Chapter 94: National Integration Conference (4)

What did I just see?

I saw something made up of numerical codes. 

Wolfgang couldn’t believe what she had just witnessed. 

But one thing was certain: this place was not a world created by computer code.

Rather, Wolfgang felt a divine power emanating from those numbers. 

This much was certain. 

As someone who wields the flames of the Sun God, she could recognize divine authority when she felt it.

But this only deepened her confusion.

If those numerical codes were the IDs of gods, then… were the gods making bets among themselves?

‘But the goddess seemed completely unaware. If the Winter King and Winter Queen knew something, they would have mentioned it.’

What if there were hierarchies among the gods? 

Or what if those called gods weren’t truly gods? 

The moment she reached this realization, Wolfgang felt a chill run down her spine.

‘Let’s think about this later. Right now, there’s an enemy I need to deal with.’

But she had no intention of letting this go. 

In fact, Wolfgang made sure to remember this incident clearly. 

At the same time, she realized how to use the power that continued to grow within her.

If she could kill the Winter King this time and absorb his power, Wolfgang would wield the powers of both the Sun God and the Winter King. 

With that power, she could overthrow them.

She didn’t know if those numbers were aliases of the gods or not. 

But the idea that they were watching us and making bets among themselves was something she couldn’t just laugh off and ignore.

“We’ll return for now. I can’t station the troops here.”

“Your help so far has been more than enough. Thank you, Lady Leonhardt.”

“I’ll help as much as I can.”

With those words, Wolfgang left Crown Prince Jaiha’s tent. 

Outside, a boy with lavender-colored hair, Jackal, was waiting for her like a puppy.

“Boss! I found it!”

“Good job.”

“This feels nice.”

Wolfgang, easily understanding what Jackal wanted, reached out and patted his head. 

Jackal smiled comfortably, enjoying the affection.

At first glance, he might still seem underdeveloped. 

But Wolfgang knew exactly what Jackal had been through. 

It wouldn’t have been strange if his mind had collapsed.

Not only did he endure that horrific hell, but he also willingly stood by her side. 

For that, Wolfgang was deeply grateful. 

That’s why she quietly suppressed her anger.

‘They’re making bets among themselves, is that it?’

She had never asked for help from gods in the first place. 

She believed that the future was something she had to create herself. 

But if gods truly existed, even if they couldn’t help, they shouldn’t have turned our tragedies into a betting game.

Of course, as someone who knew everyone’s tragedies, Wolfgang felt her blood boil. 

Sensing her anger, Jackal asked, “Boss, did something happen?”

“No, nothing happened.”

Wolfgang shook her head. 

This was something only she could handle. In fact, she had occasionally wondered: if this world was a web novel I knew, were there people watching this story unfold?

And that speculation was half right. 

The only problem was that it wasn’t readers, but the gods of this world.

“I’ll have to hurry back and push Leifen.”

“Are we fighting those monsters again?”

“Yes, I know it’s scary. But we have to.”

Even Jackal, the fearless, began to tremble at the thought of fighting the Wendigos again. 

But who could blame him? 

We all would.

The Wendigos were the root of the Vendetta Legion and a shared trauma for all of us. 

We struggled desperately to survive the nightmare of the Wendigos.

And now, just when we thought that nightmare was over, it had returned. 

Even the so-called monsters of the Vendetta Legion couldn’t help but feel fear. 

And she was no exception.

“But we can’t turn away just because we’re scared. In the end, we’ll be the ones who suffer.”

The enemy is filled with a desire for revenge. 

Even if that weren’t the case, they’d try to eliminate us, their greatest obstacle. 

That’s why, while we still have strength, we must stop the monsters.

Before they grow stronger than they are now.

Wolfgang was busy preparing for war, but even she was caught off guard by a sudden message from the imperial palace. 

She was ordered to return to the capital immediately.

Wolfgang tilted her head in confusion. 

Leifen knew that summoning the commander and general of the Eastern Defense Force like this wasn’t a good idea. 

Why would he send such a message?

But she couldn’t ignore it. 

After all, an imperial decree was an imperial decree. 

Even though Leifen considered himself her subordinate, she had no intention of denying the official hierarchy.

Moreover, Wolfgang knew Leifen wasn’t the type to abuse his authority for no reason. 

So, she obediently prepared to return after receiving the message.

“I’ll come with you.”

“That’s not necessary. I can handle it alone.”

“No, I can’t let you do that.”

This time, Black insisted on accompanying Wolfgang, standing by her side. 

It was true that they were busy preparing for war, but at least one escort was necessary for the commander.

Especially now that the Winter Queen had returned. Reluctantly, Wolfgang set off with Black. 

At least it was Black, which was a relief.

Black, being a dragon, could fly. 

This meant Wolfgang didn’t have to walk alongside him on the ground. 

Together, they took to the skies.

Flying made the journey to the capital quick. 

Leifen could have come to meet her himself, but the fact that he didn’t suggested he was extremely busy.

“Ah, you’ve finally arrived.”

“I greet His Majesty the Emperor.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t come to meet you.”

“No, it’s fine.”

As if expecting her to fly in immediately after receiving the message, Leifen was waiting for her at the usual spot in the palace. But he wasn’t alone.

A group of individuals adorned in lavish jewelry and attire stood beside Leifen. 

There were quite a few of them, so Wolfgang, slightly flustered, bowed her head.

“I am Wolfgang Leonhardt. It’s a pleasure to meet you all.”

“So this is Wolfgang Leonhardt!”

“Indeed, she exudes the aura of a hero.”

“Distinguished guests, please excuse us. I need to speak with Lady Leonhardt for a moment. Please enjoy the banquet in the dining hall.”

Each of them made a comment as they examined Wolfgang’s face, making her feel like a zoo monkey. 

Leifen immediately noticed her discomfort.

“So, what’s going on?”

“The distinguished guests insisted on meeting you. It was hard to refuse.”

“I understand. There’s an important war coming up.”

“I’m really sorry. I expected you wouldn’t like it, but I didn’t think you’d dislike it this much.”

“……”

Wolfgang shook her head. 

Honestly, it wasn’t something she hated this much. Even though she disliked politics, sometimes it was unavoidable. 

But why was she feeling this way now?

‘Is it because I still remember what I saw earlier? It’s making me more irritable.’

Their attitude, as if they were looking at a zoo monkey, reminded Wolfgang of the divine authority she had seen earlier—the words of the gods. This made her suppress her irritation.

She couldn’t take her anger out on unrelated people.

“It’s really fine. But where are these envoys from?”

“Elves, dwarves, orcs, and so on. It’s no exaggeration to say they’ve come from almost every nation.”

“It’s a much larger scale than I imagined.”

“There’s no other choice. It’s best to solve this with as much help as possible.”

Leifen had initially wanted to resolve things with the Empire’s strength alone, but having personally experienced the horrors of the Winter War, he sought to utilize every possible resource.

Wolfgang agreed. 

The Winter Queen and the Wendigos were far more terrifying and dreadful than anyone could imagine. 

There was no room for pride. 

However, only Black objected.

“Is it really necessary to force the boss to do something she dislikes?”

“I have no intention of forcing Wolfgang.”

“Calm down, Black. I never do things I truly hate.”

“Then………….”

“But this time is an exception.”

The Wendigos and the Winter Queen had to be dealt with by any means necessary. 

For that, Wolfgang was willing to set aside her pride.