Published at 24th of March 2023 9:07 am

Volume 11, Chapter 5 – He Who Aims for the Heavens, Part 2

This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml

November 17th, 1026th year of the Imperial Calendar.

The armies of the Vanir Three Kingdoms advancing through the Grand Duchy of Drall were marching in six separate armies.

One of the armies was led by the leading figures of the Vanir Three Kingdoms, including the Pope, who was also the commander-in-chief.

They were currently gathering information from various locations from a fort they had borrowed from the Grand Duchy of Drall and were using it as a base. In the temporary command center built inside the fort, the commanders were reporting to their superior.

“I have given the order to rally the troops scattered all over the country.”

“Good.”

Nameless, pretending to be the Pope, nodded in satisfaction at the staff officer’s report.

“But, Pope-sama, why are you making such a roundabout way of doing this?”

“Roundabout?”

“Yes, I am sorry if that sounds rude, but we have no morale problems, and our forces are also well-equipped. If we had marched without dividing our forces, I believe we would have invaded the center of Grantz by now.”

“Perhaps, but if we had marched without a plan, our defeat would have been inevitable.”

“Do you think we can be defeated by humans?”

The long-eared race, with their high self-esteem, would immediately get angry when compared with other races and would argue with them. Nameless waved her hand in a gesture to ward off a dog and then slapped him with a harsh remark.

“Yes, that conceit will lead you to defeat. It is only by being careful and cautious that we can blind the eyes of our opponents as we march forward.”

“Blinding the enemy’s eyes while marching is the way to go? Is it that simple?”

The commander of the long-eared race continually questioned Nameless, who seemed to be struggling with the urge to laugh. Nameless was determined to shatter his confidence, which could not be understood where it was coming from.

“When you open the lid, you will find that all the tricks are simple, but it is people’s emotions that complicate them. Especially when it comes to those who look down on other races, as you are doing right now.”

Laughter leaked out from the surroundings. The commander, his face bright red and silent, sat down in his chair vigorously.

After a short pause, when there were no more objections, Nameless opened her mouth again.

“It is easy to explain with words, but it is extremely difficult to put it into action. But what awaits us is the shortest path to absolute victory, to the utopia of our long-eared race. If you need more questions and answers, then speak up here and now. I will not condemn you.”

No one said anything. Silence fell, and Nameless broke it herself.

“Shall we move on to the next subject?”

“We have asked the Grand Duchy of Drall for assistance in the form of supplies, but we have not received a satisfactory reply. Although we do not have a problem with food at the moment, I am afraid that in the long run, we will not be able to meet our needs.”

After the staff members had finished their reports, the long-eared commanders began to express their opinions as they saw fit.

“It can’t be helped. The Grand Duchy of Drall is probably on the fence. Whether to join the Grantz or the Vanirs.”

“Is it too late for that? We are already marching through the territory with the permission of the Grand Duchy of Drall. Grantz’s ears must have heard about it.”

“If they don’t turn their blades on Grantz, they can make any excuse they want. For example, they had no choice but to give in to the pressure of Vanir Three Kingdoms.”

“So they’ll give in to one side or the other when the time is right?”

“I think they are waiting for the right moment. They may wait until the Grantz is weak and then come to us to sell their favors.”

“From the beginning, I had no expectations of the Grand Duchy of Drall. At this point, we will have no choice but to threaten the nobles in the vicinity to support us with supplies.”

“Since the nobles of the Grand Duchy of Drall are a bunch of cowards, they will probably give in to our strength in numbers, but I think that would be a foolish move that could have repercussions later on. I disagree.”

“Then, are you saying that they will say that there is no food and starve our Vanir soldiers?”

“That would be folly.”

Can it be called a discussion, mostly just a complaint against the Grand Duchy of Drall? Nameless sighed in disgust and raised her hand to silence them.

“No, we will pay the surrounding villages and towns to buy food.”

“Are you sure you want to do that?”

“I don’t want them to get angry with us and come up behind us. Be very careful how you address the people, for it is not in our interest to make enemies in a foreign land.”

“Understood. Then, I would like to talk to some of the leading figures in the area and purchase some provisions.”

“Now that that’s settled… let’s move on to the next topic.”

As Nameless urged, without asking permission, one of the long-eared races raised his voice in a high pitch.

“It seems that the battle between the Six Kingdoms and the main army of the Grantz is over. It seems that a truce has been signed.”

This comment caused a commotion, and one of the commanders leaned forward on his desk in a panic.

“What happened to the coalition of three nations?”

“It seems that they were destroyed by Greif’s army led by Queen Lucia for disobeying the order of the unified king.”

“Nonsense. The center of Greif is controlled by our puppets. We would never allow such an act of arrogance.”

“I think it’s better to assume that they have been eliminated.”

The staff member who was the coordinator nodded as Nameless spoke.

“Yes, I think that’s very likely, since we haven’t been able to contact them, and it seems that Queen Lucia is now leading Greif’s army. It would be better to assume that the Six Kingdoms have already left our hands.”

“For a disposable pawn, they’ve served us well.”

The role of the three nations’ coalition was originally to buy time. It would have been great if they could have struck a blow to the main army of the Grantz, but that would have been a luxury. From the time when she was the Prime Minister of Greif, she had given up the idea that she could not destroy the Grantz in that country. The same was true for the Vanir Three Kingdoms, but at least they had more influence. Like the humans, the long-eared race also had a corrupt upper class, but their army was one of the best, and although it was inferior to that of the Grantz, the difference was trivial to that extent. In other words, if she weighed the current situation against that of the Grantz, the result could go either way.

“But it seems very bad that the main force of Grantz is now free, doesn’t it?”

“No… Considering the number of troops and the distance, it will take a good number of days to reach the west. But it would be too risky to be optimistic.”

“Will they be of any use if they hurry back? No matter how strong the Grantz are, they are fatigued from repeated battles. In contrast, we are marching with plenty of time to spare. Even if the main Grantz forces were to arrive in time for the defense, we would still have the advantage.”

“You are right, so there is no need to inform even the soldiers at the end of the line about the fact that the Six Kingdoms and the Great Grantz Empire have signed a truce agreement. We will keep it in the commander’s mind, and we will carry out the invasion of Grantz without any changes.”

The commanders nodded vigorously as Nameless concluded with those words. Just when everyone thought that this was the end of the military discussion, a letter was placed on the table by the staff officer who was facilitating the discussion.

“It has nothing to do with the agenda, but I have just received word from home that Cardinal Snorri has passed away.”

Nameless picked up the letter and read that Cardinal Snorri, who had lost his head, had been found in the courtyard. While muttering in her heart, Nameless prayed with an air of solemnity without showing any attitude.

“Thanks to Cardinal Snorri’s efforts during the invasion of Grantz, we are able to be here today. Let us offer a silent prayer and pray for the future of tomorrow.”

When Nameless said this, everyone nodded their heads and prayed.

“Together with the Fairy King, he will see us through. His great desire was the destruction of the Grantz. With that thought, we will sublimate. For the glorious future of the overthrow of Grantz.”

“As you will.”

The hearts of all will be one. While worshipping a false existence, they follow the orders of their hated enemy to the battlefield without question. There can be no greater comedy than this. While holding back the urge to roll over with laughter, Nameless continued to pray that Cardinal Snorri, whom she had killed, would rest in peace.

＊＊＊＊＊

Liz had arrived in Sandinal, Felzen Region, amidst a whirlwind of intrigue in various parts of the country.

Perhaps because the people she left in charge were excellent, the city did not look particularly different, and security did not seem to have deteriorated. However, when Liz visited the lord’s mansion with Aura and Skaaha, the nobles belonging to the southern part of Grantz welcomed them with awkward expressions. Among them, there was no sign of Rozl, who had been entrusted with the governance of Sandinal.

“Where is Lord Rozl?”

The southern nobles bowed in unison to Liz’s question.

“We apologize. We do not know where he is, and we do not know where Lord Rozl has gone.”

“Is that true?”

The southern noblemen bowed their heads even more deeply.

“W-we will not lie to you. I swear by the Spirit King, we really don’t know.”

“You say he disappeared without a word?”

“That’s what it is… but we are also puzzled by the disappearance of Lord Rozl and his entourage.”

“Have you conducted a search?”

“Yes, we have searched everywhere in the mansion, the city, and the surrounding area, but we have been unable to find them.”

Their faces were not filled with lies. This is certainly true even when seen through Liz’s “eyes.”

Then where did Rozl disappear to?

“…Desertion, or perhaps abduction by a hostile force, anyway, the new commander will be Lord Bunadhara―Aura.”

And here Liz tapped Aura, who was standing next to her, on the shoulder. The southern nobles could not protest the disappearance of their lord, and they turned to Aura, who seemed to have accepted the situation.

“We have no objection. Aura-sama, please do not hesitate to ask us anything.”

“First of all, I would like to know the current situation in Sandinal. Where is the room that Lord Rozl used?”

The group was guided by a southern nobleman to Rozl’s room, but on the way, Skaaha stopped and called out to Liz.

“I am going out for a little while.”

“Are you going to see your people?”

“Yes, I know they must be worried about me.”

“Then you’ll need an escort――”

“No, no need. They will come to the front of this mansion. So, I’d like to borrow a room if that’s all right.”

“Sure. I’m sure you have a lot to talk about…”

Liz gladly accepted the request and called one of the southern noblemen over.

“Can you show her to a spare room and also serve her some food since her friend is coming too?”

“Yes, I’ll take care of it. Please come this way, Skaaha-dono.”

The southern nobleman slowly offered to show Skaaha the way. After watching their backs, Liz walked into the lord’s room behind Aura. There, she recognized Aura at the desk, reviewing the report. Smiling at her quick work, Liz approached and leaned over the desk.

“Aura, what have you learned about the situation around the country?”

“Not so good. The situation in the north is particularly bad.”

The situation was so shocking that she was at a loss for words. Aura noticed Liz, who was frozen with nervousness and called out to her.

“Can’t you see it with your ‘eyes’?”

“It’s hard to tell. For some reason, there is a haze over it. It’s not very clear, and I’m not sure if it’s a real view or not.”

“…Are you okay?”

Aura’s eyes shook with anxiety, but Liz smiled as if to say not to worry about it.

“Because I don’t think it’s a good idea to rely on it too much… what about the damage?”

“Molaren was destroyed. The monsters that have crossed the Spirit Wall are attacking the surrounding towns and villages.”

“What do you think we should do?”

“…If we want to save the people of the north, we should go north now, but it is also dangerous to turn our backs on the Vanir Three Kingdoms that are marching on the Grand Duchy of Drall. Perhaps the arrival of Liz in Sandinal will be communicated to the other side, and if we turn our attention to the north here, the Vanir Three Kingdoms will come to take our heads.”

Aura was quick to mention that there was something more to be concerned about.

“We don’t have much information on the north. It is very dangerous to think of countermeasures here. First of all, it would be safer to defeat the Vanir Three Kingdoms, which are right at our doorstep, and then deal with them after we have eliminated any lingering fears.”

Even if they hurried, Liz had only one body. The main force of the Grantz had not yet gathered in this area. Even if Sandinal’s forces were directed to the north, the Felzen region could be the next to fall into an unstable situation. Dispersion of forces―the Liz camp did not have the luxury of being able to do so.

“If so… we should send a message to all the nobles to evacuate the people in the north.”

There was no choice but to do so now. After defeating the Vanir Three Kingdoms, they would surely come to their rescue. As Liz renewed her resolve, there was a knock at the door of the room.

“Your Highness Celia Estrella, the preparations are in order.”

“I will be right there.”

“We will be waiting for you.”

“Aura, I’ll leave the rest to you. I’ll go first.”

The collapse of the “Spirit Wall” and the advance of the ‘monsters’ to the south are causes for concern, but Liz and the others have been making preparations to repel the Vanir Three Kingdoms. There was no way they could just throw those things away now. They must destroy their concerns one by one without fail.

“Tell Skaaha about it too.”

“Yes, don’t do anything reckless, and for now, just think about the Vanir Three Kingdoms, and I’ll think of a way to deal with the “Spirit Wall” problem.”

“Yes, I’m counting on you.”

“And… this is probably not the best time to ask this, but is Hiro okay?”

“…Right. I don’t know where he is or what he’s doing, but I’ve decided to trust him. No matter what happens, I’m not going to give up on him. Whatever it takes.”

Unchanging. That will never change, no matter what. She decided to believe in him until she heard the truth from his mouth. Ever since the day they parted four years ago, she has held on to her feelings strongly, and she would not abandon them.

“I understand. I’ll gather information on the Raven Army.”

“Please don’t push yourself too hard. I’m off then.”

Aura gave a wry smile as she took on a large amount of work herself. Then, smiling to reassure her, Liz turned away and left the room.

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