The Cassillum Campaign (1)
Do you still hate Roengel?
The sudden mention of Roengel's name made me instinctively scrunch my face. As if there was any need to say it—my expression alone made it clear just how much I despised him.
Stress had piled up from the endless duties I had been buried under, and I couldn't just shrug off the mages' dismissal of knights anymore. It had become linked to insulting Bylant Grandfather, something I used to brush aside.
Moreover, it was the era when I still shuddered at the mages' weakness.
On the battlefield, they would be neutralized the moment even the slightest variable appeared, reduced to something less than baggage. Yet, despite that, they clung to their pride and refused to retreat, demanding only that they be protected.
And Roengel was the leader of those mages. While Bylant Grandfather had fought on the front lines even as Knight Commander, Roengel had barely left the capital the instant he became Royal Mage Commander.
So it was no wonder I hated him.
Do I really have to bring that name up?
It seems you've been at it again. I thought time would fix it, but it looks like there's still not enough time.
I have no choice but to hate that name. From the start, our personalities clashed completely, and our ways of judging situations were utterly different.
I let my blatant hatred show. Even Clotila the Saintess looked at me with that expression—like she was killing my hatred with sheer composure.
Well, at least I was maintaining basic etiquette in front of her; if it had been anyone else, I'd have started swearing immediately.
Don't hate Roengel too much. The man is doing his best, in his own way.
…Even if you say that, I don't know.
My insides were boiling, so I unbuttoned the top of my shirt. I stood up from my seat and headed toward the kitchen.
After opening the cabinet, I picked up a stack of cups in one hand and used the other to open the window, lifting the teapot from the windowsill.
Back at the table, I set down two cups, poured in the cooled water, and downed it all at once. Only then did I feel my stomach settle a little.
Oh, I'm sure you don't know, Saintess. When I retired and met Senior Rondo to go to Sohlehren, I was attacked in the forest by a monster—Robes.
Sohlehren is close to the northwest, right? There's no Robes there.
Exactly. But to my surprise, a royal mage was waiting there. It wasn't official duty—he seemed more like a runner.
He must've planned to knock me out like a horse and take care of the rest in the meantime.
Is there a way to deal with monsters?
It was some kind of medal. The problem was that after I smashed it, something weird mixed in and messed up my body. You, Saintess, wouldn't know—how desperately I struggled to move my mana while unable to move my body.
…That's strange.
I was shaking as I grabbed my head, but Clotila the Saintess's expression turned thoughtful.
Roengel wouldn't do anything so cowardly, right?
Like a sleep-inducing spell or even a sleep-inducing fragrance...
Think about it. The opponent is you, a single mage, and he's only got one servant. Would he even think of killing you?
Whoa.
Now that I thought about it, it made sense. I'm not saying I'm self-congratulatory, but I'm Rigel Belheim.
I've crossed countless battlefields, and there were countless traps that had nearly put me in danger. Among them were plenty that I'd dismissed as minor—sleep-inducing ones.
…Now that I think about it, if it had been Roengel, he would've wiped out the entire area instead of some cowardly move like that.
If his goal had been to kill me, he would've wiped the forest to the ground to finish me off.
No, well, the forest did end up partially blown away in the end, but even a god couldn't have predicted that.
Anyway, back then I was furious and blamed Roengel for everything. But now, thinking about it slowly, it really was odd, just like the Saintess said.
In my view, that incident wasn't Roengel's doing at all. Or maybe you have someone with a grudge against you? You've been clashing with the Royal Mage Command for days on end—there could be someone inside there, right?
…Who would do something like that?
Is there even one person who feels affection toward you? Even if it was the Lord, He would've rained lightning down on you if you'd fought and gotten on His nerves?
It's not Roengel. It's something else.
Of course, I can't be entirely sure, but a conclusion had already formed that it wasn't him.
Think it over carefully. At the very least, I don't believe Roengel was trying to kill you.
......
Anyway, reconsider your thoughts about Roengel.
The Saintess wanted Rigel—hell, even Rir—to return to the battlefield. That's how badly short on troops we were.
Rigel was the only one who had the power to stand shoulder to shoulder with a Hero. So as a Saintess, she had no choice but to wish for his return deep down.
But Rigel's heart had been ground down to nothing. From childhood, I'd lived on battlefields and been worn out by the endless fighting. Mentally, I was at my limit.
Other than Ivan, a Hero. Luke Frok was afraid to step onto the battlefield too. He'd disliked going to the front even before, but this was on another level.
Probably right after three years ago.
Starting from the point when he returned from the eastern front, the entire atmosphere on the battlefield changed—for them and everyone else.
The aftershocks were still lingering. To understand those people, the Saintess had to know the full story.
Starting three years ago, you started deteriorating. And from that point on, the front lines began to collapse...
Three years ago.
The moment I heard that, my blood pressure spiked the way it had the first time I heard Roengel's name. But at the same time, my face paled and my hands started trembling.
That incident. That incident was the starting point of everything, wasn't it? I was on the eastern front at the time, so I don't know the details. What happened there that even Luke was affected, that the whole thing turned into this?
Humans had the upper hand. It wasn't total victory, but at least it wasn't this bleak situation.
Even if there were only two Heroes, I could call that time the golden age of the power I'd experienced so far.
But after that, everything fell apart.
…We should've realized sooner. Everyone was just running away.
The operation's name was forbidden to the people involved.
It left a huge trauma for everyone. We could only record the results on paper; we couldn't say the details.
The humans who had been gaining ground poured everything into it. The two Heroes, Rigel Belheim, and even the main forces of the Royal Mage Command were thrown into the operation.
The operation name was the Cassillum Campaign.
Even with all forces mobilized, it ended in complete failure.
***
Camp near the southwestern front line.
A year ago, this place had been a monster territory, stretching all the way beyond the dark-red horizon.
The soldiers said the reason the soil here was black-red was because the blood of humans and monsters had mixed in. That's why this plain was called the Blood and Iron Plain.
In the center of the makeshift camp, inside a tent with a flag planted, a man entered.
You're late. Sorry.
The young man with violet hair bowed deeply to those sitting inside the tent.
Upon closer look, it seemed others were late as well. There were two empty chairs.
No worries. You must've run here without stopping to rest. Did you bring the information? Luke.
Yes, Vice Commander Drex.
Drex the Knight Commander, with his broad forehead, somewhat flat face, and heavy armor, received the message from the Hero Luke.
While Luke looked around the tent, most of the kingdom's power had gathered there.
Current Vice Knight Commander, Drex Valefor.
Deputy Commander of the Royal Mage Command, Roengel Ilias.
The Reversal Knight, Rigel Belheim.
Hero, Luke Frok.
Each one was a name that could stand alone in any lineup.
I don't know why Rigel came to such a dangerous place. Of course, he achieved huge results on the battlefield, but this operation might not suit him... Perhaps you'd be better off going to another front.
Roengel... sir. I don't know why you came to a place like this either. You're an ex-researcher mage, aren't you?
I'm not as qualified for detection or magical structures as you are.
Once again, Rigel and Roengel were having their subtle exchange.
From Drex's perspective, Luke wasn't a Hero, and worrying about young Rigel compared to the others didn't seem entirely baseless.
Though there were flaws, there was another reason he had been called today despite them.
They kept exchanging barbs while the others watched the familiar squabble or sat quietly in their seats.
What's up, are you fighting again today?
At that moment, the tent flap was lifted. With a somewhat casual tone, the person who entered was yet another Hero.
Hero, Lucas.
A veteran Hero who had received the Lord's blessing over twenty years ago, now entering middle age.
Grandpa Drex, Roengel. Long time no see. Our little ones too. Rigel and Luke seem to have finally outgrown that youthful phase?
After greeting everyone, Hero Lucas turned his shoulders and cracked his neck with a thud.
Last, he leaned back and relaxed his body before plopping down into a chair.
I think it's time for me to retire too. I'll be fifty soon. That's the longest lifespan a Hero can have, right? The twilight of my life.
If you retire too, what will I do? The only ones left are you and Bylant Grandfather.
The somewhat harsh atmosphere gradually softened.
Oddly enough, the two people with the highest status and oldest age eased the tension in the tent.
Even with the Lord's blessing, it's not the same as the fresh bodies of twenty-year-olds like Luke and Rigel. I'm too hungover to drink anyway.
Afterward, have some wine. Now that we're going to have a proper meeting, sit properly.
Got it, got it. Lucas spoke cheerfully while leaning back comfortably in his chair.
Then, I'll begin the mission briefing for this operation.
Drex lowered his voice. Everyone present turned their attention to him.
Currently, the Kingdom's army is advancing toward victory. Compared to five years ago, we have recovered all lost territory and even pushed into the monsters' lands.
When Drex looked at Roengel, Roengel supplied mana to the magic circle in front of him.
A map appeared in the air. Everyone could see through the map how far humanity had progressed.
But lately, we've been stuck in a stagnant war of attrition. With supply lines from the center growing longer, it's getting harder and harder to advance.
That's true.
That's what I thought too.
The deeper you went in, the more unfamiliar the land, and the denser the magi became.
Soldiers, knights, and mages alike had trouble looking beyond the horizon to the unknown environment.
So the first goal is to make this region completely our territory. Once we secure this area, we'll look at the next steps.
But to secure this region for sure, we need to take Cassillum...
I raised my hand in the middle, voicing my concern. Drex immediately continued.
So the kingdom's leadership made a decision. It was to conquer Cassillum and, if possible, exterminate Loktur.
Everyone except Lucas flinched at those words.
Cassillum was a strategic stronghold. Taking it would give us firm control over the region. But the problem was Loktur.
He was also called a calamity, one of the four demon kings. Of course, only three remained in this age.
Loktur wasn't a regular monster. He was a beast, a monster, something close to a monster.
He was a giant monster who showed neither mercy nor restraint.
He almost never appeared, but when he did, his overwhelming power and vitality made everyone retreat in fear.
Of course, countless soldiers and legendary figures couldn't even dream of defeating him.
I and Bylant Grandfather accepted that decision. The core of this operation is to conquer Cassillum and exterminate Loktur inside it.
Just a few years ago, this would've been dismissed as mere hope or delusion. But now it's different.
The humans who had been retreating helplessly were now pushing back against the monsters, reclaiming land instead of just recovering it.
The soldiers' morale was sky-high, and that spirit hadn't faded yet.
The kingdom's leadership decided to strike a decisive blow this time, even if it was difficult.
Everyone here agreed on the necessity.
Good plan, but how do you intend to execute it?
Lucas casually raised his hand, asking about the feasibility of the plan.
Conquering Cassillum didn't mean facing only Loktur.
Of course, the other three demon kings would show themselves too, meaning all forces would fight on the same ground.
Of course, in that case, we'd definitely lose.
Right now, Bylant Grandfather and the Saintess are heading east. The enemy would have noticed that, so they're either already moving that way or at least their attention is divided.
So you had us act separately to prepare for possible scouting.
The Saintess and I are in a party. But this time, we would act separately.
To be safe, I couldn't tell you the reason in advance.
The other demon kings were probably already moving east by now. If the Saintess and the Knight Commander were there, they would make excellent bait.
While that happened, we would have a chance to hunt the isolated Loktur alone.
If Loktur rushed to the east too, we could easily get Cassillum.
That's a good strategy.
Lucas nodded with a smile.