Ch.657Conflict

======[ Feyrus ]======

“Orhan has been defeated. And he left an arm behind. It was that woman’s doing, they say.”

“That’s… surprising. I didn’t expect her to grow that strong.”

Feyrus was somewhat impressed by the Third Apostle’s report.

A Tale of Heros that pursued defensive power to the extreme, cutting through the Unyielding Flesh. It meant that no one in the current era could directly block that woman’s slash.

‘Whether it’s the power of the sword or the inherent power of the variable… if she can break through the Unyielding Flesh, she could even cut through a dragon’s scales.’

Less than a year since reaching the realm of heroes, yet already at a level where dragons could be discussed. It was an unbelievably rapid growth.

“It’s fortunate it was just an arm; had she cut his neck, he would have died on the spot. That woman would have grown even stronger, feeding on Orhan’s death. Beyond control, even beyond containment.”

The Third Apostle’s voice was mixed with anxiety, understandably so.

“What are you planning? There’s a limit to nurturing an enemy for your own use. If we leave her be, she’ll soon reach an unmanageable level.”

“Hmm….”

Feyrus understood the Third Apostle’s anxiety. Unlike Feyrus himself, who operated in secrecy without revealing his whereabouts, the Third Apostle was in a position where conflict with the variable—Haschal—was inevitable due to her public identity.

Once Orhan, the obstacle, was gone, Haschal would try to sweep through the plains.

“There’s nothing to worry about. The means to prevent her from eyeing the plains are already prepared. I guarantee, once Orhan falls, she will have to rush back to the Empire rather than crossing the wall.”

Feyrus tried to reassure the Third Apostle. The Third Apostle was urging to eliminate Haschal before she grew any stronger, but Feyrus couldn’t grant that request.

The variable had to remain alive.

Her achievements would become the strength to sustain human civilization until the Heaven’s Wall was completely destroyed, and her Karma of Murder would be food to nourish the being dwelling within her.

“Means… If you’re trying to reassure me, such vague expressions won’t do at all.”

The Third Apostle’s voice was filled with sarcasm. It was sarcasm questioning whether he intended to gloss over the matter again when her life was at stake.

‘…Her antipathy is stronger than I thought. Was Orhan’s defeat that shocking?’

Feyrus felt the need to explain in more detail.

“An undead dragon sleeps beneath the Empire. The remains of the ancient undead dragon Nidhogg, which Isabella tried to control using insects. I infiltrated the Empire and succeeded in dominating it.”

“…An undead dragon?”

The Third Apostle’s voice froze in bewilderment. She hadn’t expected the word ‘dragon’ to come up.

“Yes. Though incomplete, it’s more than enough to devastate the Empire. The variable won’t have time to turn her eyes toward the plains. Does this reassure you?”

“…Yes. If that’s the case. I apologize for my rudeness.”

After a moment of silence, the Third Apostle expressed her agreement and ended the communication. The mana light from the crystal sphere that had dyed everything blue gradually faded.

======[ Third Apostle ]======

‘Feyrus cannot be trusted.’

The Third Apostle frowned as she looked down at the darkened crystal sphere. Although she had expressed agreement during the communication, her inner thoughts were filled with distrust, contrary to her spoken words.

Not because he had kept the fact that he had obtained the power of an undead dragon secret from the other apostles, but because he revealed such a secret to oppose the opinion of eliminating that woman.

‘He has no intention of controlling or killing that woman. He’s just leaving her be. Even at the risk of endangering the other apostles.’

The Third Apostle was certain. Feyrus prioritized that woman’s survival over the lives of the other apostles. If she and Haschal were to clash, he would abandon her to save Haschal’s life.

That was betrayal.

She had followed Feyrus because of his promise to make her the ruler of the plains… but as long as Haschal lived, that promise would never be fulfilled.

The moment Haschal, who was growing stronger at an unbelievable rate as if proving her divine blood’s blessing, obtained the power to dominate the plains, that woman would fly to Ordos to avenge her mother and burn all suspicious individuals.

And the Third Apostle, unless she abandoned her public identity and went into hiding, would have no way to escape Haschal’s blade.

‘Even if not now… someday, the woman who killed Orhan and even defeated an undead dragon will march against me.’

The Third Apostle swallowed dryly. When that day came, not only she but also her clan and children would all be burned to ashes.

Perhaps they would suffer humiliation to the point where burning to death, like Dahamei and Amin, might seem preferable.

‘…Indeed, even at the cost of opposing Feyrus, I must eliminate that woman in this war. For my child’s sake.’

After much deliberation, the Third Apostle finally made her decision. Regardless of what Feyrus might say, she would eliminate Haschal in this opportunity.

Rather than leaving Haschal be and witnessing her son’s throat being torn out, opposing Feyrus seemed the better choice.

‘For that… I need to persuade the Eighth Apostle.’

Her left hand, filled with mana, moved toward the crystal sphere.

Not to contact Feyrus again, but to convey her intentions to the eighth apostle who was operating covertly within Dane.

======[ Haschal ]======

“They’re really leaving…”

I stood atop the watchtower of the wall, watching the Ka’har camp gradually retreating.

Four days after the wall defense battle, they were now taking down their tents and receding like the tide, just as Ludwig had predicted.

It would be nice if they went all the way back to Ordos like this… but that’s unlikely.

Seeing the cavalry, which had been dispersed along the entire wall, rejoining, it was clear they weren’t abandoning the war and retreating, but rather moving south for the next battle.

That’s why I,

“Baron Median, have we won?”

To the soldier looking at me with eyes full of relief and joy, I couldn’t give the answer he wanted to hear.

“…No, probably not.”

The bloody battle with the Ka’har was just beginning.

“What…?”

The soldier tilted his head, not understanding my meaning. I exhaled cigarette smoke and turned my gaze away from him.

There’s no need to explain.

He’ll find out soon enough.

This would be the last time we could fight with the protection of the wall. From now on, we would have to face the mounted Ka’har on the plains.

And they would realize why the Empire had to block the entire eastern border with a wall dozens of meters high.

—-

“My lady, Margrave Landenburg has requested your presence at the military council.”

As I was just smoking cigarettes with a heavy heart, Leonore came up to the watchtower, saluting and addressing me. Perhaps because we were in public, her tone and manners were unusually formal, unlike her usual self, which felt rather strange.

“I understand. I’ll go right away.”

I put out my cigarette and walked down from the watchtower with her. The improvised werebeast leather armor rattled with each step down the stairs.

Steel scales on Champion leather reserved for military use. It was inferior in performance to even Boris’s leather armor, let alone winter armor, but it at least served as passable armor.

“Ludwig was saying, are we really going to engage in field battle with the Ka’har? Even with you there, our chances don’t look good.”

As soon as we were out of sight from others, Leonore asked in her usual informal tone.

“It’s not that we want to engage in field battle; Orhan is forcing a field battle on us. We don’t have a choice, do we?”

“Well, there might be other ways. Like attacking and capturing the Ka’har capital while Dane holds them off, something like that.”

“Hmm…”

I briefly held my chin in thought before reaching a conclusion.

“We might be able to burn Ordos to the ground, but then we’d be crushed by the enraged Aishan army returning. After we’re crushed, Orhan would cross the wall as if it were a wide-open door.”

Unless Dane tenaciously held back the Ka’har at the cost of their own annihilation, the speed at which Orhan’s army would return would be several times faster than the Imperial army’s retreat to the wall.

In the end, the Imperial army would face one of two outcomes: being isolated and annihilated in Ordos, or being annihilated in the middle of the plains.

“Is that how it would go…”

Leonore clicked her tongue in disappointment, as if it had been her brilliant strategy.

She looked so genuinely disappointed that I couldn’t help but smile.

Why so disappointed? Proposing a strategy that would ruin the Empire in one go and calling it brilliant. Did the Isabella in your bloodline tell you to do that?