The representatives of the Leaf Knight Order and the Branch Knight Order approached and saluted.
“Illitran, child of the Arieldee family, along with 246 fairy knights, greets the proxy of the guardian tree.”
“…Rubima, child of the Kirianejial family, along with 233 fairy knights, greets the proxy of the guardian tree.”
“Yes, nice to meet you.”
The average level of the fairy knights was in the late teens.
With about 500 of them gathered, it was like uprooting the power equivalent to or greater than an average nation from the Great Forest.
From a third-party perspective, they were truly forces that fell from the sky.
The strategists of the sixteen clans seemed to have judged they could make sufficient contributions in this civil war, but with external reinforcements of this quality and quantity, the story changed completely.
Soliciting cooperation from the Kirianejial and Arieldee families was entirely my personal endeavor.
Thus, the more they performed, the more the Church of Utility’s holy relic, the Causality Calculator(S), would allocate greater control rights to the Blispiel Clan.
The 50% control rights of the Glicia Kingdom that the allied clans had agreed to divide based on contributions to ending the civil war—it was entirely possible for us to monopolize it.
From the clan masters’ standpoint, it was like an unexpected bolt from the blue, but since the probability of victory in the civil war had skyrocketed, they couldn’t back out now.
“I heard the Blispiel sub-master’s mother is a half from the high fairy race. Are these fairy knights reinforcements pulled through that connection?”
“…Having the Great Forest as a backer is unexpected, but Blispiel itself is still a small-scale clan. Even without subordinating, we can maintain our work in Elanore.”
“Then, staying in the alliance like this is far better than Caracol winning, I suppose.”
Such calculations underlaid their thoughts. The clan masters accepted the reinforcements’ presence relatively calmly.
Rather, Ebel, who had been informed in advance, was more surprised.
“…The fairy knights really came. So your claim that you could handle those cunning pointy-ears with a single word was true?”
“Of course.”
“Hmm…!”
Ebel, who had frequently clashed with fairies in border skirmishes, was quite knowledgeable about their physiology and knew they were quite exclusionary toward other races or mixed-bloods outside the forest. Without knowing the backstory involving Tiamia and the Thousand Water Root, this scene would indeed seem miraculous.
I said to Ebel, “With the Leaf and Branch Knight Orders, victory is all but assured.”
“…Indeed. Then, as you said, aiming for a swift resolution is wise. Before Citrio Altus seeks aid from external forces.”
In the original history, Caracol frequently received support from the Wiblet Empire. It’s already common knowledge that the empire intends to expand its influence through the massive clan Caracol.
I said to Linia, who was standing by, “Linia. Bring Bailey.”
“Understood, young master.”
Among the over 500 fairy knights who arrived this time, about 1/10 are contractors of wind spirits.
Thanks to the spirits’ assistance, swift and stealthy marches to Praga were possible.
However, for such a large group to move long distances without detection, the key was that they were all unarmed, without their original equipment.
Preparing equipment for nearly 500 high-quality personnel on-site is extremely tricky…
“Heh heh… Long time no see, big shot.”
“Hello, Aiden hyung.”
With Bailey and Kurt, no problem.
Behind the two were dozens of porters, and the wagons they pulled were loaded with countless war supplies.
Weapons produced through Kurt’s soul imprint, Dismixer(U)’s assembly function.
Camillo had worked diligently to accumulate wealth, pouring it into purchasing large quantities of high-grade metals, which were used to craft high-quality equipment.
“This can’t be… This equipment seems comparable to what the royal guardians of Baskaya or the Wiblet Empire use?”
“Where on earth did Blispiel get this equipment?”
I lent equipment to all the fairy knights and clan members participating in the civil war, and issues like fit were resolved by fine-tuning all day with Kurt’s Dismixer(U).
That evening.
“We’ll charge straight into Athenas fortress tomorrow. No objections, right?”
The 16 clan masters nodded.
“The scale of reinforcements exceeds imagination.”
“If we sit idle like this, we’ll lose half the kingdom to Blispiel with our eyes wide open.”
“Is there no countermeasure?”
Victory in the civil war was at hand, but Princess Isabella and her aides were in a state of emergency.
If Blispiel won and monopolized the 50% control rights, their plan to reclaim shares through intrigue would be fundamentally disrupted.
Isabella said calmly, “How about proposing marriage to Aiden Stroke? If he has ambitions, he’ll start preparing to declare himself across the continent after the civil war, so marrying into the Glicia royal family to solidify a base in the central region isn’t a bad proposal.”
Her aides fell into deep thought.
“Hmm… Aiden Stroke is from a grand ducal family, right? His status is comparable to Your Highness’s.”
“But he has a betrothed from the north with whom he’s shared hardships? Sorting the hierarchy won’t be easy.”
“We can treat the wives’ positions equally. By strictly separating his position as consort and as clan sub-master, a polygamous marriage should face no backlash.”
“If we codify that the Glicia throne succession is limited to blood descendants of Your Highness, there’ll be almost no room for issues.”
The more they discussed, the more plausible it sounded.
“Let’s at least make the proposal.”
The hastily convened vassal meeting concluded thus, but Isabella harbored another concern.
Suddenly, the court count approached her.
“It’s regarding Count Pontiroig, Your Highness. According to the dispatched spy’s report, recently, Lady Mariana, the count’s daughter, became a guest at the Blispiel Clan House.”
“…I see. Understood.”
Isabella’s brow furrowed.
After the talks, she had thoroughly investigated her father’s travels before he fell into coma. Limited to before her birth.
She discovered one suspicious circumstance.
Just before ascending the throne, he frequently visited the Pontiroig count’s territory.
If her suspicion that Mariana was the king’s illegitimate child proved true, Aiden’s side would hold a card to arbitrarily challenge her legitimacy.
She made a decision.
“…Alexander. Dispatch all assassins under Duke Praga to the Blispiel Clan House and kidnap Mariana Pontiroig. If circumstances don’t allow, eliminate her on the spot.”
A gamble staking her honor as royalty began.
Athenas, capital of the Glicia Kingdom.
The city also serving as the base for Prince Ramon, claimant to the succession, and his supporter, the Caracol Clan.
Clank, clank, clank…
“Wh-What is that…?”
The sentry on duty at Athenas’s outpost had to doubt his eyes. Nearly a thousand heads were marching fully armed.
“E-Emergency!”
Clang! Clang! Clang!
As you can see, the Blispiel alliance’s movements were completely unknown to the Caracol side.
Complete control of residents’ city entry and exit.
Large-scale communication blocking magic barrier.
Surveillance by 50 wind spirits.
In addition to thoroughly sealing Praga, Blispiel’s advance occurred just one day after the Great Forest reinforcements arrived.
Even with insiders abound, there was no time for information to leak.
“Damn! What the hell are these guys!”
It was an attack hard to fend off even if known in advance. Let alone completely unaware, the outcome needs no explanation.
Some believed relying on the sturdy magic barrier could buy time, but…
<First-Void>
An unidentified dark sphere easily punched a hole in the barrier, and through it poured the alliance’s elites.
Clang! Clang clang!
“Argh!”
“Aaaah!”
The kingdom sentries and groggy clan members resisted desperately, but were helplessly pushed back by the divine might displayed by elites including Ravalbea and Arent.
That wasn’t the end.
“Damn it! What the hell is that!”
“Sp-Spirits!”
Was someone’s shout the signal?
The translucent spirits summoned by the fairy knights appeared one by one, then blended into the battlefield.
Whoosh! Boom! Boom! Zap!
Flying over the battlefield spewing fire.
Manipulating earth to restrain defending forces.
Generating wind to deflect arrows.
Salamander, Undine, Sylph, Gnome, Dryad, Soul Hog, Evil Eye… Spirits of all kinds pecked at Athenas from inside and out in various ways. The spherical barrier enveloping the entire city soon cracked like a spiderweb, and the fissures led to collapse.
Boom!
“The barrier is completely destroyed!!”
“Damn, everyone! Retreat to the inner castle with the secondary barrier!”
Athenas’s defending forces fled tail between legs to the fortress. Some even completely lost fighting spirit and surrendered to the Blispiel alliance.
An alliance of 16 clans and two fairy family knight orders.
A terrifying force capable of erasing a small nation from the map in three days and nights—it was a natural flow.
Meanwhile.
“A gathering of hundreds of top-tier spirit contractors is awe-inspiring. It’s fortunate their blades couldn’t fully focus on the Croa Kingdom.”
“As promised with the Church of Utility, there’ll be almost no harm to outer city residents.”
From 250m above the fierce battlefield. Aiden and Ebel floated there, overlooking the sequence of events.
「Current position: Above Athenas inner castle. Arrived at destination. Master.」
It was the power of Respinel, remodeled again into jetpack type via Dismixer(U)’s function.
Similar to its first active appearance at the Sun Cathedral, but unlike then, maintaining high-altitude flight over 15 minutes was possible. Reinforced with various high-grade metals, its performance was incomparable.
「Existence of another barrier near inner castle. Detected.」
“Is that so? Master Lindal’s group wait until they breach the inner castle?”
“Hmph, I’m not that leisurely. By now, Citrio Altus must have woken from his nap? To shake off his drowsiness, I’ll shatter the barrier and enter.”
“As you wish.”
Whoosh. Suddenly, Aiden released Ebel from his hand. From dizzying heights, the veteran warrior’s form plummeted alone.
Boom!
The resounding explosion echoed soon after.
Immediately, the ceiling of the barrier surrounding the inner castle shattered into pieces.
Whirr!
I too flew through the hole Ebel punched and infiltrated the inner castle.
The thirteen elite soldiers who rushed upon hearing the barrier-shattering boom moments ago were already mangled by Ebel in the brief gap before my entry.
“Head first to the deepest part where Citrio awaits. Leave executives and minions to us.”
“…Fine. I’ll go ahead.”
Ebel, channeling qi, dashed down the wide corridor. Watching his back, I donned the Formless Robe(S-).
Now, before allies enter the inner castle, let’s preemptively deal with tricky opponents.
Wandering the inner castle, I soon spotted a warrior with extraordinary qi.
A familiar face.
<Ugo Campos>
[Level:45/45]
[HP:15][STR:13][AGI:16]
[MP:13][MEN:07][SEN:11]
[DIV:01]
[Traits:Barrier(S+), Crushing Genius(A), Beast Sense(B) and 2 others]
[Skills:Floana Blunt Weapon Art · Extreme(A), Dynite Shield Art · Extreme(A), Floana Heart Method(B), Mercenary King Secret Heart Method(B) and 4 others]
[Description: Age 48, Human. One of Caracol Clan’s executives. Formerly a notorious mercenary and outlaw in the southern continent, but laundered his identity with Citrio’s help and joined Caracol Clan.]
Clearly the guy severely injured in the knight battle, yet bandaged all over, he was moving reasonably fine.
Must have received healing magic.
From a bishop-level priest, at that.
Fingering the threaded needle strong wire, I targeted Ugo hurrying somewhere.
Releasing ‘Insulation’ state, I flung the thread toward him.
Resonance Shatter Art technique, ‘Infecting.’
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