Bordeaux didn't have much objection to Regulus accompanying them. After all, even though he had only seen a rough glimpse, being able to knock Wilhelm unconscious with a single, casual slap certainly wasn't something an ordinary person could do.
But the other girls accompanying them...
This wasn't a sightseeing trip. This was a reconnaissance mission to the absolute front lines. Encountering Demi-Human enemies or even being directly ambushed wouldn't be surprising in the slightest.
"Your Excellency," Bordeaux started, his expression deeply troubled.
"I know what you want to say," Regulus interrupted smoothly. "You just need to focus on your squad's mission. My wives and I can guarantee our own safety."
"..."
Bordeaux frowned. Regulus said so with absolute confidence, but could he really protect all ten of them in the heat of battle?
"Actually," Regulus added, noticing the captain's doubt.
"Hm!!?"
"My wives are not as delicate as you imagine. To speak frankly, if any one of these ten were to face a member of your Knight squad in a one-on-one duel... the one who would most likely win would be my wife."
These words definitely made Bordeaux feel a little uncomfortable. After all, every member of his squad was an excellent warrior who had grown up through blood and iron on the battlefield. How could they possibly lose to a group of young girls who looked like they came from wealthy, sheltered noble families?
However, Bordeaux didn't know the truth. Regulus's words were actually quite polite.
Because if they really fought, probably only Bordeaux himself, Wilhelm, and a few veterans like Bivitz could even contend with them. And even with those few, it was still highly uncertain who would win or lose.
After all, the original Regulus Corneas might have been socially incompetent, but his eyesight for 'acquisitions' was truly excellent. He had put a massive amount of effort into advance investigations when selecting his wives.
Among the hundreds of women in the harem, there were basically no useless burdens. Some had no martial prowess but were abducted strictly because of their peerless beauty. But others possessed extraordinary talents and were targeted right after becoming famous. Finally, there was the elite portion: girls who were famous for their sheer, overwhelming strength, and who simultaneously possessed extraordinary beauty.
In terms of combat power alone, they would definitely not be inferior to ordinary knights or even elite Royal Guards. A few were even stronger.
For example, Lycoris. As the contractor of the Great Water Spirit Anileni, she was a highly capable and lethal mage in her own right.
"Since Your Excellency has said so, we will simply focus on the mission," Bordeaux conceded with a heavy sigh, turning to arrange the final departure preparations.
The final result was that Regulus and his ten wives were still arranged in the heavily guarded center of the marching formation.
"Husband," Lycoris, who had overheard the previous conversation, leaned closer to Regulus as they sat together in the dragon carriage. "This knight named Bordeaux... he's a very good person."
"He is indeed not bad," Regulus admitted. "However, his position is different from ours, so there shouldn't be much interaction between us in the future."
To be honest, Regulus didn't like hanging around other men, nor did he plan to get chummy and stage some passionate brotherhood with the Royal Knights. But facing someone who was genuinely benevolent and friendly, he couldn't intentionally give them a cold shoulder, could he?
"Is that so," Lycoris nodded. She wasn't a foolish girl; she naturally understood the pragmatic meaning behind Regulus's words. He had no intention of becoming true friends with Bordeaux.
Just then, a faint, highly visible blush appeared on Lycoris's face.
She glared at the girl sitting next to Regulus on his other side, and then down at Regulus's arm, which had mysteriously disappeared beneath the fabric of their skirts.
"Husband~" Lycoris whispered, her breathing hitching slightly. "I heard that the battlefield we are heading to isn't far. If possible... I think it's better to maintain a good, focused state."
"I know."
"Is that so..." Lycoris muttered, feeling a little depressed and overwhelmed by the creeping pleasure.
'Don't just say you know,' she thought desperately. 'Shouldn't those mischievous little fingers also be reined in?!'
She and the girls who came out with her weren't just here to help him pass the time!
The dragon carriage's speed wasn't slow. Even on the bumpy dirt roads, they quickly approached their destination. However, a mile before arriving at the Gusteko Plains, they found a relatively safe, concealed location in a dense thicket and hid the dragon carriage.
For the rest of the journey, using a carriage as transportation—especially one that was ridiculously luxurious—was simply too ostentatious and begging for an artillery strike.
When the group finally disembarked to proceed on foot, Regulus saw Wilhelm. The young Sword Demon had already woken up from his concussion. But surprisingly, Wilhelm merely glared at Regulus with extreme, silent annoyance from a distance.
This greatly surprised Regulus. 'Wilhelm, with his explosive youthful temper, was actually able to swallow his pride?'
Bordeaux was equally surprised. Although he had explicitly ordered Wilhelm not to cause any trouble here to avoid accidents during the mission, he had never expected the arrogant kid to actually hold back. Bordeaux had even been prepared to physically restrain Wilhelm himself.
Since nothing happened, Bordeaux proceeded to arrange the tactical formation.
"Now, we will divide into three teams," Bordeaux commanded quietly. "I will lead a group to stay by Miss Julia and the VIPs as the central guard. As for the other two teams..." Bordeaux looked around the seasoned faces of his men.
"Bivitz, you lead the left flank. Kuude, you will be the leader of the right flank. The two of you will spread out to ensure the safety of the perimeter. Pay special attention to the surrounding corpses and any remnants of the Demi-Human alliance."
With the formation of the three small teams, Regulus noticed Bordeaux intentionally assign Wilhelm to Kuude's flank, far away from the center.
However, this was a perfectly normal tactical choice. After all, Julia was here. Julia was not like Roswaal, who found the aloof Wilhelm interesting. As Regulus's loyal wife, Julia had absolutely no good feelings for Wilhelm, who had spoken disrespectfully to her husband earlier. She genuinely wanted to find an opportunity to beat him up. If she hadn't been officially representing her father and the Mathers family... the first one to lose her temper and draw a blade at the camp certainly wouldn't have been Carol.
With the formation set, Regulus and the others continued to walk silently towards the scarred battlefield.
However, they had only just advanced a few hundred yards into the misty, blood-stained plains.
Whoosh!
An arrow suddenly shot out of the thick fog, aimed directly at the seemingly most unprepared person in the entire team.
As for who this target was... of course, it was Regulus, who had kept his Authority of Greed active the entire time, deliberately leaving himself open to lure the hidden attackers into making a move.
Snap. The arrow struck the invisible barrier of his Stillness and instantly shattered into splinters, failing to even wrinkle his pristine clothes.
Immediately following the failed sniper shot, the muddy ground around them began to churn.
Regulus looked calmly at the rotting corpses constantly crawling out from the blood-soaked earth.
'Have we not even reached the main destination yet, and they're already in such a hurry to act?' Regulus thought, analyzing the undead threat.
He then remembered the specific warning Roswaal had given them before they left the Capital. The person who created these Corpse Soldiers... the necromancer of the Demi-Human alliance.
'Sphinx,' Regulus smiled faintly. 'The defective Ryuzu clone. She must be hiding nearby.'
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