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The proposal for port purification initiated at the court passed through the Rihting (Kingdom Parliament) and officially began to be handled as a national policy task.

Perhaps thanks to the resolution already passed by the Rihting, the matter progressed smoothly without any hindrance. From controlling the movement of København citizens at the start of the operation, to the mobilization and deployment of troops, and the various supplies needed for the day—everything flowed seamlessly.

It was truly a sight to behold, as almost all institutions related to the governance of the Kingdom of Dane moved in unison like a single body to achieve their goal.

Soren Christensen Hiltman, the head of the København Intelligence Agency, who sensed the city’s atmosphere through his unique synesthesia and the informants under his command, couldn’t hide his admiration and quickened his pace.

Perhaps because of the time of day, the quiet alleyways were filled with an eerie silence. The sound of his hurried footsteps, the rustling of his coat against the wall, the chirping of birds and insects, and the faint echoes of noise from the distant main road were the only sounds that could be heard.

As Soren walked briskly through the silent alley, he suddenly stopped.

“You’re here!”

A boy sitting on a shabby chair in a relatively clean corner of the alley stood up and greeted Soren with a cheerful smile.

“Shh, keep it down. What if someone hears?”

“Eh, what does it matter if someone hears? It’s not like we’re saying anything that needs to be kept secret.”

“Hey, you! If unnecessary chaos breaks out because of you, will you take responsibility?”

Despite Soren’s complaints about the boy’s loud voice, the boy just grinned, prompting Soren to frown and warn him again.

Fortunately, the boy seemed to realize his mistake and quickly toned down his voice, suppressing his earlier smile.

“Well, if everyone acted with a proper mind, the government and you wouldn’t have to work so hard.”

“Enough with the nonsense. So, the evacuation of people from the port went smoothly, right?”

Realizing they couldn’t keep joking around, Soren brought up the main purpose of his visit.

“Of course. Who do you think I am? Erik Mikkelsen, right?”

“Right. Who else would I trust if not you, the king of this street?”

“Hehe, well, aside from that, haven’t I been your right-hand man ever since you settled in this city? In fact, even this position I have now is thanks to you.”

Erik Mikkelsen smiled as he recalled the days when he first became Soren’s underling and delved into the slums and back alleys of København.

In any case, Soren smiled with satisfaction upon hearing that the people from the slums had been successfully evacuated from the port.

“Good. Then, unless something unexpected happens, we should be able to avoid any ridiculous casualties.”

Honestly, Soren didn’t care much about the general citizens. Their safety was the government’s responsibility, and in the Kingdom of Dane, Soren knew better than anyone the relationship between the government and the guilds. Measures had probably already been taken.

However, the slums and back alleys were a different story. Even day laborers, thugs, and prostitutes were protected by the guilds in København, but there were always those who slipped through the cracks of this social safety net.

With the guild system deeply involved in both public and private sectors throughout the city, those who couldn’t join the guilds—like widows, orphans, and the disabled—faced even greater social isolation.

If they had any property, they might have been able to gain some protection by offering it to the guilds, but…

Most didn’t have such property, and even if they did, without someone to protect it, they would soon fall prey to greedy wolves, losing not only their possessions but also their lives and sovereignty. And as for the kingdom…

“The higher-ups probably don’t care much about them.”

The government of the Kingdom of Dane wasn’t kind enough to reach out to those who had fallen into the abyss and rarely saw the light. In the end, it was more rational for the kingdom to focus on the “subjects” who paid taxes rather than finding ways to save those who couldn’t.

But that was the kingdom’s story. For Soren personally, things were a bit different.

“Well, connections with these people are one of my few means of livelihood.”

Like other members of the Hiltman Clan, Soren Christensen Hiltman made a living by running an “intelligence agency.”

This “intelligence agency” was essentially a type of “fixer” or “detective” service that handled various unspecified tasks. To run such an agency, one needed abilities in multiple fields and access to information sources that were difficult for one person to manage alone.

From the perspective of an intelligence agency operator, the “vulnerable groups” in the back alleys and slums were highly attractive “allies.”

First, the investment cost to turn them into one’s eyes and ears was extremely low.

No one was willing to bleed for them, and even among themselves, they didn’t help each other. Thus, winning their favor didn’t require much expense. Perhaps because they were in such a difficult position, they were deeply impressed by even the smallest gestures of goodwill.

Of course, those in difficult situations tended to become stubborn and filled with malice, so simply giving them handouts would make them take you lightly and harbor deceitful thoughts. But as long as you could show an appropriate level of strength and wisdom, it wasn’t a problem.

Thanks to his innate synesthesia and his ability to use it effectively, Soren had managed well so far. But if he were to lose this due to carelessness, he would immediately lose more than half of his means of livelihood.

‘If that really happened, I’d be so frustrated I wouldn’t be able to sleep properly.’

Grumbling inwardly, Soren asked Erik about the other tasks he had entrusted to him.

“Here’s the full report on the areas you pointed out, boss.”

“Hmm, good job. Here, your payment. Take it.”

“Wow, thank you as always~! The kids will be happy~!”

Soren, who had thrown a heavy pouch of coins to the boy, crossed his arms and fell into deep thought.

‘At least, it seems there’s no spellcaster near København.’

Since receiving Sophia’s request, Soren had been searching for the location of the spellcaster controlling the monsters. Using his innate olfactory synesthesia to detect the distinct smell of the spellcaster and leveraging his network of informants to gather and compare information, Soren’s judgment became clearer day by day.

‘At least at this point, there’s no spellcaster capable of directly controlling the monsters in the port area.’

On one hand, this was fortunate, but on the other, it was troublesome.

From the perspective of someone living and working in København, it was good news that the operation to eliminate the monsters in the port area was likely to proceed without major issues. However, it was troublesome because he now had to search beyond København to locate the spellcaster.

“Tch, looks like I’ll have to go on an unplanned business trip abroad.”

Considering he might have to follow the church’s nun knight to Malmö, Soren swallowed a sigh.

Suddenly, Soren turned his head toward the port.

“…Hmm.”

After wrinkling his nose a few times, Soren let out an unpleasant sigh.

The smell of the incident still wafted from the port, stimulating his synesthesia. It was still foul, pungent, fishy, sour, and sticky. But Soren, who was quite sensitive to such smells, realized that the intensity of the smell had significantly lessened.

The once nauseating and grotesque smell had lightened, replaced by the scent of blood, dust, and the acrid smell of smoke—a battlefield’s aroma.

It was still far from pleasant, but compared to the thick stench of death and screams he had endured before, it was much better. Naturally, Soren’s expression became more relaxed, and he muttered to himself.

“Well, maybe this isn’t so bad.”

Judging by the smell, the operation was progressing successfully. There might be some unexpected accidents along the way, but with the nun knight around, it was unlikely to escalate into a major disaster.

Until now, Soren had always avoided major incidents, sticking to smaller cases. He believed he couldn’t contribute much to such large-scale events.

But now, he thought that perhaps living like that wasn’t the only way. Although he didn’t have the power to turn the tide single-handedly, he had the skill to seize opportunities when the wind blew in his favor.

If he had chosen to avoid everything this time as well, no matter how strong the wind blew, it wouldn’t have moved for him.

He would have left København, struggling to build a new life in an unfamiliar place, while the slum dwellers would have been sacrificed without anyone to protect them. Even Erik Mikkelsen, who was grinning in front of him, might have met an uncertain fate.

Thinking this, Soren felt a deeper appreciation for what he had managed to protect.

Unaware that Erik was giving him a strange look, thinking, “This guy’s being sentimental again,” Soren remained lost in thought.

Soon, a powerful surge of energy rose from the direction of the port, and the smell of iron grew stronger. The operation was about to begin.

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København, located on the relatively northeastern coast of the large island called Sjælland, faced the sea to the east. Naturally, the port was also located along the eastern side of the city.

It was late morning, approaching early lunchtime, just before the sun reached its zenith. Normally, the port district of København would have been bustling with ships and people, but today it was unusually quiet.

There were still people coming and going, but not as many as usual.

People walked along the streets, workers unloaded cargo from ships, some shouted loudly, while others hurried by. Some laughed and chatted, while others shared drinks.

Despite the presence of these people, the streets were undeniably quiet.

“Indeed, there are clearly no people here.”

Observing the port through a recently imported telescope, Iida Birgitt Somz muttered. Although she could clearly see people moving about, she declared that there were no people. The reason was simple.

“Really, it’s such an insincere puppet show, an illusion. They’re just walking along predetermined paths, acting according to set patterns. The cycle of each pattern is quite long, and the patterns themselves are somewhat varied to mask the unnaturalness, but… I still can’t feel any humanity in it.”

“Of course. They’re not people to begin with.”

Brantley responded in a matter-of-fact tone. They were just monsters controlled to move around, with illusions cast over them. To control monsters over such a wide area and overlay them with illusions, it was inevitable that there would be flaws in the details.

Well… if it were his sister, who was skilled in multitasking and dividing her focus, it might have been slightly different, but she certainly didn’t have the power to cast such a large-scale spell.

“By the way… Hmm. It’s about time.”

Brantley Somz, who had been checking the time on the sundial in the camp, finally stood up. A bold smile, characteristic of warriors about to enter battle, appeared on his face.

“Now then――.”

Let the battle begin.

As if signaling the start of the battle, Brantley Somz raised his right arm. Immediately, a surge of magical power rose like a tidal wave.

Normally, this would have been just the magical exertion of a single spellcaster. No matter how powerful one’s magic was, there were limits to what one person could achieve.

To push these limits even slightly, spellcasters optimized their spells by adjusting the distribution of resources and trained in the Reverse Brain Method to elevate their own level as spellcasters. However, even then, there were clear limits to what a single spellcaster could do.

But at this moment, it wasn’t just Brantley Somz who began to exert his magical power.

As soon as Brantley started, it seemed to be a signal. Spellcasters stationed around the port area of København simultaneously began to channel their magical power.

Not only the members and retainers of prestigious families like the Somz, Brahe, and Dietrich families, but also the spellcasters registered in the København Spell Tower, and those gathered from nearby areas—nearly a hundred spellcasters in total—began to release their magical power from various points around København.

It looked like waves of light spreading in concentric circles. The overlapping lights of various colors and intensities eventually formed an indescribable, unprecedented shape.

In an instant, the surfaces of buildings in the intermediate zone between the city and the port began to glow with massive runic letters and mysterious patterns.

From this moment on, the buildings themselves functioned like rune stones—large stones inscribed with runic letters—resonating with the magical power of the spellcasters and triggering a massive mystical phenomenon. The power spread unhindered, igniting the spell phenomena prepared according to a meticulously crafted formula.

Soon, a thick blue barrier descended from the sky, enveloping the entire port area. At the same time, the axes forming the barrier glowed again, shooting invisible beams of light toward the inside of the barrier.

Each beam possessed the ability to break illusions, mental interference, and curses. It was a technique of exorcism and purification, reinterpreted by spellcasters from the Light Power of the clergy.

The wave of spell power that shattered illusions resonated and amplified between the axes, eventually covering the entire port area.

And at that moment.

Crack, crackle…

Grind, grind…

As if something was resisting, unsettling sounds of rupture echoed in the inaudible spectrum. The sounds continued unabated, like cracks spreading through thick ice. And then…

Crash!

Those with mature spiritual bodies and open spiritual senses might have heard it. It was like the sound of a glass window shattering, and at that moment, the illusion covering the port disappeared.

What was revealed in its place were the grotesque forms of monsters.

“Ugh, these are really disgusting creatures.”

“How unpleasant. To think we’ve been sharing the streets with such things…”

Among those who witnessed the streets after the illusion was lifted, murmurs of unease spread like a contagion. Even though they had been briefed beforehand, the sight of the monsters was still horrifying and repulsive.

The types of monsters were diverse.

Some resembled birds or beasts, with lizard-like scales and bumpy protrusions on their bodies. Others looked like fish or amphibians, with suction-cup-covered tentacles and slimy fins. There were humanoid creatures with snail-like bodies, three legs, and a large vertical mouth on their stomachs. Floating jellyfish-like monsters with amorphous shapes.

There were also large statues covered in seaweed, moss, and barnacles, as if submerged in the deep sea. Corpses of drowned victims, convulsing as if alive. Monsters with clown faces, penguin bodies, and monkey arms with webbed fingers.

In addition to these, there were all sorts of other grotesque monsters roaming the streets of København’s port. Not only were their appearances repulsive, but the sounds they made, the smells they emitted, and the auras they exuded were all chaotic and vile.

The turbid energy and unpleasant curses lingering in the air made everyone present feel a rising sense of disgust, realizing that the people who had been walking these streets had been unknowingly breathing this air.

Watching this scene, the senior commanders in charge of the troops tensed up. Facing such repulsive and vile enemies, they worried that their soldiers might feel fear and shrink back.

But their concerns were unfounded.

“Damn it, these creatures dared to roam our streets?”

“We can’t allow this! We need to clear them out quickly, or I won’t be able to sleep tonight.”

Among those gathered here, while some showed disgust in their eyes, none showed fear or hesitation. Instead, they were filled with determination and fighting spirit, ready to plunge into the battlefield.

Their ranks were diverse. The city garrison troops mobilized by the Minister of Military Affairs, the security forces gathered by the Chief of Security, the Jarls and their huscarls (household troops) summoned from nearby areas, and their retainers.

Well-armed with swords, spears, axes, shields, and traditional northern-style armor, the brave free warriors showed no signs of intoxication from the mead they had consumed earlier. Each wore a bold smile, looking forward to the upcoming battle.

At the same time, they formed orderly ranks, exuding a tense energy like drawn bowstrings, ready to enter the battlefield at any moment.

“That’s more like it, brave men of Dane!”

The command staff of the Kingdom of Dane cheered at the sight of the well-disciplined and high-spirited warriors.

All preparations were nearly complete. All that remained was to signal the start of the battle.

On the platform where the high command had gathered, the key figures holding the command authority for this operation exchanged nods.

The lineup included Jon Dal Schumacher, the Minister of Military Affairs; Connie del Rey Minson, the Chief of Security; Vigo Mortensen, the Chairman of the Rihting; Gottfried Lindhardt Kosterwald, the Senior Court Earl and the most senior Jarl present; Prince Konrat Schleswig Oldenburg; and Prince Moritz Dietrich Oldenburg.

Each held a key position in the royal court or was a prominent figure in the political arena. They were the most crucial individuals involved in the kingdom’s military decision-making.

Normally, such military movements would have been overseen solely by the Minister of Military Affairs to ensure a unified command structure.

However, due to the unique circumstances and conditions of this operation, this arrangement was permitted.

“Then, I, Prince Konrat Schleswig Oldenburg, acting as the supreme commander of the military on behalf of His Majesty the King, will convey the royal command. Minister of Military Affairs Jon Dal Schumacher, step forward to receive the command.”

“Your servant Jon Dal Schumacher receives His Majesty’s command!”

“Now, I, Prince Moritz Dietrich Oldenburg, acting as the head of the executive branch on behalf of His Majesty the King, will convey the royal administrative order. Chief of Security Connie del Rey Minson, step forward to receive the command.”

“Your servant Connie del Rey receives His Majesty’s command.”

“I, Vigo Mortensen, Chairman of the Dane Rihting! Acting on behalf of the rightful freemen of the kingdom, the Jarls who lead the people, and the mutual covenant laws between the king and the subjects of the kingdom, I will now convey the resolution of this Rihting! Gottfried Lindhardt Kosterwald, the most senior Jarl present and the Senior Court Earl, step forward to receive the message!”

“Your servant Gottfried Lindhardt Kosterwald, here to receive the message.”

At this point, the troops mobilized for the port purification operation to eliminate the monsters included the city garrison under the military, the security forces under the Chief of Security, and the troops led by nearby Jarls. Naturally, the command structures, traditions, and chains

 

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