Invasion (3)
As they decided to stay here, Serena brought up the topic of what to do next.
“If we’re going to join the fight, don’t we need to know where the Empire army is heading? Should I go back to the castle and ask them to let us know?”
“We’ve got a way to figure that out without that.” Seong Hyun-jin turned to Ciela. “Senior, could you use prophecy magic to find out where the Empire army’s going?”
“...What? The Shamash Prophecy is already broken. Don’t you remember smashing it back then?”
“You’re the one who created the prophecy magic system. Even if you can’t make a full magic circle, couldn’t you do a simple prediction right now? As a one-time spell.”
At Seong Hyun-jin’s question, Ciela replied a bit uncertainly. “I’ve never tried it that way before...”
“Then let’s try it this time. That way we can know where the enemy’s coming from and decide our destination.”
“...Okay.”
Ciela summoned the power of the spirits. She began visualizing the incantation for prophecy magic in her mind and slowly drew it out on the snowy ground.
“It’ll take a little time.”
“That’s fine.”
Seong Hyun-jin said, “This isn’t some small skirmish. Neither side’s going to collapse right away.”
His request might have seemed unreasonable at first glance. But he trusted the genius disciple acknowledged by the Demon Star, and at the same time, he believed in Ciela Teraport’s abilities as he knew them.
While Ciela improvised the prophecy magic, Seong Hyun-jin turned to Serena.
“Serena.”
“Yes?”
“Do you know much about the Empire? Like how strong they are.”
Serena shook her head slightly at his question. “Not really. Just what my father mentioned a few times...”
“Did those stories include anything about the war between the Empire and the Magic Kingdom?”
“There was some, yeah.”
Serena spoke as if it were no big deal. “But it’s all common knowledge, so there’s nothing special to tell you.”
“I don’t know it.”
When Seong Hyun-jin stated it so boldly, Serena realized belatedly. “Oh, right.”
Seong Hyun-jin was someone who knew nothing about what had happened in this world for the past twenty years or so. If asked what happened before that, he might have some idea, but either way, he had zero knowledge about the Empire. Only recently, after directly thwarting the spies infiltrating the academy and illegal entrants, had he started paying attention.
“The Magic Kingdom and the Empire fought their most recent war just a few years ago.”
“I think I heard that’s when the non-aggression pact was made.”
“You know that? Yes, exactly.”
Serena nodded and continued. “The non-aggression pact came after the Empire lost that war to the Magic Kingdom.”
“They lost and they’re still coming back? Persistent bastards.”
“It was a defeat in name only... Most of the war happened on Magic Kingdom soil, so the Empire didn’t suffer much damage. If it dragged on, the Magic Kingdom would just keep taking losses too, so they settled for the pact.”
“Then why start the war in the first place?”
Wars were usually waged only with a solid justification or goal, or when clear profits could be gained. No sane national leader would recklessly start a war that just burned through money endlessly. So the Empire must stand to gain something even now.
Seong Hyun-jin was curious, and Serena explained right away.
“There are plenty of side reasons, but their biggest goal is an ice-free port. The Empire’s seas freeze over every winter because of the climate.”
“Ice-free port? So the Empire can’t trade by sea in winter?”
“They can’t use sea routes, so they’re stuck with land ones.”
Listening to that, Seong Hyun-jin had a question. If the Empire didn’t even have an ice-free port, where did they get the money to wage wars?
“How does a country that can’t trade in winter have that much cash?”
“The Empire has the largest territory in the world, so they’re rich in natural resources. Especially the ore that only they produce.”
“Ore?”
As Serena nodded, Seong Hyun-jin muttered, recalling his past life memories. “Sounds like oil...”
“What’s oil?”
“Ah, the most essential resource in the world where I lived my past life.”
“Hmm, similar vibe.”
Serena nodded as if he’d got it right. “It’s not that useful for regular people, but that ore is essential for magitech products. It’s called etherium, a unique mineral that can store spirit power.”
“Then it must be a must-have for making magitech?”
“Yes, there are hardly any substitutes... If the Empire cuts off trade, production of magitech in that country grinds to a halt. It’s also used a lot in spirit magitech experiments.”
Considering how deeply intertwined spirits were with humans in this world, it was easy to see the importance of magitech. No wonder the Empire raked in fortunes by monopolizing it, just like the oil barons he’d heard about in news from his past life.
“...Even this world’s natural resources are OP.”
“That’s why the Empire’s always after an ice-free port. They’re already swimming in cash from monopolizing etherium—what happens if they get one?”
“Trade gets easier even in winter, so astronomical profits.”
“Exactly.”
Seong Hyun-jin understood why the Empire was obsessed with an ice-free port. “Even though they lost last time, they targeted the Magic Kingdom again because they’d already made some gains in the previous war?”
“Probably.”
“But with a Palstar Hero like the academy head here, what gives them the confidence? If the Magic Kingdom’s really in danger, the academy’s existence is at risk too, so the head will step in.”
“Dean Eleonora the Demon Star is practically a one-woman army, but the Empire has people like that too.”
It wasn’t Serena who answered. It was Yeonhui, who’d been listening quietly beside them.
“The Empire has a Palstar Hero too?”
“None of the current ones called Palstar Heroes are from the Empire. They’ve started most recent wars, so it’s hard to call their affiliates ‘heroes.’”
“So... they just don’t get the hero title, but they have powerhouses on that level?”
“Yes.”
Yeonhui nodded and added, “If we’re talking pure one-on-one, the Palstar Heroes with the Sword Star, Dragon Star, and Fist Star are stronger. But war isn’t a solo fight. The Empire’s vast territory comes from their military might.”
“So... they’ve got a lot of above-average strong guys?”
“Yes. Especially the knight order commanders—they’re no ordinary powerhouses.”
“Knight order commanders, huh.”
Seong Hyun-jin recalled the skills of Willis Graham, a senior knight, and Godin Hazard. Godin had died in one stroke to him, but the swordplay he showed against the drake at the end was no amateur’s. A knight order commander, leading an entire order, would surely outclass senior knights in rank and skill.
“A knight order commander’s probably coming down now.”
“Likely. So be careful, Junior.”
“And no rushing off on your own again. Solo actions are strictly forbidden!”
“Got it.”
As Serena warned firmly, Seong Hyun-jin nodded obediently. Of course, inside, he was buzzing with anticipation at the thought of clashing with a knight order commander.
Perhaps reading his expression, Serena furrowed her brow slightly. “You better have heard that loud and clear.”
“...I did.”
Serena let out a deep sigh, as if even the warning didn’t reassure her. Seong Hyun-jin knew exactly why she reacted that way, so he scratched his head without a word.
“Junior Hyun-jin, I got it.”
“Already?”
While Seong Hyun-jin, Serena, and Yeonhui had been chatting, Ciela finished crafting and activating the prophecy magic.
“Didn’t need to predict too far ahead, so it was simpler than I thought. Just where the Empire army’s heading right now, right?”
“Yes.”
“The Empire army’s going to Plehein Forest in the northern duchy territory. That’s where they’ll clash with the duchy’s soldiers.”
Seong Hyun-jin gripped his sword hilt lightly at Ciela’s words.
“Now we know the destination—no reason to hesitate. Let’s go.”
Even as they headed for a battlefield where war was breaking out, Seong Hyun-jin flashed a relaxed smile.
“Clarice might be waiting with bated breath, you know?”
After sending the academy guests back, Clarice headed straight for Plehein Forest.
She melted the snow with spirit power, racing forward swiftly. The deep snow would normally slow her down, but the power of lava melted everything around her, letting her advance smoothly.
Propelling herself with basic spirit-enhanced leg strength, faster than a carriage, Clarice finally reached the outskirts of Plehein Forest.
She withdrew her spirit power beforehand—lest the forest catch fire—and entered, searching for the duchy soldiers who’d gone ahead with Duke Levatein.
A bit deeper in, she heard numerous voices.
“Raaagh!”
“Die, you filthy Empire scum...!!”
“Glory to the Immortal Empire!”
The Empire army and duchy soldiers had engaged.
Clarice hurried toward the noise and spotted her father there.
“Father!?”
Elcarus Levatein was grimacing as he parried someone’s sword. The surroundings were already a hellscape.
They’d exchanged volleys of arrows and collapsed positions with cannons. Traces of magitech weapons were visible too.
In the ruins of the shattered camp, Empire soldiers and duchy troops were tangled in melee, trampling corpses and wounded alike in a desperate brawl.
Pure chaos.
With commander Elcarus drawing his sword, the Levatein position must have been pushed back.
Like true Levatein blood, Clarice grasped the situation instantly. “I’ll help, Father!”
“Stay back, Clarice! This isn’t for you!”
“...Pardon?”
“...Oh, and who might this be.”
The young knight facing Duke Levatein smiled without losing composure.
One might think him just an exceptionally skilled young knight, but the rank insignia on his left chest dispelled that illusion.
“If it isn’t the Levatein family’s precious flower, Lady Clarice Levatein.”
Polaris. It was the star-shaped insignia symbolizing an Empire knight order commander.
Clarice realized why her father had stopped her and drew her sword at once.
“...‘Iron Warrior’ Knight Order Commander, Agnar Balderte.”
One of the Empire’s top five knights, a monster, stood before her eyes.