Ch.156Chapter 156. Expedition Preparations

“Haa, haa.”

Irie struggles to hold back her nausea as she covers her mouth.

The violent movement in her womb suggests that the act of seeing the future affects her unborn child as well.

“It’s okay, ah…”

Despite this, Irie doesn’t avert her gaze from the crystal ball, nor does she withdraw the mana she’s focusing into it.

She simply caresses her swollen belly gently, as if soothing her child.

“It’s okay… Just bear with it a little longer.”

She has only confirmed the beginning point so far.

Previously, she had turned away in fear when she checked, but now that even her partner has left her side, she cannot simply remain idle.

If knowing the future makes changing it possible, then she must face that future directly to find a solution.

“Just a little more…”

For this purpose, Irie, barely maintaining her composure, removed her hand from her now-still belly and channeled more power into the crystal ball.

She needed to understand the context of what she had seen and decide how she should act.

“…Aha.”

And after some time had passed.

A faint laugh escaped her lips as she imprinted everything she saw into her memory.

“Haha… Ahahahahaha…”

The longer it continued, the more she felt the despair in her heart being swallowed by emptiness.

And in a way, she even felt relieved.

It’s always more comforting to know the cause and effect clearly than to be consumed by anxiety over an unknown situation.

“…Mother of Origins.”

Even if it meant everything she had achieved so far would be reduced to ‘mere trifles.’

“You did this for…”

If all the pieces of fate she needed to follow were meant solely for this single vision she had just witnessed—to protect as much as possible from the coming destruction…

“From the beginning, you guided him and me together… for this purpose?”

“…Irie.”

As she embraced her belly, dwelling on this sadness, a voice reached her.

Shifting her gaze toward it, she saw a woman who had come to her room, looking down at her sitting on the floor.

“You have a visitor.”

Tashian Pailoi.

The person who could take her place in her absence.

“…Yes.”

Though there seemed to be sympathy in the gaze directed at her, as if understanding the current situation, Irie ultimately tried to pass by her, avoiding eye contact.

But her body was heavy with child, and her mind was exhausted beyond measure.

“Will you be alright?”

Tashian expressed her concern seeing Irie’s unsteady steps, but Irie merely forced a smile in response.

“I’m fine. Please stay here, Tashian.”

She hoped that Tashian would not interfere with her.

If the foreseen future was indeed true, then she had her role to play, and Tashian had hers.

-Click.

As Irie stepped outside, opening the door while pondering this, she was greeted by a man wearing a black cloak and mask.

She could immediately guess his identity upon facing him.

“Who are you?”

“The Leader of Nihil, the revolutionary organization—would that mean anything to you?”

“…Nihil?”

“Yes, having just escaped from prison, I was looking for a place to hide when I discovered my friend’s residence and decided to stop by briefly for shelter.”

The revolutionary organization Nihil. It was a name Irie knew well.

Although it was said that even the common people had turned their backs after the leader was captured, in her later prophecies, the remnants of the group would play a crucial role at the promised moment.

“I came looking for my friend, but it seems he’s away. So I’d like to ask for your help, as his beloved… If it’s alright, could we talk inside?”

A situation where the leader of such a group, having successfully escaped prison, makes a suspicious proposal.

Nevertheless, Irie did not completely regard the person before her as an enemy.

For someone like her who could thread through the past just by facing someone, disguises held no meaning.

“…You don’t need to pretend, Your Highness.”

Moreover, since he had appeared in the future she had prophesied, she had been expecting him to make contact soon.

“Even without talking, I understand completely why you’ve come to see me.”

“…I see.”

As if he had anticipated such a prediction, he soon relaxed his solemn demeanor and directed his hollow gaze from behind the mask toward her.

“Irie Haven… I suspected as much, but it seems you truly have inherited the power of the foreign deity.”

He had known about her identity beforehand…

It wasn’t particularly strange. After all, she had even received a letter directly written by an ancestor who had lived thousands of years ago.

Even for her, who had inherited all the power of her lineage, it was not easy to accurately foresee the future and its process just a few months ahead.

Surely, to deliver a single letter to her, countless trials and errors must have been made, and some of them would have been passed down to others in the form of relics.

“…If you know about me, then there’s no need for lengthy persuasion.”

Perhaps it was fate that one of those people would be the figure who would soon open the coming era.

Soon, Prince Seis removed the mask he was wearing on his face and spoke quietly to her.

“I’ll leave the choice to you. Will you come with me? Or will you let the future unfold as it is?”

Despite knowing her identity and deeming her necessary, he doesn’t force the choice.

That attitude probably stems from his belief that the initiative in this situation lies not with him, but with her.

“…Can I ask for one favor?”

Yes, how to lead the future is up to her.

In response to Irie’s proposal, sensing that the choice was already predetermined, Prince Seis asked indifferently in a dry voice:

“What do you want?”

“Vivian Platonis… Please let me meet her.”

If the future cannot be avoided, then she will face it head-on.

The prophet with the mission to save the world had already made her resolution.

“…I want to meet her and confirm something.”

Whether she wanted what was about to unfold or not.

Because she knew that if she did nothing despite knowing the future, nothing would change.

****

The subjugation mission that would begin in preparation for the succession ceremony half a year later.

The mission was planned to travel throughout the empire’s territories and pioneering areas over half a year, and I had been assigned the weighty task of leading an expedition unit.

Naturally, with investments pouring in from various regions, the influence gained from achieving merit would be substantial, and if done well, I could even cement my position as humanity’s representative savior.

I still had doubts about whether I was suitable for such a position, but I had decided to trust and follow her for now.

What I could focus on right now was the immediate task at hand, rather than worrying about other aspects, which would only create unnecessary problems.

“Everyone, salute Hero Hyoseong Woo!!!”

“Loyalty! Devotion!”

The moment I headed toward the place where my expedition team was said to be prepared, a chorus of shouts erupted.

The space in front of the fortress walls trembled with the unified cry of hundreds of people, and I felt my skin tingle.

What’s going on? I had heard that expeditions centered around a hero were typically structured such that sponsors would provide support, rather than the hero preparing everything directly…

Could it be that all these people here are mercenaries hired to support me?

“…Are you from the Imperial Army?”

No, looking closely, they weren’t adventurers or mercenaries.

Unlike typical subjugation teams, which are mainly composed of individuals hired by sponsors, the people before me were clearly uniformed soldiers with distinct characteristics and formal attire.

“That’s right! We are soldiers belonging to the legion! We saw the official document posted by the Imperial Palace in Hero Hyoseong Woo’s name and came to join the subjugation team voluntarily!”

It’s one thing for the military to provide support, but for them to volunteer directly…

Of course, there would be rewards for completing the mission, but even those might not seem appealing enough given the dangers and hardships of a subjugation mission.

In such circumstances, I never expected not just adventurers but soldiers to volunteer in such numbers.

“Ahaha, this… This is my first time, I never thought so many people would volunteer.”

“You don’t need to worry too much. All of us consider it an honor to be able to fight alongside Hero Hyoseong Woo again.”

“What? Fight again…?”

“Don’t you remember us?”

Amidst my confusion, a man stepped forward, revealing himself clearly.

The face of the man who seemed to represent the assembled subjugation team looked quite familiar to me.

“Ah, from the excavation site back then…!”

“Hehe, it seems you remember.”

Yes, the person in front of me now was one of the officers in charge of the garrison area at the excavation site.

He was an officer who served as an adjutant to Marcus, who commanded the legion at that time.

“I am Sanson, the former adjutant who assisted the former commander of the Imperial First Legion, Commander Marcus. If you permit, I would like to serve as your adjutant for this subjugation mission and assist you wholeheartedly.”

“Similarly, I am Petra from the reconnaissance unit of the First Legion. Please leave the scouting missions to me.”

“I am Malcolm, serving as both a priest and military doctor. If you’re injured, please let me know anytime.”

“Byron from the vanguard. And this friend here is…”

Starting with the first adjutant, representatives from each unit introduced themselves.

The introductions felt not just resolute but passionate, likely because they all genuinely wanted to follow me.

Not just because of my reputation, but because they had directly fought alongside me through dangerous situations.

“…Haha.”

Realizing that the trust stemming from that experience had led to this meeting, I began to feel a sense of stability in my previously anxious heart.

Having shared life-threatening experiences with them once, I felt confident that we could achieve anything together.

“It’s good to see you all again.”

“No, we are the ones… We consider it an honor to assist you in this mission for the Empire and humanity.”

“That’s right! You are the Hope of Humanity!”

“With you, we would follow even into hell! In place of Commander Marcus, please lead us well!”

Marcus Cradle.

Though he might have been mocked as an incompetent general by the nobles, those who knew his true nature all respected and honored him.

The countless crowd gathered before me now was composed of such individuals.

Feeling that I had been chosen to carry on their will, I felt a warm surge rising from the depths of my heart.

“Then, Hero Hyoseong Woo, could you please tell us about the expedition plan?”

But the confidence that welled up was shaken in just a moment.

“Plan, you say?”

“Yes, since this mission is a large-scale expedition, shouldn’t you, as the overall leader, take charge of managing the expedition team?”

Right. Being the leader of a large-scale expedition is akin to managing a ‘small society.’

Managing personnel, assets and resources operated by the subjugation team, procedures to be followed when visiting garrison areas and residential zones, and so on…

The difficulty of managing all of this would inevitably increase exponentially as the number of armed forces participating in the expedition grew.

“Other heroes have appointed representatives to act on their behalf, but did you not hire someone in advance?”

“…Ah, yes. I was busy with various events until the day before the expedition, so I couldn’t properly arrange for someone.”

Indeed, even in the expeditions I had participated in, such management tasks were handled not by the leader but by someone assisting him.

And that role was typically taken by someone familiar with administrative activities, usually a civil servant with legal qualifications or a promising young noble from an aristocratic family, rather than an adjutant leading a military unit.

Naturally, when hiring such distinguished individuals, a certain level of sincerity is required, making direct interviews and procedures essential.

But unfortunately, the nobles looked down on someone who had risen rapidly, and because of that, I didn’t even have the opportunity to attend social gatherings…

“This is troublesome. Maybe we should delay the expedition a bit to find a suitable person…”

“Would you entrust that role to me?”

Just as I was about to seek advice, a stoic voice was heard.

Looking in that direction, I saw a young girl descending the stairs on the opposite side.

No, though delicate in appearance and hard to distinguish, the person was clearly a young man who led a family.

“…Cheska?”

“You remember me, Hyoseong Woo.”

Cheska Flandor.

Garam’s sponsor and perhaps the only noble who could be considered friendly to me.

“No, I should call you Hero Hyoseong Woo now.”

“Anyway… I was planning to join this expedition, so if you don’t have a suitable person, would you entrust the management position of the expedition team to me?”

His outwardly proud and calculating demeanor clearly established him as the most suitable candidate for the current situation.