3 bar menu

Chapter 108

・Side: Cardinal Mark

A field tent.

In a vast marshland—while being tired of the stench of the swamp, I muttered to myself.

「But really, this isn’t going well.」

As a military advisor from the Holy Empire and the number two of the Holy Church, I was thrown into this mess, but the situation on the front lines is dire.

In the northwest battlefield, heroes have reportedly defeated Ultimate Goblins, and in the west, the Sword Saint God has slain several Oni.

Before arriving on-site, I was excited about the good news, but as I learned about the situation on the front lines, that mood was instantly shattered.

「Final confirmation, what’s the enemy force?」

Inside the tent are currently four men.

Myself, representing the Holy Church, leading the elite of the 1,000-strong Holy Knight Order.

「I’ve confirmed multiple Ultimate Goblins. At least three, possibly more.」

The response comes from the military advisor of the World Federation, leading the 1,000-strong World Mixed Division. By the way, the World Federation seems to have had a hard time when several dignitaries suddenly disappeared.

The number three of the Holy Church also vanished, causing quite a commotion.

Anyway—

「We’ve spotted a group of Oni. Not just multiple individuals, but a group.」

This comes from the Grand Marshal, who oversees the Eastern Coalition, not affiliated with the World Federation. They also command a force of 1,000.

「It looks like this is the real deal.」

And finally, a mysterious boy acting as the proxy for the Grand Guildmaster who oversees the Adventurer’s Guild.

Their force also consists of 1,000 skilled guild members…

「I specifically instructed for the Grandmaster… but why is a boy like you here?」

「Well… don’t worry about the details.」

The mysterious boy smiles.

Why is such an out-of-place boy here… My headache intensifies.

At that moment, the Grand Marshal of the Eastern Coalition speaks up.

「The presence of the Massacre Demon has also been confirmed.」

「Massacre Demon?」

He nodded in response to my words.

「He’s a famous warrior from the East. He became a vampire’s minion 2,000 years ago, extending his lifespan… since then— he’s become a living legend, wandering battlefields, honing himself. His power is so great that he’s been called a one-man Apocalypse… any army would be decimated by him alone. We can’t accurately gauge his strength.」

And then the boy smirked.

「So, Merlin, are you listening? It seems they’re the main targets after all. It was a great decision to send me… Cordelia and Lilith would have a tough time facing the Massacre Demon.」

「What are you talking about?」

「Ah, forget about me. This is a different story.」

「I understand the communication technique, but isn’t the Grandmaster supposed to be here?」

「Haven’t you heard from the Guild’s Grandmaster? We should inform those who need to know about this meeting through our own channels… that’s the plan.」

At that, I stand up and grab the boy’s collar.

「This is a crucial pre-battle meeting for the survival of humanity! Why are you leaking information to someone unknown? Do you understand what you’re doing?」

「Geez… old man of the Guild… aren’t you useless? Weren’t you included in the conversation?」

With that, the boy takes out three crystal balls from his pocket.

「So, shall I tell you who I’m communicating with?」

「That’s the bare minimum requirement. There’s a possibility of espionage, and depending on the situation, you could be sentenced here—」

Light pours out from the crystal balls on the table, and an image starts to form above them.

It’s a relatively popular method for remote meetings between distant locations, well… It’s a method where you talk face to face through crystal balls.

「What… what is this… long time no see.」

The Eastern Grand Marshal kneels on the spot.

「I see. So, if the boy is here… that’s what it means.」

The military advisor from the World Federation shrugs in disbelief.

「The Dragon King… Liu Hai… and Merlin the Forbidden Magic User, right? Boy— who are you exactly?」

With a defiant smile, the boy speaks.

「I’m Lute Mclane… I’m just a villager.」