Anomalies in Kenipra (1)
"The new weapon Baron Veritati has been developing was already under research with the royal family's full cooperation. As a strategic officer, he said he meant to strengthen the kingdom army's fighting power."
Leonard's expression went blank.
Th-that can't be right. The background check I ran said the royal family knew nothing about it…
Then something flashed through his mind.
Could some rank-and-file guild member from a marketplace information guild really know every last detail of royal affairs?
Once that doubt took hold, one oddity after another began to stand out. He had simply not been thinking straight — too caught up in the idea that he could drag Ellen down.
His head cooled. Following the trail of suspicion to its end, he arrived at a single conclusion.
That bastard leaked the information on purpose.
His fists clenched so hard his nails left deep crescents in his palms.
"I knew it."
"Just some mage getting ahead of himself."
"Because of that guy, we lost our only angle to pin on him."
"What do you expect from a commoner? Sticking a surname on him doesn't give him blood he never had."
The nobles' reactions flipped in an instant. The expectant gazes that had been fixed on Leonard were now looks of open contempt.
"I haven't heard a word of progress these past few days. And yet you used to report meaningful advances almost daily."
Alberto and Ellen, by contrast, were all warmth and ease.
"I am ashamed to say I have had no results worthy of reporting to Your Majesty. But my researcher and I are combining our efforts, so I expect to bring good news before long."
Even the surrounding stares that had been pressing in on Ellen moments before had softened considerably.
"Baron Veritati was prepared to hand over every scrap of his research data. He even said he would have the work proceed under royal leadership, so that the glory might elevate the Prode royal family's renown."
Ellen had been planning for this exact situation from the moment he saw through Leonard's scheme.
"I have rarely seen a subject so loyal. What do the rest of you think?"
A quick-witted noble dropped to one knee at once.
"Baron Veritati's devotion shines for all to see."
"There is much for us to learn from him as well."
These were the ones who had been lukewarm toward Ellen's petition from the start — and that choice was now paying off handsomely.
The problem lay with those who had actively driven the attack. Caught between a rock and a hard place, they could only watch Alberto's face for cues.
This is a good place to wrap things up.
The atmosphere of the inquiry had swung completely into Alberto's hands.
"I will now deliver the findings of this inquiry."
Strength entered his voice.
"The concerns regarding Baron Remi Veritati's alleged abuse of magic and loss of control appear to be unfounded. That said, I do not entirely disregard the worries of the lesser nobility and the Magic Tower. Therefore, I command Baron Veritati to carry out a mission on behalf of the Magic Tower."
Alberto discarded neither side. Even with the victory already decided, he reflected a portion of the nobles' opinions. It was not everything they had wanted, but in the present circumstances it was enough to quiet their resistance.
For Ellen, a mission was little more than a nuisance — but not something he couldn't handle.
"Furthermore, the Magic Tower will establish a screening system for petitions, as previously instructed."
Alberto's gaze settled on Leonard. Under that scorching stare, Leonard could not lift his head.
"I will take it to heart."
Orlando, speaking as the Magic Tower's representative, gave the reply. He, too, was in a foul mood — things had not gone as planned.
That fool opened his mouth and ruined everything. I entrusted far too much to a commoner.
Leonard could only tremble. Once a promising talent of the Magic Tower, he had never been subjected to the scorn of so many people at once. The humiliation was worse than he could have imagined.
"With that, this inquiry is concluded."
At Alberto's declaration, the inquiry that had been hounding Ellen came to an end.
"Did everything go well?"
"You gave them a good thrashing, just as planned, right?"
Gavin, Cabin, and Groot welcomed Ellen home from the inquiry. The mansion was bustling with people now.
Ellen answered their questions with a smile.
"I have you three and the information you gathered to thank for it."
"Ah, don't mention it."
"Leave Harryford's intelligence to us."
The information guild Argon was steadily taking shape. They had hired several trustworthy staff and begun systematic sorting of intelligence.
"Groot, the fact that you dove into the research early and produced results was decisive. His Majesty was full of praise."
Groot was simply happy. How much scorn had he endured for pursuing research that made no money? But ever since coming here, he had been able to work under complete trust.
"I will strive to produce even better results going forward."
The words came from the heart.
"We don't have unlimited time, so please hurry things along a little."
"Yes, understood."
Groot knew Ellen was preparing for something. He simply did not ask what.
He must be seeing something I cannot.
Ellen thought of the events that would unfold roughly three years from now — the rampaging monsters and the catastrophe in the northwest.
Neighboring countries used that opening to carve away at Prode's national interests.
Because no one had prepared for the monster rampage in advance, the northwest had been all but overrun. To suppress the monsters that had already spread, Prode had requested reinforcements from its neighbors. With their help the crisis was resolved — but the price extracted in return had been steep. And the reason the monsters had gone berserk in the first place was never uncovered.
This time, I have to prepare thoroughly.
He intended to use Argon's intelligence network to track the monsters' early signs. The organization was not yet large enough to cover the entire kingdom, but gathering information on a specific region was well within reach.
"Gavin. Collect intelligence on the Kenipra region in the northwest. Cabin, keep tracking the whereabouts of engineers."
Neither brother raised any objection. The information Ellen requested so often looked further ahead than either of them could see.
"Understood."
What is going on?
Two months had passed since the inquiry. Ellen was preparing to leave for the Kenipra region.
It was supposed to happen three years from now.
A few days earlier, Ellen had voluntarily reported to the Magic Tower and declared he would take on the Kenipra assignment — a post everyone else avoided. The Magic Tower had welcomed the announcement.
In truth, Kenipra suffered frequent monster raids every year. Each time, they requested reinforcements. But more often than not, the local forces could have held the line on their own. More importantly, Kenipra lay far too distant from the capital. As a result, almost no one volunteered to go.
The royal court was tired of hearing both the provincial nobles' exaggerated pleas and the central troops' complaints. So they had tried to rein the region in by factoring the number of reinforcement requests into noble evaluations.
The reason Ellen had volunteered for such a thankless mission was the intelligence that had come in through Argon.
Monster activity is highly irregular. They have begun employing rudimentary strategy and tactics. Their basic skeletal frames and musculature have also enlarged, and the local lord's forces are struggling badly.
The moment he heard that report, Ellen could not help but be stunned. Those were the exact early signs of the catastrophe that was supposed to strike three years later.
He had accepted the Magic Tower's mission so he could confirm the intelligence with his own eyes.
Has the future been pulled forward this time?
There were futures that arrived no matter what he did. The battle at Ruaturu Canyon had been one of them. The premises had changed, yet the same event had still occurred.
But this time, the timing itself had shifted. The same event was clearly unfolding — the monsters' signs made that plain. The only difference was that it should have happened three years from now.
I'll have to go see for myself.
Ellen headed to Groot's laboratory. The man looked as though he had been up all night; his eyes were hollow and dark-ringed.
"Groot, what about the thing I asked for?"
Groot shook his head.
"It proved impossible. I managed to realize the form itself somehow, but I could not find a way to sustain it."
He bowed his head as he spoke — an apology for failing to meet Ellen's expectations.
"It's fine. The time you were given was far too short to begin with. Even so, someone of your caliber was able to at least achieve the form."
"Thank you."
It was not empty flattery. Ellen had never expected a working prototype in such a short span.
"Even if it only holds for a single moment, it should still produce a significant effect. Can you give me as many of the prototypes as you have?"
"Taking them all by yourself may be difficult."
Looking troubled, Groot led Ellen to the storeroom. Where he pointed, roughly a hundred swords and spears stood waiting.
"You made this many?"
"We've entered the field-testing stage, so production ramped up. All of them should be capable of manifestation. The Magic Stones used as raw material are already embedded."
Ellen cast weight-reduction and miniaturization magic over the swords and spears.
"I'm grateful. Keep pushing the research even harder."
"Of course. By the time you return, Baron, we will have advanced far beyond this."
"I'll be looking forward to it."
The Kenipra region lay a long hard ride northwest of Harryford — the sole corridor through which the Peer Mountains, spanning the continent, opened into Prode.
The Peer Mountains swarmed with monsters; no human could live there. Everything from low-grade creatures like goblins to top-tier monsters like ogres thrived in those ranges.
Kenipra served as a breakwater, holding back the monsters that would otherwise pour into Prode.
This is far worse than I expected.
The state of the Kenipra region was far more severe. The rear areas were fine enough, but the closer one drew to the Peer Mountains, the worse it became. Villages stood empty. Buildings lay half-collapsed. In places, the air seemed to carry the coppery tang of blood.
No proper report reached the capital until things got this bad?
He was still marveling anew at the kingdom's reporting system when the sounds reached him.
"Aaaagh!"
"Help me!"
"Hold the line! You have to hold!"
"Gather on me! Don't scatter!"
Horrible screams and the clash of steel reached Ellen's keen ears. A major battle was underway — or rather, humans were being slaughtered one-sidedly.
The forest up ahead?
Ellen spurred his horse hard in that direction.
"Chrrk."
"Gyaaah!"
Inside the forest, monsters and humans were locked in combat. Ellen assessed the situation at a glance. Leave them another twenty minutes and the humans would be wiped out.
"What are you doing?! Don't give ground — fight! We can't die here!"
Someone at the very rear was bellowing at the top of his lungs. Gleaming armor and an oversized, cumbersome helmet made his position unmistakable.
Looks like I'll have to step in.
Ellen's hands began to move.