[Side Story – Friction [2]]
[10]
“Grania?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Grania was one of the most peripheral regions of the Empire.
If the Warp Gate in Grania couldn’t be used, it wouldn’t be easy to make a round trip from the Imperial Capital.
Despite the risk of being isolated, Luna had dispatched more than half of the few people she trusted.
Whether this stemmed from confidence or some other hidden agenda was unclear for now.
However, an opportunity is an opportunity. It was a golden chance to crush those few individuals Luna trusted.
“Did you say to capture them alive?”
“…Should we encounter them, the Sacred Maiden has asked us not to take their lives.”
“Hmm…”
It made sense.
Killing Luna’s close aides would immediately escalate the conflict.
In a direct confrontation, it would be the Sacred Country that would be obliterated.
Eliminating figures who were valuable as hostages would undoubtedly be counterproductive.
“Hmm…”
The man clenched his fists so tightly they might shatter, then took deep, labored breaths before regaining composure and standing up.
“How many troops can we gather at ‘Lucern’ by the appointed time?”
*
Johanna, having accepted Luna’s request, headed toward Grania.
Jimy, Didier, Delun, and Hayden accompanied Johanna.
Of course, the five weren’t all there; several members of houses that had sworn allegiance to the new Emperor were also included in the group.
Johanna didn’t move covertly. The circumstances didn’t allow for it.
At this point, even with utmost caution, it was inevitable that information would leak.
Luna, using Lea as her figurehead, still needed more time to fully consolidate control over the Empire.
Thus, Johanna’s party decided to openly announce their schedule and proceed accordingly.
After leaving the Imperial Capital and traveling nonstop, Johanna’s group arrived at the city known as ‘Lucern.’
Lucern was one of the cities serving as a hub connecting the southern and western parts of the Empire.
Though located on the periphery, it wasn’t a particularly backward city.
Upon Johanna’s arrival at Lucern, Earl Alian, responsible for the city’s administration, warmly welcomed Johanna’s group.
“Pleased to meet you.”
Earl Alian greeted Johanna’s group quite cordially.
However, as soon as Hayden sat down, he bluntly cut to the chase.
“Remove and expel all personnel affiliated with the Sacred Country from their posts.”
At Hayden’s demand, Earl Alian merely smiled.
This prompted Hayden’s tone to become slightly more forceful.
“Do you intend to oppose the Empire?”
“What do you mean by that? Lucern is undeniably part of the Empire, and I am a noble loyal to the Empire. However…”
Earl Alian sighed deeply before continuing with a solemn expression.
“These are difficult times, aren’t they? In such times, trust and unity are crucial. The Empire has always embraced the church and worked together—why must we foster enmity now?”
Though his words seemed reasonable, it ultimately amounted to a declaration of cooperation with the Sacred Country.
Before Hayden could respond, Jimy spoke first.
“It won’t be fun if you keep acting this way.”
With an entirely un-noble tone, Jimy glared at Earl Alian.
“Send word to Grania. If you don’t want bloodshed, tell the Sacred Country folks to clear out before we arrive.”
“…”
“And Lucern, stop hesitating and testing the waters. Make sure you ‘clean up’ properly. We expect everything to be wrapped up by the time we return from Grania. You don’t want to be branded a traitor, do you?”
“…!”
When Jimy mentioned traitors, Earl Alian’s composure cracked.
But he quickly regained his expression and forced a smile.
“Hmm, there seems to be some misunderstanding…”
Earl Alian appeared eager to continue negotiations.
However, Hayden unilaterally announced that they would depart for Grania in two hours, then stood up.
The others also rose, claiming they had places to be.
Once all the guests had left, Earl Alian finally let out a hollow laugh.
“That insolent bastard…”
While everything else could be overlooked, what truly infuriated Earl Alian was Jimy’s audacity to mention treason right in front of him.
Damn traitor… Worse still, having to grovel before a lowly mercenary who clearly lacked refinement was an indignity Earl Alian would not easily forget.
“I’ll watch how long that arrogance of yours lasts.”
*
Not long after arriving at Lucern,
Johanna’s group hastened preparations to head toward Grania.
The situation was urgent, but Lucern was clearly not friendly toward Johanna’s group anyway.
There was no need to linger in Lucern, bearing unnecessary anxiety.
As Johanna checked her weapons, she asked Jimy,
“Will the people from the Sacred Country retreat peacefully from Lucern and Grania?”
“In my opinion, no. If they were going to back off, they would have done so already.”
Based on Earl Alian’s actions and words, it seemed they were prepared to risk open conflict.
Their outward calm likely indicated an intention to wait until the other side threw the first punch.
That way, they’d have justification.
“…”
It seemed Lucern had already decided to align itself with the Sacred Country’s sphere of influence.
For some reason, Jimy’s expression grew serious as he repeatedly rubbed his cheek.
After observing Jimy for a moment, Johanna stood up.
“It’s time to go.”
The distance between Lucern and Grania wasn’t very far.
After mounting their horses, Johanna’s group began moving out of the city.
They planned to ride initially, then rely on spirit assistance for the latter part of the journey.
“Hmm…”
While guiding his horse, Delun slowly looked around.
Although much smaller than the large cities near the Imperial Capital, Lucern still had its sights worth seeing.
The townsfolk, under the red sky, carried expressions of worry and tension, yet Delun sensed vitality in Lucern.
At that moment, Jimy called out to Delun.
“Delun, stop looking around and focus ahead.”
“…?”
Delun didn’t understand why Jimy had made such a request.
Ignoring Delun’s puzzled gaze, Jimy briefly asked Hayden,
“Did you finish the job properly?”
“As instructed.”
Hayden nodded slightly and moved forward.
Earl Alian personally saw Johanna’s group off.
Immediately after crossing the city limits, Johanna’s group quickly traveled toward Grania.
As they approached Grania, sand mixed with the wind, making their eyes sting.
After wrapping their faces with cloth and advancing with the help of wind spirits, Grania soon became visible beyond the horizon.
“Hmph…”
Jimy wiped the sand from the corners of his eyes and heightened his alertness.
From here on, the likelihood of armed conflict was high.
Sure enough, as they neared Grania, dozens of troops were lined up, openly displaying hostility toward Johanna’s group.
A classic show of military intimidation. Their apparent commander wore armor adorned with a crest resembling the Sacred Sword and radiated divine power.
Under normal circumstances, there might have been a standoff involving psychological warfare, but Johanna’s group had no intention of doing so.
Jimy issued the order.
“Subdue them. No killing unless necessary.”
BOOM!!
Johanna immediately drew her sword and charged forward.
The forces of the Sacred Country, who had been preparing for a standoff in front of Grania, panicked when Johanna’s group suddenly attacked from the front.
“What the hell…!!”
Such unruly opponents existed.
Before they could fully vent their frustration, their weapons clashed.
KA-BOOM!!!
The troops stationed in front of Grania were not of particularly high caliber.
In contrast, Johanna’s group included both graduates and high-ranking mages.
Due to the vast difference in skill levels, Johanna’s group easily subdued the enemy without killing them.
Meanwhile, the Sacred Country’s mages waiting inside Grania noticed their allies collapsing one by one and moved toward the Warp Gate.
“So, according to plan…”
The mages began manipulating mana to activate the Warp Gate.
However, just before they could complete the relatively quick task, a flash of light descended from the sky.
“?!”
KABOOM!!
An explosion erupted where the light struck.
Blown back by the shockwave, the mages rolled across the ground for quite a distance.
Even those swinging swords were taken aback by the sudden change and stepped back to assess the situation.
From afar, where the light had been fired,
Ulte was approaching alongside Resina.
*
“It’s been…a while.”
Ulte awkwardly greeted Johanna.
In the time since they last met, Johanna had changed significantly.
Pushing aside his discomfort and unease, Ulte exchanged greetings with those he recognized.
By the time Ulte had finished these brief formalities,
The captured members of the Sacred Country were loudly protesting against Johanna, Jimy, and Ulte.
“How dare you behave so unjustly!”
“Do the self-proclaimed representatives of the Empire know nothing but oppression through force?”
“Why does the elf collaborate in the tyranny of the Empire? Is this truly the will of all elves?”
As Hayden, who had been monitoring the Warp Gate, shook his head.
“It’s locked.”
It would take at least a day to activate it.
Thanks to Ulte’s intervention, the Warp Gate was only partially sealed instead of completely locked.
“Hmph…”
Jimy wiped his face.
As expected, Johanna’s group was isolated here.
Johanna’s group had resorted to armed conflict to secure the Warp Gate.
Yet, the defending forces here were strangely weak, and the Warp Gate was sealed.
Ultimately, they had unnecessarily launched a preemptive strike, giving the opposing side justification.
“This was a trap, wasn’t it…”
The Sacred Country’s forces here were merely bait.
The real main force of the Sacred Country was likely mobilizing, using Lucern as a base.
There was also a high probability that a hidden force planted by the Sacred Country existed in the desert stronghold city in the opposite direction of Lucern.
If they stayed here, they’d be surrounded from both sides.
Realizing the situation, Ulte advised Johanna’s group to retreat.
“To temporarily take refuge in the elves’ territory…”
Currently, it seemed like the wisest choice.
With the elves’ help, it should be possible to evade any ambush waiting in the desert stronghold city.
However, Jimy slightly shook his head and glanced at the captured members of the Sacred Country.
“In the future…you might want to remember this.”
“…?”
“The one we serve isn’t exactly merciful.”
Jimy turned away with a wry expression.
Simultaneously, a massive flash erupted on the horizon.
In the direction where Lucern lay.
