Gasi

Part 5「──Ramillies is going to attack. That moron Cesare can't comprehend that.」

While Ramillies was looking down at the dukedom army from the rampart, Olten was also looking up at the rampart from his tent.

「A night raid?」

The staff officer Sylva asked while observing Olten's expression.

「That's possible, but if it's me then I'll aim at noon.」

「No way...」

The side with overwhelmingly inferior number often used surprise attack.

Attacking at the enemy's weak spot to temporarily secure dominance in the field and dealt damage to the enemy. It was considered as an effective tactic since time immemorial.

「A surprise attack will damage your own force more rather than the enemy if you don't do it very well. Especially at a good battlefield with good visibility like this.」

It would be different in urban battle or mountain battle, but there was almost nothing but open field outside of Mulberry's rampart.

The road was well maintained because this place was a base for goods distribution, also the farming here was developed in order to maintain a land that needed great expenditure like Mulberry.

In this battlefield it was impossible to secretly circle around the enemy and attacked from behind, that was why Sylva reached the conjecture that the opponent would attack at night.

「Unexpectedly attacking at noon can give greater impact because of human's psychological blind spot. Most of all it was possible to win even at noon if the opponent is the dukedom army at its current state. I will think like that if I'm the enemy general.」

As expected Sylva's expression clouded hearing Olten's words.

As an active staff officer, putting aside Cesare's incompetence, he held a degree of confidence to the proficiency of the dukedom army.

「Most importantly the staff officers are predicting that the enemy won't go out and attack at noon. Especially Cesare, if the enemy attack while he was in the middle of preparing for an all-out attack...what will happen?」

「He will run. There is no doubt that he will do that if he feels that his life is in danger.」

Staff officer had to constantly expect the worst situation. This should be the basic mental attitude for them, and yet he realized that he had been imprisoned within the framework of common sense before he realized it. Sylva blushed in shame.

「The frontline will collapse just from the commander-in-chief running away. For good or bad, army is something like that. The enemy's surprise attack will likely target Cesare.」

「Then, should I tell those at our side to solidify the frontline?」

In the end number would decide everything as long as the chain of command was safe. If things go well it also wouldn't be impossible for them to capture or annihilate the enemy's surprise attack troops.

If they knew that a surprise attack was coming, it wouldn't be that difficult to deal with it.

Olten stared at Sylva with eyes that were like the dark bottom of sea.

「No need. If it's possible tell them to withdraw to the rear of the frontline. Make them switch with Cesare's favorites.」

「W-why is that...?」

Sylva's back shivered. It was like he was being seen through until the very depth of his mind.

「──Call Cesare to the frontline. Tell him that it's for increasing the soldier's morale before the all-out attack. There is no way Ramillies will overlook that chance if it's him.」

「You're telling me to hand over victory to the enemy!」

Sylva was enraged. He couldn't believe what he had just heard. But Olten was still looking at him with a cold gaze even now.

「That's the only way to remove Cesare and regain the command of the army. We don't have any pawn to assassinate him after all. The risk is high but, there will be little problem if he died in the battlefield.」

「I don't mind if we're going ot kill Cesare. However I can't turn a blind eye to something that will enlarge the damage to our ally like this!」

「This country will be destroyed if that man continue to hold the command! We have to avoid the annihilation of the army here using any means!」

Olten didn't raise his voice at all.

However Olten's calm words overpowered Sylva completely. The difference of experience in struggling through scenes of carnage didn't allow him to object more than this.

「You still don't know the strength of the enemy. Listen to my order for now. If my words are a lie, I'll give you my head anytime.」

「Is it that much...is the man called Ramillies really that terrifying?」

From what Sylva knew, the person called Olten was capable and also a fierce general. He wasn't the type to fear the enemy too much.

That Olten was this wary toward an opponent. Just what kind of man could it be?

「Our skill in sword is about equal, but I never won against Ramillies in training where we were leading a company of troops. If he stayed in the dukedom, he would surely become a great general ahead of me.」

But, Ramillies who abandoned being a knight after he lost his lord now returned to be a knight once more in the service of Margrave Antrim. He would be even more terrifying than in the past.

Olten just barely swallowed back those words.

It would be stupid if he scare Sylva when he still didn't have any basis to his words right now. And Olten himself didn't want to accept that fact.

Olten had devoted his life for Trystovy Dukedom, but in the end was Jack a lord that was worthy for his sword?

Ramillies and Margrave Antrim reminded him of his doubt that he mustn't have as a retainer.

「This body is already not the Olten of that time. I'll teach you Ramillies, just how much someone who has been reduced into a demon in the service of protecting his country can do.」

There was decisively different point between Ramillies and Olten.

Olten who had continued to be involved with the survival of the dukedom as a great general had immersed his body into the filt that was political strife and schemes. Exactly because of that, even if he had to kill his ally and trick his friend, he would at least protect the dukedom's future.

The knight of integrity Olten had died in the day of that coup d'etat.

「Lend me your help Sylva. No matter what kind of method I have to employ, the dukedom has to survive at all cost.」

「──If that is what your excellency ask for…」

And then there was another man who sold his soul and became a demon to protect his country.

.

Part 6Cesare couldn't hide the expression of anxiety on his face.

He boasted in front of Archduke Jack and went into a campaign with a large army that was entrusted to him, and yet if he was unable to obtain any result, far from putting the military under his grasp, he would lose his position and status that he had built up until now instead.

Furthermore it would clearly be problematic if he gave Margrave Antrim who wanted to revive the kingdom the achievement of repelling the dukedom army.

He had to win. No matter how many soldiers he had to sacrifice.

Fortunately he had learned that the reinforcement that accompanied Margrave Antrim was only a small force of 400 troops.

He also tried to grasp a sliver of hope by searching for the spies that acted together with Gastone, but the result was pitiful.

More than half of the traitors lost their life in the sea battle. And when Gastone's death became clear, all the remaining spies switched side to the maritime guild's side.

They didn't actually swear loyalty to the dukedom from the start.

They only wagged their tail to the dukedom because they didn't want to be on a sinking ship, so it was only natural for them to turn around if it looked like maritime guild could win.

「──Shit! Those ungrateful bastards!」

Cesare was infuriated because he had spent not a few amount of fund for all the maneuvering.

The strategy that Cesare pictured had completely broken down.

What was left was only to launch all-out attack without any care of appearance. He understood that but, Cesare didn't have the solid confidence that he could win an all-out war without any trick.

Until now he had always used some kind of swindling method. He would sacrifice someone and stood on their corpse to win. For Cesare, fighting without any kind of trick was enough to put him under heavy mental pressure.

He also considered the idea of leaving the command of the frontline to Olten, but Olten might raise a great achievement if he let him acted freely right now.

Regardless of anything his force was five times bigger than the enemy. The possibility of winning wasn't low by any means.

Then should he give Olten a few troops and used him as disposable pawn?

Olten's existence was too big to be blatantly used as a sacrificial pawn, in addition the subordinates who admired Olten might interfere unnecessarily.

In the end Cesare didn't have any other way except to accomplish this with his own capability.

「Your excellency, I ask for permission to offer my opinion.」

「You are permitted.」

Normally Cesare might ignore such request. For Cesare who wanted to monopolize all the accomplishments for himself, staff officers were just decoration to him. However right now he wanted something to cling to no matter how small.

「The enemy's morale is rising because of Margrave Antrim's appearance. Perhaps we too should take some kind of countermeasure.」

「Speak of your idea concretely.」

「First in preparation for the all-out attack, we should place the units with relatively high morale at the frontline. Furthermore it might good for morale if the headquarters is moved forward and your excellency personally speak at the front to encourage the soldiers to fight harder.」

Cesare thought that the idea wasn't bad.

High morale──him personally visiting the protégés under his command and giving them a speech. That would be quite an impressive scene. He also wouldn't be endangered if he returned to the headquarters before the start of the attack.

Cesare never even considered it in his dream that the enemy would intentionally leave the castle when their number was completely inferior.

「Very well, make the preparation for that.」

Cesare answered in a good mood.

From a glance Sylva's suggestion would heighten their chance of victory as well as tickling the pompous pride of Cesare.

.

Baldr immediately detected the sudden movement of the dukedom army.

「First let's see what you got.」

One way to do this was using the disorder of the enemy troops during their reshuffling, but even if some damage was dealt to the enemy, it would be meaningless with this much difference of number.

「It will be really helpful if the enemy general is an idiot who nonchalantly show himself at the frontline though.」

「Based on the prisoner's information, he seems to be a coward with little assertiveness.」

Baldr asked Ramillies who was putting on a grim expression.

「If it's the previous great general Olten then how will he move?」

「If it's the Olten who I know, he will stand in front of the troops and attack recklessly. However, if that's not the case, then it means the opponent is an Olten who I don't know. To be honest, I'm scared of that while also looking forward to it at the same time.」

Ramillies smiled bashfully.

.

「Loyal and brave soldiers of Trystovy Dukedom!」

Cesare raised his voice in front of the soldiers in a good mood.

It wasn't like the anxiety he felt was gone, but it couldn't be helped for him to be in high spirit when surrounded by so many of his troops that looked like a sea of human like this.

「A never seen before glory is waiting in front of all of you gentlemen. The fall of Mulberry that our dukedom has wished for so many years is now within the reach!」

Troublingly Cesare didn't simply say that just for heightening the morale but because he believed that from his heart.

Mulberry would definitely fall if he didn't care of the loss to his own troops.

It was unfortunate that Gastone was killed, but the information that he managed to obtain from him was still there.

Especially the information about the number of Mulberry's troops, their positioning, and even the character of the commander. Those were all useful information to know.

No matter how genius the commander Gustiniani was a genius in defense, he too was just a single human. He couldn't continue fighting without sleep or rest.

「I swear that we shall obtain victory! Mulberry is nothing to be afraid of!」

The one who bragged that while hitting his chest powerfully was Cesare's protégé, a regimental commander named Wilco.

This man was aiming to be Cesare's successor. He was planning to obtain even more of Cesare's favor at this chance.

Unlike peerage, the position of great general wasn't something that could be handed over to a descendant.

Of course it would be the king who appointed the great general, but the king wouldn't ignore the advice of the previous great general, so it was an extremely big issue whether Cesare liked him or not.

「An admirable spirit.」

Cesare too showed his satisfaction at Wilco's reaction. Regardless of what ulterior motive there was behind it, a subordinate who understood his superior's wish was adorable.

Although Cesare only took a liking to Wilco as nothing but a tool for the sake of his own ambition.

「The filthy pretender beastman only brought mere 400 soldiers together with him. Our superiority hasn't wavered at all. Muster up your courage my soldiers, there are surely cordial rewards waiting for all of you!」

Many of the soldiers were relieved that Baldr only brought 400 soldiers.

But the veteran soldiers were throwing exasperated gaze at Cesare.

The greatest reason why Mulberry was impregnable until now was because the sea lanes were in the maritime guild's hand.

The cornerstone of Mulberry's defense was mercenaries. The city's morale would swiftly lower if the supply of mercenary was cut off.

Not only their morale would lower, there might even be infighting breaking out.

In order to maintain their morale, food, reward, and then stable supply of reinforcement were indispensable.

Gustiniani was able to display his excellent ability in tactical commanding was only because there was such foundation.

Baldr's appearance meant that Gigante had been passed through. In other words it only served as the proof of Mulberry's impregnability.

「──Good grief, it's not bad that we got a lot of allies, but spare me from becoming the sacrifice at the forefront.」

Most of the ordinary soldiers like them prioritized surviving and returning to their home alive rather than raising achievements to obtain reward. They had no intention to throw away their life for the sake of Cesare's vanity no matter what.

However their commander, the regimental commanders and company commanders got their desire for promotion to be greatly stimulated.

「Victory to the dukedom!」

「Glory to the dukedom!」

「Destroy Mulberry!」

As Cesare expected, the raising of the morale was a success.

It wasn't just the commanders, there was also some commoners who wished to grasp success and became knight.

Cesare nodded in satisfaction and headed to the next regiment.

.

「──We are really underestimated here.」

Baldr listened to the war cry from the dukedom army with a troubled smile from above the rampart.

The enemy was being too open. They had no intention of even trying to hide their next action.

It was like they were declaring that they were going to attack after this after raising the troops' fervor.

Furthermore the commander-in-chief expressly came out to the front line. He must be really convinced that they weren't going to come out attacking.

Of course Baldr wasn't so kind that he would respect the enemy's wish.

It was manner to eat up the feast that was served before one's eye without reservation.

「Now then, let's go.」

.

The drawbridge that was connecting Mulberry's huge gate started to be lowered.

This drawbridge that was the cornerstone of the defense had a total length of 30 meters. It needed dozens of people to operate it using steel chains and a rolling device.

The rumbling sound that was produced during its operation was naturally heard by the dukedom army immediately.

「Hmph, they want to negotiate after this late?」

Cesare laughed. Those people must have flower field for brain if they thought that they might be able to sign a peace treaty with advantageous condition after purging Gastone.

Actually it was Cesare who had flower field for brain for still thinking that the enemy wouldn't come out attacking even now, but the person himself was busy being elated instead.

Cesare who didn't doubt his own righteousness at all believed that it was only natural for Mulberry to fold in fear at his army's aggressiveness.

If there was something that could be said to defend his honor here, it was that his delusion couldn't be said as completely baseless at all if one looked back at the dispute between the dukedom and Mulberry during these ten years.

「Hmph, drive them away if they are emissaries for negotiation. Tell them that we won't accept anything else but surrender.」

Cesare turned around toward his headquarters with a fearless laugh.

Multiple screams suddenly rose from behind him after several dozens of seconds passed since the drawbridge started to lower.

.

It was Satsuki who was at the forefront.

She was completely useless at the previous sea battle because of seasickness. Because of that she was burning to get a chance for revenge.

「The title of Gartlake's shrine maiden princess is referring to me nya!」

At this Trystovy, the nickname of Gartlake's shrine maiden princess wasn't as popular as Silver Light Maggot.

Now that the beastman race had obtained Baldr as figurehead, it would be meaningless for her to leave Gartlake until here if it was only Maggot and Gina whose achievements got talked about.

A definite fact that Gartlake's cat-eared race was cooperating with Baldr was needed. Even someone indifferent to politic like Satsuki understood very well about the necessity of it.

The enemy soldiers who were bewildered by the sudden opening of the gate entered her sight.

They weren't on their guard at all. IT seemed they were thinking that it would be non-combatant who came out from the gate.

They were a complete failure as soldiers on battlefield.

「Wha──」

The soldier thought that they saw something shaped like human rushing out with an amazing speed, but he was unable to even finish saying a single word.

Five soldiers' neck let out pillars of blood while their heads were rotating in the air. It happened in less that several moments.

The frontline soldiers had the fact of their comrades' death thrust before them without them understanding what had just happened. They immediately fell into chaos.

Maggot saw the way Satsuki mowed down the enemy and nodded in admiration.

「──That girl, she is more able than I thought.」

Gina also agreed.

「Speaking of Gartlake's shrine maiden princess, I have deep ties with the holder of that title. I once got into a fight with that girl's mother, but it would be impossible to defeat her in a short time if I didn't open the King's Gate in full power.」

Maggot and Baldr were completely out of the norm that Satsuki didn't stand out, but her combat strength was actually at a height that was completely out of the reach of the ordinary human. She didn't gather respect as shrine maiden princess just for show.

「──But, she is still immature. When facing a group as an individual, one have to think of how to defeat the enemy.」

Maggot bared his canine tooh fiercely and leaped to the air lightly as though she was gliding.

Her silver hair changed into a streak of light and she was gone.

A lot of soldiers were falling on the path that she passed through.

The number of the death compared to the number of people collapsing was few, but that was because Maggot intentionally didn't focus in killing.

She indiscriminately mowed down everything that stood in her way.

She didn't want her movement speed to fall because she was focused in killing. This was Maggot the former mercenary going in with all her strength.

Furthermore Maggot used an exquisite tactic by striking at the flank of the group that was concentrating its density in order to deal with Satsuki's charge. It was a tactic that was distinctive of her.

「It's great to be young.」

Although Gina wasn't as fast as Maggot or Satsuki, she still defeated the enemies casually. She too was cutting down tons of dukedom soldiers with absurd ease.

If she was at her prime when she was called as The Thunder of Helsing, then she too wouldn't lose against Maggot.

But even such Gina only looked like a monstrous demon to the dukedom soldiers.

.

When Cesare heard the sudden screams, he thought that it was the prank of the soldiers who got too high spirited and smiled wryly.

It was great that they became motivated, but it would be troubling if it caused disorder to the leadership.

Wouldn't the emissary from Mulberry turned tail and ran back like this?

Cesare thought that perhaps he could make use of that and ordered a charge to enter the city. He turned around.

What entered his sight was the heads of his soldiers flying high in the air.

「──What the!?」

It was here that Cesare finally realized that the drawbridge was lowered in order for the enemy to attack.

How foolish they were. Did the enemy understood the difference of strength here?

At the same time he thought that this might be a great chance to bring down Mulberry.

Most likely the enemy's plan was to attack once and kill their enthusiasm before retreating.

If his men could chase after the retreating enemy without falling behind, it shouldn't be impossible to enter inside Mulberry like that──.

「GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!」

The screams sounded closer than before. Cesare's shoulders shook reflexively.

「Oi oi, don't tell me just a few enemy can get this far...」

Cesare always placed himself in a safe place at his past battles. The unexpected danger filled him with fear that paralyzed his body.

「Your excellency! Please run! The enemy is a monster!」

「D-don't screw with me! Defeat the enemy no matter what! Defeat them!」

Cesare ran away to the rear even while giving such order.

He didn't have any intention to die at this kind of place at all. Cesare had no interest to anything at all other than surviving and seizing glory with his hand.

The chaos at the frontline and then the retreat of the main general Cesare.

Because of the army's excessively large size, once it fell into chaos it was difficult for the army to regain its composure.

.

Baldr slowly turned his gaze toward Ramillies.

「Now then, let's go Ramillies.」

「Looks like I'll be able to have fun after so long.」

Ramillies's mouth was smiling, but his eyes were searching for his old friend that still hadn't show up.

He couldn't imagine that Olten would let the commander-in-chief getting killed just like this without doing anything.

「CHARGEEEEEEEEEEE!」

「OOOOOOOOOOOOOO!」

Baldr rushed out like an arrow that was fired from a bow. Antrim territory's 400 soldiers under Ramillies's command followed behind him.

Ramillies's strict leadership led his man in perfect coordination. They cut through the dukedom army that numbered ten times greater than them like a knife cutting through butter.

The vanguard of dukedom army already couldn't function as an army anymore. That chaos was going to spread until the middle of the formation.

Cesare ran away with the death music of the battlefield rapidly approaching his back. He was bawling with snot and tear dirtying his face.

「Shit! Shit! How can something like this happen!」

There was no doubt that the enemy's number was few.

And yet the one running around in desperation and falling while screaming were only the dukedom soldiers.

It was a scene that was like a nightmare that couldn't be explained with common sense.

The mercenaries that acted as the core of Mulberry's force should have no experience in large scale group battle where the number of troops surpassed ten thousands.

It might be understandable if they adopted guerilla war method like launching night raid, but it was impossible for them to charge from the front so brazenly like this.

Even if the opponent was Margrave Antrim, Baldr, what could he possibly do against a huge army of 50000 with just 400 soldiers?

This was a mistake! This reality was absolutely a mistake!

「──Is the one in red clothes over there the general nya?」

It was a bright voice of an adorable girl, but it sounded like the lullaby of death god to Cesare's ears.

It was a carefree voice that sounded like the owner was still a teenage.

That was exactly why it wasn't a voice that was good to hear in the battlefield.

「P-protect! Protect me!」

Cesare whipped his horse to hide behind his guards.

He didn't give a damn to his appearance or reputation anymore. He just wanted to get as far away as possible from the evil hand of the death god.

「you won't get away nya!」

Satsuki laughed cheerfully like a cat who had found its prey.

The guards made their mantel flapped and put their body on the line to hide Cesare.

During that time Cesare threw away his gaudy mantel.

「I'm not gonna die here! At this kind of place! I've still only become the great general, my era has only just started!」

He was going to do anything no matter how unsightly in order to survive. And then one day he would take revenge that was dozens of times greater than the humiliation of this day.

Cesare continued to run away with only such thought filling his head.

「Good grief, you don't know when to give up nya.」

For King's Gate owner like Satsuki, the number of enemy wasn't that problematic.

It was a match of whether he could find and capture Cesare or not within the time where she could maintain her King's Gate.

And then Satsuki had certainly caught sight of Cesare.

Regardless of the knights trying to block her sight or the prey's attempt to change its appearance and escaped, those efforts couldn't deceive the eyes of a natural hunter.

Satsuki's eyes glinted under the sun and narrowed like a cat.

「You won't get away nya.」

The knights desperately fight to let Cesare got away somehow. Satsuki cut them down with them unable to even see her hand's movement and she pursued Cesare.

With Satsuki's physical ability, the distance between them could be closed without difficulty.

「Shit! You won't succeed!」

Satsuki glanced at the knights' pointless struggle and crouched to leap but──she stiffened in astonishment.

Satsuki's body completely came to a standstill along with a feeling of exhaustion that she had never felt before.

.

Part 7Going back to several days before.

The intelligence agent of Europa Religion's special corrective division Martell Blind entered into Trystovy with a secret mission from the church.

Even though he was entrusted by the holy relic that was even more precious than any gems and accompanied by handpicked guards, Martell still felt an enormous mental tension.

「In the end...will we make it?」

No, they had to make it at all cost. No matter what, before that beastman raised the song of victory.

Unfortunately the pope territory was located at the north of Trystovy, while Mulberry was located at the southern edge of Trystovy.

Even for a skilled agent like Martell, crossing through Trystovy from north to south in secret was a herculean task.

If only the opponent wasn't Baldr, even Martell wouldn't feel this much danger.

At the very least if it was the other royalty or nobility that Martell knew, this battle should happen in half more year.

However if it was Baldr, it wouldn't be strange even if he had entered Mulberry around this time.

No, such thing was impossible right now with the dukedom blockading the sea lane, but Martell's anxiety still wouldn't leave him. After all he knew just how out of the norm someone who possessed King's Gate was.

Actually around this time Baldr and others had finished fighting Gigante and they were approaching Mulberry.

Faster, faster, even if it was just an hour or a second faster.

That earnest feeling of Martell immediately stumbled due to a single foolish and small man.

.

「Bishop-dono, what a joyous occasion this is. It must be some kind of fate in play that brought us together today. Please allow me to express my hospitality to you by staying my mansion.」

「I'm thankful for the offer, but we are going to depart right away. My gratitude for your kindness.」

A really troublesome man got his sight set on them.

Viscount Continerri. He was a man who was famous for his deep greed one way or another.

Martell was smiling, but inside he was filled with a murderous intent.

There was a definite number of tyrannical nobles in Trystovy Dukedom. This could be called as the after-effect of the archduke's policy to give favorable treatment to the nobles.

「Even if you say that, because of the rebels, even the highway will be dangerous at night. I can't allow you to pass through my territory when it's this late.」

「Wha──!」

Martell turned around in surprise. The gate of the checkpoint was being closed right now.

「Please let us pass! We have to accomplish the mission that his eminence the pope has given us!」

Continerri's lips twisted in malice at Martell's reaction.

「Hou! Then that's all the more reason that you mustn't go! There was a bandit attack around here just last week. You should at least restore your energy first in my mansion before departing.」

Continerri sensitively sensed that Martell was entrusted with a very important mission.

Even a foolish man didn't mean that he was foolish in everything. At the very least his sense of smell for troubles that could become money was definitely excellent.

Recently the dukedom's nobles were shaken by the appearance of Baldr as the heir to the throne.

Continerry was holding a hope that he might be able to obtain connection with the church through this for insurance just in case something happened.

「Viscount Continerry-dono, can't something be done so that we can immediately depart from here?」

Martell held back his anger by using all the self-control that he had and he bowed his head.

He was wondering in his mind that perhaps he should just kill this man and hurried on ahead, but Martell understood logically that doing that was difficult in reality.

「Let's see...I don't know what I can do. If bishop-dono is harmed within my territory, then I too won't have any face to show to his majesty the archduke.」

Continerri was frowning as though he was in pain, but of course everyone there understood that he was just acting.

How to make them indebted to him? What should he do in order to expose a part of their secret?

Continerri's thinking was focused on that. At the corner of his eyes, he caught a glimpse of how Martell was frequently worried about the content of his carriage.

「Bishop-dono, what kind of business you can possibly have that you need to be this hurried?」

「Forgive me but you sir don't have the authority to know that!」

If it was asked which side was in the right principle here, then it was undoubtedly Martell.

Even for a noble, interfering in the matter of the church was something that shouldn't be allowed.

But, the nobles of the dukedom had continuously trampled on such natural principle underfoot until this point.

In the first place they were existences that even rebelled against the king that was the absolute authority of this country.

「Then I have no choice but to stop you from departing bishop-dono. I too can't possible bend the law for a reason that I don't understand.」

That's just a law that you made as you pleased!

Martell seriously began to consider eliminating this filthy money obsessed person.

It would be easy to kill him. The problem was the aftermath. If they also had to repel his subordinates too, how were they going to arrive until Mulberry safely?

As expected if he killed a noble of foreign country, he wouldn't be able to avoid having pursuer sent after him.

He would still have to go through more than five noble territories after this. As expected it would be impossible for his group to break through all of them forcefully.

If it was just Martell alone it might be possible, but right now he also had to secure the safety of the holy relic.

「So how about it? Can't you put your trust in me? Depending on how things goes then I can also send additional guards to go with your group.」

Depending of the situation he could also kill Martell here and plundered his belongings. Continerry narrowed his eyes while licking his lip in his heart. He didn't have any intention of letting this tasty looking prey got away.

Continerry was a man who even weighed the alternative of siding with Baldr or the dukedom.

Martell could already imagine how this man would find fault with him later even if he obediently stayed here.

.

「──Leave it at that.」

A voice interrupted them. The voice was hoarse but filled with a pressure that broke no argument.

Not only Continerri, even Martell became speechless and that place was filled with a strange silence.

「...Y-your excellency Valerie.」

「Continerri-dono, shouldn't we refrain from doing anything that might incur the displeasure of the church in this situation where war is genuinely approaching?」

「I-it's indeed as your excellency say. I-I, I made my suggestion simply because I was worried for bishop-dono's wellbeing.」

「Can you please give me some face here and allow bishop-dono to pass through?」

「B-but of course!」

Continerry immediately answered with cold sweat drenching his whole body.

(──This is the man who was called the shadow prime minister...no, perhaps even now he is still...)

In Martell's knowledge, Valerie was already a man of the past.

He knew that this man absolutely wouldn't come to the front stage while wielding immense authority behind the scene.

But he was already more than 80 years old and he had handed over his peerage to his son and retired. But who could possibly imagine that such person was able to exert this kind of pressure?

Martell believed that there was a need to rethink the political map of the dukedom.

「...Forgive us for taking your time like this. I hope that you will be able to accomplish the mission from his eminence the pope quickly.」

「Our gratitude for your excellency's consideration.」

Martell didn't believe at the slightest that the reason Valerie helped him was just a simple kindness. There was no doubt that this person was hiding some kind of ulterior motive.

Even so he should thank him right now. He was carrying the holy relic that was the church's trump card. He couldn't keep staying in this territory.

「Be careful on your travel. The battle at the south will begin faster than you think bishop-dono.」

「──I can only pray for the god's divine protection to be with us.」

What a shrewd fox. As expected he had seen through that their destination was Mulberry.

Martell politely bowed toward Valerie and hurriedly rushed out from the checkpoint.

It felt like that even everything inside his heart would be seen through if he continued this conversation.

Valerie saw off Martell leaving and muttered to no one in particular.

「There isn't any divine protection of the god in this world.」

What could change the world of human was only powerful will that had strength, regardless whether it was ill will or good will.

If god really existed, there was no way he would just ignore this world where ill will could throw its weight around rather than the good will.

His existence that was a lump of ill will was the best proof of that.

「Now then, I wish to have a little talk with you...do you have the time, Continerri-dono?」

Continerri had his countless weaknesses within the grasp of this man before him. He assented to the request while making an insincere smile that he had never made before.

Even this kind of filthy man could betray the dukedom and changed side to the winning team that was the dukedom. Scoundrels like this man wouldn't hesitate to take such action that was completely lacking in integrity.

Valerie never made light of the ill will of such scoundrels.

He had no intention to leave any room for such insignificant scoundrels to run rampant in the new era that Baldr would build.

He had to make such scoundrels to oppose Baldr until the very end, no, that wasn't realistic, until the very limit where they wouldn't be allowed to continue with the status quo even if they surrendered.

──For that, a mastermind like Valerie was necessary.

.

Part 8Martell kept rushing throughout the night. He took a nap for three hours at dawn before continuing his travel south once more.

It wouldn't be difficult even if he kept going the whole night, but he wanted to avoid his thinking capacity from getting dulled due to lack of sleep.

And then he arrived at night to Siena that was located 20 km north from Mulberry where his comrades were on standby. Oddly it was the same day when Baldr also landed on Mulberry.

「My gratitude in the name of Europa.」

「My gratitude in the name of Europa.」

The man who welcomed Martell was the confidant of Archbishop Dantewho supervised Europa Religion in Trystovy Dukedom. His name was Danilo, the one in command of the church's activity behind the scene here and famous as someone sharp and able.

He was also the vice commander of the special corrective force's field operative unit.

His bald head and his large eyes that seemed to be glaring were memorable. He was known as someone cold-blooded without a shred of mercy toward heretics.

The putrid smell of a corpse that went bad which was unique to people of the underworld was coiling around his whole body. Martell used his rational mind to suppress the ghastliness that he felt from Danilo.

「What's the news about Margrave Antrim?」

「There is still no news that he has entered Mulberry. He still won't arrive for a while yet no matter what kind of trick he used.」

「Aa, thank god! Oh god! My heartful gratitude to you!」

The god still hadn't abandoned him. Martell shed tears because his effort to overcome various obstructions that started from Continerri had been rewarded.

Danilo frowned dubiously seeing Martell rejoicing in exaggeration like that.

「Bishop Martell, you didn't have any experience in crossing through sea?」

Based on Danilo's common sense, it was impossible for Baldr to arrive today or tomorrow.

Martell smiled wryly and shook his head.

「I understand what do you want to say, but there won't be any need to use holy relic against an opponent that can be measured logically.」

They were facing an opponent that they had to oppose using god's power. In other words Martell was carrying the holy relic until this far because Baldr was in the possession of demonic power.

「──I see, perhaps it's just as you say.」

It wasn't as though Danilo was convinced already, but what Martell said was also reasonable.

For Danilo this was also his first time using holy relic for a shadowy mission like this. He should absolutely be on his guard.

「And, about that holy relic...」

Danilo wiped his sweat on his forehead that came out because of his nervousness. He stared at the relic that was previously sealed deep inside the pope's government office.

Even Danilo who had dirtied his hand with numerous assassination and plot only barely knew about the holy relic's existence.

Even in Danilo's memory, this should be the first time the seal of the holy relic was removed throughout the long history of the church.

「It's made from mystical steel, so it won't break so easily but please be careful when carrying it. The usage of the holy relic is only permitted for those with the rank of bishop and above and only those with considerable mana.」

「──Understood.」

「With the amount of mana that we have, we can only use the holy relic once a day. We mustn't mistake the timing of its usage.」

「As I thought, using this will drain up all of our mana?」

「I think it's safer to believe so.」

If that was the case, it was highly possible that Danilo couldn't be counted as fighting strength after the usage of the holy relic.

That would be a painful loss for their force that was made up from few elite agents.

「Specifically, what kind of power this holy relic is hiding?」

Was it a hellfire that would roast demon? Or perhaps it was a vacuum blade that could reap a demon's head? Depending on the form of its divine power, the tactic they should adopt would differ.

「The power of this holy relic is──」

Just when Martell was opening his mouth.

A scout who was dressed like a merchant arrived with loud footsteps. He was breathing hard.

.

「He came! Margrave Antrim has destroyed the dukedom's fleet and entered the port of Mulberry with Sanjuan Kingdom's fleet! Furthermore the pro-dukedom faction Gastone was purged!」

「Don't tell me...! All of those happened today?」

Even if the arrival of Margrave Antrim was within his expectation, losing their precious spy Gastone was painful. With this the plot to conquer Mulberry was crumbling from its foundation.

「Let's hurry! We have to head there immediately! The demon cannot be measured with our common sense.」

Danilo finally learned the reason why Martell feared Baldr so excessively.

He also realized that Baldr was an opponent that he would have to fight with his life at stake as someone who controlled the shadowy part of the church.

「We are departing now! You can tell me the detail about the holy relic on the way!」