Chapter 628
Grenosia had always been in ruins, but now it was completely devastated.
Thousands of Master-class warriors, over a thousand Archmages, and ten Grandmasters.
The scene of the massive destruction they had caused could be seen from a distant mountain range.
"The Black Flame Dragon of the right arm..."
"...What? Black Flame?"
"...You don't need to know."
"You sometimes say things I can't understand at all. What are you talking about?"
Harriet tilted her head at my mumbling.
The right arm… that thing.
When did such a thing become fashionable?
No, was it ever fashionable?
Although not an actual dragon, Ludwig had ended up wearing something similar.
I had never seen Ludwig fight in person. But when I had predicted that some kind of grafting would be done on his right arm, I expected something like this would happen.
"Do you think he's trying to graft his legs and left arm too?"
Rowan asked with a disgusted expression.
"... It doesn't sound plausible, but considering it's Ludwig, it's scary to think he might actually try it."
It wasn't just any arm, but the arm of Larken Simonstite.
That was a rather malicious development. If I were the real Valier, I would have been furious, running around in anger.
How dare you use my master's arm? I would say.
But, strictly speaking, Valier Junior had never properly learned swordsmanship in the first place.
I wondered if Airi would be very sad.
Having enjoyed the right arm, he wanted to graft the other side as well. That was just a rumor.
Ludwig's condition was worrisome, but the power he had actually obtained was real.
"I have a feeling he's gained power comparable to a Grandmaster. I haven't fought him myself, though."
"Can he achieve that just by grafting one arm?"
"I'm not sure. I don't know the details, but it seems like it's more than just attaching a new arm."
"Hmm…"
Although Harriet had a vast understanding of magic, she had never seen the magic that created the Immortals.
"Immortals are one thing, but a Grandmaster…"
In an unstable state where he could explode at any moment, Ludwig had obtained real power.
"At this point, it's not easy to mess with him. I can't help but think it would have been better to deal with him sooner."
He hadn't just become slightly stronger; he had gained power that surpassed several levels at the cost of his life.
It was possible because he was the protagonist, but being the protagonist also led to greater suffering.
"Just observe and leave him be. If we wanted to eliminate him because he was dangerous, we would have started with the Immortals."
There were too many things they had left alone to be sensitive about Ludwig now.
If they touched Ludwig, more strange and bizarre things would happen.
Rowan informed me of the Allied Forces' situation.
With the Grenosia campaign no longer necessary, chaos had erupted within the Allied Forces. There were even commanders who demanded an explanation from the Emperor himself.
And Rowan had managed to draw the aggro and block the questions in her own way.
Judging by the way she spoke, it wasn't pleasant, but she had achieved her goal by keeping the secret.
"How's the seizure of the Holy Knights' Order coming along?"
"I can't say things were going smoothly. Everyone knew that Eleion Bolton was forced into retirement. Naturally, the resentment towards him was focused on me. That's why I wish the Battle of Grenosia had really happened. Then I could have seen who listened to me and who didn't."
In battle, one could discern who trusted the commander and who didn't.
It seemed that Rowan regretted it, as if she wanted to taste the thrill of the fight.
"If you keep acting like you crave bloodshed, it won't end well for you."
"…Understood."
Having a mad dog that only listened to me was both a blessing and a curse.
Eleion Bolton remained silent.
If Eleion Bolton had been the Holy Knight Commander, he wouldn't have said anything this time. Then, perhaps, the secret would have been shared among the top brass.
Rowan acted brazenly. It was clear that she was doing so out of necessity.
As a result, they could keep the secret as Bertus wanted, but the Holy Knight Commander's image became detestable.
"If you behave strangely, it's not you who suffers, but me. You're already a nuisance to humanity by existing, do you want to cause me trouble too?"
"Is, is that so…"
Rowan hung her head at my harsh words.
This mad woman had a wicked disposition.
Of course…
In the end, the one who should die first was me.
Whenever I felt unqualified to judge someone's right or wrong, I wanted to bite my tongue.
"I'll be more careful in the future. I am your face, after all."
"…Why does that make me feel worse?"
That's right.
No matter what a detestable person does, they remain detestable.
Look at this.
Even if she listens well, it still feels off.
Just look at our idiot.
She's cute just by being still.
"…Why are you looking at me like that?"
No, I wasn't doing that just now!
Isn't it wrong to feel even worse when showing goodwill?
"I know there's nothing I can do about being mean, but try to live well on your own."
"I'll bear it in mind."
"If you mess up and get caught by the wrong person, you're done for."
Rowan worked well and produced the desired results.
And the problem wasn't Rowan's personality, but also her character.
From now on, Rowan's duties would inevitably earn her the hatred of many and create numerous enemies.
"Do you know how dangerous the work you'll be doing is?"
"Of course."
She seemed clueless.
"Who should we capture first?"
"You know."
No matter how off-putting or worrisome,
Rowan's loyalty never wavered.
"Louise von Schwarz."
"I knew it."
That's right.
It's just like an overdose Antirianus.
"No matter how I think about it, this is strange."
At Erich de Lafaeri's words, everyone sitting in the makeshift barrack fell silent.
Cayer Voiden, Erich, Kono Lint, Cliffman, and Heinrich.
The four of them felt that the situation was turning odd, partly because they hadn't experienced the anticipated large-scale battle.
"If we don't have to fight, that's a good thing. I don't really care."
Cliffman lay on a makeshift bed in the barrack, staring blankly at the ceiling.
"Ellen kept moving with us, didn't she? It wasn't even Ellen's troops that moved. No, even if they did move, could such a thing be possible?"
Erich's question was valid.
The coalition's strongest force was, of course, Ellen and Saviolin Turner, with the elite troops they led, the Shanafel and the Royal Mage Corps.
However, Ellen hadn't moved, and yet Grenosia had been annihilated.
No matter how good things may be, an inexplicably good event is bound to feel unsettling.
"Could the Empire have developed some incredible secret weapon?"
Cayer furrowed his brow as he muttered.
"Could there be another Titan?"
"It's probably not a Titan. I asked Adelia, and she said that the Titan hadn't been activated."
"Then it must be some other weapon, but why would they need to keep it hidden? And if it's powerful enough to conquer a metropolis, wouldn't it make armies obsolete?"
"We won't know for sure until something is definitively revealed."
The main conversation was between Cayer and Erich.
Cliffman seemed uninterested.
Kono Lint and Heinrich, on the other hand, remained silent.
"Lint, do you have any suspicions?"
"Uh, um... I don't know."
"...Why are you reacting like this? Aren't you curious?"
"Uh? No, no! Of course, I'm curious. I was just thinking about it, wondering what it could be..."
Kono Lint didn't know all the details.
However, he knew that the Empire was using the corpses of fallen soldiers for something, having been dragged around by Reinhardt.
It was definitely something related to the undead.
And he knew that Reinhardt was fighting on the battlefield.
However, he also had a sense that Reinhardt's forces weren't large enough to single-handedly conquer a metropolis.
Kono Lint knew that what happened in Grenosia was related to the undead weaponry being developed by the Empire.
That's why he couldn't join the conversation carelessly. He might accidentally let slip information he shouldn't reveal.
Because of Kono Lint's unconvincing answer, Erich turned his gaze to Heinrich.
"Heinrich, did your sister tell you anything?"
"Not really? I haven't seen her since I've been here. I doubt she knows anything either..."
Heinrich had seen it with his own eyes.
What kind of army was being created, and what power they possessed.
And that their classmates were deeply involved in the Empire's secret weapon this time as well.
Heinrich knew the most secrets that should never be revealed externally in this place.
Not only about the Immortal, but also the fact that the current Holy Knights were essentially the Demon King's army - Heinrich was the only one present who knew this.
Although he didn't know that the Empire had decided to call that army the Immortal, he intuitively knew that the Immortal had been deployed to the front lines and were proving to be a formidable force, as expected.
It was a truth he couldn't speak of even if his mouth was torn open.
"Isn't it a problem we can’t easily think about?"
Curiosity breeds trouble.
To quell that curiosity, Heinrich looked at everyone and opened his mouth.
"Even if the Gate incident comes to an end, the empire has much to prepare for. Thus, even if they possess overly powerful weapons or technology, there's no need to disclose them to the entire coalition. They could be misused."
Issues such as human conflict, power struggles, or the Demon King's problem were inevitable. It was not as if the empire was being overly cautious or secretive; they were simply being prudent and crossing the bridge after checking its sturdiness.
"…When you think about it, that makes sense."
The universal desire of a group to keep a powerful weapon to themselves might not be so strange that it warranted being treated as top-secret information, even among allies.
After the war was over.
Was it hopeful that they could think about that? Or should they be worried about the issues that would arise after that point?
Heinrich was thinking about the latter.
It was a powerful army.
But excessively powerful strength was dangerous in and of itself.
Moreover, the Demon King was slowly corroding both the coalition and the empire, unbeknownst to the people.
"True, the Demon King... Reinhardt might try to seize the empire's secret weapon, so it's appropriate to keep it a secret..."
Erich's quiet speculation mentioned the Demon King's name, and naturally, the atmosphere froze.
The Demon King and the Gate incident were magic words that justified everything.
The Demon King.
The empire kept its secrets because of the Demon King.
But of course, both Kono Lint and Heinrich couldn't help but feel a lump in their throats when the Demon King's name was mentioned in such a way.
"Isn't it strange, though?"
Cayer picked up on Erich's suspicion.
"If the Demon King... wants to destroy humanity, couldn't he do it anytime?"
"How would he dare? There's the coalition, the Titans, and now it seems we even have some sort of secret weapon. How can he touch us?"
Erich's words made Cayer silently look at his friend.
Although he had become incomparably stronger, a seasoned warrior, and a holy knight compared to the past, his friend's naivete seemed incurable.
Cayer was a gentleman, even when disappointed.
Kono Lint and Heinrich didn't even expect anything in the first place, so they didn't feel disappointed.
You're just like that.
In a similar vein.
"…Are you crazy? Why would the Demon King attack here?"
"To destroy humanity, right?"
"Do you think people only live here?"
"…Huh?"
"The whole thing would end if the Imperial Capital were attacked."
At Erich's reaction, which suggested that he had never even considered that possibility, Heinrich and Kono Lint couldn't help but be surprised, beyond not expecting anything.
Even Cliffman, who was absentmindedly staring at the ceiling, shifted his gaze towards Erich.
To have that expression only now.
Everyone was astounded by Erich's naivete in their own way.
"The Demon King... If that bastard Reinhardt really wants to destroy humanity, why would he attack here? If he takes away our place to return, that's the end of everything. We'll all die out once our supplies are cut off. It's simple. Is this a difficult concept?"
It wasn't a thought or idea that only someone with great intelligence could come up with.
The Demon King had continuous opportunities to destroy humanity. Even now, in reality, there was always an opportunity.
However, the Demon King did not destroy humanity.
It was such an obvious thought, yet one that nobody entertained.
They merely assumed that he was biding his time for a more sinister reason or scheme.
Inferring the thoughts of a demon was impossible, so they were certain of his intentions but not of his methods.
Erich's perplexity was evident in his expression at Cayer's rebuke.
"So, why doesn't he?"
"…"
"…"
"…"
Seeing Erich finally have a thought that everyone else had considered to some extent, the three remained silent.
What could they do about this?
"Enough."
Cliffman, who had been lying quietly, spoke softly.
"End it there. There's nothing good to come from talking more."
With a stern expression, Cliffman spoke.
"After all, our duty is clear."
They were an army to put an end to the Gate incident.
"We only need to focus on that."
There was no need to defend, criticize, or speculate on the Demon King's intentions.
As the mere act of discussing it was dangerous, Cliffman cut off the topic altogether.
Heinrich silently stared at Cliffman.
It was a dangerous subject and one that shouldn't be raised.
However, Heinrich knew that a moment would come when they could no longer avoid addressing it.
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