Ch.156Chapter 156: The Decisive Battle in the East (24).

“So you’re a lady of the Valentine family. Everyone on the continent is indebted to the Valentine family. Thank you.”

A truly perfect greeting.

Lisa’s mood brightens at Veron’s greeting.

“Heh, hehehehe. Well, I haven’t done anything myself, but having someone recognize me like this makes me feel rather proud.”

“Not at all. Simply belonging to the Valentine family is enough to deserve such respect.”

While the two exchange pleasantries, Valt suddenly interjects.

“I apologize for our Gerungtu causing trouble for the Valentine family.”

Though Valt meant it as a joke, Lisa and Veron nearly have a fit as they frantically wave their hands in denial.

“T-that’s not what I meant, Prince Valt!”

“Y-yeah! Actually, I’ve never even fought Gerungtu before. Valt is the first Gerungtu I’ve ever met in my life!”

It was true that due to Kwan’s unification war, the Valentine family in the south had only been defending against monsters and hadn’t actually fought against the Gerungtu for over a decade.

“Hehe, I know. It was just a joke.”

“V-Valt makes jokes too?”

It was a joke to Valt, but Veron exhales a sigh of relief as if he’d aged ten years.

“Phew… But what brings you here so early in the morning? It will take some time before the battle resumes.”

“Is that so? When do you think the battle will start again?”

Given the scale of the armies, both advancing and retreating take days to complete.

Regular orcs can’t fly around swiftly like Masters or Experts, which is why the retreat also took considerable time.

“Perhaps as early as tomorrow, but by my estimation, the battle will likely resume the day after tomorrow.”

“So you’re planning to advance.”

Veron nods at Valt’s words.

“Indeed, you have great foresight. That’s correct. We don’t intend to miss this opportunity. Strategically speaking, pressing the advantage when morale is high is the standard approach, but…”

As Veron trails off, Valt, certain that he has other thoughts, asks:

“You seem to view the advance negatively. Is that right?”

“You’re truly perceptive. Yes, to be honest, that’s correct. I mentioned this to the Commander as well, but he said discussions with all kingdoms in the alliance have already concluded.”

Veron’s position was military in name only; in reality, he was essentially an intelligence analyst.

He had no authority to command troops.

“Do you think it’s a trap? As it happens, our military advisor also seems convinced that the orcs have set a trap.”

When Valt glances at Lisa while speaking, Veron shows an amused expression.

“I see. At this point, we should be approaching orcs as if they were human opponents, but it seems difficult for them to do so.”

Looking at the situation objectively, Veron’s words make sense.

But human stubbornness is persistent, and stereotypes don’t disappear easily.

The kingdoms of the alliance simply view the orcs’ behavior as a temporary phenomenon caused by the appearance of the Orc King.

“What kind of trap do you think they’ve set?”

When Valt asks, Veron continues as if he had prepared for this question.

“It’s obvious. Strengthening orc forces through curse debuffs and shamanic buffs. Then using their numbers for encirclement. Moreover, the orc main force still remains. If I were them…”

Pausing briefly, Veron clearly states his thoughts.

“I would deploy the orc main force now to annihilate the alliance’s advance party as brutally as possible.”

After hearing Veron’s explanation, Lisa slaps her palm with her fist.

“Ah! They’re planning to exploit the fact that humans underestimate orcs?”

Veron again shows an amused expression at Lisa’s reaction.

“Lady Valentine, you’re truly perceptive. That’s exactly it. Currently, the alliance’s morale is at its peak. But high morale isn’t always beneficial.”

“The shock of defeat hits harder?”

“Precisely correct. Just as joy makes subsequent sorrow feel more intense. If our forces suffer a major defeat when morale is at its peak, it would be like pouring cold water on everything. The orcs know this.”

Even Valt finds this reasoning quite plausible. The kingdom’s main force? Honestly, the Orc King wouldn’t even need to appear.

If Orc Lords and Orc Generals march out with their shamans, they could be too much for the kingdom’s forces to handle.

Of course, the quality of troops isn’t necessarily inferior, but the orcs have a clear command structure centered around the Orc King.

In contrast, humans are divided by kingdoms, each with its own independent command system.

In small skirmishes it might not matter, but in large-scale engagements like this, it’s obvious which side has the advantage.

“Did you tell Commander Jerdin about this?”

At Valt’s question, Veron makes a troubled expression.

“Yes, I did. But he said he has a countermeasure. I believe it’s an artifact…”

It seemed that Veron, like Valt, also thought Jerdin’s secret weapon was an artifact.

“Being in a position that deals with information, one inevitably hears various rumors. Recently, there’s been talk that King Jerdin acquired an artifact.”

“What kind of artifact?”

“I’m not entirely certain, but according to the information gathered, it’s likely an artifact called ‘Eliwell’s Voice.'”

“Please explain this artifact.”

At this, Veron’s voice becomes animated, revealing his interest in artifacts.

“It’s said to be made from the vocal cords of an ancient mermaid named Eliwell.”

“And its effect?”

“I’ve never seen it used, but it possesses tremendous power. An ability called ‘Declaration of Nullification Zone.'”

“Nullification Zone?”

Artifacts that establish domains weren’t entirely unfamiliar; the vampires’ sacred item, Blood Tears, had similar properties.

But another domain-creating artifact makes one wonder just how far artifact abilities can go.

“It sounds complicated, but it’s simple. It’s believed to nullify mana operations within a certain range. Literally creating a zone where magic cannot be used.”

At Veron’s explanation, even Arias and Lilith look extremely surprised.

“Impossible!! It nullifies mana operations? Over a wide area?”

Nullifying mana operations is essentially the natural enemy of all mages.

“Yes, that’s what I’ve heard. But this is just speculation; I don’t know exactly what Eliwell’s Voice is capable of. It might not nullify mana operations but have dispel capabilities instead.”

“Even dispel is unbelievable! Do you know how difficult it is to reverse-calculate and disperse already structured mana?!”

Magic is a discipline with endless applications.

For example, ten different people could create a simple fireball in ten different ways.

Individual habits and characteristics enter into the calculation and construction process, making every spell essentially unique.

That’s why dispelling is so difficult.

One must know how to reverse-calculate the complex construction and computation of a spell, and understand the exact habits and sequence of the caster. That’s what dispel is.

Although dispel is classified as magic, even among mages it’s considered more of a technique than magic.

“When have artifacts ever made sense? If Eliwell’s Voice is what I think it is, then King Jerdin’s strategy isn’t wrong.”

After pondering for a while, Lisa nods.

“I see. A counter to their counter. He plans to use the artifact’s power to repel the orcs’ main forces when they try to defeat the alliance.”

“Exactly. If successful, it would give us the upper hand immediately, but the problem is if it fails.”

“The strategy would be exposed.”

“Precisely, Lady Lisa. Eliwell’s Voice is a powerful card that could potentially capture the Orc King. But if we reveal it in this battle…”

“It could make capturing the Orc King even more difficult.”

Veron massages his temple as if he has a headache.

“That’s right. In truth, Commander Jerdin probably had no other choice. Regardless of the process, he is the commander. If the kingdom’s army were to be meaninglessly annihilated, he couldn’t escape responsibility.”

“So… ultimately, the advance is happening because of the kingdoms’ greed, but King Jerdin is trying to protect them by using the artifact?”

Veron gives a bitter smile at Lisa’s words.

“Haha… Though he appears fierce and hot-tempered on the surface, he’s actually quite concerned about his reputation…”

Veron’s words ultimately meant that even Commander Jerdin couldn’t ignore the political situation of the Eastern Alliance.

As Veron said, the responsibility that comes with the title of commander is not something one can avoid.

Moreover, the situation is particularly unfavorable for King Jerdin.

If he stops the kingdom’s armies now, he’ll be accused of monopolizing the glory, but if he encourages the advance, he might be pushing them to their deaths.

In the end, he can’t save the artifact for capturing the Orc King and must waste it due to political circumstances.

“Humans are so frustrating.”

Though Arias’s comment was casual, Lisa and Veron look somewhat embarrassed.

After finishing his thoughts, Valt asks Veron:

“So I’ll have to block the tusks again?”

“That’s highly likely. If you weren’t here, the tusks’ spear attacks would surely come.”

“Interesting. Because of human politics, we’re losing the battle of wits against orcs.”

At Valt’s words, Veron bows his head deeply.

“Lisa, any good ideas?”

“Huh? Me?”

“Yes, any wild thoughts would be fine. Think of a solution with Lord Veron.”

Receiving such a request from Valt, Lisa’s face suddenly brightens.

“Really? Is that so!? Then tell me in detail how you fought!”

“Me?”

“Yes! What cards do I have to play? Only you! And if I use you well, most situations can be resolved, right? Quickly, tell me. What did you do?”

And so Valt began to explain in detail to Lisa what had happened yesterday.