Chapter 186 – King of War (1)

A beautiful Geumangwa reminiscent of a magatama made by melting sunlight.
In the dawn of dusk, magenta hair appears to be alone on the western horizon.
There was a deep silence between Erzebet and Darling, the two women who could rightly be called the treasures of Penheim and Parenzia.

“…”
“…”

They did not take their eyes off the two different communication crystals in front of them.
When the clouds clear and morning comes, a feeble light begins to stream from the end of the castle wall, which raises the border with the horizon by a span.
A signal rang from both communication crystals simultaneously.

Widely!
Widely!

— Sorry, my lord! I was late today because the customs official had to wake me up in a hurry because he had returned to Parencia early yesterday morning!
“Okay, did you handle the work well?”

At the same time, Erzsebet also received notification that she had safely received a valuable item with the royal family’s seal.

— It just passed, princess. Your items and surroundings are safe.
“Good job, Lord Everett. “Please guide me until I arrive at the academy.”
– All right.

Pop.
Pop.

“Thank you, Viscount. You must be having a hard time due to the transfer of military supplies, so I asked for an urgent request this early in the morning…”
“Well, of course it has to be done. “I already told the academy security.”
“When I first came here, I heard there were no exceptions to baggage inspection even if you were a member of the royal family?”
“Soldiers don’t like it when sand gets mixed into their pay. In the first place, the guards were drawn from the Parencia regular army under my command, so I am willing to listen to this request.”

The goods that had traveled with the princess from Thessalon to Parencia were being delivered to the store, following all procedures as quickly as possible.
Erzsebet finally breathed a sigh of relief when she received a call from the customs office in Farencia, the last inspection station, that it had not been stolen by someone.

“So are you ready?”
“Yes, you can go down now.”

Just then, Terra also came out of the study with Liv.
Caroline, who had been lying down all day after waking her Louise, also gathered on the top floor of her lighthouse, her messy hair pressed in her hands.
As they arrived at the first floor via the magic elevator, the wall around the concession stand surrounded by Horus’ lighthouse began making strange noises.

The mechanical parts creaked, the entire tower moved back little by little, and the tree that had been standing strong even in the cold winter wind cracked! It broke away.
At the same time, the three-story wooden building, bathed in the rising sunlight, fully revealed itself to the world.

Thud!

“I’m sorry I’m late, princess.”

The item that Everett was carrying was a luxurious paulownia wood box the size of a human coffin.
When Erzébet opened it, inside was a wooden box containing brilliant platinum armor woven in the royal blacksmith shop, a red badge, and the Grand Croix 1st class medal.
As she nervously swallowed her dry saliva, Terra approached her and smiled softly.

“Can I take one of these? “I couldn’t take care of it before.”
“Yes!? Ah, then! We need to hold a proper award ceremony… !!”
“It’s okay, that’s it. “Don’t be too nervous.”
“Excuse me… “Terra.”
“Yes?”

Erzsebet’s eyes, shaking back and forth, looked alternately at the medal in Terra’s hand and at the floor.

“Well, what you’re saying is that you will receive recognition for your achievements in the Great War…” … “Is it okay if I interpret this to mean that you will help the kingdom in this war?”
“Well…”

The wizard grinned at the young princess’ question.
And then she turned her head towards the open stall door.

“I don’t think it’s up to me to decide.”
“…”
“Go quickly. “I have a favor to ask of him.”

I have a favor to ask.
Once again after being so indebted to you all this time.
Erzsebet remembered why she came here again.
On the surface, it was to get Terra Erniesten’s intention to participate in the war, and there were only her father and herself who really needed to be persuaded.

Louis Brunhart.
A man standing in front of me holding a sword and shield.

The value of the armor and medals bestowed by the king is indescribable.
It may not be as good as a holy relic, but it is a treasure smelted from the best minerals in Penheim.
The Order of Five Leaves was the maximum reward that could be given by a royal family that promised aristocratic and political treatment above that of a grand duke.
Territory? Goods?
It’s all included.
Since this is a medal to be received by the person who defeated the Demon King, virtually any request made to the royal family will have to be complied with.
There was no better bargaining chip to draw Lewis into the war.
The princess herself, who conveyed it, knew very well that she was also going into it.

“…”
“…”

Lewis, who appeared looking no different from usual, silently locked the store door.
Erzsebet quickly took a step forward.

“I’m late to say hello. “It’s been a while since it happened.”

Louis, you, godfather.
Depending on how you call him, the royal family’s attitude toward asking you to fight Seongguk will change.
As I have requested several times before, it would be a good idea to approach him warmly while extolling his promised status as godfather.

“Huh? “What is that again?”
“…”

Black eyes that are insensitive, harsh, and show a hint of laziness.
If you ask him to protect the kingdom, he will nod his head in the end, even though he will be bothered to ask if it will be left to him again.
He has already decided on the enemy he will swing that sword at.
Even without the ‘miscellaneous’ rewards prepared later, persuasion might have been surprisingly easy.

“Princess?”

However, Erzébet stared at Louise’s blood-covered fingers and broken fingernails for a while.

“Huh… ?”

I bowed deeply once.
And then quietly took out the medal and presented it to him.

“Take it with you if you need it. Both are yours. Not only that…”
“…”
“The road they passed through, the land, even the wind that stayed in the plants and leaves that passed by.”

Without expecting anything.

“If you wish, Fenheim will open all paths for the sword.”

Without asking for anything.

“I will protect you from anyone who tries to take that sword from you.”

He simply bowed his head deeply, looked at Lewis’ toes, and chanted.

“…”

My back was warm.
This was because the sun rising from the east passed over the castle wall.
The cold dawn passed and for the first time, the smell of dirt lingered in my nose.
Although spring had not yet arrived, it seemed as if the harsh winter had already escaped.

The small heat that bloomed in her back spread past her flushed cheeks, to her collarbone, shoulders, and all the way to her chest.
And the moment when she was so nervous that her white calves, visible under her dress, trembled, she swallowed her saliva.

“… “Where should I go?”

In an indifferent voice as usual.
The last dew to end the long dawn wetted the ground.

***

“The stability of the Ravier Mountains is an urgent priority. “The winter in the north is harsh, so the 12th Alliance without Roshyar cannot withstand the attacks of the demons.”

Penheim is under attack from all sides.
The demons above, and the Holy Kingdom to the west.
The army is gathering in Bahran under Nova’s orders, so the place I should immediately head to was the Ravier Mountains.

“Is it okay to just kill the demons?”
“No, the Federation also has business. “We need all the information they have on the front line and control of their forces.”

The former was essential for Terra to coordinate all war situations in the kingdom through Horus’s lighthouse and telegraph lines.
After the Great War, the 12th Alliance grew stronger and became an independent autonomous organization similar to the Magic Tower that students considered as a career path after graduation.
Rather than receiving orders from the royal family, they fight against demons on their own like nobles from all over the kingdom.
If the royal family makes a formal request, we will hand over information such as the current troops in the mountain range, the number of enemies, and available food, but direct control will be difficult.
There was a reason why Erzhebet had no choice but to receive Goliath’s cooperation in order to create iron soldiers.

“Is that okay?”
“And we need to get permission for Hooksclaw, led by Hubblet, to leave the mountains and operate. The reason is… Know?”

Know.
Because what you really have to deal with are not demons.
Now that every single bit of strength is important, there is an enemy strong enough for us to gather again.
First, I headed to the Ravier Mountains to resolve the crisis in the north.

Bang!! Kwaang——!!

“Kwaaaaa!!”
“What are you Blue Moon bastards doing!! “There’s no communication with command!!”
“Alumni! The east gate has been opened!! Stop it!!”

The battlefield I visited after a long time was extremely peaceful.
There seemed to be more demons than trees in the thick black forest below the mountain range.
Judging by the corpses piled up in front of the castle walls and the catapults lined up near the demon world, it appears that they are waging an all-out war, even siphoning off the troops from Lake Senrir.
This is why the alliance cannot survive alone.

“Beepee———!!”
“Beepeeeee———!!”
‘No, why is that here again?’

In the sky, there was dizzying magic and ice ducks, which had grown larger due to the cold energy of the north, were attacking the demons.
After seeing them and looking around, I was able to find Adela’s floating island.
It is no exaggeration to say that the island is like a moving beehive. There are ducks crowded together on the island.
You said you left for the North and ended up here?

First of all, I decided to meet Adela before anything else.
This way will be more efficient anyway.
When I shook a bread I brought from the store, one guy noticed it right away and it fell in front of me like a bullet taxi.
I asked, stroking the cold feathers.

“Adela, is she up there?”
“Beepee——!!”
“Okay, let’s go quickly.”

As I rode up the rising air current against the cold wind, I saw a blue head already waving both hands on the floating island.
When Adela saw that I had come, she was so happy that she shouted.

“Teacher teacher! Are you awake? “Are you here to look for me!!?”
“…”
“Look at this! I am making a great contribution to protecting the kingdom!! Oh, the armor is cool too… !”
“Teacher… ?”

When I landed on her island and met her, I motioned for her to come closer to me.
Adela, who had grown to have an army of ice ducks, was instinctively wary, but when she saw the bread that the duck I was riding was biting into, she was a little shaken.

“What you hid behind that… “Is that the bread you want to give me?”

It is a holy sword.

“You won’t scold me, right?”

I will scold you.

In the end, I gently grabbed Adela’s cheek as she approached me.
And as she raised it little by little, she began to smile, showing her conceit.

“Heh… !”

Seeing that it didn’t hurt even though it was at the same eye level as me, it looks like it froze the skin and dulled the sense of pain.
Even beneath the feet, ice of the same height rises like the stump of a tree, canceling out the force of gravity.

In addition, there is even a powerful unique magic that operates like a space battleship of an alien race.
Who would call a wizard with such talent a half-pun?
You’ve grown, Adela.
I was deeply moved and broke the ice pillar beneath her feet.

Bye!!

“Eh!? Oh, it hurts!!! Hey, Sean! Let me go, it hurts———!!!”

Then, as she was held in the air, holding her cheek, she let out a pitiful cry.