Episode 294 Under a dark night sky where even the stars are barely visible.
A crackling bonfire was lighting up a small clearing in the forest.
“Now that I think about it, is this the first time we’ve been out together like this?”
When a woman wearing light leather armor with short ‘brown’ hair and eyes of the same color asked that question, a ‘brown’ haired man wearing similar clothing answered.
“…Yes.”
The man looked up at the night sky for a moment and then sighed softly.
“It would be nice if there were more stars.”
“I’m fine with it the way it is.”
When Eilen, who was leaning her head on my shoulder next to the campfire, said that, Logan also smiled and nodded.
A path to the battlefield with a clear purpose.
Although it was bound to be full of tension, the starless night sky we encountered along the way had its own charm.
Is it thanks to the person next to me?
I was so sentimental that my inner thoughts suddenly came out.
“Haven’t you ever thought that I might be carrying out unreasonable plans for no reason?”
“…It’s all done with the future in mind.”
“Still, my thoughts could be wrong. I’ve already gone astray several times.”
“It’ll be okay this time.”
“hmm?”
“It’s definitely a persuasive strategy, except that you have no choice but to match your hair color and eye color.”
His wife’s face staring at him.
Although it felt a bit unfamiliar thanks to the transformation magic, those words made me feel a little more confident.
“No matter how much a mage you are, you are an earth attribute mage. It can’t be helped.”
Of course, there was no need to change it to a different color, but Clayton explained that doing so would shorten the duration of the magic.
“Hmm. Well, it’s definitely a great achievement for Lord Clayton to have created this new artifact, right?”
Eilen gently lifted the identification card she was carrying in her arms.
An identity card with a flashing blue light.
At first glance, it was just a simple token to prove that they were nobles, but what they had now was a transformation artifact created by the wizard Clayton himself.
“Yes. They said it was a recent achievement.”
To be exact, it was thanks to the research logs left by Ignis and Crowne, but there was no need to explain the details.
‘Even more so if the research log belongs to a group that actually exists.’
A group of wizards whose symbol is a black snake.
Logan’s expression hardened slightly at the ominous symbol that appeared again, and Eilen suddenly spoke.
“But I don’t like it.”
“Hmm? What is it?”
“It’s too ordinary. If possible, let me make you look a little more handsome.”
“Fuha!”
I couldn’t help but laugh.
Out of concern for possible tracking, Eilen’s face was designed to be disguised as a man, and although it was obviously plain, a little bit of her original face remained, making it look good.
Logan smiled without realizing it, knowing that his wife’s grinning mischievous expression was meant to ease his burden.
“Look.”
“huh?”
“It’s much better because his face is smiling too. I know you have to hurry, but we have at least a few days to be alone, so take your time.”
It seems like he had a very stern expression.
For the same reason, Logan also had a rather scary look on his face.
“…sorry.”
“Stop saying you’re sorry.”
“Ah…”
He sighed.
“It’s enough for us like this.”
Logan also nodded vigorously as Eilen’s voice rang calmly.
“Yes. Enough.”
Although others said they were a boring couple, they were happy enough just talking alone like now.
Logan gently kissed Eilen’s forehead and put aside his worries about the future for a moment.
3 days after that.
“Is this a crossroads? That’s a shame. From now on, you are Guile from Liberty, right?”
Eilen’s voice when she asked that question was modulated as low as Logan’s. Her long hair, which she had tried to keep for just a few days with her husband, had been shortened so that it did not even reach her neck.
Eilen’s transformation is now complete.
“That’s right. You become an Armored from Terronan.”
“…Take care of yourself.”
“You.”
Logan looked at his wife’s back as she disappeared into one of the forks in the road for a long time, then turned around.
As a man before he was a king, there was no way he wouldn’t feel sorry for pushing his wife into the battlefield.
However, it would be unfounded to worry about superhumans, especially those who have awakened their defensive characteristics, not in an imperial war but in a war between small kingdoms.
Logan suppressed the urge to follow and headed down the path he needed to take.
* * *
“This is Gail, who came at the recommendation of Jordan Marlins.”
It was two days later that Logan arrived in Rivers, the capital of the Liberty Kingdom. However, he could not enter the capital of a country on the verge of war with just one word.
That’s why Logan personally showed off his ‘silver’ auror.
“Now just wait a moment!”
The guards who had blocked his path hurriedly ran into the palace only after seeing the performance of cutting steel like radish.
– The superhuman has arrived!
And just 30 minutes later.
A bald official who looked similar to Jordan Marlins ran out and stood in front of Logan.
“Huh. Hah. Are you Gail? Unfortunately, Jordan Marlins is somewhere else for logistics inspection. So I came out instead. My name is Eric Gries.”
I know.
‘That’s why I came here.’
No matter how much he disguised himself and changed his appearance, he would be in trouble if Jordan, who had been talking to him before, noticed something strange.
but.
“I’m sorry, but if you don’t mind, could I see a sign?”
The procedure to prove identity was unavoidable.
Without saying a word, Logan held out half of the Jordan Marlins’ uneven identification card.
Sweet.
Eric Gries, the bald man who took out the remaining pieces of the identity card from his pocket and put them together, smiled brightly and immediately bowed.
“Welcome to Liberty, Lord Gyle.”
“Nothing much to say. I’m from Liberty too.”
Although it was only a set aside, Eric’s bright smile grew brighter, and less than an hour later, Logan was able to meet the King of Liberty.
“Are you the reinforcements?”
King and Logan. And a knight standing next to the king. An office with only three people in it.
“Yes, it is an honor to meet you, Your Highness.”
When Logan ended his greeting by simply nodding his head, the old knight standing next to the king glared at him fiercely.
At the same time, a tangible force coming from the knight pressed down on Logan’s whole body.
– Kneel.
‘Is the author Gunther Liberty?’
Although he didn’t say it directly, his obscene attitude seemed to say so.
Logan responded with a sparkle in his eyes to the provocation of openly testing his skills.
Ugh.
Fazizik.
The space between the two distorted with a bursting sound, creating winds in all directions.
The old knight Gunther, whose complexion became somber, slightly bowed his head towards his king.
“It’s almost as good as mine.”
The King looked at Logan in surprise, and to be honest, Logan felt a bit funny.
‘It’s similar to the current state of Duke Luther. Of course, that’s great too.’
Even though they are three powerful countries, they are still just a part of the alliance.
Gunther Liberty is the only superhuman in the country and uniquely holds the status of a king. Although his level was by no means negligible as that of an intermediate Auror user, it was somewhat disappointing that the level of the only superhuman in the country was only this high.
I was able to immediately feel the difference between the Kingdom Alliance and McLane, and furthermore, the difference between the Empire.
“That’s surprising. At best, he looks like he’s in his thirties.”
“Your Majesty. It’s only appearance. In reality, you’re probably much older. Of course…”
As Gunther said, Auror users usually look much younger than their age, but that’s because their appearance becomes younger after they achieve a state.
However, there is only one case where he appears to be young rather than middle-aged.
“…I’m saying that I reached that level in my 30s.”
“What? I can’t believe it. How can someone like you not be known?”
“That’s right. I heard McLane’s power is amazing, and now I can believe it.”
Gunther seemed to have completely disappeared from his previous hostile attitude, and instead, he was showing a friendly look in his eyes.
This may be because Logan, or rather Guille, is Liberty’s supporter, but there were probably other reasons as well.
‘Maybe he thinks I’m weaker than him.’
Ugh.
It wasn’t done intentionally.
Obviously, Guile’s current level of ‘silver’ aura was clearly at the intermediate level.
It was the price of forcibly changing the Force, which could be said to be one’s essence.
It is a talent that I have only been able to do now that I have become a fully-skilled Auror user and am on the verge of reaching the highest level. Of course, even that wasn’t something everyone could do.
– It’s not just a matter of color. I told you to keep an eye on the essence and move the source, but you ended up changing the essence.
– What’s even more amazing is that your body is still fine. Even though he was truly my student, His Majesty’s talent…
A talent that even his teacher was impressed by, but that he thought would never be used, was being put to great use in the wrong place.
Logan gently bowed his head, congratulating himself that his acting had worked perfectly.
“That is an overstatement. And until this war is over, I am from Liberty. Please don’t forget that.”
At those words, the king slapped his knees and was happy.
“No problem! If Gunther protects me and you go to the battlefield, the war will end much more easily.”
I think it would be much easier if Lord Gunther himself came forward.
How can we stop those in power from prioritizing their own interests?
Logan nodded, thinking once again that his choice was right.
but.
“When I came here, it didn’t look like there was going to be a war right away. Can you tell me how things are going?”
“Oh, of course. Just tell me. Gunther.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. The current situation is…”
The situation of the Union that I heard about was going similarly to what Logan and Flame Eye and Damian had predicted.
– We will not tolerate the three countries’ unreasonable claims.
The four countries in the alliance declared war in response to the declaration of the three powerful countries.
Not only was there no fool who would believe that they would only conquer Tahiti, but everyone was guessing what the next steps would be.
However, there was one unexpected variable.
“The problem is that the mobilization of troops in the Kingdom of Tria, which can be said to be the instigator of this incident, is being delayed.”
“yes?”
“You may be making a good excuse, but does it make sense that those who first called for war were not prepared? But according to what the informant said, it seems like it was real, which is more problematic.”
“What do you mean?”
“It sounds like you were unprepared, as if you only intended to fight the war with lip service.”
Logan’s eyes brightened strangely at those words. Neither Gunther nor the king noticed the change in emotions. “Anyway, Tria has now started to move and the four countries are not properly joining forces due to the situation in Tahiti, so a war will soon begin.”
“We are the vanguard of that war .
“I want to appoint you
as the vanguard.” I will appoint reinforcements from other countries as the vanguard.
It may have been a bit shameless, but it would be a different story if the reinforcements were superhumans.
Moreover, that was what Logan also wanted.
“I understand. I will do my best to end the war as quickly as possible. “I will do my best.”
Logan said with another sincerity, hiding his true feelings.
It was only two days later that he was dispatched to the border where the war would begin.
