Resistance
Resistance
12 hours into Daniel Steiner's operation.
A temporary command post established in the manor of Count Kaledra's family.
"How did this happen? Daniel Steiner's brigade spotted in the north? Didn't aerial reconnaissance report he was constructing positions along a 200km stretch to the west?"
"......That was Daniel Steiner's stratagem. It is reported that he judged the Allied Forces would rely on aerial reconnaissance and built a mock position using inflatable tanks and boxes."
Without proper identification from aerial reconnaissance, they had taken the reports entirely at face value.
While everyone was still bewildered, one of the staff officers spoke, sounding frustrated.
"What of the regiment and defense force sent beyond the bridge? Tell them to hurry back! When on earth can they reach Penbark?"
"I have already issued orders to move the troops as quickly as possible. The vanguard unit should have arrived at the bridge by now, so perhaps ahead of Daniel Steiner's brigade......."
While the staff officers were exchanging opinions, a liaison officer burst in.
The liaison officer, who had been breathing heavily, spotted Kaledra sitting at the head of the table with his forehead propped on his hand.
The liaison officer saluted and hastily spoke up.
"Urgent report! The floodgates...... the floodgates have been blown up!"
At the news that the floodgates had been destroyed, the staff officers froze.
Those words meant only one thing.
"Because the floodgates were destroyed mid-crossing, an entire armored battalion was submerged! The division commander hastily withdrew the army, so further casualties did not occur, but......."
The liaison officer clenched his fist tightly.
"Crossing impossible! A radio message arrived stating that because heavy rain had been pouring and the floodgates were destroyed, the river flooded on a massive scale, making crossing impossible for at least the next four days......!"
At the mention of four days, Kaledra let out a deep groan, and the staff officers stirred.
"Did I hear that correctly just now? Four days......."
"It's absurd. Daniel Steiner's brigade will come charging in before the army can return."
"The defense force? How much of the defense force remains in the city?"
The look of defeat deepened on the faces of the staff officers.
It was clear as day that if things continued like this, the city would fall to Daniel Steiner.
Among them, Count Kaledra gritted his teeth.
'Daniel Steiner......!'
He had belatedly realized he had lost the psychological war and been completely played by Daniel Steiner.
His breathing grew ragged from the surge of anger.
The chief of staff, who had been observing Kaledra, carefully opened his mouth.
"Your Excellency, if things continue like this, it is only a matter of time before Daniel Steiner occupies Penbark. For the sake of your personal safety, would you consider abandoning the city?"
Kaledra shifted his eyes to glare at the chief of staff.
As the chief of staff, momentarily overwhelmed, lowered his head, Kaledra turned his gaze forward again.
"Are you telling me to hand this city over to the bastard......."
It was infuriating, but there was no other way.
Kaledra, who had been gripping his cane in frustration, looked down at the ring on his finger.
Inside the clear gem embedded in the ring, an unknown energy was constantly swirling.
This was the only control stone capable of neutralizing Lucy Emilia.
It was a safety device Count Kaledra had separately commissioned scientists to create when Lucy succeeded in her factor manifestation and became a monster.
This was also one of the reasons Lucy obediently obeyed while in the manor.
The operating principle was simple.
The moment mana was channeled into the control stone, the gem shattered and its energy rampaged in all directions.
It had no effect on ordinary people, but this energy, extracted from the factor injected into the test subject, would collide with Lucy's mana and cause a powerful reaction.
Lucy, unable to overcome the reaction, would simply lose consciousness.
'However.......'
It wasn't all-powerful.
Because the scientists had said that after being used once, Lucy's body would develop immunity and it could never be used again.
In short, this was the first and last chance to neutralize Lucy Emilia.
Kaledra, who had been deliberating, planted his cane and rose from his seat.
"Handing over just one city to the bastard will be enough. Chief of Staff, follow me."
"......Understood."
The chief of staff felt an inexplicable sense of dread, but since he could not refuse the order, he rose from his seat and followed after Kaledra.
*
In a bedroom of the manor, Lucy was sitting by the window, looking outside as usual.
Namelias, who had been peeling fruit beside her, could not hide her anxiety as she watched Lucy.
Should she say this or not?
Namelias, who had been gauging the mood, mustered her courage and opened her mouth.
"My lady. Something is strange. Since this morning, important people have been swarming into the mansion. They all went into a big room with stiff expressions and there was a lot of shouting."
Lucy did not answer.
Because it wasn't a question she could answer.
"Could something bad have happened on the battlefield after all? Like maybe the enemy won......."
Namelias, who realized she had misspoken, closed her mouth.
Namelias sympathized with Lucy, but she was ultimately a person born and raised in the Allied Nations.
So naturally, she did not look favorably upon Daniel Steiner gaining power.
However, Lucy, who had some kind of relationship with Daniel, would hold the opposite stance.
So as Namelias was still gauging the mood, Lucy smiled faintly.
"No need to worry. Even if the brigade commander comes to retake the city, he won't attack civilians."
"......Really? They say the Imperial Army are demons who violate women?"
"That's a groundless rumor. Of course, there may be some soldiers like that. But at least the brigade commander's army doesn't do that. I guarantee it."
When Lucy confirmed this, Namelias felt somewhat reassured.
Relieved, Namelias let out a sigh.
"Huh?"
Footsteps.
The sound of many footsteps could be heard from the hallway.
Lucy's eyes narrowed as she noticed these were not the soldiers coming to relieve the guard shift.
At this point in time, there was only one person who would come leading troops to find her.
'Count Kaledra.'
He had clearly judged the war situation was unfavorable and was coming to pull some kind of trick.
From Kaledra's perspective, he wouldn't want to hand Lucy, who was practically an asymmetric force, over to Daniel Steiner.
'Clearly, if I refuse his proposal.......'
He would try to use the control stone.
For Lucy, who knew the power of the control stone even if only in theory, it was something that couldn't help but set her nerves on edge.
Because Count Kaledra using the control stone meant he was on the verge of 'disposing' of her.
If she wanted to save her life, it would be right to comply with Kaledra's words.
'But.......'
She no longer wanted to return to that miserable past.
Because there was a man who had shown her that this world was not a painful place.
After taking a deep breath, Lucy extended her hand to Namelias.
"Namelias. Give that to me."
"Huh? The knife? Why?"
"No time to explain. Hurry."
After hesitating, Namelias ultimately trusted Lucy and handed her the fruit knife.
Lucy hid the knife in her sleeve and moved her lips.
"Namelias. I'm sorry."
"Huh?"
Kwaang!
The door was violently thrown open and Count Kaledra appeared, accompanied by the chief of staff and soldiers.
"C-Count?"
Ignoring Namelias, Count Kaledra stepped inside and planted his cane on the floor.
"Lucy Emilia. It is time to return home."
Despite Kaledra's words, Lucy was calmly looking out the window.
Displeased by this, Kaledra opened his mouth after a short silence.
"Do you not intend to return?"
"......The brigade commander told me. He asked me to wait in Penbark."
When Kaledra gestured, the soldiers aimed their guns at Lucy.
The bewildered Namelias asked why they were doing this, but Kaledra paid no attention.
"I will give you one last chance. Get up from there and follow me."
But Lucy did not rise from her seat.
"You know as well, don't you, Count."
A low but resolute tone spread through the room.
"That from now on, I will never follow you."
As Lucy spoke, she observed Kaledra reflected in the window.
She saw Kaledra raise his hand toward the control stone on his ring.
"If possible, I......."
Right now, while he was off guard, was the opportune moment.
After a short silence, Lucy accelerated her nerves.
In an instant, Lucy kicked off from her spot, drew the fruit knife, and threw it at Kaledra.
Almost simultaneously, the chief of staff stepped forward to block it.
"Your Excellency!"
Pak! The knife flew in a straight line and lodged into the chief of staff's arm.
'......How?'
Was the chief of staff a neural acceleration ability user as well?
The realization was brief; immediately after, the control stone, having absorbed mana, shattered into pieces and whipped up a gale around them.
Driven by urgency, Lucy tried to ignore the wind and run forward.
"......!"
The moment the wind touched her skin, an intense, stabbing pain struck and her vision flickered.
Against her will, Lucy crumpled to one knee, and Namelias hurriedly supported her.
"My lady! My lady, are you alright!?"
She couldn't muster any strength.
Gasping for breath, Lucy barely managed to lift her head and look up at Kaledra.
Kaledra also did not avoid Lucy's gaze.
"Is this your answer?"
The chief of staff, with the knife stuck in his arm, groaned, but Kaledra and Lucy only stared silently at each other.
"You will regret this insolence for the rest of your life."
His emotions now cold, Kaledra spoke quietly.
"Chief of Staff. Summon the relevant personnel and then take Lucy Emilia to the research institute."
The initial suggestion to return home was merely to test her intentions.
According to the original plan, the neutralized Lucy was to be killed right here.
That was the fastest way to eliminate future complications.
But was it because of the affection he had built while raising Lucy as an adopted daughter?
Or was it because the money and time invested in Lucy would be wasted?
Kaledra, who could not bring himself to kill her, resolved to resort to another method.
"Tell the relevant personnel to erase all of Lucy Emilia's memories using the chamber in the research institute."
It was the exact same act as when they had removed Lucy's memories regarding Penbark in the past.
He didn't want to tamper with her memories again, but from Kaledra's current position, there were no other options.
"Hurry."
Kaledra, averting his gaze from Lucy, glanced at the chief of staff and spoke.
"Everything must be finished before Daniel Steiner arrives."
There was no time.
'The moment anything goes even slightly wrong.......'
He would lose everything to Daniel Steiner.