Ch.306306. Broken Clock Hand (6)

The ill feelings that began with suspicion gradually stained into distrust, and that time could no longer be reversed.

Instead, the irreversible time was buried, and a new time flowed—a time where all memories had vanished and only one person remembered the truth.

But it was none other than herself who ruined this miraculous opportunity.

She had openly warned him not to even think about lurking around Tembris.

Yet she barely managed to save her life with his help. During the festival, she even slapped him, accusing him of making unwanted advances.

If she had intended to regret her hasty judgment, she should have repented here. But… Erica couldn’t bring herself to repent.

She always doubted. Always denied and ignored. Always refused to believe.

Just as she had in the past, she maintained the same consistent attitude without any change.

Nevertheless, he let it go without saying a word.

This was the moment. This was truly the moment when she should have stopped, or at the very least, kept her hands to herself.

This was, after all, a mercy granted by Junon.

However.

“In the Sirah faction, we just need to take care of that guy Junon.”

In the faction battle, she had already laid her hands on him.

“Do you even know what happened to Adel because of your unilateral actions?!”

During the hostage crisis at Dubekan, she completely kicked away the hand of mercy that she could have grasped, albeit belatedly.

She spread rumors and had Kelnur investigate him. It was the same foolish behavior as in the past, trying to bring Junon down from his position by any means necessary.

Yes. Although she couldn’t be forgiven, she should have stopped even then.

“I’m warning you. If you make excuses and dishonor Junon one more time, it won’t be the scabbard but the blade that will be thrust at you next time.”

“Don’t create something you’ll regret. Never, ever do that to Junon…!”

Senia, who had pressed the scabbard against her neck with cold eyes.

Aris, who had desperately pleaded with her not to do it.

Both of them clearly told her to maintain boundaries.

In a way, it was nothing short of an omen. It wouldn’t be wrong to see it as the final sign to grasp an opportunity to atone to Junon, even slightly.

She didn’t know?

That’s just an excuse.

If she had looked from a different perspective when she thought all three were taking Junon’s side, she would have surely noticed.

Perhaps, she wasn’t the only one who had glimpses of the past; everyone had their own fragments.

If she had held her gaze a little longer when Goden recognized Junon’s true worth and tried to accept him, she would have surely sensed it.

That his capabilities weren’t lacking but rather overflowing.

If she had doubted Kelnur, and Erica Scherfen herself, she could have made the right judgment.

About why Junon, despite remembering everything, never spoke the truth.

“I’m… trash…”

Erica collapsed in front of the broken clock hand, blaming and blaming again.

Herself, who was worse than a beast.

“Someone like me… doesn’t deserve to live…!”

Her eyes no longer held even a blurry focus.

With eyes devoid of any attachment to this world, she rises and steps outside the ruins.

Then, the entity that acknowledged the formation of the clock hand speaks firmly to her.

【 If you end your life here, the future of Alcaide will not change. 】

“…!”

Focus returned to Erica’s eyes.

‘Just now… what? Alcaide?’

One might mistake it for the name of a star, but that’s impossible.

How could anyone not know the legendary hero called Lord Alcaide? Alcaide is the middle name of the most famous hero, known not just in the principality but beyond the empire.

But Alcaide doesn’t exist in this world. That person died over twenty years ago.

Yet, here comes a statement that the future of Alcaide won’t change?

‘Could it be…’

Junon?

“…Right. I must reap everything I’ve sown.”

Because of the final telepathic message she heard, Erica couldn’t choose death yet.

Not until she had gathered all the ashes she had scattered on the path that should have been brilliant for that man.

***

Two named magical beasts.

As long as both the Erosion’s Feltibourgos and Oblivion’s Ashpern exist simultaneously, there isn’t even a glimmer of hope for the principality’s future.

‘Honestly, even one is too much to handle.’

Shanberesh. Pimpert. Even these two would require almost all the forces the principality possessed.

Even if all conditions in the principality improved, the existence of these two would determine the outcome of every battle. In other words, if they couldn’t subjugate Ashpern before Feltibourgos awakened, they would end up repeating the same mistakes.

‘I know that too.’

They would surely fail. And it was obvious that everyone, officers and soldiers alike, would resist.

At first glance, it was indeed a crazy operation.

But it was an operation that had to be carried out by any means necessary.

“From now on, we will leave Levrant and head to Sirah.”

“What?!”

“Commander, I think we need an explanation for that. What do you mean by such an abrupt statement?”

Even amid their bewilderment, one officer asked for an explanation.

Junon, as if he had been waiting for this, spread out a map.

The first was Levrant Academy. Symbols drawn on Buildings 7 and 16 indicated the functionality of each building.

“Of the 16 buildings, 14 are still standing, but they can’t be used for their original purpose. The same goes for Building 7. Except for the Alcaide Hall, they can’t exert their original power. Therefore, Levrant Academy can no longer function properly. That’s why I’m suggesting we head to Sirah.”

“Hmm…”

“Heading to Sirah, does that mean completely withdrawing troops from Levrant?”

“Isn’t that suggesting a change of capital, in other words, a relocation of the court?”

As Junon had anticipated, the officers began to resist.

“Just crushing them with those many buildings would be efficient enough!”

“Even without defensive objects, we could create barriers or mirages to guide them!”

“The defensive object used by the previous commander could be used once more if we just draw power from the Alcaide Hall!”

They argued that even if they just used the buildings themselves as cover and held out, they could slowly drive away those magical beasts.

And coordinating their opinions, it came down to this:

The magical beasts driven by Ashpern could be eliminated given enough time. Starting with the small fry, they could utilize the advantages they knew and lead them into guerrilla warfare.

Well, those were roughly their opinions.

‘They think they’ll eliminate them by putting Tembris at the forefront after reducing the number of individuals. That’s probably their thinking.’

It’s not entirely wrong.

Rather than facing many enemies at once, it’s more efficient to gradually reduce their strength bit by bit, and for stronger individuals, to gradually deplete their power and lead them into a war of attrition.

Drawing attention to divert their strength or causing disturbance would be the cherry on top. Carrying out operations suited to this and slowly eroding the power of the magical beasts is the human way.

Such formulas are what the weak have created to defeat the strong.

However, they didn’t consider at all why the two professors moved separately to block Feltibourgos.

That formula only works when there are no conditions and only the environment of humans versus magical beasts is set.

If that were possible, Professor Muniher would have dealt with it that way too.

Why did they have to block Feltibourgos?

Why did they try to create conditions to face only one Ashpern?

Junon’s answer to this was:

As in the past, it was a lack of time.

What they had was the golden time earned by the combined efforts of Professor Muniher and Professor Jake. And all they had were Tembris and the principality’s army. With just that, they had to eliminate Ashpern and all the magical beasts following it.

‘Because the tide changes the moment Feltibourgos awakens.’

On the eroded land, the principality’s army had to retreat without being able to offer any resistance. They couldn’t continue the battle in Levrant in that state, with only the hope that it would never awaken.

Because at that time, they couldn’t face it with just the principality’s power. That’s why they focused on sealing Feltibourgos. Keeping open only the possibility that they might be able to handle one.

In other words, they lacked both time and power. For the principality’s army, this operation had a time limit.

The only option was to catch them as quickly as possible, even one more beast.

And Feltibourgos moves slowly due to its massive body. If they relocated to Sirah, they could buy at least a day.

‘But will it make a difference if I explain that?’

No. It wouldn’t.

Junon tried to quell the commotion by slamming the table.

But then.

-BANG!

Unexpectedly, someone else pounded the table from another side.

Seeing the ponytail bounce up and then settle down… it was Michelle.

“This is an operation planned by the commander personally appointed by Count Gelbarten. Aren’t you being too dismissive?”

“But… Levrant is the capital of the principality.”

“If that’s the reason, Mirpark was also the capital in the past. What has happened to that city now?”

“”…””

Some officers who remembered those days fell silent. Mirpark was the place where Feltibourgos, the nobles’ weapon, was created, and it was now an eroded land.

She attempted a primary persuasion, saying there must be a clear reason for suggesting the relocation to Sirah. Thankfully.

Following Michelle’s signal, Junon immediately picked up a chalk and, as previously discussed with Tembris, drew a large arc marking the Ross region as the front line.

“Isn’t the front line too wide?”

This was a valid point. Indeed, a wide front line means a larger area to defend, resulting in greater power consumption.

“That’s why I’m implementing this operation.”

Junon took a red chalk and added to the drawing. The officers tilted their heads in confusion for a moment, wondering what it was, before their mouths fell open.

“We’ll use the Irob River for the water we lack. So, inform the soldiers that they’ll be turning the area around the Ripol River into a trench to narrow the front line.”

“Y-you…!”

“Junon, have you truly gone mad?!”

They couldn’t help but react that way. After all, it was the Ripol River, which the principality’s army was using most effectively.

Call him crazy if they want.

But this operation must be carried out for any hope to exist.

“We’ll use the Irob River for the water we lack. So, inform the soldiers that they’ll be turning the area around the Ripol River into a trench to narrow the front line.”