
— Speak! Why are those things heading toward us?!
Ferda answered this situation like this:
— We do not know either.
— What do you mean you don’t know?! Common sense! In this situation right now! Not attacking your side makes no sense!
The way he screams sounds like a brat throwing a tantrum because he didn’t get a toy.
Setting the situation aside, I cannot describe how delightful this moment of reversed fortunes is.
Ferda explained their current situation.
— It may sound like irresponsible talk, but we were strictly preparing for defense. As it stands, we have over 20 defense scenarios alone, and Count Consillus is prepared to die.
— What does that have to do with us?!
— Did you not ask why they are heading over there? We simply replied that we do not know the reason.
— So you are saying you take no responsibility?!
I cannot understand what else he wants me to do here.
Does he want me to bang my head against the wall until it cools off and then flatter him?
Ferda is better at smashing other people’s heads than his own.
I wanted to just curse at him, but Olivia, who was listening, lightly tapped Ferda’s shoulder.
When he turned his head, she was smiling with her eyes, then subtly touched the crystal orb.
She turned up the volume so the sound from the crystal orb could be heard throughout the entire staff room.
She mouthed these words:
Deploy.
— I cannot understand why you are so angry. After all, you decided to send reinforcements here, so you must be preparing them. You could simply fight a defensive battle or a subjugation operation with those prepared forces, so why are you taking it out on me?
— If the Far East fails to stop the monsters of the Demonic Land, is that not a failure in border defense? You failed, and yet you dare stiffen your neck and claim you did nothing wrong?!
The staff members, startled by the suddenly raised volume, turned their heads to look over.
— How can we immediately respond to colossal monsters suddenly summoned? That is why we requested reinforcements from within the Empire, and did you not say it would take two months?
— Those are our circumstances! Right now I am talking about the duty of the Far East!
The duty of the Far East is to exterminate monsters pouring out of the Demonic Land.
Yet that is only when they come physically; if it is magic, there is no countermeasure.
— Handling such massive monsters is the job of Her Highness the Grand Duchess, is it not?! She had more than enough ability to handle it! The ones who neglected it were not us, but the Grand Duchy’s side!
— So, are you saying we should have moved even if it meant letting this place be completely destroyed?
— I cannot understand how you can abandon your duty just to protect that useless village!
Useless village.
He bit his lower lip unconsciously.
He couldn’t guess what curses would burst forth once he opened his mouth.
At that moment, a touch soft as silk was felt on Ferda’s hand.
It was Olivia’s hand.
She had subtly touched Ferda’s hand under the table.
As if telling him to calm down.
Surprisingly, thanks to her touch, Ferda shook off his anger.
Everyone here is listening to this conversation anyway.
He read their expressions.
At least no one was on the side of that brat begging for a toy.
— Tell Her Highness the Grand Duchess to fulfill her duty right now! Otherwise…
— What will you do?
At Ferda’s question, Alexander’s voice cut off abruptly.
He sensed murderous intent across the telepathic communication.
— In this situation, you will be held accountable! Not just simple accountability! Even at this very moment, there are not a few who suspect you of colluding with demons!
Colluding with demons.
Now that is taking logic to its absolute limit.
Just as he was about to say, “Go ahead and try,” Olivia cut in.
— Oppa. Please speak a little more nicely~.
— W-what?! Who is this?!
— Who else? Who else would call the Crown Prince ‘oppa’?
— Olivia? Why are you… ?
Alexander, unable to compose himself at Olivia’s suddenly heard voice.
She smiled and said:
— Birds hear daytime words, mice hear nighttime words. You don’t know how many birds are listening to the Crown Prince’s words here, do you?
— W-what?!
Alexander, agitated and furious.
The staff members who had heard the entire conversation with the Crown Prince had stunned expressions.
After hearing the comment about joining hands with demons, hostility surged.
Alexander stammered and asked Ferda:
— Y-you, Regent! Did you set a trap for me?!
— I merely had a conversation. It was the Crown Prince who became agitated and enraged on his own.
— Y-you…
— If you had told us to speak privately, I would have gladly accepted, but you got excited first, so I couldn’t bring myself to speak. But who knew you would come out with this?
Where did the screaming child go, leaving only the sound of a pig choking at the gallows?
Olivia began maliciously poking at his wounds.
— Everyone here believed in your honor and followed us. Treating those people like demonic scum, isn’t that too much?
— No, I mean I didn’t say that to others, but that Regent Ferda might do such a thing…
— Ah, what do you mean ‘no’? Did everyone hear the story just now? You lumped them together and criticized them as people without honor, and your response was also slow. I think all of this is grounds for a formal protest, don’t you think?
Olivia continued with a triumphant expression.
— That the Crown Prince of the Empire started a useless fight to tame the Far East, and this is how it turned out.
Only sound could be heard from beyond the crystal orb, his expression couldn’t be seen, yet he screamed with emotion as if he had seen it:
— An Imperial Princess has no reason to meddle at a time like this! What if you get hurt?! Return to your room and protect yourself right now! Regent, send that child back immediately!
Declaring “out” just because he is at a disadvantage.
— If I were merely a Princess, that might be true, but not now.
— What is different now?
— She serves as Chief of Staff of this Provisional Far East Alliance.
— W-what?! Why?!
— Why? Because she is here with everyone’s recognition, right?
No words came out from the crystal orb’s side.
Alexander’s head must be a mess right now.
If he had said, “Why is this bitch so competent?”, they definitely would have answered him with, “So are you saying the other young masters are incompetent?”
In that situation, Alexander did the best he could.
Click—.
He simply cut it off.
The crystal orb lost its light, and seeing that, Olivia spoke calmly.
— It seems the mage on that side made a mistake.
She laughed “hohoho” and just let it pass.
Yet the staff members could not conceal their bewildered faces when confronted with an uncomfortable truth.
— I’ve heard a lot that the Crown Prince is a hopeless human who likes to show off, but I didn’t know he was this bad.
— When we were in a hurry, they told us to wait two months, but for themselves they want it sent immediately. Does that make any sense?
The staff members were busy cursing the Crown Prince.
Olivia let them vent enough to raise morale and unity, then cut it off.
— The Crown Prince’s fault is his fault, but either way, let us find a new path forward. This Grand Duchy is also, inevitably, one of the Empire’s territories right now. So we need to respond to threats within the Empire.
— Yes.
The map of the continent was laid out on the table.
All the monster pieces placed on that map were turned to the opposite side.
— As you can see, the monsters are heading toward the Empire. That means we, who had to defend, are now in a position to strike first.
— Do we have to attack?
Defending alone is difficult enough, but counterattacking on top of that.
Yet the other staff members looked at the person who spoke with pitying eyes.
When they made faces like, “what pathetic nonsense,” Olivia smiled softly.
— Rather, now is the perfect moment. They said all forces are moving toward the Empire, right?
— That is correct.
— That means the enemy’s main base is at its most vulnerable point.
The identified colossal monsters have no ability to protect themselves.
They only possessed reproductive capacity, and with it, mass-produced monsters.
If they mass-produce monsters and send them away, what is left?
Nothing.
Even reproduction is an act of dividing one’s own vitality.
Even for monsters, that means they fall into a ridiculously vulnerable state.
Attacking the enemy when they are most vulnerable is the most basic of basics.
The man who had raised the question withdrew his words with an embarrassed expression.
Olivia continued explaining.
— What was the reason both the Empire and we thought the monsters would come for us?
— When the encirclement line formed, we were closer.
— Correct. Originally, that would be standard tactics.
Merely looking at the positions of the pieces on the map made it evident.
The distance to the Empire was an astounding three times longer than to Hestia Village.
— We judged it would take them 2 days to reach us, so heading to the Empire would take them 6 to 7 days. Thus, we wait about 2 days, and then begin our advance.
The march time is also 2 days.
If the enemy keeps advancing, they will have advanced the equivalent of 3 days.
In terms of time, that is slightly past the halfway point.
Then retreating becomes difficult for them.
— Then they will reach the halfway point, right? In a state where retreat is difficult, we will strike the empty main base.
— Then the Empire will already be under attack.
— There is no need to worry about the Empire. If they cannot even block that offensive, they cannot call themselves the Empire.
The Arken Empire has concentrated everything in the capital.
They possess magic and an army dozens of times more powerful than Count Consillus’s castle, which would be the Far East’s final bastion, so there is no problem.
— Assuming we approach the monsters, how do we kill them? I’ve heard that small monsters and colossal monsters have different body structures…….
— I looked into it, and they said the skin is more solid and the muscles stronger, so I believe ordinary magic won’t work.
— I will explain that part.
The Platinum Adventurer, Eri, stepped forward.
— Just as we die if we lose our hearts, monsters also die if they lose their hearts. The polar opposite of trash mana is pure mana. In other words, if you trigger an internal explosion that destroys the heart with pure mana, you can kill them.
— How much mana is required for that explosion?
— The 5th-tier magic, Supernova, should suffice. I’ve done it before…… no, I read it in some documents.
If the 4th Circle has Magic Explosion, the 5th Circle has Supernova.
Strong in pure destructive power and, above all, it is non-attribute mana in its true nature.
For monsters, to whom pure mana is no different from poison, it was a more than perfect technique.
— I heard the hide is as hard as rock, can a Supernova really finish it off?
— That is why we need the help of elite knights. Elite knights must manifest aura to cut through the monster’s flesh and penetrate inside. If they pierce deeply enough to see the entrails, the interior becomes infinitely vulnerable like a human body. If you chant Supernova there, it will die instantly.
— The method is sound, but…… isn’t whether they know Supernova another issue?
— If they don’t know, I can teach them. If they don’t want to learn, they can simply draw a magic circle and inject mana.
Naturally, mages will try to learn.
There is no idiot who would refuse when a famous adventurer and high mage offers to teach high-tier magic.
— How many 5th Circle mages are there?
— Including Count Consillus’s territory, we have identified 5 in total.
— Administrator Isabella is probably also 5th Circle. That makes 6.
Platinum Adventurer Eri, suspiciously well-informed about another house.
The colossal monsters number 12, and we can destroy 6 at once.
— To think we can destroy everything in 2 days…… that is complacent, right?
— Yes. Considering march speed and all factors, even highly concentrated, it will take 4 days.
4 days.
It would be nice if there were a way to drastically reduce that.
After hearing the situation, Ferda looked at Ruri.
Whether sensing his gaze, she looked back at Ferda.
Ruri stated firmly with a cold gaze:
I am not your transport.
— We cannot guarantee victory, but we cannot sit idly by on our side either.
If there is a chance to eliminate them, we must eliminate them.
— If anyone objects, I will hear that opinion as well.
As expected, no one opened their mouth.
Just in case, Ferda also contacted Consillus and explained the operation.
Consillus’s reply was obvious and truly simple.
— As the Regent wishes.
Thus, the deployment was decided.
While the staff members moved to relay the meeting’s contents,
Ferda made a request to Erika.
— Captain Eri.
Erika turned her head.
— If it is not an impoliteness, could I ask you a favor?
It was a place used as the castle clearing.
That location was currently a space that Ruri had isolated with a barrier.
— Amazing.
After thoroughly confirming it was completely isolated, Erika spoke.
— I never expected the Regent to request a sparring match.
— You are known as Golden Hand, so why not give it a try?
— Rumors are always exaggerated.
She said that, yet her shoulders and nose pointed to the sky.
— Tell me. What is the purpose of this sparring match? I will adapt to it.
— There is something I want to test. Under the assumption of actual combat, just fight me.
— Mmm, if it is actual combat…….
Erika smiled faintly.
— As expected, I should start with a provocation, right? Fiancé of the Wyvern?
— Far better than a water lizard that only sleeps as if dead.
— ……My, my.
She threw a barb, but received a proper counterattack.
— Let’s stop. At this rate, we might have to stake our honor in a duel to the death.
— Isn’t that what makes it actual combat?
— Hehe…… don’t regret it!
Erika deployed a magic circle and launched a preemptive attack.
Unlike classical combat where they held their ground, the two frantically shifted positions while fighting.
That was a practical mage battle.
Magic circle creation, insight, counterattack, feint, induction…….
In the short span of 1 minute, an astounding 40 exchanges passed, and Erika let out an exclamation of admiration internally.
‘Impressive.’
Given that Ferda was already outmatched in weight class, he was bound to be at a disadvantage, so she naturally expected his defeat.
Erika considered that and gradually increased power to gauge his skill.
At first they competed evenly, then she made it gradually harder to overwhelm him, probing the extent of Ferda’s limits.
‘What kind of experiment is he trying to conduct?’
Erika continued the sparring match while keeping in mind to figure out that intention.
— I yield.
After Erika pushed him to his limit, Ferda raised the white flag.
She won, but Erika sincerely praised him.
— It is astonishing. Without exaggeration, you are among the top five mages I have fought against.
— That is excessive praise.
— No wasted movements, not so low-tier that you would need to ask me for feedback, and you literally said you had something to experiment with, yet I cannot even tell what experiment you are doing. Did you get your answer?
Ferda knew from that sight.
That she truly had not noticed what he was doing, what he was hiding.
— Yes. Thanks to you, I got it.
Right, this could work.
The night before deployment.
Ferda tried to lie down to sleep as usual.
Yet given the momentous day, it was not as usual.
Ruri came and said this:
— My Lord has summoned Ferda-nim to the Lair.
Ferda blinked.
They say when you receive too great a shock, you cannot say anything, right?
It was exactly that.