Ch.9191. Omen

Allied Nations, Ibiza Island.

“I have nothing left to do here.”

A complex expression settled on the face of the succubus Iclit, who was enjoying the sea breeze in her naturally beautiful form for once.

She was standing alone on the beach of Ibiza Island.

When Iclit first arrived, Ibiza Island was nothing but ruins. Originally known for its exceptionally beautiful scenery among the Allied Nations, it had become a garbage dump littered with construction waste.

But now, while still desolate, it was no longer in ruins.

This was thanks to the collaborators of Ibiza Island, backed by the Demon Lord’s army, who had extorted materials from the royalty and made some progress with construction.

As a result, there stood a beautiful white-walled villa and a tea house.

Though they had carried out the Hero’s requested construction while serving the Demon Lord’s army, Iclit hadn’t bothered to stop them.

‘These humans aren’t in their right minds anyway.’

Even now, with the Allied Nations defeated, the collaborators looked cheerful. Despite being anxious after Bynessa of the Tetrad had left, they were just chatting casually.

“If this place on Ibiza Island had been completed according to plan, it would have been quite nice. Does Gwon Heejin actually have good taste?”

“The name Ibiza isn’t bad either.”

They looked completely at ease as they joked around, swinging their legs.

Even though angry citizens of the Allied Nations could sail over at any moment with spears pointed at them.

They seemed like they would just wave goodbye if she announced she was escaping alone. Fortunately, Iclit had no intention of abandoning the collaborators.

Out of loyalty? Nothing of the sort. While they had been cooperative, they were ultimately disposable resources. Just like the countless humans she had seduced, used once, and discarded in the past.

Still, she was reluctant to abandon them.

These strange humans who had diligently served without being enchanted or promised any benefits.

A group that had faithfully served as if watching the Allied Nations fall was all the satisfaction they needed.

After thinking for a moment, Iclit decided to give them a small role.

“Alfonso, come here for a moment.”

“Yes, Chief of Staff.”

The master carpenter Alfonso rushed over, awaiting her orders. Iclit wasn’t planning to give him anything particularly difficult.

“I still have a nobleman under my control. I’ll have him arrange to send you to the Empire somehow. Once there…”

“You want us to pose as refugees, ma’am?”

“Not pose—you’ll actually become refugees. The Allied Nations will fall soon anyway.”

“Oh ho.”

He brightened at the news of his country’s downfall. Considering why these people had cooperated with the Demon Lord’s army in the first place, it wasn’t surprising.

Iclit calmly listed her instructions.

She would arrange transportation for them to cross to the Empire and settle there somehow. She advised them to use their carpentry skills to establish themselves in a large city if possible.

Naturally, she also distributed money among them. Providing funds was basic when assigning tasks.

“Yes, Chief of Staff! We will definitely succeed!”

There was no guarantee they would safely settle in the Empire. The Empire would at least be somewhat cautious about refugees if they weren’t fools. And there wasn’t much these people could accomplish even if they did settle there.

However, it was beneficial just to have these loyal servants of the Demon Lord’s army blend in with the common people.

‘And…’

To be honest, their escape from the Allied Nations alone was meaningful.

Though she hadn’t mentioned it out of consideration for the demon race, the carpenters who followed Iclit had earned the people’s anger. If the ruling class that had fled to the Empire had been eliminated as Iclit suspected, the future was predictable.

‘They’ll probably try to kill these humans first.’

Preventing that revenge would be a good thing. It would leave a lingering sense of unfinished business from not being able to cleanly eliminate the collaborators.

However, the situation didn’t unfold as smoothly as Iclit had thought.

Ominous rumors were already circulating around the major ports.

– “I heard that the ship carrying that bastard Enrique sank before reaching halfway. They all died while requesting rescue through communication magic.”

– “No, they were ambushed at sea by Empire nobles and completely wiped out. The Empire is in turmoil because of it…!”

– “I heard that Enrique deliberately sank the ship with the intention of dying together. Damn, come to think of it, seven kings died!”

Rumors from unknown origins.

They might have come from adventurers from the Empire, or perhaps from a merchant ship that had docked in the Allied Nations just a day before.

Either way, Iclit didn’t doubt their veracity. It was certain that the humans who had ignored her warning and left had been massacred.

The chaotic rumors currently spreading were probably instigated by the Empire.

“So they all died after all. Idiots. They should have listened when I warned them.”

Now an enormous power vacuum was about to hit the Allied Nations.

The royalty and nobility remaining in the Allied Nations were only the powerless fringe elements who had been forcibly left behind. They didn’t even have knights or mages to protect them.

Literally an empty house.

In this situation, what exactly should be…

As she pondered this, Iclit realized it wasn’t the time to try anything more. Now was the time to make a hasty exit. As much as she wanted to weaponize the entire Allied Nations and hurl it at the Empire, that plan had long since failed.

Yes. Time to let go.

In the end, Iclit cleanly abandoned the Allied Nations and escaped. At least now it was clear who she needed to attack, she thought.

Around that time, the workers from Ibiza Island who had received her instructions and tried to smuggle themselves into the Empire were thwarted before they could even set sail. Port workers who had been waiting for them rushed in.

“Kill those bastards!”

A fierce brawl ensued.

There were numerous casualties and injuries on both sides, and the collaborators who managed to survive scattered in all directions.

The Allied Nations, now abandoned by both the demon race and their collaborators.

The reactions varied from island to island.

On some islands, the remaining ruling class was killed by residents, while on others, people stared emptily at the sky after losing dozens of livestock to suddenly appearing wyverns. As a federation of 60 islands, each accepted their downfall differently.

***

“I heard the cleanup is mostly finished, senior,” said my junior Katie on our way back to the Imperial Capital. She said she had heard this from a court magician who accompanied us.

She was the youngest knight who had volunteered to serve at Enekia Port.

She hadn’t volunteered out of anger toward the Allied Nations, but rather due to the unspoken pressure that “You’re part of the Hero pursuit team, so of course you should go.”

But judging by how she spoke now, it seemed she could no longer be considered just a straightforward female knight who only knew how to swing a sword. Using the term “cleanup” without hesitation.

“Good. At least the Allied Nations won’t be used as a forward base for the Demon Lord’s army.”

Spreading the news of the ruling class’s annihilation throughout the Allied Nations was, of course, my doing.

Sinking during the voyage, self-sinking, attacks by nobles-turned-pirates. I also subtly mixed in the truth about deaths during fights at the port.

The Allied Nations no longer had the ability to determine the truth anyway. More honestly, how they died wasn’t important. The fact that they died was what mattered.

Now the question was how to manage the Allied Nations.

Simple exploitation wouldn’t be enough. We could extract resources in the short term, but it might become a burden after about a year. There might be an influx of refugees trying to cross over to the Empire in search of survival.

‘Well, I can think about it slowly once I’m back in the Imperial Capital.’

Fortunately, it seemed I wouldn’t have much to do for a while.

Not because the Empire had regained peace.

The great nobles whose Allied Nations ventures had been thwarted would still be screaming, and people obsessed with speculation would still be craving opportunities for big wins.

In fact, I heard that minor incidents had occurred while I was away from the Imperial Capital.

“I heard Count John Burko got into a physical altercation with the Tower Master. Apparently they had a falling out while trying to sell magical tools to the Allied Nations together?”

“As long as they didn’t fight to the death, it’s fine.”

“Huh? …Oh, and a full professor from the magic department suddenly retired. Professor Schuval.”

Both were serious news if you thought about it, but I dismissed them indifferently. I couldn’t solve every problem by myself anyway.

It would be a waste of time to try to persuade people determined to ruin themselves.

“Katie, you don’t need to tell me everything…”

“Wait a moment.”

Katie frowned and pointed somewhere.

It was a spot with a signpost.

A group dressed in white robes stood there.

They were clearly clerics from the Papal State. The elderly priest at the front seemed to be waiting for me, judging by the situation.

They couldn’t be here to ask for a share of the treasures collected from the Allied Nations’ ruling class. Perhaps they came to assist in Enrique’s execution?

I spurred my horse forward with suspicion rising within me.

When I met the elderly priest moments later, he exchanged glances with the surrounding clerics (all cardinal and bishop level) before speaking.

“We’re on our way to seek an audience with His Majesty the Emperor.”

“For what reason?”

The elderly priest paused briefly before continuing in a lowered voice.

He said that signs had appeared simultaneously from the holy sword temporarily stored in the Imperial Capital diocese and from the sacred place inside the Holy See… commonly called the summoning array.

Based on the cases of Gwon Heejin and the previous Hero, he believed a new Hero would be summoned in the near future. He added that he wanted to inform me first if possible.

“It’s hard to deny it just because the Saintess hasn’t received a revelation. After all, there is no Saintess at present. A Hero will come soon.”

With a face whose emotions were difficult to read, the elderly priest Edin declared with certainty.