Chapter 0216 Outbreak of war
-x-X-x-
It finally started.
When Ryo and Abel returned to the City of Rune and reported to Hugh McGrath about the Wyvern subjugation, the report came in.
The door was opened without knocking, and Nina, the receptionist, came in and reported.
"Excuse me for interrupting you. Master, the Imperial Army has crossed the border."
"Finally?"
Hugh must have expected that.
He only nodded once and muttered.
But Ryo was not.
That was the first time he experienced his country being invaded.
He was panicking.
"If we lose, I will become a citizen of the Debuhi Empire… a Debuhian… a Debuhi people … Debuhi Magician … Magician of Debuhi… mediocre fatty Ryo…"
"Ryo, calm down."
Abel, who was sitting next to him, placed his hand on Ryo's shoulder and spoke slowly and powerfully.
Just one word.
But that one word calmed him down.
Ultimately, the effect of words depends on who says them, not the content.
"Thank you, Abel."
At this time, Ryo thanked Abel from the bottom of his heart.
"The size of the Imperial army that has invaded is about 8,000 strong. An invasion of this scale occurs many times in five years."
"Is that so? Ah, then you're used to dealing with it, good then."
Hugh said after receiving and reading the report. Hearing this, Ryo calmed down even more.
"Even if we lose, a single loss won't turn you into a citizen of the Debuhi Empire."
Abel said with a wry smile.
However, the moment he said that, Abel collapsed and held his chest.
"Abel!"
Ryo cried out.
Abel stretched his right hand toward Ryo, as if to say that it was okay, just wait.
He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths.
After about a minute or so, Abel finally lifted his face.
"I'm fine."
Abel announced to the room.
Then, after glancing at Hugh, he took a glimpse at Nina, who was still standing by the door.
Hugh sensed his intention.
"Nina, thank you for the report."
"Ah, yes. Excuse me."
Saying that, Nina left the room.
Something happened to Abel that he couldn't talk about in front of Nina.
After taking a deep breath, Abel slowly opened his mouth.
"Just now, my brother, His Highness Crown Prince Caindish has passed away."
That sentence caused Hugh McGrath to turn speechless.
Ryo, too, was at a loss for words.
Although he could understand that Abel probably knew that he had passed away due to some sort of magical connection.
Abel's older brother, Crown Prince Caindish…
Of course, he, the crown prince of this country, literally a man of nobility, was a total stranger to Ryo.
He didn't know him at all, but even so, he saw the questions the crown prince drew up.
The questions Abel was desperately trying to solve.
A 'question' tests the examinee and also evaluates them.
However, it also reveals the 'quality' of the creator of the question …
If they make a stupid question, they would be scorned in the hearts of all the examinees, saying, "What the hell is with this creator, are you stupid?"
If they make a question that doesn't make sense, all the examinees would be abusing them in their minds, saying, "Does this guy even speak Japanese well?"
However, if you create an amazing question, that question will remain across the ages.
The famous university entrance exam questions from decades ago are still talked about many times, aren't they?
Alternatively, some questions withstand history, such as the Seven Great Challenges of Mathematics.
So by looking at the question, you can imagine the creator's thoughts, tastes, intellectual level, and so on.
Many of the questions that Abel was desperately trying to solve questioned the very nature of the country.
"What is the country for?"
"What must a king do? And what should he not do?'
"What should be the relationship between the people, the country, and the king?"
Ryo felt that the questions were there to confront Abel with an issue.
There was probably no definitive answer to each question.
The author of the questions wouldn't be able to say the answer was 'wrong' unless it's a really weird answer.
Rather than seeking an answer, the questions were there to have him experience the problem and think about the solution even before he actually witnesses the situation.
Just that alone made Ryo think that the crown prince was extremely clever, and at the same time, he was really considerate of Abel, and also of the people and the country.
(Such a person would have become a famous ruler.)
Ryo, who belonged to the history department at university, had that thought.
Desborough Plains of the Northern region of the Kingdom.
The Kingdom army and the Imperial army faced each other once more in a place where they had fought many times in the past.
Several skirmishes have already taken place but they haven't reached full-fledged battle yet.
8,000-strong Imperial army against the 20,000-strong Kingdom army.
Typically, to oppose the elite Imperial army, the Kingdom army sends 50% more soldiers, but this time they were able to gather more than double the strength.
That was entirely due to the nobles of the Northern region of the Kingdom who felt a sense of danger and dispatched their territorial army.
The Kingdom Knight's Order, the Court Magician Order, the Kingdom's first army, the conscripted militia, and the northern garrison, totaling 4,000. That was the main force of the Kingdom army.
Another 16,000 came from the armies of the northern lords.
The commander of the Kingdom army was Elliott Austin, Marquis of Wiston, Minister of War.
He was over 60 years old but was a man who had confronted the Imperial army many times.
But this time, things were different.
"Mr. Verasis, don't you feel that they are unusually dispirited?"
Military Minister Elliott referred to the Imperial army that was confronting them.
In the first place, their march after crossing the border was extremely slow compared to usual.
Furthermore, even after setting up their battle formation on the Desborough Plains, they did not move at all.
"Even though they are enemies, I have always been amazed by the Imperial army's swift and resolute marching speed… but this time the Imperial army movements are too slow…"
"Yeah. Something… is extremely strange. I'm sure they're waiting for something… but what the hell are they waiting for…"
The answer came from Arthur Verasis, the adviser to the Court Magician Order.
A magician who had made a name for himself as an adventurer since he was young, and even now, at the age of 70, he still puts effort into training younger generations.
Regardless of whether you are an adventurer or a soldier in the Kingdom, everybody respects Arthur Verasis.
Even Elliott, who is the highest-ranking Minister of War and in charge of all the military affairs of the Kingdom, is no exception.
In fact, when the Court Magician Order was confirmed and Arthur would participate as the advisor to take part in the campaign, he treated Arthur as an important consultant.
"Well, our army is far from perfect … so the ideal is for the Imperial army to leave without causing any major damage."
Advisor Arthur didn't believe it himself even though he said it, but he really wanted it to be.
"That's right… At the time of the 'Great War', the Kingdom Knight's Order, which had 2,000 knights, was the main force of our Kingdom army, but now there are only 200 of them… That was just ten years ago, it really makes me feel as though I belong to a different age."
Military Minister Elliot said with a sour expression while stroking his beard.
"It's all because of that Baccara…"
He muttered softly but the words barely reached the ears of Advisor Arthur.
The feud between Military Minister Elliot and the former Knight-Commander Baccara was well-known and even Arthur, who is ignorant of royal palace politics, knew about it.
Of course, the Kingdom Knight's Order fell apart because they were killed in the royal capital turmoil, but even before that, they were already crumbling…
"However, it is my role as Minister of War to manage all military affairs...as such, I am responsible for this decline…"
"Well, there's no point in arguing about it here. We all know that after Marquis Heinlein resigned as Knight-Commander, his successor passing away the day before appointment, and the position going to Baccara was the beginning of our misfortune."
Advisor Arthur felt it would be a problem if the commander-in-chief was depressed before the full-scale battle, so he said that … but his reaction went in a different direction.
"That's right. Heinlein… it's all Alexis' fault!"
"Ah… you went that route."
Arthur Verasis smiled bitterly.
Former Knight-Commander Alexis Heinlein, also known as 'Demon'.
Military Minister Elliott held a very high opinion of Alexis Heinlein and liked him.
"It all started when Alexis left the post of Knight-Commander and returned to his territory! Of course, I understand that his predecessor passed away suddenly but … with his ability, he could easily manage both his territory and the Knight-Commander position … No, not only that, if he had taken over my position as Minister of War, I wouldn't have had to go through such a hard time…"
He was just complaining.
Compared to Alexis Heinlein, it would have been unavoidable for Baccara to look lacking.
Advisor Arthur smiled wryly in his heart.
"Hey Scotty, aren't we overworked?"
"Yeah, I think so too. I came back from Land and now it's this."
Knight Zack Cooler asked, and Knight Scotty Cobook agreed.
Actually, they were able to take a long vacation after returning from Land … but having been sent to the battlefield in less than half a year, they were tempted to complain.
"Well, they say that knights fight for nobles and beautiful ladies. It can't be helped."
It was quite cool when Scotty, who has a well-groomed face, said it.
"Beautiful lady… that's right, I will fight to protect Sera's country!"
"O-oh…"
Scotty was only stating in general, but Zach seemed to have made a strange connection.
Of course, there was nothing wrong with what he was saying, but…
"Mel, why aren't they making their move!?"
In the Imperial army's command tent, Chief Adjutant Linus Warner, Viscount of Kruger, asked with a bitter expression.
Linus' escort captain, Mel, thought for a few moments before slowly answering.
"I guess they're checking things out."
"Checking things out?"
"Yes. If it really worth changing sides."
The moment Captain Mel said that, Linus' face flashed with anger for a moment. But it was really a moment.
It was just a moment that even someone like Mel thought it was a mistake.
"I see. Sure. Let's show them the benefit in doing so."
"Oscar Ruska, I have come upon your request."
Oscar Ruska, Deputy Commander of the Imperial Emperor's Magic Division, nicknamed Explosive Blaze Magician, came to the central tent where the command headquarters was located.
In front of him sat the commander-in-chief of the expedition, Marquis Musel, and by his side stands his son, said to be in charge of the operations of this expedition, and Chief Adjutant Viscount of Kruger, Linus Warner.
"Baron Oscar Ruska, thank you for coming. Actually, I have a favor to ask of you."
After Marquis Musel said so, he nodded to Linus by his side.
Receiving that nod, Linus began to explain.
"As you know, Deputy Commander, we have prepared a 'strategy' against the enemy forces. It is a strategy that His Majesty the Emperor and the Imperial Intelligence Department spent several years preparing, but… unfortunately, it has not yet been put into action. We would like you to 'wake them' with your magic, Deputy Commander."
Linus explained with a thin smile.
To put it bluntly, Oscar dislikes Linus, but that didn't mean he showed it on his face.
Moreover, his words and actions did not reveal anything.
"Sure. What should I do specifically?"
"It's easy. It seems that the 'strategies' are taking a wait-and-see approach, so please throw in flashy magic that will wake them up."
"I see..."
Oscar received a direct explanation from the Emperor about the 'strategy' prepared before he joined the campaign.
And for other matters as well…
Even considering those advance information, he could understand that those who were taking the wait-and-see approach would be prompted to action if he showed his ability.
Oscar also understood that he was called to this army for such flashy displays.
Both armies took up positions on the Desborough Plains, and after several skirmishes, both armies returned their probing forces to their positions.
Then, only one man from the Imperial Army stepped out.
The Kingdom army also saw that and some people wondered what was going on, but the majority showed no interest.
The Imperial Army, on the other hand, was completely silent.
Not one of the 8,000 Imperial soldiers uttered a word, not a single throat was cleared…a complete silence that was almost unheard of on the battlefield.
That was because everyone in the Imperial Army knew who the person who stepped out was.
'Explosive Blaze Magician'
A living legend.
A reaper of the living.
And… the strongest and supreme magician.
The Explosive Blaze Wizard chanted something quietly.
At that moment, the sky cracked and countless rocks covered in flames fell and struck the ground.
Flames surged out from the ground where the rocks fell, tossing vegetation and scattering earth.
Indeed, hell was born on earth.
Magic is such a dreadful thing and magicians are to be feared.
The soldiers of both armies who saw it were reminded of that even if they didn't want to.
Countless flaming rocks were generated from the
Neither the Imperial army nor the Kingdom army had a single casualty.
However, it was with a clear intention that he dropped them in places where the nobles' army, which was placed on both wings of the Kingdom army, could see it well.
The message, 'Hurry up and switch sides'.
Those who led the noble armies trembled.
Some nobles led their armies and joined the battlefield, while others, like the Duke of Flitwick's army, were led by the Duke's subordinates.
Either way, at this moment they had no choice and no time to waver.
They had no option but to order it.
"All forces advance. The target is the main forces of the Kingdom."
The main forces of the Kingdom army were attacked from the left and right by the northern noble armies.
-x-X-x-
"Damn, betrayal? Which noble betrayed us?"
"Your Excellency, everyone. All the northern nobles…"
"No..."
Unsurprisingly, he didn't expect that.
Military Minister Elliot was by no means incompetent.
He knew that the Imperial army was trying to lure the nobles in the northern region of the Kingdom into their camp.
He also anticipated that there could be betrayal during the battle when the northern nobles chose to participate in this battle.
However, the betrayal of all 'Northern Nobility' was something that he would have never expected.
In fact, Advisor Arthur, who was listening next to him, sat stock still for a while with his eyes wide open in astonishment.
What went through his mind wasn't as trivial as the outcome of the battle but the instant realization that the betrayal of 'all northern nobles' would have a huge impact on the fate of the Kingdom itself.
But…
"For now, the priority is to escape from here."
"It is."
Both Military Minister Elliot and Advisor Arthur decided to focus on what was necessary now.
"Magician Order, all Earth-Attribute Magicians are to use mud. Fire-Attribute, firewall; Wind-Attribute, wind pressure. In essence, do your best to delay combat. Hinder the enemy's movement."
Advisor Arthur shouted as loudly as possible.
"Hurry up, the enemy isn't just the noble armies! The Imperial army ahead will also charge in."
Despite a high-ranking Marquis himself, Military Minister Elliot was shouting orders.
"Deputy Commander, do we not have to join in the assault?"
Adjutant Jürgen asked.
"No need. The Knights will do it. We will move forward slowly."
There was no hesitation in Oscar's instructions.
The enemy began to rout, but the battle lines did not completely collapse.
Even from a distance, he could see a group acting as rearguards engaging in delay tactics.
Fiona would not let him hear the end of it if he got his group caught up in that and lose their valuable subordinates.
"Listen up, don't advance too far. We're Magicians. Leave the close combat to the others."
At times like this, they limited themselves to their identity of 'Magician'.
Of course, this division could handle close combat without any problems, but it is still true that they are magicians.
The Emperor's Magic Division began a slow march.
Knight Zack and Knight Scotty of the Kingdom army were fighting against the approaching noble armies, even though they were confused.
"The rearguard generally has the greatest probability of dying."
"Even if you say that, in this situation, the Knights Order has no choice but to take on that role."
The Court Magician Order, the main force responsible for delay tactics, and the Kingdom's Knights Order, who are the strongest in close combat, served as the rearguards.
"Hey, Zack, that kid."
Scotty pointed to a fairly short Magician.
Using a staff that was much longer than their height, they froze the ground to slip up the enemy, which was quite effective from the standpoint of delay tactics.
However, some soldiers of the noble army somehow managed to get closer, and every time they approached, the magician would throw spears of ice to knock them down, and then lay ice on the ground again, repeating the process.
"Okay, Scotty, let's support that Magician."
When Zack said that, Scotty nodded and the two of them ran.
Shortly thereafter, they lined up next to the Water-Attribute Magician.
"Leave the approaching enemies to us."
"You concentrate on laying ice."
When Zach and Scotty said so, the magician nodded while facing forward.
They didn't know each other, but the magician's name is Natalie Schwarzkopf.
The daughter of the Schwarzkopf family, master of Water-Attribute Magic in the Kingdom, and the lady who served as a messenger between Ilarion and Abel.
After returning from the City of Rune, her first mission was to participate in this battle…
She was quite unlucky...
The three strived to delay combat.
"Most of our allies have withdrawn."
"We are the last ones. And that pair."
The three of them saw a pair of Magician and Knight also serving as rearguards.
"That's Arthur Verasis … could that be Captain Dontan?"
"Yeah. As expected of our company commander."
Zack and Scotty were impressed.
Natalie, because of the potential of her bloodline.
Advisor Arthur, because of his experience.
These two were the only magicians who could still engage in delay tactics without running out of mana.
At that moment, the eyes of the five people intersected.
Natalie and Advisor Arthur nodded, and at the same time released a large amount of magic.
"
"Capture those who run everywhere, take away their freedom
A wider area of the ground froze than ever before, and the area next to it became muddy ground, stopping the footsteps of the noble army in a wide area.
After confirming that, they started running with the three knights.
The five of them retreated swiftly from the battlefield.
A distance of more than half a day from Desborough Plains.
The remnants of the Kingdom army's main forces were finally able to take a proper break.
"Yo, thank you for your hard work earlier."
Knight Zach and Knight Scotty called out to the magician girl sitting and drinking water.
"Ah, thank you."
After saying that, the girl lowered her head.
"I'm Zack Cooler of the Kingdom Knights Order, this is Scotty Cobook."
"I'm Natalie Schwarzkopf of the Magician Order."
They greeted each other.
Scotty reacted to Natalie's self-introduction.
"When you say Schwarzkopf, that's the famous family of water-attribute magicians in the royal capital, right?"
"Yes, you're right."
Natalie nodded in response to Scotty's question.
"No wonder you were able to continue exercising magic for such a long time."
Scotty nodded repeatedly.
Natalie was a little embarrassed and blushed.
"Natalie, are you okay? Are you frightened by being surrounded by uncivilized men?"
"Ah, Mr. Verasis."
Injecting into the conversation between the three like that was Arthur Verasis, the Advisor to the Magician Order.
"Hey, we're not uncivilized…"
Zack retorted.
"Then, are you interested in Natalie? Natalie, you should be careful. Such Knights can suddenly turn into beasts."
"I see."
For some reason, Knight Scotty reacted in agreement to Advisor Arthur's word of caution.
"Hey, Scotty, don't betray me! Aren't you one of those knights?"
Of course, it was Zack who got angry.
"Well, Zack is indiscriminate …"
"Don't you dare! I am devoted to Ms. Sera."
Zach revealed his feelings for some reason at Scotty's antics.
Natalie was surprised to hear that.
"Ms. Sera? Could it be that you live in the City of Rune?"
"Hmm? Natalie, do you know Ms. Sera?"
Zack was too surprised to say anything so it was Scotty who asked Natalie.
"Ah, yes. I was in Rune for quite some time…"
"Oh right, Natalie was the liaison with Abel."
"Abel!"
Zach and Scotty yelled in unison.
It's a small world.
"Come to think of it, Natalie used magic without chanting just now. You've advanced by another step."
Advisor Arthur Verasis commended her happily.
"Thank you very much."
Natalie answered with the reddest face she's had until now.
"Mr. Verasis, is chantless magic difficult?"
Scotty asked out of curiosity.
"It's difficult, or rather, it's almost impossible."
"Eh..."
Both Zach and Scotty were at a loss for words.
"I can't do it, and even Ilarion can't. The best our generation could achieve was quick chants, that's the limit."
At that, Arthur laughed.
"Natalie did something that even Master Ilarion couldn't do…"
The two looked at Natalie with awe-filled eyes.
"No, no, I was able to observe an actual role model perform water magic without chants…"
"Ryo?"
Arthur nodded when he said that.
"Yes."
And Natalie nodded as well.
"That Water-Attribute Magician…"
"Your rival is a fairly high wall to surpass, Zack."
Zach and Scotty also imagined Ryo from their memories.
-x-X-x-
The defeat on the Desborough Plains and the betrayal of the northern nobles were announced to the royal castle that day.
Due to the extremely strong gag order imposed, the citizens of the royal capital were not informed.
'Information cutoff to suppress panic' sounds good, but there was no telling the thoughts of the Kingdom's government officials at that time.
However, no one knew that the Crown Prince, who had already passed away at that time, had taken several measures which would have a major impact on the future.
"I didn't expect all the northern nobles to rebel…"
In the Minister of Finance's office, the owner of the room, Fuka, groaned.
"The core instigator is Duke Flitwick."
His subordinate Matthew answered calmly.
"His Majesty's younger brother… Does he want to take the throne even at the cost of dividing the country? If he invites the Empire, it won't end with a division of the Kingdom but our complete destruction… doesn't he know that?!"
Compared to the calm Matthew, Fuka was angry.
Unlike the other ministers and bureaucrats who were upset, he could be said to be fuming.
Although there were arguments for and against his methods to the problems plaguing the Kingdom, Fuka had been collecting taxes and allocating the budget for the sake of the country.
However, with this outrageous act that threatens to destroy everything… it might be natural to get angry.
"The enemy army is heading south, likely aiming for the royal capital. Almost the entire northern region has switched sides, so they face almost no obstacles… but they will only reach after seven days? Their swelling momentum seemed to have disappeared."
Matthew announced while looking through the report.
"In the meantime, we are trying to gather as many soldiers as possible from the surrounding towns. The Ministry of War is taking action but will it be in time …"
Fuka let out a deep sigh and continued.
"Well, with the height of the royal capital walls, we should be able to hold for a while. It seems that the strategy will be to wait for reinforcements from various places while repelling the enemy with the castle walls."
"I believe this has happened before?"
"Yes. That said, it was hundreds of years ago. No matter what… the sight of enemy forces approaching the royal capital would be a great shock to the people."
Fuka let out a deep sigh and shook his head several more times.
"Deputy Commander, our marching speed is unbelievably slow."
Adjutant Jürgen commented while being swayed slowly on the horse's back.
"This time, we have to go slow."
Oscar, who was aware of almost all of Emperor Rupert's plans, replied.
"But if we proceed slowly, putting aside the strengthening defense of the royal capital, won't we face obstacles on the path to the royal capital?"
"First of all, since the northern nobles have switched sides, the only obstacles to getting to the royal capital are the garrisons in various places. It won't be a problem."
Oscar answered Jürgen's question halfheartedly.
"I see. Then, what about the defense of the royal capital?"
"That's why we who fought on the plains don't need to siege the royal capital as well, right? There is no law stating that the same forces must do both the plains battle and the siege battle."
Oscar's words sparked something in Jürgen's mind.
"No way, the siege forces are already ahead…"
"The reason why we made the Kingdom gather the garrison deployed in the north to the Desborough Plain and made the northern nobility switch sides was to allow a different squad to invade the Kingdom from a different route than ours. That was also the reason why we advanced so slowly in the battle of the Desborough Plains."
"While the people in the royal capital are watching our movements, that unit will…"
"Well, that's how it is."
That night, there were shifting shadows in the darkness of the royal capital.
The shadows, strangely enough, were wearing the equipment of the royal capital guards of the Ministry of the Home Affairs.
It was not strange that the guards were patrolling the capital at night, or rather, it was a common occurrence.
Centered around the red-light district, there were many adventurers and other citizens who would cause trouble even at midnight, and the guards sometimes put them in prison until morning.
They knew the faces of many of the guards, but they didn't recognize a single face among the guards that night.
The royal capital has dozens of large and small gates.
All of the gates, including the largest north, south, east, and west gates, are guarded by guards and the Kingdom's Second Army reserves.
That was natural given the current situation that the enemy army was approaching the royal capital.
However, the four enormous gates of north, south, east, and west opened at the same time.
It was an unthinkable event in the current situation where enemy forces were approaching…
The numerous corpses lying at each gate told the story to anyone who came across them.
Then, through the open gates, soldiers on horseback invaded all at once.
Ten thousand of them.
For some reason, the guards that should have been stationed in various locations and the soldiers of the Kingdom's Second Army did not come out to intercept.
It was later revealed that the food served at the guard stations was mixed with a strong, slow-acting sleeping pill.
Thus, with almost no resistance, the royal capital, Crystal Palace, fell.
On that day, there was direct communication from the Royal Capital Adventurer's Guild Headquarters to the Adventurer's Guild in Rune.
It is an alchemy tool that connects the headquarters and each branch on a one-to-one basis. Due to its extremely short lifespan and expensive materials, it is only used for vital communications.
Furthermore, since the possibility of eavesdropping cannot be completely ruled out, the cases where they used it were considerably limited.
However, it was used today.
From Grandmaster to Rune's Guildmaster.
"Yes, this is McGrath."
"Finley Forsythe. Hugh, listen calmly, leave your questions to the end. The capital has fallen."
"!"
Hugh was about to say something because of the content, but he was told to ask questions last, so he waited in silence.
"The castle gates were opened before anyone knew it, and thousands of imperial soldiers invaded. The royal castle has already fallen. Adventurers and merchants with sharp ears escaped from the royal capital. Elsie escaped too. Thankfully, she was with me until just a little while ago. She has God's protection."
Hugh knows that Finley's faith in God is extremely weak.
However, he didn't say anything… as expected, it was not the right time to retort him.
Finley's daughter, Elsie, left the royal capital safely. That should be the most important thing Finley wanted to say.
"I ordered the guild carriage with Elsie in it to ride non-stop to Rune. The first and last time I will mix work and private matters."
"First … and last?"
Hugh couldn't remain quiet for that.
Last? No way....
"I thought I said to leave questions to the end. Naturally, the Grandmaster of the royal capital cannot afford to shirk responsibility. So I will remain here. I will sever the 'System'. I entrust the management of the surplus money deposited by adventurers in each guild to you."
"Yes..."
Hugh had no choice but to just reply yes.
"Hugh McGrath, please take care of Elsie."
With those words, the communication was cut off.
Afterward, Master McGrath was left standing, unable to say anything.
-x-X-x-
From there, it took Hugh McGrath two minutes to recover.
First, he got in touch with the Adventurers' Guild in Acre, the largest city in the same southern region.
Landenvia, the guildmaster of Acre city, was still unaware of the fall of the royal capital.
It would seem that Finlay had reported the situation to Hugh right away, and him alone.
The royal capital was being overrun.
There was no telling when the Empire troops might storm the Adventurers' Guild headquarters.
Under such circumstances, it would imprudent to wait too long before contacting the other parties.
Hugh may be the only one outside the royal capital with intel about the 'fall of the royal capital'.
That being the case, he would need to move accordingly.
To that end, his first contact was with Landenvia in Acre.
It is the largest city in the south and, apart from the Grandmaster, he's the most capable guildmaster Hugh knows and trusts the most.
Furthermore, Acre also happens to be the territorial capital of Marquis Heinlein.
Perhaps Marquis Heinlein, with his incredible information network, might already be aware of the fall of the royal capital, and that would be for the best.
But for now, he would have Landenvia inform the Marquis.
Then have him come up with the best course of action.
And so Hugh…proceeded on to do things that could he could do in the current predicament.
After contacting Acre, Hugh headed to the 'Golden Wave Pavilion'.
He passed through the entrance and looked toward the cafeteria.
And just like he thought, there was a swordsman seated there reading a book.
Cursing his bad luck in having to tell such bad news to Abel, who had finally recovered from the death of his beloved brother, Hugh sat down in front of him.
"Hm? Oh Guilmas, what's up?"
"Abel, calm down and listen. The Grandmaster has just informed me of the fall of the royal capital."
Abel's eyes widened at these words.
He slowly brought his clenched left hand to the corner of his mouth.
It was as if he was trying to prevent any words from leaking out.
Then he closed his eyes and took several deep breaths.
Finally, he got it together and asked.
"And father?"
"We don't know. But it seems that the castle has already fallen."
The safety of his father, King Stafford IV of the Knightley Kingdom, was very important for Abel to know.
However, Hugh honestly told him that he had no idea.
"How far have this information spread?"
"Just me in Rune city. I've informed Landenvia in Acre. Whom I've instructed to inform Marquis Heinlein. Once I leave here, I'll be heading directly to the frontier count's mansion to inform the lord of the situation as well."
So what's your plan?
Hugh asked with that look and expression on his face.
"All right. I'll go with you."
They were led into the lord's bedroom.
Hugh was used to it, but it had been several years since Abel had been in there.
On the bed sat the same old man they knew.
He had long gray hair, a white beard, and thin hands that peeked out from the ends of his sleeves, and the rumor that he could hardly stand up may as well be true.
But the look on his face was enough to make one believe that he had a firm will, could make any decision, and could overcome any obstacle.
What was even more remarkable were his eyes.
The glint in his eyes alone… was enough to instill confidence in his 'strength'….
Eyes that could pretty much explain why he's said to be one of the best lords in the Kingdom.
And the occasional glint of sagacity.
No point lying in front of this man…anyone would instinctively think so.
"Hugh, you've brought an unusual person with you. Quite some time, Master Abel."
"Lord Carmelo, it's been a while."
"Ho-ho-ho, I haven't had anyone call me that in a long time, how nostalgic."
Abel called the Count of Rune 'Lord Carmelo', and the Count was pleased to be called that.
"So, to what do I owe the pleasure of this unusual visit?"
"Right. To make a report. I have just received a communication from the Grandmaster of the royal capital, informing me that the royal capital will soon fall."
The report caused the frontier count to furrow his brows slightly.
But that was all.
"Got it. What else do we know?"
"The royal castle has already fallen. We have no news of His Majesty the King and the royal family's safety as of yet. As previously reported, according to Abel, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has already passed away."
The frontier count shifted his gaze downward only slightly upon hearing this information.
Perhaps he had predicted this the moment he heard the report of the fall of the royal capital.
"I understand. And, your reason for coming here, Master Abel…"
The frontier Count turned to Abel as he said this.
"I will temporarily take the position of King and retake the capital, until His Majesty's wellbeing has been confirmed."
At Abel's declaration, the Count nodded his head. Then he continued.
"Of course, you have the full support of the entire frontier Count's forces. But before that, there is someone I would like to inform of this matter…if you don't mind?"
"Hm? Sure."
The frontier Count rang the table bell, called the butler, and said.
"Go get Sera. At this hour, dinner … right, Ryo is here as well oddly enough, they must be having dinner together, so bring Ryo as well."
"Sera and Ryo?"
Abel tilted his head slightly in question at the frontier count's words.
"I heard they tried our chef's trial recipe together tonight. In the afternoon, as usual, they both had a mock battle…which was very well received by the knights…thanks to them, the morale of the entire order is soaring high. How I would have loved to be there if only my legs weren't like this…"
At the end, the frontier count said a little regretfully, shaking his head.
This was the first time Ryo would meet the frontier count.
An old man who had lived a solid and fulfilling life to the core. The kind of person a certain individual present there would like to be someday.
"I, Sera, have come at your request."
"Hmm, thank you for coming. There's something I must discuss with you, Sera, otherwise I wouldn't call for you knowing that you'd be relaxing at this time after dinner. And, you must be Ryo. So nice to finally meet you. I'm Carmelo Spinazzola, Count of the Rune Frontier."
"Pleasure to meet you. I'm Ryo Mihara, a C-rank adventurer."
Abel and Hugh looked a little surprised at Ryo's self-introduction.
"A last name?" was what Ryo discerned from reading their lips.
Come to think of it, he may have never told Abel about his last name of 'Mihara'….
"What I am about to tell you has not yet been made public. So they cannot leave these four walls."
The frontier count reminded them of this, and Sera and Ryo nodded.
"A short while ago, the royal capital fell."
The frontier count announced the fall of the capital as definite information.
This information came as a great shock to both Sera and Ryo, and their eyes widened and their expressions hardened.
"Sera, you will act according to the agreement."
The frontier count said, with sadness in his eyes and a slight smile on his face.
"Yes…"
Sera's reply was so faint that even Ryo didn't catch it.
Then she turned to Ryo and said.
"I'm sorry, Ryo. I have to go."
"Sera?"
Sera's eyes were filled with tears she couldn't hold back.
She's probably struggling to get the rest of the words out.
So she buried her face in Ryo's chest and just cried silently.
"Listen Ryo, Sera and the other elves have a pact with the Kingdom. 'The Kingdom must, when the Western Forest is at risk, abandon all agreements and support the Elves to return to the forest. All elves must spring to action to save the Western Forest'. The Empire will surely prioritize going after the Elves in the Western Forest, who also happen to be a powerful force for the Kingdom."
The Rune frontier count said convincingly according to past events.
"I am sorry, Ryo…"
Sera's voice was really weak.
But Ryo hugged Sera tightly.
And said.
"Go, Sera."
Hearing these words, Sera looked up involuntarily.
Ryo smiled and looked at her.
"The Empire enslaves elves as subhumans, right? We can't have that now, can we? So you should return to the forest, Sera. I know for a fact that you'll be all right, you've got this, Sera."
"Ryo…"
"While you're over there protecting the forest, I will lay waste to the Empire troops over here. And when it's all over, I'll come to see you in the Western Forest."
Ryo said with a smile.
Hearing that much, a smile finally appeared on Sera's face. A tearful smile.
"Okay. I'll be waiting, so come fetch me in the forest."
Sera said and closed her eyes.
Ryo also closed his eyes.
And both of their lips met.
Abel and Hugh were blushing for some reason.
One would think that they're both pretty mature, but they may not necessarily have much experience with women.
Only one of them, the Rune frontier count, smiled and nodded repeatedly.
Their lips parted and they smiled at each other.
"Ahem."
The count coughed deliberately, and the two quickly let go of each other's hands.
"Sera, you can take the mansion's horses, Zeka and Chun-Li. With two horses, you can ride them both without a break and reach the forest in three days."
"Yes, my lord, thank you very much. Then, I'll be on my way."
After saying this, Sera exchanged kisses with Ryo one last time and left the room.
-x-X-x-
"What is the meaning of this? We gave strict orders to secure the king and the crown prince alive!"
The audience chamber in the castle of the Kingdom of Knightley.
There, the angry voice of Linus, the chief adjutant of the expeditionary force, echoed through the audience chamber.
"My apologies, sir. But when we secured the castle, the crown prince was already dead. Apparently, he's been dead for several days."
"Several days?"
"Yes sir. He died of illness."
General Alisvar, who led the empire troops into the royal capital under cover of night as a detachment, reported calmly without moving even slightly in the face of Linus' angry outburst.
"The crown prince has been reported to have been sickly and frail since childhood."
Mel, the commander of Linus' escort, added.
"Ah, yes, that's true."
That calmed Linus down a little. He then asked the general further.
"I trust that you've secured the king."
"Yes sir. He is locked up in his chambers with a guard."
"Good. Bring him to the treasury. And Mel, get deputy chief Oscar and chief advisor Hashford."
In front of the treasury.
Oscar followed Mel, the commander of the escort, to find Marquis Musel, the commander-in-chief of the expeditionary force, Linus, the chief adjutant, and Count Hashford, the chief advisor to the Imperial Alchemy Association, all present.
"It's finally happening, Sir Oscar."
Marquis Musel, the Commander-in-Chief of the expeditionary force, said to Oscar with an expression that suggests that his wish is finally going to be fulfilled.
"Right. I am honored to be able to be present at 'the moment'."
Oscar bowed his head lightly, and Marquis Musel, seeing this, nodded repeatedly.
Having witnessed this, the Marquis himself is not that bad a person…Oscar thought.
His son, however….
Oscar glanced at the Marquis's son, Chief adjutant Linus.
He was staring ecstatically at the door at the far end of the treasury.
Is he contemplating what lies behind it, or perhaps thinking of his achievements when he brings it to the Empire….
While it is true that all the measures were prepared by Emperor Rupert VI, it is also true that his achievements as the person executing the plans are also significant.
For it has been a long-cherished wish of the Empire for hundreds of years.
General Alisvar and his men brought in King Stafford IV.
His hands were tied behind his back.
Normally, it was much too impolite to do that to a member of the royal family, much less the king, even if they were enemies, but it was a measure that had to be taken for the sake of what they were about to do since it would be troublesome if he decided to resist.
"Now then, Count Hashford, you're up."
"Got it."
Count Hashford nodded, moved to the door at the far end of the treasury, held his hand in front of the door, and chanted something.
That door was the entrance to the 'Hall of Heroes'.
The Hall of Heroes… was built by King Richard, the founder of the Kingdom of Knightley, and is the true treasure vault of the royal castle.
Inside, there are a number of treasures that are said to upset the balance of the world, and according to King Richard's will, these treasures are not allowed to be given away.
That's how extraordinary the treasures inside are.
And now, the expeditionary force was about to open it.
That was the top priority goal of the expedition, and to achieve that goal, it was necessary to secure the king and the crown prince who held the 'key'.
"Now, bring His Majesty Stafford this way."
Count Hashford asked General Alisvar to bring Stafford to the door of the Hall of Heroes.
Stafford, either already given up all resistance or was unable to resist, was brought to the door by Alisvar.
Then a green light emanated from the door and irradiated Stafford's face.
…But the door didn't open.
"Hmm."
Count Hashford muttered quietly and fiddled with the door again.
Then he said.
"Try again."
This time, with Stafford in front of the door, he recited the words he had chanted before.
And like before, a green light emanated from the door and irradiated onto Stafford's face.
And same as before…nothing happened.
"Marquis Musel, I regret to inform you that he does not seem to have the 'key'."
"Pardon?"
Count Hashford announced calmly, but Marquis Musel's voice cracked as he retorted in disbelief.
"Either he is not the real King Stafford, or he is the real one, but for some reason has already lost the key to the Hall of Heroes."
"That's not possible…"
Count Hashford explained calmly.
In response, Chief adjutant, Linus, involuntarily muttered.
"How is that possible…?"
"Sir Linus, it's no use asking me…facts are facts. And I can say without any doubt, that this man doesn't possess the 'key'."
At that moment, Oscar was the only one who saw the corners of Stafford's mouth rise and smile, as he remained on both knees, looking down.
The smile was really only for a moment, a moment so fleeting that some people might think they were seeing things.
But Oscar noticed the 'smile' because he had been observing Stafford's expression closely ever since he was brought in.
(His Majesty the Emperor said that Stafford IV had been drugged for the past two years and was supposed to be suffering from various lapses in judgment, loss of motivation, and the like. Perhaps he could have returned to his senses from time to time.)
Oscar thought, looking back at the momentary smile he had just witnessed.
Either way, the expedition's top priority goal had been crushed.
With Marquis Musel in a state of dismay and Chief adjutant Linus teeming with anger, Oscar left the treasury.
After leaving the treasury and walking down the corridor, Oscar pulled out a small box from his pocket.
He then chanted something and the box glowed. After confirming this, he recited some words.
After about two minutes of chanting, the box disappeared.
"Is it a report to the imperial capital?"
When Oscar turned around at the sound of that voice, he saw Count Hashford approaching.
"Oh, sorry about that. I couldn't help it seeing as it's an alchemy tool I improved a long time ago."
"I see."
Count Hashford said while laughing softly, and Oscar was convinced as to why he knew.
"Still, it's such a shame. How I would have loved to see the inside of the Hall of Heroes built by King Richard."
Count Hashford said with a smile.
"You mean the vault itself, rather than the treasures inside?"
"Of course. I may not look it, but I'm still an alchemist."
With his imposing figure of more than 180 centimeters, his long gray hair and the cloak of the Imperial Alchemy Association fluttering in the air, it is hard to believe that he is an alchemist over 70 years old.
It would be more apt to call him a general who once strode the battlefield.
"I see. In that case, I have a question for you, Count…"
"Oh? For the Explosive Blaze Magician himself to personally pose a question to me, this should be interesting. Please, ask away."
"I was told that only the king and the crown prince have the key to the Hall of Heroes. But the crown prince is dead, and the king does not have the key. Does it mean that…the Hall of Heroes will never be opened again?"
Having heard Oscar's question, Count Hashford slightly nodded his head several times.
Perhaps he had already asked himself that question as well.
"Of course, I haven't done a detailed analysis of the Hall of Heroes, but…I think there may have been times in the past when those two individuals died at the same time. And I believe the possibility of that happening would have been a factor that King Richard, would have considered."
And then Hashford stopped talking.
After a pause, he continued.
"If, indeed, there is no one left with the key, then I imagine there would be some sort of emergency operation mechanism built in."
"Emergency operation mechanism…"
"That's right, for example, the key could be transferred to a registered third party…or there could be a way to open it without the key…. But, to be honest, the most likely scenario would be 'someone else has the key'."
Count Hashford said this with a frown.
And he might have an idea as to who that someone might be.
"I see."
Oscar didn't dare to ask beyond that.
As they parted, Count Hashford said.
"A word of advice, Sir Explosive Blaze Magician."
"Yes?"
"Do not, under any circumstances, attempt to destroy that Hall of Heroes with your magic to get in."
When he said that, Oscar's eyebrows moved just a little.
An ordinary person would not have noticed, but Count Hashford must have noticed it, and he smiled and continued his words.
"The one who created that Hall of Heroes was King Richard, who can be called a rare alchemist. A top-notch alchemist is also a top-notch magician. More than likely, there should be a powerful magical defense mechanism integrated into the Hall of Heroes. For instance…uh right, let's say you unleashed
Oscar could no longer maintain his blank expression when he heard those words.
"That's…terrifying."
"Yeah, it is."
Hashford nodded genuinely at Oscar's words.
"You mean King Richard was such an impressive alchemist."
"Yeah."
"More so than the best of the Empire, Count Hashford?"
At Oscar's question, Count Hashford smiled broadly. He then answered.
"You give me far too much credit, Sir Oscar. I don't even come close in comparison. Okay, let me put it this way, there are two leading alchemists of our time in the Central Nations. Baron Kenneth Hayward and Count Frank de Verde. Even if you put them together, they're still far from being able to compare with King Richard."
"That much…?"
Oscar was frankly surprised.
"Those who have reached the summit of their craft can only look down on those struggling below." (TLN: Lit. Those who have mastered any art can't be compared to the ordinary)
-x-X-x-
"Deputy Chief, these two are the most prominent failures among the 'priority targets' we failed to secure."
Upon returning to the quarters assigned to the Emperor's Magic Division, Adjutant Jurgen reported.
"The Royal Alchemy Workshop and the Elven Autonomous Region huh…. It was already deserted when you stormed in?"
"Yes. It seems that they were ordered to evacuate three days ago."
"The crown prince's orders…. The same crown prince who died of illness. Looks like he gave the order in anticipation of the fall of the royal capital."
Oscar sighed as he read the report.
Those two places had been designated by Emperor Rupert VI as the most important among the 'priority targets'.
And the only 'top priority target' was the royal castle.
In other words, those two places were instructed to be secured as the next priority after the royal castle in the capital, but now…it wouldn't count as 'secured' if there was no one inside.
"The crown prince…must have been quite the shrewd fellow. Saving the kingdom even in death. Maybe it's a good thing he's dead."
The latter part of his muttering was so faint that it didn't even reach the ears of his adjutant, Jurgen.
"I have to say that it's unexpected that we failed to secure the alchemy workshop, Baron Kenneth Hayward, and their research materials, but what bothers me more is the autonomous region."
"You're talking about that forest?"
"Yeah. We may have to prepare ourselves for more surprises when capturing the 'Western Forest'…"
More than two hundred kilometers west of the royal capital.
The western edge of the Kingdom is covered by a vast forest.
The area is called the 'Western Forest', and although it is within the Kingdom, it is recognized as an autonomous region for the Elves.
The history of this autonomy dates back to the reign of King Richard, the founder of the Kingdom.
For several hundred years since then, the Western Forest has been a forest home to elves, a symbol of peace and tranquility.
But that peace was broken two days ago.
"The watchtower to the southeast has razed."
A female grand elder received the report from her subordinate with a bitter look on her face.
She is also known as 'Obaba-sama'.
She's the elf who, along with Sera, commanded the defense at the Autonomous Region in the royal capital during the royal capital disturbance.
After the disturbance, she returned to the Western Forest and her normal life, but two days ago, they were suddenly attacked.
It was right after the news of the Royal Army's defeat on the Desborough Plains, and the attacker was….
"How can elves be defeated in the forest…is the Empire troops made up of freaks?"
Obaba-sama held her forehead and lamented.
Then, more sad news followed.
"Grand Elder Gorin-sama has fallen."
"No…"
The news of Gorin's death, one of the Grand Elders who had been in command at the front line, came as quite a shock even to Obaba-sama.
"You've finally gone and done it…Gorin, you old fool! That's what happens when a grand elder, who should tread carefully, takes to the front line."
Her mouth was full of nothing but curses, but her expression was more somber than ever.
The elves around her also understood Obaba-sama's grief, so none of them opened their mouths with grave looks on their faces.
Of the three grand elders, including Obaba-sama, the grand elders…who had developed this Western Forest over a long time, Grand Elder Gunn was killed in the early stages of the war. And now, Grand Elder Gorin too has fallen in battle.
Both of them died defending other elves, and although the number of casualties was only about twenty, for the elves, whose original numbers were small with an extremely low population growth rate, there's no doubt that they'd been dealt a very serious blow.
And so Obaba-sama made a decision.
"Damn it all to hell. We're abandoning the eastern part of the forest. Pull back to the central fort. Call everyone back."
Her frowning face did not return to normal after making such a difficult decision as the sole remaining Grand Elder.
The western forest, eastern edge.
There lies the base of the Empire troops that attacked the forest.
"Those elves are goddamn monsters."
General Rancias, the leader of the assault force muttered.
"The number of casualties is extraordinary…"
Amber, Rancias' second-in-command, commented.
"Death toll of over two hundred…it doesn't make any sense! We are supposed to be 'Shadows', aren't we?"
General Rancias shouted.
He leads the 12th Imperial Army. Commonly known as the 'Shadow Army'.
They are a group of specialists in close combat, specializing not in open plains, but in urban areas, inside buildings, mountainous regions, forests, and other terrains with many obstacles.
Compared to other Imperial forces, this unit has fought an overwhelming number of actual battles and is feared by other countries as well.
However, its true nature is rarely revealed, so much so that even among the nobles of the empire, some are unaware of the existence of the 'Shadow Army'.
However, its strength is overwhelming.
If the Empire's ace in the hole on the surface is the Imperial Magic Division led by Fiona and Oscar, its hidden ace is this 'Shadow Army' led by Rancias.
However, these 'Shadows' were now experiencing losses they'd never experienced before.
The unit that had previously suffered a maximum of only a dozen casualties in a single engagement had now suffered over 200 casualties in just over two days of fighting.
It was no wonder that Rancias exclaimed, "It doesn't make any sense".
"I can see why His Majesty the Emperor would give top priority to eliminating the elves. Hundreds of those monsters…are a nightmare!"
Rancias spat out.
Then a report arrived from the front lines.
"Reporting. The elves have abandoned their eastern stronghold and have begun to retreat deeper into the forest."
"Good work. Your Excellency, we should move to the second phase of the operation."
In response to the report, Amber, the second-in-command, advised moving to the second phase.
"Hmm-mm. I hereby authorize the second phase. Eradicate every last one of those abominable elves!"
General Rancias, who had lost two hundred of his men whom he had raised with great care, stared deep into the forest with a glint of hatred in his eyes.
As if the person who had killed his men was standing right there.
-x-X-x-