Chapter 93
Lions are predators.
Most herbivores fear lions, and seasoned hunters typically lose their lives to their claws and fangs, becoming mere sustenance.
The female lion of the empire, Charlotte von Bismarck, had already disposed of an old and sick male lion with her own claws and had devoured countless prey with her sharp fangs.
Thus, she needed to understand. Where there are beings that can be preyed upon by predators, there also exist overwhelming beings that even seasoned hunters cannot touch.
Bang──!!!
It was simply a punch. Yet, a soldier struck by the punch flew away, causing the skulls of all the soldiers behind him to shatter. In just one punch, hundreds of elite soldiers lost their lives.
Not only that, the colossal white figure that appeared alongside it swallowed thousands of soldiers with each opening of its jaws. Until the moment they were devoured, the soldiers had no idea what it actually was.
They could do nothing. They felt utterly powerless. This was the sentiment of the elite army of the Bismarck Empire, one of the finest in the world.
And the same went for Schwarte. Tactics? Strategy? Such things were of no use. What good was it to form a battle line if it could crumble with just one punch?
“What on earth… what the hell is this…!!”
Schwarte felt that his more than twenty years of service as an officer were being completely invalidated. What was happening now could not be explained by any common sense.
Crack────!!!
Schwarte fell from his horse. It was due to the white monstrosity that passed right by him, devouring soldiers. Schwarte made eye contact with it. Its size was great, and its eyes were as large as a decent-sized building. It swallowed soldiers and naturally faded into the pitch-black fog.
In the dark night, the 30,000 elite soldiers of the Bismarck Empire and 1,000 magic combat soldiers vanished in the blink of an eye. All by a single individual. Three figures appeared, but two of them didn’t even engage in battle.
Only one man, with golden eyes gleaming in the darkness, stared at the fallen Schwarte. This was Nahun acting alone.
“Hah… hahaha… hah…!!”
Schwarte could only look at him, laughing foolishly like a madman. Nahun then grasped his neck.
“Gah!”
“Schwarte Hatzveld. I’ll ask, just in case.”
Nahun valued talented individuals. The recruitment of capable individuals was paramount for the future of Seere. If Charlotte was to choose someone as her right-hand, Schwarte’s abilities were already proven.
“Will you not join me?”
“…Yes… to become your man.”
“I recognize your competence. Talented individuals are necessary for everyone, and that includes me as well.”
Nahun said.
“If you come under my command, I guarantee you position, compensation, and honor.”
“…Hah.”
Schwarte chuckled. And looked straight at Nahun. The reality was one where he couldn’t even move a finger, but his gaze did not falter.
“Stop talking nonsense. I have only one lord. The only one who can command me is…”
The most promising young general of the imperial army, Schwarte Hatzveld, showed his loyalty until the very end.
“Only Her Highness Charlotte von Bismarck.”
“…Is that so.”
Nahun tightened his grip.
After assessing the situation, Nahun spoke to Eri and Dein.
“Dein, Eri.”
“Yes.”
“Yes, Nahun.”
“We need to stay hidden for a while.”
“Are we returning to the Demon World?”
“No.”
There was no need to return to the Demon World for now. For a while, Seere would likely manage just fine. It was better to witness firsthand how the civil war unfolded and how the human world was faring.
“We need to stay here for a while.”
“We should find a suitable identity.”
“Right. Hmm…”
Nahun pondered for a moment before speaking to Dein and Eri.
“You two should disguise yourselves as a married couple.”
“…What?”
“Excuse me!?”
“The safest guise for young men and women living together is to be in a marital relationship.”
“Um… isn’t family also an option?”
“In what way do you look like family?”
Dein and Eri were completely different in appearance. While both were attractive, their vibes were distinct. Eri exuded a cute and lovable appearance, while Dein had a sharp and cold demeanor. If they were to be said to be siblings, it was clear that no one would believe it.
“Well then, what about you, Nahun?”
“I cannot stay in one place.”
“What?”
“If I do, the Celestial Being will catch on. I need to keep moving and assess the situation.”
“Ah…”
“Therefore, your roles are crucial. Hide in a small country near the Holy Kingdom or the Empire. Find a foothold along the border. Then, investigate how the civil war in the Empire plays out.”
As Nahun snapped his fingers, a pen and a sheet of paper appeared. He wrote something down and handed it to Dein.
“Report to the designated location every two days.”
“Understood.”
“Dein, Eri.”
“Yes.”
“Yes?”
Nahun spoke in a serious tone.
“I believe you will do well.”
“……”
The two exchanged brief glances. Then, as if by unison, they nodded and responded.
“Yes!”
“Yes!”
#
“Schwarte is… dead?”
“…Yes.”
In Charlotte’s office, news had just arrived.
The 30,000 elite soldiers sent to Delos Castle, the 1,000 magic combat soldiers, and the death of Schwarte Hatzveld. Even Charlotte couldn’t remain unshaken after hearing all of this.
Especially since Schwarte was not only a close aide to the princess but also a comrade from the Northern War, his death struck with even greater shock. Charlotte momentarily dropped her pen, and Theodore, who conveyed the news, flinched.
“Your Highness, are you alright?!”
“…What on earth.”
“Your Highness…”
“Who did he die to?!”
Charlotte’s expression twisted with rage. To her, Theodore quietly offered advice.
“Your Highness, do stay composed.”
“…….”
“It seems they caught on to our movements from the North in advance. Otherwise, it wouldn’t make sense.”
“…I see.”
With Theodore’s logical deduction, Charlotte regained her composure. Seeing her sharp mind return so quickly was somewhat unsettling for Theodore.
“It must have been intercepted from the North. That’s the only possibility. So, have we identified who mobilized the army?”
“The Garde are investigating, but so far…”
“Find out as quickly as possible… as quickly as you can.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
After Theodore withdrew, Charlotte, alone in her office, ground her teeth. Just as Theodore guessed, the North had indeed caught wind of their movements.
However, this order had been a highly classified operation conducted with extreme confidentiality. At that time, in the princess’s office, only Charlotte, Schwarte, and Theodore had been discussing these matters.
Schwarte was dead, and Theodore could not rule out any possibilities. It was Theodore who suggested this theory in the first place.
Of course, this was the story from a common perspective. Charlotte was a person who considered all possibilities. She lightly tapped her fingers on the desk four times.
“Did you call for me?”
At that moment, a person descended from the ceiling of the office. Charlotte had intentionally made an access route through the ceiling block. The one who came down was Eric, the leader of the Garde.
“Eric, investigate Theodore.”
“Understood.”
“Start immediately.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Charlotte’s response was rational. The only ones who had been aware of the discussions at that time were Schwarte and Theodore, and since Eric, a Garde, had been constantly by her side, there had been no time to relay the news outside.
In the end, only Schwarte and Theodore knew about the operation to strike Delos Castle. With Schwarte dead, that left only Theodore.
But Charlotte was unaware. She was responding appropriately to the surrounding situation, yet this event had occurred due to the act of a completely different third party.
“Your Highness!!”
Suddenly, Theodore returned. Charlotte raised her eyebrows slightly as she looked at him.
“…What is it, Theodore?”
“Your Highness has departed for the North!!”
“…What?”
“They say it’s for inspection… it doesn’t make sense! She left sneaking out in the early morning without informing you!”
“…….”
Charlotte’s eyes widened. Knowing what awaited in the North, she immediately understood her sister’s intent in heading there. Her sharp mind swiftly judged what she needed to do.
“Bind the one who managed the palace gates in the early morning.”
The extraordinarily intelligent mind quickly realized that she had only one choice. Charlotte ground her teeth and gave orders in preparation for what she had desperately wished to avoid.
“And prepare for war.”
“…What?”
“Damn it, it seems my sister is trying to drag the North into a civil war.”
Charlotte stood up. Her sky-blue hair swayed slightly. The empire’s female lion let out a derisive laugh as she spoke.
“Does she truly wish for me to bite my own neck?”
#
“Your Highness.”
Inside the Demon King Castle on the 66th floor, there were two unfamiliar women. They were clean above the waist, but stained with blood below. The shocking part was that it wasn’t their blood, but that of others.
The pointed ears adorned atop their flowing hair indicated they belonged to the Evilkatt race. The strongest swordswoman of the Evilkatt race, Lin El Lazine, gently advised her young master.
“Lord Nahun has requested that Demon Kings be spared whenever possible. Have you forgotten?”
“…I know.”
And the young Demon King, Seere von Debata, who had turned Amducius into almost a pulp, spoke as though she had no intention of doing anything from the start.
“I was going to go easy and stop.”
Seere said this, but Lin felt otherwise. The corridors leading up to this point were a scene of brutal slaughter. The remnants of Amducius’ forces, who resisted until the last moment, met a gruesome end.
“Why did the teacher say we should leave the Demon Kings alive?”
“To prepare for the Great War against the Celestial Demons, we must spare the Demon Kings.”
“But…”
“Yes?”
“What help could those with no power or influence possibly provide during the Great War?”
Seere asked with genuine curiosity, tilting her head. To her question, Lin glanced at the mangled Amducius and replied.
“They could at least serve as a shield.”
“Hm.”
Seere puffed her cheeks slightly in dissatisfaction but decided to comply since it was a request from Nahun.
“Alright, they seem useless, but… since it’s the teacher’s words.”
Seere, seemingly losing interest, left the throne room, while Lin went to fetch a medic to save the half-dead Amducius.
As Seere exited the Demon King Castle, her army outside stood in unison, saluting her.
“The 5th Legion has completed the northern perimeter clean-up on the 66th floor.”
“The 6th Legion has finished securing the southern perimeter of the 66th floor.”
“The 7th Legion has subdued the Demon King Castle and the central area. All soldiers are now captured.”
“The 8th Legion has cleared the western perimeter of the 66th floor.”
Seere successfully cleaned up all remaining military zones except for the eastern part where her forces entered. Although there were damages incurred during the process, they were not fatal.
Seere smiled.
“Good job, everyone.”
She felt assured that they were properly fulfilling what Nahun had asked of her. And if everything continued like this…
“Prepare to regroup and head to the next floor immediately.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
When the teacher returned, she was sure there would be a sweet reward awaiting her.
Still sweet enough to make her hum a tune, Seere headed towards her barracks.
