Chapter 272

“Your Excellency Duke Valencius. What on earth is going on?”

Eric looked bewildered, like he’d been hit on the back of the head, as he surveyed the chaotic encampment and the dying soldiers.

“Did you really intend to kill all our soldiers?”

His blue eyes trembled with horror.

“If that’s the case—.”

Ah, I didn’t know how to describe what had happened.

“Counselor, it’s not what you’re thinking, so don’t worry.”

“Don’t tell me not to worry! Is that something you can say now? Two thousand of our soldiers are gasping for breath!”

Eric raised his voice, shaking slightly.

Seeing a mage, who was setting off mushroom clouds, acting like this made me feel somewhat proud.

How beautiful is the sight of someone overcoming their fear for the greater good?

I decided to speak freely for him.

“Two thousand. To escort them to the rear, we’ll need almost all our remaining troops. Isn’t that sufficient justification to report to the home parliament? General Brnoa has called forth infiltrators, and during the engagement with those infiltrators, we sustained such severe losses that we cannot continue fighting. How does that sound?”

For a moment, Eric looked taken aback.

“Is that… true?”

If it’s true, it would be enough to break the morale of the military and the pro-war faction in an instant.

The war—singing war songs—had been proven to be unprepared for reality.

The satisfaction of gaining political capital was short-lived, as Eric’s handsome face quickly turned to one of sorrow.

“…General Brnoa.”

He walked ahead, leading me away from the officers of the Land of Lanzo Republic.

“Your Highness, it can’t be that General Brnoa is truly one of the infiltrators, can it?”

I frowned.

“It is true that he dealt with the infiltrators. He had the magic tools used to summon them.”

“Ah….”

“But considering how he handled the sacred relics and how he appeared during the infiltration—what I saw before—it’s likely he was originally clean. At least in a physical sense.”

Eric let out a deep sigh.

“Thank you for your consideration, Your Excellency Duke Valencius.”

I chuckled lazily and shrugged.

“I only spoke the truth.”

Of course, I only spoke of the parts that favored me.

“Besides, the infiltrators are also enemies of our empire.”

During the fight with the High Priest, they used the soldiers of the Land of Lanzo Republic as fodder.

But considering I nearly died too, I had no complaints, right?

Of course, they died, and I almost did, but in such situations, it was best to argue that the process mattered more than the outcome.

However, unlike me, who was calculating, Eric looked genuinely impressed.

“People fought together, crossing the boundaries of nationality and status. This will serve as justification in the parliament when we speak of cooperation, coexistence, and equality.”

“…….”

Right.

Once again, I am the only jerk.

Of course, a member of the Land of Lanzo Republic could make such flowery speeches as easily as breathing.

But I knew Eric was not that kind of person.

He was someone who could come to me and humbly bow his head to ask for help.

I sighed softly and shared the situation I had grasped.

“I originally came to assassinate Brnoa and help the faction opposed to him take command.”

Eric blinked.

“What?”

“It’s a tactic frequently used in the empire. You kill the head and help someone like his younger brother or second son, who would normally not be the head, to become the head.”

More accurately, it was a tactic I often used, not just in the empire.

“Just a little push will lead things to naturally unfold this way. When the leader dies, the factions that personally followed that leader within the organization get shaken, while the second-in-command’s faction grows stronger.”

“Then… why did this mess happen? You only intended to eliminate Brnoa and a few pro-war supporters, didn’t you?”

Eric asked while looking around the devastated encampment.

Everything was ablaze, soldiers lay in rows moaning, the holy water storeroom had burst open from some wicked fire mage’s attack, and the officers were exhausted, unable to pray or cast blessings.

This time, I spoke only the truth.

“The moment I tried to find and kill Brnoa, an infiltrator emerged from his tent. He referred to this infiltrator as the High Priest. After that, things just followed, as you might imagine. The dead killed the living, black feathers infested Brnoa, and for survival, we ended up having to fight together, beyond the Empire and the Republic.”

Eric clenched his jaw.

“That’s just.”

“Just what?”

“Everything is just so regrettable. He was originally an excellent soldier of the Republic.”

I silently nodded.

“Yeah. That’s life.”

Eric blinked as if he found my words quite confusing.

Trying hard not to laugh.

“As far as I know… wasn’t the General still under twenty?”

I sighed inwardly and shouted.

When people have nothing to say, they curse, right?

“Go quickly and recruit the officers of the opposing faction!”

* * *

I saw Eric meeting with an officer named Daniel, and after confirming that their conversation was progressing in a very amicable atmosphere, I went back to my people with the few remaining vials of holy water.

“It hurts.”

“Endure it.”

“Yes.”

When holy water was applied to wounds inflicted by an infiltrator, the affected area would be purified and then healed, and in this context, purification meant ‘to burn.’

Chiieeeek!

Rudi grimaced as the treatment finished, and Lady Trentia looked at the vial of holy water with a doubtful expression.

“Your Highness Valen, is it really alright for us to take this now—?”

“Hey! If the Duke gave it, you should gratefully accept it with your eyes shut!”

“But right now—.”

“The dozens of medium infantry that the Duke’s forces defeated. Right now, although we’re awkwardly standing here, if we meet again, they’ll be our enemies. Don’t have any foolish thoughts, just do it right. If there’s no bleeding, just apply it to the head. We have to ensure purification after fighting with the infiltrators.”

I took off Lady Trentia’s helmet and poured the holy water directly onto her short red hair.

Given how fiercely she fought, even in the middle of winter, steam was rising inside her armor.

“Your Highness.”

Lady Trentia looked like she was concerned about something, but I took out a handkerchief from my pocket and wiped the moisture off her face and neck.

“You see? Isn’t there soot coming off? That’s the aura of something recently purified. If you keep wearing this, you’ll gradually become infiltrated. Once the fight is over, you must take action immediately.”

At that moment, Sererassie spoke up once more.

“I hate to admit it, but my brother is right.”

I grabbed my nape and turned to her.

“What do you not want to admit? What’s wrong with just saying it from behind?”

“My heart is getting hurt.”

“The mage had a heart too?”

“Oh dear, is that how you say it?”

Sererassie sneered, then neatly flipped her dark blue hair behind her ear to change the subject.

“Did you finish the story?”

I nodded.

“At least it doesn’t seem like they will attack us immediately.”

She presented me with three bundles that were all wrapped in bandages.

“Then let’s pack up quickly and return.”

One was slightly longer than my arm and exuded a wicked energy, another was similar in size to a bag, and the last looked like a broken spear.

I was just curious how they had managed to wrap all of that.

“What is this?”

Sererassie raised her eyebrows in surprise.

“I told you, the High Priest dropped an arm. Naturally, we should go investigate it, shouldn’t we?”

I felt as if I was going to drop that arm.

“…This is a dangerously overwhelming burden.”

Weak-minded people could be infiltrated just by seeing it, or even just by knowing of its existence.

“I know. Ah, that spear is a relic of the heavens, and that mass is a magic tool.”

“Magic tool?”

Sererassie came closer to me and lowered her voice.

There was a blend of burnt soot and a fresh lemon scent.

“They are magic tools from the realm that the High Priest and priests and knights passed through. I brought back the bag of magic tools that contained them. Although it’s damaged, it’s worth examining at least the pieces.”

The moment I heard that, I asked.

“No way, this survived that explosion?”

That terrifying High Priest had managed to escape in tatters from such an explosion, so how could a magic tool have survived?

Sererassie nodded.

“That can also be a subject of study.”

“Alright, got it. You packed it up quickly. Then let’s move quickly. We need to meet Helena first. She must be confused about what’s happening at the foot of that mountain.”

I held no high expectations.

Magic that manipulates time and space is incredibly difficult, and its focus was more on understanding the principles rather than utilizing it.

But if, perhaps, we could use that…

* * *

I saw Daniel, elected by the officers of the Land of Lanzo Republic, convey the order to return, and as despair hit me watching the opportunity for battle vanish before my eyes, I dragged a shouting Helena back to the encampment beside Nibelungen.

There, I saw a face I had never expected waiting for us.

“Wow, I never dreamed you would resolve both the magical realm and the invasion. I shall praise the imperial grace day and night!”

The owner of that tension-free voice was Signain, the young head of the Purioaito family.

With her light brown hair elegantly tied, her cool sky-blue eyes and cunning smile were concealed behind a flamboyant fan, and she was accompanied by a dozen knights of the heavens and around thirty vassal knights.

“I didn’t expect you to make it this far.”

“Technically, since this happened within my territory, I figured I should see to its completion. I hurriedly gathered forces and sent letters to the vassals to raise an army.”

I chuckled inwardly.

“Heh.”

No, I laughed outright.

If I were to interpret that in noble terms, it would go like this:

First, since the Purioaito territory is essentially under invasion, if it’s all credited to the imperial court, their prestige would drop, so they would at least finish it off to get some credit.

Second, then it would be me who defeated those who invaded the ambiguously sovereign territory between the west and southwest, meaning I could use that as justification to build a fortress here and send vassals for some territorial expansion.

Third, I’ve raised an army, so now, get lost.

I quickly grasped this blunt message, while Signain continued to smile, appearing oblivious.

“Thank you ever so much for your assistance until now. This is a token of my gratitude.”

The soldiers of Signain brought a large crate and bag, endlessly.

Chilururu.

The sound of heavy gold coins and shiny silver coins clinking could be heard even before opening the bag.

Rudi beamed as he hugged the bag, and I grinned at Signain.

“Yeah, you were rich, huh?”

Seeing my smile, Signain stepped back in shock.

“Hey! The Purioaito family has always been a ducal house! If the previous head hadn’t done strange things, we would have been even richer.”

It seemed my expression had turned somewhat wicked just now.

I shrugged and turned away.

“Okay, then. Helena, grab a couple more bags. We need to buy the kids something delicious.”

Helena was radiating with the intensity of a volcano about to erupt.

“I wanted battles and not riches!”

Just as I was pondering how to soothe her, Signain rushed over like a chipmunk.

“Your Highness, Your Highness! Right now, there’s a band of marauders around the instrumentum I found. Can we possibly receive hunt support? I can provide ample supply and gold!”

Helena’s complexion transformed from a volcano on the verge of eruption to a mountain blooming with flowers.

I smiled and called Rudi and Lady Trentia to help collect the bags and box.

“Let’s graciously accept the gold coins bestowed by the great lord. Those who wish to fight can fight, and we should hurry to return home.”

I wanted to spend the New Year next to Jeilliris.