3 bar menu

Chapter 308 part 2

The peak of summer had passed, and some trees were starting to turn yellow instead of green. The change in the trees’ hues, the cooling winds, and the hastening interchange of day and night were likely making more people feel the shift in seasons.

It had been a few days since the Demon King’s Army had completely retreated from the Barony of Berne, the northernmost part of the Arkrest Kingdom, and reportedly retreated deep into the Dark Wilderness to join the Romal Empire’s forces.

I, Dran Belrest, aide-de-camp to the Barony of Berne, was in the Galois governor’s office with my lord and fiancée, Christina Armadia Berne.

In a room with thorough anti-espionage measures, besides the two of us, the main figures involved in the war against the Demon King’s army, including the feudal lords of the northern part of the kingdom, were gathered.

The feudal lords who had returned to their territories after repelling the demon army were also invited. The reason for this was to convey the kingdom’s future policy regarding the demon army.

Since the Demon King’s Army had retreated with significant forces remaining, they could prepare for another invasion or opt for the opposite approach.

Many lords, already burdened by the war’s costs, would prefer not to prolong the conflict. However, would the kingdom offer any compensation?

In the windowless stone room, about twenty people are crammed in, seated around a large long table in order of their rank, with those of higher rank seated farther from the entrance.

Christina and I had achieved unparalleled military success in the recent battle against the demon army, but since we had not received any official rewards for our achievements yet, we were seated near the entrance in the lower seats according to our noble rank. I myself was standing behind Christina, who was seated.

Standing opposite us, with their backs to the wall, were the messengers from the kingdom.

One might expect our proactive crown prince to appear, but it was a mid-twenties Fox-tribe woman who showed up. She was a noble in vestments, living off royal rewards without a fiefdom.

Being chosen to convey the royal family’s intentions, she was undoubtedly a highly trusted and high-ranking individual.

Her short-cut brown hair slicked back with scented oil, and golden earrings dangled from her large ears, peeking through her hair.

Her uniform’s chest medals and shoulder patches suggested she was an officer. Hmm, she’s young, but there are cases like Chris. Perhaps she belongs to a long-lived race, with her actual and apparent ages diverging. Anyway, it’s impolite to inquire about a woman’s age.

The Fox-tribe, introducing herself as Conquer, unhesitatingly addressed the gathered lords, with male and female attendants of the same tribe by her side. She had intelligent-looking, narrow eyes, unknown to Chris and me.

「First, I want to express gratitude to all who fought bravely against this unprecedented national-scale invasion from the north. You may have heard His Majesty’s words, but as kingdom citizens, your courage and dedication humble us.」

After speaking, Conquer bent at the waist, bowing deeply, with her attendants mimicking her action. The one who gently spoke to her was Viscount Bearbe, seated near the top of the table. As the organizer of the Fort Jogan meeting, he was a key figure here too.

「Ha ha ha, if you say so, the fight was worth it. But the immediate battle just ended. Our struggle with the Demon King’s Army, and Mundus Carnus by extension, is far from over. The kingdom must feel the same, right, Conquer?」

「Yes. Everyone knows the once-retreated Demon King’s Army is reorganizing. The royal palace shares this view. The King and court are planning a strategy based on defeating the invading enemy. You are all expected to lead the vanguard.」

No one seemed overly surprised at Conquer’s words. Unless the plan was absurd or burdensome, nobody would protest in front of a royal messenger.

The discussion naturally led to Viscount Bearbe representing us, with Count Lestel and others silently observing.

「If we’re part of the vanguard, then the royal family and other lords are also deploying their forces, right?」

「Yes. When the Demon King’s Army declared war, we requested troops or funds from all kingdom lords. Responses have arrived, so organizing the army and planning the expedition won’t take long.」

「I see. So, the kingdom will deploy its maximum forces. And previously, we conveyed to His Majesty that Arc Witch’s participation is essential in any future battle against the Demon King’s Army. What about that?」

For those who had witnessed the battles of the Demon King’s six generals, Merle’s participation was essential in the fight against the Demon King’s army. There may be other strong individuals in the kingdom that I was not aware of, but Merle was certainly the one we can confidently vouch for as a military asset.

Lenia might be a greater asset than Merle in terms of power, but for the kingdom, she’s still a student. It’s not a situation to mobilize students, so recommending her would be inappropriate.

And Lenia might overdo it… No, considering her recent mental growth, she’d likely exercise restraint. But she probably won’t hold back on boasting about herself…

「The King and the court recognize the Demon King’s Army threat and have decided on Sir Merle’s deployment. He will join you with the organized army.」

Merle joining the battle was reassuring. She could handle one or two of the six demon generals. With her, the Arkrest Kingdom’s strength would literally differ by orders of magnitude. Other unknown kingdom powerhouses would likely join, opening a bit of the future outlook.

Even the previously composed lords were excited by the prospect of Merle, renowned as the strongest in neighboring countries, joining the battle, with some even smiling.

If Merle’s marriage gets mentioned, she’ll be disowned with half-serious, half-joking evaluations, like gaining magical power at the cost of male fortune or being cursed with vanishing love luck from a past life. Hopefully, Merle finds happiness in marriage.

I refused her apprenticeship offer when she went to the royal capital for the Magic Tournament. Had I accepted, I could have done something for her. It’s an extreme case, but asking marriage gods for favors was something only I could do. Well, in a different sense, I’m doing something unique here and in the Romal Empire.

And about the Demon King’s Army threat, the Arkrest Kingdom decided to form a joint front with the neighboring Romal Empire. This was already settled between His Majesty, Grand Duke Linosart, and Princess Asteria. This is one piece of evidence.

For Arkrest Kingdom’s lords, who had long seen the Romal Empire as a potential enemy, Chris’s prior mention of joining hands with the Romal Empire was shocking.

Viscount Bearbe, too, seemed deep in thought, stroking his partly white fur on the chest. Apparently, it’s a thinking habit. Only Chris and I didn’t share their surprise, with Chris signaling me with her eyes.

We, the Bernese, knew of the joint front through me, Gwandan, standing beside Amria.

Prince Sperion himself coming as an emissary was surprising. Half of it might be to see Amria’s face, or is that an overreach?

Then, from the envelopes Conquer’s followers carried, I saw what looked like documents… No, those were… my first sighting since reincarnating as Dran in Bern village. Hmmm, possibly from Hausen?

「These are the “photographs” provided by the Romal Empire. I was told that these are aerial views of the reinforcements from Mundus Carnus, their main cities, and the legions that you have defeated. I must confess that when I first saw it, and even now, I find it hard to believe.」
She meant not that such a thing was impossible but that it was hard to believe the Romal Empire was a nation capable of such things. Well, it was because of Haulzen and the legacy of other celestials that this was possible, so strictly speaking, it wasn’t an achievement of the Romal Empire.
In any case… She believed these kinds of photos were called satellite photos. The impact these brought was tremendous. All the feudal lords suddenly became noisy and started to stare intently at the satellite photos.
Sometimes even maps could be important information, but being photographed from far above was tantamount to being completely exposed. Anyone would be confused when shown something that was beyond the concept of intelligence protection in that era.
Even so, Christina and she alone were calmly observing, thinking that Merle could probably cast an illusion spell on an entire army corps, making them undetectable by either magical or scientific techniques.