Chapter 134 - Crossing Paths

In truth, there was no reason for the Arken Empire to panic.

Olivia had said they had already identified and recorded the exact numbers and types.

They were undoubtedly aware that the suddenly appeared gigantic Monsters were giving birth to more Monsters.

And of course, they also knew that the rapidly increasing numbers would put them at a disadvantage.

As they documented the additional twenty thousand Monsters, they were probably already scheming about how to exploit the situation politically.

However, both they and the alliance of the Grand Duchess Valdrova’s territory had failed to foresee one thing.

Who would ever imagine that, while the Grand Duchess’s territory was under siege, someone would strike the Empire first?

"Tell me! Why are those things coming toward us?!"

Ferda answered the question calmly.

"We don’t know either."

"What do you mean you don’t know?! Think about it logically! In a situation like this, it makes no sense for them not to attack your side first!!"

The man was barking like a child throwing a tantrum because he hadn’t been bought a toy.

Putting the situation aside, Ferda found this complete reversal of fortune thoroughly enjoyable.

He explained their current circumstances.

"I understand it sounds irresponsible, but we had been preparing solely for a defensive siege. We had already developed more than twenty different defense scenarios, and even Count Consilus had resolved himself to die."

"What does that have to do with us?!"

"You asked why they were heading your way. We simply answered that we don’t know the reason."

"So you’re saying you’re not responsible?!"

Ferda honestly couldn’t understand what more the man wanted.

Was he expecting them to bow their heads and apologize just to satisfy him?

Personally, Ferda was much better at making other people bow than bowing himself.

He considered cursing him outright, but Olivia, who had been listening beside him, lightly touched his shoulder.

When he turned, she smiled with her eyes before casually touching the Communication Crystal.

She increased its volume so everyone inside the strategy room could hear the conversation.

Then she silently mouthed two words.

Go on the offensive.

"I don’t understand why you’re so angry. Weren’t you planning to send reinforcements here anyway? Whether those troops defend this place or conduct a Monster extermination campaign, what’s the difference? Why are you directing your anger at me?"

"If the Far East fails to stop the Monsters from the Land of Demons, isn’t that a failure of border defense?! You fail at your duty, yet you still have the nerve to insist you’ve done nothing wrong?!"

The sudden increase in volume startled the staff officers, who all turned toward them.

"How were we supposed to respond immediately to gigantic Monsters that appeared out of nowhere? That’s precisely why we requested reinforcements from within the Empire, and weren’t we told it would take two months?"

"That’s our problem! Right now, I’m talking about the duty of the Far East!"

The Far East’s duty was to eliminate the Monsters pouring out of the Land of Demons.

But that only applied when they came physically.

Against teleportation magic, there was simply no defense.

"Handling gigantic Monsters is the responsibility of Her Highness the Grand Duchess! She had more than enough power to deal with them! It was your side that neglected the problem, not us!"

"So you’re saying we should have abandoned this entire region to destruction and marched out anyway?"

"I simply can’t understand how anyone could neglect their duty just to protect some worthless little village!"

A worthless village.

Ferda unconsciously bit his lower lip.

He had no idea what kind of profanity would come pouring out if he opened his mouth.

At that moment, he felt something soft, almost silky, touch his hand.

It was Olivia.

Beneath the table, she had gently reached over and touched his hand.

As if silently telling him to calm down.

Surprisingly, that simple touch pulled Ferda back from the edge of his anger.

Besides, everyone present was listening to this conversation anyway.

He glanced around and read their expressions.

At the very least, none of them seemed to be taking the side of the spoiled child demanding a toy.

"Tell Her Highness the Grand Duchess to fulfill her duty immediately! Otherwise..."

"What exactly will you do?"

Alexander’s voice caught in his throat at Ferda’s question.

Even through the magical transmission, Ferda could sense the Killing Intent.

"We’ll hold you accountable for this! And not just ordinary accountability! Even now, there are many who suspect you’re colluding with the Demon Race!"

Colluding with the Demon Race.

His logic had truly reached rock bottom.

Ferda was about to tell him to go ahead and try proving it when Olivia suddenly cut in.

"Oh, Brother. Mind your language~."

"W-What? Who’s there?!"

"Who else would call the Crown Prince ’Brother’?"

"Olivia? Why are you...?"

Alexander sounded completely bewildered upon hearing Olivia’s voice.

Grinning broadly, she continued.

"You know the saying—birds hear the words spoken in daylight, and mice hear the words spoken at night. I wonder if you realize just how many little birds are listening to everything you’re saying here."

"W-What?!"

Alexander practically shrieked in panic.

The officers who had listened to every word of the Crown Prince’s conversation stared in disbelief.

The moment they heard him accuse Ferda of working with the Demon Race, hostility immediately rose within the room.

Alexander stammered as he addressed Ferda.

"R-Regent! You trapped me, didn’t you?!"

"I merely held a conversation. You’re the one who became emotional and lost control."

"Y-You..."

"If you had simply requested that this conversation remain private between the two of us, I would have gladly agreed. But you became enraged before I even had the chance to speak. Who could have predicted you’d react like this?"

The child who had been screaming moments ago now sounded like a pig hanging from the gallows, only choking noises escaping his throat.

Olivia, delighted to make things even worse for him, continued.

"Everyone gathered here followed us because they believe in their own honor. Yet you’re treating them like remnants of the Demon Race? That’s rather cruel, don’t you think?"

"N-No, that’s not what I meant! I was only saying that Regent Ferda might have done something like that. I wasn’t talking about everyone else..."

"Oh? Is that so? That’s strange. Everyone here heard exactly what you said. You lumped everyone together, insulted their honor, and accused them of responding too slowly. I think that’s more than enough grounds for a formal protest."

Wearing a smug smile, Olivia continued.

"And we’ll be sure to mention that the Empire’s Crown Prince caused all of this by picking a pointless fight simply to bring the Far East under his control."

Alexander could only hear voices through the Communication Crystal, yet he sounded as if he could actually see her infuriating smile.

"The Empire’s Princess has no business involving herself in something like this! What if you get hurt?! Go back to your room immediately and think about your own safety! Regent, send that girl away at once!!"

So because he was losing, he simply declared she should leave.

"That would make sense if she were merely the Princess. But that’s no longer the case."

"What difference does that make now?"

"She currently serves as the Chief of Staff of the Far East Temporary Alliance."

"W-What?! Why?!"

"Why? Because everyone here acknowledged her abilities and chose her."

Silence came from the other side of the Communication Crystal.

Alexander’s thoughts were undoubtedly in complete disarray.

If he claimed, How could she possibly be competent?, people would immediately ask whether that meant every other noble heir present was incompetent.

Cornered, Alexander made the best decision he could.

Click.

The connection was cut.

The Communication Crystal lost its glow.

Watching it, Olivia calmly remarked,

"It seems the Mage on their side made a mistake."

She let out an elegant laugh and brushed it aside.

The staff officers, however, could not hide their uneasy expressions after witnessing the uncomfortable truth.

"I’d heard the Crown Prince was an incompetent man obsessed with showing off, but I never imagined he was this bad."

"When we needed help, he told us to wait two months. Yet now he demands immediate assistance for himself? That’s absurd."

The officers were now completely occupied with criticizing the Crown Prince.

Olivia allowed morale and unity to rise just enough before raising her hand to stop the discussion.

"Brother’s mistakes are his own. Regardless, we should focus on finding a new path forward. Whether we like it or not, the Grand Duchess’s territory is still technically part of the Empire. That means we also have a responsibility to respond to threats within Imperial territory."

"Yes."

A map of the continent lay spread across the table.

Olivia turned every Monster marker on the map toward the opposite direction.

"As you can see, the Monsters are marching toward the Empire. Which means that instead of waiting to defend ourselves, we now have an opportunity to strike first."

"We’re the ones who have to attack?"

Defending alone was already difficult enough.

Now she wanted them to launch an offensive?

The other officers glanced at the speaker as though he had said something utterly foolish.

Smiling gently, Olivia replied.

"On the contrary, this is our best opportunity. You said every Monster force is moving toward the Empire, correct?"

"Correct."

"Which means the enemy’s main nest is currently at its weakest."

The gigantic Monsters responsible for reproduction possessed virtually no means of defending themselves.

Their only ability was reproduction.

They mass-produced Monsters.

If they had already produced those Monsters and sent them away, what remained?

Nothing.

Furthermore, reproduction meant dividing and expending their own vitality.

Even for Monsters, that left them in an extraordinarily weakened state.

Striking the enemy at its weakest was one of the most fundamental principles of warfare.

The man who had questioned her lowered his head in embarrassment.

Olivia continued.

"Why did both the Empire and we originally assume the Monsters would attack us?"

"Because once the encirclement was established, we were the closer target."

"Exactly. Under normal circumstances, that would have been the logical choice."

Even the map made it obvious.

The distance to the Empire was roughly three times farther than the distance to Hestia Village.

"We estimated it would take them two days to reach us. Therefore, it should take six to seven days for them to reach the Empire. We’ll wait approximately two days before beginning our advance."

Their own march would also require two days.

By then, the enemy would already have marched for three days.

That placed them slightly beyond the halfway point.

At that stage, turning back would become extremely difficult.

"That means we’ll meet them around the middle of their route. While they’re unable to retreat, we’ll strike their empty main nest."

"Then the Empire will already be under attack."

"The Empire will be fine. If it can’t withstand an assault of that scale, then it hardly deserves to be called an Empire."

The Arken Empire had concentrated virtually everything within its capital.

Its magical defenses and military strength far surpassed those of Count Consilus’s fortress—the Far East’s final stronghold—by dozens of times.

There was little reason to worry.

"Assuming we can reach those Monsters, how exactly do we kill them? I’ve heard gigantic Monsters have completely different body structures from smaller ones..."

"I’ve read that their skin is far tougher and their muscles much stronger. I doubt ordinary magic would have any effect."

"I’ll answer that."

The Platinum Adventurer, Eri, stepped forward.

"Just as humans die when they lose their hearts, Monsters also die when their hearts are destroyed. Junk Mana is naturally opposed by pure Mana. If you create an explosion powerful enough to destroy their heart using pure Mana from inside their bodies, they’ll die."

"How much Mana is required for such an explosion?"

"A Fifth-Circle spell—Supernova—should be sufficient. I’ve done it before... I mean, I’ve read about it in the literature."

If the Fourth Circle had Magic Blast, then the Fifth Circle had Supernova.

It excelled in raw destructive power.

More importantly, it embodied Mana in its pure, attribute-less form.

For Monsters, to whom pure Mana was essentially poison, it was the perfect spell.

"I’ve heard their skin is as hard as rock. Can a single Supernova really finish one off?"

"That’s why we’ll need our elite Knights. They must manifest Aura, carve through the Monster’s flesh, and create an opening deep enough to expose its internal organs. Once the insides are exposed, they’re just as vulnerable as a human body. Cast Supernova there, and the Monster will die instantly."

"That’s all well and good, but what if nobody here actually knows the Supernova spell?"

"If they don’t, I can teach it to them. And if they don’t want to learn it, I’ll simply draw a Magic Circle for them. All they’ll have to do is infuse it with Mana."

Naturally, every Mage would want to learn it.

A renowned adventurer and high-ranking Mage was offering to teach an advanced spell.

Only a fool would refuse.

"How many Fifth-Circle Mages do we have?"

"Including Count Consilus’s territory, we’ve identified five."

"Administrator Isabella is Fifth Circle as well. That makes six."

Eri, the Platinum Adventurer...was strangely well informed about other people’s households.

The number of gigantic Monsters was twelve, and they could destroy six at a time.

"Thinking we can destroy them all within two days... that would be overly optimistic, wouldn’t it?"

"Yes. Considering our marching speed and every other factor, even with a very tight schedule, it’ll take at least four days."

Four days.

If only there were some revolutionary way to shorten that.

After hearing the situation, Ferda quietly glanced at Luri.

Sensing his gaze, she looked back at him.

With an icy expression, Luri firmly declared,

I’m not your shuttle.

"I can’t guarantee victory, but we can’t just sit back and do nothing either."

If they had a chance to eliminate them, they had to take it.

"If anyone objects, I’d like to hear your opinion as well."

As expected, not a single person spoke.

Just to be certain, Ferda also contacted Count Consilus and explained the operation.

Count Consilus’s reply was exactly what one would expect—brief and straightforward.

"As you wish, Regent."

And so, the expedition was decided.

As the staff officers moved to relay the orders from the meeting,

Ferda made one request of Erika.

"Captain Eri."

Erika turned toward him.

"If it wouldn’t be an imposition, may I ask you for a favor?"

***

It was the castle’s open training ground.

Luri had erected a barrier around it, completely isolating the area.

"How impressive."

After carefully confirming that the barrier had completely sealed off the surroundings, Erika spoke.

"I never imagined the Regent would ask me for a spar."

"You’re famous throughout the land as Goldy Hand. Surely I can ask for something like this."

"Rumors are always exaggerated."

She said that, yet her raised shoulders and proud posture practically reached the heavens.

"Go ahead. What’s the purpose of this spar? I’ll adjust accordingly."

"There’s something I’d like to test. Simply fight me as though it were a real battle."

"Hmm... if it’s a real battle..."

A faint smile appeared on Erika’s face.

"Then I suppose I should start by provoking you. Mr. Purple Dragon’s fiancé?"

"Still far better than a lazy water lizard that does nothing but sleep."

"...Oh?"

He had thrown a jab and received a perfect counter.

"Let’s stop there. At this rate, we’ll end up staking our honor on a duel to the death."

"Wouldn’t that make it a proper real battle?"

"Hehe... don’t regret this!"

Erika immediately deployed a Magic Circle and launched the first attack.

Unlike the classic Mage battles where both sides remained rooted in place, the two constantly changed positions as they fought.

That was how real Mages battled.

Creating Magic Circles.

Reading them.

Breaking them.

Feints.

Lures.

Within a single minute, more than forty exchanges took place.

Erika couldn’t help but marvel inwardly.

He’s incredible.

Ferda was already at a disadvantage simply because of the overwhelming difference in raw power.

She had naturally expected him to lose.

Keeping that in mind, Erika gradually increased the intensity to gauge his true ability.

At first she matched his level.

Then she steadily increased the pressure until she completely overwhelmed him.

She wanted to discover where Ferda’s limits truly lay.

Just what kind of experiment is he conducting?

Determined to uncover his intentions, Erika continued the spar.

"I concede."

After finally pushing himself to his absolute limit, Ferda surrendered.

Although she had won, Erika sincerely praised him.

"That was amazing. I’m not exaggerating when I say you’re easily among the five greatest Mages I’ve ever fought."

"You flatter me."

"Your technique is incredibly clean. You’re not at a level where you’d need feedback from me, and you said you wanted to test something... yet I still have no idea what that experiment was. Did you find the answer you were looking for?"

Looking at her, Ferda finally understood.

She genuinely had no idea what he was trying to do...or what he was hiding.

"Yes. Thanks to you, I found my answer."

Yes.

This might actually work.

***

The night before the expedition.

As usual, Ferda lay down, intending to go to sleep.

But with such a decisive day ahead, tonight felt different.

Luri came to see him and said,

"Master has summoned you to the Lair."

Ferda blinked.