Chapter 97
Chapter 97
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 97
Chapter Title: Counterattack
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Glazer had begun to move.
Rumors of this started trickling in one by one through those bearing the name of Strange.
"Edward's heading north?"
He seemed to have started moving around this time in his previous life as well. Even without Father's passing, the timeline matched roughly with their preparations for war.
'Then.'
His target was clear.
The giant called the "Son of God," Vidar, who was blocking the Strange family from advancing north.
Khangradra pulled out a Glazer secret missive and continued.
"Not only this one—similar notices have been scattered throughout Glazer territory."
[Soon Muspelheim's flames will be extinguished. Seek Mimir's Spring and attain wisdom.]
Muspelheim referred to the southern lands. Seeking Mimir's Spring for wisdom meant chanting the spells needed for invocation.
'I see.'
Glazer had abandoned the territorial war with us.
Instead, they were clearly planning to trap the Strange family in the south with a barrier powerful enough to require mass invocation.
"Where did you get this missive?"
"From a merchant caravan crossing from west to east."
"A merchant caravan?"
"Yes. Do you remember the woman named Khangret who was traveling with me?"
Khangret was the woman who hadn't removed her mask when I first met Khangradra, the one who appeared with him at the arena.
"I remember. The one who was reluctant to show her face?"
"That's right. She's currently disguised as a western merchant, wandering the east and bringing me information."
"...So she's in the east?"
"Yes. I was short-handed on my own, so I'm getting help not just from Khangret but from others in my clan."
If someone like this had been by my side in my previous life, I could've planned not just climbing the tower but conquering the continent.
I gave Khangradra a small smile.
"Let me know if you need operating funds. I'll support you with as much as you want."
"That's fine. But before we start the next operation, I have one request."
"A request?"
"Yes. At the border crossing from west to east, the Strange family's border count is showing suspicious activity..."
Khangradra pulled out a handkerchief and showed it to me. It bore Glazer's symbol, the "Dragon's Eye."
"This came out of the castle."
"...Colluding with Glazer?"
"It's not certain. I tried to investigate personally, but a few days ago, an unknown barrier blocked entry."
Barriers could only be created by mages. So their collusion was a fact.
"Understood. I'll handle that myself."
"Within the next week, no matter what it takes, we'll capture Katarina."
I declared war on Glazer, who had taken Duchess Katarina.
After the Strange family muster, I'd spent two days cooling my head and planning her rescue.
Moreover, I'd found a way to extract her using just one company, without mobilizing large forces.
Alfredo stroked his chin beard with a troubled expression.
"So we're joining that Kaifa person's unit and infiltrating Glazer Castle?"
That's right.
The collateral branch Kaifa not only shared Strange blood but was also related to Katarina by marriage.
Using that, we'd send a surrender letter to Glazer, pretend to capitulate, and infiltrate the castle.
If we succeeded up to that point, I could extract her alone.
"Too dangerous."
Cynthia replied firmly.
"That's why you should return to the Legion."
"What?"
"As you just said, this operation is extremely risky. If it fails, most will die. No, not most—all of them."
"...Why do you say that so casually?"
"What?"
She started to say something but shrugged and sighed instead.
Haa—
"Right. You said not to spare your life in battle. That stepping onto the battlefield means accepting death."
Isn't that obvious?
We'd had conversations like this more than ten times already. Why was she still afraid of death?
Alfredo cautiously joined in.
"Not fearing death is good and all, but isn't this different from just going off to die?"
"Why would we die?"
"You said we'd all die if the operation fails."
"Then we just succeed. Have I ever failed an operation even once?"
Rox crossed his arms and nodded emphatically in agreement.
"Yeah, have you ever seen Berddin fail a mission? No, no! Anyway, I told you to flee to the Legion first? No need to worry about dying or not."
He was dumb, but he occasionally hit the nail on the head like this. It only further scraped at Cynthia and Alfredo's pride.
"Hey! When did we say we were running?"
"Then go back. You only need to join when we head to the tower anyway, right?"
"...Heh heh, Rox. You little shit who's all talk. You trying to get yourself killed talking like that?"
Rox grinned and mimed swinging a fist at the air.
"Who do you think will die first, you or me later?"
I exhaled a faint aura and stepped between them. Only then did Rox and Alfredo turn away and return to their seats.
"Cynthia, I'll be direct. Your skills are far too lacking for this operation."
"Our skills?"
"Yes. The skill I mean isn't combat—it's the technique to appear weak and deceive the enemy."
Cynthia closed her eyes in acknowledgment.
"Even if you joined Alfredo for this operation, you wouldn't gain much experience, and more people would just create more dangerous situations."
"Then what are we supposed to do until you return? You know my goal is climbing the tower."
"......"
"I don't want to waste time like this on your family squabbles."
Her point was valid.
Our contract was limited to the tower. That's why I could make her this offer.
"Do whatever you want."
"What?"
"During times I'm not climbing the tower, I won't care if you move with another party or not."
"......"
"Until I return to the Legion, do as you please. Join the war, explore dungeons, climb the tower—whatever. I won't interfere."
Cynthia flapped her mouth like a goldfish, then grabbed my shoulder hard and exploded in anger.
She shook her head so violently I couldn't make out exact words.
Summarizing roughly, it was something like I was underestimating the skills she'd shown so far and her Holy Knight Commander position.
Smack.
I grabbed both her wrists and asked.
"So you want to come along?"
"...Yeah."
Maria Theresia, who'd been listening, poked her face in and joined the conversation.
"I'll go too. That should be fine, right?"
Alfredo, who'd opposed the operation, cleared his throat a few times, then pinched his index finger and thumb into a circle.
"No helping it. Guess I'll have to go too. The pay should be generous for the risk, right?"
Rox looked at them and let out a big sigh.
Haaaah—
"I thought we could have an easy one this time."
Whoosh—whoosh—
The day before departing for Glazer territory, I swung my sword in the training grounds to clear my mind of distractions.
Whoosh!
It was just a wooden sword, but with an iron core embedded, it had considerable weight.
"Keep your back straighter, and focus so your shoulders don't push forward too much."
Siegfried watched my form impassively and gave pointers.
"How am I not supposed to push my shoulders forward when swinging a sword?"
"You idiot! I'm not saying fix your shoulders in place. Minimize shoulder involvement and focus on your back!"
"Focus on my back?"
"Yeah. That way, when you swing, you're not just using your arms—you can draw power from your waist through your back and add rotation to the sword."
As if I didn't know that, you crazy old man.
Swinging a longsword with an eight-year-old body naturally involved the whole body.
Saying 'I'm training my wrists by swinging right now' wouldn't work on Siegfried anyway.
I just nodded curtly to end the conversation.
"Yeah, yeah, got it. Like this?"
I swung incorporating rotation from my waist through my back to my arms—no, even lower, from my ankles as he wanted.
Whoooosh!
The vigorous wooden sword created a sword wind,
Boom!
powerful enough to shatter the wall.
Crack.
'This should be enough.'
I wiped my nose with a satisfied expression. Siegfried's eyes widened as he alternated between the wooden sword and the shattered wall.
"Y-Yeah."
'How's that? Your disciple's skill.'
"I'm amazing."
'What?'
"To correct your form this much with just a few words."
A purple flash.
"Lightning."
Bang!
I smashed Siegfried on the spot. His scattered soul then regrouped and yelled at me.
"What the hell?!"
"...Sorry. I messed up the direction during practice. My mistake."
Brunhilt, watching us, clutched her belly laughing.
"Kya ha ha—Nya nya nyang nyang! You two could do a comedy duo anywhere."
I grabbed her scruff and whispered.
"So when are you teaching me magic again? I prepared all the mackerel you asked for."
"Oh?"
"And you said you'd teach me magic only Brunhilt can use."
"......"
"But why are you only teaching me basic adventurer spells?"
Brunhilt licked her front paw while looking away, then dropped her head and confessed.
"Truth is, I forgot, nya."
"Forgot what?"
"The incantations."
"Incantations?"
"Yeah. It's been so long since I used 1st circle spells, I don't remember them, nya."
The first family head of Glazer, who brought the age of glory with divine power inherited from demonic blood.
The great mage Glazer von Brunhilt.
And she couldn't use 1st circle magic?
"You damn cat."
I yanked her front paws.
"Nya nya nyang! S-Spare me. My arms are gonna rip off, nya! J-Just find the incantations!"
"How? You said there's no record. You can't learn 2nd circle without 1st!"
"There is. There is. There's definitely a grimoire I left in Glazer Castle."
"Grimoire?"
"Yeah! You're going to Glazer Castle this time, right? Grab one while you're there. Stealing a book from the library isn't hard."
Siegfried looked down arrogantly and chimed in.
"Nice. While we're at it, let's burn Glazer's library too. Even without records, their magic will fade over time."
Steal the grimoire and burn the library.
'...Not a bad idea from that dumb master's head.'
If done right, we could end the war with Glazer before it even started.