A Gambit of Feigned Failure
Intri began to voice his opinions without the slightest hesitation. "First, before I present any solution, I believe the next bombardment will undoubtedly occur."
"What makes you so certain?"
"Those who attacked the black dome of Tenebris could not have failed to realize it had been breached. Furthermore, the existence of an insider is no longer mere suspicion but a confirmed certainty. There is simply no reason for them to remain silent in response to this assault."
"Hmm…"
The knowledge of a traitor was infuriating, yet the problem was that while circumstantial evidence existed, there was no concrete proof. Without it, I had no justification to punish anyone.
"Cezar, you are the most supreme and exalted being in all of Tenebris."
"You suddenly flatter me."
"I have merely stated an obvious truth. However, there is another reason I speak in this manner. May I dare ask whether Your Majesty fully understands the extent of the authority you wield as Cezar?"
"My authority, you say. I have never given it much thought. Tell me, Intri, what do you believe my authority to be?"
"The most powerful and the most magnificent, of course. I presume the traitor Your Majesty has in mind, and your greatest enemy, is none other than the 1st Legion Commander, Nobel Highness. Yet what concerns you is the lack of solid evidence against that very legion."
"Correct. No matter that I am Cezar, I cannot strike Tenebris's guardians without proof. The citizens would never stand for it."
"In that case, Cezar, there is another way to sap their strength."
"Another way?"
"First, issue a wartime mobilization order."
"A wartime mobilization order?"
"Indeed. By nature, as Cezar, you possess the right to summon the private forces of each legion at will under the pretext of war. It was impossible before, but with four legion commanders now loyal to you, a majority can be secured."
I already knew this. The reason I had refrained was that even with a majority, the individual power of each legion commander varied greatly, and the strength of the three remaining legions still surpassed that of those who followed me.
"Cezar, I understand your worries perfectly. Yet if they refuse to obey even after receiving your direct command and the approval of a majority of legion commanders, what could such an act be but rebellion?"
"You speak the truth. But let me ask the reverse. What does summoning the legion commanders' private soldiers have to do with our current situation?"
"It pains me to say something so utterly presumptuous, but it would grant Cezar an opportunity to fail."
"An opportunity to fail?"
"Yes. The best defense against an attack is always a justified retaliation. However, the enemy outside is already gripped by extreme vigilance regarding your declaration of war. Therefore, if Your Majesty were to execute this deception while simultaneously achieving a successful counterstrike, what would you think?"
"Deception?"
"Precisely. Pour three legions into the most heavily guarded location while Cezar strikes elsewhere. If you achieve both success and failure at once, the justification to criticize you would vanish entirely."
It was a truly demonic line of thought. Only someone who placed no value on life could conceive such a plan. In the end, Intri's strategy amounted to this: since we could not directly kill the commanders of the three legions, we would grind the lives of their subordinates to weaken their power.
"Cezar, may this one, Gula Quebello, offer a word?"
"Speak."
"I fully support the scheme devised by Intri, tactician of the 3rd Legion. Furthermore, if entrusted with the task, I am confident I can locate the optimal position to strike the enemy."
"Anima, Gini, do you share the same view?"
"Yes. Though the words came from Intri, I believe it is the most effective course."
"This one is of the same mind."
"Hmm…"
The last remnants of my humanity screamed that this must not be done, yet I could not deny its effectiveness. The loss of life would undoubtedly be immense. Even if we planned to expend the lives of three entire legions, countless enemies would perish alongside them. My own hands would be drenched in rivers of blood.
I had lived my entire life for the sake of others, never to harm them. The revulsion I felt was unavoidable.
"…Are you not going to ask me?"
"Do you intend to participate?"
"Hehe— Of course not. You know me well."
Well, the 7th Legion had never been considered combat strength to begin with. As I mentioned earlier, its members could simply provide moderate assistance with administrative duties.
"Very well. I accept your counsel. The sooner we move, the better. We depart tomorrow morning. Gula Quebello, locate vulnerable targets at once. Anima, convey my order for wartime mobilization to the 1st, 4th, and 5th Legions. Gini Luxury and Intri, each of you will select ten elite soldiers from your legions and prepare for deployment. I shall lead them personally."
"Gula Quebello receives the Cezar's command!"
"Gini Luxury receives the Cezar's command."
"Intri receives the Cezar's command."
"I will circulate the orders immediately."
It had been a long time since I last breathed the air beyond these walls.
"Inferno, I succeeded."
"Well done, Elin."
In an office no one else knew about, a man with eyes blazing like living flames spent a private moment with an exceedingly delicate woman. The man's name was Inferno. The woman's name was Elin. They were the heroes currently beloved most by humanity.
"What's wrong? You look dissatisfied about something."
"…It's nothing."
"It's clearly not nothing. Come here and tell me."
Inferno naturally drew Elin to his side and, as though it were the most ordinary thing in the world, slipped his hand inside her clothing to knead her breast while continuing to speak.
"What is it? Do you feel guilty for taking lives with that saintly power of yours?"
"Yes. I won't deny it. My holy law exists to save people, to heal them."
"No, think about it, Elin. If you hadn't done what you did, those bastards would have swarmed like a pack of dogs and caused another massacre in Osril. This is war. If you don't kill, even more people will die."
"I know that, but…"
"What, did you think of Eternal again?"
"Hngh…!"
When Inferno's fingers brutally twisted Elin's small nipple, a moan she could not suppress escaped her lips.
"Ah, I understand. I didn't think that at all. So please, stop. Stop it."
"Hehe, good girl. You worked hard today, so there's no need to do anything else. It's late. How about we sleep together?"
"……"
"You don't want to?"
"…I understand."
Even though she agreed, Elin's expression refused to brighten. Her face was clouded with shame she could not overcome. In those beautiful eyes, several secretly formed tears sparkled as they caught the light.
"Go wash first. I don't mind, but your sweat-soaked body tastes delicious too."
"…I'll wash and return."
"Haha, as you wish. What a shame. I wanted to lick those sweaty armpits of yours."
"……"
Elin burned with rage at that vile laughter, but there was nothing she could do. Even if she died and came back to life, she could never defeat him, and there was no one left to protect her. Fortunately, she had managed to preserve her virginity by using her holy law as an excuse, yet that method of avoidance had always been there…
The hot water poured down, scalding Elin from her head to her toes. The cold sweat was washed away with the foam, and even her burning tears were sucked into the deep, dark drain.
Ah, how had it come to this? I should never have done it. Because of this stupid bitch, everything ended up like this. Eternal, my savior. Eternal, my love. Eternal.
No matter how many times she repeated it in her heart, no matter how much she regretted it, there was no way to turn back time. The goddess Minerva had said it herself: Do not regret in order to turn back time. Act with care so that there is nothing to regret. Turning back time is impossible even for the gods, so do not dare ask such a thing of them.
Ah, that was what she should have done. What was the use of clutching this filthy, defiled body and regretting it all when she had protected her virginity? The only regret left to her was the thought that she should have followed Eternal to the very end. But even that was now impossible.
She turned off the shower, wiped the water from her body, and stared at herself in the mirror. Amid elegant curves, her breasts protruded prominently. Droplets of water still clung to her erect nipples, creating an obscene sight upon her white skin, yet Elin had no reason to notice such things. Only her bare face, stripped of makeup, with eyes red and swollen from holding back tears, occupied her attention.
If he—Inferno—saw her like this, he would surely mention Eternal again and tear at her heart.
After repeatedly splashing her face with cold water to erase the traces and drying her body, Elin finally stepped out. But—
"…Where did he go?"
The figure of Inferno, whom she had expected to seize her naked body in a rough embrace the moment she emerged, had already vanished from the room without a trace.