Ch.304Chapter 304 – Resistance Meeting (2)

“First, an urgent report from the scouting unit. When the red sky appeared, the Kingdom’s army and the Emiris Order, who were facing off against each other, began to clash…”

“The source of the red sky appears to be the royal palace…”

“There’s chaos in every region, and monsters have become violent. Just now, there was an attack here as well…”

As the meeting began, various pieces of information started coming in.

Each faction presented the intelligence they had gathered, and the scribes began recording everything.

“I wonder if there might be false information mixed in.”

“I can’t say there isn’t any.”

Archery quietly agreed.

Then he added:

“But if we make a mistake, that would be like eating our own flesh.”

“Eating our own flesh?”

“This place may be known for backstabbing each other for leadership, but we need to use each other to survive. For that to happen, the resistance itself needs to survive as long as possible. And for the resistance to survive, information must be properly shared.”

“…You’re quite boldly admitting that you can’t trust each other.”

We already knew this fact…

But hearing it directly from Archery’s mouth carried a different weight.

Since Archery was someone who fought on the frontlines, openly stating that he couldn’t trust his allies was quite problematic.

Then Archery quietly said:

But I’m being honest because it’s us; normally, he probably would have denied it.

Even amid this conversation, information continued to be shared.

“Report. After urgently checking with our comrades spread across various countries, we’ve confirmed that the red sky has also appeared in several neighboring countries, including the Kingdom of Mikea. Similarly, there have been damages caused by monsters…”

“When is this report from?”

“It’s from a few days ago, but due to magical interference, the information was only compiled just now…”

For a while, there was an uproar between the reporting man and those rushing to tear into him.

However, this was a good situation for us.

“The Kingdom of Mikea?”

That was a word I couldn’t just ignore.

And judging by what was being said, it seemed the incident had occurred a few days ago.

Chris immediately looked at me and said:

“Oh, the Kingdom of Mikea is also under attack by demons…”

Chris was fidgeting anxiously.

And Sera quietly asked me:

“Will they be alright?”

“They’ll be fine.”

As I answered immediately, everyone briefly turned their attention to me.

Eve, after observing the meeting for a moment, quietly asked:

“Why do you think so?”

“Because I’ve seen what they can do.”

I answered, looking at Eve, Sera, and Chris.

“Last time with the dragon, they held a strategy meeting as soon as our report came in. Princess Liriel won’t underestimate the Soul-Devouring Formation. Plus, there are already people there who know about it.”

“You mean Asam and Miss Eina.”

I nodded at Beatrice’s words.

Both had experienced the Soul-Devouring Formation incident.

Not only were they formidable forces, but Asam could also greatly help in destroying the formation, and he could mobilize forces within the Kingdom of Mikea that couldn’t be ignored.

“I believe Asam can convince the Masters of the Magic Tower. And although they’re not entirely trustworthy, the Jeolei Order is also there, so they’ll quickly realize how serious the problem is.”

In truth, all the Jeolei Order did was get beaten by us and backstabbed by the Emiris Order before returning…

But they did witness the Soul-Devouring Formation in Ferarius, so they should know how dangerous it is.

“Plus, with powerful individuals like Aria, they won’t lack fighting power.”

Ludger might not be at full strength after losing an arm, but Aria, the Holy Maiden of the Hati Order who possesses the sacred relic armor, should be able to fill that gap.

She’ll probably walk through hordes of monsters like a tank.

“If anything, considering combat strength alone, this place is in more danger.”

The Kingdom of Mikea has royal knights, a Magic Tower, and various religious orders except for the Emiris Order that could mobilize.

In comparison, the only group here that can reliably deal with the demons’ schemes is the resistance.

And they’re the smallest faction, plagued by internal factional disputes.

The Kingdom’s army?

They seem to be in cahoots with the demons right now, so they’re unlikely to interfere with what the demons are doing.

“As much as I dislike them, even the Emiris Order wouldn’t ignore what the demons are doing right now.”

Gabriella, who had been quietly listening to our conversation, asked softly.

Despite having many grievances, she probably mentioned the one place that might take action, since even she knew the Kingdom’s army was hopeless.

Her expression was indeed not pleasant.

But one must trust those who can be trusted.

“Those bastards were up to something suspicious in that situation.”

“Kara mentioned that they responded rather passively from the beginning…”

At our words, Gabriella’s expression darkened.

Soon, the princess spoke quietly, as if reluctant to admit it:

“…This is no time to worry about other countries.”

As a princess, acknowledging this must be very bitter, but that was the reality.

As I said, the Kingdom of Mikea can handle things on their own.

While I’m not completely unconcerned, their situation is much better than here, where they can’t even unite.

The princess then looked at us after briefly observing the meeting.

“…Then, if you don’t mind, it’s your turn to provide the information you have.”

“Looks like it’s my turn to step up.”

Vanilla said quietly.

It had been arranged that Vanilla, not Beatrice, would speak to ensure the information was presented as coming from us.

Why Vanilla specifically?

Because only Beatrice and Vanilla could answer magical questions.

With Beatrice excluded, naturally only Vanilla remained.

“Besides, just looking at her appearance, she’s an elf, so it will seem like rare magical knowledge from a long-lived mage, which will add credibility.”

“White Dragon, don’t get too used to teasing me about my age.”

“I’ll be merciful.”

I answered Vanilla like that, but honestly, among the people I could tease about age, Vanilla was the easiest target.

Soon, Princess Gabriella spoke quietly:

“Then let’s begin.”

“I wish you luck.”

With Sia’s words, Princess Gabriella stood up.

+

The meeting hall fell silent for a while.

Following Gabriella’s introduction, Vanilla began explaining about the Soul-Devouring Formation.

Her surprisingly well-organized explanation seemed to be understood by everyone.

Or rather, they seemed unwilling to understand.

“…Breaking down souls completely to create magical power… such a thing…”

“There are clear records of it. Why else would there be mentions of the red sky in the hero legends?”

Someone who had been muttering quietly let out a small sigh at Vanilla’s words.

Then another person asked:

“But is the soul really that important? It might feel unpleasant, but…”

“There are various hypotheses about souls. Some say they ascend to the realm where only gods live, others say they continue to live through reincarnation in different forms. Of course, these are just hypotheses, and nothing has been definitively proven about what happens to a soul after death.”

Vanilla smiled at the man who asked the question.

“Would you like to find out what happens when it disappears by experimenting on yourself?”

“…I’ll pass.”

The man quietly backed down.

Next, a woman in armor asked:

“You’re saying this was done by demons? That’s too far-fetched…”

“We already reported our suspicions about an alliance between the royal family and demons quite some time ago. Didn’t you hear?”

“…Tch.”

This time, Gabriella addressed the woman, who quietly clicked her tongue and sat down.

Soon, General Regis quietly spoke up:

“I understand the situation now. And that it’s dangerous if left unchecked.”

The general’s voice spread throughout the room.

Everyone focused their attention on him as he continued:

“If the Soul-Devouring Formation continues to spread, the demons will gain power within it, and the Kingdom’s army will become a major threat. Especially if they have truly formed an alliance with demons.”

“…And I believe the demons will continue to wage a war of attrition, Commander. The more casualties, the stronger they become.”

At Gabriella’s words, the general bowed his head in thought.

Then he looked at a man and said:

“Continue gathering information from areas where the Order and the Kingdom’s army are facing off. If the information from the princess and her collaborators is correct, there will be a large-scale conflict soon. We should avoid localized battles for now…”

As General Regis began sharing his opinions, everyone listened attentively. Meanwhile, Chris quietly asked:

“Nothing unusual is happening now.”

“Yeah.”

Everyone had been on guard given the tense atmosphere at the beginning of the meeting.

Fortunately, there were no further provocations.

While we were conversing, the discussion seemed to have concluded, as several people besides the general began discussing future plans.

‘It’s winding down now.’

Thankfully, there were no major issues.

I thought we just needed to wait for the meeting to end before leaving.

And just as people had almost finished exchanging opinions…

“Ahem.”

General Regis, who had been stroking his beard, cleared his throat softly.

As everyone’s attention focused on him again, he looked at the princess and said:

“Before we end the meeting, there are some matters we should address.”

After saying this, the general continued addressing the princess:

“…First, I must express my gratitude. Thanks to you, Princess, we now understand exactly what this ominous situation is, and I believe we should thank you for that.”

“We’re all comrades in the resistance. Important information should be willingly shared.”

The princess smiled as she responded to the general’s courteous words.

The atmosphere didn’t seem too bad… or so I thought.

“…But it’s a shame. If Count Rezolkobu were still alive, we could have deployed cavalry to eliminate the monsters in the area…”

The general was blatantly putting pressure on the princess.

Soon, the princess smiled and said:

“Even so, no one could have imagined a Dragon Slayer would appear there… about half of our soldiers lost their lives too.”

“I’m saying it’s regrettable that Lord Archery couldn’t pay more attention to Count Rezolkobu’s safety.”

“Neither Lord Archery nor the late Count Rezolkobu could have anticipated that a Dragon Slayer would appear there. I pray his death was not in vain.”

The princess and the general were quietly engaged in a battle of nerves.

Just when I thought things were going well with the discussion about the Soul-Devouring Formation, they were already in a power struggle.

Then the woman who had spoken earlier opened her mouth again:

“But! We can’t say that Lord Archery bears no responsibility for Count Rezolkobu’s death.”

“Lord Archery was merely the Count’s adjutant. The command authority and responsibility belonged to Count Rezolkobu. In fact, he was killed while moving recklessly with his troops despite Archery’s objections, so it’s difficult to place blame on Archery.”

“But as an adjutant, he can’t be completely absolved of responsibility. Thanks to this, the resistance’s entire cavalry unit was wiped out. How do you plan to compensate for this loss?”

The woman was picking a fight again.

Moreover, General Regis, far from mediating, was waiting for the princess’s response.

It seemed this woman was also part of the general’s faction, like Rezolkobu.

Should I simply call them the general’s faction?

The woman from the general’s faction continued addressing Princess Gabriella:

“Or do you plan to recruit those standing over there? I hear that the knight standing there has quite a reputation for his martial prowess.”

“That’s quite direct.”

I don’t know where she heard such things, but the woman from the general’s faction was blatantly trying to pull us into the resistance.

Just as I was thinking this was becoming troublesome, Gabriella briefly looked at us and then spoke quietly:

“…These people are merely benevolent collaborators. We cannot forcibly incorporate them into our ranks.”

“But you must take responsibility for Count Rezolkobu’s death.”

“Enough with these unreasonable demands, General. Further debate on this is unnecessary.”

As Princess Gabriella spoke, the woman from the general’s faction tried to say something again.

However, this time General Regis stopped her.

“General.”

“…Since the Soul-Devouring Formation crisis is more important right now, let’s stop the questioning here.”

Only at these words did the woman from the general’s faction quiet down.

But the general looked at Gabriella again and said:

“However, it’s also true that we can’t just let Count Rezolkobu’s death go. As you can see, many are not satisfied.”

As the general spoke, he glanced around as if suggesting everyone look around.

Several people were visibly nodding in agreement.

“The atmosphere is strange.”

As Gigas said, the atmosphere in the meeting hall had become strange.

Some seemed to be watching the general’s faction carefully.

While those who appeared to be from the princess’s faction were glaring at the general’s faction, many were either watching the general’s faction cautiously or looking on indifferently.

But the atmosphere was clearly strange.

“…But.”

“According to the elf mage’s explanation earlier, the Soul-Devouring Formation clearly has three convergence points where magical power gathers. And the source appears to be the royal palace.”

“Is this old man really going to…” Archery’s voice trailed off slightly.

But the old man looked at the princess with a cold face and said:

“I’ll give you five days, Princess.”

“What?”

“Within five days, destroy one of the convergence points of the Soul-Devouring Formation. Surely there must be one at the royal palace.”

“This crazy old man,” Archery muttered.

Just as the princess was about to say something, General Regis quietly continued:

“If you say you can’t do it or that you’ll fail, the princess’s faction will be held properly accountable for Count Rezolkobu’s death.”

“…By accountability, what do you mean?”

“Whether we demand custody of Lord Archery and others who were at that mountain fortress, or receive full monetary compensation for the cavalry we lost, or something else, I haven’t decided yet. I’ll take my time deciding.”

A cracking sound was heard.

It came from Princess Gabriella’s mouth.

A trickle of blood was flowing from her lips.

Of course, the princess naturally took out a fan to hide the blood, so only those right beside her would have noticed.

Barely maintaining her composure, the princess quietly said:

“You’re being too harsh for fellow resistance members.”

“It’s precisely because we’re fellow resistance members that I want to be clear. We can’t have lingering resentment between us.”

After saying this, the general smiled slightly and said:

“Honestly, it shouldn’t be difficult, right? With the royal family’s guardian beast, neither the Soul-Devouring Formation nor demons would be a match. Perhaps even the Dragon Slayer. Oh, that’s right.”

The general smiled gently and said:

“Come to think of it, Princess, you don’t have the royal family’s guardian beast. The shadow guardian beast, the watchdog that contracted with the first Firenze and you, who protected the royal family. I forgot momentarily due to my age.”

General Regis deliberately spoke loudly.

Voices of agreement could be heard, and Princess Gabriella’s expression grew colder.

However, she couldn’t say anything.

Beatrice, as if unable to bear watching, pulled her hat down to hide her expression.

“…What an unpleasant meeting indeed.”

Sia’s words quietly echoed among us.

For a while, the unpleasant laughter continued to resonate throughout the meeting room.