321 Chapter
It might be called reconciliation, but who knows.
Ray parted ways with Johanna in good spirits after resolving their differences and left Izhise with a smile.
From his split lip came the metallic taste of blood, mixed with the faint, exquisite fragrance that clung to Johanna.
“Hmm…”
As he caught whiffs of her perfume, it struck him anew how the once-naïve child had grown into something more.
Walking down the street alone, Ray chuckled softly before exhaling a sigh of relief.
He felt at ease now that his conversation with Johanna, which he’d been worried about internally, seemed to have gone well.
Now it seemed he could fully focus on the expedition ahead.
However…
A few days later, Ray encountered an unexpected obstacle.
Well, it was an obstacle he had anticipated but tried to ignore.
Just as military forces began gathering in full swing in the Imperial Capital…
Ray found himself dangling by the armpits in the streets of the capital, held up by Saria.
Fortunately, Diorica, who accompanied Saria, cast a spell to conceal both Ray and Saria from prying eyes.
Shaking the drooping Ray, Saria said,
“Auntie is sad.”
Those words carried significant meaning.
Saria was deeply hurt that Ray had proceeded with various matters without consulting her at all.
Though she didn’t criticize Ray’s decisions, Saria made one request:
“Let me come along. To the Demonic Realm.”
“Mm, no way, absolutely not.”
It was completely out of the question.
Had Saria been in perfect condition, Ray might not have tried to stop her.
However, the issue of Saria’s curse remained unresolved.
Even the Papacy had judged it difficult to lift the curse and had attempted to create a custom holy artifact for her. But with the decision for the Demonic Realm expedition, progress on creating Saria’s artifact had fallen behind.
Moreover, even if they did have the custom artifact ready, it wouldn’t solve the problem.
Entering the Demonic Realm would weaken the artifact’s effectiveness while amplifying the curse.
Currently, the symptoms were merely continuous minor bleeding, but inside the Demonic Realm, the situation would undoubtedly worsen significantly.
In short, unless Saria intended to die, engaging in combat within the Demonic Realm in her current state was impossible.
Pointing this out, Ray spoke frankly:
“If the curse intensifies, Auntie won’t last long. If you come along, you’ll only end up being a burden to me.”
“…”
While Ray’s argument was correct…
For Saria, sending Ray alone into the Demonic Realm was an extremely difficult decision to accept.
“…Nephew.”
“Nyeong? What is it?”
Trying to lighten the mood with cuteness, Ray wiggled, only to be shaken by Saria, revealing her sadness.
“I only have you left, nephew.”
“Eh… Um… Auntie…”
Ray scratched the back of his head.
After pondering for a moment, Ray smiled somewhat sorrowfully and conveyed his sincere thoughts to Saria:
“Auntie, I hope… that you can move forward, overcoming these wounds.”
“…”
“I know you’ve endured dozens of times the shock that would’ve broken ordinary people. But… Auntie, you’re a strong person. You’re also diligent and warm-hearted, just like our father.”
“…”
“Thanks to Auntie’s dedication, I’ve come this far. But… I don’t want my existence to become a shackle that keeps you tied to the past.”
“…”
“That’s why I hope you can look around, not be bound by the past, and move forward toward the path you wish to take.”
Watching Saria’s slightly trembling eyelids, Ray quickly added:
“Of course, no matter what, your nephew loves you very much.”
Saria reacted immediately.
“Our dear, adorable nephew.”
Smacksmacksmacksmacksmack
Under the barrage of kisses from Saria, Ray screamed and flailed in distress.
After enduring quite a bit of kissing, Ray was finally released.
Fortunately, Saria didn’t persist in making things difficult for Ray.
After concluding his conversation with Saria, Ray briefly faced Diorica.
Diorica greeted first with proper respect:
“It’s been a long time since we’ve met.”
“It’s been a while, cousin-in-law.”
“Haha… Is the real cousin doing well?”
“Yes, I’m fine, but… why do you look so unwell?”
“…I will also be participating in the expedition.”
“Ah…”
There was a reason for the troubled expression.
Since the Emperor had declared the expedition, the nobility of the Empire had to respond accordingly.
The more powerful families were expected to show their commitment, and it appeared that the Alstein Duchy had sent Diorica as their representative.
Diorica had enough prestige and skill to represent the duchy well. However, because she mainly operated from the Magic Tower and kept somewhat distant from internal family affairs, it seemed this unwanted responsibility had fallen to her.
With a stern face, Diorica asked Ray:
“Do you think there’s any hope of succeeding in this expedition?”
“You know I strongly advocated for it, right?”
“…”
“I’m not stupid enough to stake the fate of the Empire on a hopeless gamble.”
“Haa, forgive me for asking such a foolish question.”
“Of course, guaranteeing victory outright is difficult. However, this isn’t an unwinnable war. So please, muster your resolve and join me.”
“Understood.”
“Because of the work I’ve started, you’ll endure hardships. When the opportunity arises, I’ll find a way to repay you.”
As Ray said this jokingly, Diorica managed a tired smile in response.
*
While the expeditionary force was smoothly assembling…
At the Continental Conference, intense discussions were underway to establish strategies for use during the expedition.
The general location of Preches and the terrain of the Demonic Realm leading up to it—information obtained through the sacrifice of Guardian-level Elves—was provided by the Elves.
Thanks to this, essential information was secured, yet it still wasn’t enough to formulate a proper strategy.
However, given the current point in time, neither the resources nor the time existed to gather additional information about the Demonic Realm. Thus, they had to plan based on the limited knowledge they possessed.
“We need to increase the ratio of Clerics capable of handling divine power within the units…”
“We should identify potential locations suitable as bases…”
Experts in military strategy and tactics brought ancient records spanning hundreds of years to continue their fervent discussions.
The Emperor also participated actively, and among those present, his words held the most value.
The Emperor had indirectly experienced large and small wars over a thousand-year span.
What could have become mere theoretical discussion took shape under the Emperor’s leadership.
Ray, having returned to the capital, also attended the meeting to help establish the strategy.
“…”
Knowing his own lack of expertise in this area, Ray kept silent and listened attentively.
However, as he quietly observed, he noticed that those conducting the strategy meeting focused less on “how to conquer the Demonic Realm” and more on “how to retreat from it.”
At first glance, it seemed everyone was more interested in retreating rather than winning the war.
But this was close to a misunderstanding.
The purpose of the Demonic Realm expedition was to eliminate Preches.
To achieve this, they needed to reach the heart of the Demonic Realm.
However, it was impossible to gradually expand their foothold while slowly advancing in the Demonic Realm due to the severe lack of information.
Ultimately, the expeditionary force had only one option:
“Form the first front line at the outer region of the Demonic Realm, then have the vanguard penetrate like a spearhead towards the core.”
This couldn’t even be called a deep penetration operation.
If they followed the plan, the front lines would form a withered triangular shape with Preches’ position as the vertex, and such a formation would collapse in an instant.
Still, they needed to maintain the front lines for a short period to secure a retreat route.
“So eventually… We’re planning to create temporary bases along the front lines, support each other organically, and buy some time…”
Even if this proved possible, it was predicted that the amount of time they could hold out would be incredibly short.
In other words, this war would be a tight ‘time attack’ for the vanguard of the expeditionary force tasked with striking Preches.
If the vanguard’s advance stalls beyond a certain time due to variables in the Demonic Realm, the operation would fail at that point.
Upon failure, the bases and front lines would collapse, necessitating a swift retreat before the entire force was annihilated within the Demonic Realm.
“…”
Thus, those participating in the meeting fiercely debated how to ensure the maximum preservation of troops during retreat.
Due to the unpredictability of the Demonic Realm variables, there were too many scenarios to consider.
“This will turn into chaotic warfare. For organic troop movement, we need to prepare as many real-time communication devices as possible for the commanders. Otherwise, there’s a high risk of being instantly fragmented and wiped out.”
“Are there real-time communication devices usable in the Demonic Realm?”
“Devices utilizing A-Space magic are feasible. The Royal Magic Tower is currently mobilizing all its resources to supplement the insufficient communication equipment.”
“To ensure the success of the operation, we must concentrate our elite forces in the central area.”
“If we do that and the rear front collapses, the expedition’s elites will be wiped out.”
“Hmm… It’s giving me a headache figuring out the organization.”
“While efficiency may drop, reorganization seems necessary. We can’t assign a single nation’s forces, excluding the Empire, sole responsibility for a base.”
Intense debates continued throughout the night.
Establishing the command structure and troop deployment of the expeditionary force were politically sensitive issues, inevitably raising voices.
And the Emperor firmly controlled all these problems, decisively rejecting unrealistic or overly complex operational plans.
How had the Empire maintained its status as humanity’s dominant power for a thousand years?
The Emperor was clearly demonstrating the answer to that question.
“…”
Meanwhile,
Ray maintained his composure, concealing his frustration as the strategy became increasingly clear. Until the very end, the main topic of the meeting revolved around “how to retreat with minimal losses.”
*
The expeditionary force was gathering in two places.
Currently, the expeditionary forces from the Rubia Kingdom and the Alimo Kingdom, under direct influence of the Empire, had arrived in the Imperial Capital and were joining forces with the Imperial army.
Expeditionary forces from other nations were heading south to be reorganized under the Holy Order.
Of course, it wasn’t just the soldiers who were busy.
With the continent entering a total war posture, everyone scrambled to replenish the materials needed for the war.
The Empire armed its soldiers by releasing stored goods and artifacts.
Other nations and factions also disclosed their hidden supplies under semi-coercive measures to support the expeditionary force.
Major magic towers across the continent worked tirelessly to produce as many artifacts as possible for the war within the given timeframe.
The Papacy also released numerous sacred items that had been secretly preserved.
An unprecedented large-scale army was rapidly taking shape.
Then, as the departure date drew near…
Ray, cloaked in a robe, was resting at a tavern in the Imperial Capital, enjoying a drink.
Though located in the Imperial Capital, this tavern was not a space frequented by nobles, so none of the patrons recognized Ray, who wore a hood.
As the army gathered, the Imperial Capital grew increasingly chaotic, whether for better or worse.
The topics of conversation among the patrons were all related to the war.
“This is insane.”
A man with a well-trained body drank heavily, showing signs of agitation.
“We’re crawling into hell. Everyone’s going to die horribly.”
“…”
His companion sitting opposite sighed repeatedly.
As alcohol flowed, the complaints-filled voice of the man grew louder.
Finally, the man, scowling like a demon, shouted loudly.
“Damn it!! Why am I walking into hell?! This is some idiotic suicide mission…!!”
Bang!!
The man’s head was slammed onto the table, gripped by Ray’s hand.
Ray pressed down on the shoulder of the startled companion as he tried to stand.
“Hmm… Tell your friend to watch his words. Do you know what punishment military law prescribes?”
“…Sorry. We’ll be more careful.”
The companion, quick on the uptake, immediately bowed his head and apologized.
The moment Ray released the unconscious man’s head, another voice came from behind.
“Lord Prizzlan requests your presence.”
“Hmm? Let’s go.”
Ray nodded to Adoya and stood up.
Meanwhile, others in the tavern froze in shock upon hearing the name Adoya mentioned.
Regardless, Ray followed Adoya out of the tavern and briefly visited the mansion of the Prizzran Clan.
“Have you arrived?”
Ernst greeted Ray in his study.
After Ray lightly paid his respects, Ernst got straight to the point.
“In a week, the expeditionary force gathered in the Imperial Capital will head south. There, they will join with the southern expeditionary force and… enter the Demonic Realm.”
“…”
Ray studied Ernst’s face for a moment.
Ray thought Ernst might interrogate him about the “Sacred Sword” at least once.
Not necessarily an interrogation, but perhaps subtly probe him.
But Ernst didn’t ask Ray anything about the Sacred Sword or Anthonyus.
After contemplating Ernst’s inner thoughts, Ray refocused on his words.
“You will participate in the expedition as His Majesty the Emperor’s proxy.”
“It’s an honor.”
“I didn’t call you here to hear that. It seems you will need to deliver a speech on behalf of His Majesty the Emperor to the army gathered in the Imperial Capital before departure.”
“Am I supposed to speak? Excuse me for saying so, but is it really necessary?”
Perhaps if the Emperor were far away.
But there was no need for Ray to act on behalf of the Emperor in the Imperial Capital.
Ernst nodded in agreement and answered Ray’s question.
“It is His Majesty’s wish. He believes that having someone stepping forward from the battlefield will boost the morale of the army.”
“…Yes, understood.”
“Will you prepare the speech yourself?”
“No, it’s fine.”
“If so, please review the prepared speech when it’s ready.”
“Yes, though… I’ll read it as written.”
“Good. And… His Majesty the Emperor will temporarily entrust you with the new imperial Sacred Sword.”
Ray, genuinely surprised, asked,
“Pardon?”
Glory (6)
