Chapter 358 – 358. Struggle and Struggle (6)

– One –

“Captain. The scouts have caught the suspicious yeonnomes.”

“Suspicious young bastards? Have you caught any deserters from the Imperial Army?”

“No. They claim to be residents from frontier villages in the northern wilderness.”

The expression on the face of the man called the leader hardens for a moment.

However, before the private who reported to him even notices it, he quickly hides his expression.

As if he was puzzled, as if he couldn’t figure out the reason, he made an expression full of questions.

“Hmm? Were there proper settlements in this area? There are only traces of their existence, aren’t they all just ruins?”

“Yes. They seem to have barely survived when the rebels rebelled. There is nothing suspicious about their appearance or tone.”

“Then what the hell is suspicious?”

The leader sincerely asks a question as if it were a question.

“They are only seventeen at most. But according to their testimony, they passed through hundreds of thousands of imperial troops. It was not sent by the imperial army, and they just escaped the northern unexplored lands without being noticed by the imperial army. “

“Huh…? Does that make sense? Didn’t the Imperial Army go to search for rebels in the first place? Surely the vigilance against all living things must have been bloody, but they passed by unnoticed? The Imperial Army was incompetent against a few civilians. You said your vigilance failed? Are you saying that you should believe that now?”

“Yes. Both the scouts and me, I raised a report right away because it was a question.”

The chieftain’s face hardens.

It seemed that it was not something to be taken lightly.

“Where are they now?”

“The reconnaissance team has detained them in temporary barracks.”

“How about the guards?”

“I heard that one platoon was drawn from the reconnaissance team and deployed just in case.”

The captain nods his head.

That should have been enough to reassure him.

“I’ll report it to the superior right now, so you should return to the barracks and tell them to keep an eye on it.”

“I understand, Captain.”

Chuck.

The soldier gives a military rite and disappears.

The leader runs towards somewhere with a firm expression.

– 2 –

“… I’m afraid that if we don’t deal with them quickly, rumors that disparage him will spread around the streets.”

“Is it.”

After listening to the leader’s report and opinions, the man in black leather nodded his head.

Contrary to the imposing appearance created by his huge size and sharp face, his voice was very calm.

“It needs to be handled quietly.”

“Yes that’s right.”

“But before that, it seems necessary to dispel the suspicions you pointed out.”

“Then…”

Before the captain said anything,

Whoops, Tup.
Piririk.

He activates the short-range communication magic tool.

“How many special operations agents are currently on break?”

– Currently, 3 platoons are resting.

“Tell them to prepare for operation in two platoons right now and stand by. Since they are going to be put into interrogation of the behemoths, select those who are specialized in that field.”

– Yes!

Piririk.

Turn your head.

Look out the window

“It will take about 18 more hours to fully warm up Strathisla’s power source. And the scheduled return time for all scouts is about 15 hours. Find out everything you need in time. Find out as much detail as you can about their identity, purpose, background, and even helpers, and post a report after cross-examining.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Chuck!

The captain raises a military rite.

But he doesn’t speak of loyalty.

“While you were out on reconnaissance, we succeeded in establishing communication with him.”

“Did you say that the jade body wasn’t damaged?”

“You said so. We’ve got the coordinates of the destination, so as soon as the warm-up is over, we’ll run at full speed. There’s no time to take care of the dropouts. Make sure to be on time.”

“Yes. For him.”

“Only for Him.”

Because their allegiance was heading to only one person.

– 3 –

Srrrr
Beat, beat, beat.

A man enters a dark stone chamber where sunlight does not shine.

Squeak.
Dump.

He takes off his hood and sits down in a chair.

“Welcome, Sir Lampage.”

It was Viscount Uweboll.

To greet him, as was usually the case, was the Marquis of Caymus.

Swoop.

Viscount Uweboll bowed lightly to him.

His expression was very hard.

“Your Excellency, have you heard the news?”

“Hmm. I was looking for you after receiving a report from McKellen.”

The expression of the Marquis of Caymus was no different.

“Have you found traces of a huge mass traveling north across the continent?”

“Yes. Its identity is unknown, but it is said that it is something that someone created, that is, something artificial.”

“Didn’t you say it wasn’t a huge monster?”

Viscount Uwevol nodded resolutely.

“Isn’t it possible that creatures with wheels or tracks could not occur naturally?”

“I see. Have you figured out the movement?”

“Yes.”

Squeak, squeak.
Flutter.

Viscount Uwevol takes out a map from his bosom.

Unfold the folds a few times.

Spread it wide over the landing.

On the continental map, a solid red line stands out.

Took.

Viscount Uweboll points to a point with his finger.

From the archipelago at the very center of the continent, it was a somewhat northwesterly area.

“It is estimated that the trail started from here.”

The dotted line from there turns into a solid line starting from a certain point.

The dotted lines seen in the middle seemed to be the result of estimating the places where the traces did not remain properly in reality, centered on the places where the traces remained.

“That place, uhm…”

The Marquis of Caymus groans.

He looked at the map with his brow furrowed, and finally shook his head.

“Do you know who governs the territory? It’s a very unknown place, so I don’t know.”

“I also looked for it because it was a very unfamiliar place, but there is no lord who actually rules that place.”

“Muh, what? So that place is His Majesty’s direct jurisdiction?”

“Yes.”

However, Viscount Uwevol does not show any signs of embarrassment.

“However, the nearest fief is only governed by one of the Whiscay family’s vassals. It’s a woman named Malaga Manzanilla, and even after being appointed 20 years ago, she has never been in central politics. It never showed up.”

“That’s the first name I’ve heard of.”

“It will be. She only received the title of hereditary noble on the recommendation of the Regal, but she seems to have been a commoner before.”

“Is that so… Then, she must have been a woman with a special corner?”

Whoa.

Viscount Uwevol sighs.

“Relevant information has been thoroughly concealed, so nothing could be found out. To assist her in building such a massive mass, from her identity washing to finding the outskirts of the commercial district of the Viscounty of Manzanilla, a long time ago It seems that Regal has been preparing for it since.”

“That’s right… Hey, her identity isn’t important.”

“Yes.”

After a moment of silence, the Marquis of Caymus asked him with a cautious look.

“Isn’t it judged that someone intentionally built a large mass there in order to shift the suspicion to Regal’s vassal or Regal?”

“Yes. The Imperial Special Forces came forward and raided the offices of those who had the ability to do so and even raided the accounting department under them, confirming that there was nothing suspicious about them. The lack of mobilization ability was the conclusion reached by the Imperial Special Forces through this search and seizure.”

“Well, how many people in this empire can create something with a massive mass beyond common sense?”

“Wouldn’t it be just like a majesty or a legal person?”

“It’s a matter of course.”

As they say the name Regal, their faces turn to disgust.

But he didn’t seem to be too afraid.

“Hmm… It must have been built over a long period of time by purchasing supplies little by little from the commercial district in the west, right?”

“Yes. As your Excellency guessed, little by little every month, but various raw materials, including steel ingots and gemstones, flowed into the Viscounty of Manzanilla. If we add up the accumulated amount from the time of initial purchase until now, 2 million It is estimated that raw materials in excess of a ton were brought into the territories there.”

“It must be clear that they were used to build a power source using mana and some kind of steel structure.”

“Yes. Judging from the fact that it moved to the ground, it is assumed that they built a huge land-type mobile fortress using them.”

“You’re crazy…”

The Marquis of Caymus shakes his head.

He let out a contemptuous sigh.

“What would you have tried to do with just that much, won…”

“I don’t think I did anything so stupid, sir.”

“Huh? What are you talking about again?”

Tok, tok, tok.

Viscount Uwevol taps the solid line marked on the map.

Naturally, the gaze of the Marquis of Caymus also turns toward it.

“Do you know how long it took for the object supposed to be a mobile fortress to arrive from Viscount Manzanilla to where it is now?”

“Hmm… It didn’t take about a month, right?”

“It took just over ten days.”

“What?!”

The eyes of the Marquis of Caymus widen.

He shows signs of nervousness for the first time.

“It took only ten days to cover that distance?”

“Yes. It’s estimated that it’s a limitation of the power source, so it’s estimated that it’s been moving for three days and stationed for one day. But even so, it’s moving at an absurd speed. Probably, the mobile fortress itself must have a lightweight magic.”

“Her…”

“You know what’s even more surprising?”

The Marquis of Caymouth shakes his head in disgust.

Surprised enough already, to be honest, I didn’t want to hear more about mobile forts.

But Viscount Uwe Bol seemed unwilling to keep his mouth shut.

“Judging by the size of the traces left, it is estimated that there are at least 80,000 and a maximum of 120,000 troops on board. I had no choice but to discover the path of movement.”

“… Considering that there are usually less than 10,000 detached units that carry out surprise attacks, a mobile fortress that allows surprise attacks in units of 100,000 might shake up the tactical system that has been used so far. “

“That’s right. Even if you mount a large amount of tactical weapons on it, and even have a large number of wizards and shamans on board, you will be able to conduct a truly ridiculous level of surprise. Considering the defense system of each city and its level, I It could be possible to instantly devastate all areas except for the islands by using nonsensical weapons.”

“Her…”

The sigh of the Marquis of Caymus follows.

Disgust surges in his stomach.

A drop of sweat was running down his brow, as if he was feeling a lot of fear.

“You’ve been keeping it hidden for so long, and now that Regal is in danger of political burial, you’ve brought it out of the veil?”

“I think so too.”

Viscount Uwevol’s expression was similarly distorted.

But he fears more,

Food.

The contempt seemed even greater.

“Aren’t you worried? If Regal decides to take over the eastern granary, the empire will collapse in an instant. Much less direct impact on the western and southern regions, so the economy and key industries within the empire can be destroyed overnight. I mean, it might collapse!”

“By the way, Your Excellency.”

Still, Viscount Uwe Boll does not let go of the scorn on his face.

Click.
Whoops.
Gulp.

He even snatched the teacup from the Marquis of Caymus and took a leisurely sip.

“Huh…?”

“It doesn’t matter when you don’t know, what big deal will happen when you know?”

“Ummm… If there’s another mobile fortress besides that…”

“It’s extremely unlikely.”

Squeak.
Took.
Swoop.

Viscount Uwevol took out a bundle of reports from his bosom and held them out in front of him.

“I took this opportunity to investigate the flow of goods and money in each territory of the Whiskey family’s vassals. Check it out later when you have time. I did a lot of insignificant things, but I don’t know about the territory that is supposed to have built something so huge. Doesn’t exist.”

“Then I’m glad…”

“Besides, they didn’t head elsewhere, into the northern wilderness?”

“Ah…”

Only then does the Marquis of Caymus relax.

A small smile creeps up on his face as well.

“If you do well, you will be destroyed, and even if you fail, you will suffer a big blow.”

“Yes. Either way, it’s sure to take a lot of damage.”

“And the expedition will be long, right?”

“Yes. Unfortunately, most of the Imperial forces who participated in the battle are expected to die, but by using this opportunity, we must build one more justification to overthrow Regal. That is the only way to ensure that the sacrifices of the Imperial soldiers are not in vain.”

“Ah, that’s how it should be.”

The two make a solemn expression.

The biggest reason why the imperial faction approved the 2nd Expeditionary Force is finally revealed.

They were preparing to attack Regal using that as an excuse, even at the cost of 250,000 Imperial soldiers.

“If the masters of the Distillery family had participated in the war even with such mobile fortresses mobilized, perhaps the expeditionary force would have won a landslide victory.”

“Yes. Excluding them from the 2nd Expeditionary Force’s command headquarters is now judged to be a really wise choice.”

“The system’s defenses are much better, too.”

“Of course it is.”

Did you come to a satisfactory conclusion?

Squeak, squeak.
Pong.

The Marquis of Caymus lifts the whiskey bottle and unstops it.

As if he drank a few sips, it was seen that the amount was slightly reduced.

Swoop, Tak.
Every inch.

Naturally, Viscount Uwebol held out his glass.

On it the Marquis of Caymus pours an amber liquid.

“Hmm… You have time to enjoy a drink while you’re at work, are you really envious?”

“Keuhm, kuhm. When something good happens, I’ll just take a sip. Since you’ve been out for a while, I’ve only had two drinks.”

“I hear you said there were two good things.”

Hehe. That’s right. Where would you like to listen?”

Viscount Uwe Boll nods his head.

He takes the bottle and fills the Marquis of Caymus’s glass with whiskey.

“His Highness has clearly determined the direction of his favor.”

“Puk! Yes, yes…?”

“Kuhm, that, with Mrs. Dylan…”

The Marquis of Caymus whispers something in Viscount Uweboll’s ear.

Viscount Uwevol’s eyes widen.

“Ahhh…”

He, too, sighs and laughs with a sinister expression.

“And let’s talk about it, kuhmm…”

They quietly clink glasses and tell each other about what happened.

The system without Regal was rather peaceful.

There were some problems, but they were trivial to them now.