Episode 256
EPISODE.128
.
.
A few days before Russell and Gillian face each other.
Deep inside the Britannia Imperial Palace, a meaningful conversation was going on between the two.
Thanatos, a man who was wrapped in black robes and whose eyes glowed brightly, and the former prince, who had the impression of a pale young man… no. It was a conversation with Edgar Conrad IV, now the new Emperor of the Empire.
I lost interest in rolling a chess piece in my hand several times, and the chess piece that I tossed and dropped randomly tumbled across the board
.
The first to speak was Conrad IV.
“I knew it would take time, but it’s a lot more boring than I thought.”
Thousands of soldiers were dying on the battlefield every day.
In addition to that, until nearly 20% of the empire’s territory fell under Endymion.
It was a voice so insensitive that it was unbelievable that the emperor of the empire had uttered it in such a situation.
And Thanatos responded to that voice.
“I understand that the first phase is now almost complete.”
As he spoke, he lightly extended his finger.
He lightly glanced at the map of the empire lying next to him on the chess board and tapped several places.
These are all areas where the Imperial Army and the Endymion Army had a skirmish.
Then, along the spot where his fingertips brushed, red energy spread like ink.
He continued to speak within a few times to create a bloody sight.
“Endymion’s thunderclaps have unknowingly entered the depths of the Empire’s territory, and ample blood has been shed throughout the land.”
Originally, after appointing the Grand Duke of Endymion as the new king, he intended to provoke him into a war, but anyway.
Even if the middle process went wrong, the result itself was going in the direction they wanted.
“Other than that, if you add the places where blood was spilled and sacrifices were piled up in a civil war under the guise of a quarrel over the imperial power…” A few
more bloodstains appeared and a long line connecting the regions appeared.
The resulting picture is an inverted pentagram with five vertices.
Staring at the center of the blood-red star that covered about half of the empire, he spat out the words.
“Coordinates are all set… now all that’s left will be sacrifices and death for Advent.”
That would require a great deal of death and sacrifice.
“Soon the time the Master wants will come.”
It was their goal to bring 『something』 to this land using the sacrifice and the coordinates.
After Thanatos’ words.
“At that time, I will be reborn as an apostle of a new god.”
Emperor Conrad IV muttered, twisting the corners of his mouth.
“As an apostle of a new god who will bring ‘the end’ to this land on behalf of the demon realm that has collapsed since the age of mythology.”
As he finished speaking, an achromatic despair gushed out vaguely along his body.
It is different from the black magic used by general cults.
It was 『Despair』 flowing from the outside of the world.
* * *
【─Beware of those who hide the empire in its depths.】
The words Gillian left behind floated around in my head for no reason.
Along with him, the dying will of a cultist who called himself Hypnos also raises his head.
‘Isn’t the darkness over yet…’
The relationship between the cultists and the empire revealed after that?
‘There’s a high possibility of that right now, but…’
In addition to that, you have to anticipate various possibilities so that you can deal with unexpected situations resolutely without panic.
While continuing his thoughts, Russell’s steps had already reached the entrance of the military camp.
The entrance to the military camp that can be seen not too far away.
But for some reason, the inside looked a little noisy. Busy movements, as if looking for someone, can be seen all over the place…
“You mean His Highness didn’t attach an escort while he was leaving!”
“That’s His Highness…!”
At Baron Donovan’s cry, a soldier’s voice sounded bewildered.
“However, it is!”
An archmage who reached the 8th circle beyond the 7th circle at the age of mid-twenties.
There wouldn’t be many enemies that could threaten his genius and strength, but the reason for attaching an escort wasn’t necessarily to protect the target.
“You don’t even take an escort with you…”
Russell gave a small smile as he caught a glimpse of him nervously joking around with his steps.
He then pursed his lips.
“I said it was okay, so don’t blame me too much.”
A small voice flew into Baron Donovan’s ear on the wind with magical power.
The baron, who had come to his senses, turned his head away with a startled expression.
When I saw Russell approaching the military camp from afar, I hurriedly ran.
“His Highness the Grand Duke!”
He replied with an appropriate nod, looking at the inside of the camp and asked.
“It is disturbing. Did something happen?”
“That’s…”
Earl Donovan paused for a moment before replying.
“Actually, I was looking for His Highness the Archduke.”
“…do you have something to report?”
At Russell’s question, Baron Donovan lightly shook his chin. lowered his voice.
“—This is a message from the main unit. Apparently, the movement of the Empire is unusual.”
“Look.”
It refers to the troops led by Daria, the commander-in-chief of this war and her teacher.
From the message from the main unit to the suspicious movements of the Empire.
All of them were important, but there were too many listening ears to talk about them here.
A horse without feet travels a thousand li in a day, and morale on the battlefield is influenced by even the slightest rumor.
That must be why Baron Donovan lowered his voice.
“For now…”
Russell replied, catching a glimpse of the gazes of the soldiers around him who were looking at him and Baron Donovan.
“I’ll have to change seats.”
.
.
Let’s go back to the barracks.
As if they had been waiting, staff members start to come one by one. Apparently, everyone was out looking for Russell.
‘In the future, when I go out for a while, I’ll have to make a report and move.’
If that were the case, there wouldn’t have been a need for so many people to wander around the camp to find them.
No matter how much he was immersed in being conscious of Jillian’s gaze, it was clearly his own fault for not paying attention to that.
‘Tsk.’
Russell apologized quietly to the gathered staff, blaming himself for his carelessness.
“I apologize to the staff sitting in the seat for unintentionally causing concern. From now on, I will tell you what I can, even if it is for personal business.”
“Heh heh….”
At Russell’s apology, Baron Donovan and other members of his staff looked embarrassed.
‘If possible, I would like them to accompany an escort…
‘
Besides, no matter how young he was, Russell was the grand duke of Endymion.
It was also not common for a person who sat in such a position to bow his head.
‘Should this also be regarded as an advantage unique to His Highness the Grand Duke?’
Thinking so, Baron Donovan cleared his throat lightly.
“All right. majesty.”
He nodded as if he understood. The story about going out without a word ends there.
What was really important to deal with was the dynamics of the Scorpion Imperial Army from the main unit.
“Then I will report you.”
Baron Donovan, who took a half breath, opened the letter from the main unit and listened.
“According to the report of the owls sent to the front, the movement of the Imperial Army is unusual.”
The owls meant Endymion’s skirmishers infiltrating close to enemy lines.
Those who risked their lives to check the movements of the Imperial Army and report them.
“It is said that most of the soldiers were bitten in the existing area, and they are in the process of gathering the bitten soldiers in one place. It is also said that the troops on the move to assemble also included troops confronting us.”
“If it’s a gathering…”
“I’m sure they’re going to have a proper rotation.”
True to its name, the land mass of Britannia is vast.
Even if it was the same power, Endymion’s size was only about 60 to 70 percent of the empire.
As the land mass was so large, the population was not small.
Looking at the wars that have been fought so far, the average number of the Imperial army is about 1.5 times that of the Endymion army.
‘If the undead added by holding hands with the cultists are combined there…’
It will have an overwhelming difference in troops. The fortunate thing is that Endymion-kun is ahead of him when it comes to fighting power called superhuman.
‘If you include the lord of the spear tower who guards the capital, there are only three 8th circle wizards.’
Was the empire’s only 8th Circle mage and the so-called female tower master killed in rebellion against the prince who allied with a cultist?
It definitely has an edge in the number of high circle mages who can bombard legion units alone.
‘Not only…’
McRae Hughes.
Giabol Niggle.
Until the Earl of Hazen.
It was a situation where several superhumans of the empire had already been killed by Russell or intertwined with Russell.
‘As expected, what can be called a variable is the undead.’
Doom Knight.
A branch of the superlative undead that surpasses the death knights and is said to have skills comparable to superhumans.
Russell had personally witnessed what was happening within the Empire to create him.
‘If the Doom Knight is completed…’
How many Doom Knights have been completed is also a problem to consider. Thinking so, Russell’s nose twitched lightly.
‘No, the problem is not only Doom Knight.’
Unlike the Doom Knights, which can only be made with low probability and many sacrifices, they had one corpse that could definitely create the highest level of undead.
‘The head of the female tower from the previous era who was said to have met death.’
Resurrecting an 8th circle mage as an arch lich would be like a nightmare.
Tuk tok tok-.
With deepening concern, Russell lightly tapped the armrest of the chair with his fingertips.
It was then.
“And…”
Baron Donovan spoke cautiously.
“Sir Areks has fallen to the rear and the Lord of the Spear Tower is coming to the battlefield.”
“Lord Areks?”
“yes. According to what was written, he stayed alone and took time to retreat from the Bow Master’s attack…”
There was only one Bow Master in the Empire.
The father of Phillip Mason, the original owner of Boreas, the heavenly arch, and the man who passed away at his own hands.
‘─Marquis Mason.’
The Empire’s superhumans, who hadn’t shown up until now, are finally starting their activities one by one.
What does this really mean?
“What about the decision of the main unit?”
“The commander-in-chief… left a message saying that if you want an all-out war, you have no choice but to hang out.”
A bold and courageous decision.
Russell grinned as the teacher’s voice seemed to come to his ears.
Either way, this is a battlefield.
Isn’t it the place where the winner-takes-all rule, where the survivor gets everything, is most strongly established?
Also, judging from the Empire’s actions to come out with full force from now on, the cultists will also appear.
‘Just as I can’t be free from the grudge against Marquis Mason, they can’t be free from the grudge against me either.’
It was clear that those who were now trapped in the empire were allies with Hypnos.
“We should also prepare to move the military.”
said Russell, calming the vengeance spreading from the depths of his heart.
“Start moving as soon as possible to join the main force.”
dragon-swallowed wizard
