Chapter 99
Chapter 99
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 99
Chapter Title: Celine's Advance
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Leading over five hundred elite soldiers from the Goddess's Sword Unit, Celine had been sharpening her massive greatsword since the early dawn, preparing for the battle ahead.
"Vice Captain, the sun won't rise for a little while yet. Why don't you get some more rest..."
The night watch soldiers spotted Celine grinding away at her whetstone from the crack of dawn and voiced their concern, but she shook her head.
"I've already gotten plenty of rest last night. What I need to do now isn't rest—it's prepare so that I'm ready for combat at a moment's notice, no matter when it breaks out."
Seeing Celine speak so decisively, the Goddess's Sword Unit soldiers felt like they had the power of a million heavenly troops at their backs.
Young and inexperienced, Celine hadn't been with the Goddess's Sword Unit for long.
Yet through sheer skill alone, she had rocketed through the ranks in a promotion so meteoric that "breakneck speed" didn't even do it justice, ascending to vice captain of one of the world's most vital organizations before she'd even turned twenty-one.
Anyone who had witnessed her prowess in action—wiping out heretics, terrorists, and blasphemers in a single sweep during deployments—had no objections to her unprecedented rise. Even those few who questioned it due to ignorance of her abilities would concede the moment they crossed blades with her.
On top of that, though Celine kept it under wraps as best she could, the fact that she was the Holy Warrior's lover was no longer much of a secret within the unit.
Stunning looks, overwhelming strength, competent leadership, and the partner of the Holy Warrior to boot.
Celine was the kind of person everyone couldn't help but envy.
"Vice Captain, doesn't her blade seem sharper than usual today?"
"Yeah, I heard the psycho killer terrorist we're after this time was academy classmates with the vice captain and the Holy Warrior."
"No wonder she's on edge. Can you imagine if a friend from the academy was pulling all that crap..."
"She wouldn't hold back just because they're academy mates, right? I mean, she wouldn't... would she?"
Celine had always projected unshakable composure, but over the past few months, everyone could tell she was in a real funk.
And most knew why.
The terrorist named Alvis was academy classmates with Brayden and Celine.
No one knew exactly how close the three had been back in school, but having someone you'd seen every day for three years turn into a terrorist—and knowing you had to be the one to kill him—wasn't exactly a walk in the park.
Some soldiers figured Celine was just bummed about having to fight someone she knew, and they worried if she'd be able to carry out her mission properly.
As if overhearing their murmurs, Celine set down her whetstone and approached the night watch.
"Do I strike you as the type to let personal ties with the enemy throw off my mission?"
"Gah! V-Vice Captain!"
"I've always kept my personal opinions out of every mission so far, but it seems my conduct still hasn't earned your full trust."
"N-No, that's not it! Of course it has! We've all seen how hard you throw yourself into every mission!"
"It's true Alvis went to the same academy as Brayden and me, but we weren't close. And even if we had been, after all the large-scale terrorism and loss of life he's caused, he's nothing more than a wanted criminal who needs to be taken down. I get your concerns, but I won't let sentiment sway me when it comes to capturing Alvis. Make sure no more needless chatter like this spreads behind my back before the operation."
"Yes, Vice Captain!"
The night watch snapped to attention with renewed vigor, and Celine, having finished tending her weapon, moved off to grab a simple meal.
Only after she was gone did the soldiers let out sighs of relief.
"Man, why'd you have to go and say something dumb like that to get on her nerves?"
"Hey, I was just voicing a worry anyone might have..."
"You know her temperament. She stays cool as ice and executes missions with perfect precision—no more, no less. Worrying about her like that? If you've got time to doubt the vice captain's abilities, focus on sharpening up yourselves."
The soldier who'd raised the doubt first shrank back, stung, and kept his mouth shut, quietly scanning the perimeter until his shift ended.
As dawn gradually broke, the unit roused itself one by one for meals and final preparations for the march.
Celine summoned the liaison handling communications.
"Any change in the terrorists' position?"
"No, Vice Captain. No movement since they entered the Empire's Second Western Outpost. But according to the imperial troops who fled the site, the terrorists' power was immense. Not a single one of them could stand up to even one elf, so the entire garrison had to abandon the outpost..."
"......"
Celine's heart jolted at the mention of an elf, but she didn't let it show.
Ever since the imperial troops who'd returned from the Carrot Duchy border described the terrorists' appearances—excluding Alvis, their comrades' features eerily matching Ravi, Elfin, and Lenis—she'd felt a persistent unease gnawing at her.
Of course, she told herself it couldn't be them, but a group sharing all those distinctive traits wasn't exactly common.
Celine steadied herself with a deep breath, then drew her massive greatsword—nearly as tall as she was—and slammed it point-first into the ground.
The blade was far too heavy for any grown man to lift alone, yet she wielded it effortlessly with one hand.
Bathed in the rising sunlight from beyond the horizon, Celine gazed toward the Second Western Outpost.
"How far to the outpost?"
"Almost there. We'll arrive within three hours."
"If the terrorists are that strong, tell the regular troops not to act rashly. Have them observe until I give the order. I'll take the lead."
"But it's dangerous! There are four of them, and one alone wiped out the outpost garrison..."
"It's fine. Goddess Lunia is with us. Smashing these vile terrorists and bringing peace, safety, and order to the world—that is Her will. Those who carry out the divine mandate cannot know defeat. I will protect you all."
"Vice Captain...!"
With her beauty, unyielding resolve, iron will, and flawless mission execution, Celine had earned the moniker "Iron Rose" from the world at large. To her soldiers, she was their greatest pillar, their rock, their last bastion.
Her composure was her greatest strength, so the Goddess's Sword Unit trusted and followed her without question.
"Celine's biggest weakness is her composure. That's what we'll target."
In three hours, per Linian's report, the Goddess's Sword Unit would arrive.
My words during the strategy meeting had Ravi, Elfin, and Lenis tilting their heads in unison.
"Weakness?"
"You mean strength, right?"
"Alvis, you never hung out with Celine at the academy, so you wouldn't know, but she's the best at keeping her cool. And you're calling that a weakness...?"
The three, who had often been around Celine back then, couldn't buy it.
But I knew.
That what looked like Celine's immense strength—her composure—could also be a fatal flaw.
In that garbage game Holy Warrior Brayden NX—or more precisely, in the myriad future paths Goddess Lunia had desperately shown me while exhausting every ounce of resistance—she died no matter the route.
Sometimes fighting and falling to Ravi, Elfin, Lenis, and others as enemies. Sometimes even turning foe herself and dying to Brayden.
The reason she perished in so many ways was that her prized composure shattered for whatever reason, turning her into a berserker who fought recklessly, heedless of her own body.
Luna, the one who'd summoned me from another world and knew all those futures I'd seen, said nothing and quietly listened in.
I knew exactly where Celine's composure cracked and her mentality broke, so I decided to target her mind.
A straight fight would leave neither side unscathed, whether it was her or us.
We'd spent the last four days in daily meetings memorizing the terrain perfectly.
I unrolled the map and assigned positions and roles to each, sharing the plan to trap Celine.
Once briefed, the three eyed me with subtle expressions.
"What?"
"No... It does seem like it'd work..."
"Alvis, your plan is seriously vicious."
"I'd have fallen for it too. Taking her down by breaking her spirit instead of force..."
"I can't exactly ask you all to go toe-to-toe with Celine in a deathmatch, can I?"
"Fair point."
Right after everyone had the plan down.
Linian called out to us.
"Hey, you can see them with the naked eye beyond the horizon now. At this pace, they'll hit us in twenty minutes."
"Then head into the mountains first, everyone. I'll catch up soon. Linian, I'm counting on you for this op."
"Damn it... I'm not a walking healing potion, you know..."
"I fixed you up, so you can handle this much, right?"
"Ugh, you would bring that up like a cheap shot!"
Linian hoisted Luna onto her back and vanished into the forest with the three others.
Left alone at the outpost, I watched the approaching Goddess's Sword Unit and prepared to greet Celine.
"First time since academy graduation day, huh? This is all for you, so don't get too mad."