Chapter 153: I Expect Generous Treatment (3)
“Congratulations. 30 gold coins. Ah, 30 gold coins.”
“Don’t complain about the money you lost on your own bet.”
Despite scolding Lucy, a faint smile lingers on my face. I had wondered if I was surrounded only by monsters, but I realized that I was gradually becoming stronger.
“But, Aila, you didn’t come here just to gamble, did you?”
“Huh? Ah, of course not. I almost forgot while betting.”
Aila had come while Levidian and I were in the middle of a sparring session and took Lucy up on his bet. The mage who suddenly proposed the bet was just watching.
She tied her money pouch to her waist—ignoring Lucy’s resentful gaze—and said,
“The latest news everyone has been waiting for! Artshever and his unpleasant friends’ movements have been detected.”
At this point, I should be surprised or widen my eyes, but I made a bitter expression.
“It’s news we’ve been waiting for, but not good news.”
“A magpie’s cry doesn’t always mean welcome guests. Now, now, listen.”
Aila, unconcerned by my attitude, spoke about them in a cheerful tone.
Baius Extoria, who went to the Western Army, is currently inaugurated as the commander of the 2nd Legion of the Western Army. For reference, the 2nd Legion is stationed closest to Orknesia.
“If they attack, he will be the vanguard.”
“Right? And about that gloomy shaman geezer.”
Silvan Harcian, who crossed over to Azot, is said to have almost taken control of Azot’s underworld. It is said that he is currently planning something towards the Royal Palace.
I asked with a dubious expression,
“Surely he’s not planning to take over the Royal Palace or anything like that, is he?”
“I don’t think so. He seems to be looking for something.”
“Looking for something?”
“Yes. My guess is that he’s aiming for the basement of the Royal Palace.”
I slightly furrowed my brows.
There is a Royal Family’s Exclusive Shelter in the basement of the Azot Royal Palace. It’s the place where Daisy, Aila, and I shared drinks in the preserved food storage room when we were on a diplomatic mission.
I couldn’t bring myself to enter the other places as it would have been disrespectful…… What business does he have there?
“Aila, any ideas? Surely he’s not after the special liquor Daisy brought there.”
“Hmm, I’m not sure, but maybe he’s looking for traces of the person who built that place?”
“The person who built it…… Magnolia Beming?”
“Yes. According to my research, Silvan Harcian’s lineage of shamanism originates from Magnolia.”
Huh? What’s this again? The origin of shamanism lies with a mage?
Unable to hide my absurdity, I turned to Lucy. Lucy also had a dumbfounded expression.
“Wait, Aila. What do you mean? Are you saying Magnolia Beming taught Shadow Manipulation?”
“Well, if you trace the origin of all history, it’s actually one, right? It’s possible that Magnolia Beming reached ‘The One’ through magic. It’s also known that she used magic other than the existing 9-system magic.”
“I know that too. There are a total of 24 systems of magic, and only 9 exist now. Even the records of the remaining 15 systems are scarce. But there’s no record that anyone among them reached ‘The One’.”
“Does the absence of a record make it a non-existent event? Actually, I don’t know either. But while investigating, I found that Silvan Harcian’s Shadow Manipulation is different from other Shadow Manipulation. Maybe the Archmage provided the shaman with some clues to help create a new Shadow Manipulation. Let’s not argue about this further since I’m still investigating.”
Lucy clenched his molars and thought for about 3 seconds before nodding. He probably knows that if we talk about this any further, it will inevitably develop into nothing more than an armchair discussion.
“Alright. Let’s talk about it later. And what about Artshever?”
“Artshever has been appointed as the Operations Staff Officer of the Herduke Conquest Force, which will be officially formed in the middle of next month, with the recommendation of Duke Mujaindos. According to a reliable source, he wanted it himself.”
“A troublesome opponent has appeared. Does he finally think it’s worth fighting?”
It’s a situation where I can’t help but smile bitterly.
He pretended to stay put when I was carrying out the rescue operation in the Imperial Capital, and he remained quiet even during the three regional occupation battles last year, but now he’s finally moving.
Considering his personality that seeks amusement, it’s highly likely that he’s stepping up now because he can finally create a ‘fun’ situation in his eyes.
Tsk. Getting involved with him always makes me feel like I’m being toyed with by a lunatic. It’s extremely unpleasant.
Levidian crossed her arms and lowered her gaze.
“Good timing. We have some unfinished business with those people. But what about the remaining one?”
“Referndi? I’m not sure about that. She still hasn’t shown herself. We’re searching everywhere, but…… I think she’ll show up soon. Because Artshever and the others are moving.”
“It’s like having a hidden card left.”
“That’s right, Risel. Considering the skills of Baius Extoria and Silvan Harcian, we can assume that this Referndi is also a formidable person. We’ve been working hard to build our strength, but we can’t guarantee victory.”
The reason why the difference between the strong and the weak doesn’t diminish is that the strong also train while the weak train. The reason why the weak in stories can often become strong is that they have hidden talents or other means to close the gap.
But reality is a bit harsh. We’re not the protagonists in a story, and even though we’ve been training, the skill gap between us and Artshever and his unpleasant company probably hasn’t narrowed significantly.
One advantage is that Baius is middle-aged and Silvan is elderly, so it’s difficult for their skills to improve any further.
Hmm. It would be quite delightful if they died of old age since they’re already old.
“Still, Risel has grown enough to defeat Levidian at least once, and our average skill level has also improved a bit.”
“Lucy, if you can become stronger just by training for 1 or 2 years, no one would struggle.”
“I-Is that so? It only took me a year to finish my magic apprenticeship……”
“I also got my instructor qualification at twelve.”
Aila and I looked at the two people who didn’t belong to the category of ordinary people for a moment. Then, we blinked at each other, and soon sighed simultaneously, lowering our heads.
“This is why……”
“Geniuses are……”
The world is unfair. Why do geniuses exist? Please, I beg you, create a separate category for geniuses in the species classification. It’s unbearable for ordinary people.
While nodding at Aila, I suddenly realized something. I looked at my gray-haired friend who was still nodding with a dubious expression.
“Hey, you’re one of them too.”
“Huh? What are you talking about? I’m not a genius, I’m gifted.”
“Ah, yes. Of course.”
“Hey, don’t make such a sad face. You’re talented, Risel?”
At Aila’s words as she waved her hand, I could only scratch my head.
Well, considering what I’ve done, I can’t argue that I’m mediocre. If I did, it would be a sin against the vast majority of ordinary people who support this world.
“Come to think of it, none of us are ordinary, are we?”
“You just realized that now? You’re slow on the uptake.”
Aila exaggeratedly shook her head and clicked her tongue. No, it’s not that I just realized it now, but I have nothing to say when you put it like that.
In the eyes of others, my friends and I would be quite a unique group.
First, the core of the group is the youngest general in history, and next to him is the Sword King who boasts absolute martial prowess. This Sword King is the head of a terrifying assassination group, and there’s a mysterious friend who leads a group on par with that group. Above all, she’s a smart friend who excels in information warfare.
There’s also a mage whose knowledge is second to none. He’s talented enough to be ranked among the continent’s Eight Strongest in the future, but it’s a shame that it’s hard to notice because he tends to shoot himself in the foot or dig his own grave.
There’s also a martial artist who is a childhood friend of the mage and considers him his lifelong rival, constantly honing himself. He’s already a renowned expert in the mercenary world, and he’s still devoted to the path of self-improvement.
However, there’s someone even this competitive friend avoids, a younger brother who is the youngest but not at all like it. He’s a Shrine Knight of Lynin and possesses monstrous strength that allows him to effortlessly wield a greatsword larger than himself. And for the record, he’s still ‘growing’.
It would be remiss not to mention the High Priest of Lynin, the only person who can easily handle this younger brother who seems unstoppable when he goes on a rampage. She’s quiet and has a bit of a sweet tooth, but her willpower is probably stronger than anyone else’s.
Listing the main members like this, it’s truly remarkable. If we include my subordinates, the number increases considerably. It makes me wonder if there has ever been a group like this gathered together in history.
“Risel, what are you going to do?”
“I’m thinking about that. The problem is how to move. For now, the central command’s policy is to conquer Narvilt, but we also have to deal with the Southern Army and the Herduke Conquest Force, so……”
“Wouldn’t it be better to let us handle the Southern Army? There’s no one we need to deal with there.”
“Lucy’s right. We’ll have to choose between the Western Army and the Conquest Force.”
I stroked my chin and fell into thought.
While I prefer to confront Artshever head-on, going to Narvilt and attacking Baius to weaken his forces is also a pretty good strategy.
One of the truths passed down from ancient times is that there’s no defense against a mob. Wouldn’t Baius sink if people with impressive resumes rushed in and hammered him?
Moreover, if we occupy Narvilt, Ast, the royal capital of Azot, becomes relatively closer, making it easier to deal with Silvan Harcian. It’s a very good method.
However, there’s something that worries me.
“If we go to Narvilt, I’m worried about how this Referndi person will act. And Artshever could push through in the meantime.”
I can’t tell others, but after I died, Artshever was appointed as the Operations Staff Officer for the Azot Conquest. About a year after his appointment, the Imperial Army captured Ast, the royal capital.
I can’t say for sure about his strategic and tactical abilities, but considering this track record (?), we can say that he’s fully equipped with the necessary qualities as a staff officer.
While we’re busy hammering Narvilt, there’s a very high chance he’ll be hammering Baekslan, which has been designated as the royal capital of the Herduke Kingdom.
Aila, who knows a lot about Artshever, nodded.
“Indeed. Even you wouldn’t be able to pull off a rescue operation twice.”
“I wouldn’t mind doing it twice. It was surprisingly fun.”
“That’s because acting is your calling, Lucy.”
“What are you talking about? My calling is a mage! Look at these muscles!”
“Mage?”
Levidian’s question is also my question. Looking at his bulging biceps, I want to stab them with a sword and burst them.
“Hey, please read the room and make jokes accordingly. Okay?”
“Tsk. You always pick on my jokes. The conversation keeps going in circles. So I have to make jokes.”
“I admit the conversation is going in circles, but I don’t think that gives you the right to make jokes.”
“Tsk. Anyway, the problem now is the same as last year. We don’t know where to go. It depends on how the opponent acts. I don’t know how important Pilledvan is to Duke Narvilt, but the Imperial government won’t forgive the Western Army for not advancing just because of one person. And if the Conquest Force and the Southern Army start their northward advance at the right time, Herduke will challenge the shortest reign record since its founding. It will be known as the shortest dynasty in the history of the continent.”
Lucy spoke casually, but he hit the nail on the head. If they advance from three directions simultaneously, the fate of the Herduke Kingdom will be hanging by a thread. So we have to strike first.
“But how many troops will be participating in the Narvilt Conquest?”
“About 200,000.”
“If we assume the minimum force stationed at the Barrier is 50,000, we have 250,000 troops left. That’s a bit insufficient to stop the Southern Army and the Emperor’s Conquest Force. We can assume we’ll block the Southern Army using the terrain of the Leotasia Mountain Range, but the wide-open center will have to rely solely on the commander’s capabilities.”
Levidian listed them one by one with her hand on her waist. Her analysis was a common one, yet it was the same as the analysis presented by the General Headquarters. When the scale of war expands, unless a massive natural disaster occurs, a universal outcome emerges.
“Then, Risel, I’ll change the question. Where do you want to go?”
“Excuse me?”
“We already know what to do. We wage war. And excluding the north and east, half of the directions we can go are battlefields. And in those places, there are opponents we have to fight and opponents we want to fight, simultaneously. I think it’s a desirable and sufficiently amusing situation.”
“Amusing?”
“Yes. That’s right. You can fight the opponent you want in the place you want, can’t you?”
As I looked at Levidian’s gentle smile, my expression gradually changed. The change in perspective she presented was, as she said, amusing.
The fact that there’s nothing we can do means we can do anything, and the fact that we can’t go anywhere ultimately means we can go anywhere.
It’s a conceptual play on words, and it’s also what I usually do. But I couldn’t even do that!
She’s absolutely right. I’ve gained the option to fight the opponent I want in the place I want!
Ugh. I can picture the face of my enemy, grinning somewhere in the Imperial Capital. He’ll definitely have a chessboard in front of him, the opposite seat empty, a wine glass in one hand. And he’ll say in a greasy tone,
‘Your turn. I’ll be angry if you take too long.’
I can really picture it. Because Artshever and I were actually creating the situation, move by move.
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