episode_0143

In Tactical Combat, when a monster subjugation battle is fought using the Academy route as the standard route, the subjugation location is always randomly determined.

This was a method commonly used in games to control tension and the speed of content consumption. This tendency was especially noticeable in games that encouraged players to play multiple times.

Of course, it served as an element to eliminate the boredom of the game, but it did not work in all cases. In severe cases, it was common to increase fatigue from the game.

Assuming that the difficulty level is difficult even if played normally, showing an irregular pattern makes it difficult to play. This increased game fatigue, and responding to changing patterns in real time was never easy.

Unfortunately, Tactical Combat was a game that had all of those negative conditions. In particular, there were many users who were reluctant to participate in monster subjugation battles because they forced long-term battles and were mandatory events.

Like Gilbert, there were very few people who voluntarily participated in monster subjugation battles unless they were thinking of clearing achievements related to the subjugation battle.

Of course, Gilbert, who no longer had a goal of clearing achievements, was also not happy about participating in the subjugation battle.

“Ugh! There are a lot of bugs?”

Camilla waved her hands and chased away the flies.

Perhaps because they were building a camp at the foot of the mountain, the mountaineers were in full swing even as winter approached. It may have been because the climate in the southern region, where winter comes last, is not yet chilly.

“You’re weak.”

“You are strange!”

“I think I’m better than you, who are poor.”

“Ugh…”

After checking her body and Brynhild’s body alternately, Camilla suddenly broke down in tears and took a step back.

Brynhild was a member of the Sigurd clan known for his outstanding physical abilities. As she inherited the blood of her ancestor Sigurd so strongly that she received a sixth sense as a characteristic skill, she also inherited the physical conditions of her ancestor Sigurd in terms of physical perfection.

Her body was strong enough to be described as explosive.

Muscular, elastic, flexible, hard.

His physical condition was outstanding, with nothing missing.

No matter how talented Camilla was, she could not even be compared to Brynhild in terms of physical condition.

Camilla’s eyes again rested on a specific part of her body. Her face became tearful again.

In that area, there was a gap that could never be bridged.

“Muscle girl…”

“It’s not just muscles.”

Brynhild laughed at Camilla and crossed his arms.

Camilla’s trembling eyes saw two large objects bobbing around.

“The small talk ends there. Complete the formation of the fort.”

Gilbert points out the two who are playing while pitching their tent with their own hands. There would be an arduous battle ahead, so it was judged that it would be a good idea to maintain discipline from now on.

The two still didn’t stop bickering, but unlike before, they started moving to form a camp.

After completing the camp for about half a day, the punitive force had a quick meal and took a rest. However, since we didn’t know when the monsters would come out, we deployed guards.

Once the formation of the camp was completed and the guards were deployed, Seraphina summoned the commanders in charge of each division. The purpose was to brief and discuss the overall strategy for this subjugation war.

At the call of Commander Serafina, the commanders immediately gathered in the command barracks.

“I will treat you as the commander of the punitive force, not as the student council president of Demeia Academy, which opens as of the current time.”

Seraphina’s mood, which had been carefree, changed.

She had already experienced war, and at this moment, she became neither the student council president of the academy nor the princess of the empire, but the commander of the punitive army.

Gilbert secretly laughed at her changing momentum as if she were flipping the palm of her hand. This was what I liked about Seraphina.

“Commander Gilbert. You and I were involved in quite a few operations. So I will ask you. What is the biggest problem with the current punitive force?”

It was a sudden question, but I wasn’t taken aback. Maybe it’s a political fight. He was an old man who was used to fighting actual battles.

“The problem is that the punitive force was formed from cadets who had no experience in war and were new to operational operations.”

“What you say is correct. I do not believe that the current punitive force is of a low standard. But regardless of that, I have no choice but to admit that I lack experience.”

The commanders also nodded.

The student council executives who were immediately given command positions were ultimately cadets with no war experience. Although the commander knew in theory what work he should do, there was a difference in actually carrying it out.

In reality, the only commander who was properly leading the unit and giving orders was the experienced Gilbert. At least Ian, who was assisted by Precia, was doing well, but since the orders were given in one step, his speed and precision were inferior to Gilbert’s.

“This also applies to commanders. This is probably the first time you have served as commanders of a punitive force. W I am also considering that situation, so I have no intention of reprimanding you.”

Seraphina made eye contact with each commander. Her red eyes were strong and unwavering.

“But we are facing a subjugation war. Even if the opponent is a monster other than a giant god soldier, it cannot be ignored. Among the monsters, there are ogres and trolls that are classified as large monsters.”

Among large monsters, ogres and trolls are representative of bipedal monsters.

Before the Giant God Soldiers appeared in the world, there was a story that it took one knight corps to kill an ogre, and the knight who cut off the head of an ogre was not an opponent to be taken lightly, so much so that he was given the honorable title of Ogre Slayer.

Since humans began controlling the giant gods, they have been able to hunt ogres with ease, but with their poor control skills, it has been difficult to follow the movements of the living ogres.

If you were a cadet still studying at the academy, you could have died in a moment of inattention.

“Even though they are not intelligent, they still have superpowers. Even if you are riding a giant god soldier, the monsters are the ones that inflict significant damage. You cannot let your guard down, so everyone must keep this in mind.”

“Okay.”

The commanders unanimously responded to Serafina’s request.

Seeing the commanders starting to feel a little tense, Seraphina nodded with satisfaction.

“Then, I will begin the detailed briefing.”

***

After the situation briefing and subjugation strategy discussion was over, Seraphina sent the commanders except Gilbert back to the unit. The reason was to discuss detailed tactics with him.

Other commanders also left the command barracks without saying a word, thinking that Gilbert, who already had a level 5 knighthood, would be helpful in planning detailed tactics. Ian, who was the last to leave, glanced at Gilbert with eyes full of jealousy, but could not lash out at the commander’s order.

What will you do if you see it?

Gilbert snorted at the dull gaze and looked at the tactical map that Seraphina had unfolded.

The place where they camped was at the beginning of Mount Njord. It is a mountain that marks the beginning of the Skadi Mountain Range, which stretches across the southern region. It was a place where the forest was densely formed under the influence of the warm climate of the south.

In particular, Mt. Njord was rich in food, and the animals were larger than those in other regions. Perhaps because of this, the reproduction of monsters that used them as a staple food was exceptionally faster than in other places, and the overall level of monsters was high.

Although the title Ogre Slayer was a remnant of the past, it was still a title given when slaying the ogres that emerged from the mountains of Njord.

“It is the topography of a mountain forest. Because the trees are dense, visibility is narrowed and there is a high possibility that the tension of the punitive forces will increase.”

“It is fortunate that the Giant God Soldier can travel. Since bipedal monsters such as ogres and trevally also move, the tactic of riding a giant god soldier is considered effective.”

“However, it should not be assumed to be a high-speed maneuver. The current punitive force is made up of first-year academy students. Commander Gilbert is probably the only one who can skillfully move a giant soldier in this mountainous terrain.”

“I will also add Brynhild. Rather, she is familiar with mountainous terrain.”

“You overlooked it. Cadet Brynhild was a great warrior of the Sigurd clan. If so, I will modify my tactics like this.”

Gilbert and Seraphina exchanged opinions and revised detailed tactics. Wanting to end the subjugation war with minimal damage, they continued their discussion for several hours.

“I think it would be better to do it like this first. No commander would plan a strategy that assumes every situation.”

As the discussion continued for a long time, Seraphina let out a long breath and leaned against the backrest. At that moment, she returned from being a commander to her usual self.

“Priest.”

“Yes, please tell me.”

“I have high expectations for this priest.”

“Is that so?”

“So far, the priest has successfully exceeded Yeo’s expectations. And that too in a good way.”

A kind of desire flashed through Seraphina’s eyes as she spoke calmly. Gilbert, who prides himself on being quick-witted, caught that fleeting desire without missing a beat.

Is this a faction proposal?

Gilbert thought so.

Now even Prince Richard participated in the full-scale struggle for the throne. The reason a crown prince or princess has not been designated yet is because the current emperor was able to accomplish his final task.

The emperor had already accomplished almost everything that could be accomplished in his time. He expanded his territory and relieved the people suffering from war. At this point, his position as a conqueror and a castle has been fully established.

Then, all that remained was to designate a good successor to continue his reign.

If the wrong successor is chosen to inherit the throne, all of his achievements will be in vain. He will leave a unique stain on his life that will forever remain in the history of the empire.

The emperor could not accept it.

That’s why he wanted his children to compete.

He hoped that his most outstanding child would succeed him as emperor and prove that his biography was complete and without blemishes until the end.

Gilbert didn’t think it was a bad thing either.

Once the Crown Prince or Crown Princess was appointed, it was impossible to dethrone the Crown Prince or Crown Princess at will unless there were special reasons. Hasty dethronement was tantamount to lowering the authority of the imperial family.

“I’ll be honest. I didn’t think well of the priest who opened it for the first time.”

“This is the right decision. The count’s son-of-a-bitch was detrimental to the empire.”

“That’s right. Before entering the academy, the priest was an asshole. To what extent it was heard even by a female student at the academy.”

A considerable amount of information about the empire flowed into Seraphina’s ears, but she did not bother to point it out.

Even if she didn’t own the Intelligence Service, it wouldn’t have been difficult to hear about Gilbert’s notoriety. When he possessed ‘Gilbert’, his notoriety had already begun to spread beyond the empire and across the continent.

“However, the priest showed a different behavior than before after entering the academy. He showed himself to be better than anyone else, and gave her the best results.”

“I just got lucky.”

Seraphina’s smile deepened. At the same time, the spark of desire that had disappeared reappeared in the eyes.

Gilbert felt that the flame of desire was somehow black.

“I was lucky. Does it come out like that? Yes, I admit it. You may have been lucky the first time. However, if that luck continues and coincidences overlap, it becomes inevitable.”

Gilbert swallowed.

I thought it was a clique suggestion, but the look in her eyes made me think that something was wrong.

“Priest.”

The voice became harsh.

It was a coy voice, as if coaxing someone to get what they wanted.

Gilbert got goosebumps.

The thought filled my head that I didn’t want to answer her calls.

But she was a princess. Ignoring her was tantamount to insulting the royal family.

I didn’t feel like it, but I had to force myself to answer.

“Yes, sister-in-law.”

“I’ll be honest. A priest is needed to open it.”

It was a straightforward suggestion. It was not a round-the-clock recommendation like before.

Seraphina’s smile looked as if she was about to burst something she had built up.

This is not good.

Gilbert’s expression suddenly hardened.

“I want a priest.”

Eventually, something Seraphina had been building up exploded.

It was the crystallization of a deep and sticky desire called possessiveness.

[The progress of the sub-scenario Seekers of Twisted Possession is greatly increased.]

[Sub-scenario Seekers of Twisted Possession reach the first turning point.]

[The progress of the sub-scenario Seekers of Twisted Possession reaches a certain level and information becomes available to view.]