Chapter 92: National Integration Conference (2)

With different intentions in mind, delegations from various nations made their way to the imperial court of the Bahamut Empire. 

In turn, the Empire began preparations to receive these unexpected guests. 

Naturally, the Empire’s food situation was not particularly favorable.

Although they had won the Winter War and had been working on recovery efforts for the past four to five years, they were still far from self-sufficient. 

While food was not entirely scarce, the Empire remained reliant on imports to feed its people and soldiers. 

Maintaining good relations with other nations was essential for securing these imports.

Moreover, even if that were not the case, there were certain delicacies and luxuries that were easily accessible to nobility in other regions but were difficult to obtain in the Empire. 

This meant that preparing a suitable banquet and desserts for the esteemed guests was a daunting challenge. 

However, serving subpar meals would leave a terrible impression, which was something they could not afford.

Thus, despite its formidable military strength, the Empire was forced to dedicate significant effort to preparing a grand feast. 

Even the Vendetta Corps was not exempt from these preparations.

“Leifen may have said he could handle it, but we can’t just leave all the hard work to him alone. We have to do our part to help.”

“And how exactly do you plan to do that? Are we hosting a cooking competition now?”

“As if that would work. If we tried cooking, even the edible food would end up in the trash.”

Naturally, none of the Vendetta Corps members, including Wolfgang, had any skill in cooking. 

Wolfgang, at best, could prepare simple meals using fire, but that was the extent of it.

“Instead, we can at least secure quality ingredients.”

“How do you intend to do that?”

“We’ll use the underground merchants.”

There were always merchants willing to procure and sell anything that could turn a profit. 

Given how rare and expensive food was in the Empire, there were certainly those discreetly trading in high-quality ingredients. 

If they could obtain as much as possible and deliver it to Leifen, it would be a great help.

However, mobilizing the entire Eastern Defense Force for this task was out of the question. Deploying the army would be both costly and conspicuous, likely causing those merchants to scatter into deeper hiding. 

A small, elite group was necessary for this mission, and the Vendetta Corps was the only unit fit for the job.

Thus, Wolfgang personally led a three-member team consisting of Black, Natascha, and Dena. 

The remaining members had spent too much time in the kingdom, making their involvement impractical. 

Instead, those who had not traveled to the kingdom before were chosen.

“I don’t understand. Wouldn’t it be better to just rest?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“That’s right, sister! We don’t have time to sit around!”

“Serving our lord is an honorable life.”

“Alright, alright, I get it.”

Wolfgang felt a chill from their almost obsessive devotion. 

However, she couldn’t say anything at the moment. 

With the Winter Queen’s return, the Vendetta Corps was an indispensable force.

‘Once this is all over, I’ll retire without looking back.’

She had already secured funds for her later years and even scouted a suitable location. 

She planned to build a home—no, a mansion—hire some servants, and live a quiet life.

As she was indulging in this dream of peaceful retirement, a sudden pain flared in her eyes. Golden flames ignited within her pupils. 

Startled, Black tried to suppress the flames, but even he was repelled by their power. Wolfgang exerted all her strength to suppress them.

The flames eventually receded, but Wolfgang’s expression remained grim. 

The fire continued to surge, threatening to break free of its seal.

“Sister, are you alright?”

“For now.”

“What do you mean ‘for now’? That sounds like things could get worse later!”

“…Don’t worry. I have no intention of dying quietly.”

After defeating three heroes and even absorbing the remnants of the Winter King’s power, Wolfgang’s flames had grown to the point where suppression was becoming nearly impossible.

And if she were to defeat the Winter Queen as well—

Would the seal even hold then?

The thought concerned her, but she pushed it aside. 

There was no room for hesitation in battle.

Securing rare ingredients turned out to be easier than expected. 

Naturally, the military had some intelligence on the underworld’s dealings. 

Completely eradicating them would only drive them further underground, making them harder to track. 

As long as they didn’t cause trouble, the authorities simply turned a blind eye.

The Eastern Defense Force, positioned along the kingdom’s border, conducted far more thorough investigations than other regions. 

Given that the kingdom was practically an enemy state, such vigilance was necessary.

Recently, however, the situation had changed significantly. 

Previously, it was rare for people to defect from the kingdom to the Empire. 

But in the past two weeks alone, the number of defectors had increased exponentially—more than in the past ten years combined. 

Astonishingly, the majority were nobles.

After securing the ingredients and returning to the Eastern Defense Force headquarters, Wolfgang was greeted by a familiar face.

“It’s been a while.”

“…Grand Duke Frost? What brings you here?”

“The kingdom is in dire straits.”

“Come inside first.”

Perhaps due to his long journey, Grand Duke Frost’s complexion was noticeably pale. Sensing the urgency of the situation, Wolfgang quickly led him inside to gather information.

Even though he was clearly exhausted, the Grand Duke maintained his composure, waiting patiently. However, the slight trembling of his aged body was proof that he had witnessed something horrifying.

This gave Wolfgang an uneasy feeling. 

His demeanor reminded her of the time she first encountered the Wendigos ten years ago. 

And her instincts were correct.

“Creatures covered in white fur, with heads resembling deer, have attacked the kingdom. Do you know anything about them?”

“Those are Wendigos.”

The description matched exactly. 

Wolfgang let out a sigh. Despite all efforts to eliminate them, they had returned.

“They were persistent enemies during the early and mid-stages of the Winter War.”

“Then you must have a means to fight them?”

“We do, but it’s a military secret. I cannot disclose the details.”

“Knowing that you have a solution is enough. They must be eliminated.”

Grand Duke Frost had once been a military man, making him easy to persuade. 

However, Wolfgang was taken aback by his uncharacteristically detached demeanor.

“What exactly happened?”

“They did not attack from the border but from the direction of the capital. There were defenses, but they were weaker compared to other areas… and it was the Wendigos.”

“…”

“Most of my people are dead. I did everything I could to stop them, but my strength was meaningless.”

He had used every ounce of power to save even a single life. 

But no matter what he tried, the Wendigos would not die. 

Severed limbs regenerated, and decapitations meant nothing. 

It took five men just to hold one back.

Despite his family’s formidable strength, they had been completely overwhelmed. 

Only those who survived managed to flee to the Empire.

“We were lucky. They did not pursue us past the border.”

“Their behavior is identical to what I witnessed.”

“So the Empire has dealt with them as well?”

“Yes, they never ventured beyond Imperial territory.”

Their similarities to the Wendigos from the Winter War were uncanny. 

Back then, before discovering Sun Iron, they had been virtually immortal.

“Tell me everything you know about them.”

“Will that be enough to defeat them?”

“Yes.”

“Then I shall cooperate.”

“You seem… more resigned than before.”

Grand Duke Frost had once been an ambitious man. 

But now, he seemed utterly detached from the world.

“Because I’ve realized… it was all meaningless.”